A sisters trip!

It has been such a long time since I have blogged. Life has been busy and full, but I don't feel as if any of it has been worthy of sharing with the world. However, I am wanting to blog about my recent trip to Italy, so this seems like a good time to resurrect my neglect corner of the Internet. I hesitated before blogging about my trip-it can be just as dull to the reader as the slide shows of my childhood. But, one of my main goals in blogging is to have a record of my days, a collective memory of sorts. The nice thing about blogging is that, unlike the stuffy, dark living rooms of slide show days, the viewer is able to leave without any hard feelings. If the narrative if my epic sisters trip to Italy is unendurable, just the click of a mouse will bap it away, to be replaced by something more diverting. Also, if anyone is up for a stroll down memory lane with me, the are welcome to come along. So! With out further ado, I present you Sister's trip to Italy 2013.

Before I begin, I must go back in time to 1978. September of 1978, to be exact. That was the month that my parents moved, with their four girls in tow, to Perugia, Italy. In June of 1980, we came back to America for, what we were told, was the summer. We would return to Italy in August, in time for school to begin. As it turns out, we never went back. So, last summer we hatched a plan to return to return to Italy together, and spend a week revisiting our beloved Perugia. After much planning (and cajoling husbands) and praying that nothing would happen to prevent our going, we got to take our trip. We left on March 22nd, flying from Portland to Amsterdam and then on to Rome. Everything went perfectly ( we even flew first class, which pretty much rocks), and we were greeted in Rome by warm, sunny weather.

We spent the afternoon wandering around Rome, drinking cappuccino and eating delicious toasted sandwiches (panini) as we walked. Rome is full of beautiful old churches, and no matter how many I see I am still amazed at their beauty and lavishness. We only went in to two churches though, as it just felt good to be outside in the sunshine, part of the happy crowd.

Every where we walked that day, we could see these horses and their chariots watching over the city. We only explored a small area, as we were beginning to feel the effects of not sleeping for over twenty four hours. After walking about for five hours, a good meal, a bottle of wine, and hot showers sounded better than another monument.

My eldest son, Graham, went along with us. He spent the first night in Rome with us, came to,Perugia with us for two days, and then returned to Rome to hang out with a bunch of his friends who happened to be there at the same time. He was a great companion, and loved very minute of the trip. Tomorrow (hopefully) I will chronicle our four days in Perugia, which is where we had some real adventures.

Rome was lovely, and a great place to start our trip. I know people who don't like is, because it is crowded and noisy. I can understand that, and know I wouldn't want to spend a lot of time there. However, Rome is a rich city- rich in history, beauty, mystery, and culture. In spite of the crowds and noise, I have always found it to be a delightful city, and wish we had had more time to explore. Next time, assuming there is a next time, I want to see Rome Ostia, which is the ancient port of Rome. It sounds fascinating, and after doing some research on it, it is on my must see list.

 

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Random post

In which I attempt to add a photo while blogging using my iPad. I know it can be done, but have been unsuccessful so far!Random post, random picture, but really want to figure this out!

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Still here!

Wow! Two months with out a post! So much has happened since the last time I updated this blog! A new niece and nephew! Another strawberry season come and gone! My first child graduated high school! I have deliberately not blogged in this space for these last few months, as I needed to let something go for a season. Things have slowed down for the time being, and so I am feeling ready to begin this record of my days again. I have missed this!

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 He is graduating  tonight. after being  chosen outstanding student at his school. So, so proud of him, especially looking back on the days of struggling to get him to speak and read.

This one? Is toilet training. So far it has been an epic failure. Not even the cute Thomas the Tank Engine underwear or the promise of an M&M for using the toilet have worked. I am not too worried about it though, and not pushing him, but, honestly, it is time!

Have a happy weekend! Pictures of the graduation and the subsequent  party coming soon!

a rambling update of sorts

I have realized lately that I am the type of blogger who writes lengthy, frequent blog posts in her head, but rarely gets around to actually blogging. On the other hand, the last few weeks have been full. Birthdays, parties, preparing for the farm season to begin, finishing up the home school year, and trying to keep food coming from my stoveless kitchen have taken a great deal of my time. I have also had some days of intense sorrow, and being weighed down by a profound sense of loss. My mother is slipping still further in to the abyss of Alzhiemers. Looking through pictures for my son's graduation slide show reminded me of all the loved ones we have lost who will not be celebrating this milestone with us. Friends who used to be a large part of our lives, who show up regularly in these photos of my children's childhood, and are now living elsewhere and not in touch with us. I have come to realize that this feeling may be with me for a while, as we have had a lot of loss  the last few years. However, I also recognize that, hand in hand with the sorrow, is also great joy. Children who I genuinely enjoy. Family that all gets along and is close. My husband who routinely makes me laugh so hard I almost hyperventilate.Loving what we do for a living. A little boy who talks in delightful toddler gibberish that only I can understand. Good coffee, roses in the garden, and new friends who have become just as dear as the old. My son winning the outstanding student award at his school. The sad days make these joys doubly precious.

Strawberry season will begin in just twelve days or so, and once it does, I will be getting a new stove. I have a list of new recipes I want to try when I do have a stove, with buttermilk berry cake being on the top of the list. In the meantime, I am kind of enjoying (my excitement is waning......) seeing how creative I can be. I was able to make kale chips in my roaster oven last weekend. They were absolutely delicious, and even my little girls loved them. I could only fit a small batch in to the oven, but they were gobbled up quickly and everyone clamored for more. I used Tuscan kale, which seemed to be a little bit more tender and less strongly flavored that the traditional kale. The boys bought it at the farmer's market, so it was very fresh. I drizzled it with olive oil, sprinkled it with freshly ground pepper, and then added a liberal amount of fumee de sel. This is a fancy salt I bought this winter, which I have come to really like. It has large grains, so it holds up to roasting well, and it also has a slight smoky flavor to it. I know that any old salt would have worked just fine, and that there is no need to use fancy salt to make food taste good, but with my limited cooking options, playing with new ingredients has become my creative outlet in the kitchen right now!

I have some posts on child rearing and home schooling kicking around in my mind, and once graduation and the subsequent party are over, I will try to make cohesive thoughts on those subjects! On the other hand, by then I may have a stove, and all my posts will be pictures of my new toy!

The whirlwind week

 The last week has been a flurry of (really, really fun) activity. My eldest turned eighteen, and about fifty people showed up for his party.

 These two children of mine have always been the best of friends!

 Road Rally contestants, moments before we started. The rally was a blast, and the Farmer and I won! We met at one place, and then were told our first destination. When we got there, we took a picture, texted it to the organizers, the were given our next clue.

 This was our final destination, a little restaurant in Amity, Oregon. I took no pictures (other than with my phone as we shot past our stops along the way) because we were in too much of a hurry tying to win the race.

 Inside the restaurant, waiting for the last contestants before ordering our meal. Turns out the last , contestants were in a ditch after hitting gravel and spinning out of control. They were fine, and so was the car. This place had great ambiance, and was very hospitable to our large noisy crowd.

 My delicious meal- ravioli made with local raised game birds, duck confit, nettles, and homemade cheese, topped with foraged nettle pesto and fiddleheads. Yum. Double yum! I also had a glass of Hefeweisen, which was the perfect accompaniment.

 Dear friends! Their daughter helped my children organize the route and send texts during the race.

 The restaurant had this wood fired oven and I was so tempted to order a pizza made therein. My niece ordered one, and it looked so good!

 The next big event was this weekends ladies tea held at my older children's school. I was in charge of the whole thing, and it was, in spite of being very stressful, really fun. We had an international theme, and each table was set to reflect a different country. Lots of really beautiful tables- these ladies know how to decorate!

 When I came in Sunday morning, this was on one of the tables. I knew this particular hostess was doing Scotland, but couldn't imagine what this would turn in to!That is real grass, by the way!

The round of sod was transformed into a picnic in the Scottish Highlands! This was such a fun and creative table, and won the award for favorite table! Below is one final picture, showing the school gym turned into a tea hall!Now that the rush of tea planning is over, I can focus all my attention on the upcoming strawberry season!

first lilacs

 The first lilacs of the spring, brought to me by Estelle. I love lilacs (in their natural form, not artificially scented lilac stuff....) and look forward to their arrival every spring. I always fill the house with them, so glad to have fresh flowers again!

I am now at the point of going crazy without a stove. I am completely uninspired and the fun of cooking has gone. I am still churning out the food, and I am told it is good (the above is curried chicken and potatoes from the crock pot), which is the most important thing. Just really, really, really looking forward to having a stove again! This weekend brings our first road rally (details and pictures to follow) and my eldest's eighteenth birthday! Good thing I have one more (secret) bag of Cadbury Mini-Eggs and a fresh pound of strong coffee to help me get through the business of the weekend!