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And, it's mine!


Yep. My Bella Vita is moving. So, come on over and join the party!

http://my-bella-vita.com

Italian Politics...Are We There Yet?

What do Silvio Berlusconi, the Greek War hero, Ulysses, and bridge-shadowed fish have in common?

Hmmm...?

I'll give you a hint. I read about them all, in the same article, this morning.

Sunday and Monday are the big election days in Italy, and although I can't yet vote, I have had my fill of Italian politicians. But, why should I be any different?

They can't make decisions, they wantonly squander tax-payer dollars, ahem...euros, and, is it just me, or is Silvio looking younger every election?

But, I digress...the article.

Apparently Ulysses attempted to pass the Straits of Messina, crew in tow, met with heavy winds and turbulent waters, and crashed into what is now, Taormina, Sicily.

A few thousand years later, in 1865 to be exact, the Italian governement proposed building a bridge to unite Sicily with mainland Italy, a.k.a, Calabria. That was 142 years ago.

There is no bridge.

It is important to note the Bridge Project (as I'll call it here) has never been scratched, but rather has been actively pursued...for the last 142 years.

In this time, many a person has researched, drafted, and planned for the bridge. Even French sea explorer, Jacques Cousteau got in on the action, conducting a study to determine the effects the bridge's shadow would have on sea life.

And, here we are, April 2008, and the Bridge Project is a hot election item. Berlusconi supports finishing the bridge and claims doing so will jolt the economy and infuse patriotism into Italian hearts. His rival, Walter Veltroni, wants to focus on what he calls, more realistic goals, and improve Italian roads and school systems.

It will be an interesting weekend. Yet, I can't help but wonder. Win or lose, Silvio or Walter, will this bridge ever be built? And, if so. When?

Read the full article here.

Also, visit Sara at Ms. Adventures in Italy for her addition of La Buona Cucina Americana...bacon baked beans and all!

Hugs are in the Mail!

When breezing through downtown Catanzaro last week I passed a lovely house, with the most heart-warming mail box attached to the door. I have walked this street many times, always failing to notice this proud display of love, happiness, and surely, kindness!

And, isn't it lovely?

It made me wonder what type of mail a person with such a loving mail box could expect?

Love letters, perhaps?

Messages from a secret admirer?

Bills from Enel?

Here's hoping there is nothing in your mail box today besides hugs, kisses, and messages of joy! If you see a nasty 'ole bill...just push it to the back. It can wait until Friday!

Happy Love Thursday!

Italian Games

You have to get up pretty early to beat an Italian at his own game. I know this. Yet, I tried.

It's blogosphere knowledge my father-in-law worries about my eating habits. He buys me chocolate to "fatten me up" and encouraged his sister to "talk to me about my problem."

So, one day, after he growled at me for refusing more chicken, I thought I'd address the issue - head on!

"Don't worry about me," I tell him. "I'm healthy!"

"You don't eat anything!" He scolds me. "You want an onion? Garlic? An orange?"

(Boh!)

Ahem. "No. You see, Nino," I patiently explained. "You don't know how much girls eat, because you only had sons. Girls don't eat as much as boys."

Heh?

(He has problems hearing sometimes, so I raised my voice and repeated...)

"You don't know how much girls eat. You. only. had. sons!"

(Dang. I'm good!)

"I had a wife, and SHE ate!"

.......

A few days later, he asked me if I need anything from the store.

"I'll get him this time," I think. "I'll confuse him 'up good'."

"Yes, actually," I begin. "I need something for my hair."

"More shine...more shine...." I say as I toss my hair from side to side.

I look at him, certain I am about to get a startled response.

Without blinking an eye, he said, "Ok. Shine for your hair!"

So, I backtrack.

"No. No. I don't want anything! It was a joke. A joke. Understand?"

An hour later, he shows up with this.

"Sei pronta a splendere?

You ready for shine???

Nope. You can't beat an Italian at their own games. You can try. You can play along. But, you won't win! Trust me on this.

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit

of Happiness.

Borrowed from philosopher John Locke, Thomas J. hit the mark when he penned these famous words. "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness."

But, who knew the" pursuit" part would be so darn hard?

In the 2006 movie, "The Pursuit of Happiness," Chris Gardner (played by Will Smith), laments the pursuit of the ever-distant, and seemingly unattainable, happiness. A hard-up salesman, Gardner finds himself raising his two year old son alone on the streets on San Francisco, bouncing between homeless shelters and subway station restrooms. If you haven't seen the movie, it is quite a tear-jerker, as Gardner spends most of the movie, in the pursuit of happiness.

Apparently, we all do.

In a recent Newsweek article, 8 out of 10 Americans claim to think about their happiness at least once a week. However, according to Eric Weiner, author of the new book, "The Geography of Bliss," America is far from being the happiest country on Earth. In fact. We are 23rd

You can read Eric's book, as I hope to soon, to discover the secrets some countries already know. Countries like Denmark, Switzerland, Holland, and Iceland (I'm seeing a chilly pattern here) are among the happiest, while some sources place Britain at # 41, Italy at # 50, and France at # 62!

Just to help you through the day, here's a little thought to keep you smiling.

Ain't got no cash,

Ain't got no style

Ain't got no girl to make you smile

But don't worry

Be happy

Cause when you worry

Your face will frown

And that will bring everybody down

So don't worry,

Be happy...

So, how about you? Do you think you are happy, and if so, where do you live?

Meme Monday: Friday Fill-Ins

Last month Il Cedro and My Bella Vita offered a give-a-way in conjunction with the 5 Minutes for Mom's Ultimate Blog Party, and one of my new favorite bloggers won. Playful Professional of Play More, Laugh More, Live More, then introduced me to Friday Fill-Ins. I *love* how this blog-thing works. Don't be jealous, Kevin Bacon, you're in our six degrees, too!

While I may be posting this baby on Monday, everyone else posted on Friday. Go to the Friday Fill-Ins blogsite to check it out or play along.

---

1. Today I saw the tinest brown bird, sitting on a branch of our cherry blossom tree. He perched, chirped, then flitted away.

2. "It Wasn't Me," by Shaggy makes me wanna dance! Actually, I GET DOWN, BABY! Even now, when I found the video to attach to this post, I took a boogy break!

3. Splitting a few appetizers between friends is something I really miss in Italy. I love aperitivi, but sometimes a girl just misses TGIF, ya know?

4. My nephew, Cole is someone I'd like to get to know better. In that, I mean I can't wait to see the man he will become one day.

5. The smell of rain reminds me so much of springtime! Hey, I grew up in southeast Texas!

6. I made a grande vanilla cappuccino this morning, and that made it all better.

7. And as for the weekend, Friday night I watched my new favorite obsession, The Ghost Whisperer, Saturday my plans included teaching an English lesson and going to dinner in the mountains, and Sunday I watched Catanzaro play soccer against Benevento! Forza Gialla-Rossi!

Birthday Wishes for Mom

At what point do we grow up and really meet our parents? I can't recall the first time I saw my mother, not as "my mom," but as another person.

My mother is a woman. A wife. A friend. But, when did I meet her?

It wasn't here...

Or, here...

My mother was quite possibly the best mom any child could hope for...yet, I didn't really appreciate it. I took it for granted when she stayed up late helping me with homework. I wasn't grateful when she worked during the day, and then drove me an hour and a half round-trip to dance lessons. I didn't say "thank you" when she enrolled me in acting class and drove me to Houston several times a week because "I could do what Laura does on Little House on the Prairie." I thought all mothers did those things.

She never missed a Jr. High basketball game, volleyball match, or track meet. She was at every game I cheered in for four years of high school and a year of college. She attended every mother's social for my sorority, and every college event, when I asked her to go.

Even now she edits my query letters and book proposals and doesn't laugh when I forget to add yeast when making bagels.

This weekend she will celebrate her birthday, and I sure wish I was there - or, she was here.

If she was here, I'd take her to our favorite seafood restaurant, nestled in the hills between Catanzaro and Lamezia. I wouldn't order wine, 'cause that's not her thing, but I'd get a big 'ole coke - and ask for ice. Afterwards, I would take her to Catanzaro Lido for a super-sized gelato and a stroll along the lungomare. And, I'd make her try limoncello - again!

Sadly for me, she is not here, so that mother-daughter date will remain a figment of my imagination, possibly forever. Instead, I will take the opportunity to finally tell her thank you.

Thank you for always putting us first.

Thank you for being strong, so we could always depend on you.

Thank you for being the kind of mother I pray I will be.

Happy Birthday, Mom. I sure am glad I got to know you.

Be sure to visit Barb at Art and Barb Live in Italy for this week's edition of la buona cucina americana, and some good old-fashioned scalloped potatoes!

The Side Effects of Love

Love can make your heart beat a little faster...

It can make your hands shake or your head spin...

It can make you feel warm all over.

Kinda like this.

Isn't it comforting to know love really is all around? Last weekend Peppe and I stopped in at Bar Centrale in downtown Catanzaro Lido for a quick cap before Mass. He noticed the foam formation and reached for the camera.

You gotta love a man who thinks of the blog.

Happy LT, everyone, and may your hearts be warmed today - not by caffeine-overdose - but, by true love, close friends, and family ties.

Put Me in Coach...

Last Saturday marked Opening Day at Kountze Little League, and the recently-progressed-into-the-machine-pitch-leagues, Cole was ready to play!

Now a seasoned member of KLL, and a fresh recruit of the Red Sox team, he knows what he's doing.

He also observed the absence of girls on his team this year, and was none too happy about this change.

I rooted for him from afar the best way I knew how.

I listed to John Fogerty's "Centerfield" at least 10 times, and wore my LU baseball cap all day. In fact, I thought about it a lot.

Having never been a true-blue baseball fan, per se, the following realization came as quite a surprise.

I miss baseball.

I miss it. A lot.

Growing up with a crew-full of cousins, we shared many a pick-up game after family dinners and on weekends.

I rarely played.

The fact is, I'm not that good. But, I'm not as bad as I think I am, either.

I have spent quite a few of my working days near a baseball field. I'm one of the lucky ones, who has loved every job I've ever had, including working for the Athletics Department at Lamar University, and organizing the intramurals for Walt Disney World employees.

I joined a co-ed softball team at Disney one year...The Cellar Dwellers. We won two games, and once the other team was even there! God, that was fun.

I don't, however, think it is the sport I miss, as much as what it represents. Behind the layers of scandal, and corporate greed you've got America. Pure, 100% America.

And, I miss that, too.

Yes, I've loved every place I've lived as much as I've loved every job I've had, so this is no reflection on Italy, but sometimes a girl just misses seeing men running around in tight pants.

Hmmm....

Guess I could go to the ballet.

Adieu, Pazzo Marzo

Ahhh....j'adore Spring!

I really do.

But, Pazzo Marzo got the best of me this year. It was a tough month!

Sooooo, HELLO APRIL, boy am I glad you're here. And, that's no joke!

Throughout the month, we alternated between basking in the sunny warmth, to dodging the cold wind, ice storms, and rain. March is so unpredictable, Italians even have a saying dedicated to its craziness.

Marzo pazzarello

esce il sole e prendi l’ombrello

Which, translated means that March in Italy is pretty much like Texas year-round.

Even when it is sunny, carry an umbrella.

So...adieu Pazzo Marzo and welcome sunny April. With any luck, we'll be at the beach in no time!

For all of you joksters out there, Happy Pesce d'Aprile! Here's a little prank form to get you started!