“A lot of Yelling, but not a lot of Discussion”

When I was growing up we didn’t sit around and talk at dinner. When you are done you got up and left. If my mother had learned any skills, she would have left my father. My grandfather made my mother stay home and help take care of my grandmother. Her health was weak. My mother had to sneak out to see my father, and they finally eloped and got married in West Virginia.

We didn’t talk much. There was a lot of yelling going on, but not a lot of discussion. That’s one of the things I like about Faye; we discuss things. Fay has allowed me to discuss things more openly than I’ve ever done before. Faye is a psychologist, and a highly skilled communicator.

Look at the parties we have! We don’t sit in the kitchen; we stand in the kitchen. We find out where the wine is and that’s where we hang out. Fay and I both love to entertain, and we do it a lot.

When Faye was the chair of the social psychology department we would have a lot of gatherings after lectures. We hosted fundraisers.


Italian Neighbors and Wonderful Italian Food

We had a front porch while I was growing up. It was a great place to go against went on the swing or play jacks. I liked the front porch; I like sitting in watching the traffic go by.

My parents never entertained much. We were the only WASPS in the neighborhood. We had Italians on all sides of us. I’ll tell you I eat some of the best Italian food!

In our neighborhood there weren’t many girls; it was mostly boys. So I was a tree – climber, and I have my army – man and helmet and gone just like the rest of the boys. I was a tomboy. We used to play mumbly-peg and marbles.