By Rita Watson Special to The JournalPosted Mar. 31, 2016 @ 9:30 pm We all have a story to tell, even though sometimes our stories mingle between reality and what we choose to remember. However, what determines our destiny is oftentimes the way we fashion our stories. While it is always best to err on…
Author: Rita Watson
From her Pizzagaina to Zeppole, Grandma Was Queen
By Rita Watson Special to The Journal Posted Mar. 17, 2016 @ 9:00 pm When both San Giuseppe Day and Easter would fall within weeks of each other — as with this year — Grandma would say, “I’m beside myself with all of the baking and cooking. I hope I still have the strength to stand…
Mixing Politics and Pastry
Rita Watson’s grandmother was always suspicious of pastry shops that did not have windows filled with trays of cookies Special to The JournalPosted Feb. 18, 2016 @ 9:30 pm Before moving to what we called “The Water House,” my mother lived briefly in New Haven, Connecticut, with my father’s parents. She was quite displeased by…
Finding the secret to lifelong love
If you are lost in a lover’s world wondering if the love in your life is here to stay, some simple clues might give you the answer. Based on separate studies, love researchers have found that kindness and generosity of spirit — as reflected in words and body language — can be powerful predictors of…
All about Grandma's candy drawer
>Posted Jan. 24, 2016 @ 12:01 am Grandma loved a good party. She thrived preparing for Sunday dinners. Because of the size of the family home, most birthdays were held at the house on the water. The one party that Grandma seemed to brush off was her own birthday “I don’t even have a birth…
Turn 2016 into a year of gratitude
The New Year can be a time for renewal, strengthening relationships and attaining a goal. However, a sad fact about the New Year and the holidays is the escalation of breakups. If you are someone facing 2016 unexpectedly without a love, you are not alone. But even if you are with the love of your…
My Army Dad and the Perfect Tree
By Rita Esposito Watson / Special to The Journal / Posted Dec. 27, 2015 @ 12:01 am Although my father missed my first Christmas, when he was able to come home the next year it was apparent from photos that the celebration was lavish. A tall Christmas tree standing on a window bench was the living room…
Master Thieves, a relationship reminder
By Rita Watson Special to The Journal Posted Dec. 13, 2015 @ 12:01 am With all of the halls being decked with holly, couples and families are frantically searching for the perfect gift. In these days of Internet shopping and mania at the malls, we sometimes forget about gifts that can strengthen relationships. It took…
After the fig tree was buried, Grandpa took Grandma to the palm trees
There is a painting by Sandra Bierman, “The Planting,” which portrays a woman on her knees with her hands almost cuddling a seedling tree. It was with similar reverence that Grandpa treated his fig tree, raised from a cutting he brought from the old country. Grandma said, “That fig tree, I’m telling you, he takes…
Creating "a Time" for Grandma Took Her Mind off the War
Today we have get-togethers and parties, but when Grandma would reminisce about a large gathering of food and family, she called the event “a time.” My younger sister, Lois, gathered old family photos into a pictorial family history. Looking through it again the other day, there were photos of our Mother’s beach parties with her…