They settled in Queens, N.Y. and had 2 sons. I have many good memories of their garden , mainly of their fruit trees:they had apples, peaches, mulberries and pears. There was a magnificent magnolia tree that filled with blooms in early spring and would smother the lawn with it's petals.
The lived opposite a school yard and to this day it is a focal point on neighborhood life. I can recall my grandmother saying that sitting at the window, watching the goings on was better than any t.v. show.
I think I got my love of music from them. They loved to hum along to whatever they were listening to.
My grandfather had been a New York City fireman. My grandmother had owned a dress making business before she got married. Perhaps I got my sense of duty from my grandfather and my fashion sense from my grandmother? Sadly, I did not inherit my grandmother's skill set and am disastrous with a needle and thread .
They lived just down the street from their church and went every day. My grandmother explained that all they had to do was roll out of bed and there they were.
We pay our respects throughout the year and I often imagine them to be at my side whenever adversity strikes. It reassures me to know that I am not alone and that I have their DNA, their determination, their back bone ,their grit, their musicality, their creativity, their tendency towards frugality and resourcefulness , their ability to persevere.
