Look what happens when you go for a drive!?!

This is not something that would have happened to us in Pennsylvania! We were out for a drive in the mountains. The King thought he saw a dog run by and the next thing we knew we were surrounded by sheep. We just sat there until they went by. It was fun! The King started thinking about fresh ricotta cheese made from sheep's milk! After we were done with our drive he went to the store and bought some and ate it for lunch with some fresh bread!

Litle P is off from school until January 7th, her first day back. She is feeling much better. And she is happy that I set up my computer in her room. I didn't get it on the internet yet. I need a key so I can access the internet thru WiFi. You think the phone company would have given us the number last week. This Is Italy, though. Maybe I have it and I don't know it!

I got the printer hooked up to it and realized I forgot to buy paper. I was so happy to find the store and get a printer at a reasonable price that I hadn't a thought left!

Days go by and I think what did I do today....well, I know what I did today. After I took a shower, I made some scrambled eggs and toast. (You can buy sliced bread here, even hamburger buns!) Then I changed the sheets on our bed and washed them and got them hung out. I helped The King build the computer desk. I set up the computer and messed around with the internet connections!
Then I made lunch. I made sausage with onions and peppers, roasted zucchini (in the oven) and sliced carrots sweetened with agave nectar. Yummy! The food is so fresh. You can taste the difference.
The King decided to go visit his sister and took Litle P with him. I got to mess around on the internet in peace and send some emails and do some posting on my Italian websites that I frequent. I drank a Guinness. love it! I love that I can buy beer, wine and liquor at the grocery store. In Pennsylvania we have to go to a state store for wine and liquor and a beer distributor for beer by the case. Only recently places with a liquor license have been ab;e to sell 6 packs.

The King's middle niece stopped by to see the cabinet in the living room. It looks like this http://www.centroconvenienza.it/index.php?p=40&id=3119 We bought before we moved in the apt. they delivered it and started assembling it and it was missing 2 pieces. We have been waiting for at least six weeks for them to return and finish it, which they did on Wednesday. Caterina also gave me a bag of lemons, oranges and tangerines. I used to pay $1.50 for an orange or a lemon in the US and here people give them away. I wonder what other free stuff I'll get. We have a lemon tree in the yard but the landlord picked eveything that was close to being ripe before we moved in. The tree doesn't get much sun so it is taking awhile for the fruit to ripen. Maybe next week I can pick some. There is also a pear tree and a fig tree. But those are not in season.
A bit ago I made a hamburger for me and LP. You can buy already made hamburger patties too! And American cheese slices like Kraft singles. I have the store brand cuz they were on sale. We had mayo and ketchup and I had French's mustard (I was surprised to find it in the store) and fried onions....
I think that it's for today. I want to go watch some TV on Skyvision. The King is watching coverage of the massive snowstorm on the East Coast of the US. We are glad we don't have to deal with that. Today it was 60 and cloudy. It rained very early this morning and again about an hour ago. It's 8:30 pm now.

Friday...

Little P has been sick this week, so we haven't been getting up for school. Wednesday, The King and his niece took her to the doctor. He prescribed amoxicillin for her. It's a powder that we mix into water. Better than the shots in the butt that The King had to endure when he had bronchitis the week after we arrived!

This morning she went to school so we were up and out waiting for the bus at 8. Then The King and I went into Barcellona (a much larger town) to buy a computer desk and chair for my computer. Then we drove around the city looking for another store called Euronics so we could buy some electronics. We found it. Thank God for google maps!!

Last night we went into Milazzo to go to Carrefour. We needed a printer. Didn't have anything we liked. We got a few groceries. I really like that a person can buy beer, wine and liquor at just about any store!! (For non Europeans: Carrefour and Ipercoop are stores kind of like Super Walmart.) Carrefour is in a mall type building. There is an electronics store called Expert in the building. We were looking at a washer/dryer combo by Arriston. In America we don't have one machine that does both. It was 799 euros. Anyone have one? We looked for one in Euronics but the store didn't stock it. They sell them on their website though. I am not crazy about buying appliances over the internet.

The King is at a job interview. I wonder what is going on...

Here's a photo of Mt. Etna! We took this over the weekend when we were out driving.

It's the snow covered peak in the center. A couple of weeks ago we drove up to the mountains to look at a house and it was very clear that day. We forgot to take the camera. Murphy's law!!

Hey, that looks familiar!

As some of you may know I grew up in south Texas. We have some plants that I haven't seen in awhile. We moved to Pennsylvania in 1978 and I was only back to Texas in 1980 and 1981 (to Galveston).


In Italy these are called Fichi d'India Cactus. In Texas they're called Prickly Pear Cactus. When we arrived the fruit were just coming in season. People eat them here. I remember that ladies would make jelly from the fruit but I don't remember anyone eating them. It's a good thing to eat if you have the runs!! It will plug you up!!

I'm back on the internet!! Yahoo!

We arrived in Sicily on Oct. 21st, almost 2 months ago. It was rainy and ugly for almost a week. Just like the weather in Pennsylvania. We stayed with The King's sister for a couple of weeks or so until the apt we rented was ready.

We went up to the cemetery for the Day of the Dead (that's what I call it - not sure what Italians call it). The cemetery is at the top of a mountain. I took some photos. I took photos of the graves of family members. Cemeteries don't look like this where I come from. People were staring at me. I'm getting used to that!

This is our town. You can see the church at the top of the far mountain and the sea below. It was a baeutiful day. I have better photos of the church on the The King's phone BUT I have to buy a cord to download them onto the computer.

This is it for now..I have to hang out the wash while it is sunny. It's been rainy this week. I hope it's over but I don't think so!!