tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43515369754717822452011-11-20T17:23:00.653-08:00deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.comBlogger531100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-40009939271136145282011-07-11T00:09:00.000-07:002011-07-11T00:09:06.699-07:00

Hello dear readers. Here's a quick post to let you know that I'm still here and I appreciate your visits. I'm currently consumed by planning and preparations for my upcoming wedding. While I'm off on that journey, I'll leave you with a few heart photos from my travels. Enjoy! Chile ristra at a farmer's market in New Mexico. San Francisco, where some people leave theirs. Berry soup on our 2010

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-33354901497533540842011-06-05T22:22:00.000-07:002011-06-05T22:22:50.684-07:00

If you happen to be in Vancouver for #TBEX11, the travel bloggers conference, or you're embarking on your Disney cruise to Alaska, here are a few tips to survive hockey night in Canada. Hockey is our game. Get used to it. The Vancouver Canucks have never won the Stanley Cup but came close in 1994 resulting in the now legendary 1994 riots. Vancouver is up against the Boston Bruins, one of the

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-43471927131665901792011-06-01T22:31:00.000-07:002011-06-01T22:31:19.684-07:00

A hand-crafted wooden stand holding the weight of a giant dictionary is a thing of the past. A reference book that stood in the corner of a public library or a place of reverence in a private residence. Thousands of pages filled with words that enabled meaning, now replaced by Google and predictive text.Swivel dictionary stand The dictionary and stand in this photo resided in the master bedroom

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-74641779066726164192011-04-22T14:12:00.000-07:002011-04-22T14:12:07.615-07:00

In a previous post I mentioned how pastieri is one of my favourite Easter dishes to make simply because it's so easy. This dish was passed down to me from my Calabrese Nonna Filomena. Other than our family, I've never seen it made by anyone else.  Mix all ingredients together before baking. In Naples they make something called pastiera, which is completely different from our recipe. Go to the

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-38061222000567665302011-01-12T23:08:00.000-08:002011-01-12T23:10:05.822-08:00

Earthquake. Terremoto. It’s in my blood. As far back as I can remember earthquakes have been part of my family’s lore from Calabria, Italy.  When I first heard of the devastating earthquake in the Abruzzo region of Italy in April 2009, my heart stopped. The first beat it missed was for family and friends who might be in harm’s way. The second beat it missed was for the people who lost everything

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-68829326469753839222010-12-14T22:34:00.000-08:002010-12-14T22:34:45.184-08:00

A recent trip to Playa del Carmen, Mexico, was the perfect place to escape from the snow-dusted streets of home. There are lots of things I like about Mexico, particularly when it's winter in Canada. Here are the 10 favourites from my recent trip. 1. Frida Kahlo sells everything Negra Modelo beer with Frida label 2. The beach is beautiful and not just for beach bunnies Lunch stop at

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-25571571293745998912010-12-07T22:51:00.000-08:002010-12-07T22:59:38.229-08:00

I was saddened to hear of the construction worker who died of his injuries from falling off the Canada Place sails in Vancouver. I watched the workers in August, appearing as ants against the massive white sail structure they were repairing. I have the greatest respect for workers who could do that kind of job so high off the ground, exposed to the elements, and often in plain view of a crowd of

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-47978701276447570252010-10-30T20:06:00.000-07:002010-10-30T23:51:35.247-07:00

I don't know of anyone who has a middle ground position on mushrooms. You either love them or you hate them. I love them.While digging out dandelions and mushrooms from the garden, thinking I should be making a nice insalata with them, I realized I had no idea how to pick a "safe" mushroom. The backyard mushroom yield reminded me that two years ago we were in Calabria during funghi season. On our

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-40357190708453478652010-09-29T23:12:00.001-07:002010-09-29T23:19:45.696-07:00

Although my Nonno Tony lived into his nineties, he didn't make it as far as today, which marks his 99th birthday. Ninety-nine years. His mother carried him during the time of cholera epidemics in southern Italy. She was later taken by the 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic.Italy, as a country, was only 50 years old. As was Italian as the official language, an adaptation of the Tuscan dialect, and

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-82643746296831273152010-09-19T21:04:00.000-07:002010-09-19T21:47:34.912-07:00

I've neglected this blog for far too long. If you've come back, I thank you so much for your patience. Now that fall is approaching I will dedicate more time to keeping up to date. In the meantime here are some snippets of things I've seen or done over the past four months, or "what I did on my summer vacation."On the outskirts of El Paso, I fell in love with fresh fruit popsicles at Flautas y

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-48077376237013851532010-07-01T11:24:00.000-07:002010-07-01T11:37:59.934-07:00

To honour Canada Day I listened to slam poet Shane Koyczan's "We Are More," which millions heard during the opening ceremony of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. Shane has joined the ranks of hockey and beer commercials in expressing the sentiment of what it means to be Canadian.Here's an excerpt:we are cultures strung together then woven into a tapestry and the design is what makes us more

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-38397414508668608612010-05-03T22:26:00.000-07:002010-05-03T22:49:31.604-07:00

Nonno Joe & Nonna Filomena married in Bocchigliero (Calabria, Italy) on May 1, 1915. I've been thinking about them a lot as my own parents pass wedding milestones. Here's an excerpt from their wedding registration:"L'anno millenovecento quindici, il giorno primo del mese di maggio, alle ore pomeridiane quattro e minuti venti, in Bocchigliero, nella casa posta in Vico Manca."Check out this family

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-58714667570893200702010-03-14T21:33:00.001-07:002010-03-14T21:51:11.016-07:00

Vancouver and Canada put on a friendly party for the 2010 Winter Olympics. We donned the red mittens, stole enough courage to take public transit, and actually talked to strangers.In the quiet weeks following the Closing Ceremony, the streets of Vancouver seem deserted. No more flag-waving, no more cow bell, no more outburst of our national anthem. We are slowly recovering from the collective

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-55102216192088913632010-03-14T20:49:00.000-07:002010-03-14T21:28:56.587-07:00

The Closing Ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver was held a few hours following the Canadian men's hockey gold medal victory. The closing show was meant to be a tongue-in-cheek poke at Canadiana. It quickly degraded to what one Twitter tweep described as a monster truck rally. The stereotypes included mounties, lumber jacks, hockey players, floating moose and the now infamous giant

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-17105073584350565972010-02-21T23:30:00.000-08:002010-02-22T00:08:27.295-08:00

I've put together this post for my friends and family who want to interact with the Olympics but are too far away from Vancouver -- or won't leave the suburbs. There are oodles of bloggers reporting on the best pavilions and events, so I won't touch those. This is simply a list of things you can do remotely to control a part of what we're experiencing live. Enjoy!Vectorial Elevation Part of the

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-11656222607680359312010-02-10T22:01:00.000-08:002010-02-10T22:40:13.159-08:00

Granville Street in downtown Vancouver is a pedestrian mall that was a rapid transit construction zone for years and has recently transformed to celebrate LunarFest (Chinese New Year is on February 14th) and the Olympics. The mall is a buzzing crossroad for locals and Olympic visitors.Here are a few photos from yesterday's stroll along Granville. And yes, it was a beautiful spring-like day!

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-65602409331200903942010-02-09T23:06:00.001-08:002010-02-09T23:12:49.194-08:00

This message board in front of H-Mart, at the corner of Robson and Seymour Streets, was a clear attraction for visitors and foreign students. Who could resist the call for "Cheering Messages for your country"?Do you have a message for your country?

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-27725293298534503802010-01-26T20:46:00.001-08:002010-01-26T20:55:33.930-08:00

Not to be outdone by the red Olympic mitten craze, one of my favourite retailers has embraced the red and the white in their latest window display. Dressew ("dress-sew") is a bargain-priced haven for sewers and crafty people with a selection of fabrics from upholstery to faux fur, and a wide-range of notions from buttons and buckles to fringes and boas. I'm neither sewer nor crafter but I do

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-11723303424287122672010-01-14T20:57:00.000-08:002010-01-14T21:36:11.829-08:00

I don't usually go gaga over stuff but I've been smitten with mittens. The red, 2010 Olympics, go-Canada-go, mittens. Ever since I spotted them in a TV ad way back in the fall, I've wanted a pair. Unfortunately, Santa couldn't find a pair to fill my stocking, neither could the Befana. But yesterday, eureka, at The Bay!Yes, like many people who live in this city, I'm tired of the construction, the

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-84827055211142300462010-01-07T22:59:00.001-08:002010-01-07T23:03:58.607-08:00

It's 2010 and that big, global sporting event is coming to my neighbourhood. Here's how I know it's coming. Stay tuned for more updates from my backyard.

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-18244907124536903402009-12-23T00:07:00.000-08:002009-12-23T00:35:55.021-08:00

(With apologies to every Christmas songwriter.) On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love said to me: forget the lords a-leaping. "Come," she told me, "pa rum pum pum pum." And with Jack Frost nipping at my nose, we made our way to a place where treetops glisten and children listen to hear sleigh bells in the snow.The stars were brightly shining. A silent night, a holy night! All was calm,

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-28040103893890209612009-12-06T21:10:00.001-08:002009-12-06T21:38:37.076-08:00

This is my holiday spin on our traditional Italian biscotti, or what we used to call "Auntie Inesse cookies." The dried cranberries and pistachios give the cookies a lovely holiday feel. Enjoy!Ingredients: 1/2 cup butter 3/4 cup sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla 2 cups flour 1 tsp baking powder1/4 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt 3/4 cup chopped pistachios 3/4 cup dried cranberriesMethod: Cream butter and

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-28207178038208456832009-11-29T17:33:00.000-08:002009-11-29T17:43:47.895-08:00

Zucchini sousa is a traditional family dish that's made with large zucchini during the height of the season when you don't know what you'd ever do with one more zucchini. This dish was a highlight of my childhood summers, made with zucchini from the gardens of nonnos, zios and neighbours.I don't know what the word "sousa" means or if it's even a real word. And I don't know of anyone outside the

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-25388387933600233422009-08-16T11:35:00.000-07:002009-08-16T11:47:20.779-07:00

I love beans. Sweetie is allergic to beans. When sweetie is away, I make "bean delight!" Doesn't matter what the dish is, we always call it bean delight. My last bean delight dish was a warm romano bean salad. I was thrilled to find fresh romano beans at a local produce place and greedily purchased them for my dinner. I was so happy, I think I skipped a few steps along the Drive.Reality set in

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-138473557091573502009-07-28T22:20:00.000-07:002009-07-28T22:35:51.037-07:00

What was I thinking? We're in the middle of heat wave and instead of sitting in a tub of ice water, I turn on the oven to bake a cake. And you remember that I don't cook a lot. Well, I had the kitchen to myself and wanted to bring something memorable to our friends' crabfest. And we had a fridge full of rhubarb.This is a no-fail recipe but sweetie says I make it better than anyone. For that

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-54307338491011624182009-07-01T11:05:00.000-07:002009-07-01T11:33:56.549-07:00

Like most Canadians I take being Canadian for granted. We're not raised on a diet of patriotism. We don't sing "O Canada" at the start of every day. We simply ARE Canadian, sometimes with apologies, but never with regret.  I come from a family of immigrants, my sweetie is an immigrant, many of my friends are immigrants, as are my neighbours [note the Canadian spelling]. We're a nation that

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-55187648097455748002009-06-21T13:51:00.000-07:002009-06-21T17:07:20.506-07:00

On this Father's Day I'm thinking of my nonnos, the two fathers who brought their families from Calabria to Canada for a better life and unknowingly gave me two lands where my heart and soul dance. Nonno Joe was born in the late 1800s. It makes me pause: I know people who were born in three different centuries. We may be the first generation to make that claim.  Nonno set out for the USA on his

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-63848928469504015592009-04-29T22:18:00.001-07:002009-04-29T22:23:51.789-07:00

Like most people I know, I've struggled with the cycling cold/flu bug for far too long this year. While I haven't found a cure, my hot lemon concoction has helped me make it through many, many days and nights. This goes out to CS who is relapsing with a cold. In your favourite mug, add: juice of 1/2 lemon 1 T honey (to taste -- I like mine tart) a few dashes of hot sauce  a 1/4 inch slice of

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-47594349408914055492009-04-11T12:39:00.000-07:002009-04-11T13:08:17.382-07:00

Growing up in a Calabrese-Canadian family Easter was a big food holiday after the long fast of Lent. Even with Nonna reciting "Natale con i tuoi, Pasqua con chi vuoi" -- spend Christmas with your family and Easter with whomever you want -- we stuck close to home for all the great food. Both sides of my family immigrated to Canada from Calabria well over 50 years ago so what we consider Italian

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-60731019707785983372009-04-09T22:32:00.000-07:002009-04-09T22:52:09.570-07:00

Good Friday, April 10, 2009 is a national day of mourning in Italy for the victims of the Abruzzo earthquake. Please take a moment to remember the victims. Now take some time today to hug your loved ones.

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-1057904446843993192009-04-04T15:16:00.000-07:002009-04-04T15:22:09.711-07:00

"Quattro Aprilante, giorni quaranta" was a proverb I learned from my Nonno T. My grandparents knew many, many proverbs and whenever I asked they would recite them, all strung together, usually challenging each other as to their accuracy (that's a polite way of phrasing their typically loud Calabrese interactions).  "Quattro Aprilante, giorni quaranta" is literally April 4, 40 days. It means that

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-18216463801386159902009-03-21T20:18:00.000-07:002009-03-21T20:39:10.436-07:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I don't cook a lot and when I do, it's not very complex. That's because I live with an amazing cook who is also my culinary slave as well as a recipe tester-at-large for America's Test Kitchen. My one-pot dishes and "bean delight" don't stand a chance against my sweetie's creations.About a month ago, Cream Puffs in Venice [don't click on that link or you'll never

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-82455701552841621152009-03-20T17:16:00.000-07:002009-03-20T18:14:18.457-07:00

"Spring has sprung, grass has ris, I wonder where the birdies is?" -- nuggets of wisdom passed down from my father. Well, the birdies were tweeting today and not only on Twitter. We had lots and lots of rain today, a crash of thunder followed by more rain, then wind. Through it all, except for the thunder crash, the birdies were noisily doing what birdies do outside my window (except where the

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-68428306401750075842009-03-19T18:20:00.000-07:002009-03-19T18:50:19.889-07:00

Nonna Filomena would have been 112 today. It's hard to believe I'm living in the third century since my grandmother was born. Because I'm near the end of the grandkids I only remember the older skinny version of nonna. She was an incredible 80-something who I'm sure passed down the obsessive compulsive disorder of cleaning the house before the cleaning lady arrived. I don't do it to the degree

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-83539166052235663772009-02-03T23:02:00.000-08:002009-02-03T23:37:06.161-08:00

I've been away from blogging for awhile due to a lingering cold/flu bug. I've now entered the world of the walking sick like so many of my friends, co-workers and neighbours. It seems like the longer I'm sick the more I retreat into my Italianism. I started off thinking healthy: "eat miso soup with lots of vegetables." So I made delicious udon soup from my friend Eric's recipe. I ate it every day

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-72582614281983385342009-01-04T18:33:00.000-08:002009-01-10T16:41:21.824-08:00

The snow seems to be making most people happier: more smiles, hellos and head nods as we slip and slide along the sidewalks together. The snow has made our household absolutely giddy causing us to release our moose cookies to their natural habitat.More moose photos on Flickr.

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-58098248880889163572009-01-04T17:29:00.000-08:002009-01-04T17:47:55.881-08:00

Vancouver is under siege by a full-on Canadian winter. Most winters we live in blissful smugness with temperatures that stay well above freezing.I grew up in the Interior so it’s made me a little nostalgic for my youth. It’s even given me the chance to re-use my 80s leg warmers as boot-top extenders. (I’ve never needed high boots here until now.) My uncle says all this white stuff is a sure

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-9941197193087613342008-12-08T22:43:00.000-08:002009-12-06T21:41:35.163-08:00

Pizzelle are one of the few traditional Italian cookies that I can make on my own. But this year I was lucky to have my mom's help with them. We traditionally make them for Christmas. This year we added a "secret ingredient" we picked up in Calabria. Any guesses on what it is?

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-61573065345912563282008-12-02T21:58:00.000-08:002009-12-06T21:40:58.924-08:00

It's been far too long since my last post. I'll try to get back into the weekly swing and catch up with my Europe trip stories and photos.About a week after we got back home, mom & dad arrived from their trip to Egypt. They stayed with us for a couple of weeks so they could come to our annual cousins' party. Lucky for me, mom was able to show us how to make scalille (or scaledde, literally,

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-21206770212550753932008-10-15T13:53:00.001-07:002008-12-08T22:56:32.070-08:00

During our afternoon stroll through Warsaw's Old Town, we stepped into a small, local shop to buy some meat & cheese for tomorrow's train trip to Inowroclaw. It's probably the only shop in Old Town that's specifically for locals and where no one spoke English. The woman helping us rattled on and on in Polish but we couldn't understand a thing, except for her cheese chopping hand signs. After we

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-63056772723995560712008-10-14T13:49:00.000-07:002008-12-08T22:57:19.019-08:00

A few drops of rain were our excuse to duck into E. Wedel, Warsaw's marvelous chocolaterie. For 12 zlotys each, we ordered the classic chocolate drink that they've been serving for over 150 years. It was the best chocolate I've ever had: thick, rich, creamy and devilishly chocolatey without being overly sweet. AT was right about the Poles and their love for chocolate. The charming place was

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-7408469270307970832008-10-05T14:08:00.000-07:002008-12-08T22:59:07.268-08:00

Had a late start to the day after an evening of Vin Santo and a morning finding bus tickets for our journey to the deep south of Italy. We raced out to Saint Peter's for a quick peek at the basilica before a fabulously rich lunch with cousins I hadn't seen in over 20 years. Then we walked to a nearby church, which had a long line waiting to get into the the start of a bible reading marathon

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-71120612070457671852008-10-04T16:06:00.000-07:002008-12-08T22:59:40.951-08:00

I'm falling a few days behind with this blog because of being away from Internet access. I hope to post photos and more updates if we ever get into wifi range. As we're leaving Rome in a few days for Calabria, this may be one of the last posts until we get to Poland.Yesterday, we had a marvelous time reuniting with our cousin from Brazil at his home in Florence. We toasted with champagne the

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-60079894194252101342008-10-01T15:27:00.000-07:002008-12-08T23:00:09.892-08:00

It's been twenty years since I was last in Rome and I've noticed lots of change. The most obvious is the number of backpack toting, water bottle guzzling, running shoe sporting tourists.We're staying a few blocks from the Coloseum and I was amazed at the number of tourists flocking to its gates. I didn't hear a word of Italian until I ventured further into the Centro.Back in the 80s I never had

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-78971113958558567992008-09-29T23:41:00.000-07:002008-12-08T23:00:38.793-08:00

Well here we are, back in the motherland, arriving on Nonno Tony's birthday... he would have been 97. It was amazing to hear Italian again. We arrived at our apartment quite late but still had time for cornetti from the 24 hour place next door. When my alarm clock went off at 8:00, I hit the snooze to try and overcome the jet lag. But then the Roman wake up call started: hammering and drilling.

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-12279664646307321332008-09-28T19:55:00.000-07:002008-12-08T23:01:13.773-08:00

We're flying British Airways to Rome for the family "roots" trip. BA doesn't allow you to pre-book seats until 24 hours before your flight. Last night we had our countdown with two laptops to book 7 seats together as soon as the website would let us. It was more stressful than I imagined.

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-21092609486955214152008-09-20T23:45:00.000-07:002008-12-08T23:01:40.538-08:00

In a week, on what would have been Nonno Tony's 97th birthday, I arrive in Rome for the start of my "roots" trip. We've been planning this for almost 10 months, not expecting the turbulent year it has turned out to be. I haven't prepared enough for the "roots" part so I am open to more unexpected encounters and adventures. However, until I'm on that first plane, I'll be fretting about mundane

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-2471693590037396672008-09-11T22:40:00.000-07:002008-12-08T22:58:09.503-08:00

Last week my ear was plugged up, making it difficult to concentrate and walk in a straight line. The only thing I could think to do was go home and sleep. After a day it had passed but it reminded me of Nonna Fausta and her olive oil cures. She was one of the few remaining people who could master the art or science of curing ear aches, sprains, eye problems, and many more ailments with warm olive

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-38151314269476293072008-08-28T22:59:00.000-07:002008-12-08T23:02:57.712-08:00

I went shopping for new eye glass frames this week -- long overdue! I tried on dozens of frames and the more I tried on the more they reminded me of old family photos from the 1960s. The strongest images were of my aunt's glasses and my mom's sunglasses. Of course images of my dad, a la Drew Carey, also weighed in.

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-30550967889725578402008-08-17T22:37:00.000-07:002008-12-08T23:04:00.426-08:00

Conversation overheard at my local coffee shop. Two young women, both new to the job; let's call them "baristas":Barista #1: Is Amsterdam in Holland?Barista #2: No, that's Europe. Amsterdam is a country.Answer:View Larger Map

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-28183242401221442542008-08-04T21:35:00.000-07:002008-12-08T23:02:16.883-08:00

Nonna Elvira had a collection of Italian 45s that she bought on her first trip back to Italy in the 1960s. I spent much of my childhood listening to those records. Here's one of those songs, "La rosa nera."As a kid I liked the tune but when I listen to it now I wonder if Nonna was taken with the lyrics, particularly "stanno cambiando il mondo" -- they are changing the world. For someone who was

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-79836277550761643232008-07-29T23:18:00.000-07:002008-12-08T23:02:37.534-08:00

I was sampling a new long-lasting gum today, which reminded me of my Nonno Joe. He used to carry a green box of spearmint chiclets in his shirt pocket until he died in the early 1970s. The gum was for him, not for the grandkids. I loved the box because it had a cellophane pane and when the box was empty we would blow into it and make squaking sounds like a bad kazoo.I’m not a huge fan of the new

deb at nonna's househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06914946991884551752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351536975471782245.post-23029695476761154522008-06-25T18:47:00.000-07:002008-12-08T23:03:25.077-08:00

I had the great fortune of knowing three of my nonnas: Nonna Filomena, my Dad’s mom; Nonna Fausta, my nonno’s step-mom; and Nonna Elvira, my Mom’s mom. All three were born in the province of Cosenza, which is in the Calabria region of southern Italy.This blog is dedicated to them, their wisdom and their tenacity, which I carry in my memory and my everyday living. var gaJsHost = (("https:" ==

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