Josephine & Roberto

In my first blog I wrote how my mother was my inspiration
I thought I would express a little about my parents and perhaps
about my siblings in future blogs.

My mother Josephine A.k.A. Mama,Mommy, Nana, Tia Josie, Josie, Fina
for a girl who did not finish elementary school she was one of the wisest woman
I have ever known.

she raised her siblings at a young age when her mother passed, when her father
remarried, she fell in love and married a man ( an acquaintance of my grandfathers who
was 1 year older than my grandfather) Times were very different in those days.
they of course started a family of their own.

My mother Josephine was a devout Catholic but always told me that when I
became an adult it did not matter what faith I accepted as an adult as long
as I believed in God. but through our youth we attended catholic mass,and
all that went with that.
she was a good cook, loved to collect recipes but seldom made them
funny I collect recipes too.
she was the friendliest person and always well respected , accepted people for who they
were, never a judgemental bone in her body.

She had beautiful dark brown eyes, dark hair, she looked like a Beautiful Native
American maiden. she had a wit about her, a calmness, but could give you a
look that meant business if she was angry at you.

she believed in the old wives tales, I remember one time my oldest niece Angela
was pregnant with her first child, and another of my nieces was eating a Marsh mellow
Angela, looked at my niece eating the marsh mellow my mother noticed this
and I was told to get a marsh mellow because The Baby wants a marsh mellow!
so I did as told and got the marsh mellow ( I have always wondered does Rob like
marsh mellows?)
she also believed in the old remedies like putting hot onion on a splinter to draw it out,
placing an egg yolk in a bowl under the baby crib,and my personal favorite when ever
a baby is around you must touch their little hand to keep evil spirits away!
but most importantly Karma Comes Back At You.
She would tell stories of her youth and her encounters with "spirits"
of course we did not believe this but my Uncles would always back her up.
she crocheted beautifully,and had a green thumb,
At the time of her death in 1986, my husband and I were living in Hawaii
we spoke to her on the phone all the time my husband was very fond of my mother

One morning I was awaken from a peaceful sleep by a rush of wind whisking through
my body I knew no window was open, but that rush of wind left me calm and gave me
a chill at the same time, I looked at the clock and noticed it was 4:45 am Hawaiian time
which meant it was 7:45 Ca time. I startled my husband and as he awoke the phone
rang, I told him it was someone calling to say mom passed, my husband looked at me
and said I was crazy and answered the phone. after that call he asked me how did I know
and I told him about the cold wind rushing through me. that same feeling happened a year
later when one of my mother's sisters passed. never again did I doubt some of my mom's
wives tales.

My Father Roberto- A.K.A. Daddy,Papa, Berto, I did not know my father as well as my mother other than when I was born he was in his 60's. I remember his piercing baby blue
eyes that would make any girls heart melt, and that he had a smile that could brighten a room
his love for his family and grandchildren, I remember the grand kids getting plenty of leg
horsey rides from papa
He loved to bring home Big pieces of bubble gum from his trip to the barber shop
he would always have to have mama's flour tortillas at every meal.
went to church when he wanted to,other wise he prayed his own way,
he did not believe in banks, upon his death we found wallets of cash to pay for
funeral etc.
I remember watching westerns with him and my brother Joe on Saturdays
he too had a green thumb, (when younger he worked in coal mines)
loved to bring home A&W Root beer in the plastic gallon,
but what I remember most about my father was the way he always looked at my mother
he was much older than she but looking at him look at her you could see in his eyes how much he loved her.
my father passed away in 1979 at the age of 82