Florsheim Shoes and Dress Shirts

You never saw Pete dressed any other way, short sleeved dress shirt, khaki pants and most important his Florsheim shoes. Remember I told you he was a carpenter,,, the best dressed one out there. When he’d come home from work he’d take his shirt of and us kids would laugh has his farmer tan.

When I was about 16 I loved to run so Pete would take me to Legg Lake we’d run together, yes Pete could run, we’d run 3 miles, I was in my running gear and Pete was in his dress clothes and Florsheim's = )

I sure would love to run with him today.

My Dad Pete, Love Gloria

It took me a while to gather my thoughts. I was there with my Dad when he drifted away. My head tells me I want him back. I don't want to let him go. I fell sad when I think about him. I miss talking to him I would spend a lot of time talking to my dad. He loved to be out side in the sun. I feel lonely sometimes, I miss laughing with him, i miss asking him question i didn't understand, he was always confuting me when things weren't fair. He was always there for me. He was a good father, Friend and Grandfather.

I will take it one day at a time. I believe he died at home. and not alone. I was there when he took his last breath. I looked at him and told him it was OK to go and that Jesus Loves him.

My heart tells me he is gone and won't be back. He will always be in my heat. I love all my memories. I finally let him go. He's with is family and is keeping a place for us when it is our time.

I think most of all I miss cooking for him and taking him to the market. He would get so happy to be out. I miss playing games with him, our last game we had was Thanksgiving he said that was the best day ever. He won 3 games without any help. I cam smile now because he is home. If God gives us each an angel I want him and Fay to be mine. I love you Dad! Anyone who reads this Love your Family because they won't always be there.

Love You Always,

Your Daughter Gloria Jean

Driving with Pete

What was I thinking I got a job in Pasadena (Fed Co) Pasadena!! How would I get there I didn’t have a car, was I crazy. I can’t remember if I asked or if Pete just offered … Well Pete would take me to work after school .. I enjoyed our drives I always looked forward to seeing his black Chevy come down the drive way .. and off we went all the way down Rosemead Blvd. We’d name the streets out load before we saw them. Pete was a carpenter for many years and had built homes just about everywhere, while driving in Pasadena he would often drive by a home that he helped build ( I was very impressed), then he’d go into a story about work. One weekend he even took us to Hacienda Heights to look model homes, his crew had built. Sometimes if I was lucky Pete would bring me back a rock from the job site, now not just any O’l rock it was a polished rock (maybe that’s why I still collect rocks till this day)

A year ago in March 2009 Pete was in surgery and we all gathered at Greater El Monte Hospital, we were all so afraid that we would lose him (I’ve never been so afraid in my life) Well as we were all gathered there crying in fear of not knowing what was going to happen, I told my story about my how he would drive me to work, well I found out that Pete took everyone to work. We all learned a lot about Pete and the conversation that he had with us all, Pete was magical he defiantly had a gift of attracting people to him, he was like watching a hummingbird.

As many of you know hummingbirds are very special to me, this mystical creature reminds me of Pete, we used to sit outside in the back yard and watch them feed from the feeders that are still in the back yard today. With that being said, I told Pete before he passed whenever I saw a hummingbird it will forever remind me of Pete (My first tattoo is of a hummingbird) on December 31st a few days after Pete passed away I was talking a walk on my lunch break, while walking you guessed it I spotted a hummingbird feeding from the flower of a bird of paradise, my eyes fixed on the hummingbird and soon it was right in front of my face hovering back-in-forth, right away I immediately thought of PETE, this visit made me happy it brought back memories of sitting outside with Pete.

January 12th around 7am I was making breakfast and I noticed that my lights in the kitchen kept flickering and immediately I thought of Pete, I said out loud “Pete is that you” … soon after my lights shut off, then I said again “Pete if that’s you turn my lights back on” right after that the lights went back on .. this incident has only happened twice since then. / Are you a believer? I sure am : )

January 15th 1:38pm I took a nap in my car on my lunch.

My Grandpa Pete Passed away on 12/29/09 and today is the first day I’m writing about my feeling and my experiences, well today I had my first dream about Pete.
It went like so; I saw my Mom sitting down stairs at Nanny’s on the couch (I know this sounds funny but I knew Pete had already passed away) looking at my Mom on the couch I could see Pete, I told my Mom “Pete is sitting next to you” so, I hurried to the couch so that I could be next to him too. In my dream I could feel Pete put his leg over mine so that I could massage it, I told him “ I know don’t tickle your feet” The funny thing about my dream was that I could feel him. I made sure to call my Mom to tell about the dream. ~ I look forward to your visits in my dreams ~

Pete and Amber having fun

I was very fortunate to have both my Grandparents when I raising Amber, they both watched her while I worked. Pete was the type of man who like to play outside, Amber loved it because she too love to be outside as well, Pete took her to climb the trees at New Temple Park, when she was done climbing Pete would take the sand from the park home so they could make sand castle, he’d mix glue in the sand so it would hold its shape (He was always creating something). Pete even thought Amber to ride her fist little Mermaid bike, he’d hold the back of the seat and run with her while she peddled as fast as she could, without Amber knowing he let go … and she was on her way, ridding all my herself. Amber was always with Pete and Nanny, Monday Thur Friday Pete would take Nanny to visit her Dad Welito (he lived in a convalescent home), while Nanny sat with her Dad, Pete and Amber mostly waited outside in the front of the facility,,, yes you guessed it there was tree there too, Pete would help her climb it and play in the dirt too, Pete was always joking he told Amber he was going to teach her to speak Chinese so he’d make up his own words, and soon she would too…. singing laughing they didn't care when people walked by. Pete even went as far as hooking up a microphone and recorded the two of them singing into it making up their own words. (I wonder if that tapes still around, that would be great to listen to)

Pete was an AMAZING Grandfather and Great Grandfather. I’m going to miss his sense of humor especially because I got it. sometime his jokes would fly over Gina’s head.. LOL … you know when Baby Paul was little he told him that colored people were bears and yes, he believed him.. Pete would pick up Poli from work, and while they waited for him to come out, Pete would tell Little Paul “do you see the bears” .. Little Paul when home and told his Mom he says bears.

Call me strange but I could stare at Pete all day if i could, kinda like how you could stare at new born baby. I would take my camera and take lots of picture of Pete while he was just relaxing enjoying the sun. I just loved him so much.

Shirley Temples

Before the big parties “And there were many” Pete would let Gina, Rachel and I play in his bar, we’d pretend we were the owners of the bar, we’d clean the glasses wipe down the counter top, set up the snacks put out the napkins party favors, blow up balloons. He even had a safe built into the bar he’d open it for us and we counted his quarter collection (We thought he was rich). We had so much fun getting ready for the evening. Everyone gathered there and danced to his music mostly jazz or swing and disco too. Pete even picked us to dance with him, we get embarrassed and try and hide behind our parents. But it was fun!! (I give anything to dance with Pete again) Since we were between the ages of 7 to 10 Pete would tell us girls to have a seat at the bar and make us Shirley Temples then he’d tell us it was ok to say bad word “bleep bleep” we’d laugh and never got into trouble because Pete said it was ok. We’d sit there watching Pete work the bar talking to everyone just like a real bar tender, we noticed he had gum behind his ear, right on the bottom of his ear lobe, We asked why do you put your gum there and he replied where else I’m I going to put it. When I asked my Mom about the gum she said he always done that. He always had a back of Juicy Fruit gum in his pocket.

Music

When Pete was older and retired he used to sit downstairs and listen to his albums or cassette tapes on his stereo, Nanny would tell him to turn it down because it was too loud, you see since Pete was a carpenter all the big noise from the hammering the saws and what not I think effected his ears, one day he bought himself a pair of headphones : ) this made Nanny very happy. Pete would listen to all types of music for hours making his own custom tapes for himself or for his children. Years went by and soon there was the invention of CD’s, sooner than later Pete had a collection of CD’s he thought this was a beautiful invention, he could now listen to his music anywhere with his portable CD player. You see Pete was around for many years he saw the invention of the television, he even went to a television repair school. Back then very few people owned television so when something good was on everyone gathered at Nanny and Pete’s and watch the program on a small black and white TV.

Pete had a love for the piano he even thought himself to play. When Nanny and Pete were dating Pete would take her to his house and he’d play for her. Nanny always asked him to play one of her favorite songs “Once in awhile” when he was done playing he’d ask her how was it, and Nanny would fuss over him giving him lots of complements, another one of their favorites was “Sentimental Journey”. When they were married and 6 children later My Mom Gloria at the age of 18 bought Pete his very own piano, he played for all the parties and when us Grandchildren came along he played for us, he even thought us a few songs to play during Christmas. Pete was very strict in his younger years so he’d make you play till you got it right even if you cried. But when Rachel or Myself played he was so proud you could see it in his face, he’d nod and give you a wink and a smile. My sister Gina was very lucky to have video tape Pete while play, I’ll have to figure a way to add that clip

Cowboys and Indians

When Pete was a young boy they did not have the Internet or video games like they have today. Back in the 1920's or so they used their imagination. The Pete and Charlie wanted to play Cowboys and Indians, Pete asked the next store neighbor to play because he was black he had to be the Indian. Being young and not knowing that someone could possible get hurt, the boys thought it would be a good idea to pretend that they had captured a bad Indian and it was time to punish him, so they found some rope stung it to the tree and yes, they put it around the neighbor neck and hung him. Good thing the little boy's Mother looked out the window just as she did, she took a kitchen knife and ran out to her son and cut him loose, Pete and his brother Charlie knew they were in some serious trouble, they flew to the field in the back yard and hid out there till nightfall afraid of what was going to happen to them once they got home.

I know Pete and his brother were punished but I just can't remember to what extent. I'll have to do my homework and asked the Family and see if they can tell me. Once I find out I'll up date this entry.