Upbeat Announcements & Community Bunya-Bunya


father, a truly gentle man and much respected businessman. Born in 1903, his extraor-


dinarily harsh, early life (while growing up in Stuttgart,


in


Schwarzwald, Germany…Te Black Forest of mythic folk- lore) could have been a sad script created by Charles Dick- ens. He and his five sisters and one younger brother were or- phans by 1920. Emigrating to America, “the land of milk and honey,” he worked and sent support to his siblings, at the age of 20. How I treasured every pre-


cious moment when my dad and mom found time to tell me all about their adventur- ous lives. My dad had many talents, perhaps his great sense of humor was his finest. One of the most patient men I ever met. If the word “unflappable” still carries meaning, he was the embodiment of it. Tackling every kind of challenge and al- ways being dependable. How rare.


Puzzled by commercial holi-


days which make greeting card companies happy, I feel my parents deserved honor and respect every day of every year we shared. Parent surrogates to all their siblings, helping all to become American citizens. Reflecting on happy times past, I vividly recall highlights of summer vacations when all of us were together. In 1935, at Jones Beach, or at Jersey Shore, all my frisky young un- cles called out challenges to my dad to see who could win a foot race—like “Chariots of Fire” famous film racers— pounding the edge of gently lapping wave lines of the At- lantic Ocean beach. Yes, my dad won each time. He especially loved fishing. In 1937, we enjoyed a Shelter Is- land vacation. Hard to fathom that where high rises and lots of traffic fill the area today,


Nothing beats a great smile. ~ Karl Urban UPBEAT TIMES, INC. • JUNE 2019 • Pg 27 ...continued from page 5


it once was mostly farmland with fabulous crops of sturdy potatoes and sweet corn. Along the Great Peconic Bay, it


fishing boat captains. How truly happy my dad was each time he went out at dawn for a day of deep sea fishing for huge


his grin revealing his thrill at the day’s events at sea. He taught me how to swim well, not be like an anxious froggie; how to row a boat; how to hike; and he even forgave me for helping all the “gillies” escape, while trying to teach me to fish and to use those wiggly won- ders for bait! He did not scold then; he laughed with pleasure that I “saved” the bait. He believed in “If not now,


when?” Combined with my mom’s view of “What’s next?” they taught me how to live with respect and integrity. Tinking of others first, will- ingly facing challenges and solving problems. Teir strong capacity for loving life was apparent


and heartwarming.


was a heavenly spot for mod- est summer boarding houses, mainly owned by commercial


tuna on the captain’s 47 ſt boat. Quaint old Kodak snapshots show him with a day’s catch,


How grateful I am to have known and loved them. ~


Happy Father’s Day! ~ Ellie Weird Facts & Trivia - 7


What Americans think “HTML” means:


According to a 2014 study, 1 in 9 Americans—exactly 11% of the population— think HTML is actually a disease.


Monowi, Nebraska is the only town in the United States with an official population of one person.


In 2012, a man wore 60 shirts and nine pairs of jeans on an 11-and-a-half hour flight from China to Af- rica because he didn’t want to pay the extra baggage fee.


A town in Washington has a treetop bridge over a busy road that’s just big enough for squirrels. It’s called the “Nutty Narrows Bridge.”


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32