Ah, the tasty tomato took a break to enjoy summer and get some thoughts together. After collecting oneself, it seems that family ties are the ones that bind, just like a vine keeping the tomatoes together in a cluster.
It really does not matter how far we travel, how many times we move, our families are within our hearts. We take them with us. The traditions, customs and foods keep us connected. It creates a memory palette, something of comfort when we are far away.
All this talk of being away? Well one of the family has moved quite some distance. It is time to reflect on what she will take with her as she raises her young family without the aid of the extended family support.
She is not the first to go away. Girl number 3 moved down south to find her own path many years ago. In fact a fortune teller told her that she would find her love south. Little did she know south meant all the way to Georgia! Girl 3 has made a home for herself and found little ways to bring the Italian heritage to her family of 5.
I guess in the end all it takes is determination and commitment to the culture. With technological advances, keeping in touch is easier and allows for the every day connections we so long to have and need to keep family ties alive.
Wishing all of your family members a sense of connectedness, just like the vines on a tomato plant!
3 comments:
Girl 3,
What a beatiful morning here in Georgia. I can't wait for the phone call from my mother and siblings once they see what I sent them fresh off the trees of Georgia. Figs,which is hard to come by in Ohio.
The found memories I have of my youth was watching my grandparents each year dig a hole in the ground, bend their fig tree, cover it in black tarp, and put the dirt on top. It scared me as a child, I always would think that looks like a dead person. But in the spring, the ritual of the reserection of the tree was a joyous event.
I called on a fellow Italian friend who also has a fig tree in her back yard. Between the two of us we were able to pick around 70 figs, my family in Ohio will enjoy the figs we sent home with my nephew.
We have to keep the found Italian memories alive even though we are miles apart.
Michelle,
Thank you for the gift.You made the Tasty Tomato (mom) happy. You must have been reading the old gals mind, she was thinking about the figs and was going to ask , but forgot and it made her mad that she forgot. Our fig tree did not bear fruit this year, and for some reason I have been having difficulty with basil, parsley too.
So you see even if you are miles apart the connection to family is still strong. Aren't you glad that your tree was a started from Grandpa's tree that he brought from Italy. The only problem you may have someday that if you ever move
your tree is so large you won't be able to take it with you. Well maybe! It would be nice that whenever you children marry or get a home of their own you can give them a piece of their heritage as a starter.
Do you remember when we would go to either grandfathers house and even Zio Tony we would always look forward to the figs. Even if they rationed them to make sure everyone got one. Then in the winter time we would see mounds in their backyard that looked like they buried people in their yards. But when spring came the tree came alive again and then when it came close to July and August we would go to their house and go directly to the gardens to check out the tree and see if we could find the golden treasure.
I remember when I was in the 4th grade and we were discussing the fig trees and Mrs. Cartwright told the class that they do not grow in Ohio. Well of course I had to raise my hand and tell her that they did , both my grandfathers have fig trees, one in Cleveland and one in Lorain and I will take her to see one. One day she came by to pick me up and I took her to
Grandpa Disieno's house in South Lorain and showed her the fig trees. She was quite amazed and proceeded to ask Grandpa what he did in the winter to protect the fig tree. The gardner that he was
he then proceeded to tell he how he dug the whole, soaked the tree every day, and bent it and then he kept it up until it would fit into the whole and then he wrapped it like a little baby so it wouldn't freeze, covered it and let it sleep out the winter. She then thanked me for the experience.
The only sadness of it all is that the nieces and nephews, and the great nieces and nephews will never experience the gentleness of those great men and women. We can only share our gift of golden memories.
What a legacy they left us.
Thanks for the gift. Every bite I'll think of you.
Love Carm
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