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A Place of Love

Caroline describes a typical family meal at the Manzo residence and shares her thoughts on Kim G.

By Caroline Manzo

 

How to Watch

Watch The Real Housewives of New Jersey Season 14 premiere May 5th at 8/9c on Bravo and stream next day on Peacock.

Hey everyone, sorry for the delay, it’s been a busy week. Better late than never!

OK, let me think, let me think. I guess I’ll start with Teresa and Gia. I have to give Teresa credit, those girls are involved in everything from dance, to gymnastics, to guitar lessons, etc., etc., etc. Teresa carts them around, baby in tow, looking fabulous! Not me, I’d be a hot mess. Good for her. As I watched Teresa in the waiting room talking with the other parents, an old saying came to mind. "There’s only one beautiful child in the world, and every mother has it." Now, tell the truth ... don’t we all think our kids are the best things since sliced bread? Whether or not we believe that Teresa is a stage mom, or Gia has the talent to make it, there’s one undeniable fact: Teresa is a mother who loves her children, and gives them her unconditional support. At the end of the day, when those girls are grown with families of their own, whether it be in Hollywood or New Jersey, I would be willing to bet that each of them will remember those moments with love and gratitude.

Jacqueline getting her nails done at Chateau, nothing too interesting there. I’ll address Kim G later. Just want to say how cute the "Little Fat Man" Nicholas is! He is a total momma’s boy, God forbid Jacqueline is out of eye shot. Let the screams begin! How great does Jacqueline look!? I’m still trying to lose my extra "baby weight" and Christopher just turned 21 last week!

Watching Lauren and Christopher at work makes me smile. By the way, how handsome is my hubby? Sorry, couldn’t help myself, had to throw that in. Over the years my three kids have had many responsibilities at The Brownstone. Both Albert and I felt that it was very important for all of them to understand the work involved in running a successful business, and instill in them a strong work ethic. Although it would have been very easy to put them in the front office in an "executive position," that was not an option in our minds. They started from the very bottom. All three of them have worked behind the scenes whether it be in the kitchen behind the dishwasher, sweeping floors, emptying trash, cleaning up vomit, making deliveries, the list goes on and on. It was up to each of them to show us that they were capable and motivated to move up the ranks. Once they did, they were rewarded. I am very proud of each of them, as they have all shown us that they are dedicated, hardworking kids. Whatever position they hold in The Brownstone has been earned. The best part of that is that they have formed relationships and earned the respect of all their coworkers as team players. I’ll say it again - how cute is my hubby? Sorry!

 

Ashley, Ashley, Ashley ... stop playing in the mud! Not good! I’m going out on a limb here - her heart is in the right place. I get it, I understand where she was coming from, BUT as I said on the show, her delivery was ALL WRONG. I am a strong believer in the phrase "Children should be seen and not heard." If a situation doesn’t directly effect you, stay out of it, as nothing good can come of it. I love her to death for wanting to help, I really do, and it’s admirable when you think about it, but look what happened in the end, a big ugly mess that only added fuel to the "eternal flame" of crazy.

I need to explain something about Kim G. Kim and I have "known" each other through our sons. In the ten plus years that the boys have been friends, Kim has never invited me to lunch or even a cup of coffee for that matter. In all fairness, I have to say that I never reached out to Kim either. There was no agenda on either part; the simple truth is it just never happened. I’m sure neither of us ever even thought twice about it. Now I find out that Kim has been keeping new company, and after ten years, I get a lunch invite. What chu talkin bout, Willis? Sorry guys, call me anti-social, but the timing was a little bizarre for me, don't you agree? I will say, that after watching this week’s episode I’m glad to see that Kim addressed the issue regarding Christopher at The Brownstone. I’m going to reserve the right to say anything more on the subject for a few more weeks. Let's watch and see what happens together, OK?

As for Dina, that crazy, ambush planning lunatic, well, you saw how it started, but how do you think it will end? Should I be rotten and say, "I hate to say I told you so, BUT..." I will simply say this - I love Dina to death, and I hope she finds her peace. Xoxo.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE dinner at my house. It’s always fun, it’s always a mixed bag of topics, stories, and yes, sometimes fights. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Did you notice CJ putting parsley on the pasta? He really loves to cook and you will always find him in the kitchen helping out. I love that little boy. Teresa!!! I’ve got a plan, from now on I’m going to tell her a different call time than everyone else. If dinner is at eight, I’ll have her believe it starts at six, then she’ll be right on time! Shhh, it’s a secret.

All kidding aside, sitting down and having a meal together is a very big part of each of our lives. It doesn’t matter where we are, everyone gets involved, parents, brothers, sisters, and friends, from old to young. We cook, we sit, we laugh, we cry, we fight, we make up. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE.

 

Have you noticed I haven’t mentioned a certain someone? There’s a reason. If you recall I made a pact at the dinner table. Now, keep in mind, we filmed this a few months ago, so don’t go crazy on me next week and say I reneged on a promise. I’m talking about this very moment as I type this blog. No matter how upset, disgusted, or disturbed I may be, I WILL NOT acknowledge her in any way, shape, or form. I refuse to allow this insanity to affect my mind, and most importantly, the basic desire I have to keep my home what it is known for, a place to go where there is always good food, friends, family, and most importantly, happiness and love.

Again, thank you for watching, I appreciate every single one of you!

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