The guilt that consumes a first generation Italian American woman who is gifted a giant bag of home grown tomatoes cannot be overstated. The first thing she thinks is, “Oh God, what will my parents think if I don’t can these?” Never-mind that her parents passed away anywhere from a year to decades ago, the disgrace over not utilizing every fruit, or vegetable down to its nub will…
Today is my Uncle Richard’s 89th Birthday. To honor him, I’m posting my most prized possession, my video of him showing me how to make meatballs and sauce. (It’s at the end of this post.) It was the highlight of my year! Most people’s bucket lists are filled with things like: Stay in a Scottish castle, or dance in the sand in Greece. But at the top of…
My Aunt Blanche just turned 90. She’s outlived everyone in her immediate family, including her parents, which is amazing because she was the one with the most health problems. She is mostly blind, mostly deaf, suffers from asthma and sinus troubles, yet still motors on like the energizer bunny – some days. Some days are not so great. But, from what I hear that’s what life can be…
My Uncle Richard called me today. He’s one of my favorite people on earth. Not just because he’s my father’s brother and a wonderful family man, but also because he’s not afraid to be silly. He does a version of the Tarantella, an Italian dance they do at weddings (Tarantella means tarantula in Italian) where he bends his knees and dances around hunched over, looking more like a…