Easter with Noni

I think the reason that I was born & raised a Catholic was so that I would have Catholic school stories to tell as an adult. And I do -- and I do.

I also have my portfolio of "Noni stories," which are remembrances of my favorite grandmother (of course, my father's parents died when he was young, so she was my only grandmother).

Holidays are a time to remember both, Catholic and Noni. Noni was the catalyst for getting the family together, especially at the holidays. As a holiday drew near, Noni confided to each of her grandchildren that she did not think that she would live another year -- she was too old to live much longer. We were too young to know if she was right or not, so we believed her. Because of that, it was important that we come to her house for the holiday dinner, since she wouldn't be around the next year.

Even as we grew older and joked that she would live forever, her request that we come for dinner was honored. Noni ended up living until she was 96, so there were a lot of years that she was wrong. Yet, the whispered premonition of her untimely death worked. No one ever missed holiday dinners at Noni's. We always came home for the holidays.

Easter was the time for her Easter Bread, see Holy Saturday & Easter Bread. We had an early dinner, shortly after mass. Easter dinner was a combination of an American and Italian dinner. We had ham and turkey, potatoes and pasta. Lots of food. We also all had a glass of red wine with dinner, old and young alike.

Like her Easter bread, she was the thread that bound the family together. Still does, through our memories of Noni.