Rodolfo Valentino Lodge #1449

You did get your flu shot already, right? Yes, I promise I will keep harping on this; what with the Corona Virus keeping us home all the time, there is not much else to worry about except how everyone else is doing. Hope you are well. Remember the good old days when someone could blow across a birthday cake and we would eat it anyway?

This past October, our governor has again stolen Columbus Day by declaring it Indigenous Day, even though there are 365 other days of the year on which the honor could have been bestowed. In today’s “cancel society”, people are desperately looking for “other people” to blame for their ills, and / or, trying to make themselves appear to be caring for the ills of others, and so they pick on poor ol’ Chris Columbus, who was not a conqueror … he was a navigator that convinced the queen of Spain to sponsor his explorations. His ships contained 3 Italian sailors, the rest (85 men) were Portuguese and Spanish. The “cancel society” wants us to forget our European roots and strip our struggling past of all our heroes. Remind our governor Newsom and the legislators of what you think of this. We do not improve the lives of some by diminishing the lives of others. California is home to at least 1,750,000 Italian citizens, plus another 1,000,000 Italian non-citizens.

Now that it is winter, we can say “Fa un freddo cane!”, or, it is dog cold.

Do not forget that the Fresno County Historical Museum is planning an Italian Heritage section to the Fresno Museum at the fairgrounds. If you have photos or stories that you would like to submit, contact Olivia Gallegos at 251-5992, or Sandra West, Friends of the Fair, 1121 S. Chance Ave, Fresno, CA 93702, (559) 650-3247. Contribute according to your ability by contacting Sandra if you wish. They are also accepting names for plaques to memorialize your family in the Valley.

Now that Fresno County is again in Purple Covid-19 status, Notre Dame Hall is not available to us, so, for sure there will not be a December meeting or dinner. For your own safety, limit your exposures to household family only, and let your extended family celebrate at their own homes. Greet your neighbors at a distance with a wave. It is good for you and great for them.

The only thing in a bakery that has no fat or sugar is a napkin.

The United Lodges of the Central San Joaquin Valley: Any next meeting will be announced.

“Hello” and “Ciao” to our friends and readers in San Francisco! Stai al sicuro! These are the times that we need to support our friends: get your take-out orders from our old stand-by restaurants: Lunas, at 299-4141; Andiamo’s, at 299-4141; Boo Boo Bean Bakery, at 570-8093; The Hacienda, at 325-2505; and Clovis DiCicco’s at 299-3711; and, don’t forget to tip.

-Critical Italian word to know: “Alora”, simply meaning ‘then”. But nothing is simple; it can also mean “and so what”, or “ergo”. Sprinkled in an Italian conversation, the word can be as easy or as sassy as you want.

In Italy, if you do not have leftovers after a meal, it means you did not make enough food.

Martin Luther King almost said “Intelligence and character are the goals of a true education”; get yours with help from our scholarship program by calling Isabel Ronzano; large national and state SDoI scholarships are also offered; just ask her.

Join Us: Except for the near future: If you have friends or family that are looking for good fellowship and a place to hang out on the third Monday of each month, invite them to join you at our meetings, 6:30 PM, at Notre Dame Hall, 333 8th Street, at DeWitt Avenue. We feature short meetings, great companionship, and superb food. Our web site is http://rodolfovalentinolodge. com/.