And Then In The Quiet of the Early Morning

    Yesterday, I played Toy Story soldiers with Ryan.  I watched with much amazement as Bella jumped high for the camera.  I smiled and said “aww” as Domani sleepily clutched onto his Mr. Met.  My heart turned to mush at “Happy Mother’s Day Grandma” when Kenny and Ty shouted their greetings on the phone.

     My mother’s days cards from the grandkids were filled with hugs, smiles, kisses, lemon aid, chocolate chip cookies, heart refrigerator magnets and knock, knock jokes.
     Jen and Derek’s card told me that they were “So lucky to have a wonderful mom like you to love.”
     Domani danced to “Some Kind of Wonderful” and Anne knew that was the perfect musical card to go along with her gift of a 16 GB flash drive filled with over 2000 of Joe’s favorite songs.
     The flowers, oh the flowers.  A bouquet of fuchsia, and yellow daisies from Elaine and Al,  “cause we figured Ross wouldn’t be able to get out.”  An overflowing vase of pink star lilies and white roses, cause Ross was still able to speak and ordered Seri to order flowers from Rico and he. And a surprise mother’s day delivery of red, white and yellow roses on Mother’s day signed, "Love, Jimmy”.

     Yes, yesterday my day was filled savoring the love, the visits, the grandkids and the flowers.  

     In the quiet of an early morning, this morning, the day after, I visit with my Joe. I  remember his voice and the way he said, “Hi Ma.”   I look at his picture, and recall his Joey smile.   And I cry.  And it hurts.  And I  miss him.
     In the quiet of an early morning, this morning, the day after, I realized that I hadn’t thought about my mom at all.   My mom... thoughts of her bring about such complex feelings.  I think though, that only she   would understand the depth of my pain.  I know too, that she would be able to comfort me as only a mother could.  And I cry.  And it hurts.  And I miss her.

I have created a page for Anna's Diary.  It can be found under the Tab titled Anna's Diary.

I have posted all of the entries to date there, starting with January 1, 1929.

Here are yesterday and today’s entry from Anna’s diary:

Mon. May, 13, 1929

Had club aluminum here today.  Ten girls came for the lunch.  After supper went with Edythe to look for an apartment as she is moving.  Found one in Arlington very reasonable.

Tues. May 14, 1929

Voted for Cavicchia for Commissioner. 

Home all dat until late in afternoon.  Went to 360.  Stayed for supper.  Home early to listen to election returns.  Same five got in.  Cavicchia came in seventh.

[I found some information about this election in an excerpt from the book How Newark Became Newark, by Bad R. Tuttle:]

“Newark's five incumbent commissioners ran for reelection in May 1929 under the joint slogan “Continued Prosperity.”  All five kept their posts, but the surprising runners-up revealed a definite shift among voters, who were more and more likely to be poor or middle class, and of Italian, Jewish, or African American heritage.  Finishing a close sixth and seventh in the election were a pair of upstart politicians who appealed in particular to the two ethnic groups growing in power and prominence: Peter A. Cavicchia, an Italian Republican and Meyer Ellenstein, a Jewish Democrat.

Six months after the election, the stock market crashed, precipitating in the Great Depression.  The “continued prosperity” promised by commissioners seemed a cruel joke.  Employment dropped in Newark by 25 percent between January and November of 1930."