Archive for 2007
Picking Truffles in Calabria: Another Homeless Smurf
On Saturday afternoon, P and his friends went hunting tartufi (truffles) in the mountains that surround us. Other than a ton of rainbows, the sprouting of delicious mushrooms is another great side effect to all the rain we’ve been getting. While normal funghi hunting, e.g., for porcini, occurs in the fall and winter, our black truffles are just getting good around this time.
Ah, yes, I should point out that we only have black truffles down here as the white, expensive, sacred ones are further north in more famous white truffle country.
So how did we do? Well, no luck on the tartufi this time, but P did find a rather unique ‘shroom that he brought home for me. Have I mentioned he’s always bringing me something?
This is actually a porcino, well out of season, and just cute as a button (about that small as well). So if you want to start up a collection or something, it would seem that we’ve just created another homeless Smurf*.
And you thought Gargamel was nasty.
*In Italian, the Smurfs are called “I Puffi.”
From Wikipedia: Italian: puffi (singular: puffo), the name has been reinvented from scratch because in Italian language the “schtroumpf” or (in Italian spelling strumpf) reminds speakers of the Italian word “stronzo,” literally meaning ‘piece of excrement.’ Note that the dialect word ‘strunz‘ is even closer to ‘strumpf.’ The fantasy name “puffi” is derived from the word “buffi” (singular: buffo, as in opera buffo) a word meaning at same time “funny” and “strange.”
Sunday Scribblings: Deepest, Darkest
Prompt #53: Deepest, darkest
In. Out. Deep breath. Here we go.
This week’s prompt is “deepest, darkest,” and perhaps since I’ve had something weighing on my mind for some months now, I immediately thought of secrets. We all have things that we’ve done or that have happened to us that we’ve told only a select person or two–or maybe even no one at all.
Through the course of writing this blog, I feel I’ve gotten to know so many new friends, and the basis of any friendship is honesty. So through this prompt’s inspiration, I’m going to come clean on something that has been churning around my stomach for months; I hope you won’t think any less of me for what I’m about to reveal.
I’ve cheated on P.
There. It’s out.
I don’t want to get into details, but it was just one time, a few months ago with an ex from here who doesn’t live in this area any more; he was visiting some family around the holidays, and well, you know how these things work.
I suppose I was waiting for those rumblings in my gut to stop, but maybe (hopefully) in time it’ll happen.
Perhaps if I confessed to P, I’d feel better?
What do you think blog friends?
***SEE COMMENTS FOR IMPORTANT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION***
Little Things Can Be Big If You Let Them
Yesterday’s meme asked me to name two random things I love about life, and it reminded me that once upon a time, I started keeping a list of such things here:
Here’s a small selection of what’s inside, tear-stained and all (click to enlarge):
Some are things probably only I enjoy and some things may not even be enjoyable to me anymore (uh, Smashmouth anyone?), but at the time I wrote it down, it made me smile.
Indeed, each entry sparks a specific image or memory in my mind–a point in life, a few words from someone I haven’t thought of in years, a feeling I couldn’t begin to put into words, in short, a part of me.
I hope you can find something there to make you smile as well.
Rising to the Challenge
OK, there must be something in the air, because I’ve been tagged again. I’m such a sucker for a good meme that I haven’t turned down a tag request yet, and here I am, keeping my streak alive.
The lovely Vanessa (from the blog that shares a name with this post) has passed along some rather unique questions from Create a Connection, an interesting site I’m just getting to know.
Here’s the Q & A:
I’m eating a leftover hamburger (w/ mayo, on wheat bread) and sautéd zucchini as I type this. What did YOU eat last?
A cappuccino and a cornetto, which normally I don’t have in the morning, but it was calling to me, and who am I to reject a Nutella-filled cornetto?
Update: I originally did this meme in the morning but then couldn’t get onto the Internet because of severe thunderstorms. Since then, I’ve eaten some minestrone. Full disclosure here on Q & A.
I am totally head-over-heels for a very tall man named James, who has a very sexy new haircut (picked out by me, of course! lol) What about YOUR love life? Anyone special?
Yes, someone affectionately known as P on this blog, but as a different, disgustingly cute nickname in real life that shall never be disclosed in a public forum. Read more about how we met here. P is about 5’10”, extremely thin even though he eats twice as much as I do, is an excellent cook, and treats Luna like a daughter (which, of course, she is).
I live in a little house, with lots of trees, on a dead-end street. What is it like where you live?
Right now I live in a redone, medieval house in a village in southern Italy overlooking the Ionian Sea. Although I won’t go into more details just yet, this may be changing—but only by a few paces down the corso, so don’t get too excited. And forget I mentioned full disclosure.
I love my hair, and my cute wittle nose. What are YOUR favourite features about yourself?
I really like my brain the best (it usually works pretty well), but physically, I suppose my hair because it’s really quite manageable so long as I keep it reasonably clean, and my eyes—even though they’re just brown, I rather like the shape and shade.
Today, I pondered about the need for mentoring in young women’s lives. What deep thoughts have YOU been pondering upon?
I’ve been thinking a lot about the Italian school system even though I don’t have any children (yet). We were discussing it in one of my English classes, and it has me thinking about what works, what doesn’t, and what I would probably have to provide for any future children with regard to education. Scary stuff.
I love cheese (cubed colby & monterey jack) and green growing things! List 2 random things you love about life.
Sliding across a tile floor in socks and climbing into fresh, warm sheets. And so many more. I actually started making a list of such things several years ago, so I think I’ll start posting some periodically.
I found CAC (Create a Connection) through Melba, who I found through A Mindful Life, which I stumbled on by doing a random search for Buddhist blogs, for no apparent reason! How did YOU find out about CAC?
I just found CAC through Vanessa who tagged me with this meme; it looks fabulous! I’m not quite sure how I found Vanessa (Sunday Scribblings perhaps?), but I’m sure glad I did.
I absolutely *heart* thunderstorms! What do YOU love most about spring?
Increased daylight, which really hadn’t been a big deal to me until this year. I just love that when I’m done teaching in the evening, it’s not pitch black and cold anymore. It also means my balcony stays warmer in the sunshine a little longer in the mornings, which is great for the plants.
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Dearest Vanessa then continued the meme party by listing 5 things about herself. Well, you all know how much I love to talk about me, so I played along with this as well, adding my own slant since I’ve already done so darn many things about me. I needed guidance, and I found some.
Five things about me connected to the 5 senses:
1. Taste. I love chocolate, but I really don’t like overly chocolate things, e.g., chocolate cake with chocolate icing. Blech.
2. Sight(ish). I have really good visualization skills, so that I can see in my mind the way I want a room to look and know that it will be something I like. P doesn’t have this so much, so when it comes time to move furniture, I have to convince him that what I see in my mind will be pretty, I swear. And then I whine for good measure.
3. Touch. I love walking with P, my arm linked through his or vice versa. I’m not sure we’d do this so much if he weren’t Italian, or if we weren’t in Italy, so I’m glad he’s him and we’re here.
4. Hearing. I absolutely hate a loud television; this is why surround sound is wasted on me. It actually sometimes makes me sick in my stomach.
5. Smell. I love, love, love the smell of onions and peppers being fried. Love. I don’t even have to eat them later as I get (mostly) full on the smell. But I eat them anyway just so they don’t feel sad.
I’m not going to tag anyone specifically, but do play along if you fancy doing so with either or both of the memes. And don’t forget to leave me a link so I can find you!
Buon weekend a tutti!
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[tags]memes[/tags]
love thursday: love in the olive oil
Sounds kinky and maybe it can be, but what I’m referring to is what I noticed a few evenings ago.
When it’s time to serve dinner, instead of dirtying yet another dish we (I) usually just take the pan full of whatever from the stove to the table. After a major sit-down with the other night’s lovingly prepared delicious rabbit and potatoes, I was just about to grab the pan to take to the sink when I saw this:
Love really is all around if you pay attention–
and what were we saying about the kitchen being a place full of love?
Happy Love Thursday everyone!
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[tags]love thursday, olive oil, hearts, love, amore[/tags]
Michelle 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.
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