Monday, February 10, 2014

My dad's visit


Right around the corner from my house and cross the street from this art installation titled Madame Mao on Lenin:




is this:


I just left my father and Oliver wandering the aisles where I imagine they could  live if someone brought them food. There are projects afoot -- lighting and gardening, sprinklers, an end to the large foam sheets that lie in the shed from the last visit. My father is 77 years old and in remarkable shape. We went for a long walk before the OSH odyssey, and during that walk, he told me his life story from about age 12 when he had his first job delivering groceries in upper Manhattan to age 25 when he began what became a nearly fifty year career at Saks Fifth Avenue. There was army service in there, meeting my mother, working as a stockboy and then a clerk and then a very young executive. He went to night school in Brooklyn for nearly ten years but never got a degree.  He is the son of southern Italian immigrants who immigrated to the United States through Ellis Island in 1920. His father owned a bar and grill in Harlem, and last night we had pondered the question of prohibition, wondering whether the business was a speakeasy. Here's a photo of the bar and grill that I've posted before:



So many stories, and I'm excited and grateful to have this time with him to hear them. I intend to write them down, gather up the stories, maybe write a book to share with our family.

More later --

12 comments:

  1. What an incredible blessing this visit is. I am so very glad that it has happened.

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  2. OR a book to share with your readers. We'd love it!

    How We Do It series + How They Did It series. I am serious.

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  3. That's nuts: my family's northern Italian immigrants, 1910-1916, Ellis Island; and my great-grandmother opened a restaurant/mafia bookie joint in Chicago in the early 20th century. Also, my dad essentially lives in a hardware store and whenever he visits (66, in NOT so good shape, unfortunately), there's always a Project at my house. So glad your dad is there.

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  4. How exciting! Such stories! I feel as if you and I were crossing paths for years in New York City and now it seems the generations before were crossing paths too. Harlem was where my aunt settled when she first came to the city in 1949. How odd to think he or my uncle may have rubbed shoulders with your grandfather! What was his tavern called?

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  5. How wonderful that you've got this time with your dad. I adore that photo. And whatever happened with the trench, I'm wondering. I got lost in my mental trench here.

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  6. What an...interesting...art installation.

    It's great that you're having an opportunity to hear these stories and perhaps write them down. A record would be invaluable to your family!

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  7. Thanks for posting the picture - it is fabulous. Love the stories.

    We honor our ancestors by remembering them. Thank you!

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  8. Yes, please write the book. And I love that photo.

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  9. Might want to get them on tape while he's there. I wish I had my mothers's stories on tape.

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  10. I hope it was a speakeasy! That picture of it is wonderful.

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  11. Everytime I click on here, I lust after that Airstream on your header.

    Such a gift you all have in having your dad visit solo. Enjoy every minute.

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  12. I am so happy you can enjoy your Dad and his visit. So interesting to hear his stories and see these photos. Thank you for sharing them. He sounds like very good company. Hope you all have lots of good times and projects together.

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