Coming Attractions

Caregiving and the Importance of a Positive Attitude

mabailey@gmail.com (Tony Mussari) — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 04:21:40 +0000

"It’s an imperfect business being a caregiver.”
-Kitch Loftus-Mussari

The centerpiece of our first episode about caregiving is an interview Kitch and I recorded in the Garden of Life. It was a beautiful summer day when Kitch sat down in front of the waterfall to tell her story, and what a story it is.

To use a phrase coined by our dear friend, the late, Brendan Vaughan, she was at the top of her game.

Irish Teachers Festival '07: A Tribute to Sr. Jean Messaros

mabailey@gmail.com (Tony Mussari) — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 07:29:34 +0000

Sr. Jean Mesarros is a person who radiates goodness. She is a person who personifies what the Religious Sisters of Mercy are all about. She has been a very constructive force in our lives, and she is a person we call friend.

Sister Jean has no time for pretension. She is a sophisticated person who loves her work and the people she meets along her journey. Kitch and I have been the beneficiaries of Sister Jean's wisdom, goodness and kindness.

Irish Teachers Festival '07: Barbara Loots and the Music of Brighter Light

mabailey@gmail.com (Tony Mussari) — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 07:27:49 +0000

Eight months ago, CBS broadcast the 229th presentation of The Hallmark Hall of Fame, In the Valley of Light. Toward the end of the program, a commercial depicting a scene from the life of a retiring professor named Fuller and a former student named Hooper touched my heart in a very special way.

Fuller set the stage with this rhetorical question:" I hope I didn't ruin your entire life?"

Hooper replies" "No, not at all."

The former student read the poem on the card she is carrying:

Who in this life hasn't planted a seed just hoping that somehow something would grow.

Irish Teachers Festival '07: Joanne Galvin, The 911National Remembrance Flag

mabailey@gmail.com (Tony Mussari) — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 07:26:27 +0000

In January of this year, Kitch and I received a wonderful e-mail from Joanne Galvin. It read in part: "I am writing after finishing the 3rd episode of your videos (Changed Forever) that you have put together. All of them once again brought back so many memories of 9/11. I am very impressed with all that you have done."

Less than a month later we finalized plans for Mrs. Galvin to visit Windsor Park to present the 9/11National Remembrance Flag to the Wyoming Valley.

Irish Teachers Festival '07: The Connemara Dancers

mabailey@gmail.com (Tony Mussari) — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 07:24:14 +0000

Since the very first Irish Teachers Festival in Windsor Park, The Connemara Dancers, then the Butler School of Irish Dancers, under the direction of Jan Ginley, have been at the top of the program.

This year was no exception. They took center stage in the Kennedy room of the Banks Student Center at College Misericordia and they captivated the audience.

Irish Teachers Festival '07: Greg O'Brien

mabailey@gmail.com (Tony Mussari) — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 07:22:57 +0000

Kitch and i met Greg O'Brien on the coldest evening of the winter in 2005. We were in Lake Placid, New York, to record the relighting of he Olympic Flame. Greg was there to sing the National Anthem.

We met, and we developed a friendship and a mutual respect for one another's work.

In May 2005, Greg came to Wilkes-Barre to participate in the screening of our Miracle Project, and to help us end a 39 year teaching career.

Introducing The Garden of Life and Brighter Light's The Music In My Life

mabailey@gmail.com (Tony Mussari) — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 07:21:34 +0000

For two decades Brighter Light has been making beautiful music for audiences in Berwick, PA and Columbia County. An e-mail invitation from one of the Brighter Lights connected us to the ensemble, and that was our good fortune

On June 2, Kitch and drove to Berwick to record the 20th Anniversary Concert of Brighter Light. It was a marvelous evening of song, fellowship and community. It was an opportunity to temporarily put aside the issues life gives us. It was an occasion for celebration and affirmation. It was a joyful experience.

Happy St. Patrick's Day: Ragus Live and Oliver at the Philadelphia Flower Show

mabailey@gmail.com (Tony Mussari) — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 07:18:40 +0000

It’s St. Patrick's Day. Almost a foot of snow covers Windsor Park and we’re looking for something to lift our spirits. The infectious music of Ragus Live and Oliver does just that.

Less than two weeks ago, Kitch planned the first surprise for my 65th birthday, a visit to the Philadelphia Flower Show. What a wonderful experience.

Joe Paterno and Lee Lispi: A Story of Success with Honor

mabailey@gmail.com (Tony Mussari) — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 07:14:44 +0000

Joe Paterno taught me how to be the best person I can be.
-Lee Lispi

My brother, Ken, idolized Joe Paterno, and he loved Penn State University football. As a matter of fact, in the 17 years before his death, he never missed a home game.

When Penn State played at home, he and his wife drove to University Park from Westminster, Maryland, to cheer on Paterno and his Nittany Lions.

Rarely did he miss a post season bowl game.

WBRE TV Promo Captures the Spirit of The New Windsor Park Stories

mabailey@gmail.com (Tony Mussari) — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 07:12:29 +0000

It’s been a week of pleasant surprises here in Windsor Park. It all began with a whirlwind trip to State College, PA, where we rendezvoused with Bill Coleman and his family. The capstone of our visit with Bill was a three-hour dinner at the Nittany Lion Inn. We laughed, we learned, and we experienced a feeling of community that was nothing short of heartwarming.

The weather outside was cold, damp and dreadful, but inside it was like a second Christmas morning. Good food, good conversation and good fellowship.