WISHING...

everyone health, happiness, love, joy and peace.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Tree in memory of my mother,

Patti,

 with many of her favorite ornaments she made and loved.

Happy Mother's Day

My Mother on the Left and My Aunt Elena on the Right

My Children & I in the Middle 

1998 or 1999

I was very blessed to have two amazing women and mothers in my life 

after my father passed away when I was a baby.

My gentle & sweet mother Rose Patricia or Patti as everyone called her,

and her younger sister,

my dear Aunt Elena. 

My Aunt helped to raise me and lived with us until I was 10 or 11 years old 

when my mom remarried.

My mother was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio in 1916.

She was the 2nd oldest child of Italian & Sicilian Immigrants,

Benjamin & Anna Geraci.

My mother started to work at an early age in the garment district in both Cleveland, Ohio, 

then later in Los Angeles alongside her Mother Anna,

 as a sample maker.

Her sewing skills were so exquisite that it was her work that the salesmen took with them 

to department stores so that the buyers could place their orders.

She made everything from Wedding Dresses to Lingerie during the 1930's thru the mid 1950's.

And when I was in my early twenties and very slim,

I was able to fit into some of her own beautifully sewn garments.

In fact, 

on the day I was hired to teach here at Whitney in August of 1980,

I wore one of her mid-calf pencil skirts and her gorgeous tailored, satin lined jacket to the interview. 

I think it was due to the outfit and the high heels that I was hired.

Wink, wink.

When I was born 1956,

 she became a stay at home mother until I was in the 4th grade,

then she started another career as the Emery Elementary Librarian

 at the school I attended in Buena Park, Ca.

I remember that I loved knowing she was there while I was. 

The kids loved her because she made it her mission to read every book in the library

 so she could recommend good ones to each of the children she got to know.

She worked there for 22 years until she retired in 1988,

so that she could become full time nana to my son & then later a part time to my daughter.

She lead a long active life after retirement as well,

helping out at her church,

bowling with her league,

playing cards with her friends, 

and line dancing with her exercise group. 

She never looked her age and was only 4'10" tall.

Tragically she spent the last ten years of her life battling Alzheimer's Disease

which finally took her at age 92.

I miss her everyday and am always looking for signs that she is with me and close by.

She had one brother Johnny and 3 sisters,

Josephine, Elena & Stella, 

and there was only enough money for this immigrant family

 to send their oldest daughter to college,

my Auntie Jo,

who became an elementary school teacher for 40 years of her life 

while she raised 4 children of her own.

 Aunt Elena was a whole other story.

Feisty and stubborn,

 she never married,

but man oh man did she love all her 11 nieces and nephews.

She brought us treats and took us for long car rides,

took us to carnivals and to the movies,

and babysit and slept over a lot.

She loved life and fun!

She never missed a birthday or an important event or celebration in our lives.

I liked to think she loved me the most,

  Ha!

because she lived with us for my first 10 years.

When she left I was devastated (when my mom remarried).

She moved herself to a tiny little house in South Gate, Ca.

 where she lived most of the rest of her days.

Even though she wasn't able to go to college,

 she was probably the smartest and sassiest of all her siblings.

First she worked at her dad's grocery store in South Gate and was in charge of the produce dept.

From there she moved on to become the head secretary for the UAW,

the United Auto Workers at the GMC South Gate Plant until she retired.

And because she loved to tease,

she was the auto workers favorite gal at the Plant.

I used to love going to work with her in the summers because she had so many nice friends there

that would come to her window for help with their wages, complaints ,etc.

When she lived with us,

she and my mother created one of the most beautiful gardens in all of La Mirada, Ca.,

 a suburb of Los Angeles.

(my mother and Aunt bought the brand new home in 1960)

It was like the Huntington Gardens in the San Gabriel Valley.

They planted a huge rose garden,

palm tree garden,

cacti & succulent garden,

huge vegetable garden,

a greenhouse with staghorn ferns, fuschias and orchids,

and every fruit tree you can imagine.

In the summertime we had so much produce that we rarely had to go to the grocery store,

and a lovely swimming pool they had built right in the center of it all.

My backyard was one of dreams with so many fond memories.

My mother taught all the neighborhood children to swim there;

 we had the only pool for miles around at the time.

We had a sign that read,

"We don't swim in your toilet, so please don't pee in our pool".

Funny the things you remember the most.

And could my mother cook!

Full course meals every nite of the week.

There were no fast food restaurants around us at that time.

Everything from scratch,

just like her own mother.

Wish I'd paid way more attention.

Aunt Elena would drive home from work and mom had dinner on the table for the 3 of us.

Delicious,

except of course for the liver & onions amd stuffed peppers she used to prepare.

Yuck!

Sadly,

 life was not as grand after my Aunt moved away,

and my mother's new husband moved in.

But my first 10 years of  life were fabulous!

Aunt Elena continued to enjoy her life after she moved out.

She traveled a lot, 

spent tons of time with her nieces and nephews,

and socialized with friends.

She loved the independence of living on her own in her tiny little home in South Gate,

and created a lovely garden there as well.

Her Camellias & Hydrangeas were spectacular.

I did many sleepovers with her in my early teens,

and she would tell me stories about when she and her siblings were young and what life was like.

It sounds like her dad was quite the character himself,

as well as her baby sister Stella,

my only living Aunt left.

She resides in Phoenix, Arizona.  

She raised 5 children of her own in Pico Rivera,Ca.

She is recently widowed from her 2nd husband but keeps busy with bowling,

swimming, traveling to visit her children & grandchildren,   

But I don't think she'd want me to tell her age,

LOL

I Love You Aunt Stella,

and Happy Mother's Day to you too!!!!

Elena lived on her own until her mid 80's when she developed dementia,

a bit after my mom and their sister Josephine did.

My mother always had a very gentle nature 

so the transition from her home to a 24/7 care facility wasn't too bad,

but not so with the feisty Elena.

We had to practically drag her kicking and screaming from hers.

It was ugly and she was so mad at us for a long time (her nieces),

but she couldn't take care of herself or drive anymore.

The last year and a half in the sister's lives where spent together in a 24/7 home care facility

in the same bedroom where they didn't even recognize each other in Anaheim Ca.

But I think at some level they must have known 

because I went often to visit my moms and here they'd be, 

resting together (below).

This was one of the last photos taken of them in 2007

when they passed within months of each other. 

My mother was 92 years old and Aunt Elena was 88 years feisty.

My son & I visit them often at their grave sites.

Happy Mother' Day mommies.

Mom & Aunt Elena in 2007

THEY SAY YOU TURN INTO YOUR PARENTS

In my case,

I've become my dear mother,

Rose Patricia,

Patti.

My mother loved PINK when I was growing up in the 1960's and 70's.

She even went so far as to dye our poodle,

Petite,

PINK for Easter.

It made me hate PINK.

Even our flocked white Xmas tree had all PINK ornaments that she made me put on it,

year after year.

YUCKKKKK.

She didn't care.

Patti said to me

"Debra Ann,

when you grow up,

 you can put on whatever color ornaments you want on your tree.

But this is my tree,

and I love PINK"

How could I argue with that?

I didn't dare  

hee hee

So being the passive aggressive,

 sneaky brat that I was,

I got back at her by pouring my orange juice that she made me drink every morning,

that I also hated,

behind our couch onto her beautiful olive green shag carpet

when she wasn't looking,

of course.

The shag carpet that she made me rack every week  :(

Well guess what?

I've come to realize this past month

that I love PINK.

And this is the first time I'm saying it out loud.

And I don't know why.

I guess Patti planted a seed,

and it grew and finally bloomed.

So let's see to the extent that I love PINK.

This is the tiniest bathroom,

our only bathroom,

in our 500 square foot cabin.

And how am I decorating it?

Artfully, 

that's for sure.

But in PINK,

all thrifted from antique &  junk stores up on the mountain.

I'm also discovering that I love vintage finds,

the things I grew up with that my mother placed around our home.

Shocking I tell you!!!

Mixed in with these vintage finds are pieces of student artwork that I've collected over the years.

Above,

a piece by Alumni Nikki Shah,

her Felt Preliminary piece from Beginning 3-DA Art.

Two pix up,

a little wire/paper ornament by Alumni Laarnie Barcelon.

I honestly don't know what's come over me.

And what's really crazy is 

I didn't realize I was collecting so many PINK things

 until just recently as I put up these Xmas ornaments.

I was standing in the bathroom over the Holiday break,

admiring all the artful goodness around me,

when the PINK light went on.

Even crazier,

 in the 1980' & 90's Patti switched to LAVENDER.

Even more gross,

right?

Note the pale purple touches thruout this post.

Lavender is sneaking in as well.

Double YUCK!!!

I just can't believe this is happening to me.

And not until this cabin would I have even thought to put embroidered samplers in my home,

but looky,

looky!!

I'm attracted to and hooked on them.

But I have to say,

it has a strange comforting effect being surrounded by it all.

I'm finding I love living with pieces that others have made,

loved before me,

and that remind me of my mother..

I enjoy giving these pieces a new home.

If you are wondering if I ever got caught over the orange juice?

On the day Patti changed out our shag carpet for a lower shag look,

and the men where moving the couch over,

I heard her yelling thru the house,

"Debra Ann,

get in here right now"

Oops  :)

I know you are laughing your ass off right now Mom.

I miss you so much.

REMEMBERING MY MOTHER

 

Rose Patricia Foote

She would have been 99 years young this year.

My first roses of the year for you mommy.

Missing You Today and Always

Thinking a lot today about my mom on her birthday, and sharing a little of her and her life with my students.  She was born Rose Patricia Geraci in Cleveland , Ohio on December 5, 1916, the same year as the infamous crooner, Frank Sinatar.  She went to work in the Garment Industry with her mother, Anna, in downtown Cleveland right out of high school to help support her eldest sister Josephine who was attending college to become a teacher. 

My grandpa Benny moved the entire family (all five siblings) out to California, a few at a time, so that by 1944 they were all here and settled in South Gate.  Both my grandmother and my mom took jobs in the Los Angeles Garment District, my grandmother a pattern maker and my mother (because of her beautiful sewing skills) was hired to sew the samples that went out with the salesmen, while her middle sister, my Aunt Elena and grandfather ran a vegetable and fruit stand in two local grocery stores.  My grandfather went on to purchase a liquor store in Watts and a bar that my mother's brother Johnny ran.  

My mother was widowed 3 times in her life, and was only able to conceive one child after several  failed attempts and much sadness.   She told me many times in my life that I was a gift to her at age 40 when she finally had me.  I was 39 when I had my daughter.   

When Rose got to California she started using her middle name and called herself Patty.  She lived with my father, Donald Edward Price, her 2nd husband in Alhambra., but shortly after I was born he passed away and we went to live with my grandfather and Aunt in South Gate.

At age 5 my mother and Aunt Elena bought a brand new home in the new and growing community of La Mirada.  In five years my auntie moved on to her own little place back in South Gate, and my mother married for her 3rd and final time to my step-father, Webster Foote.  So now she was R. Patricia Foote.  She went on to outlive yet another husband when he passed in 1980, and she stayed in that home until after my son was born in 1988, when she moved to Yorba Linda to be closer to us, and made a tidy little profit on her home of 30 years.  

My mother was smart with money and property investments.  She owned a 4 plex apartment building in Anaheim, a beach house in Dana Point and a home on a golf course in Palm Desert.  She also worked part time at Emery Elementary School in Buena Park as it's Librarian.

After her retirement she was very active in the senior community centers around town,  in her church  group and she loved to travel.  Her favorite trip was going back to her roots in Italy and visiting her cousins in both Naples and Palermo, Sicily.  

My mother was my daycare for both my son and daughter until the age of 82 when she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's.  She lived with that for 10 more years before I lost her at 92.  She would have been 97 today.

Happy Birthday Mom, you were and are the most amazing woman I've ever known and a wonderful example for me everyday of your life.  You gave and taught me unconditional love, and a love of reading, nature, and animals.  You surrounded me with love and beauty.  You were also my best friend and there isn't a day that I don't think of you and miss you.  

Happy Mother's Day to My Mom

My sweet mommy in 1966 at age 50, and then again in 1998 at age 82.  She left us 5 years ago, but I can feel her with me every single day.  She would have been 97 years old this Mother's Day.  

We miss you so much mom.  When I lost you, I lost my best friend.  And everything you ever told me was right,  like when you said to me, "Just wait till you have your own children, Debra Ann", and  "Don't be so honest all the time, no one wants to hear the truth!"  Boy, oh boy, were you ever right! LOL 

Rose Patricia Geraci Barnes Price Foote

1916-2008

One of my favorite memories was when we lived in our La Mirada home with the swimming pool and you would have all the neighborhood kids over to swim every single day in the summertime, and the sign on the fence read "We don't swim in your toilet, so please don't pee in our pool"  LOL  I also loved when you got  in the pool with us to cool down (this was before we had air conditioning),  then go right back into the kitchen to cook dinner in your wet bathing suit.  You cooked us a delicious, full course meal every single night except Sundays when we'd send out for broasted chicken.  You were such an amazing mother, loving and generous to all, the favorite auntie, a hard worker who never complained, ever, and an incredible cook!  You took in many a stray animal, and you loved to sing and dance, and your smile would light up a room.  I used to love watching you dance with all the men at weddings.  Boy could you move! You were a sexy mama  LOL  And you had the most beautiful garden in all of La Mirada. I remember that Monday was laundry day, Tuesday you ironed all day long, the house got cleaned on Wednesday, we'd grocery shop on Thursday and if I was really lucky you'd buy me paper dolls.  I remember you putting on Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, and the sound tracks from West Side Story and the Unsinkable Molly Brown, and all the other great music from the time on our hifi, and I would sing and dance around your ironing board, and think I was the luckiest girl in the world.  You taught me to share (almost  LOL), to try and be social (Jim is still working on that one  :), to square dance, to bowl, to swim, to do all the needle arts and sew my own clothes, and to keep and treasure a lovely home.  You took me across country twice in a car with all my Barbies so I could meet my relatives back east.  You taught me to have respect for my elders, and to always try to do my best.  But the greatest gift you gave me was your unconditional love.  You taught me to be a good person, a fair and consistent teacher and a loving mother and wife by the examples you set for me everyday.  

Thank you mama.