the italian girl

Granny Squares.

I have to say I'm very proud of myself for having finally learned how to crochet Granny Squares!! I've always loved them, since I was little. They make me think of the nuns I used to visit every summer in the "Sacred Heart Convent" in Florence. My great-aunt Eleonora was the Mother Superior at the time. All the nuns were always so full of attentions, so lively and happy. Me and my little sister had the privilege to often sleep in the Convent, in the old infirmary. Every morning we would wake up with a little gift waiting for us on our night-stand. They could do so many beautiful things, one of these were the nice big blankets made of colorful granny squares... how many sweet memories I have. 

So, thinking of my sweet Florentine nuns (and thanks to the help of my husband, who found a link on you-tube where they teach you how to crochet granny squares), I made a new purse! I think it came out pretty cute and it's now for sale in my shop.  

An angel from Heaven.

Today, on the Feast of the Archangels, I decided to translate a beautiful and touching article written by my little sister on her youngest child.. a beautiful angel. Enjoy!!♥

A marvellous gift from Heaven.. (to those who don't believe that Love always wins).

When, after a travailed emergency delivery, the doctors told me that my child, my third child, was affected by Down Syndrome, I felt submerged for a second by a wave of astonishment and trepidation. Would I be able to take care of my baby? Then a smile pervaded my face just thinking about his smile.
All of a sudden he was laying on my chest, heart to heart. A disarming tenderness. An immense joy overtook me. He was my son.
They say he's going to suffer. Instead, he already knows what it is to be happy, more than anybody else. They say that he will be a problem for me and my husband, instead he is and will always be the joy of our family. They say that he will not be considered, instead there's not a day in which he doesn't receive love from those around him. During the pregnancy, we intentionally didn't take any genetic exams, sure that any child would be a gift from Heaven. And so it was.

I will never understand how is it possible that a mother today could renounce to a child like this, flesh of her flesh, only because of fear. Flesh of her flesh. And it unfortunately happens, many, too many times. The doctors told me that if they wouldn't have performed an emergency delivery, five more minutes would have been enough to lose him and now he wouldn't be here with me. The simple idea gives me shivers. Nothing could be compared to his presence in my life and in my family. I tell every mom: don't be afraid! it's beautiful also in this way! 

And I look at him, tight in my arms, while he observes me with his eyes so round, deep and full of love. Him, so innocent and with no malice. An angel. He looks at me, he smiles, and a thrill crosses my heart. I am happy. I have on my bosom a sweet baby who needs care and love, but who transmits love first. I just need to look at him and any anxiety or suffering vanishes in front of the sweetness of his look.

Thank you and again thank you for Domenico. A marvellous gift from Heaven.

Easter Candle

Easter is very near and like every year since we moved to our mission in California, we need a Paschal Candle (to use in our solemn Easter celebrations).

I remember last year, when we decided to make our own at the last second, and I spent two hours in the the silence of the night to paint it. I could only draw and paint the face of a Risen Christ. It came out ok...but not as I would have liked it to be. It still had its purpose and was used many times.

This year, me and my husband, having no money because of lack of job, couldn't afford to buy a blank brand new candle... so we decided to make our own! We melted the candle from last year plus 3 or 4 extra smaller white candles. We used a big plumbing pipe as a mold, fixed the wick inside and poured the melted wax in it little by little. It has been an exciting job! Especially when we saw the results...it came out GREAT!! Much better than the one we bought last year!  

So, the next step was the painting job...which I did. I was hoping to be able to do it calmly this time, but that didn't happen. I spent almost a whole night painting.. I did a more complicate drawing and I decided to cover te candle with gold leaf (the imitation gold..). For the Cross I followed the instructions of the italian iconographer Angelo Vaccarella; I used acrilic colors. Again it didn't come out as good as I had imagined it, I don't have the precision and the patience of an iconographer, but I'm happy with my candle. I'll wait for next year and see what I will be able to accomplish....always in God's will.

 

 
 

On a sunny St. Patrick's Day...

What to do on a beautiful sunny day like today? Bake!! I was at the grocery store this morning and I saw and bought a delicious looking Boysenberry's jam... I thought right away that I would have made a Crostata alla Marmellata, which is basically a tart filled with jam. It can be filled with anything, like pastry cream, chocolate cream, Nutella.. but in Tuscany, the region where I was born, the way this type of tart is made is with JAM. The best jam! I didn't taste it yet, even if it looks pretty good and smells divine in my kitchen. I'm going to make some tea and have a slice of it very soon.

Before doing that I would like to share some thoughts about today's feast: St. Patrick's Day. When I was at the register paying for my food, the cashier told me "Happy St. Patrick's Day!"... it made me smile, just thinking "do I look Irish?" (I do have green eyes, but Irish people usually have blue eyes..). I know it's an american feast now, because of the so many Irish immigrants that live in this country, but do people realize that it's a Catholic Feast? That the shamrock is the symbol used by St. Patrick to catechize the pagans and explain to them the meaning of the Holy Trinity? Instead, people just dress in green and go party and get drunk. It's kind of sad to think about it, but what can I do... I guess I'll just go have a piece of my crostata! Buon Appetito!