tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41244234017715641282024-02-22T02:06:15.671-05:00The Cannata ChroniclesThe Chronicles are just a few of the thousands of stories, fables, facts and fantasies telling the tales of my life as a Cannata.
I'm one of 15 children born and raised in Boston, Ma.. The stories are, for the most part, almost true and no names have been changed due to the fact that no one mentioned in them is innocent by any means.Michael Cannatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06317317882011805368noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4124423401771564128.post-73905994188364534492020-12-22T03:30:00.002-05:002021-05-27T02:57:52.726-04:00The Cannata Chronicles
Welcome to the Cannata Clan!
This is the greatest picture in Cannata family history. It was taken during a party at my sister Rosie's house during the 1970's. There are 12 of the 15 Cannata siblings in the picture. Having that many of my brothers and sisters in one place at one time almost never happened. It means the beer must have been free.
The stories here recount some of the best Michael Cannatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06317317882011805368noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4124423401771564128.post-76861840658436781542020-12-21T23:50:00.000-05:002020-12-22T23:59:53.453-05:00The Worst of WorshipLike
most children I was indoctrinated into the Catholic religion by my parents before I
could formerly object. Not being able speak I was unable to express my opinion one way or the other. I was baptized and
made to attend Mass under duress, I attended Sunday school and confession on a weekly basis. I resisted every effort to assimilate me. When I was
given a copy of the bible I Michael Cannatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06317317882011805368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4124423401771564128.post-25360333126756240982020-04-30T19:18:00.001-04:002021-04-05T20:37:42.837-04:00Chapter 22 - Families and Felons<!--[if gte mso 9]>
Normal
0
false
false
false
EN-US
X-NONE
X-NONE
MicrosoftInternetExplorer4
<![endif]-->Families and
Felons
I was a pretty good kid
all in all growing up. Everybody said I was a pretty smart kid. Smart as I was I did make my share of stupidMichael Cannatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06317317882011805368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4124423401771564128.post-80857578449233728512019-04-20T02:38:00.003-04:002021-04-05T20:25:24.045-04:00Chapter 21 - The Star Man
The Star Man Waiting for Me.
I have a lot of brothers. To be honest, more than
any human being really needs. There was a brother of every kind, shape and size
for me to choose from as the situation demanded. There was the older, bigger
brother you feared and pretty much avoided when he was in a bad mood. The one that helped keep a lot of bullies away from you by reputation.
There Michael Cannatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06317317882011805368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4124423401771564128.post-50489455280921093522019-04-13T23:13:00.001-04:002019-04-13T23:13:50.668-04:00Chapter 20 - Losing Frank
Losing Frank
I lost my brother Frank for the last time on March 18th, 2011,
after a long fight with cancer. But that's not the only time I lost Frank. I'd lost him
a few times in my life. I lost him while he was alive for the last time two years ago. That's the
last time I saw or spoke to him. For reasons known only to Frank he decided
that he wanted nothing to do with me or most of hisMichael Cannatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06317317882011805368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4124423401771564128.post-43254739905232481562019-04-13T23:03:00.000-04:002019-04-13T23:03:35.276-04:00Chapter 19 - The End of My Beginning 2
The End of My Beginning 2
Kevin finally succeeded in killing himself on his fifth attempt at suicide. I had been there to prevent him from doing it his first four tries. Actually I was the one who found him close to death the first time he attempted suicide. He came to me after each of the three other failed attempts for help. I took him to the hospital each time to patch his wounds. The Michael Cannatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06317317882011805368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4124423401771564128.post-41655217129300210222019-04-13T23:02:00.003-04:002019-04-13T23:03:06.125-04:00Chapter 18 - The End of My Beginnings 1
The End of My Beginnings
My mother died when I was just 21. She died as a result
of liver and kidney failure. She had been a serious alcoholic most of her life.
Her drinking and the abuse her body suffered because of it had finally taken
its toll. She was only 48 but she looked older. It was obvious towards the end.
But her alcoholism was something I never consciously noticed growing up.
Michael Cannatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06317317882011805368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4124423401771564128.post-3837485997074005392019-04-13T22:50:00.004-04:002019-04-13T22:50:56.775-04:00Chapter 17 - Death and Math
Death and Math
Growing up, I loved to learn just about everything
schools and libraries had to offer. In Jamaica Plain, an eclectic,
multicultural and identity confused community, the educational options were
somewhat limited. But the schools did their best to force feed the required
knowledge with the scarce and out-dated resources they had. One of the subjects
they seemed to like to teach Michael Cannatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06317317882011805368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4124423401771564128.post-11766055720753188992019-04-13T22:31:00.000-04:002019-04-13T22:31:04.991-04:00Chapter 16 - Special Friends
Special Friends
I was fortunate enough when I was a kid to make a friend that would change my life for the better in so many remarkable ways. I met Marie on April 2nd 1969. I was 16 and she was 14 and love was still new to both of us. It started as the usual school age crush; more for me than her I'm sure. She had the most beautiful blue eyes I had ever seen that always seemed to be smiling. Michael Cannatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06317317882011805368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4124423401771564128.post-67219547994071606142019-04-13T22:30:00.002-04:002021-04-05T20:41:31.571-04:00Chapter 14 - Life Sings to MeLife Sings to Me
Music has always been an integral part of my life. It’s not a matter of choice but instead it’s a compulsion that is part of me. I always hear music playing in my head. Ever since I can remember, whenever I am sitting idle and not preoccupied with some thought or other, a sort of music, or rhythm actually, fills the empty spaces between my thoughts.
My father was a life long Michael Cannatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06317317882011805368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4124423401771564128.post-90811641662185954992019-04-13T22:30:00.001-04:002019-04-13T22:30:36.527-04:00Chapter 15 - A Song Life Sang to Me
A Song Life Sang to Me
This is actually the tail-end of a long story. It's part of the story about how and why I have been writing songs for just about as long as I could write. I gave a friend the option of reading the story behind my song writing or reading the lyrics to a song and the story behind this particular song. She chose the latter so as a favor to her I am starting at the end.
I Michael Cannatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06317317882011805368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4124423401771564128.post-28094823790337629922019-04-13T22:29:00.001-04:002021-04-05T20:46:32.330-04:00Chapter 13 - My Mother's Maiden Voyage
My Mother's Maiden Voyage
Driving comes naturally to us Cannatas. All of my siblings are excellent drivers. Well Ok... my brother Dave has caused a few coronaries for a passenger or two, but they all lived to tell the story so we chaulk that up to a prolonged learning experience. The rest of us are natural born road warriors.
My father had a big hand in that. Most all of us attended a Michael Cannatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06317317882011805368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4124423401771564128.post-83705379354245007192019-04-13T22:27:00.004-04:002019-04-13T22:27:59.927-04:00Chapter 12 - The Dirk Diaries
The Dirk Diaries
It occurred to me soon after I started writing stories about my family that I had a ton of wickedly funny, obscenely stupid and terminally embarrassing tales to tell. I enjoy relating the less glorious achievements while fondly recalling the pitfalls and adventures we experienced that, upon reflection, illustrate the extraordinary capacity for breathtaking feats of idiocy Michael Cannatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06317317882011805368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4124423401771564128.post-41135746414298566792019-04-13T22:27:00.003-04:002019-04-13T22:27:38.382-04:00Chapter 11 - The Search for the Perfect Pumpkin
A few of the traditional Cannata Family cruises were
always dedicated to preparing for a coming Holiday. Spring, summer, autumn and
winter all had a regularly scheduled cruise that was seasonal in nature and had
a specific purpose.
The Christmas cruise served two purposes. It was the
shortest in length and because of the winter weather was limited to specific
areas. The first goal was to Michael Cannatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06317317882011805368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4124423401771564128.post-42056370027520284692019-04-13T22:18:00.002-04:002022-05-04T21:29:39.105-04:00Chapter 10 - Cruising With Cannatas
Cruising With Cannataa
Growing up, outside of my house, the single most important
place where I spent the best of times with my family was in the family car.
Road trips were a staple item in life for the Cannata
clan. It was a tough and thoroughly distasteful chore for my parents when it
came to spending time alone with any one of their kids. None of us kids really
ever got the Michael Cannatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06317317882011805368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4124423401771564128.post-83090123509945557512019-04-13T22:08:00.002-04:002020-12-16T20:49:54.183-05:00Chapter 08 - The Neighborhood Network
The Neighborhood Network
The world I grew up in was nothing like the world today. It’s a much smaller place than my world was. When I was a boy, it was a place that held awe and wonder. It beckoned me to come and explore its vast expanse at my leisure on a summer’s day. In the summer the public transit would take us to the beaches in South Boston or the Michael Cannatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06317317882011805368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4124423401771564128.post-51056215305976674392019-04-13T22:08:00.001-04:002019-04-13T22:08:56.937-04:00Chapter 09 - Responsible Fathers
Responsible Fathers
A father’s responsibility is a difficult subject in
today's politically correct world. It requires us to discuss a topic that is
exclusive to the male role in the family. Being a good parent is something that
a man or woman is equally capable of. But being a good parent and being a good
father are very different roles. A man can be good at one and not the other.
Fathers Michael Cannatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06317317882011805368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4124423401771564128.post-21152923731394406652019-04-13T22:07:00.002-04:002019-04-13T22:08:13.694-04:00Chapter 07 - A Rosie In Bloom!
A Rosie In Bloom!
In a family as large as mine watching over us all was an
enormous job that was too big for just my parents. My parents gave us life and
provided a home for us. As a result they inherited an enormous load of
housework, bills, laundry and other such stuff. Feeding, clothing, rearing and
repairing the occasional body damage took up the bulk of my parents' free time.
As result Michael Cannatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06317317882011805368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4124423401771564128.post-63634823177427429992019-04-13T22:07:00.001-04:002019-04-13T22:07:29.773-04:00Chapter 06 - Raising Cannatas
Raising Cannatas
I'm not sure my parents actually chose to have a large
family. And I'm certain that if they had a choice before they started they
would never have chosen the one they wound up with. Nobody in their right mind
nowadays would have wished for a family like mine. Both of my parents came from
what most people today would call a large family. My father had six siblings
that Michael Cannatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06317317882011805368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4124423401771564128.post-17719257233092825442019-04-13T22:07:00.000-04:002020-06-04T20:46:39.192-04:00Chapter 05 - Another Cannata?
Another Cannata?
I learned early in life that when someone asked me if I was a Cannata it was never a good thing to answer too quickly. "Are you a Cannata?" was a question I asked almost everyone that I met in my house while growing up and never considered it a dangerous exercise. I liked almost all the Cannatas I met in my house and, since there were so many, once I Michael Cannatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06317317882011805368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4124423401771564128.post-73055720685514735002019-04-13T22:06:00.005-04:002021-04-05T21:15:14.225-04:00Chapter 03 - The Bathroom Library
The Bathroom Library
The True Seat of Knowledge
"Anyone who needs to use the bathroom better do it now, your father will be home soon!"
Everyday just before five o'clock my mother would go through the house yelling those words. It was the signal that gave us warning to go now or forever hold our pee. It was some sort of secret and strange family ritual that I thought absolutely fascinating.
Michael Cannatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06317317882011805368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4124423401771564128.post-70169541694979547232019-04-13T22:06:00.004-04:002021-04-05T21:13:07.706-04:00Chapter 02 - Hey, are you a Cannata?
I come from a large family. And I do mean large. How big is my family? To be honest, at the still somewhat young age of sixty seven, if I include nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles, cousins and in-laws, I still have no greaking idea..
It wasn't until about the age of thirteen that I finally had an official count on the number of brothers and sisters I Michael Cannatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06317317882011805368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4124423401771564128.post-59637093904637834642019-04-13T22:06:00.002-04:002019-04-13T22:06:54.898-04:00Chapter 04 - A Bit of the Bitter Birthday Boy!
A Bit of the Bitter Birthday Boy!
I am not big on personal celebrations. I didn't attend my HS graduation or the senior prom. I was glad when I got my drivers license, but since it took me three times to pass the drivers test, it didn't seem like it called for a party. The only holidays I enjoy are July 4th and New Years Eve. I like the 4th of July because I am a proud American and the other Michael Cannatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06317317882011805368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4124423401771564128.post-3995826194385027332019-04-13T22:05:00.001-04:002022-06-23T14:12:11.699-04:00Chapter 01 - My Name is Michael!
My Name is Michael!
Or Why I love My Brother Buddy.
My name is Michael. Not Mike or Mikie… it's Michael. I use all the letters because I not only like my name, but my mother made me promise to. It was very important to her that I would always refer to myself as Michael. After all, she fought long and hard against a group of relatives who were expecting me to be named something completely Michael Cannatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06317317882011805368noreply@blogger.com0