Posts Tagged ‘Family’

Fran Honan has been contributing her writings to theglorifiedtomato.com for the past 13 years, and her stories have always resonated with me. I’m excited to share this heartwarming piece with you. – Paula Recently I was in my kitchen getting ready to saute some canned tomatoes to make a little marinara for dinner and I grabbed an old pot from the cabinet – my mother’s pot, part of a Farberware collection she received at her engagement party in 1947. I have lifted and held and cooked in that pot for […]

Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, birthdays, and Sunday dinners at my grandparents’ house – the nuts and fanuk (fennel) were put on the table after supper. This was a “break” period from eating, before the dessert came out (even though you were still eating). It gave the women time to clean up in the kitchen and get the nice dishes out for the finale. When I say nuts, I mean shelled walnuts, almonds, pecans, and hazelnuts. At this time, 35 years ago, I don’t think supermarkets even sold de-shelled nuts, and if they did, […]

Like many Italians in the late ’50s, my grandparents moved out of Brooklyn (Bed-Stuy) to “The Island.” Well, not exactly the island. They moved to Bellerose, Queens in 1957. My father was 11 years old. It must have been a big change from playing outside on Nostrand Ave. My grandfather Mickey followed his brothers there – Uncle Dick, Babe, Pasqual, Severne and Aunt Rosie, and Marie. He doesn’t know why the family picked this particular area of Queens. My father tells me that Bellerose at the time was mostly German. […]

Since reading the article in The Wave two weeks ago about Annie McMahon, I’ve been thinking so much about my cousin Tommy, who also suffered from Cystic Fibrosis. In the beginning, everything seemed normal with my cousin growing up. My godparents never let on to all the troubles and pain they lived with. Tommy was my cool, older cousin, always messing around and being nutty. I remember the block parties in Brooklyn, on Herbert street where my great aunt lived. I’ll never forget the time I was running down the […]

The week before last was non-stop. It started on Friday night. It was my friend Rob Bryn’s Birthday and the Surf Club opened just for his party. Headlining was the Ye Mighty Wave with special guests from Rob’s main band — Wild Yaks. Speaking of, they have a new album coming out on June 21st entitled Great Admirer! I’ve heard it and it’s amazing! Opening the show was Tiffany Lyons. Did you catch The Wave article about her a few weeks ago?  She sang a few songs and got everyone […]

I’m outfront weeding the garden and a neighbor passes by, “Oh! You have something stuck in your hair, let me get it.” “Nope!” I quickly replied, placing my hand by my ear. “That’s supposed to be there, its basil!” Across the street at the Beach 91st St. Community Garden is where I gather my basil leaves*, and when doing so, think of my grandfather Ralph, who always in the summertime had a piece of basil behind his ear. I have this image in my mind like a still photograph, of […]

Previously published in The Wave My Grandpa Ralph loved to gamble. One vivid memory I have of us, is when we’d go to OTB.  He used to take me to the one in Bellerose, back when they had brick and mortar locations in the city.  I was around 15 years old, and I would place bets for him. He couldn’t see the racetrack program very well  because his diabetes affected his vision. This was also a good way for me to learn. Grandpa Ralph was teaching me how to bet […]

My sister Maria and I were creative kids. I know everyone says they were too, but we were really out there. We didn’t need toys to play with – gosh, the thought of having an ipad would be unworldly to us. When we did receive a new toy, it wouldn’t last a week. It’s hair would be chopped off or the board game pieces would be sacrificed for a secret time capsule burial ceremony in the backyard (just two examples off the top of my head). I recall playing “tent world” – making a massive tent structure […]

After reading Klaus Biesenbach’s Becoming a Local article in the Rockaway Times Summer Guide, I began to reminisce about my own passageway to the peninsula. I thought I should write about it, so when I’m old and gray sitting on my porch 40 years from now, I’ll remember how I ended up on the Irish Riviera. My introduction to Rockaway was in the fall of 2001. It was my sophomore year of college at Pratt. My roommate, now dearest friend Susanne, invited me to stay over at her house in Breezy Point. It was her birthday weekend […]

Previously published in The Wave. Grandma Mary’s Artichoke Pie is actually quiche. I don’t know why we call it pie, we just do. I never thought twice about it until I asked my Grandmother about the recipe. Grandma Mary worked at the A&P on Jamaica Ave in Belrose for 23 years. By the time she retired, Grandma was making about $20 an hour which was a lot back then. We called her money bags!  She seemed to enjoy her work – she was known as a great bag-packer. She new about the sales […]