the ‘Nuts. not about food…

The only person who ever referred to them as, “the ‘Nuts,” was my husband. To the rest of us, they were The Walnuts. Big distinction.

The Walnuts were made up of four sisters —  Evie, Argie, Reenie, and Netta — who lived together on Walnut Street in Vandergrift, Pennsylvania. But in all essence, “the ‘Nuts” encompasses not just those four ladies, but my grandmother, Adeline; her sisters —Minnie,  Carmel, and Dora who also lived together; along with the rest of their 24 first cousins. Thatsalotta Italians in one small town—and a story for another day.

With the passage of time, I see how these cousins reflected good things about family —blood related or not— and were all kids of nutty. They hugged. A lot. They fussed on you. All the time. They cooked and baked. And made us eat. They made sure each-of, everyone-of-us knew we mattered. I felt seen. By no means were they perfect —I mean they were Italian hence spoke in full decibels and freely doled out their opinions, good & bad— but to my childhood self, those little old souls were rock stars. 

So it will be here, where I write about life’s rock stars in honor of these cousins, and everyone else who sees us for exactly who we are.