Monday, November 19,
2012
Monday was the day to go to the airport to deposit Peter for
his trip to Scotland. He was pleased that the group was in a great mood to be
there. Even the weather was predicted to be better than they had announced a
couple of weeks before.
I was pleased to receive a call during a break on my drive
back to Bra from Alida, a new friend we met at some of the Pop-up Cafes during
the weekend. She wanted to have a Thanksgiving dinner this Thursday and
wondered if she could have it at my house, where the stove is extra large. I
told her I was on my way back and would be there by noon. That was fine with
her because she was going to a doctor’s appointment to check on her diabetes
and would be home by 13,00. I invited her to come to our house and enjoy some
of Peter’s leftovers with me. In the mean time, I had sent Immobiliare Luca a
text saying that we were finding mold on the ceiling in the back bathroom, and
I would be home by noon. He contacted the owner, and at noon sharp, the owner
rang our bell. I showed him our concern, and he assured me that it was going to
be corrected…in two weeks. In the mean time, we could wipe the ceiling and
spread ammonia on it. I told him I didn’t have access to a ladder and for him
to please get someone here as soon as possible. He admired the way we had
decorated our apartment and asked if we didn’t want to stay another year…or
3…or 5…or 10? I told him we were still waiting for the fold out couch he had
promised us, and I noted that we had requested 8 lights to be replaced 2 months
ago. He said he would take care of that, too. As my mother would say, “We’ll
see!”
I thoroughly enjoyed my visit with Alida. Like all the other
students I have met from the University in Pollenzo, she has a very interesting
story to tell. We talked a long time while we enjoyed Peter’s roasted veggies,
fish, pear sauce and pasta. Then, we looked at options about Thanksgiving. I
told her I had a tennis match Thursday afternoon and she was welcome to use my
house. After much thought and deliberation about how to keep the group small
enough to be more intimate, she decided to keep the guest list very small… just
her, me, my new neighbors (and her classmates) Nora and Bianca, and a couple of
her other very best friends that I haven’t met. All of Peter’s class is in
Great Britain, but there are still many others in the undergraduate programs
and the other master programs that she and I know. Although we both felt bad
about leaving anyone out, she decided just to keep the group very small, which
would be less stressful on her and much easier to pull together in 3 days. We
both know other people who have talked about organizing a dinner for
Thanksgiving, but no one else had contacted either of us with plans. We will go
ahead with our plans and let others do the same. We made a list of the menu and
ingredients we wanted and made a schedule of when to purchase what. She even
sent text messages to the four others whom she wanted to invite, including what
we would suggest that they bring. Alida is from Canada, and her Thanksgiving
traditional foods are very different than what I am used to, so I am really
looking forward to a new experience. Turkey, dressing, giblet gravy, mashed
potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce and cornbread recipes are close to the
same. Leek is brand new to me, but pecan pie is on their menu. I’m just going
with the flow. It will be delicious.
In the evening, I took off for Cherasco (6km) and ate supper
with my Italian tutor Sara and her little boy and girl. Sara’s husband has gone
to Bangkok for work this week, and Sara was so nice to include me in their
evening. The children are precious and did…what all children do…played, sang,
read books, and we all enjoyed an authentic Pirates’ Supper! Everyone should do
one of those sometime, especially with a 1 year old and a 4 year old. Great
fun! We started the evening at 5:30, and I left at 8:15 when the children were
getting tired. That made a nice way to start my week with Peter in Scotland.
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