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Salottolo Family Memories
by Junetta Salottolo Mehl

Mom's vignettes are posted as we get them from her. She types her memories on her computer. Harry scans her photo(s). Then I blog her story without any alteration to the content. Truly a family affair. I encourage you to do the same with your family or special friends. Life story writing is a great activity for seniors. Buona lettura

post 2: During This Same Period

During this same period I would accompany my mother and grandmother on trips to visit Aunt Anna and Uncle Joe (Dr. and Mrs. Joseph Zingales) at their home in Cranford, NJ. Uncle Joe was my mother’s brother. These trips were such fun because we had to take a ferry from Cortlandt Street in New York City across the Hudson River to New Jersey. I loved the ferry ride. (This was probably the start of my love of boats and boating that I have enjoyed all my life.) Then we’d catch a Jersey Central train to Cranford.

Once in Cranford, I was like the city mouse visiting the country mouse. I would have such a great time. I’d play with my cousin Tom, who was a year older than I. The back yard was huge with a creek at the far end. During the winter it would freeze over and we could go ice skating, if I was lucky enough to be visiting during a cold spell. During summer visits I’d mow the lawn with one of those old fashioned mowers – the kind with the cutting blades rotating between two wheels. Aunt Anna always thought I was crazy. But I loved it. Uncle Joe, the doctor, gave me my first eye examination, which led to my wearing glasses forever after.

Photograph: Tommy, Junetta, Granddad Zingales (my Great Granddad) and Joey