With December upon us, I’m thinking about Christmas. Specifically, Christmas Eve. We spent Christmas Eve at my Italian grandma’s every year. She was the one who would make us a huge tin of cookies (chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, sugar cookies, and more). She also introduced me to Pignolata (sometimes called Struffoli).
Grandma would always have pignolata out in pie tins covered with plastic wrap. Man, did we love this! Most Italian bakeries make it like it pictured above, but grandma didn’t. In all the years she made it for us, it never had the colored sprinkles on it.
Pignolata is a Sicilian treat and there are many different recipes for it online. I believe my brother has my grandma’s recipe somewhere. I’ve never attempted to make it myself, but may decide to do that one day.
Here is one recipe I found online which seems to be close to grandma’s.
Ingredients
All-purpose flour
Granulated sugar
Salt
Eggs: (large sized eggs)
Vegetable oil: (olive oil can also be used)
Milk: (1 tbsp.) for pignolata that is tender on the inside.
Vegetable oil: (avocado oil can be used) for frying
Honey
Colored candy sprinkles
(For grandma’s recipe – you’ll need chocolate chips, chopped walnuts and powdered sugar)
First, you want to place the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and add eggs; vegetable oil and milk. Use a fork to beat the eggs, oil and milk.
You then want to slowly incorporate the flour into the wet ingredients until a raggedy/rough dough is shaped. Then you want to transfer the dough to your counter and knead until a smooth dough ball is formed. Cover and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
After the dough has rested, divide it into 4 pieces. Roll into long ropes of about 1 cm thickness. Cut into 1 cm pieces. Leave the pieces as is or, if you prefer, roll into a ball.
Transfer the pieces onto a baking sheet without overlapping to prevent from sticking together.
Heat about 2 inches of vegetable oil on medium-high heat in a heavy bottomed pan or your fryer. (To test if the oil is hot, place a pignolata piece in the oil. If the oil immediately sizzles and bubbles around the pignolata you’re ready to fry!) Fry the pignolata in batches without overcrowding your pan for 1-2 minutes until light golden brown. Then transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper towel covered tray or plate to absorb any excess oil.
As the balls, heat the honey in a small sauce pan until it is runny (this only takes about a minute). Place pignolata balls in a bowl. Add honey and toss to coat all pieces.
Once coated in the melted honey, place pignolata balls ina mound (Some people will shape them into a wreath) on a serving platter or dish (or pie tin, like my grandma). This is where the recipe says to top with colored candy sprinkles. My grandma used to put chocolate chips or chopped walnuts in (sometimes one or the other, sometimes both) and then sprinkled it with powdered sugar.
I will probably stop by the Italian bakery and grab some before Christmas. If you do make this, please let me know how it turned out and what you think of it.
At 5:24am 19 years ago, with her hand in mine, my mother took her last breath here on earth. She was finally freed from the pain she suffered for a decade from Breast Cancer and all the treatments and medications she had because of the disease. For those of us who were left behind, there was pain in her leaving, but joy that the suffering was over. Since her passing, there have been many changes in my life. How I wish I could call her and just talk. I can’t tell you the number of times I have wanted her advice. There are so many things I wish I could apologize for, so many things I want to say, and so many things I long to hear. I am blessed to have some wonderful friends who have stood by me through some powerful storms lately, storms that would have made a bit easier with a call to mom.
I have said this before, but it is worth saying again – to those who still have their parents I say this – no matter what, make peace with them. Do not take them for granted. Enjoy each and every moment you have with them, even if it hearing the same story for the umpteenth time. Enjoy a cup of coffee with them. Take your kids to see them. Do not let another day go by without saying those things that you want to say. Make sure they know how thankful you are. Make sure they know you love them. Life is too short and when they are gone, you will long for those little things that seemed so trivial or unimportant.
It’s been a bit harder for me over the past few years. So many great things have happened. So many life events she wasn’t around to experience. She would be so proud of her oldest grandsons and would be spoiling her granddaughter and new grandson. She would be sharing embarrassing stories about me to my wife and so much more.
I miss my mom each and every day. My love for her is never ending, like hers was for me. The void remains – her laughter, her voice, and her smile are now but a memory that lives on in photos and old lost video tapes.
This week I was looking for something non-blog related and came across a photo I forgot about.
This is a five or six year old me. I had been taking organ lessons with the sweetest teacher. I remember there was a store in the mall that sold pianos and organs, I took my lessons there.
By the looks of this picture, I would guess this was taken at our old house. The couch in the back makes me wonder if this is at my grandma’s house, but I don’t think so. My brother might be able to clarify that. Grandma had an organ, too, so it is slightly possible that this is at her house.
At any rate, I remember how difficult it was for my short legs to hit the pedals on the ground. My teacher, Mrs. Bostick, was so nice. She would often say, “Keep eating right, and those legs will grow long enough to do it!”
If you look on the left of the top keyboard, you will see some yellow, green and white switches. Those switches could make what you played sound like a clarinet, horn, tibia, trumpet, etc… They could also add vibrato and other effects.
Our organ had one of those “beat buttons.” You could have it play a drum line for you based on the type of song you were playing. It had reggae, swing, tango, rock, etc… As you can see in the above picture, many of the organs had a control for how fast or slow the “drums” went.
The photo of me makes me remember a lot. First, the lovely Mrs. Bostick. I miss her letters since she passed away. Second, the fact that I once had thick hair. And last, that the one song I loved to play on the organ was used in a Bugs Bunny Cartoon.
“Believe Me If All Those Endearing Young Charms” was a song in one of my lesson books. It was fairly easy to play and the chords were easy, too. I played it a lot because it was one I played well.
As far as the Bugs cartoon, well, the joke (and song) were used a lot:
Ok, the last two weeks were flashbacks of a serious nature, so I thought I would find a picture I could pick apart a bit. I know Max over at the PowerPop blog loves these photos.
According to the date stamp, this was developed in 1988 (the year I graduated from high school). That being said, we never seemed to develop film right away, so this could have been taken in 1987. Welcome to a little corner of my brother’s room.
The first thing that hits me are two 70’s/80’s decorative staples – Paneling and wallpaper! I can still remember when my folks hung that astronaut wallpaper. I cannot remember if this was my room first or my brother’s. At some point, maybe before they hung the wallpaper, we switched rooms. Mine had globes and maps on the wall.
While my brother and I are very different, we are also very similar. Case in point: we both had shelves in our rooms for photos and display pieces. My shelves had Three Stooges dolls, a couple autographed pictures, ceramic pieces that my mother had made, and little collectibles. This bookcase/shelving unit was were my brother displayed many of his favorite things and photos.
Before I look at the shelves, I want to point out that in 1987 our band went to Disney in Florida and marched in a parade there. The Goofy hat on the wall was something that I believe both my brother and I had. I have no idea what that red thing is hanging in the upper left of this picture. He may remember.
I have blogged in the past about mom’s ceramics hobby and this photo features some of her work. You can read about that hobby here:
We were obviously into Star Wars back then. Starting at the left on the top shelf is the first Star Wars piece mom made, R2-D2. She may have asked the two of us what pieces we’d like for her to make for us. I seem to remember asking for Chewbacca, who is next on the shelf. The R2-D2 was fairly simple. The detail was good and it had a shine to it. I remember my mom did something different with Chewbacca. For the life of me, I can’t remember what she called it, but it had more of a dirt/flat look to it. You really can’t tell, but in front of Chewbacca is the controls to the Millennium Falcon. I remember thinking how professional the thing looked and thinking, “My mom made this!”
In front of Chewbacca is a small ceramic cat that mom made for my brother. It is much like the little pieces that I mentioned in the blog link above. I have to chuckle at the that coconut next to Chewbacca. We both had one, I think one was just a single person, while it looks like Chris’s may have been two. I think those were banks, but I could be wrong. Did we get those at Disney, too? I think so, but I cannot recall.
Next to that coconut is one of the best pieces my mom ever did – Yoda. This was the final Star Wars piece she worked on and it was fantastic. She was always trying new things and for Yoda’s coat, she used some kind of sandy stucco stuff that really made it look cool. The detail on this piece was just amazing.
Before moving to the last piece on the top shelf, I have to point out that the US and Italian Flags on that shelf were something that we both got while in Epcot, a trip that (for me) was cut short because of an ambulance ride to the hospital (it was nothing).
The last piece on that shelf may be the piece that started it all for my brother’s Wonder Woman collection. He has always loved the show, the comics, and everything about her. At one point he had enough Wonder Woman stuff to fill that entire book case. Today he has a Wonder Woman ROOM!
As you move down a shelf, there are a load of pictures that I know just by looking at them. Even though they are blurry in this photo, I know exactly what they are. The first is a photo of my folks, my brother, and my grandma in Florida. It was one of those “old time” photos. I was off with my friends when they had it taken. Then there are photos of my Aunt Jodi and my grandma. I’m not sure where the cross came from, but it looks like maybe there is a rosary hanging from it. (We were raised Catholic, but no longer practice that). Then there is a photo of my other grandparents, my cheesy senior picture, my brother’s favorite photo of him and my grandpa, a Polaroid of a lot of us on squeezed on the couch with my other grandpa and our dad, and finally another old time photo of Chris and my dad in some Civil War get up.
I have to admit that the dog on the shelf below the photo shelf looked familiar. I kept thinking it was something like Teddy Ruxpin and I wasn’t far off. Long before they produced Webkinz, Ganz made Wrinkles Talking Dogs. When I looked it up, it said it was a puppet.
Each one of those dogs had a tag with a number on it, making each one unique. Ebay had one for sale – for $400!! Yikes.
Back to the photo…I remember Garfield being a big deal around this time. All of the school book sales had Garfield books, the book stores always had a big display of them, and it was always on the front page of the Sunday comics page. Not to mention the TV show and movies… I don’t remember my brother being into Garfield, but there he is with Odie. Another picture of grandma and Jodi in on that shelf, too.
Here’s where it get’s sketchy, but I can make out most of the rest of the photo. Below Garfield are Disney’s Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, and Goofy (that’s a tiny bit of his hat you can see). My brother has always loved Disney and goes there almost annually. If I had $5 for every Disney Character he has taken a photo with, I could maybe fund a trip to Disney!
Just a couple more observations. Next to the Disney stuffies, you can make out the top of an old time radio. I think, and I may be wrong, my brother and I both had one of these. You could listen to AM/FM radio on it and on the side was a spot you slid a cassette tape in to listen to it. We had MANY old radio shows on cassette and listened to them often.
Finally, in the bottom right corner of the photo is a TV. I laughed out loud when I saw the dials to change the channels on it! My first thought was that the box on top of it was a cable box, but it is too early for that. I’m pretty sure that was my brother’s alarm clock. That TV was the one we played Atari and Nintendo on back in the day. We may even have had a Betamax video player in there. Those were the days!!
I’ll have to find a photo of the shelves in my room to share one day. If I do, I will warn you, my room was always a disaster!
Once again, Dave Ruch from A Sound Day has offered up an interesting topic for this month’s Turntable Talk. I see it as being a way for each of us writers to offer you a bit of ourselves. I mean, any time I write something, it usually has something that gives the reader a glimpse at who I am. In some blogs I read, there are a lot of facts and not much of the author. I’ve come to “know” many of the participants through their past submissions, but this month I feel we’re going to get a bit more personal.
This month, Dave presented us with the following instructions:
It’s almost time for Christmas dinner (even if you aren’t necessarily prone to celebrating Christmas, play along) and there’s one more seat at the table. Because of the magic that is Christmas, you can invite any one musician (or person from the music world) to be your guest. Even if they’ve passed away, they can be at your table for a meal, and a few stories. So, who would you invite? And any little musical gift you hope they might possibly come with?
As with past topics, one possibility jumped out immediately. I decided to think a bit more before I made that final decision. Oh! The list of names that I came up with! It was a long one that included Elvis Presley, Mel Torme’, Nat King Cole, Bobby Darin, Roy Orbison, Doc Severinsen, Louis Prima, Frank Sinatra, Paul McCartney, Tony Bennett, Reba McEntire, Michael Buble’, and so many more! In the end, I stuck with the first name that came to mind – Dean Martin.
To this day, Dean remains my favorite singer. His laid back, carefree, and effortless approach is part of the charm that makes him so likable to me. So many of his songs hold special memories for me.
I imagine him showing up dressed to the nines in his staple tuxedo, knowing he is the guest of honor. However, I also picture him as a humble man who gets along with everyone.
Naturally, on Christmas I’d make the dish that was always served by my grandma – Ravioli. I’d be sure to make the homemade sauce for him. I’d always seen pictures of him and John Wayne eating pasta together. I’d love to hear those stories.
I feel like we could easily talk about the similarities between his folks and my grandparents (both from the old country). I know he was a fairly private guy, but I would enjoy hearing his stories about growing up in that Italian family.
The conversation would naturally turn to music. I’d have so many questions for him. The recording process has always fascinated me. On some of the newer releases they’d include some of the in between take studio chatter. Dean always seemed to be joking around and I bet he’d have some great stories about that.
Not to mention all the stars he personally knew and hung out with. I bet he could have wrote a book full of Sinatra stories! If you look back on the guests who were on his TV show, on the TV roasts, or actors who were in movies with him – it is truly an amazing group. How could he just pick one or two stories to tell when he knew so many people!?
I certainly wouldn’t want to pressure him, but I think it would be very cool to be sitting around the table and for him to give us a few measures of a Christmas song. I remember watching how people often just sang with each other back in the day. Would Dean duet with me on Marshmallow World? Who knows?
As someone who really stinks up the golf course, I’d probably bug Dean for a few golf tips. He was SO good at it, I’m sure just one little piece of advice on my grip, my stance or my swing would help me tremendously!
I’m not sure what musical gift I would hope for him to bring, but I would certainly love to get my hands on one of two things. He once had his own brand of golf balls! I’d never use them, of course, but I would love to have a box!
I would also like to have a bottle of his spirits. At one time he had a few types of his own booze!
I don’t really drink, but I think it would be awesome to have these sitting on a bar.
I suppose I’d only have one more request – a photo with him. That may be pushing the limits, so I might just have to have the camera lying around so that someone could snap some candids of the the two of us together.
I’m sure he’d be the one to want to cut the evening short. “Look, pallie, I’d love to stay and answer all your questions, but I have a 7 o’clock tee time in the morning ….” I’d totally be ok with that.
Thanks to Dave for a great topic! I cannot wait to read the guests that our other writers come up with!
How about you? Who would you picki?
Wishing you and yours a VERY Merry Christmas and a blessed 2024!
Welcome to the first Friday Photo Flashback of 2023. Every once in a while I will be looking for a particular picture and stumble on another. That is the case with today’s featured picture. I came across it while I was searching for a picture from yesterday’s blog.
I truly do not know a lot about this picture. If I had to guess, I would say I am 3 or 4 years old here.
I know that this was taken in Grandma and Grandpa D’s back yard. Whoever took the photo is standing directly in front of the sliding patio door. Directly behind me would be my grandparent’s house. Right up against it was an ugly green metal rocker/couch. It had metal holes in it shaped like squares and you’d get up with the imprints of them on the back of your legs.
To my left in the photo and on the other side of the picnic table, I can see the popular lawn furniture of the era! Remember those aluminum chairs with the straps?
Everyone had these and they were the chairs of choice before the fold up ones everyone uses today. Someone is sitting in the chair in front of the picnic table in the photo. I wish I knew who it was. If I had to guess, it is probably my grandma. Of course, it could be my mom or even my great grandma.
The table is obviously made up for some sort of outdoor dinner or lunch. It looks like 8 plates are set. Grilled burgers or hot dogs, perhaps? I only say that because it looks like a bottle of ketchup on the table next to some red and white napkins.
The bowl at the end of the table looks like a Tupperware bowl. It is anyone’s guess as to what is in the bowl, but I would say that if was the turquoise colored Pyrex bowl, it would have been grandma’s marshmallow fruit salad. I always seem to remember it being in that bowl.
The picnic table was there as long as I can remember. I also remember that wooden half privacy fence. In later years, when I would go to cut grandma’s grass, I remember it starting to fall apart.
It looks like there might be a pack of cigarettes at the end of the table. I may be wrong. I thought it might be Marlboro, but upon looking at the packaging, there are not two red areas on the pack.
Then I thought about how much my grandma loved playing Gin. She may have even played bridge. Maybe they played pinochle. I don’t know, but it could very well be a deck of cards on the table.
I admit I had to take a minute to think about my grandparent’s back yard. What else do I remember? My aunt had a swing set back there. I’d have to ask my aunt if she remembers more, because I could be wrong. I want to say that it looked like this:
For some reason, I can’t recall if it had the bench swing (on the right) or the two seater thingy (on the left) or both. For some reason I remember a tree being close to the swing set, maybe up against one of the ends.
I also remember a rose bush up against the back of the house which often yielded pink or white roses. It may have been right up against the chimney. I know there were also rose bushes on the side of the house.
The one thing I remember most about my grandma’s back yard was that there was a huge fence along the back. There was a swinging gate that opened and closed which led to a cemetery! We didn’t go in there much, but there were times we did. I think my aunt used to tell my brother and I spooky stories about going back there. All I know if I was never out back when it was dark! Even when I was older, I made sure to be there early enough to mow before it got dark!!
This is one of those instances where I wish I could take the picture and “uncrop” it! I would love to see more of the back yard and I would love to see who is sitting there with me.
This blog will start deep – but I promise a funny story at the end…
I recently read a blog from a friend in Scotland. She is currently visiting with her dad and they took a trip to the local cemetery to visit her mom/his wife, who is buried there. She spoke of how her dad spoke to the various graves in the cemetery. They were all people he knew. She said that each headstone represent someone from his past.
I have visited my share of cemeteries and I really hadn’t thought about it before, but I am also one of those people who speaks to stone. I’m not sure why.
It is my belief, based on Scripture, that those who die as believers in Christ go to heaven when they die. In 2 Corinthians 5 the Bible says to be “absent from the body” is to be “present with the Lord.” Now that being said, why am I talking to gravestones? They are literally big pieces of marble with a name and dates on them.
One time, I remember visiting my grandpa’s grave. I remember standing there, staring at his headstone and talking out loud. I was telling him how much he’d love his grandson (I only had my oldest at the time), and the silly things he did. I thanked him for being such a big part of my life and more.
I always talk to my mom when I visit her grave. I always seem to get more emotional when I am there alone. When I go with my wife or my kids, they almost always give me time alone at the grave. They must know.
I cry when I am there. I miss her terribly. Sometimes I feel robbed that she is not here to be a part of all that is going on. Then I remember the cancer battle and how much pain she was in. I am selfish for wanting her here, but I am grateful that there is no more pain or suffering.
I know that she’d be so happy with what I have done with my life – college, good job, an amazing wife and more grandkids. I also know she’d spoil the heck out of all of those grandbabies if she were still here. She, however, is not. So I stand or sit at her graveside and I tell her how much I miss her, our chats, and other personal things. When I have said my peace, cried my tears, and am ready to go, I take one final look at the stone and walk back to my car.
Ella at grandma’s grave
Maybe I am a bit crazy. I am well aware that I am talking to a stone with my relative or friend’s name on them. I also know that all that is under the stone is the earthly remains, and that the soul that was that person is no longer there. So why do I speak to those loved ones who are no longer here, and why do I only do it at the cemetery? I mean, I could easily do it in the car while I drive, right?
I know that I am not the only one who does this. Perhaps there is some sort of psychological answer. I don’t know. I kind of wish I had the answer.
As Promised – the Funny Story
Coming from an Italian family, there were many times where certain members of my family didn’t speak to each other. Once such case was my grandfather and his sisters. He made it very clear to my grandmother and my dad that when he passed away, he wanted no obituary. He did not want them knowing that he had died.
Those wishes were honored. He passed away in 1994, so there was no internet to look up records or anything like that. There was also no “Find a Grave” website to do a search and find where people, both famous and not famous, were buried.
My grandmother often went to the cemetery to visit my grandfather. There were many Sundays when they would go to trim around the head stone, or put out a grave blanket. Sofia from the Golden Girls reminds me of my grandma. She was a tiny, stubborn, and strong Italian woman.
One day, my dad pulled up to my grandpa’s grave and there were flowers on it. My grandma was out of the car like a shot to see what it was all about. Attached to the flowers was a note, obviously meant for my grandma to find. I don’t recall exactly what it said, but it was something like: “Dear brother. We are only now finding out that you passed away. We loved you so very much. We are sorry that you were kept from us…” or SOMETHING like that.
I have seen my grandma get mad. I was not there for this particular incident, but I can almost bet that a slow boil began in the pit of her stomach and worked its way up. I am sure with each sentence she read her anger grew and her face got red. I am also pretty sure that there was probably some sort of explosion that was audible when she finally “burst.”
(Now get that picture of Sofia from the Golden Girls in your mind as you picture the visual) She grabbed those flowers in one hand, planted herself like a quarterback getting ready to throw a Hail Mary pass, and as she fired those flowers into the air, she screamed, “F^%$ YOU!!!”
As she yelled and the profanity echoed across the cemetery, I am sure birds fluttered into the air, scared for their life. For years, whenever we brought that story up, grandma would casually chuckle and remind us of just how mad she was.
The Word Press App on my phone will offer a daily writing prompt to bloggers. I subscribe to a few “prompt” emails and such, and they can certainly be thought starters. Today’s prompt was one I had considered before and I may have even been asked a similar question by a Facebook friend. The prompt:
They are making a movie about your life. Cast it. (Keith adds – with any actors living or dead)
My thoughts on this are to jot down what comes to mind immediately for some (not all) of my family, and a few friends (other friends may request I suggest an actor/actress for them if they really want me to). I will then continue to ponder the question and see if, after thinking it over, I would change any of my choices.
Me
Dom Deluise – No Brainer. This has always been my answer to this question!
My wife, Sam –
This was tough. I tried to think of who might look like her and carry herself like Sam. Toss up between Charlize Theron and Olivia Wilde.
My Dad
I’m not sure there would be any better than Jackie Gleason to play my dad
My Mom
Who in the world could play my mom? Tough question and still not really sure, but I forced myself to pick someone. At times, Cathy Bates’ facial expressions remind me of her, so for now – that’ my pick.
My Brother – Chris
Really difficult pick. So just because it will either make him laugh (and he needs that, because he is recovering from Covid) or it will make him mad… William Shatner (Because I wanted to post this stupid picture!)
My Grandma and Grandpa P
Estelle Getty on Golden Girls WAS my grandma! I always felt Abe Vigoda looked like my grandpa, so there ya go.
My Grandma and Grandpa D.
I have always felt like at times, Betty White reminded me of my grandma. My grandpa was tall, a bit heavy, and always smiling. John Goodman reminds me of him.
HyperFocal: 0
My best friend, Jeff
Another no brainer. I’ve said for years that he reminds me of Robin Williams.
My friend Steve K.
Steve always has some sort of crazy fact that seems unbelievable to tell. So, he would be John Ratzenberger – but John Ratzenberger AS Cliff Claven from Cheers.
My friend Joe K.
Joe is probably one of the smartest guys I know. At first, I couldn’t get Jeff Goldblum out of my head, and then I though Rainn Wilson is a bit more “Joe” to me.
My friend Steve M.
Steve and I wear our hair the same. My first choice was Vin Diesel, but then I though Michael Chiklis looked more like him (and he played Curly in a Three Stooges movie, so he wins).
My friend Margaret M.
She’s Italian. She’s fiesty. She is strong. She is an expert at inserting profanity into conversation. Without a doubt – Marisa Tomei.
My friend, Chris B,
Tall and funny = Conan O’Brien
Uh …… I’m Stumped
Now, as far as my kids …. I’m just not sure. My older boys (Dante’ and Dimitri) have personalities that are very established. Ella does in a sense as well. Andrew is just a smiling happy baby. How do I begin to pick who will play them? I just don’t know….
It’s my blog and my rules. Let me think a bit on this ….
If I left you out …. and you want me to think about who will play you – let me know. In the meantime ….
Over the last couple weeks, Ella has experienced her share of bumps and bruises.
Those include:
Falling off the couch/chair
Pinching her finger in her folding step stool
Hitting herself with a toy
Running fast and falling on the floor
Stubbing her toe
Dropping books on her feet
Shutting the refrigerator door on her fingers
The list goes on and on. Some of the more serious “boo boo’s” bring tears. Most of them don’t make her cry at all. This week alone, she has had “boo boo elbows,” “boo boo fingers,” “boo boo feet,” and “boo boo hair!” The miracle cure for all of these – a simple kiss.
I am sure I did it with my older boys, and it was probably second nature to say, “Let me kiss it and make it better.” I’ve kissed a lot of “boo boo elbows” in my time as a dad, and I am sure there are more boo boos to come. I am always amazed at how kissing a boo boo can stop the tears.
“All better!” Ella will say that after I have kissed the “boo boo of the hour” and run off to continue playing. The boo boos seem to be coming more and more frequently, and that is ok. It is one of those very special moments that I love sharing with her – and I kinda feel like her hero afterwards.
I am sure my dad and mom kissed my boo boos, too, but I don’t recall many of those instances. What I do remember is how my grandma would “fix” them. My grandma was Catholic. I remember one time I fell and conked my head pretty good. I had a huge bump on my forehead. Grandma’s remedy was a butter knife!
My grandma took that butter knife and pressed on the bump with it horizontally and then vertically, making a cross. To her, she was making the “sign of the cross,” on it, which in turn healed it. All I really remember it doing was making it hurt more until she removed the knife. There may have been a time where my grandpa did this, too.
As silly as it sounds, I love the fact that kissing a boo boo makes everything right! A “Boo Boo Kiss” is truly a miracle cure! Wouldn’t it be amazing if all it took to make the chaos of the world better was a simple boo boo kiss?
This is one of those blogs that is overdue. It’s a “Thank You.”
One of the things that I love about Christmas is decorating the tree. Most of the ornaments each have a special memory. As I have blogged about in the past, we try to get one new ornament every year that signifies a big event from the year (our engagement, our wedding, the births of our children, etc…). As more of the memory/event ornaments go up, we remove the generic bulbs.
Along with the ornament for AJ’s First Christmas, there is another special ornament on the tree this year. I thank my brother, Christopher, for that.
He has a friend who took this picture of my mom and my son and made this ornament for me. The photo was taken in 2002 when my son was just 2 days old. Dante’ was her first grandchild and she was thrilled to be a grandma. I remember she slept in the waiting room the entire night as we awaited his birth. I had seen my mother smile before, but the smile on her face was like no other when she saw him and held him for the first time!
This picture was taken right around within minutes of one of my favorite pictures of my mom and Dante’:
The ornament is a wonderful addition to the tree this year. It makes me so sad that mom never had the chance to meet her three other grandchildren. I hope with each passing year, as my kids see this ornament on the tree, they will ask questions and want to know more about her. I will love sharing stories about her with them.
Various Ramblings of a Nostalgic Italian 