Wow. What can I say? The Sabres are awesome. They and their opponent, the Carolina Hurricanes, are making this NHL Eastern Conference finals a great series. The 2-1 win for the Sabres in sudden-death overtime was thrilling.
The two teams will be back in Raleigh, North Carolina, tomorrow. Game seven... the last game of the series... of the season for one of the teams... it'll be good...
Thanks for the great entertainment, Sabres and Hurricanes.
post script: it is now the second of june, and the series is over. The Hurricanes go on to play the Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup series, and the Sabres go home.
I am disappointed that the Sabres didn't win, but happy that they made it this far. Only their most die-hard fans (one of them being me) expected them even to make it to the playoffs. The Sabres played with great energy and truly put their hearts into the game. It was a pleasure to watch them, even when they were losing. They never gave in or offered any excuses.
Who knows? Maybe next year, the Sabres will win the Stanley Cup.
Thank you for a great season, Sabres.
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Saturday, May 27, 2006
Salem J. Simon
As Memorial Day is coming, I thought that this would be a good time to remember those who have gone before us. My friend Ellen's father recently passed away. I had known him as a cheerful man who loved music and his large family. He and his wife Regina were blessed with eleven children.
I asked Ellen to tell me more about her father. This is what she told me.
Salem J. Simon was born on October 1, 1923, the son of Lebanese immigrants. He was one of ten children. As a small child, he spoke only Arabic in the family's Western New York home. His father was an itinerant salesman, and the family was never well off. When Salem went to school, he learned to speak English. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II and was sent to various parts of Asia. He also spent some time in India, where he met a young Albanian nun. At the time, she was establishing her ministry among the poorest of the poor. Her name was Sister Teresa. Eventually, she would become well-known as Mother Teresa. Ellen said that her father was horrified by the abject poverty of the people of India. This experience, she said, shaped her father's life. He was always kind to homeless people on the street and never rejected anyone. Ellen reported that her father's kindness extended to shy young ladies at dances. He asked the young ladies who were sitting by themselves for at least one dance so that they would have the experience of dancing with a gentleman.
Salem earned a college degree and then went on to law school in New York City. He married the former Regina Clements, and the couple had their first child, Mariam, in 1950. Eventually, Salem returned to Western New York, where he was employed by Niagara Mohawk, first in the Personnel Department and later in the Law Department. He spent his entire working career as a corporate lawyer with Niagara Mohawk.
The Simons moved out of their first Buffalo house after they "filled it up." They moved to a larger house in North Buffalo. They raised their family there, attending a neighborhood church and sending their children to public school. Often the family sang together, in four parts, with some of the children playing piano and guitar.
After a long career with Niagara Mohawk, Salem retired. He and Regina moved to Florida, where they enjoyed their retirement. They spent their summers in Western New York and were thrilled to greet new grandchildren as they were born. Regina Simon knitted mittens for each of the grandchildren every Christmas until she passed away in 2002.
Salem Simon died peacefully, surrounded by his children. He was eighty-two years old.
I asked Ellen to tell me more about her father. This is what she told me.
Salem J. Simon was born on October 1, 1923, the son of Lebanese immigrants. He was one of ten children. As a small child, he spoke only Arabic in the family's Western New York home. His father was an itinerant salesman, and the family was never well off. When Salem went to school, he learned to speak English. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II and was sent to various parts of Asia. He also spent some time in India, where he met a young Albanian nun. At the time, she was establishing her ministry among the poorest of the poor. Her name was Sister Teresa. Eventually, she would become well-known as Mother Teresa. Ellen said that her father was horrified by the abject poverty of the people of India. This experience, she said, shaped her father's life. He was always kind to homeless people on the street and never rejected anyone. Ellen reported that her father's kindness extended to shy young ladies at dances. He asked the young ladies who were sitting by themselves for at least one dance so that they would have the experience of dancing with a gentleman.
Salem earned a college degree and then went on to law school in New York City. He married the former Regina Clements, and the couple had their first child, Mariam, in 1950. Eventually, Salem returned to Western New York, where he was employed by Niagara Mohawk, first in the Personnel Department and later in the Law Department. He spent his entire working career as a corporate lawyer with Niagara Mohawk.
The Simons moved out of their first Buffalo house after they "filled it up." They moved to a larger house in North Buffalo. They raised their family there, attending a neighborhood church and sending their children to public school. Often the family sang together, in four parts, with some of the children playing piano and guitar.
After a long career with Niagara Mohawk, Salem retired. He and Regina moved to Florida, where they enjoyed their retirement. They spent their summers in Western New York and were thrilled to greet new grandchildren as they were born. Regina Simon knitted mittens for each of the grandchildren every Christmas until she passed away in 2002.
Salem Simon died peacefully, surrounded by his children. He was eighty-two years old.
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Buckhorn Island State Park
Two days ago, I walked through Buckhorn Island State Park, at the northern tip of Grand Island, N.Y. The park is now full of sound and color. The flowering bushes are covered in pinks, yellows, and a variety of other colors. The bird songs come from high in the sky, from the ground, and from the water. Young green cattails are growing tall, amidst the dried out cattails of last season. Tiny bunches of grapes are starting to form on the vines that are intertwined with trees and fences. The grapes grow wild there and are full of seeds and sweetness.
At the end of the path, a small piece of land that juts out into the Niagara River, the birds congregate in large numbers. They are mostly seagulls and geese although a few blue herons can be spotted in the group. The seagulls take off in groups and fly in circles over the park and nearby Navy Island, which belongs, in title, to Canada, and, in reality, to the birds. The seagulls' screams fill the air, mingling with the honking of the geese. The geese all have families now. The two adult geese and the group of goslings swim in tight clutches, near the shores.
It is because of these birds and the songbirds that call out their melodious messages from the tops of the tall trees that Buckhorn Island State Park has been designated an Important Bird Area and a Wildlife Sanctuary. It is also a restored wetland. Much life teems in the park's waters. Occasionally, a small snake can be seen slithering across the path. Once, I found a snake sitting in the middle of the trail. I bent down to take a closer look. It permitted me to take its picture before it slid into the woods.
A snake that poses for the camera was a new experience for me!
At the end of the path, a small piece of land that juts out into the Niagara River, the birds congregate in large numbers. They are mostly seagulls and geese although a few blue herons can be spotted in the group. The seagulls take off in groups and fly in circles over the park and nearby Navy Island, which belongs, in title, to Canada, and, in reality, to the birds. The seagulls' screams fill the air, mingling with the honking of the geese. The geese all have families now. The two adult geese and the group of goslings swim in tight clutches, near the shores.
It is because of these birds and the songbirds that call out their melodious messages from the tops of the tall trees that Buckhorn Island State Park has been designated an Important Bird Area and a Wildlife Sanctuary. It is also a restored wetland. Much life teems in the park's waters. Occasionally, a small snake can be seen slithering across the path. Once, I found a snake sitting in the middle of the trail. I bent down to take a closer look. It permitted me to take its picture before it slid into the woods.
A snake that poses for the camera was a new experience for me!
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