Bleeding Espresso

Inspired by my good friend Frances:

• If you know me well, you know that I am a sucker for fuzzy creatures, I love cappuccino any time of day, and I can’t stand people with inflated egos.

• If you know me well, you know that I am a bleeding heart liberal, I love living in southern Italy, and I can’t stand watching anything with Chuck Norris or Steven Seagal (but can kinda sorta tolerate Jean Claude Van Damme if I must).

• If you know me well, you know that I am a Coal Cracker, I love reading, and I can’t stand water running down my sleeve (just writing that skeeves me out).

• If you know me well, you know that I am experiencing life with baby goats for the first time, I love finding and sharing inspiring blogs and websites, and I can’t stand cold hands and feet.

• If you know me well, you know that I am not happy unless I’m working on several projects at the same time, I love climbing into freshly washed sheets, and I can’t stand that weird feeling when a fingernail is too short.

• If you know me well you know that I am a big fan of pizza, I love (and miss) March Madness, and I can’t stand when I have to pull my laundry in just minutes after I’ve put it out because of rain.

• If you know me well, you know that I am not likely to jump out of a perfectly good plane, I love trying new foods, and I can’t stand mosquitoes.

• If you know me well, you know that I am proud to be all hopey *and* changey, I love castles, and I can’t stand whining.

P.S. All the photos here are, of course, from my trip to NYC in December, during which I met Frances for the very first time in person. Un bacione Francesca!

I would love to read your take on this prompt, so please post yours in the comments or on your own blog/FB/Twitter and let me know!

Buon weekend!

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After compiling my part of the World Nutella Day round up and finishing some work assignments early in the week, I decided to enjoy the sunshine this afternoon and spend some time with my girls (of the caprine persuasion).

I never would have imagined how calming and reassuring just being in the presence of these goats can be. It’s really hard to be worried or stressed about anything when these sweet faces are looking back at you.

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Right now I’m reading Goat Song: A Seasonal Life, A Short History of Herding, and the Art of Making Cheese by Brad Kessler (recommended by a reader and native of Calabria, just down the road from me; grazie mille Anthony!).

Kessler describes the connection with nature, history, and yourself that raising goats provides, noting that throughout time, goats have been the subjects of many legends and stories, always “helping humans or leading them to unexpected places.”

“If you follow living beings assiduously in the field, or through the lens of a microscope,” writes Kessler, “they lead you to an understanding of their lives, and all life. They usher you into a kind of Eden.”

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Margherita and Carmelina usually don’t care *too* much if I’m in there with them–they often come to say hello and then just go back to eating, unless they’re not hungry, in which case they’ll stay for petties for a few minutes.

But my Pasqualina, who you might remember, I bottlefed, rarely leaves my side when I’m in the pen, even when I’m clearly disturbing her nap time.

There’s just nothing like goat zen in the goat pen.

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In my post An American Expat in Italy Goes “Home,” I mentioned that I’d be posting a list of observations, so without further ado, here it is with some photos of “home,” the Anthracite Coal Region in Pennsylvania, thrown in for good measure:

My Top 10 Realizations After Being “Home” for the First Time in Nearly Six Years

10. I don’t like what clothes dryers do to my clothes. They’re *great* for towels and such, but actual clothes? No thanks.

9. It’s really hard to find healthy meal choices in U.S. restaurants that aren’t salads (which, if you don’t watch, can be more fat- and calorie-laden than, say, the steak).

8. Starbucks coffee is OK. I don’t love it, and I don’t hate it, but I definitely don’t think it’s worth the price.

7. Kids grow. FAST. And tall.

6. Having friends that you can see after five or ten years and pick up a conversation like you’ve never left off? Yeah, that’s awesome.

5. Christmas really isn’t the same without my grandparents.

4. I’d get way less work done in the mornings if I could just flip on talk shows. Man they’re addictive. Especially Ellen.

3. People eat out and/or order in a lot more than what I’m used to, which is next to never…and also most food in restaurants tasted *uber* salty to me.

2. On a related note, I really need to learn to make Chinese food.

And the number one realization after being “home” for the first time in nearly six years:

1. I wish my two homes were physically *much* closer together.

Expats, what do you notice after being away from “home” for a while?

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As many of you know, I was back in the US from mid-November to late December. This was my first trip “home” since February 2004.

Yes I write it in quotes; as much fun as I had there, you see, I was also extremely excited and happy to get back to P, the pooches,

and the three kids (who, incidentally, we believe may all be pregnant!).

Stateside, I spent lots of time with family and friends, visited Philadelphia, New York City (where I met two online friends for the first time and met up with an old college friend–none of whom are shown in the photo below!)

and Washington DC,

helped my mom make cookies (which she sells for Christmas),

and shopped. A lot. The Christmastime prices in American malls? Worth the price of the airline ticket, quite frankly.

For instance, P was amazed that I could get him a pair of Levi’s for $30 (€21) when they cost, oh five times that here. My other spectacular purchases for myself include a new iPod Touch (to make it easier to read English language books, mainly) and a new external hard drive.

NB: Anything technological/electronic costs *way* less in America than it does in Italy.

My biggest culture shock actually came very early on in the trip when I couldn’t. stop. speaking. Italian. It was the weirdest thing! On the plane over, no matter what language the person addressing me was speaking, I would answer in Italian…and only sometimes catch that I had done it–once purely by the blank look on a fellow passenger’s face.

The two hardest things to stop saying were “Ciao!,” “Grazie!,” and “Sì!” So I imagine I just looked like a really pretentious American for at least the first few days of the trip. Oh well.

The other thing that was hard to get used to? Things being open in the afternoon. So strange to be able to go shopping or *gasp* get something to eat between one and four! Lovely.

I still have lots of photos to go through and post on Flickr (and possibly here), and probably a lot of mental processing of the whole experience. Soon I’ll be publishing my “Top 10 Realizations After Being “Home” for the First Time in Nearly Six Years” so please check back!

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I first saw this Year End meme at Sundry Mourning, who originally copied it from Gwen’s Petty, Judgmental, Evil Thoughts back in 2004.

This year’s version follows, and you can also check out previous ones:

• 2006
• 2007
• 2008

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before? Bottlefed a baby goat, raised another two baby goats besides, surprised my niece and nephew with a holiday visit to the States, was a finalist in the Bloggies, moved from my first house in Italy, got a blurb in a book, had my most successful freelance writing year to date, met several online friends in person! Yay!

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? Resolutions aren’t my thing, but I did well with my personal goals, particularly professionally, and yes, I’ll set more again.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Yes, a few. Welcome to the world, babies!

4. Did anyone close to you die? My 39-year-old cousin of cancer in April.

5. What countries did you visit? Italy and the US.

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009? A completely furnished house.

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? The dates we got the goats. Why? Because they’re my kids!

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Once again this year, the expansion of my freelance writing career.

9. What was your biggest failure? Still not completing a novel. Grr….

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Nothing too bad, I guess, as I don’t remember anything.

11. What was the best thing you bought? Aside from my plane tickets home, my glorious MacBook.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? P’s, for putting up with my six-week absence while dealing with dogs and goats and house issues, oh my!

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Joe Lieberman’s.

14. Where did most of your money go? This trip to the US and the house.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Visiting the US!

16. What song will always remind you of 2009? Beyoncé’s Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: (a) happier or sadder? (b) thinner or fatter? (c) richer or poorer? Happier, fatter (definitely a few pounds more because of the US trip!), richer.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Worked on my novel.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Deciding whether to get a Mac. That should’ve been a no-brainer.

20. How did you spend Christmas? Christmas Eve at my dad’s house and Christmas at my brother’s. The whole family was at both.

21. Did you fall in love in 2009? One word: KIDS. Maaaaaaaa!

22. What was your favorite TV program? Uomo vs. Natura (Man vs. Wild)

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? Hate is ugly.

24. What was the best book you read? Just one? The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh

25. What was your greatest musical discovery? Boh.

26. What did you want and get? To expand my writing career.

27. What did you want and not get? More of the house to be completed.

28. What was your favorite film of this year? The Men Who Stare at Goats. For obvious reasons, I imagine.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 33, and I think we were supposed to have a cookout but it rained. Maybe?

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Immeasurably more satisfying? Hmmm. I don’t know. I’m pretty happy with this year, although, again, I have to go back to having more of the house done.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009? Same as always but now with sheepskin boots!

32. What kept you sane? Furry friends.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Gotta be the Bear. See also #22.

34. What political issue stirred you the most? Don’t get me started on health care.

35. Who did you miss? Whoever wasn’t near me at any given time.

36. Who was the best new person you met? I met two online friends in NYC–both are amazing!

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009. Mindfulness.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

Rise up this mornin’,
Smiled with the risin’ sun,
Three little birds
Pitch by my doorstep
Singin’ sweet songs
Of melodies pure and true,
Sayin’, “This is my message to you-ou-ou:”

Let me know if you do the year end meme!

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