Don't Mess with the Cat's Bed

With the house in disarray, due to spring cleaning and furniture moving, the cat's beds were temporary out of place. This is never acceptable to a cat. Normally there are two beds near the radiator, but during the disorder of our Sunday afternoon, one bed was out of place. Opus immediately laid claim to the remaining bed, while poor Roscoe looked on in disbelief. How would he be able to get in a good cat nap if his bed wasn't in front the warm radiator?

It didn't take Roscoe long to figure out the answer to his problem. He squeezed between Opus and the radiator, literally half-sitting on top his brother to do so. Opus wasn't pleased, but stayed anyway. Perhaps Roscoe's body heat was every bit as warm as the boiling radiator.

Roscoe jockeying himself for the best position.

There are three rules one should always follow while trying to cohabitate with a cat.

1. Don't mess with the cat's food.

2. Don't mess with the cat's bed.

3. Don't mess with the cat.

I am happy to report that BOTH cat beds have been returned to their normal spot in front of the radiator and order has been restored in our home.

Buon Compleanno EU

Today the European Union turns fifty years old. On March 25, 1957 representatives from Italy, France, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands met in Rome to sign "The Treaties of Rome". From that meeting the European Economic Community was born, consisting of the six founding countries (the economic part was later dropped).

From the European Community came the European Union in 1992. The Community remains the first of the three pillars that make up the EU, along with the Common Foreign and Security Policy (the second pillar) and Police and Judicial Co.operation in Criminal Matters (the third pillar).

The 27 members of the European Union include:

1957- Italy, France, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands

1973- Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom

1981- Greece

1986- Portugal and Spain

1995- Austria, Finland, and Sweden,

2004- Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia.

2007- Bulgaria and Romania

In honor of the European Union's birthday, I have made a list of blogs written by expatriates now living in one of the founding countries. Enjoy.

Italy (Niente di nuovo avviene sotto il sole)

France (Cest la me)

Germany (The Blogness Monster)

Belgium (My Boyfriend is a Twat)

Luxembourg (Experiences in Luxembourg)

The Netherlands (Invading Holland)

Happy birthday European Union! You don't look a day over forty!

Cinque

My friend Kim has tagged me to do the Expat five, four, three, two, one meme.

Name five things you love about your new country:

1.The wonderful food! Emilia Romagna is famous for prosciutto, lambrusco, cappelletti, and parmiggiaono reggiano cheese! What more could you want?

2. Our friends. I have never been given the cold shoulder here. Everyone has been kind and never seems to care when I slaughter their language or their food. They welcomed me into the community with open arms and never once seemed to care that I am a straniera.

3. Family life is the most important thing in Italy. Most of the time, family members live with or near each other. When one member needs help, the others roll up their sleeves and pitch in. They do a really job of taking care of each other.

4. I love the landscape and the history of Italy. One of my favorite new hobbies is taking drives through the countryside and "discovering" old churches, town castles, war cemeteries, roman ruins, monasteries and convents. This country is bursting at the seams with beauty and history. Even after two years, I still have to pinch myself because I just can't believe that I am lucky enough to live here.

5. The thing I love most about Italy is the Italian. No, not the language, the man. I am talking about MY Italian. I met him during a time in my life when I didn't think I would ever find a good guy. His unconditional love and friendship is what took me five-thousand miles from home and I haven't regretted that choice once. Love sneaked up on me when I least expected it and opened my eyes to life I never knew existed.

Name four things that you miss from your native country:

1. I miss my family terribly. We are close knit group and it is hard not being a part of their everyday life. It is even harder now that I have a niece, I am missing out on so much of her life.

2. I miss my friends. The longer I am here, the less I hear from them. It is sad, but I guess it is a part of life: out of sight, out of mind.

3. My work. When I quit my job I was burned out. Now I have been away from it long enough that I am starting to miss it. Working on an ambulance had it's downsides, but there were times when it could be interesting and exciting.

4. I miss my culture. I LOVE living in Italy and couldn't imagine living anywhere else...BUT some days I really miss my culture. It is paritcalary hard during American holidays. We always celebrate the 4Th of July and Thanksgiving, but it never feels the same as celebrating in the States with friends and family.

5. I miss free refills on my drinks. Pop in Italy is often more expensive than wine! On top of that, you don't even get a refill (unless of course you are eating at the Hard Rock Cafe in Rome, road trip Jackie?).

Name three things that annoy you a bit (or much) about your new country:

1. The slow-paced, too-much-paperwork, what's-with-all-the-red-tape Italian bureaucracy. Right now I am in the process of renewing my permesso di soggiorno (the Italian green card) so this is a hot button for me. Don't worry, you will hear all about the process in an up and coming blog post. This time I am requesting the carta instead of the permesso. The difference is the carta won't expire so I shouldn't have to go through all of this again (fingers crossed).

2. Taxes are high here. I mean really high. What makes me mad is when I see the stupid way our money is being spent by the government. Italy is smaller than America, so I understand that the taxes will have to be higher because there aren't as many people paying (and we have national health insurance). I just want the government to be a little wiser about how they spend our money.

3. The cost of living is higher, but the earnings are lower. This could sound terrible to someone who doesn't live in Italy. What you must know is that (I believe) the quality of life in Italy is much higher than that of the States. I don't mind earning less and paying a little more because I enjoy our quality of life. There is a saying: "Americans live to work. Italians work to live."

Name two things that surprise you (or surprised you in the beginning) about your new country:

1. Nothing can be done over the phone. EVERYTHING must be done in person (much like the way we used to do things in old days in America). Back in the States, I just picked up the phone to call a store with my questions. In Italy, we always have to go to the store and talk to someone in person. At first I HATED this (as an American I want to get things done as quickly as possible). Now I am used to it and think that doing business face to face is a more pleasant way to go.

2. The dinner hour. This one STILL gets me. I always ate dinner between five and seven. In Italy they eat much later. The farther south you go, the later the dinner hour becomes. Most restaurants don't even open until 7pm and even then you won't find many other patrons dining at that hour. Just the other night the Italian and popped into our favorite restaurant in ALfonsine at 7pm. The cook told us to come back at 8pm! I couldn't believe it, it wasn't even a weekend night. Needless to say, we went home and I made dinner. I have gotten use to eating late, but I still prefer have dinner before 8pm.

Name one thing that you would miss terribly in your new country, if you had to leave it:

I would miss every aspect of living in Italy. I would have moved to Siberia if that was where my husband was from. How lucky of me to find such a wonderful man AND such a wonderful country. When I go back home to visit, I am always homesick for Italy. I can honestly say that I can't imagine living anywhere else in the world. It really is LA DOLCE VITA!

I am tagging Jackie from Allora, Aspetta, Jeff in Puglia, and American Girl in Italy, Sara. Only do it the meme if you feel like it!

La Primavera

God has a great sense of humor. His latest joke? In Italy we have been enjoying an unusually warm March. Here in Romagna, the fruit trees are all in full bloom and the Italian and I have been enjoying afternoon drives through the countryside. It was even warm enough to put the top down on our convertible.

On a particularly warm afternoon, I told the Italian that he should make sure the battery on our motorbike was charged up after a long winter's nap. I was hoping the temperature would climb just a little higher, making it warm enough to go for a motorcycle ride. That very night a strong wind came blowing through the region. The cats hid as the forceful wind rattled the windows and banged hard against the front door. By morning the temperature had dropped more than ten degrees.

We went from this.....

To this.......

On the news, we have seen cities across Europe covered in snow and ice. So much for our early spring.

Il Postino

Don't tell the Italian, but I have been having a secret love affair that has gotten very serious over the last two weeks. It isn't with some hunky soccer player, or a rich business man or a smooth talking Italian model. My love affair is with the postman and it is getting out of hand.

In just two weeks time, he has delivered some wonderful goodies to our home. The first package was an envelope mailed from Venice. My new friend, J (whom I just met a couple of months ago), was kind enough to send me a copy of Time Out Venice. It is a guide book all about Bella Venezia and, the best part, J is a contributing writer.

A few days later, the postman arrived at my door step with another envelope. This one had traveled all the way from Indiana. My mom and dad had stuffed the envelope with People's magazines!

Just when I thought things couldn't get any better, the door bell rang one afternoon. This time the postman was holding a large box. ANOTHER gift from my parents! Inside were more magazines, peanut butter cups, twizzlers (for the Italian), a picture frame, spices for the kitchen, and small scrapbook set (complete with decorative scissors, scrapbook paper and stickers). I thanked the postman for his wonderful delivery, but told him that we needed to stop seeing so much of each other. My husband might start to get suspicious.

But the postman didn't listen and returned to my home again on Saturday. This time he was holding a box that had traveled all the way from New Mexico. My friends, Jane Doe and Buzzurro, had made a care package for me! Inside were jellybeans, taco and salsa mix, peeps marshmallow chicks, MORE peanut butter cups (a good thing since I had already hogged down the bag from my parents), shake mixes and the most important gift, Whisker Lickins cat treats. I have been trying to find cat treats in Italy, but the boys HATE Italian cat treats and refuse to eat them. My Mom and Emily had sent me a good supply, but I went through them fast while administering medicine to the cats these past weeks. Two days before Jane's box arrived, I had run out of American cat treats. I found some German cat treats at the store and, out of desperation, I bought some. Opus ate them grudgingly . However picky Roscoe spit them out as fast as he put them into his mouth. Thanks to Jane Doe and Buzzurro, I now have cat treats to lure the boys with when it is medicine time.

Though I have enjoyed all of my gifts in the mail, I told the postman never to come to my house again. I am so worried that my husband will find out about this love affair. The postman, unable to control himself, arrived today once again. This time he had another envelope from Venice. J had sent me a nice note with a couple of American magazines. She is just too sweet!

I want to thank everyone for all the goodies you have sent my way. Not only is it fun to get things in the mail, but it so nice to be thought of.


Even though I have broken it off with the postman, I still look forward to seeing him tomorrow. Shhhh, don't tell my husband!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Okay, so I am day late and dollar short (or maybe a euro short). Anyway I just wanted to wish everyone a very happy Saint Patrick's Day. I hope you all had a lot of fun celebrating back home. Saint Patrick's Day in Italy just isn't the same. In fact, it felt like any other day.

I missed the parades, the bag pipes, the green outfits, the crazy parties and the green beer. On the news, I saw the Chicago River being turned green (a longstanding St. Patrick's Day tradition) and suddenly I felt a wave of homesickness wash over me. Some days it harder being an expatriate than other days.

I didn't stay home on St. Patrick's day and drown my sorrows in a glass of Guinness. The Italian and I were invited to a "Fish Feast" by our friends Karen and Vincenzo. Twice a year, in the city of Cesenatico, the Red Cross organises a sea food dinner fundraiser. Several local restaurants gather at a seaside conference center where tickets are sold to the public. Meals are then purchased with the tickets. It is a nice way to sample the different food from several different restaurants. Here is the catch, all of the food is seafood (Scott you would have loved it).

Anyone who knows me, knows how much I hate seafood. My reasons are not political or religious, I just can't stand the taste of seafood. I am always willing to try different dishes, but I have yet to find a seafood meal that I enjoy. Seafood is a staple of Italian cuisine. After all, we are surrounded on all sides by the sea. Italians have a very hard time understanding my aversion to sea food. You just can't help what you like or dislike.

Being the trooper that I am, I accepted Karen's invitation. It is always fun to get together with her and Vinnie . I also thought it would be nice for the Italian to have the opportunity to eat seafood (which he rarely does since marrying me).

We had a wonderful time. We sat in a large room that had giant windows looking out onto the sea. My friends and the Italian chowed down on several seafood dishes, smiles stretching across their faces. I even tried Vinnie's seafood lasagna and I liked it! He was so happy that I liked it, that he gave me his plate! I enjoyed all of it EXCEPT the clams that were hidden inside. I bit into the fleshy animal and my mouth filled with the taste of fishy seafood. Other then the clams, the lasagna was wonderful.

After everyone had their fill of seafood, we headed off for a coffee followed by a walk on the beach. With it being such a warm day, many people were out enjoying the seaside. The four of us sat down in the sand and talked while enjoying view of the Adriatic and the warmth of the sun on our faces.

Though we were missing green beer and parades, it turned out to be a very nice St. Patrick's Day.

May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
And rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

**Irish cat painting by Angela Cater**

The Start of the Roman Empire

On this day in Roman history the most famous Roman dictator of all, Gaius Julius Caesar, was assassinated by members of the Senate.


You might have thought that Caesar would have seen this coming. After all, he was warned about the Ides of March (which is simply the day in the middle of month on the Roman calender). Since the date of the ides changes from month to month, perhaps it would have been clearer just to tell Cesar to stay home on the 15Th!

That day the toga wearing Senators went to work with knives hidden under their skirts. They called Caesar to the forum with the excuse that there was a petition that needed to be read by the big guy in charge. The unsuspecting Caesar headed off to work, walking right into the trap.


Mark Anthony caught wind of the plot and tried to warn Cesar, but he was too late.




No, not THAT Mark Anthony. THIS Mark Anthony!

More than sixty Senators stabbed Caesar twenty-three times, including his friend and confidant, Brute. Upon seeing his old friend, the blood soaked Caesar uttered the famous phrase "Et tu, Brute?". Though they are more likely Shakespeare's famous words, not Cesar's.

With death of Cesare came the end of the Roman Republic. Being the good friend that he was, Mark Anthony took care of Caesar's lover, Egypt's Cleopatra, by marrying her. And they lived happily ever after. Well at least they did up until they lost the Battle of Actium and then both committed suicide. But that is another story.

And as for good old Brute, a couple of years later (after losing an important battle) Brute also took his own life.

That same year, Caesar was hailed as a "the Divine Julius" (Divus Iulius). The first Roman emperor, Caesar Augustus, became Divi filius ("Son of a God"). And so began the Roman Empire.

Who says history is boring?

No Parking

The rules about parking in Italy are that there are no rules. Everyone seems to park anywhere and everywhere they want. Everyone that is except my husband who, in fear of receiving another ticket, only parks in legal parking spots (they do give out parking tickets here).

I will never forget my first visit to Rome. I couldn't believe the number of cars parked on top of the sidewalks, parked in driving lanes, and (on Sunday morning) even parked right in the middle of the street. Then I went down to Naples where they have turned illegal parking into an art form. It seems that the farther south you go, the more interesting the parking becomes. I once read that the farther south you go, the stronger the coffee. I am seriously beginning to wonder if the crazy parking has a direct correlation to amount of caffeine consumed.

Just the other day, the Italian and I drove to Lugo and for the first time I saw this.



Now it is quite normal to see cars parked half way up onto the sidewalk, but I have never seen it encouraged by painted parking lines!

Life in this country is always interesting!

Happy Birthday Scott

Today my much, much, MUCH older brother turns another year older (OK he is only two years older which I guess makes him 27 today).


I have feeling that this birthday is going be extra special for him as he will be celebrating his birthday for the first time as a father. Cara was a long awaited birthday wish that finally came true. Enjoy your special day with your very special little girl.

I love you Scott, best wishes today and always.
Buon compleanno!

All is Well (almost)

Several people have written asking about the boys and wondering how they are doing. Thank you for kind thoughts and words. I thought I would take a moment to give you all an update on the house of the sick and tired.

The Italian, after suffering from a nasty spell of bronchitis, has finally come out on the other side. I too have managed to over come the dreaded IL RAFFRADORE (echo, echo, echo) which has been a great relief to my tender throat and sore ribs (too much coughing).

Poor Opus was subjected to having a gross ointment squirted into his right eye, twice daily. His eye infection has cleared up and he is desperately trying to regrow fur on the bald spot under his eye caused by the infection. In the meantime, he continuously wears sunglasses (even in the night) to hide his furless patch.

Opus goes Hollywood

That leaves us with little Roscoe. The news for him isn't as good. Poor, sweet Roscoe has had a long history of illness. As the runt of his litter, he was the smallest and sickest kitten of them all. Though he outgrew his brother by a full pound in adulthood, he continues to struggle with good health. It just takes Roscoe a little longer to bounce back. The ear infection in his left ear spread to his right ear as well. This has meant ear drops in BOTH ears twice a day. He has also been experiencing a terrible problem with acne: very strange since he is in his sixties in cat years. On top of the ear drops, he has had to have his chin disinfected (twice daily) followed by a good smearing of acne cream.

Several nights ago while cleaning Roscoe's chin I noticed that his lip was a little red on one side (what? Cats don't have lips?). I pried open his mouth reviling a nasty looking back tooth surrounded by swollen gums. We went straight to the vet's the next day.

Opus received a clean bill of heath. Roscoe on the other hand had his teeth scraped (causing the gums to bleed), his pimples popped and last, but not least, his right ear was doused with cleanser. What is a cat to do?

Roscoe's ear infection has not cleared up and now we have a gum infection to fight. This means I now have to brush his teeth, give him ear drops, continue to disinfect his chin, apply acne cream, and massage his gums with meat flavored medicine, twice a day.

God bless that cat, he still comes to lay down next to me in bed at night!

Roscoe had such a tough time with the vet as a kitten, that my mom bought this vet toy for him beat up on. Eleven years later, it is still his favorite toy. After beating up on the vet, Roscoe makes up and snuggles down for a cuddle and a nap.

The Faenza War Cemetery

-"The land on which this cemetery stands is the gift of the Italian people for the perpetual resting place of the sailors, soldiers and airmen who are honoured here."

In the countryside just outside of the city of Faenza is a small war cemetery, the final resting place of over one-thousand allied soldiers who came to Italy never to return home.

The rolling hills, dotted with vineyards, make for a breathtaking backdrop. Fruit orchards, blooming with pale pink and white flowers, surround the cemetery on all sides. A gentle breeze blows across my face and I close my eyes while enjoying the warmth of the Italian sun on my cheeks. It is so peaceful here.

We walk alone through the cemetery and read the inscriptions on the markers. My husband and I speak not a word to each other, only the breeze blowing through the branches of the trees and the singing of birds interrupt the silence.

"Rest in Peace", "Gone but not forgotten", "I know you are waiting for me in heaven", "You died so that we should live", "Loving husband and father"; my heart sinks as I read the inscriptions on the markers, words written by loved ones of the departed.

Muslims are buried next to Jews, Jews next to Catholics. The Irish, the Scots, Englishmen, Canadians, Aussies, South Africans, New Zealanders and Indians: death did not discriminate, it came for them all regardless of race or religion. Boys, not men, who came here to free the Italian people and died doing so. Most of them were just barely into their twenties, their lives just beginning. They fought together, they died together and now they rest forever together.

My Grandfather and Father were both in the military. Lucky for my family, we never lost a member in a war. And yet, for some reason I feel connected to these boys in the cemetery. I am grateful for what they did, long before I was ever born.

The wind kicks up again as I wipe the tears from my cheeks. My years in EMS have taught me just how fragile life can be. I understand that each of these markers represent a life lived and lost. These men were someone's brother, someone's uncle, someone's best friend, someone's child. Each of them left behind a family.

It saddens me to think that these soldiers never went home, not even in death. They are buried in a foreign land, their families robbed of a grave to visit. My heart sinks when I think that there is no one here to care for them.



But then I look around at the beautiful cemetery; the meticulously manicured lawn, the perfectly trimmed hedges, the budding flowers on the rows of plants that line the markers. Someone is here caring for these soldiers. And though they might not be with their family members, it comforts me know that they are not here alone.


Total number of servicemen buried at the War Cemetery of Faenza 1,152

United Kingdom 883

Canada 25

Australia 4

New Zealand 224

South Africa 7

India 8

Pioneer Corp of Southern Africa 1

It's a Small World After All

I met my husband almost six years ago in an Italian chat room. Back then, the Internet was still relatively new to the ordinary person and meeting strangers in cyber space was not the norm. I began snooping around in the chat rooms as a way to entertain myself during the night. You see, I worked nights at the time and found it difficult to sleep during normal sleeping hours on my nights off: there aren't a lot of people you can call up at 3 in the morning just to chat.

I was suspicious of chat rooms at the time and so I was very careful with whom I talked to. I also made sure that I never used any local chat rooms as a way of avoiding a face to face meeting with someone I that I met in the net. In fact, I used only international chat rooms. There were several reasons for this. One, I was interested in learning about other cultures. Two, I didn't have to worry about a chat room stalker showing up on my door or running into him in a store. And third, it made sense to chat with people over seas because the middle of the night for me was the start of the day for them.

When I met the Italian I never imagined that I would ever meet him in person, let alone fall in love and move to Italy. But over time a friendship formed and from that friendship blossomed love. The rest, as they say, is history.

Over the years, chat rooms have become more popular and less scary. Now it is quiet common for people to meet and fall in love with the help of the Internet. In fact, there are many online businesses making tons of money by fixing up couples up via the net.

Not only did I find my husband with the help of the net, but since then I have made many wonderful friends in cyber space. This blog has been a big source of new friendships as well as the Expats in Italy site. I have met so many wonderful Americans through that site that I would never have met in the real world. Gina, Sara, Laurie and Karen are all great friends living in Italy, whom I met through Expats in Italy.

Jane Doe and I have been in touch through our blogs and emails. We have yet to meet in person, but one day I hope we will.

Last month I met a nice woman living in Venice. "J" sent me an email one afternoon and I had the opportunity to meet her in Venice when I was there for the day with Gina. Since then we have also been in touch on the phone and through emails.

Sweet Stacy, from Texas Espresso, and I have kept in touch by reading each others blogs and through emails. She surprised me, not once but twice, when she called me on my birthday and again yesterday to wish me a "buona festa". Though I have never met her in person yet, I feel like we have been friends for years.

After reading Kim's blog for more than a year, I had the privilege to meet her and her wonderful husband, Peter, last fall when they came to Italy on vacation. Kim was just as sweet and funny as her blog reveals her to be. From the moment we met them, it was an instant friendship. The Italian and I look forward to having them come back for another visit.



Not only has Internet been a way to meet new friends, but it has also been a way to keep in touch with the old ones. I don't think I could have moved to Italy if it weren't so easy to fire off emails or talk on messenger. Often I see my parents with the aid of a video camera and best part is that it is absolutely free!

What I love most about the net is that I am able to keep on eye on my beautiful baby niece. Emily started a blog when she was pregnant with Cara and has kept it going since her birth. From 5,000 miles away I have been able to watch Miss Cara grow up right before my eyes thanks to the photos and videos on Scott and Em's blog. Cara and I also video conference from time to time. Though it isn't the same as being there, it is the next best thing.



More and more, the world seems to be shrinking. With the Internet now, the world is smaller than ever.

***The drawing was first ever made for me by the Italian. He drew it just three days after we met***

Day of the Woman

"I am a woman above everything else."
- Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

Today is International Women's Day, in Italy is called the Festa della Donna. It is a day set aside to appreciate women, acknowledged their accomplishments, and say "thank you for all you do". It is the Italian custom to hand out sprigs of mimosas to the important women in your life. A beautiful vase of mimosas are resting on my kitchen table top, a gift from my thoughtful husband.

To all the mothers, daughters, sisters, grandmothers, aunts, cousins and girlfriends out there, take a moment for yourself today.

Buona festa della donna!

Buon Compleanno Dottore

One-hundred and three years ago on this very day, a genius was born in Springfield, Massachusetts. His parents lovingly named him Theodor Seuss Geisel, but the world came to know him simply as Dr. Seuss. He was the author of over 48 children's books as well as an illustrator and political cartoonist.

I have always been a fan of the good doctor. In fact, the very first book I ever read out loud was "Green Eggs and Ham". Imagine how proud my parents must have been, I was only 18 years old (kidding).

On my first trip to Italy in April of 2002, I spotted the familiar orange book in the window of a book store in Venice. The Italian had never heard of Dr. Seuss and so I dragged him inside the store for a closer. And so was the start of my Dr. Seuss book collection, in both English and Italian.

-Prosciutto e uova verdi (Green Eggs and Ham)

-C'è un Mosterino nel taschino! (There's a Wocket in my Pocket)

-L'uovo di Ortone (Horton Hatches an Egg)

-Ortone E I Piccoli Chi! (Horton Hears a Who)

-Gli Snicci e Altre Storie (The Sneetches and Other Stories)

-La Battaglia del Burro (The Great Butter Battle)

6 down, 42 books to go!

Of course some of the names of the characters had to be changed in order to make the rhymes work. For example in "Green Eggs and Ham" instead of Sam (Sam, I am), there is Ferdi (in order to rhyme with verdi, green).

I still remember quiet clearly one year when the Italian was visiting me for Christmas. We went to my parent's house to spend the holiday with my family: everyone was there including Scott, Em, Aunt Linda, Uncle Duane, my cousins Kristin and Erin and both of my Grandmothers. We all gathered around the living room after dinner while the Italian read Green Eggs and Ham to us in Italian. We couldn't stop laughing: imagine a room full of adults being read to like a group of little children! Dr. Seuss would have been proud.

And so in honor of what would have been Dr. Seuss's 103rd birthday, here is list of things you might not know about America's most beloved children's author.

10. And to Think I Saw it on Mulberry Street was Dr. Seuss's first book. It was inspired by the rhythm of the ship's engine while he was on an ocean voyage to Europe.

9. Dr. Seuss attended Lincoln College, Oxford with the intention of earning a doctorate in literature.

8. Dr. Seuss never finished school. "The "Dr." in his pen name is an acknowledgment of his father's unfulfilled hopes that Seuss would earn a doctorate at Oxford."-Taken from Wikipedia

7. Dr. Seuss wrote 13 books under the pseudonym Theo LeSieg (LeSieg is Geisle written backwards).

6. There are only 50 words (some used more than once) in the book Green Eggs and Ham. Rumor has it that Seuss wrote it on a bet.

5. Dr. Seus, the world's best children's author, never had children of his own.

4. Dr. Seuss wrote several books for adults including : The Seven Lady Godivas; Oh, The Places You'll Go!; and You're Only Old Once.

3. 2 live action films were made based on the characters of Dr. Seuss, "The Cat in the Hat" and "How the Grinch Stole Christmas". Dr. Seuss's widow, who is in charge of all licensing matters, was so disappointed with "The Cat in the Hat" movie that she swore no more films based on Dr. Seuss's books would be made.

2. Dr. Seuss's pen name comes from his mother's German maiden name. In German Seuss is actually pronounced zoice (rhyming with voice). Dr. Seuss pronounced it this way himself, but the rest of the world contines to mispronounce his name.

1. Dr. Seuss's three best selling books of all time are:
3rd. One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish

2nd The Cat and the Hat

and in first place Green Eggs and Ham


Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss. Thank you for a lifetime of wonderful stories. I look forward to sharing them with my own children someday.

The Year of the Pig

The Italian and I sat at a small table for two in the nearly empty Chinese restaurant. Both of us were suffering from stuffed noses and plugged ears and looked as though death was near. He didn't want to come, but I begged. As a child my parents always believed that the best thing for a cold was nice, hot bowl of sweet and sour soup. It was something that I had carried with me into adulthood and I had been wanting a bowl since the day I awoke with my husband's cold.

The soup arrived in a small white bowl with tiny blue paintings of dragons around the rim with the funny shaped spoon resting on the plate. It looked similar to the hot and sour soup I always ate at the Chinese restaurants in America and lucky it also tasted similar as well.

I sipped slowly on the soup, remembering the countless times that my parents had brought home a bowl of the spicy stuff for me when I when sick. I tried to breath it in, but my plugged nose wouldn't allow me smell a thing. I could tell the soup was spicy as my lips felt like fire, but it never opened up my sinus as it always had in the past.

"I can't believe this used to be a pig flower shop," the Italian said as he surveyed the room with his eyes.

A look confusion came across my face as tried to sort out what I had just heard.

"A pig shop?" I questioned, knowing I had misunderstood.

"No a PINK shop," he responded.

That made a little more sense as I could see the pink walls half hidden under a layer of bamboo.

"Oh a PINK shop," I giggled.

He smiled back, "A BIG shop. I can't believe this used to be a BIG flower shop."

We both laughed. With different languages and foreign accents, it was normal for us to have misunderstandings. Plugged ears and runny noses were making it much worse.

House of the Sick (and Tired)

The plague is sweeping through our tranquil little town. No, not THAT plauge but rather the cold season. My husband says that many of the students and teachers are home sick. Those not sick come to school as the walking wounded, sharing their nasty germs with the healthy. As a teacher, it was only a matter of time until Typhoid Mary (aka the Italian) came down with the crud and lovingly brought it home to share with us.

Even the cats have gotten in on the action. Last week I had noticed a couple things that didn't seem "quite right" with my furry boys. I thought perhaps I was over reacting by dragging them both to the dreaded veterinary doctor, but my instincts proved to be right on. The little spot on Roscoe's nose turned out to be some sort of fungus growing (we are still waiting to find out the results of the tests) as a result of a runny nose. In addition, he had an ear infection (probably causing the runny nose) and one other personal problem that will go unsaid. Yes, poor Roscoe had the old bumper to bumper (nose to tail) inspection adding up to an extremely stressful day.

I had also notice, over the period of a few days, that Opus had a dark shadow under his left eye. It looked as though someone had socked him in the face and gave him a black eye. It turned out that poor Opus wasn't bruised, but rather was going bald. An eye infection had caused him to lose a little fur (probably the same infection as Roscoe's). I was surprised to hear this as his eye looks perfectly fine.

Both cats are on medication to battle whatever it is that has been breeding in and on their bodies. For the past week, twice a day, I have had to hog-tie the cats and wash their faces with a disinfectant. Roscoe gets cold ear drops trickled down into his ear canal, while Opus "enjoys" having ointment squirted INTO his left eye. Needless to say, both cats run at the sight of me. It is tough being a mother sometimes!

The Italian has been battling his cold for a few weeks. Just when we thought he was going to live, it came back with full force. A trip to the doctor reveled that his cold had turned into a nice case of bronchitis. He is now on antibiotics and should be back to normal in no time (whatever normal is).

Not wanting to be left out of the fun, I came down with the dreaded IL RAFFREDDORE (echo, echo, echo). It is known simply as a cold in English, but I think IL RAFFEDDORE (echo, echo, echo) sounds much more menacing.

I believe that we should put the entire house in quarantine. I think we should all hop into bed for a few days and have a DVD marathon, in between napping, while sipping orange juice and sucking on cough drops.

Of course time waits for no man (or cat) and so we go on with our lives, Kleenex tissues in hand.