Growing Up Italian Growing Up Italian
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From: Dagorose52@aol.com (Rosie)
Date: 09 Aug 2000
Time: 02:13:53
Remote Name: 152.163.207.182
I remember around the holidays, my Sicilian Grandmother starting to make the Sausage and the cookies. The Biscotta, which is nothing like the biscotti you find in Italian restaurants; the Guciladeti (filled with dates, raisins, and nuts) and covered with lemon flavored powdered sugar icing. Since she and my grandfather were living on Social Security only, she would make up a box of cookies for each of her 7 children and their families for Christmas. One Guciladeti per person in the family, and then 2 dozen Biscotta's per family. But oh, the smells...and the tradition...and the family! Even back then before all the grandchildren and great-grandchildren came there were 45 of us when we got together. And it was different because we all came together on Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, my grandfather's birthday which was the week before Father's day, Thanksgiving, and then Christmas day, and the next day was my grandmother's birthday and every one was EXPECTED to come back. And, she was so silly. She loved her birthday cards, and saved every one of them. But she opened them up as far as you could possibly open them and if there was no money inside, she'd toss them aside like nothing. But the ones with money inside, oh my goodnes, they were kept and honored and showed to all in attendance. She lived to be 97 and grandfather lived to be 87. They were married 61 years when he passed. She lived another 15 years after his passing. And cooked and baked daily until she turned 92. Oh, How I hope to be the first in my family to make it to the 100 year mark.
One of my uncles is 90, an aunt is 88, and the rest are between 72 and 80. There are 6 of the 7 children still alive. The first of the children died 18 months ago.
OH how I love being Sicilian.