Ann Chiappetta

Making Meaningful Connections

Book Corner Review

| Filed under nonfiction Relationships

Book Review

https://www.bookcorner.us/escaping-with-his-life/

Escaping with his life

From Dunkirk to D Day and Beyond © 2019

 

By Sir Nicholas Young

Biography Pen and Sword Military, Publisher; 256pp. ISBN-10: 1526746638 ISBN-13: 978-1526746634

 

Formats: hardcover, Kindle and audible.com

 

https://www.amazon.com › Escaping-His-Life-Dunkirk-…

An inspiring and thrilling account of Leslie Young, a British commando who was captured and escaped from a prison camp in Northern Italy.

From the book jacket:  Very few British soldiers could lay claim to such a full war as Leslie Young. Having survived the retreat to and evacuation from Dunkirk, he volunteered for the newly formed Commandos and took part in their first operation, the raid on the Lofoten Islands. He fought and was captured in Tunisia. He went on the run before his POW camp at Fontanellato was taken over by the Nazis after the September 1943 Italian armistice. He spent six months on the run in the Apennine mountains aided by brave and selfless Italians. Many of whom were actively fighting their occupiers. He eventually reached Allied lines but not before several of his companions were tragically killed by both German and American fire.

On return to England he immediately signed up for the invasion of Northwest Europe and despite being wounded eventually fought through to Germany.

 

 

This biography epitomizes service and dedication during the darkest moments of twentieth century history, World War II.   It also shows the reader the human side of war, the resiliency of the human spirit and the British stiff upper lip, the grit of a soldier.

 

The book takes the reader on a journey filled with   action and heartbreak as told in part by Young’s journal entries and his son’s descriptive and historically accurate narrative.

At times this reader felt as if the history lesson textbook was on the desk and the words blurred into a dry and drawn—out round of this-followed-that narrative. But this was the only drawback to this intriguing story.

 

The attempts of the author to enliven the story is sprinkled with pieces of   the ingenuity of the time, like the bicycle brigade, for example.   There is also depictions of the depredations of war upon humans, the land itself, and the civilians who struggle to survive the Nazi occupation.

 

The book opens with a touching and powerful poem written by an Italian poet, Pierre Luigi Felli. The poem is haunting and sets the book’s place historically as well as creatively. Felli’s last line, alludes to returning to the haunting places, “Years later, the return along those mountain pathways feeling the scent of memory.”

 

This reader was satisfied and pleased Sir Nicholas’s account is fascinating and honors his father’s journey and those  who fought for freedom from tyranny.

4 stars

Open Door

| Filed under paranormal Poem Relationships writing

Open door
By Ann Chiappetta

Horizontal Travel nestled in breaths
Deep and restorative. A place of relaxation, attracts
Energy, the curtain billows, the visitor
Inserts herself, uses the most familiar place, the bathroom – why
are most of these encounters located in the dream bathroom? By now I know there is a message born from the veil, the thinness beyond
Air, beyond anything we know here in our soft beds of reality.

She shows me a hand with a ring, conveys it is significant, her face seems to say, it will soon be yours. Then she is gone. I awaken.

Today, before the horizontal travel I write with the ring upon my hand. She spoiled the surprise.

by annchiappetta_nxovue | tags : | 0

May the Dog Update

| Filed under Relationships

This image requires alt text, but the alt text is currently blank. Either add alt text or mark the image as decorative.Hello all, this is an update about May the rescue dog. She’s matured into a beautiful brindle brown 55 lb. shepard mix, sleek, strong and smart; she knows all her commands, tries not to counter surf and loves to ride with April in her car. May and kitten Noodle are best friends. Jerry can walk the two dogs in tandem for the most part, though I can’t mostly because I can’t see trouble coming and it is safer for me to control only one dog at a time.

She does these adorable doggie things like placing a paw gently on your chest to ask you to play with her. How could a human resist? Anyway, I’ve been a double-dog advocate since picking out Rocki and Gunny with Jerry all those years ago and believe she helped Bailey (and us) stop moping around after Verona died. As long as you can afford the time and dollars, go tandem!

May blessings be upon you and your loved ones now and always. Happy HOwlidays!
Photo is May on a recliner, the sun lighting up her sweet face and those derpy ears are so cute.

by annchiappetta_nxovue | tags : | 0

A Book Review with Meaning

| Filed under Poem Relationships writing Writing Life

Earlier this year, prior to Covid 19, I asked Julia to review my book. I’d been disappointed by the lack of responses to review my third book, Words of Life: Poems and Essays. I needed an infusion as well as some insight as to why this book, in particular did not sell like I thought it should. I felt that Julia could deliver and she did, 😊

Julia came through for me. She provided honest and understandable statements. Below is a note I sent to her, sharing it symbolizes that not all an author’s work is dipped in gold. It takes years of practice, stacks of rejections in your inbox, and the strength to plow through the self-doubt and barriers to reach one’s creative goals. What I learned from Julia is to be open to the feedback of other writers, what may seem like criticism could be a diamond in the ruff.

Read on and after reading, take a look at Julia’s own publications. 😊

HI Julia,
I wanted to thank you again for reviewing my book. You gave me some important points to ponder and I appreciate them very much… Since publishing my books I felt the hardest part of it was organizing the content in a manner that made sense. I wanted to let you know that mentioning it in your review got to me, but then it made me more aware of what I can improve for my next book. Your review provided insight into what I can work on as a writer and this is much appreciated.
Julia’s review:
https://juliasbookreviewss.wordpress.com/2020/10/15/1110/

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How to assemble a Coffee Table

| Filed under Guide dogs Relationships

Place unassembled box flat on floor. Chase off dog who decides to lay down on it.
Open box; chase off dog trying to play with Styrofoam.
Empty box, and let cat play in box while dog lays down on the top of unassembled tabletop on floor.
Begin to read instructions while dog two enters room to investigate.
While making progress on assembling table, cat plays with paper instructions and tries running away with the paper. Dogs decide to kick back and watch human struggle with cat who has now taken screws causing human to curse and look for missing screws.
Finally, after accounting for all hardware scattered by cat, add legs to table bottom while avoiding cat trying to jump onto unfinished table.
Ignore dog one still laying down on as yet unfinished tabletop.
Ignore partner typing this all for others to read.
Wish for the day: furniture that comes already assembled.

attracted to elastic

| Filed under Relationships

April handed me a soft elastic band the other day.
:What’s this?” I asked.
“I found it outside, it’s something I think you might like to use,”
I fingered the soft band, imagining it could be used for tying back a curtain or for my unruly travel bag.
“Thanks!” I said, and realized I was just like a crow, attracted not to the “sparkly” but to the “practical”. My daughter knows me so well, and I love it. Flap-flap, caw-caw!

Poetry Evening Recording

| Filed under Poem Relationships writing

Hello folks,
This is a follow up to my recent poetry reading which took place September tenth. I want to thank the people who attended, making the time to listen to it. I also wish to thank my cohost, Jason Castonguay and my audio editor, Lilian Yves.
Click the link to listen, to share, and feel free to leave a comment or contact me with your feedback at anniecms64@gmail.com .

book cover white rocks beside patterns of sand

Under the Bed

| Filed under Relationships

close up of May dog

May dog face close-up

From May the dog diaries. Subject: stashing stolen goods. Yup, folks,

she’s a sneaky one, this dog with derpy ears. While playing in the living room with the other chia pets, she drops the tug rings and goes for a flip flop, then when Jerry tells her to drop it, she runs past him and dives under the bed. We know better than to attempt to lure her out, after all, it’s a game and she loves it. Sigh.

Jerry calls her bluff and drags the entire bed from the wall and she leaves, choosing a bone and finds a place to chew it. Sometime later Jerry reports that a half dozen empty soda bottles, a chewed up pen, and the stolen shoe have all been found and removed. Until next time.

by annchiappetta_nxovue | tags : | 1

Weekend Paper Warriors

| Filed under blindness Relationships

Here’s a halfway rhetorical question: what are weekends for? Since I don’t mow the grass, it could be anything. Scrubbing out the tub, maybe? Or, cleaning the shower with a toothbrush? Nope, guess again.

Hopefully some of you readers got it right: cleaning out my desk and file cabinet. Do I hear horrified screams and moans of dismay? BWAHHaHaHa!

First, a disclaimer: I am blind and do not like the task mostly because I require a set of eyes, usually my intrepid and reluctant hubby, Jerry. I avoid it and let it pile up, which is counterproductive. Okay, so then there are the extra tools, a braille labeler, scissors for trimming the labels, paper clips, stapler, accordion folders and four feet, er, inches of unfiled paperwork. Now, this is where I panic, and Jerry pulls up a chair and begins reading.

It really wasn’t that bad, except for when the accordion folder fell on its side and the paperwork that I had already filed, all slipped out into a messy pile and we had to start over. I lost page one of a five-page eye report and misplaced Bailey’s new vaccination record and Jerry found it in the trash pile. I still don’t know how that happened.

Eventually we finished and Jerry shredded to his heart’s content. It’s therapy for him, bless his soul. 😊And, that, dear readers, is how we overcame the insidious demigod of reams.