Over the last 10 days, the world has had their eyes on England with the loss of Queen Elizabeth II and rightfully so, she was a remarkable public servant over the past 70 years.
I believe I heard that 80% of all residents of Great Britain have known no other monarch than Queen Elizabeth.
As someone that did not grow up in a country with a king or queen, it’s a concept that we, as Americans can’t wrap our heads around. I’m going to go out on a limb and say I probably speak for many Americans.
I recently watched a YouTube video on the Queen’s average day, and that was pretty much right up to the end of her life, but it was jam-packed from the minute she woke until she retired for the evening. She had such discipline and I could only wish I had 1/10th of hers.
She was very regimented in just about everything she did from rising at the same time each day, to eating almost the exact thing for breakfast daily, to even the temperature of her bath water.
On the flipside, it must have been nice to have a staff to take care of every whim, including making sure the temperature of the bath water was precise.
Watching ceremony after ceremony from England is very impressive. As they say, the pomp and pageantry is second to none with it comes to formalities.
I often wonder how many uniforms Prince William or King Charles have, it seems like there is a different one for different occasions.
It is kind of nice to see such formality. Our country can be very chaotic; especially during election time such as we are experiencing now.
The Brits are experiencing 10 days of mourning, including four days of public viewing of the Queen and her coffin. Yes, she is in a coffin and not a casket. We in the states call our final resting home, a casket, they do not.
On Monday, Queen Elizabeth will be laid to rest next to her beloved husband, Prince Phillip, and I’m sure there will be no holding back with pageantry.
I’m not sure how Charles will hold up as King, but only time will tell. Charles has been known to have a shorter fuse then his mother and as the Brits say, he may go off the boil.
He has tremendous shoes to fill and I hope he’s up to the task and the weight on his shoulders will be great.
He’s had many years of training and knows all the important players around the globe, which should give him a leg up.
The Queen is gone, long live the King.
Locally, we lost royalty ourselves with the loss of Michael Fino. Mike has been a staple in Greater Pittston for many decades as the pharmacist at Fino’s Pharmacy, Main St., Pittston.
My first recollection of Mike wasn’t as a pharmacist, but as my tennis doubles partner Mary Sue Fino’s father.
I got to meet Mike and his wife Judy, with her delightful New England accent, along with their other four other daughters, Alice, Mary Anne, Marsha, and Trish. Oh yes, I can’t forget their very vocal dog Bunny.
Pharmacists make a pretty good living, and the Fino’s lived a very modest life and you never knew their economic status.
The Fino’s were generous people with family and friends and once they got to know you, you were like a member of their family. I can’t tell you how many times I spent in their kitchen and dining room.
The Fino’s were full of love and life and what was theirs was yours. They showed their love through food, always wanting to feed those who entered their home.
The tennis community wasn’t very large back in the 1980s and on many occasions, the Fino’s threw backyard BBQs for us. Man, what a spread they would put on.
Mike was outnumbered in his home with six females in the house, and I’m going to guess when he met St. Peter at the Pearly Gates in Heaven, St. Peter stood aside, pointed the way, and said, “You get a pass, right this way Mike.” No doubt Mike’s daughter Mary Anne was the first to greet him.
All five of Judy and Mike’s girls were different and unique in their own right making them all special. I truly loved visiting their home.
Christmas time was crazy in the Fino home. I’ve never seen so many gifts wrapped and ready to go for Christmas day.
Two things I recall about Mike, his sense of humor and his distinctive laugh.
Another thing I remember about Mike, he had two speeds … laid back and even more laid back. It never seemed like anything bothered him. Of course, I did not live with him and his wife and kids may beg to differ, but he was always a calm guy.
His personality was perfect for pharmacy. As I mentioned, he was calm, reassuring and was an extremely patient person. He was one smart cookie and if you had a question on a drug or even sought medical advice, you knew Mike was on top of things.
Mike was one of a kind. He was a great dad, husband, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend to those he served. He won’t be forgotten.
Quote of the week
“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” Albert Einstein
Thought of the week
“And when it rains on your parade, look up rather than down. Without the rain, there would be no rainbow.” – Gilbert K. Chesterton
Bumper stick
“If your ship doesn’t come in, swim out to it.” – Jonathan Winters
