Autumn is slowly creeping into our area. The grape and olive harvests are in full swing. The days are lovely and warm, but not uncomfortably hot. Nights are sometimes cool enough for a light blanket. For some reason, autumn always reminds me of Nonno’s house, our summer home. It’s the house my husband was born […]
My maternal grandmother was a wonderful grandma, especially considering her high tolerance for rambunctious children. Now, don’t get me wrong. I like kids. But I don’t like having a dozen of them around at the same time, which is what often happened at my grandparents’ home during summer vacations. Then again, Grandma was a little […]
Most of us do not like endings. Beginnings are fun and exciting, with new things on the horizon. But endings mark the conclusion of something, with words like cessation, separation, mourning, goodbye, and farewell. They often carry with them a sense of loss. We experienced this sense of loss during our recent stay in Hubby’s […]
Today I’m looking back, way back. Yesterday was Dad’s birthday and he would have been 87. He died last year, just 4 days before his 86th birthday. I still miss him and always will. Especially because of all the years we lost. All my years overseas, so far away from my family. It’s not that […]
Chestnuts, an open fire, and the importance of finding joy in simple things. The fire didn’t heat better out of the fireplace. All it really did was create more smoke! Although no one would ever convince the dear, stubborn, old man of that! Yet we fondly remember those simple evenings of reading by the fire […]
As a child, I remember my father poring over the Daily News, our local newspaper. Every evening, since ours didn’t have a morning edition, he’d sit in his easy chair, newspaper in hand. Slippers on his feet. For some reason, red flannel plaid slippers come to mind. Although I’m sure he had other kinds over the […]