Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…

Hey, wait a minute.  Those aren’t chestnuts…those are huge slabs of beef!  This is shaping up to be my type of party!

For a whole number of reasons, the kids and I don’t get out much, but we did receive a much appreciated invitation to spend New Year’s Eve with friends Simona, Giuseppe, and their son Pietro.  Simona and Giuseppe live nearby, but they have a place in the mountains as well.

This is part of what was once a sheep herders’ enclave.  My friends own the far end of this building, and have turned it into a really lovely retreat.  Located in the Apennine Mountains, it’s perfect for ski vacations during the winter, or hiking in the summer.

Playing board games on New Year's Eve.

Whoa! Looks like someone got too close to the fireplace!

Apparently ‘buring the witch’ is a local custom; their version of ‘out with the old, in with the new.’  The witch in question is no one we knew, so no harm done.

And she was just old clothes stuffed with newspaper and hay anyway.

There was a blizzard at the time, so copious amounts of gasoline were required to get things started.  Just the sort of thing to get us all arrested Stateside. 

Here’s another disturbing photo of what appears to be immolation, but which is in fact merely the Italian version of Guy Fawkes Night, with resident arsonist Giuseppe in the foreground.

For God's sake! Drop and roll!

New Year’s Day proved to be infinitely less pyrotechnic.

That’s Pietro on the sled, waiting his turn, and Alex on his way back up the hill.  Giuseppe and Lia are at the bottom of the hill, getting hats and scarves sorted out after a tumultuous ride down the slope.

My cherub son on a sled.

Lia’s turn.

Can I just say I would have killed for a treehouse like this when I was a kid?  To be honest, I still would.

A good start to what we hope will be a good year!

Buon Natale a.k.a. Remiss!

Goodness!  No posts since August, and yet we’ve done so much!

Lia’s a Witch, and Alex is a Giant!

 

Halloween, for example, which is finally gaining some ground here in Italy. 

 

Lia’s 8th Birthday.

And Lia turned eight! 

 

 

Lia, Mom and Lia's faithful sidekick, Maria Grazia.

Here’s one of just me, for good measure:

 

And of course Christmas!

Lia

 

Alex

Maria Grazie and Lia decorating a gingerbread house.

Christmas 2008

 

Merry Christmas, everyone, and Best Wishes for a

Healthy, Happy, and Serene 2009.

And now a word about my resolutions for 2009:  more frequent updates!

Daytrippers

Life as a expatriate means the occasional trip to the American Consulate for one thing or another (this trip included signing up for an absentee ballot) so I headed to Florence on Tuesday for that, took Alex with me, and made a day of it!

 

Follow me!

Here’s one of me, just to prove I was there.

Quick Italian lesson:  that dome in the background is Florence’s Duomo, but ‘duomo’ doesn’t actually mean ‘dome’.  It means ‘Cathedral’, and the one in Florence must be seen.

A closer view.

A further demonstration of why the Italian fashion industry is universally envied.  Apparently my bare shoulders were an affront to Catholicism, thus the ‘coprispalle usa e getta’ (disposable shoulder cover).  This was the first time I’ve encountered this in an Italian church. 

Alex took this one of me and a horse.  The smile was the fruit of a friendly exchange between me and a young girl whose entire large family walked obliviously between me and the camera at 5 second intervals.

And this is just because I lked it.

In case you’re wondering about her conspicuous absence, Lia was not invited on this particular journey.  Every once in awhile mother and son need a little of time for uninterrupted bonding, no? 

We had a really great day.  Alex was in a good mood, the weather was lovely, we got things done, and just really enjoyed it.  On our way home we stopped off at Ikea and bought a thing or two…photos to follow once I have assembled it all!

At the Car Wash

Why is this the one chore my kids are happy to do for me?

And am I mistaken or are they getting along?

Good job, you nut cases.  Now let’s go home.

Huh?

Would someone explain these shoes to me, please?  Why were they made?  Why did she buy them?  And why is she wearing them to a wedding on a Saturday morning? 

And what’s with the 33??

Your help is greatly appreciated.

Amici

I lived in quite a few neighborhoods when I was a kid, and because I was shy, making new friends every time was a little tricky.  To help out, I remember my mom going door to door asking each family if they happened to have any children my age for me to play with.  Alex’s life is different because we have always lived in this same small town, but sometimes he is, like me, a little on the shy side. 

This evening I managed to talk him into taking a walk with me, him on his bike, and we ran into his friend Luca.  I soon found myself abandoned, as Alex went off with his pal with my blessing and encouragement.  “My job here is done,” I thought to myself, remembering my own mother’s efforts on my behalf.   Thanks, Mom!

‘Magic’ and a Little Dumb Luck

The kids and I decided to venture to Modena today to a comic book / fantasy game (i.e. Dungeons and Dragons) / geek paradise because Alex has developed interest in a card game called ‘Magic’.  He found the name of the comic book store in a magazine, and given that our own small town is not a good source for the coveted cards required for the game, he asked if I would take him to Modena.  Getting out of the house and doing something a little different sounded like a good idea, so we decided to make a day of it.

We took the train to save on gas and parking, and just because it seemed like a fun thing to do.

Lo and behold, we found the shop, bought some Magic cards, and then stumbled right into the middle of Modena’s “Festival Internazionale Bande Militari” (International Military Band Festival) also known as a ‘tattoo’. 

There were bands from Italy:

Little known fact:  the headwear of Italian soldiers is made from their own plucked eyebrows.

Great Britain:

Bulgaria:

Ukraine:

Bing Crosby is apparently alive and well and living in Kiev.

And my personal favorites, Turkey!!

We wrapped up our international adventure by having some Chinese food, and then we took the train back home.  Good day!

They’re Back!

After a week at a special camp for deaf children and their siblings, Alex and Lia returned from the beach by train today.  The young woman behind Lia is Chiara, Lia’s sign language interpreter.  They all arrived tanned, hungry and tired (and Lia, camera shy). 

Even the trains are built by Fiat…

Happy 4th of July, et Merci Beaucoup!

We Americans owe a lot to the French, so merci, and enjoy the day!

On a Roll

What next, you ask?  Cover the rest of the couch, of course, one bit at a time…