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…
Category: Italian Kisses
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…
Grandpa's Garden Brought Him Joy, Projo
Grandpa with a bunch of his finocchio (fennel) plants. Courtesy of Rita Watson By Rita Watson Special to The JournalPosted Sep. 6, 2015 @ 12:01 am As the harvest moon implies, September marked the time when Grandpa would be bringing in the last of the vegetables from the garden. And for Grandma, her…
Creating "A Time" for Grandma, ProJo
By Rita Watson Special to The JournalPosted Oct. 4, 2015 @ 12:01 am 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…
Grandma's Blessing: Lost and Found, Projo
Grandma always had a house full of food ready to be turned into a scrumptious meal. The family house was on the water and she cooked enough to feed the Navy should sailors drop anchor at their dock. She liked to be prepared. When she knew that she was going to visit someone on the…
When the Wandi Family Story Changed
Grandma took great pride in her cooking. Even though Grandpa worked at the pastry shop with his family, Grandma created delicacies that were just for her children and grandchildren. One of her prize creations consisted of paper-thin fried dough sprinkled with powdered sugar, wandi, traditionally shaped like wands. However, Grandma fashioned hers into angels’…
Grandma's Olive Oil Secret, Projo
Published/ Providence Journal/ June 14, 2015 Grandma called olive oil the secret to life Our mother loved visiting new physicians so she could entertain them with stories of why she looked so young at 90 years of age. “I live like my mother and father did by eating fresh vegetables, beans, and cooking with pure…
May Memories with Grandparents, Good Food and a Good Cigar
• Rita Watson: Remembering Sunday dinner with Grandma and Grandpa… For me, May is filled with images of Grandpa, his brothers, and cousins preparing the gardens for vegetable planting. I remember how excited I was to plant the green beans that would grow along the vines. But Deborah, my 10-years-younger sister, remembers green beans that…
A Memory: Sunday dinner with Grandma and Grandpa, ProJo
Special to The Journal Posted Apr. 19, 2015 @ 12:01 am Just as the cake was brought to the table and placed alongside a tray of cookies and chocolates, out came the old photographs. We were at the home of one of my sisters, reminiscing about “the olden days” at Grandma and Grandpa’s for…