we've moved:

i ran out of foto space, so i started up a new blog (being too cheap to pay and all). come by and visit: http://everydayitalianz.blogspot.com/http://everydayitalianz.blogspot.com/

Hmmmmm.  I've been doing this blog for a while now.  Looks like I've run out of space for photos.  Do I purchase more space or start another account elsewhere?? will let you know soon...

Happy Halloween

This year's invites were a coffins with mummies inside.

The party information was written on the mummies wrappings.

Our little strip of yard is just the right side for a graveyard,

I was trying to save a dollar (er, euro) so I papier machè'd the boxes left over from the shower doors. Had I not been so cheap, I would have gone to pick up some styrofoam and painted those. Of course poured cani and gatti nonstop last night and all day today.  I painted them with a wood paint to render them somewhat waterproof, but it's raining too much and I didn't have enough time to put enough coats on so I've been fight a battle to keep them up.  Next year I'm making a scarecrow, that's at least clothes and a pumpkin won't melt.

Carvin of the PumpkinThi

This year Sophia is big enough to participate a little more in pumpkin carving.  I had her draw what she wanted  to carve onto a paper and then we taped it to the pumpkin and used my hem ripper to poke holes (i lost the poker that came with the carving kit).

Frankenstein removes the brains.

Tadaaaaah.

 

 

Okay the reality of the whole situation is that-Sophia really did draw the pumpkin and poked the holes.  But it was really hard for her to cut, so she gave up after a few seconds.  The stem was hard to pull out, so I yanked and yanked and yanked and then she held it, posed and I snapped the picture.  And finally she didn't want to get dirty/touch the slimey stuff, so I ended up doing that too-finding out the hard way, that I must be allergic to the junk inside because my hands were burning and I had a red rash up my arm-yeah!  So yes, carving a pumpkin is more for me, than for her. She'll remember the experience of having carved the pumpkin and that's what's important- (happy Mom???? Following in your footsteps, I am forcing my kids to have fun and have experiences!!)

Dr A Little Nuts

Max had a little fender bender the other day when it was rainy (he veered off the road a little. he is fine, but the car is at the mechanics).  Luckily everything in here is not too far away and he has been putting the miles on his bike.  Today, he did a lot of biking-first to drop off Sophia at school, then to take Viv to the Dr and back again to get Sophia.  Why is my lazy butt not joining him? I've got a good excuse, I have a flat tire.

To weed or not to weed

 My parents weeded the common area in front of our house when they were here and I've been keeping it clean ever since.  But I REFUSED clean up the other side near the garbage because since we've been here, I've seen  mice, stepped in dog poo, on glass and other stuff I just don't want to even think about. The dog poo problem is becoming a real nuisance.  The lady who's dog poos everywhere, just makes up excuses and is in total denial about the problem (yeah, I know what you are thinking, but remember this is Italy, in order to get anyone to do anything about a problem, it takes 100 years, lots of standing in line, loads of red tape and at least 7 people must die because of the problem).  Today I weeded the common area in front of our yard, but since I had to keep going to the garbage and live in fear of seeing mice, stepping on poo or on glass or who knows what...

...I broke down and weeded.  The top picture was actually take a year ago and it's gotten worse ever since.  Max was a trooper, when he went and cleaned up the abandoned garbage cans and all the garbage that was lying around the courtyard.  And of course our nosy neighbor with the poopy dog came out and chit chatted, not helped just chit chatted.  She even had the nerve to make a comment on how I had better not kill her rosemary bush-I had to use all my strength and control not to whack her in the head with the cutters I had in my hand, but I did imagine the scene in my head.

side note: since it's not my job to clean up that mess, I doubt anyone else is going to do it again, but I don't want to do it again in the future  and I most certainly don't want to spend any money to do it again, I was thinking I'd just throw down some salt and see what happens.  Instead I googled homemade herbicide. Cross your fingers and let's hope this works...I ended up using a solution of 1 c vinegar, 1/4 c salt and 1/4 c soap. Will let you know what happens.

side note morning after: darn no miracles, esp on the nasty crab grass.  Some of the weeds looks like left over salad that had been tossed with vinagrette (which it basically was), but no miracle brown patches everywhere...darn.  Will pass with more salty soapy water again today, as i have no more vinegar.

Cuneo

We to Cuneo today to see the Nonni and Max's brother and his wife.  It was the first time that all the family got together since Christmas and the first chance that we get to see Paola's baby bump.  For some reason we always happen to goon the weekend of the Festa delle Castagne (the Festival of Chestnuts).  For one reason or another (i.e. crowds, tantrums and the like), we never end up getting anything :o(  Anyhoo, what does that have to do with the picture above?  There are several things that go on during this time and one was a learning farm tent (there was also a tent with handmade things and food, but we missed that too :o(  This giant tent where the had different types of animals.  Unless you grow up on a farm here, kids don't really have any exposure to these types of animals, so kids here go nuts! They did a really nice, job, but I didn't take very great pics, there were mules, a mommy pig and her piglets, various chickens, a fish pond, a garden, a lecturer with a working beehive.   ps Why the heck are they so to the cow but. That's too risky!

The radio station that got Max started on the radio was broadcasting from the festival.  We bumped into Luisella, the owner and she got Max to give an impromptu interview.

Too bad Viv is covering up Paola's baby bump.  I am super excited for them.  I am also hoping (as my friend Karen says) the new cousin will steal some of Sophia and Viv's thunder.  Paola and Ale got a little taste of the Nonna and crazy ways.  I've got to stay on my toes.  The main thing is that she insists on giving babies people food.  This time Viv nearly choked on water from a glass (when her bottle was just a few feet away), bread and chicken-if there was more I didn't catch it. Last time we had to keep scream babies don't need to drink Fanta!  Please don't dangle Vivienne over the balconey (ala Michael Jackson).  I know she's old and so I try to take it all with a grain of salt (and a shot of tequila).

Uncle Ale compares the Parisi hair style with Viv.

One minute she was awake and then the next thing I knew she passed out.  Sophia and I are doing an impromptu homage to Viv.

We went to Bonfante (that's one of the Bonfante sisters) for a briosche and to pick up some pasticcini (small tarts, pastry puffs, cookies, canolli etc) for dessert.

Looking down Contrada Mondovi.

Two Italian hams (does that make them prociutto?)