Easter on the Horizon

I have to say that one of the many things I admire about Mr. Strega is his ingenuity with computers and the Internet, for I am back online at home tonight, albeit with a dial-up connection for now. One thing I love about Mr. Strega is his willingness to help with keeping me online, for I have articles to write and submit this week, and research to do for my book, and I feel often that I have a true partner in him. He didn't want me to have to go out and sit in cafes all week while the DSL was being changed over.

I have to go help with egg-dyeing and basket-filling, but I wanted to share that I had a really incredible moment today. My cousin Johnny found more pictures of my family in the basement of his house in Boston, and sent them out. I got the package today, opened it in my car, front of the Felton post office, and out fell a photo of my grandmother, the one I had no photos of for decades. There were THREE photos of her in the package, from when I knew her best. I started crying--so indescribable, to see the face of a beloved person again, and then turned on my car to go. The radio was on, and immediately as I drove off, the song "These Dreams" by Heart began to play.

This new package is a treasure trove of photos, of Mamma Nonna the strega, her sister (probably Annunizata, who emigrated just before her), of my Aunt Anna, and many childhood pictures of my mother. I tried to photograph my pictures of my grandmother, but they didn't come out, so I posted one here of my Aunt Anna (the strega's daughter) and my mother, on her First Communion day. I apologize for the poor quality, a photo of a photo.

My heart is very full tonight, though a little sad, because so many of these people have passed away and any story I can ever tell about them is the palest thread of what was a glorious tapestry of story, emotion, and life. I realize always that it was a gift to be in the middle of such a colorful family, and everything I do is just a small reflection of life stories I will never know. But writing them is important--when we write family stories, we carry forward their lost voices, I think.

Well, it's time to go dye eggs and prep for Easter dinner tomorrow--we have decided on ham, an Italian artichoke tart, mashed potatoes, salad, some sort of veggie, and our traditional brownies from an incredibly decadent recipe; when baking, they permeate the house with an incredible perfume of hot, sweet chocolate.

So, off to the kitchen....good night....