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.
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.
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!
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!
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…
We Americans owe a lot to the French, so merci, and enjoy the day!
What next, you ask? Cover the rest of the couch, of course, one bit at a time…
Notice anything different?
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The kids are at camp this week, which explains why there haven’t been any new photos of them. I’ve used the abundance of free time their absence provides to work on my couch recovering project.
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Result: one throw pillow. (Before you scoff, please note there’s a zipper on the back of that pillowcase. Hundreds of wee mice toiled for hours on that thing. Please give them a round of applause! They need all of the encouragement they can get.)
I’ve always loved the Midwest’s dramatic weather, but it’s unnerving to suddenly find it here in North Central Italy. I know the photo doesn’t really tell you much, but it was unbelievably windy with a hard horizontal rain coming down, all at about 3 a.m.
A family downstairs recently moved, and for some unfathomable reason…oh wait, they’re hideous, that’s why…they left behind their couches. On Saturday, Giulia (my landlady), Salvo (another neighbor) and I hauled these relics up one flight to my apartment. I am indebted to my neighbors for their charity, and as I am furniture-challenged, I’m lucky to have them, but my oh my.
The above photo does not do them justice. I have temporarily covered them with white sheets. Without the sheets they are far, far worse.
Fear not! These couches are lemons, but baby, I’m making lemonade. I went to Ikea yesterday, and bought yards and yards of dark blue fabric. I’m no seamstress, but I can drape with the best of them, and I own a glue gun!
Soon I’ll have those couches looking..well, probably only very slightly improved….but baby steps is what it’s all about.
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