Merry Christmas 2009

Wanted to remind everyone to keep in touch with the Aunties, Uncles and Cousins this Christmas. It will only take a few minutes and you will be loved forever! Christmas Day at our house was secondary to going to the Battistone's house for Christmas Eve. Some of my favorite Pinizzotto Christmas memories:

10. The noble fir tree the Battistones had every Christmas (sometimes it was even flocked white)

9. Popping out the eyeballs of the calamari under the water in the sink so it didn't spurt everywhere and removing the clear bone from the body to get ready for deep frying.

8. Watching Aunt Jeanette unbox the baccala(salted cod) days before Christmas Eve to soak the heck out of it.

7. Making biscotti (the rolled and twice baked) with a ton of cousins and aunties at the Battistones weeks before Christmas.

6. Watching on Christmas Eve as the Uncles and Aunties get tipsy and start reminiscing about Papa and Mama, getting teary and making a toast to them and the family they started.

5. Being able to run from the Battistone's to the Grillo's on Christmas Eve and see who was visiting what everyone was having to eat.

4. The huge amount of presents under the tree ready for the cousins gift exchange. Remember names were picked at the Sisettes meeting to determine who we got to buy for.

3. Watching as more and more cars arrived but ultimately watching for Santa to arrive. Most years we didn't recognize who Santa was so he must have been the real guy.

2. Walking into the Battistone house on Christmas eve and it smelling like one big fry pot along with some cigarette smoke. It took weeks to get that perfume/odor out of our clothes.

1. Finally, being able to eat the fried SPINGY balls, calamari, shrimp, the baccala, candy and all the other fabulous food people brought on Christmas Eve.


Please add your own memories under the "comments" section.

Calling All Pictures

Needed: Pictures that anyone would like to share with the family. You can send them to any of the "Contributors" listed at the right. We'll post them with any info you want attached. Remember, this blog is nothing without all of us contributing!

Go Ahead. Make A Comment.

No need to log in to make a comment.
At the bottom of each Post is a "comment" line that is in blue.
Click on it and go to the "Post A Comment" box.
Make your comment. It doesn't even have to pertain to the Post.
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Below the comment box is a "Comment As" drop down box.
Choose "Anonymous"
Click on "Preview" and do a double check of what you wrote.
Click on "Post Comment".
It's that easy!

The best comment so far is August 25, 2009 where Aunt Pinky is in the hot tub in a towel. Go ahead and look at what the comment says!

The ROSE Award

Aunt Rose could be saying "Tina, I think you've got it right!" The picture of her was taken on July 4, 1995. Tina submitted the list down below with the help of Mario.

Rose-June 15,1914
Katina-June 9,1916
George-August 10,1917
Angelo-February 22,1919
Marguerite-April 6,1921
Mary Louise-February 21,1923
Pinky-October 15,1924
Dolly-October 2,1927
Jeanette-June 28,1929
Honey-June 30,1931
David-January 3,1933
Robert-April 23,1940

If you think a date is incorrect, let us know.

Question of the Week

This week's assignment is to name all of Mariano & Anna Pinizzotto's children in order. Then you need to give the birth date of each one including the year. The winner will get their name mentioned and the information they submitted in a later Pini Family Blog post. So put on your thinking caps and if one of us can't figure it out, we should be able to do it as a group. Leave your guesses in the comments section of this post.

You gotta love August!

Mom came over today and brought over some beautiful tomatoes and a loaf of Italian bread. She made a traditional salad like her mama use to make with olive oil, oregano, and purple onions. We call them "gushers" as we dip the bread in the bowl and ate about a half a loaf!

We then jumped in the hot tub.

Where's Diane & Sharon? Their Campsite is Here But They Aren't!

Patiently waiting for Diane & Sharon (Pinizzotto) in San Clemente on 8/14/09 are (l to r) Theresa, Mark, Bob, Rick, Tina, Virginia & Doug. Traci's campsite (green tarp) is in the background.

Keep Passing this along.....

It's good to see the word is getting around and people are viewing the blog. I see some comments getting on there too.

I wish I was going to San Clemente this week end. My family and I did it one time--about 24 years ago!!! and it was memorable. One of my first contacts with all of the cousins. If I hadn't already been to California this summer, I would love to come down.

Also, the weather here is rivaling down there-- and that is one of the reason I like to come to CA is for the sun. We had a WEEK of triple digit temperatures breaking all past records. One day it was 111 neaby here. It doesn't get that hot here as we are nestled on 12 acres in the trees--natures air conditioning.

Have fun this weekend.

June 1992 San Clemente & San Onofre

L to R - Nathan Balfour, Danielle & Michael McGuire, Chris Petersen, Tyler Balfour,
Valerie Petersen, Karene & Julia Trunelle
(San Clemente)

Aunt Mary Louise McLemore & Julia Trunelle
(San Onofre)

How To Fly A Kite Without Ever Leaving Your Chair

Aunt Jeanette is brilliant. Not only does she fly a kite with a fishing pole, but she can do it without getting up because she has the kids to do all the running and retrieving. The babes on the right side of the second pic are Virginia Johnson and Tina Tofflemire. The kids are Davey and Scott Tofflemire, Chris Petersen and Annette's friend's daughter Melissa. Of course the star is Aunt Jeanette. June 1991

Keep Us Updated!

Send us news or photos. Just click on the name of one of the contributors and we'll post it on the blog. Please make sure you have the right information because that is what is going to be published.

Marguerite & Dolly

Don't know when this was taken, but thought it was pretty cute.

New Year's Eve 1948

Here's what is on the back of the photo:
Margaret St, Downey, 1948
Dolly - 20 yrs.
Jim or Angelo (Marzo?)
Mack - Striped Shirt -(So much like Douglas)
Edith & Edith's Mother
Bert (Schoonderwoerd?)
Man that barbequed pig for party

More Pics

June 2009

1st Posting

OK I was asked to get a blog going for the family. Here is my first posting.

I'll need to figure out how to get everyone "on board". and posting!

What fun it was for me to see my long lost (to me anyway!) cousins. I saw Julie P. at Avila beach after I left the L.A. area. I mentioned to her how I thought some of us would have been good friends had I grown up down there with you all.

she wisely mentioned that it was not too late. We were after all only in our 40's (my case late 50's) but there was no reason we can't be friends now. GOOD POINT.

OK, now I need to figure out:
1) how to get you all to find & read this
2) how to post pictures
3) how to make this available for only our family
4) how to do this without giving out my google password

Wish me luck!

Susan Lee (Pinky's daughter)