Before we left for the mission field, we had to downsize our belongings. But I decided to bring along three essential books. A medical book and what I call my hard times cookbooks. These cookbooks, especially during our first few years here, were lifesavers for me! Reading recipes in Italian was beyond me until I […]
Our materialistic obsessions. How did we get them? Picture perfect homes, beautifully furnished, and nothing ever out place. I can’t help but wonder: How did we get here? I recently read a post about wall lights that are installed after construction, with their cords dangling down the wall. The point was to hide those cords. Because […]
We don’t travel by train much anymore, but I remember the long train rides of our early carless years in Italy. When my husband had to ride an old moped 12 miles to work – even in the rain and snow. There are areas of Italy where you can live without a car thanks to […]
We’ve had thieves strike. Twice. The first time they were real thieves, but the second time they were kind of fake thieves. As many of you know, we have a summer house, and when we weren’t there, thieves entered and stole a mirror and a small step ladder. Those thieves were odd. They didn’t mess […]
This delicious Italian favorite originated in the Appenine hills of the Lazio region, and is thought to have been a staple dish for shepherds, because the ingredients were easy to transport or obtain. The name comes from “carbonaro” which means coal miner, because of the black pepper used to season it. 🍷 SUGGESTED WINE: Castelli […]
Our neighbors are mostly older, simple folk with little education. Often confused by our rapidly changing world, they often have difficulty using technology. So they tend to stick to the way they’ve always done things. And that can lead to some pretty crazy conversations! Crazy dialogues! Just for fun, let me share some of these […]