From Head to Boot

New Jersey or BUST!

2008-12-18T14:02:00.004+01:00

Well, the courier just drove away with my possessions. Our crates are on the way back to Jersey. I have such a heavy heart right now because I feel like I gave away my children to total strangers. I felt the same way when I shipped them over here to begin with and luckily, they got here safely. All I ask, is that they return back home the same way! The items inside have more sentimental value than monetary. But none the less, they are priceless memories for me!

Please send some good thoughts and vibes for their safe return. The same is asked for me and my family for when we embark on our journey back to America. I may not have had the outcome that I had hoped for, living here, but I will be taking a piece of Italy back with me, in my heart. What I love about Italy is what I disliked about America and what I loved about America is what I dislike about Italy. Does that make sense? Oddly, I am torn. Unfortunately, I know and understand that I can't have the best of both worlds... but that wont stop me from bringing back a little bit of it with me and sharing those experiences with others.

Amongst some of my husband's family and peers, I have become the "reason" for moving back to America. It's OK though because he took the blunt of the blame when we moved here. He was being "selfish" wanting to live close to his family... blah, blah, blah. Now it's my turn to be the bad guy. It was to be expected. The irony of it all is that these are the same people who asked us, in disbelief, why on earth we moved here from America. Now, those same people are asking us, (still) in disbelief why we are moving back?! I was hoping for some "Good luck"... "Buona fortuna"... "In bocca al lupo"... Anything but, "You're making a big mistake! America is in crisis!" Yes, that's what people have said to me! *shrugs*

My answer to them? “Che sarà, sarà... whatever will be, will be!”
I can not, NO, will not be brought down by negativity!

So, I just want to say a HUGE THANK YOU to all of you who have responded to my last post with such encouraging words. To those of you who may not have expressed it in writing but still wish us well, thank you too! I'll take it all! It is appreciated more than you could ever imagine! I don't know what I will do in regards to the blog once I get back... whether I will continue off of this or whether I will start another, but it's heartwarming to know that some of you will be sticking around. For that too, I thank you!

To all of the wonderful people that I have enjoyed getting to know through their Italy blogs, I wish you continued hapiness & success! I'll be following up on you from the other side of the pond. For those of you on your way here, or considering the move, best of luck to you!

:( Arrivederci, Italia!

2008-11-21T18:19:00.005+01:00

Well, first off, just wanted to say hi (and thank you) to anyone still following this thing. Yes, I know it's been a while but blogging just felt so BLAH when every day life was that same old sh*t, just different day. I reached the point where all I had to offer to my readers was bitterness. I'm sure nobody wanted to read that. Especially those who were thinking about making a move here. I didn't want my experiences to put a damper on someone elses "dream." My main reason for starting this blog was to keep my family updated on myself and the girls... not to talk daily about Italy's food or the landscape, which would have been great but too time consuming for my tastes.

Long story short, what started off as "we would like to take a vacation back to the States this Christmas" turned into "why bother, let's just move back!"

This could get really long and winded and I don't want that. The fact of the matter is we came here and tried it out and it hasn't worked out for us. Do I regret it? NO. It was an experience that I will remember always. The good and the bad. (Our location in) Italy just isn't the place for us, especially not a place that I want to raise my children.

So, after a bit of stressful filing of paper work, making phone calls to Rome that are going to make my final phone bill probably a billion euros, and countless trips to the Naples Consulate I can happily say that Tony is in possesion of a Returning Resident Visa. Now, we are in the process of packing and selling. I'm ready to go home!

Happy 4th of July!

2008-07-04T14:51:00.008+01:00

Hope everyone is having a safe and Happy 4th of July! We are heading over to our friend's house tonight for our own 4th of July barbecue. In the meantime, I thought I'd post some short videos of the girls in the pool this afternoon! Enjoy...

Still Here

2008-07-01T13:02:00.007+01:00

I know the last time I posted was to let you know that I wouldn't be around as much on the blog. I swear, I never meant it literally... but fate stepped in! Right after I posted, my internet connection got weird on me. I went the first two weeks with a connection that lasted a total of about 15 minutes per day, to no connection at all for the last two weeks! I could be here forever explaining how life has been this past month with my technical dificulties, but in all honesty... I DO NOT want to relive it!

One thing's for sure, Telecom will not be on my Christmas card list this year... those f*ckers! I am trying my best not to bitch and moan, but I had to sneak that one in. Awww, what the hell... F*CK YOU Telecom for all the sh*t you put me through. What grates at my nerves is the fact that I did NOT have to go this long without my internet, but your incompetence caused me to do without!

Anyway, just thought I'd let you know that we are doing well. The heat is terrible, but thankfully, we've upgraded this season and have an even bigger pool to enjoy.

If You're Wondering Where I went...

2008-06-01T10:00:00.010+01:00

David Cook, the man I was rooting for on American Idol WON! Sooooo, I have been spending my free time (what's left of it) stalking him. ;) For all of you who have just rolled your eyes, I don't care. :p

Please forgive me... I can't help being hooked on Cook!

Oh, and a more sane, less obsessive reason is...

The official beginning of summer is just around the corner. Summers in Italy are extremely busy. There is ALWAYS something to do! The girls only have a few days left of school and things are gonna get hairy around here soon. So, it's easy to say that the blog will be going on somewhat of a summer vacation. I'll try my best to pop in every once and a while.

Have a great summer everyone!

Charlie Bit Me

2008-05-16T08:00:00.003+01:00

Check out this video and have a giggle. :)

Then check out all of the reenacting videos on YouTube pertaining to the video.

Have a great weekend!

These visuals may shock you!

2008-05-02T09:18:00.005+01:00

As we were having dinner last night, the news was on in the background and I caught a glimpse of a "WTF" moment. I had to see if it was on YouTube, and surely, it was. Have a looky and tell me if you agree with the commentator... "These visuals may shock you."

Excuse me while I pick my jaw up from the floor!

Open Wide

2008-04-30T09:53:00.002+01:00

Sofia couldn't seem to figure out why on earth her throat still hurts so much, so I had to take a photo to show her. Here she is, one week post op and finally willing to open her mouth wide enough for me to take a peek! From what I read, the first week recovering is the worst and each day afterwards should get better. She actually slept through the entire night last night since the operation. THANK GOODNESS!

Time Stood Still

2008-04-26T10:43:00.006+01:00

It's been four days since Sofia's operation. As minor as I had expected the operation itself to be, nothing prepared me for how Sofia reacted after she came out of the operating room.

Let me start with the very beginning of that day, April 22, 2008...

We had a horrible storm early in the morning, and it started to set a uneasy tone for me, as to what to expect that day. I am very pessimistic. But, as we drove to the hospital, the sun poked it's head out and we were greeted by this lovely sight. I breathed a deep sigh at the sight and started to be more optimistic.

We arrived at the hospital a 7:30a.m. because the doctor told us to be there at 7:45. We were the first (from the list of 30) to be operated on that day. We thought to ourselves, "Yeay, first, this should go quickly!" We should have known better to think that! After our arrival, the rest of the patients started to pool in one by one, accompanied by their family members. So we waited around...and waited...and waited. Turned out that we needed to wait for other patients to be discharged first in order for the waiting patients to get their beds. I think it was 9 o'clock by the time they found a room for us. It wound up being upstairs, on the maternity floor! I'm sure that the three new moms cheered in delight when we walked in to be their new 'roomies.' Yes, that made four of us (plus family members), in one room. Joy! NOT...

It was terribly hot in the room and when I say hot, it was hot! It's not like I could have opened the window because the room was full of newborns and the mothers would have been terrified that they catch a draft. In Italy, draft = sickness! Thankfully, after the babies were taken to the nurses station for checkups, one of the cleaning ladies came in to do her rounds and she flung the windows open. "THANK YOU," I quietly thought to myself. A new addition to the hospital is being constructed. This is what the view was like out of our window. Oh how I wished we were in one of the new rooms!

So we did some more waiting. Sofia was all excited about her bed and she made me take photos of her in the bed. She was all smiles and giggles right up until she went to the operating room. Regardless of the fact that she hadn't eaten or drank since the night before.

Well, it was 11:45 and they finally came to tell us that it was Sofia's turn. Tony brought her up into the operating room and held her while the anesthesiologist put a mask over her face and inserted an IV into her hand. When Tony came down, he told me that she started to resist but she quickly became dead weight in his arms because the anesthesia worked so fast! I could tell he was distraught because he quickly went outside for a smoke while me, Lina and my MIL waited. This is where time stood still for us. It was only about a half hour from when they took her and brought her back, but time literally seemed to have just stopped. It was the weirdest sensation. We must have looked at our watches a dozen times and by 12:15 we heard a door slam and Sofia's soft, mumbled cry. Tony didn't wait for the elevator to come down. He ran right up the stairs to see her. As soon as Sofia saw her daddy, she jumped off of the gurney into his arms. All the while, we were downstairs wiping away our tears so that she wouldn't see us crying (tears of relief) when she came off of the elevator.

The elevator doors swung open and Tony came out with Sofia in his arms. Only, it wasn't my Sofia...it was her body, but not the playful, cheerful little girl that went upstairs not too long before! As soon as she saw me, she reached her arms out for me and I took her from Tony. She started yelling at me, words that I could not understand. But she was clearly, angry! The whole walk back to her room, she thrashed uncontrollably! Once we were in the room, she went from being placid one moment to thrashing the next. The whole while I was trying to calm her, I was crying from the shock of her behavior, feeling consumed with guilt. It was a tidal wave of emotions! Let me just tell you that the only person with a dry eye in that room was Tony. He was definitely stressed though. Everyone else was crying. You had three women who just had babies who were all hormonal to begin with and then there was me, Lina and my MIL. She carried on for about a half hour or so and then she finally calmed down. I don't know who was more traumatized from the whole experience. It's definitely a moment that I will NEVER forget!

Here she is after she settled down. You see that IV in her hand? She tried many, many times to pull it out.
When I got home, I did some research and learned that Sofia's episode is referred to as, "emergence delirium."

A closer look shows the dried up blood in the corners of her mouth. I wanted so badly to clean it and wet her lips because she looked so parched! But, after her ordeal, I figured it would be best not to disturb her!

So, we stayed the night at the hospital. Why? I'll never know... it's not as if the nurses cared a flying fig about her. But, that's they way it is here in Italy. A patient's family member is left to do the "nursing." I would have been much happier going home the same night and starting recovery within the comfort of our own home. Sofia moaned all night and the newborns cried all night. It sucked!

Anyway, when we came home Wednesday afternoon, we went straight to my bed and played slumber party for the next two days. I told my mother in law in the car on the way home that if anyone came to my house without letting us rest first, I would go apeshit on them! They respectfully obliged. ;) Sofia and I got some much needed rest. When we woke up that evening, she played with her new princess tiara that she received as a welcome home gift. She wasn't too thrilled with my picture taking and put her hand in front of the camera in protest!

I asked nicely to take a photo of my pretty princess and she gave in, with a forced smile!
Doesn't she just look ecstatic to have her photo taken?

The next day she was in better spirits and she even started to show signs of having her appetite back. She asked for a PB&J sandwich! I made it with the smallest amount of peant butter because I was afraid of it sticking to the back of her throat. She ate about two bites and then complained that it hurt. "It's a start," I thought to myself.

She has since been eating lots of soft, cool foods. Today she complained a lot about her ear hurting but I did my research and I was expecting it. I gave her some pain medicine and she is fine now. I think we have another week of recovery ahead of us.

Little Trooper

2008-04-21T10:32:00.004+01:00

We took Sofia in this morning for her pre-op. When it came time for the bloodwork, things got hairy. She didn't cooperate very well the first time around and it was difficult for the nurse to pull the blood, which resulted in Sofia's vein collapsing. After some coercing, the nurses were able to get a clean pull from the other arm. Thank goodness! The cute little butterfly on the tip of the needle (the first time around) didn't phase her at all. Pfffft! One of the nurses blew up a glove to bribe her to remain calm. Sofia happily walked out of the office with what looked like a cow's udder! lol

Here she is, proudly showing off her boo-boo.

Of course, not without one of her fish faces!

Hopefully, tomorrow will go more smoothly!

Hooked On Cook

2008-04-20T14:52:00.003+01:00

If it weren't for YouTube, I wouldn't be able to keep up with American Idol, over here. My favorite this season is David Cook! Check out this performance of Mariah Carey's "Always Be My Baby," by David. He put a different spin on it and did an excellent job! I'll admit, at first, I thought "Oh no, no, no, one mustn't mess with a Mariah song..." but he proved me wrong. Actually, I like this version better.
Here's his live performance.
*Note* David sheds tears after the judges have their say. NO, it's not for pity votes. David's brother is battling brain cancer. He happened to be in the audience, so David became, understandably, emotional since he dedicated the song to his ailing brother.

And here is a longer (studio) version if you wind up falling in love with the song, and want to play it over and over, like I do. ;)

P.S. Today is our two year anniversary of living in Italy. Rather than get all deep and emotional on the blog, I thought I would reflect "offline" this time around. But dayum...two years...without going back home, once! I need a vacation. Anyone want to donate some extra frequent flyer miles, by any chance? :)

So Much Going On

2008-04-12T11:52:00.007+01:00

This is a long one folks, so please bear with me...

Some of you may have noticed that I haven't been writing much on the blog since writing about Tony's Uncle's death. I posted a short entry to get rid of the entry regarding his death because it was too painful to see all the time. What you all don't know is that prior to that short entry, I typed out another one and decided not to post it. Reason being, is that my family reads my blog and at the time because they were unaware, I felt it was best not to post the information so as not to worry them. Now that my family is aware, I feel it's ok to display what I was feeling at that time...

When it rains, it pours.
(Original post date March 10, 2008)

I want to thank everyone, so much, for their comforting words since I posted last about my husband's Uncle. Zio Giovani was laid to rest last Tuesday. His murder is still under investigation. So many allegations have been made. I refuse to believe any of it because I only knew him as a good person, and that's how I want to remember him! I only hope that the person/people who did this to him are brought to justice so that his family can have some sense of closure.

On top of Zio's death, I found out just a few days later that my father was diagnosed with bladder cancer. He went into the hospital Thursday morning for outpatient surgery to have the tumors removed. He wound up having to be admitted because of complications. He is now home awaiting the results of his cat scan, to see if all is clear.

Ever since finding out about my father, I have had chest pains around my left breast. Last night I found what I think is a tiny lump. So, I have a scheduled breast sonogram for tomorrow night to have it checked out. Better safe, than sorry. Tony's family thinks it's due to my stress. A knot, or something. I really hope that that is indeed the case!

I really wanted to update the blog to get rid of the horrible title from my last post. I know I didn't write anything positive right now. I just hated seeing that title pop up everywhere I looked!

So, here's what happened. After having heard about my father's condition, I had horrible anxiety attacks which caused pain, on and off, in the left side of my chest. This happened for the first few days. I had never experienced this before, so naturally, I thought I was on the verge of having a heart attack! I quickly scheduled an electrocardiogram to have my heart checked out.

Throughout those first few days, upon rubbing my chest to try to relieve myself of the pain and discomfort, I felt this tiny lump. Honestly, the first thing I thought to myself was, "Shit...great, this is all I need..." I figured it would take forever to get a sonogram appointment scheduled with the free healthcare system (which it WOULD have) so I opted to go private and pay the 40 euros to be seen right away by a specialist! It turns out that the lump is a fibroadenoma. The doctor used the word "tumor" and freaked me out. But he quickly reassured my that it was benign and that I had nothing to worry about. Actually, he said that it has been present for a long time in my breast and said it was normal, that I had "young breasts," whatever that meant. He prescribed me some medicine, told me to go back in 6 months for a check up and sent me on my way.

My appoinment for my ECG rolled around and thankfully, my ticker is doing fine. But, while I was there, that doctor felt that I should have a shitload of bloodwork done. He also ordered that I have an ultrasound on my neck because it looked swollen to him. Something about my thyroid, I think. Anyway, I have that scheduled for this Saturday. My bloodwork came back last week, and thankfully, everything looked good, except I was told that I need to eat red meat because I am slightly anemic. No biggie, I went out the very next day and bought a nice steak to help solve that problem! ;) That's enough about my health.

As for my father, the results from his scan after the removal of the tumors was not good. His bladder is full of cancerous cells, so he has to have a cystectomy. His surgery is scheduled for the end of this month. Now, we all just have to wait, which is all that we really can do, which is the worst feeling in the world! Living 4,000 miles away at a time like this is definitely a test of endurance!

But wait, there's more! I've probably written how Sofia is sick so often, right? Well, after bouncing her back and fourth to the pediatrician's office that last two years of living here, we decided to finally take her to an ear/nose/throat specialst. She has been sick with fevers, throat problems, ear infections at least once a month each winter, alone! Her tonsils have been so swollen that the first specialist (we took her to see two specialists) told us that "not even the town macellaio has seen pieces of meat so big!" The first specialist wanted to book her for a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy right away! I was very uneasy about saying yes right then and there because Tony wasn't with me to agree on the decision. He was downstairs getting the friggin "ticket" stamped. All you Italy expats know what a headache that is! So, I told the specialist that I wanted to discuss it over with my husband. In the meantime, he prescribed Sofia nasal spray and some kind of drops that she has to take before going to bed. He told us to treat her for the remainder of the month and then to go back to him to schedule the surgery.

Well, as any parent would, we asked around if anyone knew of anyone who has had this procedure done. Tony has a friend who works in one of the hospitals in Caserta, who's daughter had the surgery done on her. Ironically, he chose to have his daughter operated on at another hospital! So, we followed his advise and he personally called the doctor who worked on his daughter and scheduled an appoinment for us. We went to see him yesterday and he too said that she needs to have the surgery. She is now scheduled to have her operation on April 22nd. The day before we have to take her for mandatory bloodwork and then she can leave. But, on the 22nd, they will admit her first thing in the morning and keep her overnight to monitor her.

Some people keep telling me that "it's no big deal." Of course, Sofia's surgery will be nowhere near what my father has to endure soon. But, it's still surgery and there are always risks involved no matter how minor the procedure is. *sigh*

So there you have it. I tried my best to give you the shortest version possible. Sorry, if it was too long. Thank you for reading. Your good thoughts, vibes and/or prayers will be greatly appreciated!

Tag, You're It!

2008-03-31T08:21:00.004+01:00

Just wanted to post some photos of Sofia gearing up to play lazer tag! We went to our friends house over the weekend and the girls were pleasantly surprised to see this new toy. Carmine (our Connecticut budy) works in one of the open flea markets in Rome and every once and a while, he brings home some goodies for the kids. I wanted to get photos of everyone geared up, but my batteries crashed right after I snapped the photos of Sofia!

Palm Sunday 2008

2008-03-16T16:36:00.005+01:00

Tony made some beautiful palm "braids" that I thought I'd share some photos of. I'll never forget the first time I saw what the Italians considered palms. They use the branch of an olive tree. I was very confused because I grew up thinking that they only looked like this!

He was up until late last night and got up early this morning to be able to bring them to church in time to get blessed. He left the house with so many of them but by the time he came home, he had only 5 left. A few family members made off with some of the braids! lol

This is the same as the top photo, only from a different angle.

Lina even gave it a try and made a mini one, and got it right the first time around!

Here she is, proudly showing it off.

These are what we have left. The straight ones are for the girls' teachers.

We kept the circular one to display in our kitchen. :)

2008-03-10T11:24:00.002+01:00

I am tired of seeing the title of my last post show up everywhere. At the time, it was the first thing that came to mind, and that's what I chose to write. Zio was burried last Tuesday and his death is still under investigation. I just hope that the person/people who did this to him are caught and justice is served. His family deserves some sense of closure. I want to thank all of you, so much, for your kind words these last few days. It meant a lot to me!

Murdered

2008-02-29T12:10:00.008+01:00

My fingers are trembling as I am typing this. Within the last 24 hours, I have experienced sadness and uncertainty. Followed by a gentle ray of hope. Followed by complete and utter disbelief, disgust and even greater sadness.

Tony quit his new job yesterday morning (it just wasn't working out for him for many different reasons), which left us thinking, "now what?" But, last night, I actually hit in the lotto! Nothing substantial, but it gave me hope because I took it as a sign from the big guy up in the sky that all will work out for the best in the end.

That happiness and hope quickly disappeared when I woke up this morning and was hit by horribly devastating news! Tony's Uncle, Mayor of the small town of Cervino (CE), was brutally murdered last night. What happened exactly is still under investigation, but allegedly, he was brought to a secluded area, his legs were bound together and his car was set afire... with him, still alive, in the car. They...burned...him...alive! He managed to escape the inferno, but succumed only a few feet away from his car. I am physically sick over this. I just can't fathom how people can commit such an act. Even as I typed it and reread, the reality of it all still hasn't settled in. I know the stories being published are probably going to change more or less, but the fact remains that he was murdered!

Rest in peace Zio Giovanni. I am without words.

I just pray that justice is served...

Wow

2008-02-27T11:15:00.002+01:00

It's been a while, huh?! Hmmm, I am trying to think of something to write, but nothing interesting really comes to mind. It's just been life as usual. I am a bit bummed out because I was *this close* to winning a sufficient amount (like 24,000euro) of money last night playing the Italian lotto! I played 86, 88 and 62. Guess what came out? 86, 88 and 65!!!!! Why couldn't that five be a two??? *sigh* Oh well... :(

Week in Review

2008-02-09T11:45:00.001+01:00

There were a few things I wanted to blog about this week but never got around to it. So, I thought I'd condense and give you the short version...

We finally got around to giving Sofia her nebulizer treatments. We were all concerned that she would freak... she was a pro at it!

The girls dressed up for Carnevale.

I baked Michelle's yummy chocolate cake again.
Two times in six days... yes, that's how good it is!
Made it more festive for Carnevale. ;)

Last, but not least, Tony got a new job and now drives one of these bad boys.
He is officially a trucker! Well, maybe saying official is a bit premature. It all depends on his first pay check. Then we decide if it's official.

Happy Birthday Lina

2008-01-31T15:39:00.000+01:00

Today is Lina's 9th birthday. I just got finished assembling her birthday cake. Now that I have American measuring cups, I was finally able to make this cake! Special thanks to Michelle for the recipe.

Happy Birthday Lina Beana!
We love you!

I put two layers in the cake and added custard cream and then drizzled the top with a simple glaze. Hopefully, I will be able to get a photo once we slice into it. I can't wait to taste it!

Edited to add: This cake is SO moist! So moist that, there is absolutely no need to douse it with liquor like ~~some~~ most people do here. Everyone loved it. So much that when some of them asked for third servings, I had to say no! Or there wouldn't have been any left over for other guests. The original recipe calls for 2 cups of American coffee. I used 1 cup of strong espresso and topped it off with a cup of water. So, I can officially say that the cake comes out well this way. This recipe is a keeper!

Yippie!

2008-01-24T17:44:00.000+01:00

This may mean nothing to you and may even go down as the most mundane post in blogging histoy, BUT, I now have in my possession... US measuring cups! Wohoooooooooo!
I can now make recipes that I have been dieing to try out but haven't done so because I didn't want to take a risk by converting measurements. Complete with this set is a cute spatula type thing that is meant to level off my ingredients. Any baker will tell you how important it is to level off. ;) Also, there is an egg separator that I am sure will come in handy eventually. So, there you go folks. I have measuring cups. How's that for excitement?!

Envious

2008-01-22T08:49:00.000+01:00

Lina has a friend in her class that happens to have moved here from the states too. Connecticut to be exact. On the Sunday before last, her friend's Nonna and Nonno flew in from Connecticut for a visit. They brought the friend and her brother each their very own personal Nintendo Ds Lite. Lina has had a chance to play with one. She is now addicted to it and is asking for it for her birthday! I've never seen her want something so bad. She's never really been envious of other people's things. I guess there is a first time for everything!

I'm afraid to even look at how much one of these pretty little pink things cost. The friend's Nonni are pretty well off, financially, so I am sure it was pocket change for them!

Befana 2008

2008-01-06T09:41:00.000+01:00

The Befana came to visit the girls again! If you're new to the blog and are interested, I wrote about their first experience last year, here. She was quick this year, so photos aren't as detailed as last year's.

Here she is coming up the stairs. She looks headless because her head was wrapped in black hat, scarf and glasses and it blended with the night fall in the background!

But, once in the door, I got a better shot.

Getting ready to enter the girl's room.

Sofia held out until the last minute hoping the Befana would come. We had a pretty bad rain storm and she was so concerned about the Befana flying on her broomstick during the storm and possibly getting hurt. She had practically fallen asleep having lost all hope of her arrival. As she started to fall asleep though, she was (pleasantly) startled awake by the Befana!

She quickly cheered up as she watched the Befana give Lina her stocking. I'm telling ya, this Befana was so fast that I never got a chance to walk around to Lina's side of the bed to get a good shot of her!

Befana waves goodbye.

Then, as quickly as she appeared... she was off to the next house.

Happy Befana!

P.S. The reason that the Befana was so quick this year is that Lina, the detective, figured out that last year's Befana was her Nonna! So, to try and throw her off this year, her Aunt made the visit and bolted in and out in fear that Lina would figure out who she was too. It didn't work...Lina figured it out. But, for Sofia's sake, we denied our way out of it all! ;)

*Update* For some more Befana fun, go visit Finding La Dolce Vita !

Daily horoscope by Astrology.com

2008-01-03T21:50:00.000+01:00

There is a section on my personalized front page that displays my daily horoscope. I usually overlook it, but this one stood out, so I have chosen to post it on my blog to be able to look back at it and reflect...

"You are about to come to a crossroads in your life. You should take the road that your mind tells you is the right one, not your more emotional choice. Right now, your feelings are a bit too confused to be good indicators. Your financial worries will soon be a thing of the past, thanks to the generosity of someone close to you. You will be given a real opportunity for career advancement, although it's going to be contingent upon a long term commitment. There is no such thing as an easy reward."

I can't get these words out of my head... particularly the first few sentences. I am at a crossroad in my life right now and I am trying my best not to let my emotions get the best of me. It's no secret that some of the most irrational decisions can be made during emotional turmoil. I can not let other's opinions influence those decisions. I wish there was just one right answer. But, there's not... which is why I am at a crossroad. I just hope I go down the right path! Now, as for my "financial worries soon being a thing of the past,"... it would definitely make my decision much easier. I guess I just have to wait and see.

In 2007

2008-01-02T22:20:00.000+01:00

So, I'm a few days late posting thoughts and reviews on 2007. Better late than never, right?! I just wanted to share with you a video that pretty much sums it all up and makes me laugh...

and wince all at the same time.

I claim NO ownership to this video.

The funny creators of JibJab get all the credit!

Happy New Year to all. Hope 2008 is a great one for you!

Don't Shoot the Messenger

2007-12-20T14:30:00.000+01:00

That's what it has come down to when it comes to receiving packages nowadays. A simple question as to who I have to contact to complain about these RIDICULOUS DOGANA fees gets answered by a shrug and a
"I'm just the delivery guy..."

When I first moved here, I NEVER paid a dogana fee when I would get a package. Now, they are getting back at me. I just got hit with my second experience of "pay, or you don't get your package," crap! It seems like a lost cause. No matter what you say to them (the delivery guys) they don't want to hear it. They are there to deliver the package and BASTA. You pay for it, you get your package. You don't pay for it... they throw it in the truck, literally, and they don't give a rats ass.

I can only imagine what all the neighbors were thinking as I was standing outside in the middle of the street, having it out with this delivery guy, repeatedly asking him who I could talk to to get my questions answered seeing as he didn't have any for me.

I was so upset, that I didn't even do my typical picture taking that I normally do when the girls opened it.

I knew it was coming. I kept some extra cash around, just in case. Although, secretly, I was hoping that I didn't have to pay. 37 euros...37 euors! I'm just so fed up with the shrugs, and the "BOHs?" and the unanswered questions. I told my Mom to STOP sending things. Which sucks, because as if it's not hard enough being so far away from my family and home... the dogana has to ruin for me/us the last thing that gave me a piece of home every once and a while!

So... to whomever my (and every other homesick expat's) money goes to, I hope that when you go out and buy Bakala this Christmas, a tiny little piece of fish bone is still left in there for you to savor... nice and slowly!

SNOW

2007-12-15T12:44:00.000+01:00

While my family back home is preparing for a nor'easter, we were surprised by a little snow fall of our own last night. It was pretty much just flurries, but in these parts it' a BIG deal because snow is rare. I think the last time it snowed here was in the 80's! Lina woke me up bright and early this morning to tell me that there was snow on the ground. Me, in my sleepy state didn't believe her as I thought she was tricking me to get out of bed... but as I got up to check it out, low and behold... there was snow!

A light dusting, but still SNOW.

Crippled Nation

2007-12-12T13:02:00.000+01:00

It's day three of a national truck strike. I believe, that somewhere in one of those trucks is Lina's Magic diary that she wants for Christmas. I went to the toy store this morning and was told that they do not have it in stock, due to the truck strike. :(

Obviously, that's not the worst of it because every other possible necessity that is needed to live every day life is on those trucks too! Italy is being crippled. The fact that the strike is supposed to last until Friday is frightening!

Trucks block the toll gate at the entrance of the A1 highway north of Rome during the second day of strike, Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2007. Italy's truck drivers lined up their vehicles on highway lanes to block traffic in the second day of a protest that is causing shortages of gas and basic foodstuffs across the country. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Sciopero autotrasporto, disagi.

People line up at a petrol station as they try to buy petrol along a highway in Naples, southern Italy, on the second day of a truck strike which is blocking highways all over Italy, Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2007. Italy's truck drivers lined up their vehicles on highway lanes to block traffic in the second day of a protest that is causing shortages of gas and basic foodstuffs across the country. (AP Photo/Franco Castano')

Flu

2007-11-30T13:13:00.000+01:00

Got hit pretty bad with the flu. Spent 5 straight days in bed. Well, actually, after the first two days I thought I was better. I got up and tried to be wonder woman, than relapsed and spent another three days in bed! The girls were sick too. The three of us spent our entire Sunday in bed together. Sofia had to have a round of antibiotics through injections since this was the third time she got sick in three weeks. Her tooshie still has a black-n-blue on it from one of the shots. But still, she is such a trooper! Since then, she has been giving her stuffed toys a puntura at least once a day. Lina, thankfully, didn't stay down for too long. She's had her share of being very sick when she was younger. Her body is better at fighting off infection now. So, I'm glad about that. I now have a head cold that is driving me insane. I'm glad that I can actually stand up now and move around, but having to blow my nose every minute is annoying! What's worse is when I think it's stuffed and then my nose decides to 'spring a leak!' Yes, I have spent some parts of today with little pieces of toilet paper stuffed in my nose to keep the leaks under control. The left side of my face has been hurting a lot. Having had suffered through Bell's Palsy, every time my body goes through major stress, my face feels it in the end. Then I get worried that it may come back again. So far so good though.

Anyway, I'm just getting caught up with life in general. It's not easy being down for the count and picking up where I left off. One good thing that's come of this is that I have been bombarded by family and friends with freshly picked oranges so that I can 'get my strength back!' Nothing like a good dose of vitamin C to get you up and running again.

We were supposed to have a Thanksgiving dinner with some friends of ours last Friday. I was looking so much forward to getting together. Of course, with the three of us getting sick, it never happened. We will be going there this Sunday instead, but sadly, it wont be for a Thanksgiving feast. The food that was prepared had to be consumed because it would have gone to waste. Better luck next year, I guess...

Caro Babbo Natale

2007-11-20T09:18:00.000+01:00

The thought of telling my oldest the truth about 'Santa' has been weighing heavily on my mind lately. She is just shy of her 9th birthday. It's time that she knows. Or, at least that's what I thought. She showed me her letter to Santa and after reading it, I feel like I can't tell her now!

(Click on photo for a larger view)

*Roughly translated*

Dear Santa,
I am getting older now and no longer play with toys much. For Christmas, I would like colored pencils, markers, two pens (without erasers), an eraser and liquid glue. The one thing that I would like the most is a 'magic diary.' This way when someone comes and tries to read it, all I have to do is touch it with the 'magic pen' to make the words disappear! But, none of those things are really necessary. The only thing that I really want for sure is a cell phone for Daddy. Please mark it

To: Antonio

From: Lina

My husband's cell phone has been practically of no good use these last few months, with buttons not working properly and crap reception. Obviously, Lina has overheard our conversations how he would like a new phone but since it still does work (just not well), it's best to save our money for more important things. It melts my heart that she asked Santa to give her a cell phone for Christmas so that she can give it to her Daddy! Her selflessness is astounding! Hopefully, when the right time comes and she reads this, she will know how very proud I am of her!

Now, I have to find out what this "Magic Diary" thing is! Anyone ever heard of it? I'm sure it's something that has been playing repeatedly during commercials. I have yet to see it though.

Snug as a Bug

2007-11-15T12:51:00.001+01:00

I went to visit baby Gioia yesterday! Yes, I called first to ask if it was OK because I didn't want to overwhelm my cousin with an unwanted visit. Calling first is pretty uncommon here, as the norm is to just show up unannounced! UGH
Anyway, when I got there, upon entering their home I was greeted by none other than the stork! How cute.

When I got a closer look I realised that this stork spoke English. ;)

There were balloons hung across the living room wall that read
Benvenuta Gioia!

I walked into the kitchen and found this lovely display.
Yummy.

Of course, Gioia was asleep and had literally fallen asleep minutes before I had arrived. DARN! But, that didn't keep me from snapping a photo. I took it without the flash so as not to disturb her. Isn't she precious? Snug as a bug and resting peacefully in her own little world.

It's always great to see a newborn. I usually have that moment of "I'd love to have another..." Then I start to think of all the sleepless nights, diaper changes, feedings and crying and I quickly get over it!

GIOIA

2007-11-12T16:50:00.000+01:00

One week ago today, my cousin Lucia gave birth to her first child.

I'd like to introduce to you... la piccola Gioia. Weighing in at 3,520 Kg.

I asked my cousin for these photos last Tuesday so that I could hurry and post them on the blog for my family back home to see. She only just sent them to me right now. It's been crazy hectic for her, as would be expected with a newborn. Plus, she has been bombarded with family and friends visiting her since she came home Thursday! That's why I cringe at the thought of having any children here. Some people just don't understand the concept of giving time and privacy to new parents. I would most likely throw a huge ass DO NOT DISTURB sign on my door and wind up angering and offending people in the process! Oh well...

Welcome to the world baby Gioia.

I look forward to getting to play with you soon!

Achmed the dead Terrorist

2007-11-10T17:33:00.000+01:00

OMG, watch and laugh! What more can I say?

Banana Cake

2007-11-05T18:00:00.000+01:00

I had a whole bunch of bananas laying around that were well over ripe, so I made a banana cake today and surprisingly, it came out great! It's a simple cake and not overly sweet. If you're a fan of banana flavored cake/bread, I recommend trying this simple recipe. I got it from Allrecipes.com. I feel it tastes fine on it's own, but if you're the icing type, go for it!

PREP TIME
30 Min
COOK TIME
30 Min
READY IN
1 Hr
SERVINGS & SCALING
Original recipe yield: 1 - 9x13 inch pan

Servings: 12

I used metric measurements, but I'll provide the US ones too.

The only changes I made were that instead of using 250g white sugar, I did 200g white sugar and 50g of brown sugar. If you don't have brown sugar, that's OK, you just use all 250g of sugar. The cake I made consisted of the two though. Plus, I added a sprinkling of cinnamon to the final batter.

INGREDIENTS
320 g sifted cake flour
250 g white sugar
8 g baking powder
2 g baking soda
3 g salt
100 g shortening
2 eggs
5 ml vanilla extract
3 bananas, mashed

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan. (I used parchment paper, also known as "carta da forno" here.)
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Make a well in the center and add shortening, eggs, vanilla and bananas. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed with electric mixer. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.

INGREDIENTS

(US measurements; directions are the same as above.)
2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
1 1/4 cups white sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 bananas, mashed

I can't believe how light and moist it turned out to be. I am so used to dense banana breads. A cake version is a nice way to go. :)

Witch Bumps

2007-10-31T12:11:00.000+01:00

In tribute to Halloween, I thought I would post a spooky story for you. I got the idea from A Roam to Rome! Rather than edit and add on to it, we'll call this a continuation of my post from this morning...

When I lived in New Jersey last, I lived in a town called Watchung. On the corner of Watchung Avenue and Johnston Drive, to be exact. Johnston Drive is a long, winding road that runs from Watchung to Scotch Plains and vice versa. Johnston Drive had many bumps in it, also known as the "13 witch bumps!" Legend has it that 13 witches were buried on that road. Some of the bumps are very prominent while others are barely noticeable. Back in the early 1900's, there was this coven of witches, who cast spells on early settlers of this mountain range. They felt that their home was being violated by all of the newcomers trying to build houses and communities around the area. The coven consisted of thirteen witches, all of whom were supposed to be related. They openly cast spells on the settlers trying to bring bad luck and banishment. It was also rumored that these witches killed many of children in the local town of Feltville, which is now part of the Watchung Reservation.

The men of the new community grew very aggravated by the witches, and decided to take matters into their own hands. One day, they killed all thirteen witches by hanging them from trees somewhere in the Watchung mountains. They then buried the witches' remains under a dirt road that is now known as Johnston Drive. Years passed by and they constructed the road and paved it. Mysteriously, within a short time of paving the road, thirteen bumps appeared! Supposedly these were caused by the remains of the witches. More years passed and the road was worked on again by digging it up and releveling and repaving. Again... the thirteen bumps came back. Legend has it that if you drive up or down the road and count all thirteen bumps as you go over them, out loud, the ghosts of the thirteen witches will rise up from the bumps and chase your car. Or, if you drove over them and forget to count one of the bumps, the witch from the bump you missed could be seen hiding in one of the trees nearby.

I remember being younger and taking drives on this particular road with friends who were older that had their driver's license. They would tell me the story that I just wrote about. Young and naive, I was scared as hell when I went up that road. Little did I know that years later I would wind up moving to the town of Watchung, especially on the road that is rumored to be known as those 13 witches' final resting place!

Who knows if there is any truth to this story...but those bumps are definitely there!

On a final, non spooky note... I found this little video of Sofia back in 2005, our last Halloween in New Jersey. At the time, Sofia had just turned 2. She barely spoke any words, just words that only a Mom can understand but left others saying "what'd she say?!" She knew ma-ma, da-da, and all of the typical first words. I was shocked when she surprised me with the cutest "Happy Halloween!" You can hear the shock in my voice. Even (as you'll see) Lina was shocked! I'm so happy to have it on video.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween

2007-10-31T09:14:00.000+01:00

(The entrance to my home.)

Just wanted to wish everyone a safe and Happy Halloween! This holiday is slowly but surely growing on the Italians and I am starting to see more and more Halloween stuff around here like costumes, candies, and decorations!

Even the pumpkins are showing up nice and orange...

As opposed to last year's green pumpkin that I spent (what seemed like) FOREVER trying to find!

Happy Halloween!

Grumpy

2007-10-30T12:10:00.000+01:00

For the past month I have had some unexplained pain in my lower right abdomen. It would occur at different times of the day, like first thing in the morning and mostly after eating. I spent the day yesterday running all over towns getting prescriptions, setting up appointments and having doctor's visits! Anyone who lives here knows how daunting of a task it is to go to 1 appointment. I had 3 to go to! 1 ultrasound visit, one visit to my family doctor (to read the results of my ultrasound which turned out normal) and then another visit to a chirugo. I have no idea why a surgeon (chirugo) had to give me a physical exam? I would have thought that my family doc would have done that. Nope, she sent me all the way back to the hospital to be visited by the chirugo. Oh well, the chirugo wrote out a prescription for me to have blood work done and she prescribed some other crap, herbal tea and some little packets that need to be dissolved in water and then I drink.

When I went to the pharmacy to pick up my prescription, the pharmacist asked me if I was "nervosa?" I'd say neurotic comes pretty close to what he meant by "nervosa!" So I told him, "No, why?" and he told me that the medicine that was prescribed for me was a "calmante" for my stomach. All the while he was making weird hand gestures and kept repeating that stupid "nervosa" word! He got the drift that I had no clue what point he was trying to get to so my sister in law said "è americana..." Of course (like most who find out I am an American) he followed with a "Ma perchè vi siete mossi via dall'America?" (Why did you move away from America?) At which point, I responded with a "È la gente come voi che mi chiede la stessa domanda ripetutamente che mi fanno rendere nervosa!" (It's people like you who ask me that same question over and over that make me "nervosa!") I took my medicine and left. I wish people would stop f*cking asking me that question!

Anyway, pharmacist man made me grumpy and even worse is that the chiruga lady who visited me took away from me the one thing my body can't live without...MILK. Oh wait, not just milk, but ALL milk products. She also took away from my diet, chocolate and spicy foods! I'm not too upset about those. Well, chocolate maybe, but spicy foods I can live without. I sat around last night and thought of all the foods that I eat that are made from milk... and I got really, really grumpy thinking about it because at least every other thing I eat or drink has milk in it! So now, I am a grumpy b*tch that will sit around and wait for the results of my blood work from this morning. A morning where I woke up and couldn't have my usual cup of latte e caffè! But, I have to confess, for lunch I cheated and put a sprinkle of parmigiano on my pasta! Hey, quitting anything cold turkey isn't easy!

A work In Progress

2007-10-20T11:01:00.000+01:00

I just baked, for the second time, a batch of chocolate chip cookies since I (finally) found brown sugar a few weeks ago. The first time I made them, they looked horribly inedible. But, they were surprisingly delicious! I never took photos because Joey and I scarfed them down so fast. There was no sense in taking photos of crumbs! So, I tweaked the recipe and this time around, aesthetically, they came out better. I wish I did take photos of the first time I made them so that I could compare them to these. Oh well. I think I have a bit of more tweaking to do, as I like my chocolate chip cookies thick and evenly colored. These guys come out thin and crispy around the edges, yet soft and gooey in the middle. They taste great but I have to find a way to get them to rise high and stay that way! So, it's easy to say that this will be a work in progress.

Is It S. Martino Yet?!

2007-10-19T10:12:00.000+01:00

That's when we get to taste our homemade wine!

What Happens When...

2007-10-14T11:18:00.000+01:00

...you are at a party, with a herd of little children, high on soda, playing "let's race?"

You get caught in a stampede, get trampled on, and get a black eye! Well, right now, it's still a pretty pink, but I'm sure it will turn lots of different colors real soon.

Yes, you may go up to your monitor and kiss it better. I'm sure it will make Sofia feel much better. :)

Crocs Mammoth

2007-10-13T15:47:00.000+01:00

Remember the big hoopla over Crocs this past summer?

WELL, THEY HAVE GONE AND 'WINTERIZED' THEM!

Introducing Crocs Mammoth...

What do you think?

American Festivals vs Italian Festivals

2007-10-12T14:35:00.000+01:00

This is a post heavily loaded with videos. I apologize in advance to those with a slow connection. But, it's worth the wait to watch! At least, I think so.

While Joey was here visiting us, we took him to experience one of the biggest festivals around our area. La Festa di S. Michele. I am not a festival gal. Large crowds make me want to breathe in a paper bag, but for my kid brother, I was willing to brave the crowds. I went three nights in a row (the guys went 5) and anyone who knows me knows that one night alone is enough for me!

See what I am talking about? Too crowded for my tastes!

Anyway, we spent just one night out on the piazza and the rest at the rides. This festival has a huge assortment of rides to choose from. Let me tell you, there is a HUGE difference between how rides are operated here compared to how they do it back in Jersey! Regulations, what's that? Rules, what are those? Safety, huh? Pfffffft...not here! If you go on a ride here, it's supposed to be fun. And well, we all know that constricting rules are no fun! It's an "enter at your own risk but don't blame us if you get hurt" type of thing here. That doesn't fly back in the states, land of "sue you, sue me, sue everybody!" What's funny is that the operators/Djs of the rides clearly state that if you get hurt, they are not at fault. Take this one ride in particular. It's got a big sign that says TOP FUN. But, it's also referred to as the "Ta Ga Da." The ride spins in a circular motion and bounces up and down. Sounds boring, but believe me, it's not! Imagine being spun round and round real fast and being jolted up and down without any type of restraint on. Yes folks, there is not a single seat belt on this ride. Just a bar for you to hold onto for dear life. Obviously, if they put belts on this ride, it would take all the fun out of it. One more thing, people are not supposed to stand during this ride, but some people take the risk anyway. Oh, and, I've been on this ride several times. You need great balance to master "the center."

See for yourself...

Next, we have the swings. Back in the states, you buy ticket, get in swing, go for ride, "la la la la la" get off ride. Booooooring. Here, in Italy, person who catapults themselves (or has someone else catapult them) and catches the thing dangling in the air wins a free ride! Wohooo! If you're really good a catching that thing, you could very well spend the entire night on the swings! To the left of the screen is a white object hanging from a hook. Like I said, the object of the game is to be the first to grab it so as to win a free ride. This video is quick, so keep your eye on it. You can always replay to get a better look. Oh and, to my family, Joey and Tony are on this ride so you can laugh your asses off watching. ;)

Last, but not least, we have one of my husband's personal favorite. La gabbia, or "the cage." And it's exactly that... a cage. You get in it and rock back and fourth until you get enough momentum to get it high up in the air and spin yourself round and round. You can even hear the operator telling the guys that they aren't responsible if the riders get hurt. Joey had a hard time mastering this one cause he's so damn tall. He kept hitting his head when he was coming down. Pfffft, amateurs! Apparently, the night that I didn't go, he wound up doing it after all. I'll just post a video of Tony as the one I took of Joey trying is so sad. :p

OK, so that's just a sample of what it's like to ride the rides Italian style. I wonder if it's this way all throughout Italy? If you have a story about festival rides that you you'd like to share, I'd love to hear all about it. :)

And since we are on the subject of crazy rides. Here's one that I found on YouTube. They had this ride at the festival that we went to too, but they sure as hell didn't do what was done in this video. Holy Cow! Please try not to feel too queasy watching. I honestly don't know how not one bit of vomit came flying from this ride! This video was taken in Germany. Looks like the Germans party harder than the Italians when it comes to rides. WOW!

Chicken & Broccoli

2007-10-10T16:16:00.000+01:00

Joey surprised me with a nice sized bottle of teriyaki sauce. I was going to make this dish while he was here but I changed my mind and decided not to as he gets to have it any time he wants. He understood and I happily thanked him! :) I gave in and made this for dinner last night... a concoction of chicken, broccoli, spaghettini and teriyaki sauce!

YUMMY!

I really miss eating chicken lo mein and this was as close as I could get. Sometimes, replicating a recipe isn't as big of a deal after all. Getting close is sufficient enough. Especially when you don't have ingredients easily available.

I want to thank those of you who offered to send me some sauce (and brown sugar). I am happy to say that while out shopping at the new Carrefour (that opened up in the new centro commerciale) in Marcianise, I found brown sugar!!! Wohooooo!

So, I no longer am in need of that either. I actually baked chocolate chip cookies for the first time since moving here. They tasted awesome. They looked like crap, but still, they tasted awesome!

But that will get a post of it's own, eventually.

1 Kilo

2007-10-10T10:37:00.001+01:00

That's the amount of weight I gained in the little time (two weeks) that my brother stayed with us. You are probably saying to yourself, big deal...it's just 1 kilo! Don't be fooled by the sight of the number 1. You see, 1 kilo= 2.2 pounds. I gained 2.2 pounds in just two weeks! Maybe it's all the pasta, pizza, panini and dolci we ate for two weeks straight?! UGH

Guess I gotta do some of this now...

Is this what Expats are destined to become? Hosts of all great Italian food that eventually winds up on your ass so that you can please your family/guests? In a couple months I may be going through this again, as my other brother is supposed to come visit too... YIKES!

Going Home...

2007-10-06T11:36:00.000+01:00

I wanted to write this on Joey's My Space page, but apparently you must be the person's friend in order to leave a comment? I guess being a sister is not valid! So anyway...

Joey, it's been only a half hour since you left and I think I've cried about four times. Not too bad, considering I am a blubber cry baby, right?! The thought of Sofia being more interested in eating her lunch than saying goodbye to you helps put a smile back on my face though. It really helped lighten the mood as soon as she did that. I hope you felt the same. I know I can speak for everyone when I say that we all enjoyed having you here, tremendously!!! I hope your goodbyes with Lina and Tony at the airport aren't too hard, especially with Lina. Stay strong and safe and happy travels. I love you! Until next time...
Love,
Your Big Sis
Giulia :)

P.S. Don't eat all the cheese by yourself! :p
P.S.S. YOU STOLE MY SPOT LIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(Inside joke between the two of us) lol

Anticipation

2007-09-26T08:12:00.000+01:00

You know how you find out about a surprise, but you have to play along like you don't know about it so as not to ruin it? That's what happened to me these last few weeks and it ate at me like crazy! What's the surprise, you ask? Well, my ~~little~~, (he's 6' 3") younger brother came for a visit! His "plan" was to surprise his big sister and freak her out. I must admit, had I not gotten word of his surprise visit, it would have worked and I would probably still be laying on the ground in shock! :) But, it was still a surprise for the girls and they were ecstatic to see their Uncle Joey! Lina, especially, was overcome with many emotions all at once. It was a moment I will never forget! So, it's easy to say that until he leaves I probably wont be writing much. We want to spend as much time with him as possible.

So, I will leave you with a few photos of him and the girls minutes after his arrival.

I also took a little video of Sofia playing with Uncle Joey and wound up capturing a funny moment. :)

P.S. She was OK afterwards! :)

Hard to Believe

2007-09-17T07:17:00.000+01:00

I've waited three and a half months for this moment. Last night as I hung the girl's grembiules up on their door in preparation for this morning, it still didn't feel real.

This morning, even as we prepared for the first day of school and took photos, it still didn't feel real. Tony didn't want to take a photo because he was in his work clothes but he soon changed his mind. :)

It started to sink in when we dropped Lina off and saw herds of schoolchildren all over the place. But, I have to say, the "realness" smacked me in the face when I dropped Sofia off at asilo and saw two little boys terribly distraught. First day anxieties...poor kids. The only two kids in the entire asilo that were screaming... and they both happened to be in Sofia's class! Sofia was very happy to go to school. When she saw the boys though, you can tell she wanted to change her mind and run away as fast as she could. She didn't come out and say it, but as a Mom, you just know. I hope they all have adjusted well by now. The first few days are half days anyway, so it wont be long before I have to pick them up again. Even through all of the chaos of seeing those little boys freaking out like that, may I just say...

!SCHOOL IS BACK IN SESSION!

WOHOOOOOOOOOOO

*Happy Dance*

The Perfect Pancake

2007-09-14T12:26:00.000+01:00

Living in Italy has it's downsides when it comes to finding readily available foods that I miss from back home. If I think about it though, it is actually a good thing, sometimes. It has caused me to learn to make them from scratch! We all know how much better food is made from scratch, right?

No complaints there!

My Mom has stocked me pretty well with pancake syrup. So, I was on the hunt for a good recipe. Some were so horrible that it made me even more determined to find the right recipe. Keep in mind that all recipes I found were American recipes , so I had to go through the pain of converting the measurements!

Yesterday morning after all the trial and errors of making homemade pancakes, I finally found one that has got to be the best homemade pancake I've ever eaten! It's a *little* bit of extra work, but SO worth it. The secret to this recipe is beating the egg whites first and then folding them into the batter. Plus, and this is important, you MUST let the batter rest for at least the 15 minutes stated in the recipe. 30 minutes is better! Kind of hard to make these on school morning unless you plan on waking up extra early just to make them, and um, I don't like to wake up early unless I absolutely have to! If you want fluffy, light, and moist pancakes, try this recipe. You wont be sorry! If you want nasty, flat, chewy ones, try this recipe! But, I DON'T recommend it. I should have known better to go to an Italian food website for a pancake recipe... silly me!

Here's Lina right before she dug into them. Looks like she's sticking her tongue out, but she was licking her lips! ;)

Poor kid though. I took the plate away from her so that I could cut into it and snap a shot. She was a good sport about it. Sofia didn't even give me a chance to snap a photo of her as she devoured hers while I took a photo of Lina's pancakes! Ha Ha

This is the recipe I used, in original form and with my converted measurements next to it.

Homemade Pancakes

(Recipe courtesy of Mr. Breakfast)

2 Eggs (separated)
1 teaspoon sugar = 0.14 dry ounce (dry oz) You can adjust this according to your sweet tooth!
1/2 teaspoon salt = 0.07 dry ounce (dry oz)
2 teaspoons baking powder = 0.28 dry ounce (dry oz)
1/4 cup oil = 57.79 milliliters (ml)
1 cup milk (plus some for consistency) = 231.17 milliliters (ml)
1 1/3 cup flour = 8.93 dry ounce (dry oz)
1 tsp. vanilla (opt.)

Beat egg whites until stiff - set aside. Beat egg yolks, add sugar and salt, beat in. Add baking powder, beat until just mixed in well. Add flour, milk, and oil. Beat until smooth (not too much otherwise the baking powder won't react correctly) add vanilla. Add egg whites to batter and FOLD gently. Let batter sit for 15-30 minutes prior to cooking.

*Edited to add* Where you see the measurements in tsp, you can use one of those tiny little 'cucchiainos' that the Italians use to stir their espresso. Plus, the baking powder I use is Paneangeli which is already flavored with vanilla.

ENJOY and if anyone winds up making these, let me know how they turned out!

Happy Birthday Nonna!!!

2007-09-13T14:02:00.001+01:00

(Animations courtesy of Animation Library)
We tried calling you twice (@ 8:30a.m. your time) but the answering machine picked up both times.

Here's what you would have heard over the phone... :)

(I am so excited about Blogger's new video option!)
Double click the arrow on the screen to make it play.

Have a wonderful day, Mom. If all goes well, this time next year we will be celebrating with you in person!

Brown Sugar & Teriyaki Sauce

2007-09-08T11:04:00.000+01:00

While we were on vacation I went shopping at an ipermercato called Panorama. I went in excited because I know these are the types of 'super stores' that potentially have food staples that I miss from home. Imagine my surprise and joy when I found teriyaki sauce on my first trip there! When I saw the bottle I silently shrieked within me as if I had won something. When I bent down to pick up the bottle I noticed that there was no price tag neither on the bottle nor on the shelf below it. "Oh well," I thought to myself , "I'll just ask for the price when I go to checkout..." I get to the checkout and as the cashier runs the bottle over her scanner, it doesn't scan. She tries again and then gives a big grunt and tells me, "Il prezzo non viene mai!"

Basically, the price never comes up for the bottle. When she said that to me, she was probably hoping that I would have said that I didn't want it anymore and make her job easier. She seemed a bit flustered when I told her that I really wanted the bottle and would like to know how much it cost. She grunted more and picked up the phone and called for one of the price checkers to come get the bottle. All the while I'm thinking to myself that I ruined this poor woman's hard day at work by inconveniencing her to actually work. We expats know how hard it is for most supermarket workers here...always on a chair and never bagging the customers groceries! That's another story though.

Anyway, the price checker guy seemed to have disappeared into thin air because he never came back. Well, not in a reasonable amount of time in my opinion. I was holding up the line, (which I hate doing) and I was pressed for time as everyone was waiting for me back at the camp site. So I told the lady, never mind. I'm sure she was happy inside.

I figured I would just go back the next day.

As planned, I went back the very next day and anxiously walked over to the isle to get the bottle and try again. Only problem was that when I went to the shelf, all the bottles (5-6 of them) were gone! Had someone else in search of teriyaki sauce gone in and bought them all? Or, did they just pull them off the shelves because they didn't want to be bothered with price check? Either or, I was upset. I think it would make me happier to think that someone bought them all as opposed to thinking that they pulled them off the shelf just not to bother with them.

Anyway, no biggie because I just did a search and realized that I can make my own teriyaki sauce! Only problem is that one of the key ingredients is mirin. I don't know where to find that here. Upon further reading, it looks like if one has no mirin they can substitute it with sake and sugar. Yippie! Wait...what the heck is sake? Another quick search to find out what sake is. Oh OK, now that I know what sake is, I can confirm that that is another thing that I doubt I will find here. So, I do another search and see that I can make another version with brown sugar which reminds me of the part of this story that involves brown sugar...

You see, while at Panorama the second day, I noticed that they had brown sugar. Yippie! :)

It was being sold by the name muscovado. It wasn't the brown sugar that I was normally used to seeing. I am used to seeing it in a box or a bag and being priced reasonably low. This brown sugar was all fancied up in a jar identical to this one. With a lovely price tag of around 7 euros! WTF?! It was the tiniest bottle. Who knows if it would have gotten me through one batch of chocolate chip cookies?! Anyway, as I'm sure you've guessed by now, I didn't buy it. Once again, I was sad. :(

Two things that I have wanted for the longest time right at my fingertips...not purchased because either it was crazy expensive or I never found out the price in the first place.

I still wonder what that bottle of teriyaki sauced costed though!

It was probably ridiculously over priced too.

Happy Birthday Sofia!

2007-09-07T08:06:00.000+01:00

My baby girl celebrates her 4th birthday today! We woke up this morning and found her snuggled up on the couch waiting for us, quietly. After we gave her her birthday wishes, hugs and kisses, she said

"Thank you... where's my present?" You just had to be there! lol

So, we gave her her present. A shiny new bike! :)

She has been riding it around the house since.

Happy Birthday Sofia!

WE LOVE YOU!!!

Casa Dolce Casa

2007-09-01T14:24:00.000+01:00

We're home! We had a blast at the campeggio in Gianola. Even though I had such a great time and was sad to leave, I was happier to be back in my home... clean and HUGE compared to the RV we were sleeping in! I had the worst first night sleeping there because I don't adjust well to new beds. Luckily, by the next night things got better. It was definitely an experience that I will never forget. We hadn't had a family vacation since 2004. This was long overdue.

Tony spent a good hour trying to catch this crab with nothing but a net and a stick. It was quite comical! It's got to be the biggest crab I've seen here. I wanted to eat it but was told that this particular crab was not to be eaten. BOH? After hearing that, it became the girl's pet and they enjoyed playing with it. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to wait a while longer before I can indulge in crab eating again. Darn!

You can't really tell in the photos but he had some thick claws! *salivates*

Anyone remember my whole fiasco with finding one piece bathing suits around here? Well, the girls wanted to be like the other kids and wear bikinis so I surrendered to their requests. *sigh*

I even contemplated not wearing my skirted swimsuit next season as I felt so out of place walking the beach. I got asked on several occasions by little children why I was going in the water with my dress on? LOL

I guess it's one of those things that you just adapt to while living here?!

On our second night there, there was a massive cookout and each family donated something to throw on the grill and of course everyone brought their own beverages! Sofia got a little grumpy, so of course "Ooof" was there to keep her happy. Thank goodness for Ooof!

She wound up becoming the life of the party and even got up on the table to dance!

I had a hard time getting good shots of the mountains of Formia and Gaeta in the background. It was so unbelievably hot the first half of our stay that it was perfect swimming weather. But, it was so hot and hazy that it made the beautiful scenery around us disappear. So, I haven't got one decent photo of the back drop!

By Thursday the weather changed and it was obvious that somewhere around us, there was bad weather because the surf was suddenly pretty rough. The waves were crashing against the rocks and it was the coolest sight. We even braved swimming through the waves. I didn't have my camera with me because I was too lazy to walk back to the camp sight to get it. I regret that though because they would have been some great shots!

By Friday the surf had calmed a bit but the water had now turned gross and the beaches started to become deserted. It was a bummer, but at least we had six consecutive days of great weather and clear water, and were grateful to have had that!

We'll definitely try and go back next year!

Even if the weather turns out to be bad, we have this fun 4-wheeler (that belongs to my cousin who stays at the camp sight too) to ride on the sand.

Vroom vroom!

Ferragosto

2007-08-24T08:30:00.000+01:00

It's August and we're in Italy. Soooooo, when in Rome...
We're heading off to the beaches of Gianola, camping style, for a week! Don't miss me too much. I promise to take lots of photos. Hope everyone is having a wonderful Ferragosto! Ciao! :)

Just In Case

2007-08-20T09:19:00.000+01:00

There are 4 months (WOHOOO) left before my Brother and his girlfriend come to visit for Christmas. I thought, just in case... by chance... my Mom and Dad wanted to send ~~me,~~ I mean, us a Christmas gift, I would help them along by telling them directly what I, we want! ;)

See the photo up there? Well, I, we would like a new one of those... they wouldn't even have to go through the headache of searching for the best and most economic one. I will leave that up to my Brothers, as they are the specialists in electronic stuff. See, aren't I nice?! I'm posting about this now so that they have more than enough time to bargain shop. Again, aren't I nice?! Coincidentally, Bj's is selling it for $169.99. But, that doesn't mean that you can't try to get it off of Ebay for a fraction of that price. I, we just wanted to point you in the right direction.

Oh, and, it doesn't have to be this camera in particular. I just want it to take great photos in any type of setting, so great pixelage is a MUST and I would prefer it take AA batteries.

So, there ya go...my...our Christmas list.
*BIG CHEESY GRIN*

Just think of all of the great photos I can take of Lina & Sofia with an updated camera!
*BIGGER, CHEESIER, GRIN*

No need to mention this the next time we speak over the phone. I'll pretend like I, we never even mentioned it and will act pleasantly surprised if/when I, we open it at Christmas time!

*Edited to add* This is something conveniently small enough to transport too. So convenient, it can be put in the carry on luggage. See, no problems with having to worry about adding extra weight to the suitcases... which will probably be weighed to the precise maximum by my Mom with gifts for the girls! :)

You Tube Madness

2007-08-18T17:35:00.000+01:00

Well folks, after a long week of fighting with my computer, new modem, my windows configuration system, and Telecom...I am finally connected to ADSL! I would like to give special thanks to the wonderful people over at Expats In Italy who tried their best to help me out during this frustrating experience. In the end, if you ask me exactly what I did to get connected, I don't have an answer. All I know is that I did everything imaginable. Yesterday morning, I purchased I terminal adapter to make my computer Wi-Fi compatible. I will just assume that that is what did it. Anyway, now that my connection does not crawl along at a turtles pace, I can (after 1 year and four months) finally watch videos online again... without dieing a slow cyber death.

Guess what I have been doing since? I have gone YouTube crazy! I stumbled upon a clip of one of my favorite Scherzi a Parte (Italy's version of Candid Camera) moments. I laugh my ass off every time I see it. Poor Coco, they got him good. What can I say...a girl pops out of a box and mysterious men show up to "collect"... it's enough to have made me want to shit my pants too!

If you have knowledge of the Italian language, you'll really enjoy this. If you don't understand a word of Italian, it doesn't matter... this guy's actions and facial expressions are enough to make you laugh out loud. Enjoy...

Should I Disappear Suddenly...

2007-08-09T10:38:00.000+01:00

...from the blogsphere

It's because me and this little flat, white box, thing-a-ma-jiggy are having a BIG FIGHT WITH EACH OTHER!!!

Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Over The Limit

2007-08-06T15:33:00.000+01:00

Last week, I wrote about the tragic motorcycle accident that took place not far from where I live. After studying the scene of the accident, it was determined that not only were the two young men riding without helmets, they were riding at a speed of 180km. That's, if I do my math correctly 108mph. Here's a shot taken from inside my car this morning on the way home from Maddaloni.

As I wrote before, this is a road that I drive on frequently. I know it's hard to see, but I tried to get a shot of the speed limit sign. Can you make out the number? You'll probably see better if you click on the photo to get a larger view. Yes, that says 60... the maximum speed on that road is supposed to be 60km (36mph). This is the steel fence where they perished . The impact of their bodies damaged it so much that a portion had to be cut off. Bouquets of flowers used to be there. Now, scarves of their favorite teams (I believe) are hanging from the fence.

What's really sad about this whole story is that not only was this man buried on his birthday, but when he left the first time for work that morning, he was in his car. For whatever reason, he turned back, parked his car, quickly said a goodbye to his Mother and hopped on his motorcycle. A motorcycle that belonged to one of his brothers. A brother that, only two years ago himself was on the verge between life and death... because of a motorcycle accident! You'd think that would have been a wake up call. Unfortunately, it made no difference. Two lives have been cut short. All for what? "The need for speed?!"

I honestly don't get it...

Festa di 18 Anni

2007-08-04T11:48:00.000+01:00

We are going to my cousin's festa di 18 anni tonight. I promised my Mom over the phone last night that I would take a photo of what we got for the birthday girl. It's a pretty silver necklace with a heart pendant. I wanted to get the one with a symbol of one of those pointy sun thingies. Or is it a star? Hmmmm, the name escapes me right now! She has a tattoo of it on her arm, so I figured she is a fan of that symbol. (Anyone know what symbol I am talking about?) Why not get her a pendant that was the same, right?! Tony thought the heart was 'nicer' so we went back and forth deciding on which to get until the jeweler pushed forward the heart one saying we would make a 'bella figura' with it! Yeah, OK, I'm sure the fact that it was more expensive than the other one had nothing to do with it! So, heart pendant it is...

Weekend at Scauri

2007-07-30T09:30:00.000+01:00

We had another day trip to Scauri on Saturday. We had planned to go both Saturday and Sunday this time around but Saturday was enough. Spending 9 straight hours at the beach (not including travel time) tends to suck the energy out of you. For the second time, the water was pretty clean. It still doesn't rank up there with the beaches of Sperlonga though. The water was clear, but not crystal clear. Although, I'll take clear, over playing "guess what your stepping in/on" any day! We went to lido Aurora again. There weren't a lot of people, which to me was very odd. The sight of many empty umbrella spots was strange. Upon talking to other beach goers, I was told that "it wasn't August yet." August seems to be the month to go to the beach here. That's when practically all of Italy's businesses shut down (for Ferragosto) and you are left to fend for yourself. It's Italy's version of "Survivor!" Last time I brought the camera but didn't take pictures. I wasn't going to pass up the opportunity this time around. My rechargeable batteries had died after the third photo (YIKES), so a quick purchase of duracells saved the day! :)

As always, seeing as there are a lot of photos, I posted thumbnails of them. If you want to see the bigger version, just click on the photos.

See all of those empty umbrellas? They were next to our spot. It was like that for the entire day. We felt pretty lucky to not have to share our 'space.' See the building in the background of the first photo? I really want to know what that is! It seems to be abandoned. If anyone from the Minturno/Scauri area knows it's history, let me know, please. :)

Always fun to see... young men throwing each other high up into the air, only to land in water that is no more than 2 feet deep! All I kept thinking was that someone was going to break their neck!

No beach visit is complete without getting (semi) buried in the sand!

While we were out walking about, we ran into a couple that was ~~scamming~~ selling "pietre fortunati" (lucky rocks). People would pick a rock, (I'd say they were more like jewels) hold it in their hand and the lady (in white holding magic wand) would splash the person's hand with her "magic water." If the liquid, upon hitting the rock, turned pink, it was a lucky rock and would bring much fortune to the bearer of the rock.

We didn't participate... but it was fun to watch. :)

We even rented a pedalo (peddle boat) and set out to enjoy an entire hour out at sea. It was pretty fun except for when Tony seemed to want to peddle too far out and I panicked and yelled at him until we could turn back. The girls weren't wearing any type of life jacket. Imagining going so far out where my feet couldn't touch the ground "just in case" made me feel really uneasy. Tony had the "nothing will happen" attitude. I set him straight and we went back to less deep waters. I really think the people who rent out those things should supply life jackets, at least for the ones who can't swim.

But, that's a whole other blog entry...

"Italians, fearless, and living on the edge!"

Of course, there was the "granita man" and the "walking clothing rack" that is never missing from an Italian beach. :)

The all important seashell search.

Sofia eating her sandwich outside of our beach cabin. She had built a tiny sandcastle before eating. When she went back to check on it afterwards, someone had stepped on it. There she is pointing to what was the sand castle.

Out and about taking a stroll. Good thing to see a salvataggio boat every once in a while. Made me feel a bit at ease.

I asked Tony to take candid shots of me and the girls and his eyes wandered off. Yes, I took away camera duties from him for the rest of the day! I joked and told him that he could have at least taken a photo of grown women and not teenagers. His excuse was that he "couldn't tell" from just looking in the viewfinder!

Oh, and, another reason we didn't go back the next day... I had to tend to this boo-boo on my back! Nobody got burned except for me. Thankfully it didn't feel as bad as it looks. Now that I think about it though, Tony was in charge of putting the sunscreen on my back and I got burned. I put sunscreen on his back and he was fine. Hmmmmm, I think I will have someone else put the sunscreen on me next time!

Invincibility + Speed = Tragedy

2007-07-27T08:21:00.000+01:00

On Wednesday morning, around 9 a.m. Tony called me to tell me that if I had plans to go shopping towards the town of Maddaloni, not to bother because there was traffic that had come to a standstill. Usually it's because of work being done on the roads that makes it inconvenient to travel that way. I am always thankful that my husband gives me a heads up on traffic when he is working locally. Venturing out in the heat with two children in tow only to get stuck in traffic is terrible.
That morning though, traffic wasn't due to men at work... there was an accident...a deadly one.

Front page news July 26, 2007

Two men, on their way to work on a motorcycle lost their lives just seconds away from what was to be their final destination. I had heard many accounts of what happened during the early hours after the accident. I will call them rumors, as I never knew these two men and chose not to post about what I've heard through the 'grapevine' because I can not confirm them. One fact seems to be consistent though... high speed was a factor & neither of them was wearing a helmet. Now, without going into much detail on what physical state they were in when their bodies were recovered, I can't help but wonder if these two young men would still be alive today had they been wearing helmets? Michele D'Aiello whom was buried yesterday turned 30 years old just last month and the other, Saverio Castagna, was to celebrate his 27th birthday today. A mother will be burying her son, exactly 27 years after giving birth to him. That thought alone makes my heart heavy with sadness.

Front page news July 27, 2007

The town of Maddaloni has lost several other citizens due to tragic auto/moto accidents.

These two men were from the town I was born in, the town in which the majority of my relatives live in and the place where my family roots are. I can't help but feel a connection, even if small, to them. The spot in which they perished has now become sacred ground. In time, some sort of tomb stone will most likely be placed there in remembrance of the two lives lost.

From now on, every time I drive past that spot, I will feel sadness and wonder... what if?

I write this post today with deep sadness. My condolences, thoughts and prayers go out to each victim's families. If what I have written causes at least one person to think twice before driving without a seat belt, or riding their moto without a helmet, I will be content. I believe in fate and destiny. Most of the people that I have spoken to in regards to this accident basically say the same thing, "It was their destiny!" I strongly disagree. When one makes the choice to throw caution to the wind... they pretty much are sealing their fate and have chosen their own destiny.

Too Close For Comfort

2007-07-25T10:17:00.000+01:00

I was reading one of Nyc/Caribbean Ragazza's recent posts. It was regarding a beach next to a runway. After I watched the video clip and had heart palpitations, I thought I would make screen caps of it to get a better feel of just how close that plane was to the people/car/fence!

Imagine being at the beach, relaxing, then looking up to see a sight like this one...

The plane looks like it just missed the top of that jeep!

I swear, it grazed that fence!

Oh and, the person right underneath the tail of the plane has every reason to be 'ducking,' don't ya think?!

I'm sure the passenger in the jeep was wondering what the hell just happened?!

I claim no ownership to the video, nor the screen caps.

How's your heart rate doing?

Party's Over

2007-07-23T12:07:00.000+01:00

The weekend has gone by like a bolt of lightening. We attended a wedding on Saturday and spent the day at the beach yesterday. As we drove over the 'big blue bridge' leaving Campania, and crossing over to Lazio, I thought of fellow expat and blogger KC. On our way back home (on the other side of the blue bridge), I saw the ruins in Minturno that she had written about just last week. I thought that was cool.

The wedding wasn't actually a 'wedding' it was their one year anniversary. The couple (my husband's cousin) are from Switzerland and they got married there last July 21st because that's where they are from and that's where all of the bride's family originates from. So, for their anniversary they organized a festa for the grooms family (in Italy) that couldn't travel to Switzerland for the wedding. It was great because as we celebrated their anniversary, we secretly celebrated our 10th with a couple extra glasses of wine and champagne. :)

Don't worry, we didn't steal any thunder from the couple in the spotlight. It was, after all, their day.;)

Then yesterday we went to Scauri because we didn't feel like braving the 2 hour or so drive to Sperlonga. We had a great time there too. I brought the camera but it never came out on the beach as I was having too much of a good time with my family to even think that I brought it to begin with! If all goes well, we'll have the first two weeks off in August to do some more beach visits.

All good things have to come to an end though. The worst thing about being away from the house the entire weekend is the cleaning you have waiting for you when you come back home! Look at what lovely site I have to look at. This had already been piling up prior to our weekend and I had just been putting off ironing because it's TOO DAMN HOT! I must tackle it soon though because most of our every day clothing is sitting in that there pile and if I don't get to it soon, we may very well have to walk around nekid! Then, if you think about it, in this heat it may actually be a relief! Hope everyone is doing their best to stay cool. Happy Monday! :)

Tin Aluminum or Diamonds???

2007-07-19T08:45:00.000+01:00

Tradition says to give tin, or aluminum. Modern day people prefer diamonds. OK, if you say so, I'll take one of these, please!
Only 4.8 million dollars. Think Tony would go for it? :)

Today is our tenth wedding anniversary! Wow, even typing it is hard to believe. Now, it's not hard to believe being married to someone for that long. Just hard to believe that so much time has passed, already! 1o years. It's a big number in this day and age. I want to be that couple that makes it to our 50th and beyond! When we got married, I promised to always be fedele, in gioia and dolore in salute and malattia. To love and honor, and all the other stuff in between. It's been a wonderful experience thus far. We have been blessed with two beautiful children. Two little beings whom which have caused me to forget what my life was like before them, as I can't imagine my life without them.

Each year only gets better. While most remember their honeymoon years as their best, I think they were our worst. They are awkward, 'still getting to know each other' years. As cheesy cliche-ish this may sound, I think of our marriage as a fine bottle of wine... getting better and better after each passing year!

We were so young when we got married. If you think about it, these last 10 years were spent growing up together. Now, I look forward to growing old together!

Happy Anniversary, my love!
One of my most treasured photos, taken one month before our wedding.

Finally

2007-07-18T12:47:00.000+01:00

Prior to this date, Lina had lost three of her baby teeth. Her first one fell out just last year, one month before we moved. Each tooth that has fallen up until now has wiggled for a long time but right before it would fall out, it would hurt a bit, bleed and the fall almost immediately. Not this tooth.

It wiggled...bled...wiggled...bled...wiggled...well, I'm sure you get the point. It took longer to fall out this time around from its initial bleeding period. We told her all the ways we could help get it out; tie a string to it and then tie it to the door knob, get a pair of pliers, etc... You guys know these trusted methods, right?! ;) She wasn't having it, so we waited patiently for her tooth to be ready enough to come out on a gentle tug.

For about a week, we had to stare at this. Nonna Giuseppina, this photo is especially for you to look at and say Ewwwwww!

Just about an hour ago, the tooth decided to give up it's grasp and came out with a small tug from Lina. TA DA

What a huge gap it left!

Someone is happy because she is looking forward to putting that little guy under her pillow for a profit! ;)

Poo Poo Heads

2007-07-16T09:44:00.000+01:00

...It's the nicest, of all the names I could think of to call my family. In the wake of opening my email this morning I found this.
I quote...

Hi Giulia
As Everyone but me of course LOL was stuffing their faces with crabs, they simultaneously said....
Oh man Giulia is Really missing out ......
So they wanted me to share a picture with you!!
Sorry!! but here you go!!
Hugs love ya
Jen

One of my most favoritest things in the world...crabs...caught fresh from the Jersey shore that same day. *sigh* I can almost taste them. All of those claws are screaming my name. *double sigh*

Now, I will admit, I got a heads up on this email last night when they phoned me and happened to say "Hey, did you see the photo?!" I hadn't been online so I asked, "What photo?" and they explained what was to come. I had no urge to see the photo right away, as I was on my way out. Plus, I was JEALOUS! When I went to read my mail this morning, I was expecting to see the worst... my family, all with crabs in hands, mouths wide open just looking at the camera as if to say,

"Look at what you're missing out on, Giulia!"

Thankfully, that wasn't the case, so I put my away. I will say this though. They are wussies because they made the one and only person in the family WHO HATES ANYTHING SEAFOOD send the email.

Poo Poo Heads!

Bountiful

2007-07-06T14:20:00.000+01:00

My in laws are constantly giving us fruits and vegetables from their garden. Sometimes, I've had to throw things away because we just can't eat the LARGE amount that they give us, fast enough! I am very thankful for what they give me because (1) it's homegrown and fresh and nothing beats that (2)there are people who wish they had this type of freshness at their disposal (3) IT'S FREE!

Shoot, it can't get better than that last one. ;)
Italians (at least in the smaller towns) will show their love, friendship, or gratitude by giving homegrown foods as gifts. I think that is great! Here is the reason behind this post though. Not only do my in laws shower me with their love. Since we have made 'peace' with our neighbors and let bygones be bygones (long story, maybe I'll tell it one day) they have started to shower us with produce from their garden too!!!

This is a bag of goodies from their garden, just yesterday.
Eggplant, green peppers, string beans, tomatoes, red prunes and aromatic basil! Put your nose up to the screen...I wont tell.

I swear, it smells that good!

Now, only a couple hours ago, they surprised me with

another bag of goodies! OY
More eggplant, red peppers, peaches and some kind of yellow fruit? Anyone have an idea as to what fruit that is?

I'd hate to let all of this fresh homegrown fruits and veggies go to waste. My freezer is only so big. You expats know what I'm talking about, right? If I were a vegetarian, I wouldn't have such a dilemma on my hands as I'm sure most of this food would be done within the next couple of days.

It's times like this that I wish I was!

UN-Italian

2007-07-05T14:47:00.000+01:00

I have certain (bigger) chores that I have been meaning to do around the house, but each time, I think to myself... "It can wait!" I am such the procrastinator. The Italian women are known to be obsessive cleaners to the point that they lug big ass rugs over their balconies and beat them with a stick, to get rid of the dirt that accumulates on them. Ummm, ever heard of a vacuum? Really, ladies, it would make life so much easier for you! My home is RUG LESS. If I had a rug though, I would not be bringing it outside to bat it with a stick. That's the American in me. I am however torn about cleaning these guys.

Yes, those are the doors outside of my inside doors. I'm sure they have a proper name, but for now they will be called "the outside doors." I think I have washed these guys down twice, at the most, since living here! Now, I am getting to the point where when I step outside onto the balcony, the dust on them is practically speaking to me...

I took a wet cloth and wiped one of the shutters clean and BOY, what a difference!

Now, I have screwed myself, as having one silly little shutter clean and the rest full of dust looks worse than when they were all full of dust! I should have just left it alone! Grrrrrr

Oh, and it's not like this is the only door. I have four entrances on the balcony, one window in the living room and another window in one of the bathrooms. Each door has two halves. The window has two halves and the bathroom is just one half.

Add that up and you have, 1, 2, 3... oh crap, as Phoebe Buffe once put it so well,

"That's math I can't even do!"

Yes, in regards to this type of cleaning, I am no Italian woman. A true Italiana would have these guys shining, spotless!

Report Card 2007

2007-06-28T11:55:00.000+01:00

We went to pick up Lina's report card yesterday and I am happy to announce that this September, she will be a third grader! She has completed her first full year of school in Italy. We are astonished by her perseverance, considering the obstacles she had to endure with the language barrier. I knew she was capable of receiving excellent grades, but wasn't expecting this so soon.

She proved me wrong!

WE ARE SO PROUD OF HER!

Here's a little rundown of how grades are given here, from best to worst.

Ottimo (A)
Distinto (B)
Buono (C)
Sufficiente (D)
Non sufficiente (F)

Click on each thumbnail to get a better view of her results! :)

Another Way To Stay Cool

2007-06-27T13:42:00.000+01:00

Cut long hair nice and short.

It's times like this that I am actually glad to live far away from my family. If we lived closer, they would have hung me by my toes! :p

Lina's cut wasn't so much a shock because I have cut her hair short several times.

This was Sofia's first haircut though! Well, I trimmed her bangs when she was a baby, but then I decided to grow them out. I never had the length of her hair cut. Gone are the little curls at the bottom of her hair that I used to love so much! I went through this with Lina too. She had the cutest little curls, until she got her first haircut. I haven't seen them since. I assume it will be the same with Sofia. Oh well, she still looks cute with this cut. :)

She is thrilled with it, so that's what matters!

It will be so much easier to maintain their hair now that it's shorter.

You Know It's Hot When...

2007-06-26T17:32:00.000+01:00

... your 3 year old resorts to putting a chair in front of the fan and backing her sedere up to it. I swear, the blades were turning when I snapped this shot, but oddly, they look like they aren't!

Good thing, I went out and bought the girls a piscina!

I have now ended my beach or pool dilemma! I had no idea that the water park closed from 1-3 every day. Pffffffft... what a rip off! This pool is enormous for Sofia and just large enough for Lina to actually do mini laps in.
She truly has enough room to enjoy herself.

It's perfect! So, it'll be pool at home to keep them busy this summer, and when we feel like braving it, we'll do family trips to the beach. :)

Bittersweet

2007-06-25T09:03:00.001+01:00

Last Friday, when my (much anticipated) package arrived, I was quick to report the good news... that firstly, it got here safe and sound and even better, Mamma surprised me with Doritos! Sadly though, it was a bittersweet moment upon arrival. You see, just one day prior to my package arriving, I had read over at Ms. Adventures in Italy that she had a BIG SECRET. Before she got to her secret, she informed her readers about how she got hit with Dogana fees from a relatively small package that she received. I quickly became worried because I was expecting a package myself, a not so small one either.

Well, the Dogana police (that's what I'll call them) were the ones to deliver my package on Friday. When I heard the words, "Signora, questo paccho viene da l'estero, cè una tassa di Dogana da pagare," my face scrunched up. He used a whole lot of other words, but after Dogana fee, he lost me. Somewhere in there though, I managed to also hear the words, "molto pesante!" I asked for them to come back because I didn't have the money. Well, I did, but I didn't want them to know that. ;) Want to know their response? If I didn't accept the package (pay for it) they would have to take it back and then "Who knows what would happen to the package?!" While staying calm and collective on the outside, in my mind I went into a panic, thinking to myself, "You don't know what will happen to it???" I had horrible visions of the package going to (as Ms. Adventures put it) the Dogana cimitero! So, I scrunched up my face even more, told them to hold on, went inside and scraped up the money.

I couldn't NOT pay it. The girls were so excited about getting their package from Nonna.
Plus, they were standing right next to me all the while. Imagine how they would have reacted if I had said I didn't have the money and the men left with their goodies. In the end, not only did my mother have to pay $88.80 to send the package, I had to pay an additional €31.72 in order for them to hand it over to me!

When we went inside and opened it up, the first thing I saw was a box within the box. It wasn't sealed, so I thought the worst and imagined that these a**holes had not only ripped me off, but that they had managed to open the box up and steal some of the contents inside. When I opened it up, I realized that the box was meant to cushion... my Doritos! Wohooo! Here is their stash. On your left, in the clothing department are 3 dresses each, 1 bathing suit (one pieces, wohooo) each, 1 pair of pj's each. On your right, in the food department is 1 big jar of peanut butter, 3 bottles of syrup, 2 bags of Doritos, 1 bag of Blow Pops, 1 bag of M&M's, and a bottle of Advil!

Yes, that Advil couldn't have come at a better time!
I'm not exactly sure why this time I got hit with a fee and every other time I didn't? The packages have been pretty much the same size. Yes, this one was a bit heavier, but not too much. I think the fact that they declared the value of the contents inside to be like $200 and labeling it with "movies and toys" had something to do with it?

Next time (if there is one), I think you should be more discreet!

Thank you Mom for sending us a little bit of home!

I LOVE MY MOMMY!!!

2007-06-22T18:30:00.000+01:00

It's here... it's here... safe and sound!
I can't really type because my fingers are full of cheese-E-ness at the moment!!!

Mamma mia sent the girls a HUGE package and there was a surprise in it for me too.

*BIG SMILE*

I will write about it soon, but for now, please enjoy a couple photos of me enjoying MY Doritos!

I swear...
I almost cried!
To be continued...

Homemade Bagels

2007-06-16T12:24:00.001+01:00

Last time it was brownies. This time, we were craving bagels. Nothing fancy, just a simple bagel with some good cream cheese on it! Good thing *Michelle was generous and shared a recipe of her own on her blog. Along with the brownie, I have gone well over a year without eating a bagel, although I have found bagel chips at Lidel. Obviously, they don't compare to the real thing! Michelle is a New Yorker whom currently lives in Milan, so she's had the best of the best when it comes to bagels. Which is why I totally trusted her opinion when it came to this recipe.

And I quote:
"They aren't H&H in New York but they turn out really well!

And they are sometimes even better defrosted and toasted."

I am happy to say that she is absolutely correct! Even though I feel like (out of pure anxiety) I rushed the bagel making process, (I think they could have risen a bit more) they came out pretty good. Not bakery quality, but sufficient enough when you are craving a bagel and they are NO WHERE to be found around my parts of Italy! ;)

Here's a quick run through...
These were the bagels after they had risen, right before boiling them.

The recipe was to yield 8 bagels total, so I thought I'd be slick and save time and boil 4 at a time. That was a mistake as they seemed squished in the pot.

So, for the next batch, I did two and they were content swimming around freely within the pot.

Here they are after all had been boiled and ready to go into the oven.

20 minutes later...VOILA...

BAGELS!

So, THANK YOU so much Michelle. This recipe has made a permanent home in my files. I will be putting them into the freezer right now. I can't wait to taste them tomorrow morning defrosted and toasted. :)

*For any expat craving bagels, click on the link to get her recipe!

Double Tagged

2007-06-14T08:18:00.000+01:00

Someone by the name of Hilda Carroll at Living Out Loud decided to compile a list of songs that are uplifting and make her feel "happy". She tagged some friends and of course it became a domino effect. Coincidentally, Mary over at The Flavors of Abruzzo, and G from Mi Chiamo Giovanna both tagged me. Was this planned? I smell a conspiracy! Since two people tagged me, I'll do two songs. Makes sense, right?

Good thing this is a simple tag because I don't know what I would have done had it been a long and complicated one. Maybe I would have had to "go Jersey" on them?

Guess you'll never know!

OK, here goes. These are the first two songs that popped into my head...

I Feel Good because James Brown yelping a loud ass "Whoa-oa-oa" in the opening of this song is enough to make me get off my feet and boogie. Which in turn, results in me being happy!

La Bamba because well, I had a big crush on Lou Diamond Phillips when he played Ritchie Valens in La Bamba! Hey, I was 10 years old! I had no idea what any word in that song meant. I just knew that it was upbeat and fun to move to. Thankfully, many years later a quick Google of the lyrics has produced this. Ahhh, the wonders of internet.

I am choosing not to tag anyone, but please feel free to play along if you want!
The rules are very simple:
1. Post about the one song that makes your heart sing, and uplifts your spirit every time you hear it. If you can provide a link to lyrics and/or audio that would be fabulous. But it's not essential, so don't worry about it if you can't.
2. Include a track back to this post.
3. Tag three others and ask them to include a track back to your post and Hilda Carroll's.

Decisions, Decisions

2007-06-12T12:19:00.000+01:00

We have been undecided as to where we want to spend our days this summer. The pool or the beach. Fortunately for us, we live in a town that has a wonderful pool/water park. It's called Happy Days. A very appropriate title, don't ya think?! ;) So basically, we have a water park to go to that is literally 5 minutes away or we can brave the traffic and heat to go to the beach. We would have to drive at least two hours (without traffic) to get to a decent, clean beach. Plus, it costs an arm and a leg to spend the day there. We've been to closer beaches that are far less expensive, but the water is gross! We didn't have the greatest experience at the closer beach (Valcatura, or something to that effect) so we crossed it off our list and chose to go to Sperlonga.

Sperlonga is absolutely stunning! Definitely worth the extra bit of Euros (for a day here and there), but not if you plan on making frequent trips. YIKES! Italians already get shit for pay, so we must be frugal and spend wisely. If we choose to go to Happy Days, these would be the prices to join...

Abbonamenti
10 ingressi: € 90,00
15 ingressi: € 130,00
20 ingressi: € 160,00
30 ingressi: € 230,00

30 ingressi seems to be the most reasonable one as far as getting our moneys worth. That's 7 trips for the four of us and then we have two more ingressi left over. These are the pools available. I think that's a pretty good assortment. I know if we went to the beach, €230 would be the least we would spend! I'd say between paying for parking and renting an umbrella and chair, that's the first €50 right there!

If we don't go to the beach though, we will miss out on things like this... the girls playing in sand and breathtaking views. I can get over the sand part, because in the end, sand is extremely annoying!

This is too hard to decide!

What would you do?

It's A TREE!

2007-06-11T09:08:00.000+01:00

*Warning: Possible adult content...depending on how you see it.*

*I apologize in advance if you find it offensive.*

Mondays are always hard, so I thought I'd share something to give you a good laugh, or shock and disgust you... depending on how your sense of humor is. Yesterday, we had one of my nieces over to play with the girls and at one point they were all drawing to keep themselves occupied. Tony was out. When he came home though, Sofia quickly ran up to him to show off her drawing...

Upon viewing it, Tony pulled me to the side and discreetly asked me, "Did you draw this?!" Puzzled by his questioning of the artwork, I said "No, why?" When he showed me the paper it was upside down, which is why I then understood why he asked me...

I shot him the dirtiest look and asked, "How dare you ask me a question like that, knowing that I am here with three children. Do you really think I would draw that?!" I then went to Sofia and asked her (in my best Mommy voice) "Sofia, what did you draw honey?"

Her response... "It's a tree Mommy!" Tony and I looked at each other, and unanimously thought, "Ohhhh, yes, it is a tree! Great job Sofia." Lina popped in and exclaimed, "It looks more like a mushroom to me!" Tony and I exchanged stares and giggles, looked at Lina and said "You're right Lina, good eye!" I then took the piece of paper and put it on my shelf so that I could scan it and save it for future reference.

Happy Birthday Jen

2007-06-10T08:55:00.000+01:00

Empty

2007-06-09T10:02:00.000+01:00

There is sadness in our home this morning, as we have to bid farewell to a favorite Aunt...

Please keep her in your thoughts as we lay her to rest in the appropriate recycling bin.

Take note though, that we will kindly take any and all donations of another Aunt to take her place.

OK bloggers...help me!

2007-06-08T15:32:00.000+01:00

I am going to be editing my side bar soon and will be adding a few more links to blogs that I like to read. What I want to know is, how do you keep track of a bulk of blogs without having to painstakingly click on each individual link to see if they have updated? I'm sure there is a simple answer to this, but seeing as I have a shit slow internet connection, I find it agonizing to search to find an answer. Can someone point me in the right direction, please?

In Lockdown

2007-06-04T13:06:00.000+01:00

Well, school is out! Not officially though, but apparently if you send your child to school until the last day here, you're stupid. School was supposed to end on the 9th, but Italians seem to think it's "sufficient" enough that they go until the last day of May. An even funnier one... the teachers don't want the pupils there until the last day, as it interferes with their "plans." I really wanted to send Lina in until her last day, but when everyone else has pulled their child out of school and I'm the only one sending my child and she is the only one in class, it's kinda unfair to her. This is something that I really have to get used to, as I find it ABSURD! It's definitely a regional thing because I have heard that in the north, if the 9th is the last day, then the 9th is the last day!

Which is how it should be everywhere.

I kept Sofia home this morning, because, well, it's Monday... and Monday's suck. The girls have been at each other's throats all day and I have put myself in lock down. After the gagillienth time of one or the other coming in to the computer room to say "Mommy, she did this!" or "Mommy, she did that!" I have shut the door and LOCKED IT. So, now I am sitting here peacefully, listening to music and typing away... pretending that they are not here. But, I know it wont last long because I have to check on them, after all. Plus, the potato chips that I am craving are in the kitchen...

and that's where the girls are!

Procrastination

2007-06-01T16:46:00.000+01:00

You see that little sidebar to your right? The one that has the links to the blogs that I like to read? Without naming names, let me give you a little 411 on them. There are ones that I read religiously on a daily basis. There are a couple that haven't been updated in months. There are a couple that have "moved" but I still click on the link I have there and then at their blog click on the new link to read. Then there are a couple blogs that I read daily and usually comment on, but have not once seen them over here. Well, maybe they come here, I dunno, but they haven't let me know they are here. Then there are other blogs that I am slowly getting into the habit of reading that have yet to make a permanent home over at the sidebar. They will soon though. Anyway, I have been meaning to get over there to that little sidebar and update it, but I am procrastinating, you see. And yes, I know, that in the time it took to write this little post up, I could have gone into my template and done some editing...but I'm lazy and don't feel like it.

Get it? Got it? GOOD

And that folks, is my meaningless thought for the day.

Thank you and good night!

Happy Birthday Joey

2007-05-31T15:26:00.000+01:00

And YES, you get a cake too!

Have a fun, great, safe day!

Much love!

Un-Official Start of Summer

2007-05-26T12:13:00.000+01:00

If you ask most Americans what this weekend means to them, they will probably say that it is the (un)official start of summer. I have to admit that up until not to long ago, I was guilty of this same frame of thought. Even though (to a certain extent) I still associate Memorial day with the beginning of lazy summer days and backyard barbecues, I know what it's true meaning is. Every American should.

Right now, I'm just in nostalgia mode because of the distance between me and my family and friends. Memorial Day reminds me of good times spent with them and of memories that will last forever. Unfortunately, to families and friends of fallen heroes, Memorial day isn't about celebrating the beginning of the summer season. It's a day of mourning. And rightfully so, it should be. So, for those of you back home getting ready to dust of your grills and fire them up, please take a moment to honor the fallen heroes of your country. The freedoms of the country within which you live in are all because of the bravery of these men and women!

A veteran's sentiments...

What Is Memorial Day?

LT Bobby Ross

Choc-O-orgasmic!!!

2007-05-26T10:55:00.000+01:00

With the help of Cristina from Expats in Italy I have eaten my very first homemade brownie since moving here! I know, I could have easily googled "homemade brownies" but it wasn't so easy as I was looking for recipes with metric measurements. If I had only brought my measuring cups and little measuring spoons, I wouldn't have had this dilemma! So to those thinking of making the move here, bring all of your kitchen measuring utensils with you. Especially if you like to bake! If you're like me, it might be a while before you get used to metric measurements.

Anyway, I chose to title this one Choc-O-orgasmic because...well...

IT JUST IS!

I made a few modifications (nothing too drastic though) to her original recipe and this was my end result.

Just the other day I was talking about swimsuits. If I go on a brownie eating binge, a good fitting swimsuit will be the least of my worries!

I'm in BIG trouble!

I Have Needs

2007-05-25T14:19:00.000+01:00

I saw this over at Michelle's blog. She saw her friend, Goodthomas do it and decided to join in the fun. I want in on the fun too!

The Google search bar can be very entertaining when one is bored. Type in your first name and the word "needs" (both in quotes) right after it and see what your needs are. You may find out some things that you never knew about yourself. ;)

*Comments beneath the quotes are mine.*

1. Giulia needs a saying that is beneficial.
*OK, how about "Give peace a chance!"

2. Giulia needs about 8 hours to modify her site.
*Will that make me have more visitors?

3. Giulia needs some place to sleep for 3 days.
*3 whole days, all by myself, with no distractions? Sounds like heaven!

4. Giulia needs $ *___*! Help this poor girl to buy a new pair of vans shoes.
*I have no idea what vans shoes are, but I'll gladly accept all donations. :)

5. Giulia needs to be driven in order for her to stay 'in shape'.
*What exactly do they mean by driven???

6. Giulia needs attention.
*Oh, come on, don't we all?

7. Giulia needs a separate affi.
*What's an affi?

8. Giulia needs to be taken in the afternoon.
*I'm flexible; mornings and evenings are fine for me too!

9. Giulia needs help.
*I admit, often times, I do.

10. Giulia needs shared accommodation.
*I don't like to share my accommodation. Three's a crowd.

Now, wasn't that a hoot? Go on, you know you want to do it. If you do, either link me to your blog so that I can read your results or paste them here in the comment section.

Let's Talk Suits

2007-05-24T09:03:00.000+01:00

...bathing suits, that is! Yes, I'm gonna "go there!" Bathing suit season has crawled upon us faster than we could say, stretchmarks, cellulite and razor burn!

Not too long ago, Michelle, over at Bleeding Espresso formed a "sisterhood of the impossible-to-find pants" thread. Women all around (myself included) were able to relate to her.

But, I feel the need to form another sisterhood.

Let's call it the "sisterhood of the dreaded-do I really have to wear one- impossible to find one that fits right bathing suit!"

My frustration is not only sparked by the fact that swimsuit season is here. I am on a rant because I have signed up my oldest daughter for swimming lessons and I can't for the life of me find a decent 1 piece bathing suit for her here! It's like it's against Italian beach law for a child to wear anything other than a flimsy two piece bikini. Am I the only one noticing this? Or, am I just looking in the wrong places? Since the beginning of the week, from the mercato to several bottegas, all I have seen are bikinis for both adults and children!

Bikinis here...bikinis there...bikinis EVERYWHERE.

Some of my family members ask why I want her to wear a one piece? I have no one specific reason. I just rather prefer it over a two piece. For starters, I feel that by putting on a one piece, more of the body will be covered and protected from the sun. Less exposure to those parts of the body mean less chance of getting burned on them, right? Plus, (and I know, this is totally psychological), I associate bikinis with grown ups. I don't want to see my eight year old (who looks 12) in a bikini already. It's almost as if I don't want her to grow up. I went through this with her when she was a toddler and she would grow out of her shoes in like a month! I would try to force shoes that were to small on her because I would think to myself "She can't possibly be wearing that size already!" Eventually, I got over it and had to accept the fact that her feet had to grow. Now, it's accepting the fact that the rest of her body is growing that I have to get used to! I wont give in yet though. I will continue to look for a one piece bathing suit, even if it drives me to the verge of insanity!

As for me... You'll never catch me in a bikini. I've always been self conscious about my body. Even at my thinnest I wouldn't wear them. Well, except for the time we went on our honeymoon. I wore one then. I believe it was the last time I wore one though! I've seen too many scary sights on the beach here. I wont go into detail but I'm sure all the expats can relate. Let's just say that some people are very courageous to wear bikinis, ummm, when they really shouldn't. I know, who am I to say that a certain person shouldn't wear something, right? But, it's how I feel. If you're going to over expose yourself (in public), at least let it be visually stimulating to others!

Now, two kiddos later, I am slowly venturing into the swimsuit world again by taking a liking to the skirted swimsuit, similar to these...

I absolutely love them! It's like wearing a cute little outfit, only it's a bathing suit. I could kiss the person who came up with this concept. I bought one back home and happily wore it to the beach this past summer as it covered me up in all the right places. Unless I mysteriously wake up one morning having morphed into Pamela Anderson's body, this is the closest I will come to wearing a 'two piece' bathing suit ever again!

Angoli di Cielo

2007-05-15T11:16:00.000+01:00

Buy the single, download it...just get it! If you've heard it on the radio and, like me, have spent countless hours going nuts over finding out the title of this song and who sings it, you will thank me! Now GO, find it and take a listen. Your body will uncontrollably start bouncing to the beat!

^_^

Angoli di Cielo

by: Tiromancino

Qualcosa c'è
che ti fa paura
e rende incerto il tuo volo.
Sarà l'idea
che il tempo si consuma
e all'improvviso sei solo,
come un attore ha scelto il ruolo
di chi è sicuro di se,
ma sai benissimo che la tua arte
è nella parte fragile di te.
Cerca angoli di cielo
fantastiche visione,
per dare nuova luce ai tuoi occhi
lasciando entrare tutte le emozioni
senza far finta che l'amore non ti tocchi.
Prendi tutti i suoni
dal frastuono di ogni giorno
cerca tra la gente le parole
segui la tua vita
non lasciarla andare
ora e il momento

Perchè non c'è
nessuna differenza
se vinci o se perdi,
quello che conta
che ha più importanza
è essere quello che sei.
Cerca angoli di cielo
fantastiche visioni,
per dare nuova luce ai tuoi occhi;
lasciando entrare tutte le emozioni
senza far finta che il dolore non ti tocchi.
Prendi tutti i suoni
dal frastuono di ogni giorno
cerca tra la gente le parole
ama la tua vita
non lasciarla andare
ora è il momento.

Prendi tutti i sogni
dal frastuono di ogni giorno
cerca in ogni notte un po' di sole
ama la tua vita
non lasciarla andare
ora è il momento
non aspettare...

Mother's Day 2007

2007-05-13T08:45:00.000+01:00

Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there, but especially to my mom!

Mom, thank you for everything you've ever taught me and have ever done for me. It is appreciated more than you know. I would have never been able to fully appreciate it until I became a mother myself. Now, as a mom, I know what you had to deal with. And may I just say...I'm soooooo sorry for every bad thing I did and every headache I ever gave you when I was a child. LOL
I thought you'd get a kick out of that!

I Love You!

Busy Busy Busy

2007-05-04T17:53:00.000+01:00

Hi all! I'm just dropping in to let you know that everything is OK. I have been really busy. On Tuesday, our nephew had his first holy Communion, so we partied it up, Italian style. We had a wonderful time! I took around 350 digital photos and have now taken on the task of putting them babies all together in one big ole music video montage. My family knows how (picky and precise) I am when it comes to putting one together. So, it's safe to say that I am very busy with this project right now. Of course, Fiorello received a 'busta' from us as a gift, but this video is an extra special gift from Zia Giulia. He has always loved the videos that I put together for him, of us, when we lived in America. So, I know he will wear this one out just as he has done with all the others. :)
Here are some photos to hold you off, dear famiglia of mine, cause I know you're just hungry for anything new of the girls. I'll throw in a few others too...

This is one of Fiorello's newest cousins from his Mother's side of the family. He was just 12 days old on the day of the Communion! Cutesy wootsy, he is!

Tony and I pose for a photo. Soon after, Sofia joins only to look away from the camera.

The star of the show poses with us briefly before he runs off.

Tony and Sofia enjoy some 'Daddy and me' time.

Sofia gets tired of the loud music and decides to stick her fingers in her ears.

Lina tearin up the dance floor with Fiorello.

And here are a couple more shots.

Ciao, for now!

One Day Silence

2007-04-30T07:39:00.000+01:00

For all the victims of this world.

To find out more... click here.

Simplicity

2007-04-26T13:17:00.000+01:00

So, yesterday turned out to be a great day. Early in the morning as I was on my way out, the doorbell rang. To my surprise, it was the florist delivery man. After I accepted my flowers, I eagerly went inside to see who had sent them? I sure wasn't expecting them from Tony (we aren't the 'gift giving' type couple), but a quick glimpse at the card proved me wrong.

Aren't they pretty?! The bouquet was HUGE!

Awww,I was touched.

Tony had told me that he wanted to take the girls and I out somewhere special to eat. When asked where I wanted to go, guess where I told him I wanted to go?

Ha Ha, I can just hear you all now...Burger King?!

Yes, I had the chance to get dressed up fancy shmancy, go to a nice restaurant, eat antipasta, yummy pasta, an even yummier secondo...all with some great wine. But, I had absolutely no desire for that type of menu! When Tony asked me why BK? My answer was, I can eat that other stuff any day, I want me a WHOPPER! So, he cringed, smiled and agreed. He hates Burger King, McDonald's etc... so, I know he was truly doing this for me. I wuv my husband!

So, I put on some comfy sweats and off we went. Mom called on my cell while we were there and I could barely hear her. Joey (my lil' Bro) sent me a text message to wish me a happy birthday. But, the highlight of the night was having Sofia share, and feed me her "Fah- fies."

Ahhh yes, driving all the way to Napoli to the nearest BK, spending time with my family, eating a whopper, with cheese ;)... and just enjoying life.

Even the zingari kid (ya'll know how I feel about dem people) who came in and disturbed us while we were eating couldn't get the best of me. Tony took care of him right away...my hero! ;)

It couldn't have been better!

Happy Birthday to Me & 30 More Things

2007-04-25T08:52:00.000+01:00

OK, so today is a big day for me. It's...my...t-h-i-r-t-i-e-t-h...birthday. Eeeeeeeek! The BIG THREE-OH. I know there are a lot of women out there that totally freak out on this birthday. In all honesty, I don't seem to understand why? Would anyone like to enlighten me? And no, I don't want to hear from you twenty-somethings out there because I no longer like you people! *wink* j/k

I thought about writing up another "100 things meme" but decided to change it to 30 to commensurate with my...*gulp*...new age. Cool, eh? Yeah, I know, I'm smart like that.

So, here goes...

I am now thirty, and I am OK with that...I think.

When I thought of doing another 30 things I had all of these great things to write about when I was away from the computer. Now that I am actually typing, my mind has drawn a blank!

Oh, I can't watch TV in bed at night unless I blast the volume, because Tony snores LOUDLY. I don't like to raise the volume though, because I am afraid of waking the girls, so most of the times I give up and turn off the TV.

Vanilla used to be my favorite flavors when it came to ice cream, cake etc... and I hated chocolate flavored stuff. Now, I am slowly starting to like chocolate too!

Tulips are one of my favorite flowers. As a matter of fact I wanted the church decorated with tulips when I got married, but (1.)tulips weren't in season then (July) and (2.)they were so expensive to import that I got stuck with roses. The roses were pretty, but I wanted tulips!

I wear glasses to see things far away and to see clearly at night when I drive. That makes me near sighted, right? Or is it far sighted? Well, it's one or the other!

I'm not "the more the merrier" type of person. Let's use going to the beach for example... I'm OK with one extra family coming along but when it turns into 8 carloads full of people, I don't like that. It turns into a gigantor headache having to keep up with each other.

When I was younger, loud music was fun. Now I can't stand it because it hurts my ears. Oh man, I feel so old having said that!

Bad Boys and Shrek (and their sequels) are two of my most favorite movies!

To this day, the words "Exorcist" and "Carrie" scare the shit out of me. Green vomit, head spinning, levitation, pig blood, “they’re all gonna laugh at you!”, morbidly repeat in my mind. As a grown woman, I want to hide when I see photos of "Regan" or "Carrie" but especially Regan because they just freak me out! *shudders*

It's been an entire year that I haven't had Chinese food. I am craving it soooooo badly. Especially chicken lo mein. I'd like to find a Chinese restaurant here, but then I think of the Chinese person who tried to sell pizza in Jersey and I wonder if I really want it that badly!

I have become addicted to asiago cheese. It's just as good as galbanini, if not better!

I have yet to unpack my crates because (even with a large apartment) I have nowhere to put my stuff. I really need to invest in (what the Italians would say) a 'parete atrezzata.'

I can say supercalifragilisticexpialidocious several times in a row before my tongue starts to feel funny.

I also know that D.N.A means deoxyribonucleic acid. Thanks Mr. Zetlin!

I love seeing grass. No, not this overgrown shrub crap that I see all over the place here. Well kept, green grass. There are a few villas close to me that have well kept lawns and when I feel homesick, looking at their grass soothes me. I know, strange, huh?!

I want to get a puppy so badly, but so many things keep me from doing so. Who knows, maybe one day I will just show up with a puppy and take it from there.

I don't know all of the states nor do I know all of America's presidents.

I am not into politics, at all.

I am right handed.

I was 21-ish when I had my first child.

I have become a blog-a-holic! So much that when favorite bloggers of mine don't update their blog, I start to worry about them.

I am a side sleeper and I must sleep with a pillow between my legs or I can't fall asleep.

I don't bite my nails and can't stand when Tony (or anyone else) bites theirs in front of me.

I also hate it when...OK, they shall remain nameless...f-a-r-t in front of me and act like they did nothing. Yeah, sure, you can get away with a silent one. But geesh, when you make yourself heard and pretend like you did nothing? I don't think so!

I was 26 years old when I had Sofia.

I love the smell of peppers cooking, but will not eat them. I'll eat a sausage and pepper sandwich minus the peppers though. I like to put the peppers on the bun to get the taste from the oil soaked into the bread, but then I take them off.

I hate going places that don't have a bathroom, and that happens a lot around here. It totally sucks having to pee crouched down as that can get messy, if one is not careful!

My favorite colors are purple and blue.

In America, my birthday was just my birthday. Here, April 25th is a national holiday. The Italians celebrate the liberation of Italy at the end of the second world war. Which means practically everything is closed! So, celebrating isn't much fun when you have such little choices on where to go! I already have a place in mind though, but I am saving that for another post. :)

There ya go, thirty separate things about me...no repeats. Ahem, the person who I am directing this comment towards knows who they are. ;)

One Year Ago Today

2007-04-19T10:00:00.000+01:00

Today is our one year anniversary of having left New Jersey. It was one year ago today that my stomach was in complete knots as the time left with my family, friends and "home" was ticking down to the last minute. Once I would leave, I wouldn't know if or when I would ever go back. Typing these words, seem to open up a wound that took so long to heal... but I feel, for therapeutic reasons, "letting it out" will make me feel better in the end. That day keeps playing back in my mind. Actually the weeks leading up to the move play back in my mind. The chaos of packing crates and suitcases. The agony of having to sell most of my belongings and just watching total strangers walk off with things that we had spent 9 years accumulating. There were so many memories attached to those items. My car...my car... I was devastated to see it go. My Brother and his girlfriend wound up renting out our apartment, so they got a good chunk of our stuff, so I am glad about that. This way when I go back to visit, I can reacquaint myself with items 'formerly known as mine'. :) I wouldn't take anything back, although, I miss my push salad spinner terribly. lol I also miss this gigantic cutting board that my Dad made for me once. I used to do all my kneading on that thing, and I would use it as a surface to place my 'hot out of the oven' homemade pizzas. Does that sound silly? Too miss such a simple item? I am on a mission to find one as large here, but I haven't had any luck.

OK, back to our last day. It was sad, so sad... as expected. We had one last meal together out in the backyard, that consisted of pizza. Ahhh, American pizza... I really miss it. *sigh* Yes, I know, I live in Italy where no other pizza can compare. But, every once in a while, I crave that American slice just ooooozing with mozzarella cheese. I couldn't eat the pizza and barely had a bite or two, as my emotions overpowered my hunger. Last thing I wanted was to get on a plane feeling ill from eating. I already knew I was going to feel ill from my emotions... and I did. Cynthia and Evalyn (our neighbors) were there and ate with us. When Cynthia said goodbye to me, she gave me such a monstrous hug that it literally took my breath away. Evalyn, too young to fully understand, said goodbye and my heart broke as I watched them pull away in their car. I'm glad that they were the ones to leave the house first. If I had pulled away with them still there, I would have felt so much worse.

As was the case when we went to Mom and Dads house for one last goodbye. Mom was teetering back and forth as to whether she wanted to come to the airport with us. In all honesty I didn't want any one in my family bringing us to the airport because I knew, I just knew how unbearably painful it was going to be. I wanted to use a car service, but my Brother wasn't going to accept that! And so there we were, minutes away from leaving to go to the airport and Mom decided that she would come after all. Dad decided to stay behind. He was the only one to stay behind. So we said our goodbyes and left. I left my Father on the front porch, crying. I didn't look back... I couldn't. Mom and I cried the whole way to the airport. It was terrible. The whole drive to the airport, I made it a point to look around at my surroundings, as I wondered if I would ever see them again. We drove past so many places that I had frequented so often. Lina's first preschool, Sears, BJ's, the whole Blue Star strip mall; and many more places. Within myself, I quietly said "goodbye" to all the things familiar to me within the last 28 years of my life.

I just wanted to snap my fingers and let it all be over with. I wanted to have had said my goodbyes, have had been on my flight, and have been in Italy right there, in that very moment. The unavoidable was near. Saying goodbye at the airport. All of the woman cried like babies, of course. As I embraced each of my Brothers and said goodbye, I was surprised by their strength. The strength that they had, not to show emotion. It's odd, because the one person (my father)who I thought wouldn't cry did and the two (my brothers) that I thought would cry, didn't. It was hard, so hard, but I got through it. We all did.

Thankfully, I have already seen my Mom, Dad, and younger Brother within this past year because they came to visit. Now I am anxiously awaiting a visit from an old, close friend and my older Brother and Jen (his girlfriend). So, it's not so bad after all as we can keep in touch on a daily basis if we wanted to. A long time ago, when people moved across the ocean, that was it, you were really saying your goodbyes. Families had to rely on an occasional letter to be kept up to date with each other. Now, in this day and age, we have the use of low cost phone calls, internet/email, and if you're lucky, cheap flights! It's the next best thing to physically being with your loved ones. I'll take that over an occasional letter any day! I miss my family terribly. I miss my friends terribly. I miss New Jersey terribly. I have no idea what the future holds for us here in Italy. My hopes are that it is a promising future, especially for my children. But, if it isn't, even though I DREAD the thought of having to do a whole move again, I would have no problems moving back home!

Even though I shed tears while writing this, I honestly feel much better now. I'm sure that anyone who has ever made this big of a move, or has had to deal with someone moving far away from them, can somehow relate to me. All I want is that my family and friends are always safe, healthy and happy. As long as I have that, it doesn't matter where I live.

Dear Evalyn

2007-04-17T15:32:00.000+01:00

We just found out wonderful news that our old neighbors are expecting a new addition to their family! Lina was so excited that she pulled out her paper and crayons and quickly drew and wrote the soon to be big sister, Evalyn, a little something.

Let me translate, as Lina is a little rusty with her English spelling...

That is supposed to be Lina in the top left and Evalyn is at the bottom right of the drawing. Evalyn is telling Lina, "I miss you." while Lina responds with, "I miss you too. All the fun stuff is going on now that we are gone." All the while, she is thinking... "I want to go to America"

(As always, click on the images for a larger view.)

You Will Always Be My Favorite Neighbor

Then this is her letter to Evalyn.

Dear Evalyn,

Soon you will be a big sister like me. Your job will be to help Mommy and Daddy. Do not be jealous like me because you are big now and babies are smaller so they need a pinch more of "love" because they do not know how to eat, walk, talk. But, after a few years it will be OK! Because "she or he" will be old enough to play with. And everything will be OK!

Love,

Lina

P.S. Thank you for the birthday package!

Lina's pretty bummed that she can't be there with Evalyn to "school" her on being a big sister. I promised her that I would post these for Evalyn to see.

Best wishes and congratualtions to all!

100 Things About Me

2007-04-15T19:35:00.000+01:00

I did it, I finally sat down to write this meme. As I surfed around and read several other blogger's memes, I thought that eventually it would be cool to write one too. So, without further ado, and in no particular order, get to know a little bit about me...

I was born in Italy.
Maddaloni (CE) to be exact.
My husband was born in the same hospital two years earlier.
Little did I know that we would meet so many years later.
I didn't start walking until I was 14 months old... cause I was lazy, as Mom likes to put it.
When I was in first grade, a boy that liked me showed his affection towards me by throwing an eraser at me halfway across the playground. It hit me in the head... but *sigh* it was a heart shaped eraser.
When I brush my teeth, I look like a rabid animal because I use a lot of toothpaste and my mouth gets all foamy.
I can curl the sides of my tongue. Something that most people I know can't do.
When I was little I loved Michael Jackson so much that I entertained people by dancing his moves.
Now, I have no idea how to do those moves anymore.
Nor do I have the desire to do so.
Because Michael Jackson freaks me out.
I used to smoke. But wasn't a "real smoker" as my husband puts it.
Maybe it's that fact that I was able to quit and stay that way for almost 10 years now.
I think he's jealous.
Because he can't quit no matter how hard he tries and I could.
I now HATE cigarettes and cringe when I see people smoking.
I am that annoying person who asks you not to smoke around me.
I am scared of going up really high mountains.
I mean, I'll do it, but I suffer within... trust me.
I am also terrified of flying, but I flew back and forth for four years while dating Tony.
I pray every night right before I fall asleep.
I also have to put chap stick on every night before I go to bed.
I also have to brush my teeth before I go to sleep.
If I miss any one of those previous three things, I will NOT fall asleep.
So, trust me, they are done every night.
And #24 is done in the morning (and sometimes middle of the day) too, for those wondering.
I think it's gross when people don't brush their teeth.
I know a few that don't.
In 7th grade, I stuffed my bra with tissues.
Hey, I wasn't the only one!
I'm just the only one willing to admit it.
I stopped doing it when, during gym, I went to spike a volleyball and one of my "boobs" fell onto the floor.
Thank GOODNESS no one noticed...or, at least, I don't think they did.
Nah, they didn't notice because they would have teased me for- like -ever.
I LOVE artichokes.
So much, that I will eat an entire plateful of them as a meal.
I almost got kidnapped once when I was a little girl, along with one of my friends.
It's one of those things that I didn't realize at the time, but did when I got older.
He tried to use the lame "I've got puppies, you wanna see them?" trick. He then expected us to get in his car and go see the puppies.
I feel sick just thinking about it.
Thank God we never got into that car!
I used to be the BIGGEST Days of Our Lives fan.
Living here makes it hard to watch, seeing as it doesn't air here at all. Not even repeats!
That's ok though, because the show started to suck anyway. Ever since my two favorite characters left the show. Broe forever!
I am drinking a nice glass of white wine as I type this.
And will most likely have another.
...and a-n-o-t-h-e-r...
Until I am completely shit faced.
And may very well regret what a write from here on.
Oh, I curse on occasion, please don't be offended.
While you may say poop, I'll say shit.
Remember Ralphie from A Christmas Story, and how he said "fuuuuuudge?"... well, I won't say fudge.
When we moved to Italy, we lived with my in laws for the first five months.
We found our apartment right away and were told that July would be the latest it would be ready.
We didn't get to move in until the middle of September!
It threw off so many plans that I had.
I was f*cking pissed!
In those five months at my in laws, I managed without even trying, to lose 7 kilos! That's 15 pounds. :0
Whereas in America, I tried and tried, but was never able to lose weight.
But since I moved into my own place I've been teetering back and forth losing a kilo or two. But I haven't gained any of the weight back. So, that's a good thing.
I hope to lose more.
I don't think drinking this wine will help me lose the weight though!
In middle school, I used a boy who I knew liked me, to buy me lunch just about every day. All he wanted from me was to be acknowledged. He was one of the "geeks."
I had absolutely no interest in him, but hey, it was free lunch.
I know, I was bad.
Good thing my conscious kicked me in the ass and I stopped taking advantage.
We became friends after that.
I totally pursued Tony when I first met him.
He was clueless at first, but I was persistent.
I wound up winning his heart... and the rest of his organs.
So many people thought we would never last because of the miles between us.
We proved them wrong!
I got married at the ripe old age of 20.
Yes, I know I was young.
But, here I am days away from my 30th birthday and I can proudly say that I have been happily married for almost 10 years now!
I suffered from Bell's Palsy in March of 2001.
I'll never forget the onset of it. My eye had a crazy twitch, the back of my head hurt like hell, and I felt like I had an ear infection coming on.
Then as I was talking to my boss, I suddenly started to drool as I lost control of the left side of my lips.
My left eye wouldn't close, AT ALL either! I had to wear a patch over my eye.
It was the worst two weeks of my life as the whole left side of my face was completely paralyzed.
I had my first, and hopefully last MRI then. I now have cool x rays of my brain. :)
The doctor diagnosed my getting it from major stress and having been ill.
Which I was really stressed and sick as I had just spent the majority of that past winter in and out of the pediatricians office because Lina suffered from every childhood illness imaginable and would spike fevers of 105°!
As a first time Mother, it was difficult and it took a toll on my strength and sanity.
I was very lucky though that it only lasted those two weeks. Others who have had it suffered for months and sometimes don't make a full recovery.
Coincidentally, my father in law and I both had Bell's Palsy 1 month apart from each other.
To this day, when I feel a bit over stressed, my face hurts, and I get a tingling pain in the back of my head.
I get worried... but so far so good.
I sometimes think of having another child.
Then I think of giving birth here, get scared, then get over it! lol
Or, I see how terribly spoiled and/or ill mannered (most of) the children are here and want to get my tubes tied.
I HATE loud noises.
So, I don't particularly like thunderstorms.
Nor do I like it when here in Italy, they shoot off loud fireworks at midnight all summer long to celebrate some festival of some saint!
In grade school, while all the other girls were "girly" and chose flutes, violins and pianos for music class, I chose to play the alto horn.
I was a tomboy and felt so powerful holding that thing.
I made it through this meme.
I thought I wouldn't even have 50 things to say.
Looks like you'll just have to wait for my next "100 things about me" meme to learn more.

If you made it through this entire meme, THANK YOU for your time. I really appreciate it. I absolutely love reading these things and hope you had (at least a little) fun reading mine. ;)

Happy Birthday Ralph

2007-04-14T07:41:00.000+01:00

Happy Birthday Ralph... Raffaele/O ... Faffi!!! I would have sent you these through the mail, but me and the Posta Italiana got a love/hate thing going on right now. If you read my last entry, you'll understand why. It's way to soon to go back there!

Remember this?
Silly cake maker... putting an E at the end of Faffi!Let's share a piece in spirit. But this time, without all of those annoying trick candles that made us choke with all the smoke! lol

These are from Sofia. With the exception of the piece of cake in the first one, she drew everything herself. Yes, she wrote her own name in that second drawing! Don't forget to click on them.

To: Uncle Faffi
Love Sofia

Lina also made you her very own masterpiece. I told her not to write your age, because after we reach a certain age, we don't like to acknowledge it anymore! ;) If you click on the photo and get the larger view, you'll see that she managed to sneak it in there!

To: Uncle Faffi
Love Lina

Have a great day. Oh, and if you are going to Atlantic City... I'm soooooo jealous! Drop a few bucks on #19 if you pass by the roulette tables for me. If you win, I get a cut of the winnings! :p

It's In The Mail

2007-04-12T13:06:00.000+01:00

During my Mom's last visit here, she became obsessed with this product.

She had asked me to send her some and I promised that I would. I bought it soon after and then planned on mailing it right away.

That was three weeks ago...

Without going into too much detail as to why it took so long to mail, let's just say that life got in the way and it just ain't easy to mail sh*t here! After learning the hard way that ya can't buy a shipping box just anywhere around here, I finally got around to going to the posta, where they were sold.

This is how it all went down...

Me: Excuse me, I would like to purchase a box to put these little containers into.

Lady: Hands me an oversized box. Here. That'll be 2.80 Euros.

Me: Ummm, don't you have something a little bit smaller?

Lady: NO, the smaller box will not accommodate your items.

She then hands me a crap load of forms to fill out for customs, blah blah blah.

Me: OK, thank you.

The lady expected me to do everything there, but I chose to go home and pack up the box and bring it back. I went home, packed it up and filled out all the confusing forms. I went back and when it was my turn I was told that I had to wait as the man who dealt with sending boxes to America, was busy. Good grief, "the man who sends boxes to America?" It's not rocket science, I think to myself... or is it?! My ticket was #68. I got to stand around and watch as #69, 70, 71 all the way up to #84, passed right on by. Finally , man who sends boxes to America comes out. He takes my box and weighs it and determines that...

Man: This is not worth sending!

Me: Umm, excuse me?

Man: It will cost you 56 Euros.

Me: Did you just say 56 euros?!

Man: Yes, the package weighs over 2 kilos. Once the weight is over two kilos, shipping prices go up high.

Me: Well, how can that be if the things that I just put in there comes to a total of 1 and a half kilos?

Man: Take some extra stuff out.

Me: Sir, there is no 'extra stuff!' There are six containers of powdered stuff at 250 grams each. 6x250 grams is 1.5 kilos. I just put in a few pieces of newspaper to keep the containers from bouncing around because the box is so big. The newspaper can't weigh that much?!

Man: Well, let's try a smaller box, without the newspaper.

Me: But, the lady told me that there wasn't a smaller box!

Man: Yes, there is. (He goes and gets me new box.) That will be 2.20 Euros.

At this point, I was a little frustrated as I had already paid 2.80 for that first box, that I no longer was able to use. So I took the smaller box, paid for it and opened up the first box, took all the contents out and put it into the smaller box. I didn't seal the box because I wanted him to weigh it first. He weighed it and it just barely weighed in over the 2 kilo mark. FARG...now what?! Well, so as to avoid any further problems and frustration, I opened up the box, took one of the containers out and made him weigh the box again. It weighed in at a little under the 2 kilo mark. Wohoooo, finally! So, instead of sending the six that I had intended on, there are now 5 in the box. New price of shipment...19.50Euros. That's a huge difference, don't ya think?! So now, the box is on it's way. I was the last person to walk out of the posta at 1:40 p.m.

Ugh, I am just glad that it's all over with. I was told that it should take a week to arrive. We'll see about that. Good thing I wuv my Mommy. *sigh* Oh and remember the forms I mentioned earlier? Well, turns out they weren't needed after all... all FOUR of them! Grrrrrr

All expats who know what it is like to endure a trip to la posta Italiana... can I get a cyber hug?!

Easter 2007

2007-04-10T18:57:00.000+01:00

I hope everyone had a safe and Happy Easter! I have been so busy the last few days that it feels great to actually sit down, relax, and write. Let me just start off by saying that Easter is a BIG holiday here. Probably as big as Christmas, if not more. One thing I've noticed, is there is true meaning to the holiday itself, as opposed to it being over commercialized, like back in the states. I guess the fact that a large percentage of Italy is so religious plays a big part in it too.

Anyway, in Italy we celebrate La Pasquetta, aka Easter Monday. We decided to go to Piedimonte Matese this year.

I went there once when Tony and I were dating but it was in December and there was lots of snow everywhere. I wanted to see what it was like this time of year. Lina was so anxious to experience her first pasquetta that she set her alarm for 5:45 a.m.! It took us about two hours to get there, without traffic, which isn't so bad. The whole drive was so scenic, and I wanted to take pictures, but I just couldn't ask Tony to stop every five minutes to snap away... especially when there were three cars full of us going there!

We got there just in time to get the best spot. Lucky for us, my Brother in law (Michele) came here last year and told us how we could just park right by the spot we would eat, rather than park and lug everything. There was a tiny bridge that people were hesitant to cross over, because of it's width. Not us... we squeeeezed right through it. That's a photo of our car as Tony pulled it off the bridge. Good thing Tony drove it though. I probably would have knocked the side view mirrors off! The first photo is the spot that we ate, right next to the stream of water. It was so peaceful having the noise of the water in the background. The first thing the men did upon arrival was tie the bottles of wine on a rope and attach it to that there tree. Then they gently placed the bottles in the stream... and the cold current kept the vino bella é fresca! Smart men they were. Too bad I didn't think of doing that with the iced tea bottles!

Tony and I offered to bring our gas barbecue rather than have someone in our group bring the charcoal one that everyone is used to using. It was fun to watch everyone else around us fan their flames while all we had to do was push the ignite button on ours to turn it on.

Ahhhh, yes, spoiled Americans are we! ;)
That's me there (with my sister in law, Saveria) yelling at the meat to cook cause I was HUNGRY. Then of course, a lovely snapshot of me looking like I am about to devour a big fat pork chop.... or as my Mom would say, a porkY chop!

Lina and Fiorello take a crack at starting there own fire, the old fashioned way.

Pasquale comes along to give them a little help.

Michele is the master at preparing finocchi for salad. He simply would not allow us to do it in his presence. He has a special way of going at it. We gave him the honors of doing it. Hey, it was one less thing for us ladies to prepare. ;)

Michele & Saveria cooking the sausage. This table shot from left, Tony's father, mother, Tony, Tony's brother (Michele) and Michele's mother and father in law. Oh and that's Saveria's sister (Cinzia) and her boyfriend (Pasquale) in the background.

Tony savors his agnello (lamb) the true Italian way (with hands) then throws an astonished look over towards Pasquale because he was using fork and knife. What was he thinking?! lol

This is the view from the hill top where the group played some soccer to work off all that food!

Then, after all was said and done we headed on home, but not before stopping on the way for a quick gallop on some horsies. In this first photo, Tony was caught off guard when the horse started to trot off. You can see him reaching out to hold on while Sofia giggles away. Saveria is cracking up in the background too. Lina enjoyed her horsie ride too.

We left Piedimonte Matese at 5:30. With the exception of, I'd say 45 minutes for horseback riding, we didn't get home until 10 o'clock! It was a looooong and stressful way back home. We encountered 1 accident on the way back and Michele (leader of the cars) missed the correct exit to go home. Let's just say that we took the long way home.
I don't know if I want to go to the same place next year. The only way I'll go is if Joey (my brother) comes visit me in April as he said he might. If he comes during Easter, we'll definitely have to do something for Pasquetta!

Zingari in Italy

2007-04-05T13:11:00.000+01:00

For once, just once, I would like to walk out of my house, get into my car, and drive to my destination without having to be approached by one single zingari! Is that even possible? It seems that every time I go somewhere, they approach me; at every stoplight, every supermarket, the bank, the post office...EVERYWHERE! Worse is when they come up to you when you are at a restaurant, eating. Like this afternoon, I took the girls to McDonald's. Guess who walked in and asked "Signora, una moneta?" Yep, a little gypsy girl. She was probably 7-ish. I am usually hesitant to give these people money because once you do, you can't get rid of them. It's like the house that gives away the BIG candy bars at Halloween... once one kid finds out, word gets out and everyone flocks to that house for the big candy. Capice?!

I usually want to tell these people to bug off...ya know, the ones who run up to your windshield with the dirty ass squeegees, the ones with the even dirtier sponges who pretend to wipe down your headlights or the ones who try to sell you packets of tissues by throwing them on your car. It's all in a days work for them. Some will come up to your car, knock on your window and start asking for carità, all the while looking like drained, deprived, helpless humans. Then if you don't give them anything, they practically send you off with a lovely "Va Fangulo" and/or malocchio to last you a lifetime. *sigh*

OK, back to the little girl at McDonald's... she asked me for a moneta, so I tried to offer some fries. She looked puzzled and walked away. Then she went on to beg somewhere else and she wound up walking out of there with other people's leftovers. Some women, with a huge group of children, were throwing away what they hadn't eaten and they gave it to the little gypsy girl.
The whole time, Lina and Sofia were just staring, wondering what she was doing. I, of course, had to explain what just went on.

I'm wondering if this is a problem all throughout Italy, just in the region of Campania, or totally a southern thing?

I hope I didn't come off as a meanie writing this. I would gladly help out a homeless person on occasion by handing off a few coins. But, to have to be approached several times a day every day is too much. My husband goes to work every day and works his ass off to support his family... not the zingari!

Lazy Blogger

2007-04-05T08:52:00.000+01:00

Hello blog sphere. I have been a lazy little blogger. So lazy that I just realized that I haven't posted a darn thing since March 26th! It could be the fact that I have been dealing with the entire family getting sick since I last posted. All four of us... hit pretty hard with just about every symptom imaginable. Nasty little viruses! I had lost myself amongst the doctors visits and all the medicines that have passed through my hands. I've had ENOUGH. I just haven't felt creative enough to write anything. Luckily, all my favorite blog authors have kept me afloat with their great reads. Even though I wasn't writing, I was definitely reading! Hopefully, I'll have some good stuff to post soon, since this is a holiday weekend. Until then...

My Seven Songs

2007-03-26T09:26:00.000+01:00

I've been tagged by non other then the wonderful Sognatrice over at Bleeding Espresso. She wants me to write a meme of "The Seven Songs I Would Pick If I Could Only Listen To Seven Songs For The Rest Of My Life." Well, I accept your challenge, oh great one, who bleeds espresso! Plus, this is my first tag, so I am willing to do it with much excitement. ;)

Open Arms ...Journey
This one is special, because me and a good friend of mine sang it (loudly) outside her bedroom window one night out of sheer boredom. It became "our" song and every time I hear it, I think of her. I hope she still feels the same.

I Wear My Sunglasses At Night ...Corey Hart
Ummm, this one shouldn't really need an explanation, should it? The guy is so cool, that he wears his sunglasses, at night!

~~All Through The Night~~ no wait, ~~Time After Time~~ no wait, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun... Cyndi Lauper
How can you not want to jump all over the place when you hear that song?!

I Run For Life ...Melissa Etheridge
A powerful song of survival, dedication and strength.

Somewhere Over The Rainbow ...Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's version of it.
A beautiful voice, and a ukulele...enough said.

~~You Raise Me Up~~ no wait, ~~To Where You Are~~ no wait, When You say You Love Me ...Josh Groban
His music is capable of making all the hairs on my body stand up.

Seeing as I am now living in Italia, I thought I'd throw in an Italian song for brownie points!

Raggazina... Nino D'Angelo (All the Napolitans go wild.)
Ah shit, who am I kidding? Throw in any song that he sang back in the 80's and I will happily listen!

Now that I look back at my choices, I realize that it was harder than I anticipated. There are so many more songs that I could have added, but I play by the rules... well, most of the times!

I hope that I have validated our blogging relationship.

P.S. Your Italian mamma guilt thing played a small role in it though! ;)

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