2020 – What a World! What a World! What a World!

I had lost 12 bs. before this pandemic started, needless to say, I’ve gained it all back and then some. I’ve heard some people took this time at home to work out and lose weight. I wish that was how I worked, but being Italian we tend to feed our stress and depression with food and wine. well, I’ve finally had enough of feeling unhealthy so yesterday I started another diet and I’m determined to stick with it until I achieve my goal. I even started meditation….how about that?

The Holidays

This year the holidays weren’t quite the same and were very scaled-down. These photos are from 2019. My daughter, her husband, and my grandsons did come over for a visit but didn’t stay for dinner. I set up my deck so we could be outside, I bought two heaters, made some appetizers, and we all exchanged gifts. My son-in-law goes to work every day so my being exposed at my age is very dangerous. It was nice but I missed them at dinner, as well as my nieces, nephews, and great-nieces, and nephews and great-great nieces and nephews.

We all spent the holidays separately, for the first year ever. I especially miss my sisters who passed last year and the year before and wonder how they would have handled this pandemic. I don’t think they would have liked it very much both living alone. It’s so sad that families were being drawn further and further apart… at least we have video calls now, it’s not the same but it is at least something. I’d like to make up for the lack of everything social and have a delayed celebration when this is all over and done with. Some of these photos are from Easter 2019.

Back in the Day

Thinking of all this reminded me about how families were when I was growing up. At that time we had too many relatives to exchange gifts during the holidays. Since we didn’t have much, we limited the gifts to godchildren and special relationships. The best part of the holidays was the family getting together. That’s the part I missed this past holiday, the best part. Everyone would help out in the kitchen and the grownups would always end up playing cards late into the night. It was a very happy time… eating, drinking, listening to music, kids playing, and sleeping all over the place. Nothing is like it used to be back then. I think about my children and grandchildren not being apart of those days and realize how much they missed.

My grandchildren, although they are full-blooded Italians really don’t know the first thing about being Italian. I think my grandson Sonny has a little Mexican and Japanese blood. When asked he always wants to eat Mexican or Japanese food. My grandsons usually want to go to the Japanese Steakhouse on their birthdays. I couldn’t take them this year, but I did make them special dinners which I brought over. We sat in the backyard since their birthdays are in the summer, thankfully. Recently, my daughter showed them a video of an Italian chicken dance with hand expressions and they didn’t even know one of them. She asked me “Do you believe it? They didn’t even know one, they are so De-Italianized! LOL, She said, “I remember Aunt Lorraine always biting her hand and yelling ‘Marie’ !” I laughed hard because I could picture it exactly. Click on this link to see what I mean: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qW5V-HERJY

Sunday Dinners

At my grandparent’s Sunday Dinner was always like a mini-holiday. The aunts in the kitchen making all kinds of dishes… antipasto, macaroni and meatballs, bracciole, neck bones, sausage, and Cotenna (rolled stuffed pork skin).

I especially loved their chicken and potatoes in the oven. The potatoes were always crispy and the chicken juicy and crispy. My grandfather drank wine and espresso out of the Welch’s grape jelly glasses. They were great cooks but they weren’t bakers. Thankfully we had plenty of great Italian bakeries in the neighborhood. Desserts were usually local pastries, nuts, and fruit.

Dinner started around 2:30 – 3:00 PM and lasted until 10:00 or 11:00 PM. When I was first married, my in-laws would come over early in the afternoon and they never wanted to go home. My kids were used to hanging out until 12:00 – 1:00 AM and they never wanted to go to bed. These days the younger generation can’t wait to get out the door right after dinner. They may want to stay up late, but it’s to watch videos or play video games on their computer. Nothing is like it used to be, Sad times indeed.