love thursday: cherry pickin’ in three parts

I.

II.

I saw something on the news recently about it being a difficult year for the cherry crop here in Italy. In fact, I haven’t seen many around for sale and the ones I have seen have been quite expensive, but when I do come across an affordable bunch, I know just what I’ll do…cherry muffins, courtesy of KC at Niente di nuovo avviene sotto il sole! Yum!

Even if you won’t be baking anytime soon, be sure to head on over and check out the photo–adorable and awfully Love Thursday-themed too.

III.

I have to give a shout out to my favorite Cherrye over at My Bella Vita. She wrote a tear-jerker (at least to me) of a post about me not too long ago, and I have to say that the warm fuzzy friendship feeling is mutual.

I never would’ve imagined that I’d find such a kindred spirit here in the middle of nowhere bella Calabria. You can read about our first in-person meeting here, and trust me, the fun has only continued since then.

Next up in the adventures will probably be our first shopping trip insieme. I tend to require moral support while clothes’ shopping, especially around here, so it’ll be great to have a buddy.

And hopefully we won’t need anything stronger than a cappuccino from the new coffee machine to recover.

Although Love Thursday as an organized event is no more, I will continue to record the love that truly is all around, perhaps not every week, but as often as I need to.If anyone else is still participating, please feel free to leave a link to your post here so we can all share the love.

Happy Love Thursday everyone!

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[tags]love thursday, cherries, friendship, cherry muffins[/tags]

17 Beans of Wisdom to “love thursday: cherry pickin’ in three parts”
  1. Judith in Umbria
    06.07.2007

    Ours are just ready now. It’s raining. Since I am the one who goes up the tree which overhangs a 20 foot drop, we are on stand by.

    My on the hill neighbor was given unsweet cooking cherries, and they were wormy… is that your local problem? Our Bings have been terrific so far.

  2. Ally Bean
    06.07.2007

    I never participated in Love Thursday, but have enjoyed the posts of those who did. I like this one and hope that your day is filled with love– and laughs, which to me is a kind of love.

  3. chris & erin
    06.07.2007

    cute cherry! I can’t wait to try those muffins by KC too!

  4. KC
    06.07.2007

    I ate two of my muffins this morning and they were so good!

    I’m glad you’re keeping up Love Thursday. I plan to as well, but I probably won’t write them as regularly. (Didn’t do one today.)

  5. sognatrice
    06.07.2007

    Judith, to be honest, I only saw a snippet of something on Mela Verde or something like that on one of the RAI stations about the cherry crop–I don’t think we grow all that many locally, although I could be wrong (we obviously have some around here since my neighbor brought me a plateful). Anyway, I do believe they were talking about worms in the cherry crop further north. Hope you get pickin’ soon πŸ™‚

    Ally, thank you, and I wish you more of the same πŸ™‚

    Chris & Erin, thanks! The muffins look fabulous; I’m not sure they’d even last long enough around here to take a photo πŸ˜‰

    KC, I’m very jealous that you ate some muffins. If only we lived closer! Like you, I probably won’t do a Love Thursday every week, but I’d like to continue in some form.

  6. nyc/caribbean ragazza
    06.07.2007

    I love cherries. Since they are only in season for a short time I appreciated them more than, let’s say apples.

  7. Wanderlust Scarlett
    06.07.2007

    I love that photo… lady you are a genius with your camera. So talented.

    I am delighted for you to have a budding friendship, aren’t those the best?

    Good luck shopping, I gather from posts of the past that it can be a harrowing experience… perhaps this time it will be filled with giggles and treasures and good coffee!

    Have fun, and please post a blog about the trip! Would love to read about it.

    Scarlett

  8. goodthomas
    06.07.2007

    I find it very amazing that you all could find each other and get to know each other and then visit each other. It must be, at the same time, so oddly comforting.

    And you know I agree with Scarlett. Your words, your sentiments, your earnestness are always so engaging, but your images are equally so.

  9. sognatrice
    06.07.2007

    NYC, yes I tend to overindulge in cherries when they’re finally around–but when you only have a few weeks, well, you gotta get in as many as possible, right?

    Scarlett, thank you for your compliments, and, knowing how adventures in Calabria usually go, I’ll probably end up blogging about our shopping trip when it finally takes place (we’ve been talking about it for weeks!).

    gt, it is so very comforting to have found blog friends near and far; I don’t remember how I kept sane before I had access to the Internet in my house. And thank you again for your kind words. I’ll keep snapping if you’ll keep looking πŸ™‚

  10. Sara
    06.07.2007

    I’ve decided to just offer my readers flowers every Thursday. There might be talking, too, but at least while the summer lasts, there will be flowers.

    Thank you for the link to the muffin recipe! As I told KC, I covet that heart-shaped muffin pan. Very, very much.

  11. PastorMac's Ann
    06.08.2007

    Love your cherry picture and the recipe looks delicious! How nice to have a good friend.

    I’m keeping up my Love Thursday posts. It’s been good for me and I’d like to keep it up.
    http://itsalwaysaproduction.blogspot.com/2007/06/love-thursday-36.html

  12. JennieBoo
    06.08.2007

    Well, without a doubt I’m trying the cherry muffin recipe….it’s looks yummy!

    Also, I’ve never played “Love Thursday”. Fill me in.

    I have a girlfriend who I’ve shared a friendship with for 15 years! I’m 28 and I cannot remember life before Monica. It is such a blessing to hace friends to share life with…

    Love your cherry “pic”!

    Happy Weekend!

  13. sognatrice
    06.08.2007

    Sara, I love your flowers! Excellent way to continue to express love πŸ™‚

    Pastormac’s Ann, glad to see you around here and also that you’re keeping up sharing the love as well πŸ™‚

    Jennieboo, Love Thursday was a project started by some lovely women to remind us to appreciate the love that is all around us. If you click on the link in my post (hover over anything written in red and you can click on it), you can see the page that used to be the home of this wonderful project. As you can see from the comments, some of us are continuing πŸ™‚ Happy weekend to you as well!

  14. Cherrye
    06.08.2007

    Maybe it is all the RAINY weather we’ve been having down here, but I was tearing up, too! πŸ™‚

    I can’t wait for that shopping trip. I’ve been windown shopping since we talked about – but saving the, shall I say DRAMA, for you.

    And, if the coffee doesn’t do the trick – we can always try some of Salvatore’s homemade “juice”!

    Thanks for the post. By the way – our cherries didn’t do ANYTHING this year…very disappointing!

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    06.09.2007

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  16. sognatrice
    06.09.2007

    Cherrye, we’re definitely on the same wavelength–I was thinking of bringing some juice as backup πŸ˜‰

Michelle KaminskyMichelle Kaminsky is an American attorney-turned-freelance writer who lived in her family's ancestral village in Calabria, Italy for 15 years. This blog is now archived. 

Calabria Guidebook

Calabria travel guide by Michelle Fabio

Recipes

 

Homemade apple butter
Green beans, potatoes, and pancetta
Glazed Apple Oatmeal Cinnamon Muffins
Pasta with snails alla calabrese
Onion, Oregano, and Thyme Focaccia
Oatmeal Banana Craisin Muffins
Prosciutto wrapped watermelon with bel paese cheese
Fried eggs with red onion and cheese
Calabrian sausage and fava beans
Ricotta Pound Cake