Buon Natale! Merry Christmas!

Whidbey Island Snow - Day 11. More forecast for tonight and tomorrow but then we warm up. Yeah!


Mochie says hi.



Centerpiece on table--roses are real! I cut the buds just before the temperatures plunged. Interestingly, they are yellow/pink roses but bloomed white.



Our Christmas tree and presepio (nativity set).

Have a wonderful holiday and all the best in 2009.

Big Snow of '08 - Day 10

Just over six inches total snow on ground.

Junco pecking at seeds and squirrel tracks.


View of Puget Sound through trees.

We received over an inch last night. Even though it is pretty I am bored with it. Can we please go back to gray rainy days?!?

More Cold and Snow

Yesterday I drove to Seattle as it was the day my father and I were taking my nieces, nephews, sister and sister-in-law to the theater and dining at the Space Needle. This has been an almost annual event for since my oldest niece (now 17) was 4 years old. When I left the house it was only 17 degrees F. Yikes! It is beginning to feel like we live someplace like Chicago rather than the normally balmy Pacific Northwest. Our cold spell has lasted over a week now. Daytime temperatures will be just above freezing during the coming week but it will still be cold enough for ice and snow at night.

From the deck of the Clinton-Mukilteo ferry you could see the "steam" rising off Puget Sound. This is a rare occurance as it usually is not cold enough for this to happen. As you can see the weather started off sunny and bright. By the time I got into Seattle (roads were bare and dry from Mukilteo) it was clouding over. Our group (nine of us!) went to the 5th Avenue Theatre downtown and saw the matinee performance of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. When we came out at 4:30 there was about a 1/2 inch of snow covering everything. It made the lights of downtown Seattle really sparkle. Luckily, the snowstorm was predicted so there were not a lot of cars on the streets.

We made our way back to the parking garage by cutting through the Fairmont Olympic Hotel. While there we stopped in at the Teddy Bear Suite where this picture was taken. At the Space Needle Restaurant we enjoyed another great meal while it continued snowing outside. It was a little like spinning around in a snow globe. This effect was heightened as we rode down in the elevator. We were descending considerably faster than the snowflakes so it looked like they were falling UP!

The drive back to Whidbey Island was long but uneventful. There was snow on the roads the entire journey but since it was still quite cold it was not terribly slippery. It took about 50 minutes to reach the ferry terminal at Mukilteo (vs. 30 min.) and another 45 minutes (vs. 20-25 min.) to get home. The snow on the roads on the island was several inches deep especially after I turned off the highway onto Bush Point Rd./Smugglers Cove Rd. I did not see another car after I turned until just as I was turning onto our street.

We woke up to about 4 inches of new snow for a total of about 5 inches. It snowed off and on all day. Late morning one of our neighbors called to tell us that a pod of orcas heading south. This was the FIRST time we had seen them going past even though we have lived here over three years! Unfortunately we were hosting the neighborhood holiday party at 2 pm so I had little time to watch them. I tried to take pictures but my camera did not have a strong enough zoom.

Every time the snow stops the birds and creatures make forays out from wherever they are hunkered down. Today Dom and I watched a junco hopping up and tugging on dried out wildflowers which caused the seeds to pop out. The bird then pecked at the seeds on the snow before repeating the process. Above are some tracks that were left on bench outside the front door.

After everyone left this evening I noticed the lights on the potted tree on the front porch glowing through the fresh snow. It looks incredibly beautiful outside but we are getting tired of having to put on boots and coats every time we want to go outside. Usually we run outside and get firewood or go up to the garage without jackets and often in our slippers, even when it is raining.

Whidbey Weather or Not

It has been an interesting week weather-wise. We started out last Friday (12/12) with high winds from the south that whipped up the Sound and sent the waves crashing on the beach. Luckily our electricity stayed on. I think the storms two years ago knocked down all the trees that were liable to topple over and take out the power lines.


There were some striking sun breaks late in the day. I once heard this sort of image described as God poking a finger through the clouds.



Late on Saturday (12/13) it began snowing and this is what we woke up to on Sunday. There was only about 2 inches (max!) but oh so pretty.


On Monday (12/14) we tromped down our ravine looking for a possible Christmas tree. There was nothing remotely suitable but it was really pretty standing down in the shadows looking up at the sunshine. We saw deer tracks and a spot where the deer had curled up next to a clump of ferns. Snow covered everything except the deer-sized bare patch.


A close-up shot of the Olympic Mountains with snow from peak to beach. The temperatures kept dropping. Tuesday morning I went for a walk and it was 19 degrees Farenheit when I left at 7:30 am. It never got above freezing that day.


During this patch of cold weather I have been working on some indoor projects. Normally, I paint furniture in the garage. However, it has been too cold in there so I set up a painting area in our oversized entry. On Wednesday I cleaned up, put the dresser back in the guest bedroom and also recovered the chair seat.



Wednesday evening's sunset. Still very cold so not much of Sunday's snow had melted.

On Thursday it warmed up to just above freezing--34 degrees was the warmest I saw all day. The snow melted back a little but more started to fall. This submarine was headed out to the Pacific Ocean as flakes swirled around it. (Did you know you can enlarge any of these pictures by double clicking on it?)

We had more snow last night. Early this morning I was out walking with a neighbor and saw a row of arbor vitae that the deer have cropped. The plants looked quite striking against the white of the snow and the grays of the sky and Sound.

This "Monkey Puzzle" tree looked a little chilly, like it needed more clothes!

There is still not lots of snow but it is once more very cold--about 27 degrees today. The fresh dusting really makes it look Christmasy.

If you are just checking out our blog be sure and check back again next week when I will add some family holiday pics. In the meantime enjoy the season whatever the weather is where you are!

La Cena Italiana di Luisa

Giving the guests a preview of the evening

The antipasto buffet

The second course-Brasato (Italian pot roast)

The aftermath

If you wonder what I have been doing since Thanksgiving, the above pictures show the result of a week's work. The last few years I have donated Italian dinners for 12 guests to annual auctions benefiting a couple of worthy causes. Last night's was sold at the Meerkerk Gardens auction last February.

The menu was as follows:

Antipasto Misto ~ Zardetto Prosecco Brut

Prosciutto
Salame Genovese
Salame Milanese
Three Crostini
~with chopped tomatoes
~with walnut pesto and white beans
~with artichoke paste
Grilled Peppers with Spicy Oil
Grilled Eggplant and zucchini with olive oil, lemon and thyme
Pickled Onions
Olives

Primi Piatti ~Campogrande 2006 Orvieto Classico

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Butter, Sage and Grana Padano cheese
Capellini with Mushroom Sauce

Secondo Piatto ~ Banfi Col di Sasso 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon & Sangiovese e/o A Mano 2006 Primitivo

Brasato (Italian Pot Roast)
Roast Potatoes
Roast Vegetables with Balsamic Vinegar –
Carrots, parsnips and Brussel sprouts

Dolce ~ Falchini Vin Santo del Chianti
e/o Liquore di Limone di Sorrento

Mixed Gelato ~ marsala wine and chocolate
Biscotti with walnuts, chocolate chips and orange

It was all cooked from scratch by yours truly. I even made the squash ravioli!

While I enjoy doing it, the dinners are an incredible amount of work. It takes 4-5 days to prepare everything and then I and a helper cart everything to the winning bidder's home, finish cooking, serve and cleanup. However this one was loads of fun especially as I and my helper knew a number of the guests. It was also the first I have done on Whidbey Island so the trip home afterwards was less than a half hour. Now that it is over I feel like I can finally concentrate on Christmas.

I will be posting some of these recipes on this blog in the near future.

Thanksgiving at Alpental

New garage!/Thanksgiving feast


Cousin John with Dom/Daniel, Cindy, Peter and Kate

Thomas and Emily with Rocky/Patty and Scott

Patty and Charlie

Yesterday was a beautiful day at Alpental. We had partly sunny skies and there was about an inch of snow on the ground in places. However, the roads were bare and dry. Dom and I loved seeing the wonderful new garage and the gorgeous surrounding rockery that my brother-in-law Scott built for my parents. It will make using the cabin 1,000% easier! They even got the heated driveway working and, after everyone was there, a group photo was taken. I think my mother plans to use it for her Christmas card.

We arrived just after 10 am. Most of the day was taken up with dinner preparations but my sister and I managed a long walk around the valley. There were a number of other people out taking advantage of the crisp afternoon as well.

Our dinner was delicious even if we did try to serve rare turkey. What temperature is it supposed to be?!? After cutting off the well done bits, the bird went back in the oven to finish cooking. The pies (pumpkin, apple, pecan and mince tarts) were fabulous as always.

It was fun spending the day with the family and seeing my nieces and nephews. Ranging in age from 9 to almost 17, they are all growing up fast. They are interesting, intelligent and fun to be around. It would have been fun to stay the night with everyone else but since we had only been home two nights we decided to head back to Whidbey. We were back at the house by 9 pm.

Unfortunately, the rain began overnight and today has been gray and dismal. Our chore lists are long and varied so have been busy. Most importantly, I have finally caught up with these blog posts.

It has been fun keeping everyone informed of our Autunno 2008 Italian doings in this fashion. Many people have commented that they enjoy the pictures. As we are now back in the U.S., posts on this blog will be intermittent for the next few months. Interesting events, excursions, parties and holidays will rate a post but not day-to-day activities. However, when we get back to Italy in the spring they will once more appear regularly. Thanks for keeping up with us. Comments are always welcome.

Snow in Partigliano Complicates Departure

Snow in Partigliano - views from our house

Dom with luggage at Gatwick Airport

In the end we had an uneventful trip from Pisa to Seattle. However, Monday the 24th began anything but calmly.

At night we keep the shutters in our bedroom closed but the bedroom door remains open as do the shutters on the window right outside it. When I woke, the first thing I noticed was that the power had been out. It was still half dark but I grabbed my watch and was just able to make out the time—6:50 am. Then I realized there was a strange glow to the light coming in the hall window. I got up and looked outside. SNOW!

Only about an inch had fallen—just enough to nearly cover everything. It looked beautiful and if we had not had a plane to catch later in the morning I would have thought it was a grand adventure. Instead I had to fight down panic even as I was waking up Dom.

The next few hours were interesting. The power seemed “wobbly” so I quickly took a shower. Just as I finished it flickered on and off several times before going off for good for about an hour. Dom put on grubby clothes and went outside to finish up what needed to be done there. We had cold water and the gas burners worked so we had breakfast in the semi-darkness and continued doing things that did not require power.

My biggest worries were Dom getting a shower (how awful to have to fly home without one) and what the roads would be like. Dom was much calmer about it and suggested I call some of our friends who live closer to Lucca. Mary and Orlando were surprised to learn that we had snow as they had nothing. Since they can see down to the road to Lucca they were able to reassure us that it was pretty localized. By this time it was also raining outside and the snow on our patio was becoming thick and sloppy. It seemed that we would be able to reach the airport with few problems.

Finally the lights came back on. Dom was able to get his shower. I was able to iron the clothes I planned to wear. While Dom hand carried the larger bags up to our car in the village parking area I finished doing the dishes and tidying up the house. The utilities were turned off and we were ready to go. Actually, we were ready to go with time to spare so we sat down and watched the news for a while. Shortly after 10 am we grabbed the last of the bags, flipped off the electricity and locked up.

The drive to the airport proved uneventful. By the time we left, enough other cars had been down the hill so the center of the road was merely bare and wet. All the snow disappeared after a couple of miles. By the time we halfway to Lucca there was no sign of it at all. However, when we stopped at the toll plaza outside of Pisa (20 miles away) the attendant asked where it had snowed because somehow the inch of snow managed to stay on the roof of the car all the way there.

We were so early at the airport that we hauled our bags inside and checked in before meeting Rosario (our rental agent) outside to return the car. That took all of thirty seconds so we then had time for cappuccino and pastry before boarding our flight.

The trip to London was smooth as was our transfer from Gatwick Airport to Heathrow Airport. Trolleys at each stop made moving our bags fairly simple. The only glitch came when we boarded the flight to Seattle. The plane was ready to go but apparently we were parked so close to the taxiway that we could not maneuver away from the gate in order to join the take-off queue. It was nearly an hour before the queue diminished enough for us to leave.

We landed in Seattle almost an hour late but we were soon through immigration and customs. My parents met us at baggage claim and we spent the night at their house. The next morning my mother drove us to Mukilteo where we walked on the ferry. Actually, it was more like waddling onto the ferry. With no trolley to help us, hauling our bags on and off the boat proved a challenge. The ferry personnel were practically laughing at us. We must have looked like refugees returning home.

Once the boat docked at Clinton we waddled off and tossed all our bags onto the bus. Whidbey Island has a great bus system. It is free and will drop you anywhere you ask. Thus, we were able to get off right at the end of our long driveway. It was not raining so I waited by the road with the bags while Dom walked down to the house, found his keys and brought the truck back up for me and the luggage.

It was great to finally be home. We spent the rest of Tuesday turning things on, plugging things in, going for groceries and the cat, and unpacking all the bags. We managed to stay awake until after 9 pm before collapsing in bed.

Today is more of the same. We are getting back into the rhythm of island life even as we try to get ready for the Thanksgiving holiday tomorrow. We plan to be at my parents’ ski cabin at Snoqualmie Pass for the day checking out the new garage and eating too much turkey and too much pie.

Last Weekend in Italy!

Lou bundled up to walk at dawn!/Sagra field

Camigliano vineyard and countryside

Villa near Camigliano/Persimmon tree and villa

Old workers' cottages now local bar/Dom with premi!

Pasta for breakfast/Bikers at Bar Bini

We spent yesterday cleaning the house and tools. It was bright sunshine with a good breeze so I managed to do three loads of wash and actually get them dry. Dom serviced the cutter bar mower and other tools before putting them away for the winter. He also spread some fertilizer around the base of the olive trees. It should be done later in the winter but he was there and so was the fertilizer. It also took both of us to haul the patio table and the TALDI bench into the barn. Most everything we needed to accomplish got done so we ended the day feeling pretty pleased. Later on we met Mary and Orlando at Ristorante La Fonte for a last delicious Italian meal.

Today we got up early and went to one more marcia podistica. This one was located east of Lucca in the town of Camigliano. It was still fairly dark when we arrived at 7 am. It was also COLD—not much above freezing although it was a dry morning so we did not have to worry about ice on the roads. I was bundled up, wearing three layers, my raincoat, a ball cap and gloves!

The partenza (start) was located in what has to be the local sagra (festival) venue. The walled field had several permanent buildings (including one with a large kitchen) along its perimeter, a bandstand and a stone dance floor. Parking was located in an even bigger field beyond the walls. It made us wonder what kind of festival the town has each year and when it is held. We’ll have to look into that.

We were not familiar with the town of Camigliano so it was fun to explore another new area. The terrain around it is rolling hills with a number of large vineyards. The area is close to the town of Montecarlo which is a major wine producing area. There are also many new houses in the area so it looks prosperous. The sun rose but high, thin overcast meant it never got very warm. We kept up a vigorous pace and soon warmed up. Even so it was cold enough that I never took off my hat or gloves.

As we approached the finish we realized that there was a huge, well kept villa located across from the field where we started. The small cottages nearby must once have been the estate workers’ homes. Nowadays they have been renovated and a sign identified a couple of them as the bar/clubhouse for the local gruppo sportivo (sports group). When we finished we picked up our premi (prizes—a bottle of wine each!) and had a little hot tea and toast with olive oil. Pasta with sauce was also available but we passed on that.

On our way home we stopped at Bar Bini in Diecimo for cappuccino and pastry. It is always packed on Sunday mornings but we enjoy being part of the crowd. As I waited outside for Dom to pay I saw a large group of cyclists out for a Sunday ride. They were bundled up as well and pedaling fast to keep warm.

Later in the morning I went to mass at our village church. Afterwards I made frittata for lunch. Then we commenced packing. With 15 liters of olive oil to transport it was difficult keeping our bags below the new British Airways weight limit. We had an allowance of two bags each with a maximum weight each of 23 kilos (50 lbs.). Since each container of olive oil weighs about 5 kilos and measures roughly 12x8x4 inches we soon discovered that taking only three bags was not going to work. In the end we had four bags—two large and two small—plus two carry-on bags. Neither of the large bags was full but it worked.

Late in the afternoon we went up to the village bar for a coffee and to say goodbye to our friends. We spent an enjoyable hour chatting in broken Italian and promising to return in the spring. Tonight we are going for a last pizza at Ristorante Il Mulin della Volpe. Tomorrow we are off to the U.S.