“Where long the shadows of the wind had rolled,
Green Wheat was yielding to change assigned,
And as by some vast magic undivined,
The world was turning slowly into gold.”
By Edward Arlington Robinson

Hubby and I saw a few golden leaves over the weekend. We thought they might have been caused by the cold temps both Friday and Saturday evenings. Our apples are still falling, sorry to say. Next year, we hope to have the tree sprayed in early spring so it won’t produce fruit. One little rosebush in our yard, that we thought was dead, has now sprung back to life. Hubby is feeding it with liquid fertilizer. It is so little that we fear it will not grow big enough to survive the winter with the short amount of time left before the cold weather arrives.

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Last Sunday, Aug. 30, Hubby, daughter Sue, and I went to Mass at St. Brendan Church to attend the farewell Mass for Fr. Richard Putnam. We have known Fr. Rich for many years. When Hubby worked part- time for Supreme Market in Fields Corner, Rich worked there after (high) school. When Rich was going to Boston State College to become a teacher, he just happened to be assigned to Hubby’s classroom for student teaching. After graduating from Boston State, Rich entered the Salesian Seminary and became a Salesian priest. His last assignment was to serve the youth of East Boston. At the time, his mom, Ruth, lived in the Keystone (Senior) Apartments. He began helping with the 5:15 p.m. Mass there on Saturdays. Several times, Hubby and I saw Fr. Rich at the Keystone Masses. In recent years, he helped Fr. John McCarthy, the Irish chaplain, by celebrating some of the monthly Masses for the seniors at the Irish Cultural Centre in Canton. He wasn’t often able to stay for the luncheon following the Mass because he had to get back to East Boston. We thoroughly enjoyed speaking with him when he had time. When Fr. Rich turned 60, Marty Allen kindly invited Hubby and me to the birthday party she had planned for him at Great Chow Restaurant in Quincy. There were quite a few of his friends at that party. We enjoyed ourselves tremendously.

Within the past month, we were saddened when we heard that Fr. Rich had been recalled to the Salesian headquarters in New Rochelle. As I mentioned earlier, Fr. Rich’s last Mass was Aug. 30. Following the Mass, we all adjourned downstairs to Fr. Lane Hall. Eileen Collins asked us to sit at her table.

Marty Allen, once again, welcomed us to Fr. Rich’s celebration.

We began by singing, to the tune of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,”

“A Farewell Song for Fr. Rich Putnam,” with words by Joan Walsh of St. Brendan’s Parish:
“Thanks to Father Rich Putnam
He’s a friend to us all.
From Keystone to St. B’s and East Boston
He’ll be remembered and sure missed a ton!
He’s the finest man and Salesian,
His quips on sports we’ll recall,
For he’s one, great, Dorchester son,
So we wish him well.”

I must mention that Fr. Tom Navarro, from East Boston and also a Salesian, joined Fr. Rich at the brunch. So did two tables of youngsters from East Boston. Gerard and his staff served the breakfast. The fruit cup was scrumptious. So were the eggs, bacon, sausages, fried potatoes, and juice. For dessert, we enjoyed corn bread, mini muffins, and mini cupcakes. All over the walls in Fr. Lane Hall, there were signs wishing Fr. Rich well, wherever his work will send him. We treasure the eight years he spent in his hometown. “I’ll always be from Dorchester,” said he. It was sad to say, “goodbye.” The only thing he won’t miss is Boston traffic.

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I’d like to mention some of the terrific people that I met at St. Gregory’s Cook Out last Sat. evening. I met my long-time friends: St. Laurie Mac Donald, Sr. Esther Garcia. Sr. Eileen Finnigan, and Sr. Joyce McMullen. I had a chance to speak with Elaine Doherty, Mary Carney, Peter Woloschuk, and Marie Faux, who had brought to the event her pretty, three-month-old daughter Evelyn, a beautiful name that we don’t hear very often in these times.

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I was so sorry to read of the death of Joe Chaisson on Aug. 26 at age 83. Over the years, I sat with Joe and his terrific wife Carol at many Dorchester functions. If pal Loretta and her friends Mary and Ginny were at the same table, we’d have a great time. If it was at the First Parish Church on the Meatloaf Dinner evening to raise funds for Dorchester Day, we would have a ball talking among ourselves. On that night, Joe and Carol would pass out the applications for the Parade of Seniors luncheon in May. The last time I saw Joe was at this year’s luncheon. I send the sympathy of our family to Carol. All by himself, or with Carol, he accomplished so much over the years for Dorchester. He will not be forgotten.

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Didn’t you love that the Dunkin’ Donuts Shop in Lewiston, Maine, has announced on its outdoor bulletin board that it will give Federal Judge Richard Berman free coffee for life? Bravo, Dunkie’s! He was the judge who overturned Tom Brady’s four-game suspension by the NFL. When I heard that announcement on WBZ last week while we were driving to Market Basket, I got goose bumps all over my body. I was so relieved. I’m looking forward to the game on Thursday evening.
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Hubby and I loved this bumper sticker, obviously put on by a fellow animal-lover: “I pause for paws.”