"Alpine Settler": April 2007

Thursday, April 26, 2007

The Other Side Of The Front Door......

Just look at this monster dog. What do you reckon? Scary or what!

Well one just like this is what greeted me and the 'mutt' at 7.30am when I opened my front door to take Ciccio for his morning trot!!!

Honest it was as big as a blo*dy tank - with saliva dripping from it's mouth and it seemed intent on just three things -
1. Not letting me or the mutt 'out'.
2. Coming in the house at all costs.
3. Having me and the mutt as it's breakfast snack......

No don't laugh - I didn't I can assure you. I could feel my heart beat rising to at least 500 beats per minute! And my stalwart little mate? Bless his little cotton socks - all he wanted to do was attack this monster. So with trying to keep the intruder out, keep my gallant little protector away from disappearing like Jonah into the whale, trying to get me, my walking stick, and a demented dog back indoors AND shut the door - it's a miracle that I didn't drop into a dead faint on the spot.

But with the door (finally) shut and Ciccio going banana's trying to get out again the question was 'What to do?'. There was no way I was going to go back out there...'daft' I might be - but stupid I'm not!

'Inspiration'! I know - I'll call Mr Christmas, my friendly Local Poliziotto....If this 'monster wants breakfast - better Christmas than 'mutt and me'.

But joking apart - following my call he arrived in less that 10 minutes. I heard him pull in with his 'super' car

I looked out of the window only to see him disappear again. So thinking that he'd captured "the monster" - mutt and I ventured out again.....
Yikes! It was still there.
Now what?

But bless him - good old Mr. Christmas had (obviously) recognised the monster and within a few minutes someone tapped on my window - yes it was the 'owner'.....He had the dog sort of hanging from his arms while he explained that he lived near me and the dog had tunnelled under the wire netting around his kennel area and had escaped. Profuse apologies were offered - and accepted. He assured me that the dog (it was after all at least the size of a horse) was friendly and didn't bit. Yeah, right - and 'I' was going to test that out...'forget it'!

So that's the excitement over for another day I s'pose. Tranquility has returned - but for how long? I'm just glad I don't live anywhere near a 'Safari Park'. If I did - knowing MY luck!!!

Thursday, April 19, 2007

What a difference a day (lifetime) made!

Come the 29Th of this month it would have been my 41st Wedding Anniversary - OK, these days I celebrate alone physically - but mentally Bruno is always with me. Such wonderful memories too... Some silver ones, some golden. Sure like all good marriages (if you're honest) there were one or two darker ones scattered here and there too - but not one that I would wish to lose from my memory.

Then I got to thinking how things had changed on a personal level and what Bruno would have been like today if he had still been with me. After a bit of scratching around in boxes I found a couple of photo's of us when we first met in the early 60's. They're a bit 'blurry' and do (of course) have that 'sepia tinge'. But after all they were taken in the last century (hahaha...).

But the changes over the years have been, to say the least, rather amusing.... look at those turn ups on his trousers and the double breasted suit that was all the fashion in those days. As for me - well that was in my 'blond period' which actually lasted for nearly 9 years. But it was the incessant appearance of those 'dark roots' and the subsequent cost that put paid to that 'foible'.

I clearly remember the night when this photo was taken at a club in Rimini. It was my very first date with this 'romantic' Italian - he was truly 'to die for'.
My first meeting him with him went like this..

It was my birthday, and as had become the norm, it was spent in a small family run hotel in Rimini which my parents and I had been visiting for a number of years. We always celebrated with the hotel owners family and a German couple who were there every year too - the 'party' beginning after the evening meal and when all other guests had gone out. On this particular night, one chap - a Milanese friend of the 'hotel family' had arrived late and ate his meal alone in the empty restaurant. By the time he had finished and slowly wandered towards our group we were - shall we say - in good spirits. He stopped and 'saluted' his friends (the owners) and was introduced to our party. The silly s*d didn't know how to say Happy Birthday in English to me, so he just smiled and said something that sounded like 'Merry Crissman'....at which point my father said "Oh for heavens sake - take this drink and join us!" He didn't need telling twice. Well - long story short - he asked me out for the following night. Ha - I told him "Sorry - got a date already for tomorrow!" (those were the days - I'm tellin' you...).

Well the following evening after dinner I'm waiting for my date to arrive to collect me.... but instead 'Rosella' the daughter of the hotel owner approached me and asked if I was waiting for someone? On the affirmative, she laughed and said "Well I wouldn't bother. Signor Bruno has just stopped him from coming in and told him to 'clear off' as you are his date tonight!"

Romantic - or what? He then took me to the club where the above photo was taken..... Needless to say - that particular holiday was very special for us both! One of those 'Golden Memories' that I still treasure.

I'll tell you about his romantic marriage proposal sometime too.... if nothing else it goes to prove that while the body and mind may well deteriorate over the years - the memory will keep you going for ever!

Sunday, April 15, 2007

Part 3 of the 'finished house'

THIS is my 'back yard'.... well not exactly mine - but I can dream can't I. My roof is tucked down there at the bottom of the photo!

The 'herb garden + lavender, jasmine and heather!

Photo's of the 'finished house' Part 2

This looking down from the lane that goes up just above my place.

Some photo's of the 'finished house'! Group 1.

Well here is the final (well minus the gate when next door has finished) result of all the cementing, wood staining and painting on the outside of the house. It has taken since June 2004 - when I actually prchased the 'ruin' 'til now - a total of 2years and ten months - to achieve the final satisfaction of being able to say to all those disbelievers I've had to suffer - "See - I told you so!!!"

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

I need your help - please!

A message and request for anyone who is kind enough to stop by and read my 'blog'.

I am having some problems with the contents of this 'blog'. Ever since eblogger set up a new programme (or whatever it was they did recently) I have had some problems with what 'SOME OF YOU' as my readers can see and access.

On the right hand side of the 'blog' underneath the clock and the 'counter' you should be able to see the following - in descending order....

All of this should be followed by the weather forecast.

Expats in Italy

Expat Talk Forum

Music from 'The Mission'

See the Valtellina

The Interview

Pathway To Peace

My Local Weather

Cyndi and The Italian

Les Crouquets - Holiday Cottages in France

Lori's Magician Nights

Barb and Art

Gia-Gina in Italy

Jane and Ken's Blog

An American Girl in Italy - Sara

Deborah's Whatever it takes

Judith's Think on it

mani doro, wife & dogs

Dierdre in Lecco

Yael in Pescara

Header photo used
with permission from
www.terragalleria.com

Now if you CANNOT see all of this could you do two things for me - please?

1. Hit your "Refresh Button" and see if that brings the above back into view.

2. Just leave me a 'comment' at the bottom of the blog telling me what happened ('could' or 'couldn't' see the r/h column)

OR
If you could see the sidebar all along - could you tell me that too.

I'm asking this because Cristina from Expats (bless her) has exhausted her ideas on the problem as she CAN see the sidebar - and so can I...but friends are telling me that they can't!

Can I just say 'thank you' in anticipation....

It's finished!

Well Romano arrived at 5.30 yesterday evening and finished the last little bit of wall.

SO - IT'S FINALLY FINISHED!!!

I'll now have to think of flowers for the troughs on the drive and the hanging plant holders on the balcony (last years 'trailing geraniums' do look a bit poorly to say the least...). I might try some bright coloured petunias for the balcony. I'll probably go to the weekly market in Colico on Friday and see what the locals have on offer. You usually get good value for money from them.

I'll try and get one or two pictures too - now that it's complete. What has been nice have been the compliments from the villagers over recent days. The general feeling has been that the house now brightens up this piece of the backdrop to the 'lower village', and it is nice to see when my light is switched on (andleft on) 'through night'. I think that is such a nice thing to say!

Sunday, April 08, 2007

Guide to "The Italian Way"

I thought you might enjoy this short cartoon just for a little bit of fun. It really is something that you will need to know though if you are planning on a visit to Italy in the future!

And if you think it can't possibly be like this - think again....hahaha

Just 'click' on the link below - sit back and enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOo36FnSTqQ

Thursday, April 05, 2007

Talking to 'distant' friends!

Some time ago #1 Son said "Hey Mum - download Skype onto your PC and we'll be able to talk via the computer when-ever we want AND free of charge". Well, like many 'wrinklies' I didn't really believe him totally.... and in addition if I did it would mean yet another 'techie toy' for me to try and master. Long story - short...for some time I ignored his advice.

But just after Christmas I plucked up my (rather rusty) courage and gave downloading Skype a try. I couldn't believe just how easy it was. I'm sure the people who wrote the download instructions had me in mind and they've produced a guide that is simple enough for even a 'world class dork' like me to follow.

Well I've been a 'Skyper'(is that a word?) now for three months + and it's GREAT!!! I often sit and 'natter' to mates for hours on end - it's like 'not being away from them'. But what is really great is when we do a 'group phone in'. We often have one of us in the USA, one in Canada, one in the UK, another in Scotland and - of course - 'moi'.... Now that is fun - at first we all tried to talk at once and it was like a day in parliament, with a load of "Rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb....' flying around (hahaha). But we're now much more disciplined (well 'sort of') and we have learned to say who we are addressing at the time we speak. But it does make for some fun times and some greatly improved and even resuscitated friendships.

I went and got a (cheapie - €5.90) headset from my local supermarket and it works fine.... It has volume control and a microphone attached

But in all this pleasure about being able to talk to so many nice people - guess what is the biggest laugh????

#1 Son STILL hasn't downloaded it! (I reckon it's because he's worried I'll be back to nagging him every 5 minutes..........hahaha!)

Tuesday, April 03, 2007

A 'zillion calories'!!!

There's no getting away from it - this little lot would indeed represent a zillion, zillion calories!
That's why I stayed outside (this time....).

This is the little (now modernised) chocolate factory in my village. It is 'family run' and the quality of their chocolates can be confirmed by several people on Expats in Italy who have visited with me.

The two HUGE eggs seen here in the window -if not sold - one will be donated to the local hospital and the other to a large state 'home for the elderly'. So at least the old and the sick - wil have nice eggs at Easter too.

Lori - from the USA who was visiting this weekend - took these photo's

for me. We had been up to Switzerland for the aftenoon and wer on our way to supper at 'Il Capretto' where Lori was about to taste roast baby goat for the first time. And yes she did enjoy it (she said....)!

Monday, April 02, 2007

Always on my mind!

Sempre con noi, e mai dimenticato.

Love will go on regardless of time.....

2nd April 1985

Sunday, April 01, 2007

Another year - HOORAY!

Yep...another year without 'the weed'!

I've now gone for THREE YEARS (at 11.45pm last night) without lighting up a fag!

No - I'm not going to say it was easy...well it was when I was in hospital thinking that 'My Maker' had come for me - but gradually that addiction and need lessened to the point that now I can freely admit (to myself) that "I don't smoke"....now that can't be bad.

Just think, if I had still been playing at being a chimney then I wouldn't have been able to get the house painted ...but I suppose I could have puffed smoke over the walls and had a delicate nicotine hue on the walls - hahaha

It still doesn't bother me at all when others smoke near me....It's even sort of nice (?) sometimes just to smell tobacco smoke. I can say that now because I KNOW I'll never be tempted again.