Angels and Demons.... At least MY version.....

I have a great story about both Mamma and Pa.
SO....

If you have been reading this thing for any length of time.. I think you get how much of an impact my parents have had on my life.. both were such good role models ... each in their own way..

I have touched on the fact that in spite of not having had a very long education.. each only reaching about a 3rd or 4Th grade level in Italy.. They were/are a couple of the most intelligent wise... people I have ever known..

Hard working and self sacrifice do not really even Begin to be able to describe them..

Way back when......

All (legal) immigrants had to fill out forms updating info.. such as address/ wages/ dependents etc... another question was job title..

Because I was the one they were sending to Catholic School.....

To getta a gooda education

I would was the one that filled these forms out..

(never mind I was in 4Th grade myself !)

So for my Mom's employment .. I would put down seamstress..

(I didn't think Homemaker was a job I guess.. what a little dumb shit !)

For my Dad.. I preferred Chef.. as opposed to Cook.. It sounded more elegant to me....

I repeat..

(what a little dumb shit.) ... but hey cut me some slack.. I was in the 4Th grade filling out government documents. OK ???

My Point and I do have one is...

In spite of not having had an extensive "Formal " education.. they found ways to become pretty darn successful..

Most of it requiring the sweat of their brow...( and at times ours)... they bought houses that were structurally sound but filthy and basically completely cleaned, and painted them,then either rented them.. or .. resold them for a profit...

Today's modern day term I think is 'Flipping"...

They even bought property or as we lovely called it "The Farm"

It was actually a 10 acre piece of land right in the middle of the growing community we now live in, that would one day end up having all kinds of housing built all around it..

Making anyone who owned land in this area potentially pretty darn wealthy.... IF.... only IF....they could afford to hold on to it.

But the late 70's were very hard on everyone around here.

Gas lines miles long,unemployment, crazy interest rates.

Hmmm sounds kinda familiar!

They figured that IF they could just hold on to it a little bit longer.. it would mean a huge difference for their children.

Collage educations paid for,Home Improvements, Maybe opening up a little place of our own!Money for the Big Fat Italian weddings to come.

That extra cushion could make life a lot easier.

We however were not destined to be so fortunate as to be able to hold on to this potentially big money making piece of property.

We were forced to sell the proverbial Farm....

It was such a sad day for all of us.. but especially for Pa.
Pa just loved that " Farm"

For him......it wasn't just about the potential profit...some how.. after working a full week.. my dad would still manage enough energy to go out on the 5 acres that were cleared.... and work it...

with a gas powered .......HAND rotor tiller!!!!...

Yeah.. I am not kidding.. That's how much he loved it...

We kids would have to help too, in the planting, as well as the selling of the veggies. I think in this somewhat brief synopsis you get the kind of people they were.

Utterly unafraid of hard work.

In a desperate effort to keep this land and now perhaps his own home!

An additional job they had during this time frame was cleaning the restaurant that Pa worked at.

Yes... after working a 10-12 hour shift... he would go home.. pick up Mamma.. and they would clean the restaurant.....she in the front picking up and vacuuming.. Pa in back doing the floors and bathrooms..

All in an effort to make a little extra money to keep everything a float ....

Who stayed with us???

Ummm...

Our Guardian Angels???... I guess.. because Mamma would retell stories of how much she would pray to them for our protection... It was only a couple of hours at night... but... leaving your sleeping childern had to be done... EVERYTHING was at stake....Her heart would ache as she shut the door to our house to go with Pa and clean.

While she was cleaning ... she would pray to God.. To the Virgin Mary.. all the Angels and Saints that her three sleeping children would be kept safe....

Even though we knew where they were....

If we were to wake in the middle of the night and needed them....all we had to do was call.. it was still gut wrenching for them to have to leave us...

One one particular stormy night.. they were in a hurry to get home.. the weather was getting worse by the minute.... getting home became a major priority...they quickly did what they came to do.. and left..

A few hours after getting home the phone rang.. it was Pa's boss asking him....

What time did they leave?...

How did everything look when you got there?..

Did he hear or see anything while they were there?... What were all the questions about?

Apparently..

That night.. at some point during the time my parents were there cleaning...... robbers were holed up in the ceiling of the place.

They had somehow come in through the roof ......waiting for Pa and Mamma to finish cleaning.

(Thank God too ! )

Once my parents left...they broke into the office and the safe.. tripped the silent alarm ,and made off with the night's cash....all before the police arrived...

Knowing that all that time these hooligans were in the building waiting and watching for them to leave.. scared Mamma half to death..

It wasn't long after that.... house flipping became the main source of extra income.

Recently,Mamma reminded me of this story.. and even during her retelling of it...you could see she was almost reliving that hard/agonizing time of her young life.

All those nights she cleaned and prayed for our Guardian Angels to watch over us and guard us...

They always did .... and that night... they protected them as well...

Yes House flipping was much safer and they would always know we were OK....

Not to mention putting our idle little hands to good use!!!!

Let me tell you.....there are stories to be had there too.. but that my friends.. is for another day...

You know it's kind of funny.....

Mamma prayed to our guardian angels all those years ago.....

Now.... I find that I am the one praying for Mamma's Guardian Angel to watch over her..