A blustery day on the LakeM

A blustery day on the LakeM
A blustery day on the Lake

Saturday, August 27, 2011




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Thursday, August 25, 2011

Just a few more days

Our guest bed is piled high with clothes, gifts, important papers and toiletries. We are confirming dates to visit friends in Torino, and Sardenia. I've been cleaning out squash, beans and cucumbers from my garden. There are so many things to take care of before leaving. In the middle of the night I think of things I'll miss .....Ava's first day of Kindergarten, Griffin's saucy grin, the leaves turning a brilliant orange. But then again, I think of what we will see, the adventures we will have, and the friends we will visit. How lucky we feel!
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Location:North Hero

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Can you teach an aging woman new skills or an old dog new tricks...

In preparation for our plans to immerse ourselves in Italian culture, I have been studying Italian using the famous "Rosetta Stone" computer program. I must say that I have learned a lot of useful phrases and can now say things such as I am hungry, I need ....., and innumerable essential words. During the day, I listen to an audio companion to the program that I have loaded into my iPod. Frankly, I'd rather be listening to my music but I feel compelled to cram as much vocabulary into my head as possible before our departure date on September 1st. For the past month I have woken up at my usual 2 am only to be muttering some Italian word or phrase. The language is at times incredibly beautiful with words such as ascoltare...to listen (remember to pronounce every letter). At other times the words seem perfect for the occasion. For example, puzzo which translates into... A foul odor or really stinky in American. For all the practicing though, I have to acknowledge that I still really couldn't carry on a real conversation with an honest to goodness Italian. At the age of 62, I survive by writing important reminders on little notes and taping them to the visor in my car or above my sink. Retention is not my strength these days so I am beginning to have nightmares about arriving in Italy and not remembering a single word. Maybe I should write important words on the palm of my hands like I used to do for my 10th grade Latin tests.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Some might wonder...

Some might wonder....why Italy?  When I was 14, I was a typical, surly American teen growing up in the 60s. Then one summer, my parents hosted 2 Italian boy scouts and my world shifted. They settled into our household of 6 kids, 2 dogs and various cats not knowing much English and we knew absolutely no Italian. These boys opened our eyes to different customs, expressions and ideas. My Mom's idea of pasta was mac and cheese. It must have been a horrible culture shock for them. We ate white bread and peanut butter. They longed for fresh fungi, risotto and real cheese. It was a summer of wonders for us as well as them. O.K....so I had a massive crush on one of them.  Summer ended and they returned to Italy. My sisters and I found that we missed that beautiful language. We missed the deep converstaions about the state of the world or the whys and wherefores of particular customs. Each summer we again hosted 2 to 3 Italian boy scouts and we looked forward to hearing that wonderful, musical language in our home. We wrote back and forth to a few of these boys but it was that first boy that I continued to write to every few months. Time went by and one summer several years later,I spent a few months living with his family in Torino getting to know his sister. It was a turning point in my life. I was smitten with Italy....the beauty, the people, the ancient feeling of so many people who came before, and always the language. Forty seven years later. .. I convinced my husband to go back with me. And while exploring Italy,we fell in love all over again.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

At the Edge

We are about to embark on an adventure. After working for so many years, raising two daughters, paying for college and weddings, building three houses and growing together, we are looking forward to living in a small Ligurian town and learning to speak Italian. Believe me, it is right on the edge of our comfort zone. We leave in 3 weeks and already I am getting that "feeling" in my stomach....but on the other hand I am very excited and looking forward to having to communicate in a different language, meet new people, experience a new culture and immerse myself in the Italian countryside. This weekend I have spent both days in our small office getting my files organized and all the mundane paperwork in place. I would much rather be outside. The weather this summer has been glorious !