Memorial Day, the first "official" summer holiday. Here in central PA, it marks the transition from months indoors to months outdoors.

Our holiday season was spent debriefing our 93 years young Italian grandmother/great grandmother. This year we had a house full at my Mother’s in Knoxville, Tennessee. My sister Kim, husband Don and  four of their six children, brother Tom, wife Carmen and two of their four children, brother Gary, wife Joan and daughter Amanda (24), along with myself, Amy and our one and only Michael (21). Michael constantly reminds us that he is our one and only. He always wanted a little brother or sister however it was never in the cards. His cousin Carolyn is the sister he never had, cousin David, who spent two years living with us during his college years is the brother, along with older brother JP, however that is a story for another day.   On several evening throughout the Christmas holiday Amanda, digital recorder and notepad in hand, had Granny name as many names, tell as many stories of family and friends, from her early childhood days. The sessions lasted well beyond the 1.5 hours of recording time which meant fast and furious note taking. All in all it was great to watch the younger generation take an interest in our family story, and record it for future generations.  Of particular interest was a story on our Grandfather’s side of the family. His grandfather married and had eight children before his wife suddenly passed away, then he ended up marrying his deceased wife’s sister and had another ten children to her. That really got the family tree going. Our aunt Loretta brought over passenger ship records and family immigration papers from Ellis Island. An extensive family tree dating back to the seventeen hundreds was also handed down.

While most people were preparing for Halloween last week, an assortment of women from three generations of our family got together for a very important annual task -- we produced the first batch of Christmas cookies. We converged at my sister's place in Benezette, PA.  My mom and niece traveled the 20 miles from St. Marys, and my sister from Ohio brought me from my home in Williamsburg.  The weather cooperated by sprinkling a few snowflakes to help set the mood, and our attention to colored sugars and jimmies was occasionally distracted by an elk wandering past a window.