Ah! It's Sunday!

Oh, how I've missed our Sunday talk! And what a good Sunday it is today, an Easter Sunday! I hope you have spent at least part of the weekend enjoying some kind of Easter festivites!
In the past I've had Easter brunches, Easter in Spain, and a Tapas easter at home...but this year was completely new it was my first (and probably only) Easter at Petraia! The weekend started with Champagne and Columbo with my co-workers. Columbo is a traditional Tuscan sweet bread shaped like a Dove. It is delicious, with almonds, candied orange zest, and confectioner's sugar.
Then on Saturday my Easter excitment was the market...

They have these HUGE chocolate easter eggs. I saw ones with Winnie the Pooh and Tiger, but also ones with flowers and Buena Pasqua! written on them. I really wished that Roberta Rabbit had left one of the really, really big ones for me just to see how long it would take me to eat.

We also did some driving around and visited this old town with a mill that an old, old man ground wheat in. It was powered by the stream that went right by it and I found it completely enchanting. I didn't see the man but I took a picture anyway.

And today, on this Easter Sunday, I spent the better part of the day lying in the sun at Petraia reading my book and occasionally throwing Olive's one-legged rubber chicken for her to fetch.

Tobey and Micheal cooked me and Micheal's parents a wondeful Easter lunch/supper of venison with roasted vegetables, aparagus and artichokes, and a wild greens salad. We ate outside in the sun and my, my was it ever satisfactory.

(Now, the moment you've all been waiting for, you finally get to meet Tobey and Micheal whom I have been spending most of my time with!)

Starting at the bottom left is Micheal's Mom (his dad is taking the picture) they don't live here, they're just visiting for 2 weeks from Canada.

Then there's me! I was going to wear my Easter dress but I'm not the best at being lady-like while wearing a dress (just ask Tracy...there was an incident) and I figured if I was lying around and sitting on the grass I'd better have pants on.

Then there's Micheal and then Tobey. This wasn't the best picture of Tobey...I think we caught her off guard!

And I finished off this sunday with a glass of cold, fresh milk and a Tobey Treat, as I've come to call all the little snacks Tobey gives me, of chocolate cake!

So, while this was unlike any Easter I've ever had I enjoyed it immensly! But my favorite part of my Easter weekend has been the fact that my brother wished me Happy Easter. I know it seems like nothing, but its not. And it meant alot to me. So, thanks brother for your Easter greetings. Right back atcha'! And to you all!

But just remember Easter is not over yet...we still have Easter Monday to celebrate!

Here is the apartment!

Petraia's Pets

So you have met the animals of Petraia now for the pets. Although both Olive and Hawkley were featured in a "Good Morning From Italy" video here they are again. They are so gorgeous they deserve a second debut.

That's Olive in the front and Hawkley in the back. They are the sweetest dogs in the world!
And this is Lyle.

Oh, Lyle. Ever since I started working in the rose bushes Lyle always comes around and if I pet him just once he won't leave me alone for a good hour.

He'll just keep coming back and crawling all over me.

But he's so soft that I can't resist that first pet!
That's it! So, when I'm not talking to crazy Italian's I'm talking to these guys...they're very good company!

It's a tough choice.

I love checking on the aspargus in the garden each day and counting how many there are and if new shoots have poked up. I think they are just amazing.

Here is one just starting:

And here's another:

And here is a little aparagus family:

Now, the choice is aparagus or brussels sprouts. I think by this point everyone knows about my love of brussels sprouts....but when I tasted my first spring asaparagus I remembered how much I LOVED it too! This had my mind churning for a few hours...which did I love better? If I had to live without one which would it be? I actually never came to a decision...luckily for me the two are from completly different seasons and never see each other. Phew, 'cause how can you argue with this:

Can any of you choose?

Good Morning From Italia!

Hmmm, where to start?

Well, how about I just start with what I did today. Eventually all the things I have to tell you will come out. If you have any questions about what I'm doing, etc, just leave a comment. Sound okay?

This morning I got a ride to Petraia at 7:30 with Marco. Marco is in charge of general care of Petraia's gardens and fields. He is my neighbor too! He has the cutest little two-year-old named Anna! Anyway, Petraia is about 20 minutes from the apartment. I have driven to it with a few different people, mostly Italians, and I have to say it is the funnest when Marco drives. It is slightly nerve wracking as Italians ignore both speed limits and the lines on the road. While Marco does both of these things he drives like he's in a nascar race, smooth and zippy. Ha! I love it!

It is already my 4th day working at Petraia so I went off and fed and watered the animals. Today was the first time I did it alone!

Here are some of Petraia's animals:

In one pen is the wild turkeys and the meat chickens. They are friendly and happy. There is also a spot in their pen that houses the doves/pigeons...they are so pretty sounding.

Here are the rabbits. I've named them. Don't ask where the names came from...I have no idea. This one is Stern:
And this one is Howard. They're still afraid of me and run away when i come near. But aren't they cuties?

In the rabbits pen is a spot for the Quails. They're goofy, but the create the most precious little eggs. There weren't any today, but if there are some tomorrow I will take a picture!
Here are the geese. They hate me. But I mean, what geese actually like humans. I'm not scared of them. Well, I kinda am, the hiss really mean!
There are also ducks, laying hens, and lots of lizzards. The lizzards are always around in the garden and stones. I've named them Berkley. I can't tell them all apart so I just gave them one name and it's like I have a friend where ever I go. Even the ones in town are named Berkley.

This afternoon I worked in the sera...this is the big greenhouse. I first weeded it and then Cornel and I made a fence for the peas to climb up. I like working in the sera.

It wasn't too hot in there and the view out the door is amazing:

This is Cornel, I will introduce you in another post. But this is the begnning of our "fence".

And here it is completed.
Of course Mario, the stone cutter who is at Petraia building a wall, had to come in and check Cornel's work. Mario had some strong opinons about how Conrel was making the fence. It was hilarious. I will post more about Mario later, too.
That was my day today. Lunch was stuck in there, which is a whole 'nother story, as well as more weeding and more new italian words.

And that my folks is all I have energy for tonight. But more tomorrow, I promise. A week has gone by already and we have a lot to catch up on!

But one more thing! This is the house/restaurant. This is just the back. Uh, can you say "gorgeous". More pictures coming of it too!

Caio!

I'm Alive...

And well! I'm sorry I didn't write earlier...it wasn't 'cause I was too busy...or because I don't love you...it was because I had no internet! And I sure have missed writing to you! But I'm back! Until I get some more pictures and more organzined this will just be a short post...a teaser.

Not to worry...I will be back.
P.S. I just did spell check on this post an almost ever word is spelled wrong...the spell check is in Italian!