Litlequeen Rules

Happy New Year

2011-12-26T18:25:00.000-05:00

Less than a week away.....2012

We went to the Appalachian mountains...

2011-12-03T18:21:00.001-05:00

We drove over to Lenoir NC today to look at some land. It is beautiful country. Can't imagine how great it would look in spring! We decided afterward to drive further up Rt. 321 into the higher mountains. We went up to the to which was at an elevation of about 3300 ft. The city we live in is at 800 ft!

We stopped at a general store on the side of the road and took these photos.

It was very hazy but you can see the tops of the surrounding mountains.

I realized after we got home (and looking at a map) that we drove almost all the way to Tennessee.
Amazing day!

Advent Calendar

2011-12-01T12:43:00.000-05:00

Whenever I could find Chocolate Advent calendars I bought them for my kids. It's been harder and harder to find them anymore. This year I lucked out and saw some at Trader Joe's.

Even though Sophia is 12 she still enjoys these!

Surprisingly, she did not open the first door this morning!

If you want to make one here are some links...
Link 1
Link 2
Link 3
Link 4

Beauty

2011-11-21T12:11:00.000-05:00

Today is November 21st. It is very warm here. Feels like September!! I am loving it.
And I am very THANKFUL!!
I have a pot of pansies on the mini deck!! I just had to share it.
Don't think I would be having these beauties in Pennsylvania!!

Christmas Stocking Part 2

2011-11-04T14:51:00.000-04:00

Here's how the stocking looks today....I haven't worked on it that much this week. I don't know why but the days have slipped away!! But I have made progress!!

The Hunger Games Books 2 & 3

2011-10-30T11:46:00.000-04:00

This past week I finished reading these two books. I was excited to get them. Actually I ordered them through Sophia's English class book order!

The first book, The Hunger Games, ends with the kids winning the games. The second book tells the story of what happens after they get home. The third book relays the story of the rebellion against the Capital.
I really enjoyed these books. Sophia read the first one but did not care for the story.
I cannot wait until the movie comes out!!

Great Homemade Play Dough

2011-10-27T16:30:00.000-04:00

Great Homemade Play Dough

2 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1 package of Kool-Aid (without sugar)
3 T oil
2 cup boiling water

1. Mix flour, Kool-Aid and salt in a large bowl.
2. Add oil and water. Mix with spoon until it is cool enough to knead.
3. When mixture is completely kneaded and smooth - store in an airtight bag.

It will harden if let out in the air!!

Mix up a batch to hand out at Halloween parties. You can make orange or lime!

Christmas Stocking

2011-10-14T10:49:00.000-04:00

I have always wanted to cross stitch a Christmas Stocking. Sophia picked this one, Elisabeth's Stocking, from Shepherd's Bush.

Since this is sewn on linen I needed to get a magnifying light so I could sew it, old eyes!!. I finally did last week and got started on it!! Here's my progress....I hope I can stick to this and get it finished this year, as I tend to get bored with projects!

What A Beautiful Morning

2011-09-26T14:00:00.000-04:00

We had gotten a couple of new pillows at Ikea a few weeks ago. Then last week I realized that Sophia did not have a pillow case for her pillow so I embroidered this for her. She loves it!! The photo of the whole thing did not come out, bummer!

3 books read

2011-09-14T11:13:00.000-04:00

Since I found out that the movie was filmed here in NC, I was curious about this book. We ran over to Walmart last week and I picked up this book. It is a young adult novel about a 16 year old girl named Katniss. In the country Katniss lives in is divided in 12 districts. Every year, one boy and one girl are chosen from each district to fight to the death for entertainment. The child that wins is given a house and food for life. Almost everyone is starving in this country. Katniss hunts as a way to sustain her family. This becomes an advantage in The Hunger Games.

I recommend this book.

I chose this next book because a friend was reading another of her books. I don't know if I liked this book. At first it was very confusing for me. I just could not follow the story. But I kept reading, waiting for it to get better and when it did it was over. Here's a link for another review.

The other day we ran into CVS to pick up something and they had their books on sale for 1/2 off. So I saw a James Patterson and got it. This is another young adult book, which is ok but I wish it had said that on the cover. It is an exciting story about 2 kids, Wisty and Whit, that are arrested and sentenced for execution for being witched. They don't know they have power until this happens. But just as the story gets going the book ends, which really disappointed me.

Patterns...

2011-09-13T12:33:00.000-04:00

Need some new patterns to knit? I found this really cool site, Sweaterbabe. There are some really pretty and feminine items here.
Here are some of my favorites!!

Americano Vest from Berroco

2011-09-01T09:11:00.001-04:00

I think the hottest thing for fall will be vests. So I looked around for a pattern to make for Sophia. We found this one. I ordered everything I needed from Jimmy Beans Wool. It came like 2 days later!! I was very surprised.

The Berroco Vintage Chunky yarn is very nice to work with. I zipped right through the back piece. I had no problem with the left front BUT I have been knitting the right front while I am in another world. I was almost done and realized I had forgotten to knit in the buttonholes, frog it! 2nd time, I didn't get the buttonholes even, frog it! 3rd time, I was almost done knitting the piece and I forgot to stop knitting the pattern and it was 5 inches too long. I guess I just zone out while I am knitting!! 4th time - hopefully I get it right this time!!

Wish me luck!! Maybe the 4th time is the charm! haha!

Sophia's Hat

2011-08-29T15:13:00.000-04:00

I had leftover yarn from making Cat's hat so I made one for Sophia. I used this pattern, Lemon Curd Slouch, by Ali Tong. The hat does not slouch though because I used bulky yarn instead of the heavy worsted yarn the pattern calls for. But that was okay because Sophia really liked it!! It will really keep her warm if it gets cold this winter.

Cat's Hat

2011-08-19T13:30:00.001-04:00

Cat wanted me to make a hat for her and I finally finished it!! TADA!! I hope she likes it.

This is Sophia in the photos! Isn't she cute?!

I used Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Bulky yarn and this pattern, Thorpe by Kristin Kapur.
The pattern started at the top which was a bit difficult for me because I don't use DPNs that often and the yarn kept sliding off of the needles. But after I got going it was fine....

Fevre Dream by George RR Martin

2011-08-17T19:08:00.000-04:00

I finally finished this book last night. I really enjoyed it. It was written in 1982 so well before the Fire and Ice Series (Games of thrones books).
It's about a man, Abner Marsh, who is a steamboat captain and owner on the Mississippi River in 1857. He is having money problems and meets a man, Joshua York, who wants to build a new ship with him but with some "rules".
Joshua is a vampire but different from all the other vampires in fiction today. Check out this book and you will really enjoy it.

Recently Read Books

2011-08-09T13:43:00.000-04:00

I have read a bunch of books recently.

I really enjoyed all of these books! I can't wait for the next installment of The Fire and Ice books by George RR Martin and the next Sookie book.

I have gone Primal...

2011-08-06T16:41:00.000-04:00

what does that mean?? Well, it means I eat real food

like meat, fruits, vegetables, nuts and fats.

I try to eat like our

ancestors did years ago!

For more info check out:

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/

and keep track of my progress on http://www.isgrocooks.blogspot.com/ .

2011-04-23T17:04:00.001-04:00

How Does My Garden Grow?

2011-04-18T11:49:00.000-04:00

Since we live in a 3rd floor apt., there is no outside space except for a tiny balcony that is not very attractive.
We had gotten some seeds a few months ago and started them in 2 small pots. We have been sticking them outside during the day and bringing them in at night but it is warm enough to leave them out at night now.
Yesterday we got some larger pots and some soil and transplanted them. We have tomatoes and basil. I also got a bell pepper plant at Lowe's too.
Ta Da!!

I can't wait until I can have a Caprese salad!

Celtic Christmas

2011-04-15T12:17:00.000-04:00

I have always loved the designs of Marilyn Leavitt-Imblum. Check out her designs here http://www.tiag.com/division/ll.html

I don't remember when I got this pattern but I found it again recently. This is a photo of the finished project.

This is what I done so far. The pattern calls for a green linen but I cannot see the linen to stitch on it. I need to get a magnifying lamp. So I found a piece of 18 count Aida but it was bright white. Sophia and I dyed it with tea. We should have let it soak in the tea over night. The tea bath took the edge off the brightness.

I better get back to work!!

Jig of the Ladybug by Bent Creek

2011-04-15T12:09:00.000-04:00

I made this cross stitch last week. I need to add some charms. The pattern came with gold star charms. But I cannot find any. I got Frank to take me to Hobby Lobby. I found a great frame at half price and some small silver heart charms to finish it off.

Magic of Summer Progress

2011-04-06T12:35:00.000-04:00

I have been doing a lot on this cross stitch. The right side has a lot more. I also added some stitches on the left side of the house.

Free Stuff

2011-03-21T10:09:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we went to our local Food Lion. The Cabot lady was there. She gave us this free stuff AND we got a coupon for a dollar off 2 packs of cheese. Cabot cheese is the best. Sophia and I went home and made mac and cheese! Yummy!

Wysocki Cross Stitch - The Magic of Summer

2011-03-16T10:19:00.001-04:00

My mom gave me this cross stitch kit years ago for Christmas. I take it out and work on it and get bored or move on to other things. I worked on it it some in Sicily. About a month and a half ago when we were repacking our shipment I came across it and brought it to the apt. I have been working on it again for a couple of weeks now and making some great progress.

This is what it will look like when it is done. I have a ton of stitching to do!!

Bullet by Laurell K. Hamilton

2011-02-09T10:51:00.000-05:00

Bullet is the latest Anita Blake novel. I sort of liked this one. I wish there had been a little more mystery to the story. It focused a little too much on the binding of the tigers. I liked how she changed Richard. He must join in with Anita and Jean-Claude to protect everyone. If you like her work, you will be on board with this one.

Mystery & Suspense Challenge 2011

2011-02-09T10:46:00.000-05:00

http://www.bookchickcity.com/2010/11/sign-up-mystery-suspense-reading.html

I found this challenge. Much better for me. I am not in the right frame of mind for continuing with the Victorian Reading Challenge. I have already read most of the books that are availible for that challenge. Too bad there isn't a Kings and Queens of England book challenge!!

Last week I read the last "Outlander" book - Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon. But doesn't qualify for this challenge. But Bullet by Laurell K. Hamilton does.

Charlotte, NC

2011-02-09T10:26:00.000-05:00

Duke Energy Building - the funky looking one

This gorgeous mural was downtown. If it was sunny it would have been a better photo!

We drove to South Carolina on Saturday to look at some land. Of course we had to drive right through downtown Charlotte to get there. Somebody tell me what is up with these GPS directions!! I got some photos of the buildings and Panther Stadium on the way back.

Tea Towels Are Finished!!

2011-02-09T10:13:00.000-05:00

Don't these look pretty hanging on my stove?? I am going to do more of this. I have big plans!

Coffee Embroidery

2011-01-27T12:07:00.000-05:00

I have gotten tired of knitting. I picked up this iron pattern and a few skeins of thread (all of my stuff is packed away). I haven't done any embroidery in a long time. The "cappuccino" is almost done. I have to outline the spoon and the steam.
A friend is having a baby girl in a few months and I was thinking of doing something for the baby. Maybe an Alice in Wonderland theme. I must think on this awhile!!

Snowstorm Hat

2011-01-26T11:23:00.000-05:00

http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/90022AD.html?noImages=

i knitted this hat for Sophia. I thought she had downloaded photos of her it but I guess they are on her camera. It's VERY EASY. The hardest part was getting used to the size 15 needles I used. The pattern calls for 2 skeins of yarn but I only used one. I didn't make the pompom, though.

Check out this Blog...

2011-01-13T19:11:00.000-05:00

I got a book from the library about embroidery (my stuff is still packed away!). I liked this book a lot. It has some really fun things in it.

The author of the book has a website. http://littledeartracks.blogspot.com/
Aimee has some really cool stuff on this site.
She also has another book out too. I must see if the library has a copy of it.
Do you embroider???

The latest

2011-01-11T11:32:00.000-05:00

We have had another snowstorm. It snowed well over 6 inches. Then we got a coating of ice on top of that. Apparently there is no equipment to get rid of the mess here. HUGE DISSAPPOINTMENT!! The parking lot is a mess. Who knows what the roads are like! It's going to stay cold for the next few days. Hopefully the temp will try to creep up over 32 and start the melt.
What happened to "it never gets cold here" and "it rarely snows here"??? This is the 4th snow we have gotten so far!
I read more Diana Gabaldon books this past week. I am waiting for the latest in the Outlander series - Echo in the Bone to come back to library so and I can get caught up. I wonder how many pages I have read in the last 3 weeks! Each books is around 900 pages long. (That's 6 books) I started the first one on Christmas Eve.
Yesterday I read Captive Queen by Alison Weir. It's about Eleanor of Aquitane who was married to England's Henry II. Very good book! I am going to get more of hers to read.
I have had a sick kid to deal with too. I am glad that there was no school yesterday and today so that she is getting over her cold and not missing school! Head colds are the worst!

Last night we watched Salt and Jonah Hex. Both were pretty good. I liked Jonah Hex more.
Did anyone catch the new NBC show The Cape? What did ya think??

Read this Past Week 12-26-10

2010-12-27T12:36:00.000-05:00

I was a busy reader this week.....nothing else to do with all the snow that came down over the weekend!! We were very surprised that we got about 6 inches of snow starting on the 25th and ending late in the afternoon on the 26th.

I found another book by Crusie and Mayer at the library. I thought I would try another since I liked Wild Ride so much. This was a nice story about a woman called in to direct the last 4 days of shooting on a movie set. Of course it all turns to crap, haha... http://www.crusiemayer.com/dld/book.htm

I really enjoy reading books by these guys. It's always thrilling! Cops and FBI agents fighting crime! http://www.prestonchild.com/books/feverdream/

I forget where I found out about this book. Probably from another blog. I had never heard of this book before. It was written in 1948 by the woman that wrote 101 Dalmatians. It was made into a movie http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0300015/. I wouldn't mind seeing it.
The book is a diary written by 17 year old Cassandra Mortmain. Her family lives in in a decaying castle in England. They are struggling just to feed themselves. One day her sister decides to make a wish on a angel/devil head that hangs over the kitchen door. Next thing they know an American family with 2 eligible sons sweeps into their lives. Changes ensue! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Capture_the_Castle

I picked the latest Ed Eagle novel by Stuart Woods. Ed is a lawyer in Santa Fe who's ex wife is determined to murder him. http://www.stuartwoods.com/html/latest.html

I picked up another by this author. Mad Dash is the story of Dash, who is going through a mid life crisis. Her mother died a few months back, her only child has gone off to college and she is wonder what's left in her life. http://www.patriciagaffney.com/maddash.html

A few months ago I bought a copy of Outlander at a great used book store in a nearby town. I reread it. It's been almost 20 years since it was first published. I had gotten the 2nd book in the series from the library. I will be getting the rest this week. It's like visiting a friend that you haven't seen for ages.

For those that don't this book, here's a review...

http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780385319959&ref=booksearch&name=gbs

Snowflake Cushion

2010-12-20T11:51:00.000-05:00

I have always wanted to knit more things for my home besides afghans. I got this magazine about a month ago. There are some cool patterns inside. I find Debbie Bliss patterns easy to knit. I have used some of her yarns also. They're nice.

In this magazine I found this pattern.

It's called Snowflake Cushion.

I am not crazy about the red and black on cream color scheme. I want something that will look nice on my sofa which is a light brown.

So I found these colors - country blue and chocolate. I am using Caron Simply Soft. I thought that by using an acrylic I could toss it in the washer if it got dirty. Plus I have yet to find a yarn store here with a good selection of yarns. At this point (photo) I am only halfway done. I wonder what kind of buttons I can find. I love buttons.

Books I Read The Second Week of December 2010

2010-12-17T10:16:00.000-05:00

I read 3 books so far this week. We will start with the one I read yesterday.

It's the story of people that live in Cedar Cove, Washington. Apparently it's the latest book in this series. I haven't read any of the others. I liked this book because of the stories about the different families. Mack and Mary Jo found some old letters written to Joan from Jacob during WWII. These were beautifully written letters. Mack and Mary Jo wanted to find out what happened to this couple.

Here's an excerpt: http://www.debbiemacomber.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=nnp&pageID=313

I really liked this book because it takes place during the reign of Elizabeth I. It's the story of Rosamund Walsingham, cousin of Sir Francis Walsingham, principle secretary to the Queen. She is just a simple country girl that gets drawn into the saga between Queen Elizabeth I and Queen Mary of Scotland.

http://books.simonandschuster.com/All-the-Queen's-Players/Jane-Feather/9781451613025

I can't remember if I read any of her books before. The name is very familiar to me. I have not read any of Bob Mayer's books. But I will now. I really liked this book. It's about an amusement park that is a prison for 5 demons. It tells the story of the Guardia, the people that guard these demons. They start to escape the prison and the "wild ride" begins.
http://www.jennycrusie.com/books/fiction/wild-ride/

Try out these books!

Crochet For Charity

2010-12-14T09:35:00.000-05:00

A friend posted this on Facebook the other day.
http://thiseclecticlife.com/2010/12/10/share-a-square-good-news-better-news-and-a-request/

A portion of what Shelly wrote: As the holiday season grinds into full swing, I thought I’d give a full update on the Share A Square 2010 project (so I can make myself move on to other topics). For those of you unfamiliar with it, volunteers from around the world are crocheting six inch squares to put together afghans for children with cancer and their siblings. These will be delivered at three summer camps (Camp Quality in Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas) next June. Those squares are collected at my house, and I’m working at getting them stitched into afghans to blanket those children with love.

Shelly needs more squares to finish off these afghans. If you can read the whole post. Can you help by crocheting 5 6x6 squares? I have one done. It takes no time at all. I'm sure a lot of you have some leftover yarn somewhere. Use it up and help out a child!!

The Prostitute's Ball by Stephen J. Cannell

2010-12-11T14:27:00.000-05:00

I love this author. I gobble up everything he writes. I also loved the TV shows he wrote for. You know them too. http://www.cannell.com/television-tvShows.php Stephen J. Cannell died on September 30, 2010 due to complications associated with melanoma. He will be greatly missed.

In this installment of Shane Scully's life, he and Alexa, his wife, investigate a triple murder. He gets a new partner, Hollywood Hitchens, who keeps telling him that these murders will make a great movie. As each thing that crops up in their investigation complicates solving the case, it does add to the "movie plot".
Here's a real review. http://www.cannell.com/vbook.php?id=23&rnd=591344&k=2140bb0e90e06e84f992fdbe93a50aab&b=5&p=1

I would love to see this book as a movie. It would be very exciting.

Sophia's Scarf Part 2

2010-12-11T14:13:00.000-05:00

Here it is. I think it came out nicely. It is made from an angora blend so it will keep her neck warm but won't make it roast if she wears it for a decoration! It's very pretty! Now I can get back to the pillowcover I started or finishing the hat hat I started for myself.

Sophia's Scarf

2010-12-08T15:29:00.001-05:00

I started this the other day. We don't know if Sophia has a scarf or if she does where it is....the joys of moving and moving and moving. I found the directions on a free knitting pattern site but I don't remember which one. I used 2 skeins of Patons Angora Bamboo http://www.patonsyarns.com/product.php?LGC=angorabamboo and a size 9 (5.5 mm) needle.
Diagonal Stitch Scarf:
CO even Number of Stitches. I used 24.
Knit 5 rows. Start Pattern.
Row 1: K1, * yo K2tog, repeat from *, K1
Row 2: Knit
Row 3: K2, * yo K2tog, repeat from *, K2
Row 4: Knit

Repeat Rows1-4 until desired length, end with Knit 5 rows. BO
CO=cast on
YO= yarn over the needle
K= knit
BO= Bind off

This is a great pattern. Very easy. Can be used with cotton yarn for the spring and summer.

Victorian Literature Challenge

2010-12-07T13:13:00.001-05:00

I was reading my friend Lindy's book blog to see what see she has read this week. And I came across this from a poster on her blog. Hmmmm...looks good to me. Here's a link, if you don't want to read any further.
http://subtlemelodrama.blogspot.com/p/victorian-literature-challenge.html or to sign up.

Welcome to the Victorian Literature Challenge 2011

What you need to know:

This challenge will run from 01 Jan 2011 - 31 Dec 2011.

Participants can sign up at any time throughout the year.

Read your Victorian literature.

Queen Victoria reigned from 1837-1901. If your book wasn't published during those particular years, but is by an author considered 'Victorian' then go for it. We're here for reading, not historical facts! Also, this can include works by authors from other countries, so long as they are from this period.

Literature comes in many forms.

There are so many Victorian reads out there, including novels, short stories, and poetry. One poem doesn't count as a 'book': pick up an anthology instead!

Choose your books.

List your books before you begin, or pick up titles along the way. It's up to you! You can review them if you choose to, but it's not necessary. If you don't have a blog, that's fine! Link to a Facebook, or a page somewhere where you can list what you've been reading. If you can't link up, no problem - feel free to just comment and enjoy.
Spread the love.

Post the reading challenge on your blog - make your own post(s), or stick the button on the side of your page. The more the merrier, after all. Let's build a big community of Victorian literature lovers!

Choose from one of the four levels:

Sense and Sensibility: 1-4 books.

Great Expectations: 5-9 books.

Hard Times: 10-14 books.

Desperate Remedies: 15+ books.

So what to read for me????? I am doing a search on the internet and here's some sites:
http://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/1837-1901
http://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/victorian
http://www.victoriana.com/directory/books.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victorian_literature
http://literatureinenglishunican.blogspot.com/2009/12/english-realism-victorian-era-1837-1901.html

I think I will start with:
The House of the Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Vanity Fair by William Thackeray

Maybe I will look on other people's lists. It wouldn't be fair to list books I have already read.

Love to Knit Socks Giveaway

2010-12-03T11:48:00.000-05:00

Love to Knit Socks Giveaway

Love to Knit Socks

By Bronwyn Lowenthal
Bring out your inner fashionista with this book that features 35 stylish sock, legwarmer and bootee patterns. As always, knitwear designer Bronwyn Lowenthal brings her innovative and unexpected ideas into her designs. Have you ever made knit flip flop socks? I didn’t think so. You’ll find that and more in this creative book, including a surprisingly sultry pattern you won’t believe until you see it for yourself.

Win this Love to Knit Socks book!

http://www.allfreeknitting.com/sweeps/love-to-knit-socks-giveaway

Book Review: Fresh From the Market by Laurent Tourondel

2010-12-02T09:27:00.000-05:00

I borrowed this book from the library. It's a gorgeous book with lovely photos. The book is divided into seasons. I like that. Make things easier if you have access to seasonal foods.
Each season starts with cocktails, which I have only seen in Sandra Lee cookbooks. The seasons go through the usual courses and ends with a couple of menus.
The recipes look really good but I wouldn't be able to afford (or find) a lot of these ingredients he uses. Wines and cheeses that I have never heard of. Obscure mushrooms, whole suckling pigs, veal cheeks and hares....
Perhaps if I lived on Long Island or in NYC this would be a great book for me.

Christmas - Keep It Simple

2010-11-30T10:55:00.000-05:00

As some of you know, we have moved three times since October 2009. So we have very few decorations anymore. What we do have is in our storage unit which is tiny. I don't have the room to go through each box and look for things.

This is our tree.

I bought the tree and the trimmings at Hobby Lobby for about $18. Everything was 50% off.

We live in a small apt. (on the 3rd floor - no elevators here) so we do not have room for a large tree.

Do we need a large tree? Not really.

It would be nice to have a real tree but I can't carry it up all these stairs.

Then having to buy all the decorations and carry them up.

And back down again after the holidays.

Why does our society always have to have the biggest and most expensive of everything?

Can we survive with just the basics?

Sure we can!

The Crazies and Stolen

2010-11-28T18:15:00.000-05:00

Last night Frank and I watched The Crazies. At first I wasn't crazy (haha) about this movie, thinking it was going to be scary and disgusting. But it actually turned out to be not bad. Timothy Olyphant is the town sheriff and Radha Mitchell is his doctor wife. A plane goes down and the people of the town are acting crazy.

Here she is in a containment hospital. Is she infected?

A crazy....

Sophia and I watched Stolen today.

It stars Jon Hamm, Josh Lucas, Rhona Mitra and even "Dawson", yes James Van Der Beek.

This is a movie that tells 2 stories at a time. Lucas and Hamm have had their boys kidnapped 50 years apart. Hamm is a cop that gets called to a crime scene where a boy's body was found. He thinks that it is his child but then finds out that the boy has been in the ground for 50 years. It turns out that the boy is Lucas' son. Who is the kidnapper???

Mitra is Hamm's wife who has been trying to put her missing son behind her.

The story is pretty good. But it can be sad and heartbreaking.

Lucy by Laurence Gonzales

2010-11-27T15:12:00.000-05:00

The other day I read this book. I really liked it.
Jenny is in the Congo observing and researching bonobo apes when the military is at war again and invading the area she is living in. A British man and his daughter live close to her and sets off to get them to leave the area with her. She finds the father dead and escapes with the 14 year old child, Lucy. Eventually they get back to Jenny's hometown, Chicago and Jenny realizes that Lucy is only part human.
Pick up this book. I think you will enjoy it too.

Here's a review from the NY times. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/06/books/06book.html

Baby Sweater

2010-11-26T14:17:00.000-05:00

I made this baby sweater (I haven't mailed it yet) for a friend of my oldest daughter who just had a baby boy 2 weeks ago. It was a very easy pattern.
I found here. http://www.petitepurls.com/basics/b_garterhood.html
I followed the directions except for knitting front. I knitted both sides of the front after the split. To me it's easier to knit both sides at once and then they are even.

Here's a photo of my knitting. You just need to attach another yarn to knit with. I used the other end of the skein that I knitting from. I also try to knit both sleeves at one time too.
Since this is a sweater for a new baby I chose to use an acrylic yarn so there is no allergic reactions from yarn. Acrylic can be thrown in the washer. The yarn I used was Caron Simply Soft Eco. It was nice to work with.

Beret Finished

2010-11-19T09:45:00.000-05:00

I finished the Beret last night. Sophia wore it all night and was out the door this morning with it on. Here are some crappy photos of her with the hat on. I ran down and got the camera out of the car this morning!! Maybe I will take a better photo when she comes home from school.

It was a really quick knit especially since I have been knitting the continental way. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuRLFl36tDY

The worst part was using double pointed needles at the end.

So don't let this scare you away from trying this pattern!!

All Day Beret

2010-11-18T11:46:00.000-05:00

Here's a photo of the beret from yesterday. I took it with my phone. I think it looks really cool. Sophia asked if I would get it finished today. I will try.
I am using the yarn that the pattern is written for but you could use any #4 yarn. This yarn called Bamboo Ewe is a blend of bamboo and wool. It knits very nicely. The only thing I don't like is you cannot throw it in the washer.

All Day Beret

2010-11-17T09:20:00.000-05:00

I am knitting this hat for Sophia. http://www.stitchnationyarn.com/Patterns/free-pattern-all-day-beret.html

It's an easy knit in the round hat. So far it's looking very pretty. I will post a photo of my work.

The camera is in the car so i have to remind Frank to bring it up tonight.

New Blog

2010-11-12T10:49:00.002-05:00

Join me at my new food blog....http://isgrocooks.blogspot.com/

The End

2010-09-26T17:14:00.001-04:00

Our shipment was finally delivered to my mom's house last Saturday. It was picked up in Italy in May.
Maybe when I get my computer back I will blog some of the photos that I never got to post from Sicily.

But since there weren't many people reading this blog, I doubt if I will continue.

Last Post for awhile

2010-06-15T03:53:00.002-04:00

Telecom is turning off our telephone/internet connection this week. So I won't be able to post until we get back to the US!
Thanks for visiting....
9 days to go.

Went to the Beach

2010-06-07T08:53:00.001-04:00

Over the weekend we went to the beach in Falcone. They have sand on the beach instead of the gravel that is everywhere else. On Saturday it was chilly due to the wind. Here's a little video to show you how windy it gets here!

The Castello Part 3

2010-06-04T05:40:00.003-04:00

These are photos taken from the inside of the Castello.

The courtyard

A beautiful mosaic

Under the tower

A Cross.

water!

The Sacristy

Cannon balls???

I did not get any photos of the inside of the church because
there was a service going on. It was beautiful as usual!

Festa della Repubblica

2010-06-02T02:27:00.001-04:00

The Festa della Repubblica is celebrated on the second day of June, and it commemorates the institutional referendum of 1946 when (by universal suffrage) the Italian population was called to decide what form of government (monarchy or republic) to give to the country after World War II and the fall of Fascism.

After 85 years of monarchy, with 12,717,923 votes for and 10,719,284 votes against, Italy became a Republic, and the monarchs of the House of Savoy were deposed and exiled. This is one of the most important Italian public holidays which, like July 14 in France and July 4 in the USA, celebrates the birth of the nation. A grand military parade is held in central Rome.

The Castello Part 2

2010-06-01T03:18:00.003-04:00

The restaurant we went to was near and named for a local castello. In the last post was a video as we drove up the mountain towards it. Here are some photos of it.

The castello

The other side

sign - look at the date!

The Tower

Some shots of the inside tomorrow!

The Castello

2010-06-01T03:15:00.001-04:00

Yesterday's meal

2010-05-31T04:28:00.005-04:00

Yesterday the whole family went out to eat at this restaurant
in S. Lucia del Mela.
It's up in the mountains. Beautiful location.

The whole restaurant was set up for banquets. Must be a busy time.
We were seated on the left side of this room.
There was a huge room upstairs.
A very nice place.

Of course I didn't think to start taking photos of
the food until after the antipasto course.
The next course was this delicious shrimp risotto.
The food was served by the wait staff. They
brought around platters of food and served everyone.

Then we were served pappardelle in a Marsala wine
sauce with mushrooms. It was very good.

Next was the first meat course. This they brought out on plates,
one plate for 2 people. On it were spiedini, sausage, lamp chops and lemons.
This meat was grilled. Delish!

The next meat course was agnello al forno (baked lamb)
with potatoes and carrots.

This was the wine we drank along with water and coke.

After a bit they brought us fruit cups and
then some of us got cake, which I didn't care for.

Then coffee and amaro.
We were all so stuffed! It was a great day even though
We had to miss the Formula One race.

Cherry Dessert

2010-05-29T08:49:00.002-04:00

I got a half of a kilo of cherries at the mercato on Wednesday. What was i going to do with them??? So I cleaned and pitted them and put them in a small pot with a couple of tablespoons of sugar and let them boil for a few minutes.
I mixed up an all purpose cake batter.

1 1/4 c flour
1 c sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1/4 c oil, I used light in flavor olive oil
3/4 c milk

Mix together in one large bowl. Then add the cherry mixture. Pour in a baking pan. It will be thin. Bake at 350F/160C for about a half hour. Enjoy!

Note: I would have added a tsp of almond extract but I didn't have any!

It's really good. You can exclude the cherries and add 2 tsp of lemon zest for a lemony dessert.

Pears

2010-05-28T07:14:00.002-04:00

This is a shot of the tree in our yard. Pears are coming. I don't like them but I like to see things growing. The fig tree has figs and the grape vine is doing fine!! I'm a poet!! But we won't be eating any of these because we will be gone by the time they ripen.... Oh well!

2010-05-27T03:02:00.003-04:00

One of the business ideas we had before we came here was to build a car wash. Frank's family said that would never work here. Then a few months ago this place was being built.
It's a car wash! There is a huge one in Barcellona P.G. and it is always full!

Vacuums
I love that building in the background.
It must have been a beauty in it's day.

Automatic washer. Notice the parked car...
barely enough room to get by.

Self service washing

These are the coins that operate the machines.
On the sides they look like keys.
The name of the car wash is Atlantic, hmmmm.

Falcone Beach

2010-05-26T08:36:00.002-04:00

Yesterday we went to Falcone and walked on the beach. It has sand. That's a rarity here. It felt really weird getting sand on my feet. Yesterday was a beautiful day.

Capo Calava

2010-05-25T03:00:00.001-04:00

We drove out to this place and took a little video.

This past weekend...

2010-05-24T06:01:00.006-04:00

Early Thursday afternoon we lost our phone line which includes our internet connection! The whole weekend w/o a phone or computer!!! It wasn't that bad! lol
No one calls us anyway!
Saturday we decided to take a ride and we got stopped by the carabinieri.

They routinely pull cars over (here in Sicily) and check the paperwork. Since we are moving back to the US, we are not going to get Italian drivers licenses. That was the only thing they said that Frank needed to do since the International DL was running out in October. I think they were surprised that Frank had a carta d'identita, which is the official ID for citizens. I have one too!

This photo does not resemble the men here. They were dressed in the complete uniform. They looked pretty spiffy! Even with the sidearms! AND they drive this car!An Alfa Romeo...which is like the cops in PA driving a Lexus. It is an expensive car. They were very nice and the whole thing took just a few minutes and then we were on our way.

Pay It Forward or Pass It On?

2010-05-20T04:56:00.000-04:00

Read this story - http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/051910dnmetgive.3b08e43.html?npc

It will change your day!

Space Shuttle

2010-05-19T02:47:00.004-04:00

Have your children seen a space shuttle take off into space? I ask this because Atlantis went up the other day for the last time. Only 2 more shuttles will blast off into space and then the program will be over! My youngest had never seen this. We watched it together and she thought it was cool!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzfD9Ewl1Jc

Boy was I praying that it wouldn't explode! Remember Challenger?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4JOjcDFtBE

I am surprised that the American schools don't take a minute to turn on the TVs and let the children watch history being made. Why? I think it's important. Do you?
While I was growing up in the 60's going into space was a BIG DEAL! It was exciting. We had space food and trips to the Johnson Space Center. Now what is there? Do kids today know who was the first American in space or even that the Americans weren't the first people in space? Who were the first men on the moon?

Check out the videos with your kids! The internet is so wonderful for things like this!!

Primary Day in Pennsylvania

2010-05-18T03:52:00.002-04:00

If I was in PA I would not be voting since Independents aren't allowed to vote in primaries. What a shame that is but I hope that the Democrats are not casting their votes for Arlen Specter. The man is 80 years old and has been in the Senate since 1980. Time to stay home!

He was a Democrat, then switched to Republican, then last year jumped back to be a Democrat. What is up with that?? He's a flip-flopper!

He voted for every TARP and Bailout that came down the line.

I don't know much about Sestak but he's got to be a better choice!

Caleca Dishes

2010-05-10T05:32:00.002-04:00

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/marisol-dinnerware-place-setting/?pkey=cdinnerware|tbldnwset

Check out these dishes. They are made in Patti just down the road from us. They are only sold in the US by Williams Sonoma.

??

2010-05-10T04:59:00.002-04:00

I haven't had much to write lately because we haven't been doing anything. We are NOT patiently waiting for Frank to get his last paycheck. It is ridiculous that he has to beg for what he is owed!
We watched the Formula One race yesterday. One guy from our team, Ferrari, got 2nd place. Yahoo!!!
On Friday, we drove to Milazzo so Frank could visit his former employer. I noticed that the oleanders planted in the median strip have started to bloom. Colors range from white to fuschia. It's very pretty. It will be stunning when the shrubs are loaded with flowers.

They came!

2010-05-06T03:26:00.002-04:00

The movers got here last night! Yahoo. They weren't allowed to leave Calabria over the holiday weekend. The woman in the UK was wrong! It kills me when people insist on something that you know deep down cannot be correct!
The boxes are gone and will soon be on their way back to the US! I hope they get there before we do!

Are you a Constitutionalist?

2010-05-04T04:34:00.001-04:00

I found this on the internet and thought it may be something people may be interested in...

By Pastor Chuck Baldwin

January 28, 2005

Furthermore, knowing that there are countless other patriotic, God-fearing Americans across this nation who realize that both major parties have become impotent and irrelevant when it comes to representing constitutional principles, I offer the following test. Read it and see if you, too, are a Constitutionalist.

1. You might be a Constitutionalist if you believe that elected leaders should really obey the U.S. Constitution.

2. You might be a Constitutionalist if you believe that before the United States invades and occupies another country, Congress must first declare war.

3. You might be a Constitutionalist if you believe the federal government should live within its means, like everyone else is forced to do.

4. You might be a Constitutionalist if you think that taking away people's liberties in the name of security is neither patriotic nor does it make the country more secure.

5. You might be a Constitutionalist if you would like to see politicians be forced to abide by the same laws they make everyone else submit to.

6. You might be a Constitutionalist if you understand that we have three coequal branches of government that are supposed to hold each other in check and balance.

7. You might be a Constitutionalist if you believe that the federal government has no authority to be involved in education or law enforcement.

8. You might be a Constitutionalist if you believe that gun control laws do nothing but aid and abet criminals while trampling the rights and freedoms of law abiding citizens.

9. You might be a Constitutionalist if you believe that the income tax is both unconstitutional and immoral and, along with the I.R.S., should be abolished.

10. You might be a Constitutionalist if you believe the federal government had no authority to tell Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore that he could not display a monument containing the Ten Commandments in the Alabama Judicial Building in Montgomery.

11. You might be a Constitutionalist if you believe that neither Congress nor the White House nor any sovereign state is required to submit to unconstitutional Supreme Court rulings such as the Roe v Wade decision.

12. You might be a Constitutionalist if you understand that freedom has nothing in common with illegal immigration.

13. You might be a Constitutionalist if you understand that outsourcing American jobs overseas is not good for America.

14. You might be a Constitutionalist if you believe that the United States should get out of the United Nations and get the United Nations out of the United States.

15. You might be a Constitutionalist if you believe that it is not unconstitutional for children in public schools to pray or read the Bible.

16. You might be a Constitutionalist if you believe that the Boy Scouts are not a threat to America.

17. You might be a Constitutionalist if you believe that the federal government should honor its commitments to America's veterans.

18. You might be a Constitutionalist if you believe that U.S. troops should never serve under foreign commanders or wear the uniform or insignia of the United Nations.

19. You might be a Constitutionalist if you believe that the federal government has no business bribing churches and faith-based organizations with federal tax dollars.

20. You might be a Constitutionalist if you believe that federal agents who murder American citizens should be held to the same laws and punishments that any other citizen would be held to.

21. You might be a Constitutionalist if you understand that NAFTA, GATT, the WTO, and the FTAA are disastrous compromises of America's national sovereignty and independence.

22. You might be a Constitutionalist if you would like to see Congressmen and Senators be required to actually read a bill before passing it into law.

23. You might be a Constitutionalist if you understand that it is the job of government to protect and secure God-given rights not use its power to take those rights away.

24. You might be a Constitutionalist if you understand that there is nothing unconstitutional with the public acknowledgement of God and our Christian heritage.

25. You might be a Constitutionalist if you believe that in the beginning God made Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve.

26. You might be a Constitutionalist if you believe that airport screeners have no business touching women's breasts and confiscating fingernail clippers.

27. You might be a Constitutionalist if you believe that many public schools' "zero-tolerance" policies are just plain stupid.

28. You might be a Constitutionalist if you believe that parents have a right to home school their children.

29. You might be a Constitutionalist if you believe that governmental seizure of private property is plain, old fashioned thievery.

30. You might be a Constitutionalist if you would like to meet one single Congressman or Senator beside Ron Paul who acts as if he or she has ever read the U.S. Constitution.

Well, how did you fare? Are you a Constitutionalist? If you are, why not consider joining the Constitution Party? Check out their website at: www.constitutionparty.com

Death of Lynn Redgrave

2010-05-04T03:52:00.002-04:00

http://omg.yahoo.com/news/actress-lynn-redgrave-has-died-at-age-67/40199

What's up? Niente!!

2010-05-03T02:27:00.002-04:00

The movers were supposed to be here over the weekend. No phone call or anything. BUT we had a holiday on Saturday. But still it would have been nice to get a call. This is the stuff that bothers me. If you make an appointment you should keep it! Maybe we will hear something today!

Liberation Day Fun

2010-04-26T03:15:00.003-04:00

View of surrounding mountains

Yesterday we all went up to the mountains to have a cookout.
It was Liberation Day (WWII).
It was a warm day, a little breezy but you didn't have to wear a jacket.

More mountains.

The fire.

Pippa, Frank and me

Food!
We had homemade bread, antipasto, pasta,
sausage, potatoes, steak and fish.
I ate my first artichoke yesterday.
It had been roasted in the fire.
Yummy! Could used some butter though!

Happy Anniversary

2010-04-20T03:09:00.003-04:00

Today is our 25th wedding anniversary!

And the 14th anniversary of my friends Stacey and Brad!

And now for something completely different....

2010-04-20T03:05:00.002-04:00

Has anyone heard about the website that the actress Janine Turner has started? http://www.constitutingamerica.org/
Constituting America’s mission is to reach, educate and inform America's youth and her citizens about the importance of the U.S. Constitution and the foundation it sets forth regarding our freedoms and rights.

Today's reading is Article 1 of the Constitution.

http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_transcript.html
Check it out.

Beautiful Things in S. Stefano di Camastra

2010-04-19T03:36:00.003-04:00

On Saturday we decided to take a drive. What else can we do! We started driving on SS 113 toward Palermo. Most of the time when we drive towards Palermo we drive on the autostrada. SS 113 for the most part hugs the coastline. We drove throught a few nice towns with interesting buildings. Then we got to S. Stefano. We didn't know anything about this town. A friend that Frank had in Pennsylvania came from there in the 70's to Berks County like Frank came from Falcone. Then we started seeing this beautiful pottery.

Look at these tables!

Artwork from HANDPAINTED tiles.

Platters

Look at this wall!

I knew that this was the city that I

would find the platter I wanted!

All different kinds of items here.

Cool buildings too!

More tile artwork.

You could buy sinks and matching vanities, decorated the same.

Light fixtures, dishes, ashtrays, things to hang on the walls, fountains, etc!!

We even saw a fireplace.

A nice way to spend an afternoon.

We even went into to a stroe and bought sandwiches for lunch.

That's a rarity here!

Pecans

2010-04-15T06:51:00.002-04:00

When we were in Taormina, we saw a guy selling fruits and vegetables out of the back of his truck. That is very common here in Sicily. At first we were attracted by all of the beautiful fruit he had. We told him we would buy something when we were ready to leave the city.
When we got back to him after we had lunch, more on that later! He was sleeping in the cab. An African man helped us instead. We wanted some grapes but he told us they were €7/kilo AND they were from China. No thanks, buddy. We got these pecans (I didn't ask where they came from) and a head of fresh garlic.
This morning I sat outside for a long while cracking the nuts and picking the meat out. Yummy! I haven't had pecans in over 6 months! They aren't sold in the stores here. I made some chocolate chip cookie bars with most of them! It's divine!

Lunch: We ate at "Panoramic" Bella Blu http://www.bellablutaormina.com/index.php It was delicious!! Frank had Eggplant Parmagiana, Lasagna, Veal Cutlet and Insalata Misto. I had Gnocchi, Veal Cutlet and Insalata Verde. Sophia has Shrimp Cocktail (not the same as AMerican Shrimp Cocktail), Steak and French Fries and Insalata Verde. We got Dreher beer (Italian), our favorite! Sophia had a coke! It was so good. The service was great. Most of them spoke English.
The place was pretty and clean.

Taormina Part 2

2010-04-13T03:14:00.004-04:00

This building was very impressive!

It's a museum but we didn't go inside.

The tower with Latin written on it.

The church door.
This was the only church we entered.
There was another further into the city but they had just
finished services and I didn't wish to intrude.

Beautiful painting!

The inside.

See the couple peering down. They

are looking at a small "dig". Someone uncovered

some Roman ruins under the church.

It was too dark to get a good photo.

Aren't these beautiful?

Another gorgeous alleyway.

Look at the ornate wares for sale.

An old building

A look ahead

Taormina

2010-04-12T03:26:00.006-04:00

Approaching Taormina

Taormina is a about a hour and a half's drive down the east

coast away from where we live. It was a beautiful day for a drive.

Entering the city.

Taormina is located on a mountain so you have to drive up!

Getting closer.

We are here. It so pretty!

The sidewalk.

Up an alleyway.

Look down at the beach.

The colors of the water were so vivid.

This picture does not do it justice.
There were about tens shades of green near the shore.

A mural. It's cool!

An old church

There were tons of tourists in the town.

Lots of Germans and some Americans.

We heard a couple of people speaking French.

More tomorrow!

Tunnel video

2010-04-08T06:27:00.002-04:00

When we go towards Palermo we encounter more tunnels than when we travel toward Messina. So I thought I would make a video of one of the tunnels. This is a medium sized one.

Bridges

2010-04-08T06:18:00.004-04:00

There are some really high bridges here. When you are on the autostrada sometimes you do not realize how high up you are because of the fences on either side of the bridge.

What a work of art!

Right into the mountain...

Flowers

2010-04-07T11:56:00.002-04:00

Color is starting to pop out everywhere.

Gorgeous irises!

I have seen poppies everywhere!

I tried to grow these in my flowerbeds in PA, they died everytime!

I took this up in the mountains where we went

on Easter Monday. You can see my BIL's onion patch!

And a baby nespole tree on the right.

Some of the nespole have yellow fruit on them.

I don't know that tree so I don't know if they are ripe when yellow.

Look at all the tiny flowers in this shot!

Easter/Pasqua

2010-04-05T12:51:00.001-04:00

I hope everyone had a great weekend!
Check out Little P's blog for her Easter surprise! www.litlep.blogspot.com

The islands

2010-04-02T05:11:00.004-04:00

It was such a clear day (remember that song and movie??) and you could see some of the islands.

Hopefully we will be able to take a boat over there and see them. But nothing is running right now...

http://www.aeolischeinseln.ch/english/indexuk.html For some info..

Ficarra

2010-04-02T04:57:00.002-04:00

Yesterday we drove to Ficarra.

Here it is from far away.
A beautiful mountain town.
Can you imagine hauling stuff up there without
motor vehicles to build things?

An old church

This beautiful piece was across the street from the church.

Another church

Look at this old building.

The piazza.

Another even older church

The cop shop!

The carabinieri drive Alfa Romeos!

The street signs were made out of ceramic.

They are so pretty! I haven't seen anything

like it in any other town so far!

It was a fantastically beautiful day. It has been so hazy lately.

We could see the islands off shore. I will post some photos.

My Kitchen

2010-04-01T03:35:00.005-04:00

Yesterday on Facebook, I posted about hating the fact that I only have one sink. It is really hard to do dishes. I have to fill the sink up with water, let the dishes soak for a bit and then empty the sink to wash and rinse. Then put them in the dish drainer and dry them and put them away. The men said don't you have the drainer in the cabinet. You can't put wet stuff in here because it gets everything else wet. They didn't understand.

So here's the photos of my Barbie kitchen!

This is the only cabinet I have to store dishes.

Over the tiny sink.

The whole kitchen

The tiny stove

The tiny oven

The freezer

Inside view

The fridge
I am taller than the fridge. So those of you who know how short I am,

can understand just how small this is!

Videos at the beach

2010-03-31T08:12:00.003-04:00

This is at Marinello on the other side of Oliveri...the sun, the sea and fishing boats..

There were some guys trying to kitesurf. I was too far away but you can see the kite a bit. It was very windy today.

There were 2 other guys windsurfing. It was the perfect day for it. The wind was just right for them. It may take a few seconds to see him as he comes closer to shore where we were standing.

Enjoy! We are going back out to enjoy this perfect day!

A Look at an Italian Supermarket

2010-03-31T08:04:00.006-04:00

We went to the store this morning and I thought I would snap some photos of a few areas to show you...

The deli section

It's Easter - sides of lamb and sheep for sale!

Cheese!!
(That's only half of the cheese section)

Fish (swordfish, tuna, salmon)

Assorted seafood

Frozen foods

I only thought of snapping a few shots with my phone

after we were almost thru the store.

People were quietly laughing at me taking photos with my phone.

I guess they knew I wasn't Italian! lol

Murphy's Pub

2010-03-30T02:26:00.003-04:00

We saw this pub as we were walking into the old part of Cefalu. Murphy's beer is my most favorite beer. I thought if the place opens we are going in there! Plus we might get lucky and be able to actually eat in a restaurant in the daytime. (Where we live the restaurants are not open in the daytime and sometimes only on weekend evenings, if they open at all.)

They were open when we came back.

This is the inside. Looks like
I would think an Irish pub would look like!
But as my luck holds out, no Murphy's beer.
Not even an Italian beer! I had a glass of Carlsbad, not bad!

They had this platter of fish at the door to entice people to come in.

We ate lunch there. Frank had Insalata di mare (seafood salad) and a bistecca (steak). Sophia also had Insalata di mare (seafood salad) and Frito Misto (assorted fried seafood). I had Insalata Caprese (mozzarella and tomatoes) and Frito Misto (assorted fried seafood). Sophia and I also each had Insalata Verde (a green salad). We had bread and wine. Sophia had a coke to drink.

The food was great. The seafood was very fresh and tasted so good!

Easter Cookies

2010-03-29T12:36:00.008-04:00

Today, we were over at my SIL's place all day. We made Easter cookies. We made a lot of dough with 4 kilos of flour, 2 kilos of sugar and tons of eggs! These are some of the cookies we made. Yes, those are hard boiled eggs in the cookies. We made about 30 of the large cookies and a bunch of cutouts with the rest of the dough.

Before it was baked...

And after...
It was a great way to spend the day!

The Last of Cefalu....

2010-03-28T04:04:00.004-04:00

Another church

I love the fancy adornments around the door.

Street view - triangle building

Side view of another church

The door

Piazza

Look out to the sea

Hotel

Castle tower above the hotel

Away from Cefalu

A bit closer!

Another castle ruin. Probably a watchtower.

The end!

Videos of the church in Cefalu

2010-03-26T07:22:00.004-04:00

I forgot that took I these videos. You can see the inside of the church much better.

Cefalu Part 4

2010-03-26T06:59:00.005-04:00

We entered the church...oh man it was dark in there! It's so beautiful and huge.

They don't build churches like this in the US.

The altar area.

A family crest on the floor. I almost broke my foot walking over this because

I wasn't looking where I was going. I was too busy looking up!

Tiles on the step to the altar.

The cross. It is covered in gold!

A sculpture on the wall.

marble statue - beautiful

A coffin. Who's in there?

The marble flooring.

The Madonna and Jesus

Looking towards the piazza.

The church steps

Cefalu Part 3

2010-03-25T07:34:00.005-04:00

We headed up this little road toward the church. I was getting excited.

Something looks really fabulous ahead.

Then we entered the piazza! WOW!

What a photo op! A fabulous old church with that rocky backdrop!

I click photos as I looked around the piazza.

It was such a gorgeous day. Everyone was out.

There were lots of other tourists too!

I was really loving this.

These buildings are amazing.

There is nothing like like in the town we live in!

There were 4 statues at the church.

This is the one on the left of the gate.

Right side of the gate.

Inside the courtyard. What a cool gate.

One of the towers on the church

walkway in the courtyard

The door of the church. It was HUGE!

Top of the column

The roof

The carved pieces on the door.

Tomorrow we enter the church!

Cefalu Part 2

2010-03-24T05:17:00.007-04:00

We are heading away from the beach and towards the center of the city (Centro).

I like to snap photos of anything that I think is cool!

I like the architecture here.

Sometimes it's very interesting and sometimes it's not!

Sicilians like to lock everything up!

Typical crumbling of buildings. Some say it's the salt in the air.

Street view

This is the street!

I thought this edifice was different.

You see sayings or quotes often here.

Restaurants galore!

Lots of little shops.

Interesting nook

An alleyway - you will see beyond this tomorrow!

Another street view

Interesting door - noticing the sign pointing the way to a toilet!

Sidewalk violinist. He was really good!

The Pirates Cove Restaurant

I liked this one!

Cool street lamp

Cefalu

2010-03-22T12:34:00.007-04:00

On Saturday morning we drove west towards Palermo. We decided to visit Cefalu. It's a beach town so we knew what we expected to see, maybe. The drive there was nice.

We must have driven through 30 tunnels to get there.

Leaving a tunnel and stopping in the rest area to take some photos!

It was really nice to see areas that we could pull off and snap some shots!

The next tunnel!!

It was doubled! Must be a heavy mountain.

Still topped with snow!
Sorry about the bad shot. Most areas of the autostrada have high fences.

We entered the Nebrodi Mountains. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nebrodi They are beautiful. It is so green! I was really surprised when we first came here. I certainly didn't expect it to look this way. And with all the rain we have had...we must have brought it with us!

The Madonie National Park in in these mountains. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madonie_National_Park

Driving into Cefalu.

Toward the beach

We got a place to park and out we went.

The view to the left.

Look to the right - Cefalu.

I couldn't get the whole thing in one photo!

The beach - it's actually sand! The white speck in the water was a sailboat.

Italian women walking on the beach. It was a warm day - no need for coats, but!!

Heading toward the city. Sophia and I have spied

the church and we want to see it!

We kept seeing this mini tower as we drove in.

Finally a half decent shot of it over the comune building.

Stay tuned for more!

It was a glorious day. BUT, we heard some women speaking "American". I stopped to talk to them. I think they were from Sigonella because I thought I heard them say "the base".

They were not very friendly. I won't make that mistake again.

I guess they don't really miss hearing their language the way some of us here do.

Free Food!!

2010-03-18T06:02:00.003-04:00

Next to the house where we live is a garden. I am thankful that there is not another house there because we would have no privacy at all. Plus it's nice to see the things growing there.

The land is worked by 3 people, 2 men and a woman.

Orange tree on the left.

Nice lemon tree - full of lemons...

Flowering Pea plants

Califlower patch

The lady was over there yesterday morning and offered me this beautiful califlower. It was nice and firm. AND very delicious. I made it for dinner last night. Sophia and I cleaned it, cut off the flowerets and poured olive oil and salt over them and roasted them in the oven for about 20 minutes at 400-450 degrees. YUMMY!

Villa Romana Part 3

2010-03-15T04:19:00.003-04:00

These photos are from inside the mini museum.

This would have been on a wall.
The torso of a man. Nice job!

Pots. You saw one in the ground on the last post.

This is an artist's rendering of what they believe the Villa looked like in it's time.

That is pretty cool!

Villa Romana Part 2

2010-03-11T03:08:00.006-05:00

You can see the autostrada above on the right.

I wish I could have looked down those holes!

Walls are older than the dig.

Jar for oil or water

From the outside of the exhibit.

Tomorrow photos from the mini museum.