House Elves in Italy?

After a wonderful nights sleep, I awoke to a little tap at my door that the shower was available.

After readying myself I walked into the kitchen - had the House Elves been up for hours?

No, Tatiana and Jesus had laid out every delicious option they had!!! Wow!! Eany meany miney month! Amazing!!

By the time I'd finished the toast and special butter (packaged in a fancy tin can) and jam, homemade banana shake and yummy coffee that Jesus had made me stove top, I was FULL! YUM YUM YUM!! I did enjoy looking at all of the packaging of the products. Always interesting to see what other countries use to market their products!

They also have one of these in their kitchen... Tatiana tells me it's called a "Jamonero" and it's holding a ham called "Jamon Iberico"...
You can take a Spaniard out of Spain...

They said sadly the leg was finished, but it had been delish!!! I want one! Being that they were going to drive to pick up a kitten after dropping me off...it made me wonder...how will they keep the cat away from a leg like that? My cats stay off the kitchen counter, but I wonder if they would if they smelled THAT!!

They kindly drove me to the airport and then left to pick up LuBlu. I forget the breed, but similar to an English Blue. I'll likely see them in Italy again before they can make it to NYC. I look forward to their NYC visit!!

The flight to Milan from Florence is quick. Ahhhh-Milan. I've now been to it's airport, but not the city yet. Add it to the list with Rome, Frankfort and Amsterdam!!

I can say that the Milan airport DOES at least have some decent food!! A glass of Prosseco and a lovely Caprese salad. MMmmmm MMMmmmm!

On my way to my flight I saw THIS:
Lego has made a Harry Potter! It was quite interestingly designed (yes, the technical geek came out as I looked at the choices of colors used for shadows etc.) Fun, no?

If only I knew what my flight ahead held for me! OY!

Think Good Thoughts

Life...Life rolls along with a speed that increases the older we get. There are no brakes that we can control, just marginal steering.

This summer has rolled along at top speed. Partially because I shared it with an energetic 8-yr-old...and partially because I have had so much upon my plate (by choice for the most part.)

My brakes were pulled. Monday morning. Labor Day.

My dearest friend called to let me know she had been told a few mere hours before, on Sunday, that the results from her lumpectomy were received by her surgeon on Sunday and...she has Breast Cancer. I. Am Still. In Shock.

Like any of you out there who have been touched by this, I'm sure you know the feelings.

I want to fix it. I'm a fixer. It's what I do. I want to look at it logically and break it down and fix it. Find the solution. Make it stop. Bring it back to where things were before.

It's not fair. She is 34.

Helpless. I feel helpless. Not only can I not "do" anything -- but she lives across our dear country in California so even simple things like a cup of tea and a hug in person won't be possible for another month.

I leave Tuesday for a month of traveling. A month. So much can happen in a month.

There are added complications and stresses involved which I won't get into...a month is a very long time. I can tell you I have planned my fall to be able to make as many trips out to California as I can.

Life here in NYC is still rolling along. Work is busy. Books are being read (I'm 1/2 way through the 6th Harry Potter determined to wrap it up and only bring book 7 along on the trip.) Socks are being knit (I'm almost done with the Undulating Rib Socks!!) The garden is being harvested -- this weekend looks like pesto time! (I make pesto and freeze it in ice cube trays - crack the cubes into a ziplock and voila - pesto for one or two all fall long!

Dan and I went to see the Mariners vs. Yankees game here in the Bronx last night. Sadly his team was beaten...well...spanked in the 7th inning...but it was an enjoyable night none-the-less!

I'm looking forward to tomorrow night (Taking Allegra out for her birthday dinner), Saturday night (company coming to town and we're going to a fashion show under the Tent in Bryant Park followed by a soiree WAY WAY uptown), Sunday (hopefully an opera matinee) followed by an organic wine tasting later that night...

So much to squeeze in before I leave for 27 days of working nearly straight (one day off in Italy to spend with Tatiana - yeah!!)

Life rolls along... but I still wish I could FIX it.