Sewing, Road Trip and a funeral

The funeral for Boyfriend Jon's grandmother has been set. So we figured out the best way to get down to California was to drive. It's at least 200$ cheaper than flying since there will be two of us anyway. It's going to be a quick trip; get up early, drive all day, collapse, wake up, funeral, spend some time with the family, collapse, wake up early, drive all day, collapse.

But i learned some things about Hawaiian culture that i found really interesting. They don't wear black to funerals (they will at this one since it's being held in a church but the memorial will be more traditional) but traditionally they wear white and bright colors. This is because it's less about mourning their death and more about celebrating the life of the deceased. Although i didn't know her very long, that seems perfectly appropriate for her. It completely fits in my opinion.

So when Boyfriend Jon first asked me to go with him, i had to take a long hard think about my closet contents. I have a great LBD that he loves seeing me in, and a couple colorful sundresses and a bright maxi dress that needs alterations. Also, he told me it was going to be about 80-90 degrees while we're there (yikes!). Last time i visited, his family was wearing winter sweaters in 60 degree heat while i was thinking "break out the tank tops". I'm going to roast especially if i wear black. So

Which means it's time to break out the sewing machine! And that i have to learn how to use a double needle. One of the more unexpected gifts i've gotten from my mom (there's been a few that i wondered about but have come in exceedingly handy) was a Viking sewing machine. So i'm going to put that to good use tonight and in the next week to alter my maxi dress into a sundress with straps, fix a couple article of clothes that need repair, and in general have fun.

This will be my first time working with a double needle (aka Twin needle). I'll let you know how it goes. Could be a complete disaster.

Solo flight

Last Monday feels like a month ago. So much has happened.

Most notably was the phone call i got at noon on Monday from Boyfriend Jon.

His grandmother who hasn't been doing well for a while, took an abrupt turn for the worse. Within five hours, Boyfriend Jon was on a plane headed for his hometown. He let me know that he had landed, and when he arrived at his parents house, but obviously there was a lot more going on, and he wasn't able to communicate with me.

We talked infrequently and briefly. But i did hear a lot in that short amount of time. Jon's family, both by blood and not circled the wagons around his grandma during her final days. They surrounded her with stories, played Hawaiian music for her (she's Hawaiian), called those people that couldn't make the trip, and said their goodbyes. It seemed more like a joyous celebration of her life than an anguish filled gathering mourning her.

I was only able to meet her once, and she was recovering from something and staying with Jon's family while i visited. She seemed very imposing, and i was nervous about meeting her. Some of her facial expressions left me wondering if i had done or said something wrong but after a while i realized she was just thinking. Once i got over my initial trepidation, i realized she was a warm and had a great sense of humor. She was just happy being with her family and having the Food Network on 24/7. There were points when i was talking with her that i could see her eyes twinkle and a small part of her younger and more lively self showed through. I wish i had been able to know her as Boyfriend Jon knew her, but at least i got to hear her side of the stories about him as a kid. That was highly entertaining. I was so glad to have met her and talk with her and i know her approval of me made Boyfriend Jon very happy.

She died with family by her side on Wednesday. The funeral won't be for a couple weeks when they can get everything arranged. Boyfriend Jon and I will be making the 14 hour drive south to California for the funeral, then turning around and coming right back home.

Boyfriend Jon came home to me on Friday night While he had been gone, i was hardly inactive. I started cutting the wood for the media stand i intend to build. I put the shelves that had been in my pantry at my last place in the outdoor storage area so that we could make better use of the space in order to store our camping gear and other miscellaneous stuff. I hung out with my sister, and much to his surprise, i cleaned the entire house including re-folding all my clothes so they sat in the shelves better. I even managed to fix the vacuum which was smoking and making a really bad smell. I think that took a load off his shoulders when he came in because he just looked at me all blissful and said, very clearly relieved,...."you cleaned".

We missed each other a lot though. Saturday, he treated me to a date day complete with breakfast, a movie and dinner, then we curled up and watched Lady and the Tramp, a movie neither of us had seen in at least a decade. I was so happy he was home, i think i must have said it at least a dozen times. It's not that i'm incapable of taking care of myself or that i need him there to give my life purpose, but i'm amazed that in so short a time, I've grown accustomed to having him there that i long for him when he's not, and cling to him when he gets back.  I'm also very glad he's not leaving for another full week at the end of this month again.

Family Tree book

I've never been good at figuring out what to actually call the mother of my third cousin once removed. (or something like that). To me they're all aunts and uncles and cousins. I may have never heard about them before, but they're still family. Many of them are simply fragments of stories my father launches into when he's had a glass of wine or two.

So i was greatly surprised when i found out that i not only had an Aunt Anita...but that she was compiling a family tree. Since i identify most with my father's side of the family (mom's were never really in contact until i was much older), i was eager to see pictures of my whole family all the way back to our roots in Italy.

The book was 100$ (yikes!) But well worth the money. My Aunt did a superb job and uncovered all sorts of stories that aren't wild yarns. I had never before seen many of these pictures.

Among many other things i learned:

• My Great Grandmother's name was Maria Concetta (but she went by her middle name)
• My Great Grandfather married her cause she was pregnant but they stayed together for 45 years
• My grandfather (their first surviving child) made the trip across the Atlantic between Italy and New York a total of 5 times. It would have been six but he was turned when he was 4 back because of being ill. 
• My grandfather married my name-sake grandmother who was a housekeeper for my great grandfather. 
• much to my displeasure, her name was misspelled throughout the entire book. They kept leaving off the E at the end of Anne which she spent a lot of time teaching me how to spell our name so it became important to me. 
• I come from a long line of swarthy, meaty, voluptuous women who are not afraid of getting into a bathing suit at the beach just because they have some jiggly areas. 
• We've always been hard working, close knit, and with serious family resemblance passed down. 

Great Grandma waving for the camera

Grandma and Grandpa wedding picture

Left to right: My dad, Grandpa, Uncle Manny, Uncle Nick, Grandma

Left to right: Uncle Manny, Grandma, Uncle Nick, Aunt Eilieen, Grandpa, Aunts Maria, Julianne, Michelle