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ELENA GISSI's avatar

You silly girl!!! I didn't know what a dildo was so I checked online and...!!! Well, you can imagine! I'd better delete all the cookies now (not the Christmas ones, I mean) lol :)

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Cheryl A. Ossola's avatar

Haha, happy to expand your English vocabulary! Make sure you practice saying it in public! 😂

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peggymoritz@me.com's avatar

Reading about your family memories and traditions brought joy to my heart. My sister has carried on our Italian family tradition of making pizzelle cookies. She uses an electric pizzelle iron imported from Italy now. My father used an ancient frilly press over our old gas stove. How much we all loved that delicious smell of those anise cookies at Christmas time!

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Cheryl A. Ossola's avatar

Glad to hear that, Peggy! I can picture your dad standing over that stove! I hope you eat many pizzelle this Christmas. 🙂

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Linda  Berky's avatar

I make mom's egg bread every year to have on Christmas morning....and always think of your dad's panettone :) Hope the coming year brings joy and peace to you and yours.

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Cheryl A. Ossola's avatar

Oh, would you send me that recipe? Thank you, and Merry Christmas!

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Jan Peppler's avatar

I agree it can be hard to find a balance between tradition and change. And sometimes we learn through trial and error. I think what makes me most sad is that you were unable to say goodbye at the end of the trip like you normally do.

When I do celebrate Christmas, which is not often, I find just a little bit of decorating can go along way. Hanging favorite ornaments in unusual places instead of on a tree. I now only have one large red tub of Christmas treasures so anytime I bring out anything from that tub, it feels special. Ah, but the food! I think it is very important to continue the food traditions. I like associating certain foods with certain times of the year, and this always connect me to the holiday. Buon Natale! 🕯️🌟✨

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felice data's avatar

thanks much for sharing your beautiful rituals and sentiments which captivate me in my parallel universe. i ached on reading of your son’s non-roman farewell til next visit.

a few of our traditions: fresh wreaths, poinsettias, and fresh cut trees or planting live ones ea year…we drive by those former houses now and see them reaching for the sky. yes, mom’s creche. formerly, midnight mass. baking pizzelles now and crescent cookies. i’ve traded receiving gifts for experiences: family cooking class; dinners out, a trip. xmas eve: reading 'night before xmas', drinking gluhwein, lighting candles on the angel windmills. is it cold enough? a big fire inside, then marshmallows at the firepit outside. latkes for breakfast. lots of christmas music and our collection of classic xmas movies. xmas eve: donning THE hat and handing out candy canes on the strand/beach drive. thx, cheryl for your beautiful writings. felice

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