Signora Sheila

Where faith meets la dolce vita

The Coming of Mr. Pemberton

Reading time:

7–10 minutes

Everyone wondered, and no one knew. Knew who Mr. Pemberton was, that is. Oh, they all knew of the Pemberton family. At least the older ones. The cranky old man who used to throw things at them when they were kids. And just because they passed his house! Not because…
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The Italian Tormenta: Winter’s on the Way

Reading time:

3–4 minutes

The Italian word tormenta has three definitions. It can mean a blizzard. Or a turbine of powdery light snow, carried by strong winds over mountain peaks, ridges, and slopes. Finally, it is a present tense conjugation of the verb to torment. This should give you a pretty good idea of…
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Thanksgiving for the Future

Reading time:

3–4 minutes

Happy Thanksgiving from Italy!! Although it always amazes me how many people don’t know that Italy doesn’t celebrate this holiday. And it saddens me too, because it means that many (even in North America) don’t seem to know the history of Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a distinctly North American holiday, inspired…
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Lessons on Surrender from Mount Moriah

Reading time:

4–6 minutes

Moriah, which means chosen by God, was where God had his temple built, for it was a place special and holy to him. It was also where he sent King David to offer sacrifices after his sin of taking a census (1 Chronicles 21). It seemed like such a small thing,…
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Italy’s Autumn Harvest

Reading time:

2–3 minutes

Autumn in Italy! Grape harvest and wine making, olive picking and oil pressing. Ah, autumn in Italy! And right in our own backyard! Hubby is harvesting our olives the old-fashioned way. Hand-picked, one by one. He probably wouldn’t want to try it with a hundred trees, but with our two…
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Roman Summers, Anniversaries, and Going Places

Reading time:

4–6 minutes

Life is so changeable. Time never stands still. What exists today may not be there tomorrow, and one day it will certainly pass away. And that’s good. The good things – we’d like them to last forever. But imagine if the bad and negative things went on forever. What a…
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Benvenuto,
I’m Signora Sheila!

Welcome to my blog and my corner of Italy, dedicated to all things slow, real, and lasting. Here, I invite you to join me in slowing down, living with purpose, and rediscovering the things that really matter.