My memoir has taken eight years to write, and though it is chock full of horrors, it covers only a small part of my life. The rest of my life has just begun. These photo filled pages take you on a journey. It begins with my birth, in the How ya doin? section of Brooklyn, NY, at a time when sexual abuse was not discussed. It is an account of what life was like growing up in an Italian family, and it captures the many gatherings and celebrations with a focus upon the loving preparation and presentation of food. Winding throughout this colorful visual palette, is the severe mental and physical abuse that my mother and I endured at the hands of my father. I know that you will find reading this journal compelling and gracious. It began as a tool for self-healing. It resulted as a gift to present to those who need strength to get out of an abusive relationship and begin to live. It is also a Thank-you note with love to my mom.