Villaggio's, Calverton, and White Castle

---

Sister Corde called earlier in the week hoping we would be able to see her again before we left town. We arranged to rent a car, and we picked her up at the convent. “Do you like Italian?” asked this little full-blooded Italian woman. “Do I LOOK like I like Italian????” I responded. She correctly took that as a Yes. She gave me directions to place she enjoys, Villaggio’s in Whitestone, and off we went.

The aroma of the pizzas baking in the brick oven was enough to make me a believer. I had veal marsala with pasta, Sister had ravioli, and Gracie ordered a bianca pizza made with ricotta, fresh mozzarella, andbasil. Of course, I started inhaling the lunch before remembering the photos, but I did get pics of Gracie’s leftover pizza and our desserts. We had a nice leisurely time, and Sister updated me on the doings of the other Sisters of Mercy from Mater Christi HS.

After we dropped Sister off at the convent, we visited my parents’ graves at Calverton Veterans Cemetery near Riverhead on Long Island. It’s an easy trip by car. I had not been there since my father’s funeral in 1985, and since then, my sister had our mother’s ashes placed there as well. The cemetery is organized to make it simple to locate a gravesite. I had used a searchable online database, so knew the correct section and marker numbers.

It’s comforting to know that there is a record of these people I love, a permanent marker that acknowledges that they once lived. My father was a die-hard New Yorker, and would never have lived anywhere else. My mother didn’t care where she lived, but she would have wanted her remains to be with my father’s. He was the love of her life. I’m very grateful that my sister did this loving act with her part of Mom’s ashes. Mom also lives on in Spokane, since my part of her ashes is buried under a Darlow’s Enigma rose bush that is at least 10 feet tall so far.

The cemetery visit ended our vacation outings. We headed back to Astoria to pack. For a four-week trip, Gracie used only one rolling carry-on and a backpack, the mark of a seasoned traveler. We did stop at a White Castle so Mad Mama could get a fix. The frozen ones are good, but not quite the same. I wanted one more chocolate ice, but didn’t find a place, and couldn’t spend much time looking because we had to get the car back by 6 pm.

Our host Dennis brought his new baby down to meet us. He is an absolutely gorgeous 3-month-old, and sweet as can be. Gracie and I spent time smelling his head and googling at him, Gracie getting what Barry calls “eggy.” We spent the rest of the night packing, ate the leftovers in the fridge, and organized the travel info we’d need. My vacation is done, and Gracie’s is at the half-way mark. This was our last night in Astoria.

---