The world lost a beautiful and incredible woman last week. My sweet Nana was sent to heaven last Thursday. I will always remember her as someone kind and funny! She was a wonderful cook and gardener! She had so many talents and taught me so much!
Here are some memories of my sweet Italian grandmother that have been floating around in my head since Thursday:
- Visiting her from El Paso (where I lived as a child) each Summer. She took me to swimming lessons and I got to help her in her garden and in the kitchen.
- She used to tie up my hair in ribbons and brush it at night before bed. She would tell me to take off my head before I went to sleep at night and I wouldn’t wake up with tangles…ha! What seemed strange to me as a child I now see as witty and adorable! She was always so funny!
- She made homemade salad dressing, pasta sauce, chicken noodle soup, chicken cutlets, cream puffs and so many more delicious recipes that as hard as I try to imitate, will never taste the same.
- She through the BEST Christmas parties! The tree was trimmed perfectly and the dinner was fabulous! Her Christmas cookies were the best I’d ever tasted!
- She sat down to do her rosary every afternoon, and sometimes fell asleep. She must have found it so peaceful
- She would set the table for breakfast every night before bed. Pink place mats and coffee mugs. Including a plastic one for me for my cafe ole (milk and a teeny bit of coffee)
- She would dip my cinnamon toast in her coffee.
- Her cinnamon sugar was always pre-mixed in a little jar
- She would make paper “typewriters” for us kids while we colored at her kitchen table
- She taught me the “Nut tree” song and “On the corner Main Street” which I now sing to Hallie
- She always came to dance recitals, graduations, and school events
Now to leave you with my favorite Nana story!
Nana was always a sweet lady, but she did have her feisty moments! One of her favorite phrases to use when someone upset her was “I’ll give them a shot in the head!” This was of course hysterical coming from a barely 5 ft. skinny grandma.
Christopher and I dated for 7 years before he proposed to me, and after the 5th year or so my Nana started to question if we were ever going to get married! So about a month or two before Christopher actually did propose, Nana had a “heated” discussion with my mother over the issue! 🙂
Nana wanted to know “Is that guy ever going to propose to my granddaughter?” My mother told her that he would do it in his own time, but clearly that wasn’t good enough. She took off her wedding ring and gave it to my mom exclaiming, “Here, give him this!” My mom handed her the ring back and told her that she was sure he would buy his own ring. Nana shoved the ring back on her finger and yelled, “Okay, but if he doesn’t do it soon, I’ll give him a shot in the head, then I’ll punch him!”
This story is super hilarious to me given that my Nana not only adored Christopher, but also because Christopher is 6ft.7in, and towered over my adorable Nana!
Everyone who knew Nana loved her, and I know most of this post wont make sense to those who never got the pleasure of meeting her, but to those of you who did, you know she was a special lady!
I will miss her every day!
Nana, thank you for teaching me so much! I love you, and will see you again one day!
<3 Kelly
