Today, I remembered the day our daughter and her family moved back to the USA, which was several years ago. They kept their house here in Italy, so in the beginning we had to go there frequently. We had to empty the fridge, close windows, and tidy things up. Then we went upstairs to stripContinue reading “What Makes a Home {and a Blogging Home}?”
Tag Archives: family
Never an Orphan
Growing up, I thought I was an orphan, unwanted and abandoned by my “real family.” I imagine many kids have such thoughts, possibly influenced by books or movies. But in my case, these thoughts came from my own family and friends. “Is Sheila adopted?” family friends would ask. “She doesn’t look like anyone in theContinue reading “Never an Orphan”
Goodbye to Our Nonno House
Autumn is slowly creeping into our area. The grape and olive harvests are in full swing. The days are lovely and warm, but not uncomfortably hot. Nights are sometimes chilly enough for a light blanket. For some reason, autumn always reminds me of Nonno’s house, our summer home. It’s the house where my husband wasContinue reading “Goodbye to Our Nonno House”
The Days of the Blackbird: An Italian Legend
January 29, 30, and 31 are generally considered the coldest days of the year here, especially in northern Italy. They are also known as the Days of the Blackbird (i Giorni della Merla). And this can be traced back to the Italian Legend of the Blackbird. Different areas of Italy have their own variations ofContinue reading “The Days of the Blackbird: An Italian Legend”
Christmas Clubs and Hard-Times Gifts
In the 1970 musical Scrooge, even that grumpy Christmas-hating miser finally realized that “December the 25th is the dearest day in all the year!” (Watch the trailer here.) I never needed any convincing. Andy Williams singing that Christmas was “the most wonderful time of the year” had always filled our home during the holidays. AndContinue reading “Christmas Clubs and Hard-Times Gifts”
October: A Month of Celebration
A celebration of love. Yes, October is the month of love, at least in our house! You see, we got married just one month after we first met. (Not that we “had to” – we just wanted to be together.) We don’t even have any wedding pictures because we got married so quickly. But sinceContinue reading “October: A Month of Celebration”