Its March 31st 2011 Gino and I finally made it back to Sicily. The last year has been a roller coaster of a ride. Moving here in August putting Isabella in school here working on the house getting three puppies, two birds and a fish.... going back and forth to California putting Isabella back in school in Santa Barbara...renting out our Camarillo restaurant..renting out our Camarillo house...finding spots for three cars..saying goodbye to the family..again
No wonder I cannot sleep. No actually its the jet lag. Its nearly 5 am I just made a pot of soup and did the laundry....if I am awake I will hang it out at the crack of dawn...feed the dogs and probably fall dead asleep.
No really its been a year to look back on. Good and bad but we survived it. Best part getting to retire and spend the day as I want cooking cleaning doing laundry all of which I love as its done at my pace. Gino spends his day working on the house and around the grounds. Its never ending you finish one job you start another. This is ok with us as we both like to be busy.
Today Gino cleaned the furnace room as we are expecting another shipment of sansa/pellets for the giant machine that heats our home and water. We also burn logs and I enjoy getting out the wheelbarrow and delivering the logs from one side of the house to the other. Its great exercise. I spent the month of January here with my pal Janet from California. We really had to fend for ourselves with no men around. As a team we did really good. We both like to cook so we cooked together most days and tried to watch what we ate as we both have weddings to attend and thought we could get in shape. It worked...we were a little slimmer.....were. We dealt with the animals, shopping and day trips.... we were out and about like the natives....of which I am now one!
Today was quite lovely...foggy in the early morning then the sun came out I fed the dogs and spent a little time between chores sitting outside reading. The afternoon it rained some and cold came in. The days here are never dull weather wise...it changes constantly at this time of year. When the sun shines you get your laundry done and out hanging on the line..the old fashioned way. Best way to dry your clothes and much cheaper than the dryer. Electricity is expensive here so we only use the dryer in emergencies. Gasoline also...has been for years and currently is about $9 per gallon. We joked about getting our 5 year old brand new Vespa out to start using it...I really think we will. Plus parking is a nightmare in the town of Enna and its a stress anytime we want to visit Gino's Mum or just go to town. We shipped that Vespa here for a reason.
Its now 5 am and I am even more awake. God knows I have enough to keep me busy for a year. Last August we shipped a 40 ft container here filled to the brim with all our furniture and personal items from America. Gino complained about what I was packing I complained about what he was packing. There was plenty room for all the stuff we both thought we could not live without. The one thing we agreed on was our kitchen. We bought and shipped a brand new professional kitchen which included a 6 burner Wolf stove with a huge oven big enough for my Thanksgiving turkey which I will be cooking every year in honor of my Dad who just like me loved turkey. TG Sicilian Scottish style.
Tomorrow is another day I need to pick up my birds and fish that my sister-in-law Silvanna kindly babysat while we were gone. The dogs Winston a Beagle, Max a black and huge German Shephard and Oliver the little mutt I found at the side of the road and who has turned into the most beautiful Golden Retriever keep me busy all day long. They have their special dog run but when I am home they run around and play all day long trying to escape to the neighbours properties on either side stressing me out till I find them and bring them home. I think a job tomorrow is to try and secure the property so these dogs stay safe.
Ok think I am going to test my soup.....5. 15 am...might see the Sicilian sun come up.
9.15 am never did sleep...saw the most lovely sunrise.....fed the dogs hung the laundry made breakfast. Our contractor just showed up so looks like Gino and him are working on something that needs attention. I will be called any minute to make the coffee.
