small things

Yesterday was an interesting day. After taking Nonna to the Oncologist (for only good news), she wanted to stop by CVS pharmacy to do some shopping.

Am I the only one who hates shopping at a pharmacy? Anytime I have to go to CVS or Walgreens, my goal is get in and out as quickly as possible. I can't explain why I am so bothered by them. Maybe it feels and smells too much like a hospital. Maybe I've just spent too much of my life in lines waiting for confused people to get all their insurance questions answered when all I wanted to do was quickly pay for a bottle of Tylenol. Maybe I don't like the background music. Maybe I just don't want to get old. It could be "d", all of the above.

Anyway, there I am at CVS, following Nonna around, holding all her coupons and directing her to different aisles so we can mark off her very long list: Puffs, prune juice, lanocane, Mother's cookies, non-stick bandages, TP, Loving Care hair color....

At long last we found ourselves in the "oral care" aisle. She was looking specifically for Oral B short bristle soft toothbrushes in the two pack. Alas, all we could find was a four pack and a one pack. But her coupon was for a two pack!!!!

At one point, in the ten minutes it took to rifle through all the toothbrushes, I looked up over the aisle and thought "Really? This is how I am spending my day? Aren't I supposed to be doing something really significant.....like, well, I don't know....something heroic, something big that really matters?"

It was a strong thought and it lingered there a minute. I could feel the frustration welling up in me almost to the point of just throwing some damn generic toothbrush in the cart and running for the check out register.

But then, just in the nick of time, a small voice entered the scene in the form of a thought and I knew in an instant Who it was from. "This is exactly what I would be doing today."

I smiled. My thoughts answered back, "Yep. I guess I already know that, don't I?"

"My personal life may be crowded with small, petty happenings, altogether insignificant. But if I obey Jesus Christ in the seemingly random circumstances of life, they become pinholes through which I see the face of God. Then, when I stand face to face with God, I will discover that through my obedience thousands were blessed." (Oswald Chambers)

This in one of the secrets of life. Small, petty things done in love are what matter in eternity. Can I get an "Amen"?

Bunny cage

Emily has been wanting a bunny for years. We've been putting it off and off and off ever since our last bunny died.

"Bunny" (couldn't think of a better name) was a wonderful pet, and so smart too. He was fully litter box trained and would come to us when we called him. When he was just three years old, he ate some snail poison and died three days later. It was agonizing to watch him suffer. We were all heartbroken.

Not wanting to go through that ordeal again, we got rid of all things rabbit...cage, food, all accessories.

Now that we are settled into our new house, we decided to grant Emily her bunny wish. With one caveat. She had to help build her bunny-to-be a new cage.

So we took an old planting hutch and built it up. My thought was that it would be an easy project, using old wood and screws that happen to be laying around the shed.

No such luck. We have made four trips to Home Depot for all sorts of materials. We started this project in August thinking we would have the bunny by September 1st. Here we are in the middle of October! After another trip to H.D yesterday for more materials, we worked on it again before the rains set in today. We're ALMOST done! Emily is beside herself with anticipation.

We're at least 100 dollars into this project. The fun of building this together was worth every penny and hassle.

Coming soon: photos of our new pet!!

Last weekend our auntie Gay came and stayed with us. It was so wonderful having her to visit. She made the most amazing Huevos Rancheros and brought all sorts of fun old black and white movies. We took Maria to Monterey for the day and enjoyed the beauty and lunch on Fisherman's Wharf. Great day. Great company!
Gay sampling the clam chowder
The weather was perfect
Beautiful mom enjoying her soft serve icecream.

Milestones

I have three children each laying down a new milestone this month.

Gianni began Kindergarten. Holding to tradition, I took a picture of him waking up on the morning of his first day, then one with his backpack on ready to leave the house. He is so social and excited about school that I have already had the teacher approach me on behavior issues. He is just too excited about making friends to pay attention and learn. Poor little dude got a lecture from mommy on day 2 of school.

Emily is entering Junior High. (7th Grade). Her school begins next week but she cannot wait to begin. I love her eagerness. She'll be taking her second year of Latin. "Benedic domine nos et hak toua dona qua de tua largitate sumus suteri per christum dominum nostrum. Amen" (A blessing for the meal) She says it very quickly. She must be hungry. She wants everyone to know she also knows the Lord's Prayer in Latin. You'll have to ask her to recite it to you.

Lastly, Madeline enters high school. Am I really that old now? Wasn't she just born? She really has an amazing young mind. Deep and moving poetry writing is a passion and I am amazed at it. She has her own blog where she posts them. www.littlemisspoet.tumblr.com She gets giddy whenever she has new readers.

A milestone (from the Latin milliarium) is one of a series of numbered markers placed along a road or boundary at intervals of one mile.

If I were placing marker signs for each one of my kids. They would say, in order,...........

"Pay attention to the teacher"............"Enjoy your youth, making the most of the gift of each day"..........."Believe in your beauty, inside and out".

Quote of the week

Nonna to Nonno (in a very loud voice so he could hear) "Mod, Cheryl took me to mass at the catholic church. Today was the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary."

Nonno, (annoyed), "Yeah, I know we have to go to the dentist tomorrow, Mom!"

Nonna (more annoyed), "Oh, forget about it!"

Thanks Joe!

I saw my friend, Joe, tonight at a baseball game. He asked me why I hadn't blogged in almost one month. Someone noticed I hadn't been blogging? Wow, now that is flattering! So I came home, brushed my teeth, made Nonno's coffee (delay-set for 4:15 am), grabbed my computer and found my writing corner.

This past month I have gone from busy to overwhelmed to exhausted to slightly depressed. In a word: uninspired. Hence, no new postings. I do have a lot to write about but I found myself in a slump. That is until tonight, when Joe sounded a skoatch disappointed. That was the pick-me-up I needed. Thanks Joe!

Humm....where to begin?

One fun and uplifting thing has been the visitors we've had over to our house. To a person, all of our friends comment on how delightful Mod's parents are to be around. This is very true.

Dad loves to tell fascinating stories about growing up in New York (downtown), moving to Sicily to buy a farm for his dad, hating farming, trying to return to America, being forced to fight for the Italian army against his will, and meeting mom on her family farm, which was turned into a prisoner of war camp (She was under 20 . She made him hot eggs. He fell in love) ((There is just something irresistible about Hot Eggs in the Minardi family history that has been passed on to the next generation....but that is for another post at another time)).

Dad's stories are endless. Once he gets going, you may as well just grab another cup of coffee and stay awhile.

Most of the time Mom just gets annoyed and says "Mod! Forget about it! Don't tell them that story." Then she'll get up and leave the table. To everyone else, his stories are fascinating. I think she's just heard them too many times. Good grief, they have been married for over 65 years.

But how often do you get to hear first hand accounts of life in the 1920's and 30's?

Our friends have been great to sit and listen to Dad's fond memories. It's been fun to see Mom engaging our friends too. They really enjoy getting to know her. I think they are beginning to see why Maria is so famous in our family. She has a beautiful way of engaging new people to make them feel not only comfortable, but like they are part of the family. She has mastered the art of being a hostess. She could write the book on it.

Once I saw a very shy young lady enter mom's house. This teenager had her hair in her face, with a look that she'd been dragged against her will to spend the afternoon with a bunch of people she didn't know. She was apparently feeling awkward and angry. Though the room was crowded and noisy, I watched Mom nonchalantly sit across from this gal and engage her in simple conversation. Within minutes she had this teen moving the hair from her face, talking and smiling. No one else saw it, but I was impressed. And I learned from that. This is part of what has made her famous. It is not just the amazing food she prepares, it is the way she engages and loves people. It really is fun to watch. I admire her for it.

Anywhere she has lived, she has made friends with her neighbors. Not just cordial friendships, long lasting ones. She made sure her neighbors frequented her house for hot eggs and coffee in the morning. (Hot eggs, again). What neighbor does that?

She really is the center of the family. Her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren adore her. She has spent her whole life creating a welcoming home that is open to everyone. Opening her home, her table and her heart to all who enter.

See why she is so famous?

Anyway, Joe, let's plan a time you and your family can come meet the parents and eat some crazy amazing food. Did I mention they love to play poker? Bring your nickels!

a little normal

I feel like a did something normal finally. I sat and watched the Godfather with mom in her bedroom. We've been so busy unpacking and settling in our new house that I've taken very little time to enjoy simple, normal things.

It was great watching that movie with an Italian! She answered all my questions "What's a consiliary?" "What part of Sicily are they in?" "How do you translate that bad word?" I felt like an insider.