Missing my Mom

Mom.Fishing.Happy.

Where did Mom get her charm? Grandma.

Here's grandma with her sisters Mary and Nina.

Grandma & Grandpa - whence Mommie came

Ro & Vic - Denver, CO

These two little snappies are from the late 90's in Denver. The first one is in our garden on Irvington and the other is in front of a little shop on South Broadway. Both pictures are with Victoria. A friend mom made and, knowing my penchant for all things Russian, collected her for me ;-) This connection, by the way, is how I got to NYC since Victoria's daughter is the person I work for here. Mom was always doing what she could to make her kids' dreams come true.

Mom and Aunt Mae

Here are three photos of Rose Marie and her big sister, Mae:

The first one is circa 1945 and has the DeBella clan all dolled up and celebrating some event. Mom's in the front seated next to Rita, then Grandma, (unknown kid), Aunt Winnie, Aunt Aggie, Aunt Mae, (4 unknown people), grandpa, (and unknown woman). Look at this group... no wonder I'm so cute...















Then there's middle-age. I don't know, circa 197? Look how adorable these gals are au natural in their black hipster wear. There's probably Moody Blues playing in the background.

Florida with the Vallones. Braving the waves (okay, so they're not that far out) and laughing their asses off trying ot to let the riptide drag them in.

ma ma sietawitz

Mommie always moved forward no matter what obstacle was put in front of her. She loves music, all kinds. She liked to dance. She danced funny...but don't we all. My mommie.

I woke the other day
And saw my world has changed
The past is over but tomorrow‘s wishful thinking
I can‘t hold onto what‘s been done
I can‘t grab onto what‘s to come
And I‘m just wishing I could stop, but
Life goes on
Come of age
Can‘t hold on
Turn the page
Time rolls on
Wipe these eyes
Yesterday laughs
Tomorrow cries
Memories are bittersweet
The good times we can‘t repeat
Those days are gone and we can never get them back
Now we must move ahead
Despite our fear and dread
We‘re all just wishing we could stop, but
Life goes on
Come of age
Can‘t hold on
Turn the page
Time rolls on
Wipe your eyes
Yesterday laughs
Tomorrow cries
With all our joys and fears
Wrapped in forgotten years
The past is laughing as today just slips away
Time tears down what we‘ve made
And sets another stage
And I‘m just wishing we could stop
Life goes on
Come of age
Can‘t hold on
Turn the page
Time rolls on
Wipe these eyes
Yesterday laughs
Tomorrow cries

This might scare #4, but Rosie Momma had many looks. I thought they were all great.

Breakfast at the Robin Hood in Livingston Manor

It was the simple pleasures like breakfast out (steak and eggs preferred) that made mom's day sometimes :-)

Sweetness

That picture of mom at the news paper is scary, first of all. That picture doesn't justify the beauty of my mom. This lady was the one that I compared all others to {Might not of been such a good idea, but I did it just the same} I wrote a long comment, but it erased most of it and now my old brain can't remember what I said. I do remember this, I will love her to the day I die and I'm not gonna wait for her "To point" if something bad is said about her!!

Some holiday sometime in the mid-seventies

This is a picture of the Christmas (or was it Thanksgiving?) when mom invited daddy and grandpa. It's on Sundale Court in our mod ORANGE livingroom.

I remember daddy said that mom was always such a good cook. I don't remember much else except that the blue shirt I had on was one of my all time favs.

Anyone else remember anything about this holiday?

Work was not, to Rosie D.

Here is a pic of Rosie at work on the newspaper in Livingston Manor. I went to visit her there and the entire staff came to see Rosies kid. I was always so proud of her and how people just loved her so. I think she is wearing the jacket I bought her. She loved the clothes I picked for her. It was so easy to buy for my Mom, I just looked for the classiest stuff. And she would always make such a big deal out of it I couldn't help but smile.

If anyone knew how to have fun it was Mom. My memories of doing all kinds of things together and her laughing will never leave my head. I learned how to put a full effort into fun as well as work from this lady.

I Remember Rosie

I remember the first time I met Rose Marie DiTommaso. I was a mere nineteen years old and anxious to meet the mother of my boyfriend Joe. We had about a year to solidify our relationship void of the infamous family he spoke so highly of in the year of 1976, a Leap Year. I was of course intimidated because I wanted to make a good impression for me and for him. To meet the grand dame of the family was a huge honor.

There were many times we spoke on the phone me and Rosie but now I was about to finally meet her. It took me an entire year to understand Joe and Rosie because they had such thick New York accents-something I was not privy to in all my years of living in Denver. We were scheduled to have dinner downtown at a restaurant called Benihana of Tokyo, then go out to our favorite club and dance until the wee hours of the morning and then back to my apartment to sleep. Dinner was wonderful and I was amazed that a woman could be so funny and pretty at the same time. Her comedic timing was impeccable. Right before she would say something funny there was this look that was on her face that all who knew her know what I am talking about. The evening was a memorable experience.

So I can hear the audience now saying…yes? and then what happened?… because of what was so often blurted out by Rose Marie as though it was a nut stuck in her throat and just dying to come out to save her. The next morning I woke up bright and early with a terrible hang over and Rose Marie looked up at me from the couch (she preferred the couch to sleep on where ever she went) and I posed the question, “Would you like some coffee?” She said, “Yes.” and joined me in the kitchen. As she stirred her coffee she got that look on her face I will miss as long as I live. She was shuffling through my cabinets looking for sugar and she turned and said simply this in true Rosie fashion, “Is this the crap you feeding my son?” I was frozen in my own kitchen like petrified wood. I am positive if you go back to that apartment all these years later, my frozen half baked smile is still some where in that kitchen.

I chalked it up to her being from NY. No, I didn’t like it much but I grew to love this woman with all of her flaws. Yesterday I came across a photo of her and cried most of the day and will never be able to fill the void I feel from losing my friend, my mentor, and my confidant. Over the years this woman taught me how to say what was on my mind and not be afraid, how to cook, how to believe fearlessly in God and above all how to love unconditionally. Last week I went to dinner in a fine restaurant and wore the necklace she left behind for me and with every bite I longed for her to be there at the table with me. Yeah, I know, she’d probably say something silly but at least she would be there with me. Every woman holds in high regard the woman who gave her the wings to fly. Rose Marie DiTommaso gave me my wings and she will forever be in my heart. I will never forget her.

Rosebud

Sibs, offspringers:
#1 and #5 decided that Mommie D deserved her own blog, so here it is in its infancy. We can upload pictures (< see?!) and write stories, remember things (and compare our memories with the in/accuracy of each other's :-) and just generally share anything we can think of about Rose Marie J. DiTommaso - our beloved grand/mommie. Feel free to do want you want here, but remember that if you say anything against any of us, she'll point from her heavenly perch, which means the others get to punish you somehow (these are #4's rules).
Much love from #5.