Archive for the ‘P’ Category
Patron Saint of Singles: San Faustino
Ah, Valentine’s Day. As if you could escape knowledge of *that* little celebration in the middle of February, thankyouverymuch Hallmark et al.
Am I bah humbugging the day of San Valentino?
Well, maybe just a bit.
You *know* I’m all about the love (and, by the way, if you want to know why the heart symbolizes love, go here), but the commercialization of the holiday really irks me. I’m part of a couple now, but except for the past three Valentine’s Days, I wasn’t, and I remember those other 20-some February 14ths very well.
Sure, I always made it a point to celebrate and appreciate *all* kinds of love in my life on Valentine’s Day (and I hope you do too!), but every now and again, some of the commercialism of the holiday would seep into my subconscious, and I’d just want someone to buy me chocolates dammit.
Ahem.
So I’m here to tell you what you singles can do this Valentine’s Day:
First of all, go buy your own chocolates. They really do taste just as good.
Then save up your partying for February 15th–the feast day of San Faustino.
Several years ago, a group of Italian singles decided it was time to celebrate singles–and also to address issues that adversely affect singles from paying higher taxes to difficulties adopting children.
So they chose the day after Saint Valentine’s Day, the feast day of San Faustino, to celebrate single life.
Indeed, if you happen to be in Italy, be sure to check out VitadaSingle.net for what’s happening on February 15th near you; and if you can read Italian, at SanFaustino.info, you can find books, movies, music, recipes, and more–all for singles!
As for P and me this Valentine’s Day?
We’ll be having a quiet evening at home making homemade pizza. Plenty romantic for me even though I know some onions are going to be on those pizzas….
Will you celebrate San Faustino’s Day?
Love Thursday: Almond Blossoms & Calabrian Proverbs on Love
As has become tradition, P brought me our first almond blossom of the year last Thursday (yes, on Love Thursday and everything!):
And now, since I’m in a loverly mood, a few Calabrian proverbs on relationships, love, and the like:
- A carni supra all’ossu mera.
Meat on the bones adorns.
The book I found these in expands (my translation): “The concept of traditional feminine beauty isn’t lean and long-limbed, which came from the style of America after World War II . . . . According to the Calabrese tradition, a beautiful woman must also be robust, with roundness and feminine features well-accentuated.”
Gotta love the Calabrese!
- Ama l’omu toi cu i vizii soi.
Love your man with all his faults.
I think this is a good one for everyone, don’t you? If you truly choose to love someone (I’m a big believer that love is a choice), you love everything about them even if some things frustrate the hell out of you sometimes. Ahem.
- A megghju palora esta chija chi no nesci.
The best words are those that never leave the mouth.
This last one isn’t specified for love, but I think this can be good advice in relationships. Yes, I believe in honesty and openness, but not every thought needs expression.
What do you think about these lovely proverbs?
Happy Love Thursday everyone!
Village Games: Part III
It’s been a while since P and I played “Dove cazzo è?” (Where the **** is it?), but last weekend’s photostroll with the dogs (while wearing my new official photostroll boots) gave me a perfect chance to round up some photos.
For past rounds of this game, see Village Games I and Village Games II.
The rules are:
(1) I roam the village taking random shots of things.
(2) P has to tell me where I’ve found them–all of them.
(3) Loser cooks dinner and cleans up afterwards.
I started with an easy one, just steps from our house:
Turned up the heat with the door of one of the village’s 13 churches:
Which P got immediately as this is the church nearest the house he grew up in.
Then some random ruins:
P struggled a bit but described the general area, so I gave it to him. But then, the toughest one of all:
He had no clue that it belonged to this house:
Hah! Victory was mine!
But then I remembered another photo I had and wanted to ask him about:
P solved the mystery for me as to what this was used for, so we agreed to call this third edition of Village Games a draw.
Do you know what that pointy object is/was for?
Buon weekend--any fun plans?
love thursday: happy birthday to p and to bleeding espresso
It’s finally here! P is finally entering his 30s! Woohoo!
Sorry, but sometimes being a bit older than your mate wears on you, especially when the first digit of your ages don’t match. Now, finally, after two years of being the only one whose age started with a 3, P has joined me. Happy day, happy day!
And you know what else? Bleeding Espresso turns two years old today! So here are three gorgeous hearts courtesy of aussiegall on Flickr:
One for P, one for Bleeding Espresso, and one for all of you who visit, encourage, and inspire me to keep writing, taking photos, cooking, and smiling (not necessarily in that order). Mwaaaah!
And hey it’s also Santa Barbara‘s day, which I’ve written about here at Italy Magazine.
Happy Love Thursday everyone!
*Remember to enter to win a copy of Who by Fire by Diana Spechler before 12/9!*
Recipe: Bollito di Manzo
I don’t know how you normally make stews and soups, but I’m used to chopping things up into bite-sized pieces. Not with bollito! All you need to do is peel and clean everything and put it in a pot with water for a couple hours. Seriously, can it get any easier?
Read on...
Michelle Fabio is an American attorney-turned-freelance writer living in her family's ancestral village in Calabria, Italy and savoring simplicity one sip at a time.
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