Summer House

Joe and I fell asleep last night and awoke this morning to four empty flats below us. I wondered if the dogs, Titi and Lilo, were at the summer house. 

We had our coffee and packed for the move. I brought some cleaning supplies and my basil plant, along with clothes, towels, etc. I also forgot a few important things, but!!! I remembered the wine.

We arrived, greeted everyone, and got our accommodations somewhat organized. The IKEA futon that Maria Teresa and I assembled has a few flaws, so we end up becoming a human burrito every time we get into or out of the bed. This will need to be assessed and fixed tomorrow.

Elena and family were seeing the dinosaurs in Centro Sicilia. They arrived after we did. And the sweet Romanian family, Rodi, Rodica, and Vasily, who take care of Vincenzo’s mom, were here with her.

Nonno (who is in his element here) was directing Vincenzo (on a ladder) where and how to cut the grapevines on the pergola. “He thinks I’m his slave,” Vincenzo joked. Joe joined in to help. When they finished, I told them Nonno has a good eye, and Vincenzo is a good laborer—the pergola looks as if it has Palladian windows.

I told Nonna it looks like a wedding venue. Mariella yelled to get my mom here. I showed Nonno a picture of my mom, saying she’s just a year and a half younger than him. He grabbed my phone and sat down to look at pictures of her. Ok, Nonno? You marry her, and I’ll be your new Italian citizen daughter! He looked again at my mom’s picture. My mom is cute. His smile touched his ears, and he walked like a 30-year-old for a bit; a little bounce in his step. It would be the answer to so many things, and Mariella and I would be sisters!

Ettore returned, and he and Tea picked up tennis balls with a tube. Lilliana was calling for Tea, so Alessandro yelled, “Tea! Vieni qua! C’è la torta!” Tea, come here—there’s cake! And we saw cute chubby Tea do an about-face and chug up the hill from the tennis courts.

Then I went back to the courts with Ettore, as we had lots of running and playing to do before lunch. We played “soccer” on the tennis courts for a while, then it was time for Ettore to swing on swing sets with Joe and Agnese (joined at the hip), and to pit cherries on bottlemouths with chopsticks, so we could make marmalata.

Lunch was pasta with tomatoes and eggplant, then assorted meats—involtini, pork cutlets with paprika, pork strips cooked in wine and mushrooms, chicken. The men took to the loungers and napped while we were so industrious—it reminded me of my childhood.

There was swimming, dancing, a motorcycle ride, play time, finishing the marmalata, and dinner. We are still eating up the American hamburgers… it will be a while before I can look at one again! There was also an assortment of salad, salumeria, bread, and many cheeses. Dessert was fruit from the peach tree.

I got in calls to my longest-time friend, Marydawn, and my daughter, Maria. They’ll meet in Taos!

Tonight, the clouds cleared and the stars sprinkled the black sky. Etna is smoking behind us, and the city lights sparkle below.

This is my kind of “camping,” crazy bed and all.