A Busy Empty Nest

Tony and I were home alone once all our children got married. It was very hard to learn to cook for two, after cooking such big meals for such a long time. I was always giving cooked food away. After a while I learned to cook for two.

I used to have one of the families come for dinner every week. My husband was happy when we had company. He used to tease and say, “I'm sure I will have a complete dinner.” Tony had more time to spend home with me now that he retired. He loved to help me in the kitchen. He loved to play cards and ball with our grandchildren. They loved him. They would be going Pop-Pop here and Pop-Pop there. He would have a big smile. He would pick them up, hug them, and give them a kiss.

My husband grew mostly geraniums, potted plants and hanging plants in his two small greenhouses. He sold all kinds of outdoor flower plants and vegetables. He would sell them to roadside stands, lawn maintenance men, and private people. Tony was always working in the springtime until the middle of June. He was so busy he never ate his meals on time.

Our children all owned their own homes. Our son Tony added a large bedroom to their home in Norwood, but the family kept getting bigger. They were now blessed with six children - four daughters and two sons. They went looking for a larger home. They looked around and they couldn't find anything to please them. Either the rooms were too small or the house was too close to the railroad tracks. Some got water in the cellar.