A Little Background on Nana

Nana Pap has always been my idol.  She grew up outside NYC, and the Depression was in full swing (she was born in 1929.)  Like so many, her father lost his job during this time. Her mother was a seamstress and quite a character-- we never met our grandfather, and wondered how Mom turned out so normal "My father was my rock"...  She enjoyed her high school years, as part of a group called "The Big 10 and Mazzie"-- many of these friends are still with her, and she has many strong memories of this time.  After high school, she went to Wellesley College on a minority scholarship (she was Catholic), and she majored in Chemistry.  Her first job was in a chemical lab in NJ, and she met the love of her life there.  After marrying, she quit work and waited for her first child, who arrived five long years later.  She had another 4 children in the next five years, and her favorite vocation, motherhood, was started.
     Nana Pap was the mother that everyone wished they had.  She was the queen of volunteering-- class Mom, President of the PTA, CCD Mom, and Head of the CCD program-- when it came to volunteering, she didn't know how to say "No"... something all of her children have also had trouble doing...haha.  She made meals from scratch, including homemade desserts every day....  Big meal on Sunday, then some sort of casserole from Sunday's leftovers later in the week.  She didn't get mad very often-- her favorite swear word was "Fish!"  If she was really angry, she would yell, "FISHES"....
   She has always found great strength through her Catholic faith, and if I didn't mention this, I would be in deep trouble.  The other person I should definitely mention is her husband, Lou, who was her partner in the greatest sense of the word.  If I comment on how lucky I am to have her as a mother, or if anyone compliments anything about her or her children, she always states, "Oh, that's because of my husband. He was the greatest!" Their love was the greatest-- a real "team".  Dad once mentioned that he was sorry that he didn't make it to more of our ball games and musicals.  Funny, but I didn't really think that he wasn't there, because wherever one of my parents was, I always thought that they were both represented.  They were a united front.  OK, enough background.  I will concentrate on her latest travails in the next postings...