I GOT A JENNIE

You might have an Iphone 7 or new car.  But, do you know what I got?  I got a Jennie.  My Grandma Pagano, wise matriarch and charming Sicilian, effortlessly socialized with a flirt and a laugh to all.

Yep, I got a Jennie.  Well I had a Jennie; she passed away Monday night.  She lived a good, long life and I couldn’t be more proud than to know that I came from her.  I am her legacy.  I have her genes and her recipes.  She will live on through me … through all of her family.  She taught me how to be loyal, loving, courageous and kind.  She too had arthritis, experiencing a lifetime of chronic pain.  That never stopped her from having a family and a kitchen that ran around the clock.  The machine shop, as my Aunt Rose called Jennie’s kitchen, pumped out the best food I will ever eat.  Did your grandma wake you up to the smell of browning meat at 6:30 am?  Mine did.

Over the years, so much wisdom, encouragement and love was passed from her to me with lots of humor, laughter, and a wee bit of passive aggression to keep me alert.  Here’s a taste:
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1. Parmesean is better than romano, but your Grandfather likes romano.  (said while grating romano with slight disdain)
2. Sicilians put pork in the sauce.  It makes it sweeter.
3. Where did you get your big butt from?
4. I don’t want him to get shot, but I wouldn’t mind if he tripped.  (Trump’s inauguration)
5. All of my girls have good eyebrows and cheekbones.
6. Does your other Grandma cook for you?
7. Your grandfather liked snails in his sauce, but he had to go to his sister's house for that.  
8. Slovaks and the Polish aren’t good hostesses.  They don’t have sweets ready for guests.  (My Mother is Slovak and an excellent baker and hostess ;))
9. You look like my mother-in-law: she was pretty.  
10. You don’t have pasta bowls?  Joe, we have to go to Boscov’s.  Cristen doesn't have pasta bowls.  (Right of passage in our family - first set of pasta bowls.)
11. Are you sure he doesn’t have a second family with all of his out of town business trips?  (Concern over my EX-husband’s frequent absenteeism.)
12. I think about you every day.  Are you in pain?
13. This life isn’t easy.  Not everyone could do it. (said a few months ago while living in an assisted living facility and unable to walk)
14. It feels so long ago, like it was a dream.  (Also said just a few months ago about her marriage and raising four children)
15. My parents were very loving.
16. I didn’t have any help and didn’t have time to be depressed.  (I asked her if she ever experienced depression as a young mother.)
17. Are you hungry?  (asked everyday --several times a day)
18. First marriages seem to be just a starter these days.
19. Don’t marry an Italian. (She did.)
20. Don’t you wash your chicken?  I take the strings out of celery.  (Micromanagement while I made chicken salad)
21. Connie baked the best bread and nobody baked bread like Connie because she never gave anyone the correct recipe.  (her sister)
22. Aunt Rose is the most like me.  She takes care of everyone.  (her daughter)
23. Jovanina brings her own coffee when she visits.  I guess mine’s not good enough.  (my older sister)
24. I’m glad  your sister moved in; Paganos don’t like living alone.
25. I already knew something was the matter; you know they call me “the witch”.  
26. It doesn't matter if your meatballs aren’t perfect balls; he’ll like them anyway.
27. I don’t eat sweets just some cookies with coffee when I first wake up.  Sometimes I have ice cream at night.  (She had dessert almost every time we went out to eat, too.)
28. We lost so much time together.  I never gave up on you, Cristen.  When you were little, I would drive by your other grandparent's house to try and catch a glimpse of you.  (There were longs periods of estrangement from my Pagano family when I was a kid.)

All of these quotes were met with a smile, giggle , gratitude and profound admiration for my Jennie. 

​Love you Grandma.  I’m so glad you’re at peace now.  I know you're watching.  You can still keep up with all of us!  Now you can see my home and meet my new dog.  See where I hung up the oriental silk you gave me?  Look, I wear your ring every day.  See how much better I’m walking?  Actually everything is better for me and I’m happy.  I’m working on understanding good love.  Thank you for being absolutely amazing.  Thank you for being the embodiment of what’s right and good, loyal, charming and REAL.  ​

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