Jacqueline Ruffino I was looking forward to high school, St. Cecilia High School, Englewood, N.J. Travel by two buses and a 45-minute walk to reach the campus. The tuition fee was quite expensive for my mom’s reach at those times, $10 every month. St. Joseph’s High School was closer to our home where the fee…
Tag: Jacquie’s Corner
August 2025, Features
Jacquie’s Corner: Another Chapter Back in My Early Days: A Special Time
Jacqueline M. Ruffino Remembering many years back when the pastor of the little church across the street from my home in New Jersey asked me to look after his father- in-law who was very old and could not feed, dress, or bathe himself and needed assistance. I was quite young at the time, 19 years…
July 2025, Features
Jacquie’s Corner: Rosario and Antonio
Jacqueline M. Ruffino July has just arrived, and it is a very special month for me. To this day, my brothers Rosario and Antonio are still close to me in our lives. They are proud of me, their sister Jacqueline, and the only sister they have. Each one of my brothers always stayed close by…
May 2025, Features
Jacquie’s Corner: Not All Action Heroes Wear Capes
Jacqueline M. Ruffino-Platt Comic books were so popular growing up, costing only 10 cents or less. Today, there are people who collect the oldies but goodies worth way more than the pennies. I liked a few of them myself. Archie and his friends, especially Blondie, another good one. It has been so long ago to…
April 2025, Generals
Jacquie’s Corner: You Were You, I Was Me
Jacqueline M. Ruffino Before you or I became a friend, there was you, and there was me. You existed as yourself, and I as myself. Friendship came later. Somewhere in the vast Universe, you became a person. Before you belonged to a family, before you formed connections, there was simply you. Step back and look…
Features, March 2025
Jacquie’s Corner: When the Streetlights Come On Head for Home
Jacqueline M. Ruffino-Platt One of the instructions given to us as children, when the sun goes down and dusk was slowly approaching we knew what to do. Head for home. Sometimes, I reminisce about how much fun my little friends and I shared growing up in those times. Some evenings, my husband and I share…
Features, February 2025
Jacquie’s Corner: How Smart Is Your Smartphone?
Jacqueline M. Ruffino-Platt We all survived the days before smartphones were invented. Alexander Graham Bell is shaking his head and hopefully looking down on us saying, “I guess I created a monster. No, I created and invented the telephone—a smart way to communicate with others, to call someone to say, ‘Hi, I was thinking of…
Generals, January 2025
Jacquie’s Corner: New Hour, New Day, New Month, New Year
Jacqueline M. Ruffino Platt May we have faith and love for each and every one. For the last few years I have been sharing my stories with others and enjoyed each and every time I typed every word. I look forward to sharing my life with those who are in need. My experience I have…
Features, January 2025
New Year—New Adventures! Join the Roadrunners RV Club!
Julie Hedges Our annual club Christmas Party was held in December, where current and alumni members enjoyed dinner and dancing at Palo Verde. In January we are back to business, with our next meeting scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 14, in the Sun Lakes Country Club Navajo Room, starting at 6 p.m. for social hour, with…
Features, December 2024
The Special Christmas Bows
Jacqueline M. Ruffino-Platt When I lived in Northern Virginia and was driving around one morning, I noticed a craft store had just opened in our vicinity. My creation for some fine crafts was in my mind. Bow making, floral and wreath designing, centerpieces for tables, decorating homes for the holidays, homemade gifts for family and…