[Revolting cat!]

Sounds like fun, can I be Italian?

[the Real fifi]

I'm Jewish but at least these two are familiar:
"You grew up in a small house, but you still had two kitchens. (One was in the basement)
When you were growing up, you had five cousins all living on the same street"

The basement kitchen held the hand canned stuff, big bowls and a wooden table, and a mezzauna, chopping block, heavy rolling pin, etc. The upstairs kitchen was neat and tidy and pretty and was referred to as the "English kitchen"--It was used to reheat and serve things---never for preparation.

My sister claims she was in sixth grade before she knew anyone could invite someone not a first cousin to a birthday party.;).

[buccaneer81]

Sounds like fun, can I be Italian?

It's not very much fun when you marry into one of these families. If you're not Italian, you're an outsider forever. Take it from someone who's been there, done that. And yes, I was Catholic, too. But the ex-MIL said I was too white and too educated (I have a BA). Italian women are first and foremost interested in their mothers. You could be married to them and give them five orgasms a day and they would still be on the phone to Mom complaining.

[Little Bill]

My mother married an Italian after my father died, they were both in their sixties, I am the Primo as the eldest son, my stepbrother, a friend of 40 years steps back. I answer the toast on Christmas Eve, as if I weren't a swamp Yankee Protestant so and so.