This might seem like a lazy blog but I have had a terribly weird day. For the last two days just about everybody has been able to see my blog (and the ancillary web page) but I have been unable to view it from my computer. I have been dealing with tech reps (extremely polite) based in Bulgaria. I wrote to them telling them of some of my stories dealing with Roumanians (I like to use the old spelling) but the tech reps politely informed me that they were Bulgarians. A few minutes before my present writing (Wednesday, 11:20pm) my web page and blog came back (did those Bulgarians figure it all out?). But I have been unable to edit any of the previous blogs (I noticed some spelling mistakes) and until a few minutes ago I could not even compose this blog. Therefore I will make it sweet and short in the hopes that it will post and perhaps tomorrow will be a better day.
I was approached by the chap below, a few days ago. It seems we went to kindergarten and first grade together. But would you believe that I am not in this picture? My guess was that I was sick. How many of you, around my age of 68 have a class picture of that vintage? What makes this picture interesting is that the Argentine quintuplets, the Diligentis (three girls and two boys) are in it. After the first grade the parents, under advice from educators, decided to disperse the quints to five different schools. What is amazing is that one of the quints, Franco Diligenti, second from the right, must have a son by the same name and is listed as a real estate salesman in West Vancouver. I wrote in a previous blog that while in kindergarten I have the lucid memory of lifting up the skirts of the three female quints. They were very pretty and I knew I liked girls even then! The link to a people section in Time Magazine, 1964, reveals some interesing information about the quints which in a way explains the Fanco Diligenti living in West Vancouver.
Frank DiGirolomo is now retired and lives near Dallas. And would you believe it, he works at a gun store!
See attached picture. Then this must be first grade. I'm fifth from the right. Are you in it? My mother wrote numbers pointing out the quints and who she believes was Robert (Bobby) Zimmerman on the left end.
Small world or what? Met a lady, Renee Hudson (nee Otrola) here in Duncanville Texas that says she became a Braniff flight attendant with one of the girls (probably Maria Francesca) and it ends up that Renee (two years older) was our next door neighbor (2353 Superi) when we lived there. My father was with the US Military Mission to Argentina from 1948-1952.
I remember attending one of the birthday parties for the quints at their house, but which one has long been forgotten. Mrs. DeBenadetti (SP?) was out teacher. I was the one who broke my left arm while the family was at Mar De Plata. Not sure that rings any bells with you, but I sure remember it. Still have problems with the arm (never properly treated).
Thanks for the response.
Frank DiGirolomo
The Diligentis in 1964