CINQUE TERRA TIME JOURNAL
Saturday 7/22/2006
Spent a long rain day in the studio organizing and enjoying my stuff. The Dwyer’s visited for some guitar talk and recording of Matt. Two boy’s home, nice day. Earlier start than usual on the fall project which is Cinque Terra Time!!! Words and music all done. I have hopes of it being my best song yet!!! Time will tell. Cinque Tera Time!!!! Monday I am off for a week in Guatemala, then next weekend to Mohonk so this is premature, but I will get an earlier start than usual. The prior three were Boulder Bound, Love Song/Mr. Tree and then Nashville East Journals. Yesterday was my 50th birthday. Jesus!!
The Who are completing their first album in 20 years. Exciting. I used my 50th birthday as an excuse to order two Martin 000 Eric Clapton signed guitars. During this journal they will finally arrive and be ready to play. I am very excited about them and lucky to be able to get them! Very, very lucky.
Sunday 7/23/2006
Another cloudy day so some time in the studio. New Meatloaf album this fall!!! Yeah baby!!!!!!!
Thursday 8/3/2006
Back from 10 days of travel to Guatemala and Minnewaska. Spent 3 hours tonight with hardware and software problems getting nothing done. Very frustrating sometimes….
Friday 8/4/2006
Although I am sick as hell, I took the day off and we are preparing for Stephanie and Doug’s wedding here tomorrow. I spent a little studio time working on the ARP2600 synthesizer demo working while Taf packed Jake for summer ski camp at Mount Hood Oregon!!! Hurricane Chris is Brewing out there in the ocean.
Sunday 8/6/2006
A busy weekend. Steph and Doug’s wedding in the backyard and Jake off to Mt. Hood and I am still sick as hell with a cold.
Wednesday 8/17/2006
A guitar lesson in the midst of loss.
Tuesday 8/22/2006
An amazing last two weeks culminating with Mom passing away yesterday which I will not get into in this journal. That is a whole major other thing for me. She was so special. Mom decided right after Stephanie and Doug’s wedding to just check out. On her own terms. She was just great. Read her eulogy when you can, it is at the end of this journal.
Sunday 8/27/2006
Setup and practice for Cinque Terra Time. The past week was Mom’s wake and burial and the departure of all the kids for school. Whew!!!!!!! And by the way, I almost choked to death on peanuts the day we buried Mom. I think she stopped me from going. Really! You cannot make this stuff up. I really almost choked to death.
Saturday 9/2/2006
Finally, Labor Day weekend. I was in Boston for 2 great days Thursday and Friday on Teak. I am hoping with the start of a more normal fall routine to get working on the Cinque Terre Time song.
Sunday 9/3/2006
The Clapton guitars are here and ready to play! I am the luckiest guy in the world!!!!
We BBQ’D at Geoff’s today. First family gathering without mom. . Some more studio time playing the Clapton’s and getting ready to record Cinque Terra Time (CTT). I was actually waiting for the guitars to arrive as they are perfect for the song!!!! The black one is made with an Italian Alpine Spruce top which is the same material Stradivarius violins were made from. The sound is incredible. It is my second such guitar the Mark Knopfler Martin being the first. I am considering ordering another Martin Knopfler Italian Alpine Spruce guitar as I write. While my collection has grown to a ridiculous size, I am convinced that the supply and demand of wood will make certain of these instruments priceless as time goes on as there is just a limit to the amount of wood on the earth.
Thursday 9/7/2006
Back in the studio. BBQ Monday, mountain bike Tuesday 17 miles with Jake. Weds some guitar work in the sitting room upstairs unrelated to CTT. Tonight I have set up the mikes in the studio to record. We are going now to pick up a new truck for Taf always fun. A Honda Pilot!!! Our second.
Saturday 9/9/2006
Rough guitar tracks of Cinque Terre Time for vocal set up today.
Sunday 9/10/2006
A day of enjoyment in the studio!!! Roughed out some vocal tracks on the demo version. Nothing done so far will be on the final version but it all helps me organize and get ready for the real recording. Got up early, watched the GP of Italy at Monza, studio work, ran, pool maintenance, studio work, watching the final IRL race of the year. Fun day. Off to see Gog and pick up Bill Macy at the airport. He will stay over and we will watch the first Giant game of the year!!! Manning vs. Manning!!!! Big time!!!
Tuesday 9/12/2006
Got home a little early and set up the new Canon digital camera and worked on Cinque Terre demo. A lot of 9/11 stuff the last few days. Jesus.
Saturday 9/16/2006
Busy week. Wedding Thursday night, dinner out with friends Friday night, and all day hike in the Shawangunks today with Jake and Geoff.
I am hoping for some time tomorrow and then in the evenings this week. I am pretty ready after laying down some practice tracks to begin real CT recording as I have listened to the demo in the car and I am ready!!!
Tuesday 9/19/2006
Last two days organizing and ripping CD’s in the studio. I’m almost ready to record.
Huge Giant comeback Sunday!!!
Wednesday 9/20/2006
I have been working also on Your Song by Elton John for solo finger picking guitar as well as riffs in a minor chord. Jewish holidays up the next few days then I will record.
Friday – Sunday 9/22-24/2006
Jewish holiday weekend in Sag Harbor at Brother in law Sam’ house. I got home early Friday afternoon and managed to record the basic guitar tracks while waiting to go. High time pressure, but if I do not strike when I have an hour here or there nothing gets done. I would rather have a day off to record the main track, but, sometimes under pressure, it just gets done. So it did. We then enjoyed a family weekend of eating and mountain biking in the Hamptons. Great time. I played my guitar a lot working on some stuff and then tonight came home to watch a horrendous Giant game and then came in the studio and mixed some of the tracks from Friday and it worked well. I need to record the ending and then I can go on to the vocals. Huge sudden progress!!!
Monday 9/25/2006
Some editing of the guitar tracks from last Friday. Tomorrow I’m off to Maine to work on Ameriteak.
Tuesday 10/3/2006
A busy week this past!! 3 days in Maine, Jewish holiday, trip to Florida on business for one day today. But progress yesterday as the acoustic guitar parts are now virtually complete to my basic satisfaction. Next will be some vocals, then bells, lead electric and some steel mandolin base and synths. All that is easy compared to tracking the basic rhythm acoustics!!!
I also continue to practice Your Song and work on my other new riff thing.
Friday 10/6/2006
Tonight I got the vocal parts down. Taf had a Mah Jong class and Jake was in town with friends. Mike had a job interview and Justin called from the DEC. Jesus, lots going on.
Monday 10/9/2006
Over the weekend I worked hard on some Steel Guitar and Drum parts that I edited today. I always struggle to keep it simple yet enjoy all the tools I have. Last week I got a new small size Capo and it is giving me all kinds of possibilities for new songs!!!!!
Wednesday 10/11/2006
Monday night dinner and Barbra Streisand in the city.
Streisand’s outburst spoils triumphant return
Singer shouts expletive at heckler during anti-Bush skit during NYC show.
Last night shopping and family night!! Tomorrow night Met game. Let’s Go Mets!!!! I’ve been doing a lot of work with the new capo and tonight I did work on mixing the tracks here already. Much more to do.
Sunday 10/15/2006
Lots done since Friday afternoon. Lead electric guitar, a banjo, and mixing and editing a lot. It is coming along now. More drums as well. I’ve also started working on the Close The Door Lightly When You Go song and old traditional bluegrass song I like!!!! Off to the Picozzi’s for Giants Football and a Doug “Eat Fest”!!!
I cannot get enough time!!!! Cinque Terre Time, Your Song, new Capo song, A Minor Riff song, and now Close The Door Lightly When You Go!!!!
Tuesday 10/17/2006
Eat fest Sunday included Steph’s garage burning down. Jesus.
Took the day off from business work today and did 5 hours of studio work. Lots done including Lap Steel guitar, editing, acoustic corrections and a lot more. In theory it needs bass guitar and it is done!!!
Friday 10/20/2006
Well?, Gotta start the whole thing over. The interim mix of 10/18/2006 was blown away by all critics!!!! Steel is out of tune, as is my voice, the main riff needs some variation, the drums are too low, and the electric lead needs to be further up the neck and it needs a rhythm guitar. Also the words are not up to my standards per the wife. Juaoooooooo! Just some tweaking eh? This songwriting is a long painful process. I’ve been working on this non stop since May in Cinque Terre. But, I am determined to make it good. Cinque Terre Time is worth it.
Tuesday 10/24/2006
A few busy days!!! Chain living baby. Saturday was a massive 12 mile all day hike in the Shawangunks.
Sunday was recovery and the Brazilian Grand Prix. Alonso, the Cinque Terre Time boy is the World Champion!!!!
Monday was wood stacking with my main man Jefe (Jake) with a cord delivered. (Ever hear Fires of Winter?) Last night was a huge Giant victory over the Cowboys. Really huge. This season could be legendary. We will see!!!
Tonight I worked on the words and over the weekend I worked on some guitar finger picking changes. The re-arrangement may not be so time consuming. We will see.
Monday 10/30/2006
Not much done lately. Busy with other stuff. Spent Thursday to Sunday last week in Colorado visiting MBG. Redeye home Sunday 5am. Had the backpacker with me. Worked on my new song “Cookie In My Shoe”!!! (Became the Sun Chasers)
Wednesday November 1, 2006
Cookie In My Shoe, Your Song, Let It Grow, A minor riff, and Close the Door Lightly When You Go. Not to mention guitar maintenance and studio upkeep. I need a lot more free time!!!! Spoke to Mike about a new mountain bike today and we are planning some riding (me and Jake) this weekend.
Monday November 6, 2006
Regretably almost no progress in the last few days. Had a productive lesson last Thursday and then a busy weekend and Friday night visitng Al Onyskin. Next couple of nights look clear for some work though!!! Mountain biked with Jake on Sunday and another Giant win with Strahan injury bummer!!!!
Tuesday November 7, 2006
Strahan out 2-4 weeks. Big bummer. Another one? The new Who album sucks. Really. I cannot believe Townshend and his advisors put this shit out. Juaoooooooooooooooo!!!!!! Big, big letdown.
Friday November 10, 2006
36th anniversary of the big win over Brookside with the normal e-mails from the boys.
Weds I came home early and spent 6 hours redoing the guitar and vocal parts. Tonight I am getting the rhythm guitar parts ready to record. Moving back along. Went to see Borat at the movies with Jake. Hysterical.
Sunday November 19, 2006
Busy week in Florida for 3 days. I got to spend some nice time mixing and reworking since I got back Thursday night. Spent the weekend getting ready for Thanksgiving. Boys coming home. NICE!!!!
Friday November 24, 2006
Day after Thanksgiving 3 hour stint recording Bass and mixing. Nice day yesterday with the family and friends. Isles’ve been doing good. Went weds night and they won and again they won today.
Thursday November 30, 2006
It is amazing how time passes. Late summer I always feel a rebirth of time and that the fall will give me time to work in the studio and relax but here it is December 1 and the song is not done. I am getting there but every evening and weekend brings things to do other than change my clothes and come into the studio to work. Day after day things interrupt, mostly good things, but never the less, less time to work on music. Saturday was an all day hike with the extended family on Shelter Island, Sunday brought the biggest Giant Collapse in the history of football. Don’t ask. Monday night through Thursday night (tonight) client or family obligations which are actually fun and good, but, not in the studio!!!! So, it takes time. No big deal, I’m getting there!!!
Big CD release that is nice:
Friday December 15, 2006
I’m majorly pissed off as I have spent the last 3 days struggling with software issues. Moron I am, I updated my Sonar workstation recording software and the drivers of the soundcard before the song was done, and now all the Cinque Terre work I have done is useless unless I can get some tech support to figure it out. That might take weeks until I can be home during the business hours they are vailable.#@$#@^^%$#%$#^$&%$&%$.
I’ve spent 6 months now on the song, which I think might be the best I have written and I am NOWHERE!!!!!
Wednesday December 20, 2006
I finally got it fixed this afternoon after major hassles with the tech support #. It took me 2 hours to do what could be done in 15 minutes if they would answer the frickin’ phone. So frustrating. And now we have travel problems getting Mike home!!!!! It never stops.
Winter snowstorm hammers Colorado
State digs out from foot of snow; flights canceled as airport, roads close
| . | |
| Thornton, Colo., resident Josh Kern clears snow on Wednesday as a storm forced the closure of major highways and the cancellation of hundreds of flights |
Thursday December 21, 2006
Busy, busy last work week of the year. Wild stuff in the office but all good. Finalized Christmas shopping with some kamikaze runs to stores at all hours. Spent 2 hours in the studio though which was nice. Getting Cinque Terre Time teed up to mix in Whistler and finish on the return in early January. Mike is still stranded in Colorado and that is becoming a problem!!! Two of the world’s busiest airports, in London and Denver, were socked with bad weather on Thursday, spreading delays and cancellations to airports around the world and stranding tens of thousands of travelers during the pre-Christmas travel crunch.
As flight after flight was canceled, the situation grew into a logistical horror for fliers, whose vacations were disrupted if not spoiled, and for airlines, who may lose much-needed revenue.
Industry officials said it could take two days to untangle the knot, which is tightest in Denver, where more than two feet of snow kept the airport closed for a second day. Home to one of United Airlines biggest hub operations, it’s not expected to reopen until midday Friday.
Sunday December 24, 2006
Mike got home just in time to meet us at Giants Stadium and watch the Giants get their asses kicked by the Saints. Goddamn. We picked him up at Newark at 1pm for the game on Christmas Eve.
Tuesday December 26, 2006
Nice holiday yesterday and we are off to Whistler today. Sunday afternoon we got Mike at Newark and watched the wheels fall off the Giants. So depressing!!!! I ordered a Software Synthesizer ARP2006 today that will arrive while I am gone. I hope to hit the ground running in the studio in January at least until tax season hits but we will see.
Thursday January 4, 2007
Great trip to Whistler with the family. I took my backpacker and jammed the capo song I have been working on Cookie In My Shoe that I renamed Sun Chaser while there. I had no time to mix CTT or do much else but that was good as the trip was fantastic and we were busy.
Saturday January 6, 2007
Busy first week back. Harsh reality! Mike in Colorado usually goes to Winter Park and last winter Justin Jake and I went to visit him and we went there. To get there you have to go over Berthoud Pass. Jesus.
Got busy in the studio today working on Sun Chaser by setting up the massive synthesizer army I plan to use. I have not forgotten CTT and the redone vocals and lead guitar to finish I hope to do in the next week or so. Wow what a long process since I was actually there in May last!!!!
I am watching NFL playoffs as I work in the studio. Jake and Kyle his buddy are playing Frisbee on the warmest 1/6 in NY history, almost 65 degrees!!!
Monday January 8, 2007
So the Giants lost and it is now harsh reality January tax season Blah Blah Blah. It is amazing how July 22nd I got this journal going with high hopes of having a great, great new song, and I have a 75% finished ok song after 6 months. Jesus. What a disappointment!!!!! But, I am stretched very thin with the life I lead, so compared to the average person, this is very good!!!!! But, I know I can do a lot better!!!!
I actually have spent a lot of time focusing on my next song Sun Chaser. I have worked on it a lot with the guitars and installed synthesizers to get it going. But I am now going back to finish CTT over the next weeks. As I write Justin, Mike and niece Jamie are in Wyoming skiing!!!! Nice!!!!!! That makes me very happy!!!!!
Saturday January 13, 2007
Football playoff Saturday. Lax game indoors today, Jake scored a goal from defense!!!! Hanging out, drinking wine setting up to finish CTT and setting up the Sun Chaser synthesizers. Chip has a sore limping leg. Overall a quiet day here. Nice studio time! I am smoking meat on the grill as I sit down here. Living large. Everyone is healthy and happy and I have my many guitars to enjoy. I am a very lucky guy
Thursday January 19, 2007
Spent the evening working on CTT. Nice.
Wednesday January 24, 2007
I worked a lot over the weekend on the Sun Chaser lyrics and working out the song. At this point I need extended time in the studio to mix finally CTT. I also was in contact the last few days with a Mastering lab in NYC to get the final mix professionally mastered. This is getting out of hand over here!!!!
My Father Vincent moved out of his home of 40 years today to a smaller house in Wantagh which was a big thing for him. I am hopeful to spend a lot of time in the studio tomorrow night mixing.
Sunday January 28, 2007
Well. I went crazy remixing the final tracks the last few days, played it for Taf, and she then told me it was a perfect mining song. Missed the boat on the spirit of Cinque Terre she said, but good for mining. So, agreeing with her, I went into the studio and rewrote it as this:
COAL MINER TIME
Riding the rails and
Climbing the hills
Needin’ the cash
So they dig out the fill
Packin’ in the coal cars
Fly the long freight trains
Send ‘em up the mountain
Round the fuel plant way
Hearing the whistle then
Drinking that wine
Washing off the coal dust
Make those work boots shine
It’s West Virginia Coal time
Is that mine all right?
It’s West Virginia Coal time
Are the stars out tonight?
—————————————-
Painting up the shutters and
Shingling up the roofs
Rev the coal seam drill
Take that hard hat down with you
Few women here
It’s my daddy and me
Swingin’ with that pick axe
In the damp dark heat
Coal dust shafts
The surface sweet and fine
Sleeping on the mountain
50 years gone by
It’s West Virginia Coal Time
We got no sunshine
It’s West Virginia Coal Time
We really hate that mine!!!
—————————————–
She was born in country
But she works in the shack
Climbs three hundred steps
To clean the clothes of black
Looking for a guy
But not much to choose
Sweet Virginia Rosa don’t know
What to do
One Thousand feet
We go into the ground
Missing the sun
Generations go down
It’s West Virginia Coal Time
We got no sunshine
It’s West Virginia Coal Time
We really hate that mine!!!
————————————————–
I’d like to Listen to the sea, and
See the smile of the sun……………..
Can you imagine the music showed up on my backpacker in May 2006 and this thing is still going on? @!%$#!%#@^@^%#^%&^#&#@%&$^&^*%&@#&%&$/
Friday afternoon I had a cardiac CAT scan and my arteries are as clear as a bell which is good. Yesterday I went skiing with the extended family and we chased the sun to absolutely no avail!!! Today we finished helping my father move from his house of forty years to a new one. Now? I’m watching the Rolling Stones Circus lost video from 38 years ago. Very timely eh?
Yes, I will continue to work on this project, and at the same time work on the Sun Chaser!!! I guess I also need a new Cinque Terre Time!!!!!! I wish I had more time, but that is the challenge of this, doing it in next to no time compared to what professionals do!!!!!
Monday January 29, 2007
Slept on it and I’m gonna finish it as it is. Tonight I finished mixing a no effects version. Next I will add reverb, compression and effects and then send the two versions to the mastering guys and see what comes back. Maybe it will get done?
Saturday February 3, 2007
Tonight I finished (I think) mixing the effects version. This week off to mastering and done? Super bowl tomorrow.
Thursday February 8, 2007
The song in both versions went to the professional mastering studio and should be there tomorrow. This should be interesting!!! (I think I lost my mind………….)
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Cinque Terre Time has been a real long road. It started in May of 2006 way back in Nice, France on a backpacker guitar. Along the way I lost my Mom, and helped move my Dad from the house we called home. I myself moved into later middle age and watched my youngest son become an adult. Mike is about to graduate college and Justin is 2/3 done with law school and settled with a wonderful lady. As I sit in my studio at 11:30 pm on a weeknight, I know that while life is a very emotional, tough, easy, but mainly wonderful thing; and each day could be your last, hopefully and more likely the next one could be your best!!!!! That is my hope each morning. My Hat Trick CD is now done. Eight years of work, fun, and pleasure. In the liner notes are these words:
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming – “WOW–What a Ride!”
It is what I’ve endeavored to do and done so far. And, taught my boys to do. It pisses off some of those around me, but what can I do? As someone I respect once said –“Everything in moderation, including moderation!” Recently, someone I know for quite awhile in a community sense, met me in the street. He said: “Giffun’s , with all you do, you have lived five lifetimes in the one you have had. I do not know anyone like you!!! You amaze me”
I took that as the best, most wonderful compliment I have ever earned and received. I’m not religious. But I am blessed.
Thanks for listening to and reading my shit!!!! Off to JFK at 5am to get Mike!!! See ya.
DOROTHY GIFFUNI’S MEMORIAL SERVICE
August 23rd, 2006
On behalf of our Father Vincent and our family, I would like to welcome you to our gathering tonight in memory of Dorothy Giffuni. It is very interesting how on a night like this, while many attending were intimate friends and relations of Dot’s, many more are here to support her husband, children, grandchildren and nephew’s and, may in fact, have never even met her. Thank you all especially as you are about to learn of a remarkable human being, who walked the earth for a short time, and left a legacy of love, work, giving of self and accomplishment that is really unique.
As you all know, this family is intense, competitive, and extremely close, while sometimes a little eccentric, therefore tonight’s service will be without the usual ceremonial religious attributes which Mom wanted none of.
Dorothy Gillen was born in Brooklyn in 1930 to very modest people who were descended from several generations of Dutch and Irish Americans. Her father, a Manhattan subway motorman, died of Asthma in her 14th year and she and her mom cried several days later as her mom had to go to work to support the two of them and her brother Bob. They lived in a four room three floor walkup on Avenue P in Brooklyn and her room was the common room of the apartment which had a pull out bed. Her athletic accomplishments as a young lady were many and were passed through her children to her grandchildren, all of whom have entertained her with their high levels of play. She married our Dad who then went right off to Korea for a year and she developed executive secretarial skills of typing, short hand and phone answering that enabled her to work in the high end business world of early 1950’s Manhattan as secretary to the VP of one of the largest Real Estate firms in NY.
1956 brought a move to a house in Bayport New York after the exciting, world changing arrival of me, Mr. Chris. Moves to Freeport and then North Merrick added the additional significant additions of Geoffrey and Stephanie and the initial family was complete. 1967 brought a move to Bradley Court in Merrick, and from then until 2006, Dorothy blossomed and shot down roots, gave us all wings, built a home, and created a family that has grown exponentially, lovingly, bondingly, spiritually, competitively, outdoorsdingly, and most importantly, close. Every member of her family, all the children in law and cousins that have arrived, knew, that they were part of something special. And that was the privilege of calling her Mom.
She was a role model to all, and I know that Stephanie, Taf, and Heidi all considered her a mentor and have endeavored from the day they met her to strive and do for their families what she did for ours.
Mom’s biggest frustration we think was the lack of opportunity to go for a higher education. On her own, from her meager roots, she voraciously read and researched the world. She taught her husband, three children and eight grandchildren how to live and find their way in the world, and amazingly, over the last month, she even gave a lesson in how to gracefully leave the world as well!!! It has been a great ride through life, with our favorite person. We are sorry she is gone!!!!
Dorothy had simple rules she lived by. She engrained them in her three children and was proud to see us engrain it in her eight grandchildren.
And first and foremost, she espoused what she called the golden rule. She would say “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.” Pretty simple really, but practicing it is hard. But if you are a child or grandchild of Dot, it is what you do, as much as you can.
She was a determined, fearless fighter for what she thought was right. An example of this were our namings at birth. She felt each of us should have our own name unto ourselves and changed family tradition by doing so and not using a name previously ever used.
She carried amazing feelings of acceptance of all people into parenthood and grandparenthood, never giving us anything but support as we married and befriended people of all different religions, backgrounds and socio economic standings. Her children knew one thing for sure, if we did something, we had her never ending support. And if she didn’t like it, we didn’t hear about it, she just loved us and supported us.
When we asked the grandchildren for some thoughts about her, one of them made it simple. “When she gave me a bath, she had two towels. One to dry me off with, and another to keep me comfortably dry and warm until I dressed.” Sounds like over kill, or, sounds like her doing for us like what she would want done for her.
When we asked Gog for some other thoughts we’d missed it was quick and simple: “She was immaculate” he said,”in thought and deed.” “If I got up in the middle of night, she’d make the bed” and “I could bring anyone in the house 24/7 and it was always perfect.” And, if you ever asked how she was? She would say “Jim Dandy!!!!!” which was one of her many unusual phrases.
As far as language, Mom never cursed. She also never said a bad word about anyone. Never. It became sport for awhile, trying to get her to use some of the real bad words we all do. But she never would go further than a random “curses, curses, curses” when moderately angered!!!! There are not too many people you could say this about, but we are convinced from what we saw, that she never once ever, seriously angered anyone!! We’ve been proud our whole lives to hear the constant, voluminous praises of Dot and how lucky we are that she’s ours.
Again on language, her most often used word was wonderful. She was fortunate to need to use it repeatedly in her daily living, seeing the wonders of the world that she figured out how to go see and hearing the accomplishments of her family. From the seeds she planted grew 11 children and grandchildren. Having done little of it herself, through lack of opportunity in her youth, she basked in the successes of her offspring, beaming at the many goals, trophies and medals in many countries, graduations, championships, businesses, jobs, hikes, ski trips and friendships that we all forged. And especially, those days up in the mountains.
She spent her final 50 years devoted to her kids and seeing the world, again a great success that luck played a part in, as her health and economics allowed her to enjoy it all. She was grateful for her great luck on an hourly basis. Even over the last many years as she became more acutely ill from Parkinson’s and suffered more and more from its effects, she felt blessed and lucky for the worlds that was hers, and the rewards she enjoyed from her family. She looked upon her declining health as an inconvenience. She never took it personally and only felt bad for people worse off than she was, never feeling bad for herself. Never!!!!!
A few things to mention that she did; each individually is no big deal, but when considered as part of the whole of her life of such things, they give a read on who she was: She was a dance roller skater in her youth, she tried skiing for the first time at age 45. At 40 she went on a caving expedition that was not what she expected and found herself 100 feet under the earth in a tunnel 40 feet long 2 feet high and 3 feet wide in a prone position with a candle inching along on the elbows and belly. She had a great sense of humor. She loved to dance when she heard the “beat”. On one of our last group visits as a family we played her a song while she was in bed and she smiled and talked of feeling the “beat!!!” She walked Vinnie all over the earth and the speed at which she walked when still in good health was mind blowing. She discovered the Shawangunk mountains and repeatedly went there with all of us for hiking and mountain climbing. She rock scrambled through crevasses until late in life and speedily walked three miles a day for years through her neighborhood. Forever, and until not able, due to her illness, as any of us would pull out of her driveway she would jump in the air and spin around in celebration of the visit.
Dorothy Giffuni never founded a business. She never won a big competition other than a High School running medal. But in the scheme of spending 75 years on this earth, we think she was one of the most successful people we know. Why? Well, how do you measure success?
We measure success in Friendships. We measure success in improving ones self. We measure success in love both given and received. We measure success in respect given and received. We measure success in the creation and success of generations of a family. We measure success in sharing of what one has with others. We measure success in fun. And most of all, we measure success in the impression you have left on people who know you. If these are the ways to measure success, mom was one of the most successful people we ever knew. And in her very last days, as we sat with her and cried, she actually laughed. She laid in that bed and found things to laugh about as we sat with her and talked to her about leaving us soon. And she got us to laugh too!!! How amazing is that!!!!
While I could go on a long time speaking as far as the measures of her successes, the sharing, the love, the respect, the family etc. I am going to mention just two of them.
The first is the sharing. Her goal every day was to do things for everyone else. Whether it was the endless visits to our houses when our children were very young and doing the jobs young parents hate to do, or visiting and helping older relatives and friends in need of her help, she was willing and actually sought out the jobs that no one else was willing to do!!! And she did them repeatedly and with love, and at great personal expense of time.
The greatest instance of her selfless sharing was her contributions of time to the Cerebral Palsy Center of Nassau County. Twenty five years or so ago, when we were grown and she had the luxury of some time, she walked in there one day to volunteer. The person who met her that day related the following to Geoffrey recently. “What do you want to do?” he asked? “File, answer the phone, handle mailings? “ Well,” she said “I really don’t know. I guess, give me the job no one else wants to do.” And from that day on, for twenty years, once a week, she went there and fed severely handicapped, wheelchair or bedridden CP clients lunch. How about that? Twenty years!!!!!! And her reward was numerous friendships that hold to this day.
The second is what people think and say about you from the impressions you’ve made. I and my family have the undefeated, perfect season, unblemished record of hearing nothing but praise, love, respect and all the other positive things that can be said about someone, said about her. Our childhood friends, our current friends, all her Bradley Court neighbors, and every friend and relative she ever had, place her at the top of their list of people. There are people here tonight that her kids have not seen in decades. Middle school teammates and friends, who had to come because of who she was. The kinds words and compliments have given all of us tremendous pride and comfort during this time. She was absolutely remarkable.
We would like to thank everyone who came here tonight. From Stephanie, Geoffrey, and I, a special thank you to our Father. While he was fortunate enough to be blessed with enough health and time in his later years to just enjoy his massively creative gifts of ability and hobbies, he dropped what he was doing to take care of her in the most unselfish and amazing way. Also to all the grandchildren, “The Cousins”, who visited her continually in her last days and made things easier for everyone. To Doug for his patience and support. And to Taf and Heidi, two wonderful amazing Daughters in law who stayed by her side as if she were their own actual mother. I would like to personally thank my brother and sister for sharing this journey with me and making sure that Mom and Gog’s needs were all met. Mom was very lucky to have you both.
Mom was adamant that this service be happy and not gloomy which I hope we’ve accomplished. As she would tell each and every one of us upon seeing or leaving us “I love you umpty, billion, skillion, dillion.” That’s what we say to her now as well!!!
Thank you.
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