Caltanissetta, Sicily - Beautiful Voices in the Midst of Violence

Here’s another of my dad’s World War II memories:

            What sticks in my mind most about the town of Caltanissetta was a little boy named Geno and his older sister Maria.  They were about eleven and thirteen years old and lived with their mother in a bombed out building across the courtyard from our makeshift quarters.

             Each evening, Geno and Maria would appear on an opening in the building about three stories up and sing Italian songs to us soldiers who would gather in the courtyard to enjoy their beautiful voices.  I can still hear those lovely Italian songs after these many years, and I often wonder if they ever had a chance to entertain others as they had us, in that little bombed out town of Caltanissetta.

Even with the horrors happening all around them, Geno and Maria found a way to keep beauty in the world.  They transcended the fact that they lost their home and the world was literally crumbling around them.  With their singing, Geno and Maria reached deeply into the allied soldiers’ souls and gave them a memory that would last the rest of their lives. 

Shower the people you love with love

The other night we threw an “old school” baby shower.  By old school, I mean at home and with lots of people helping.  Ok, we were lucky that the future mom’s sister-in-law is a professional chef who whipped up an amazing meal.  But other than that, we brainstormed some decorating ideas that doubled as gifts for the new baby. Hope you enjoy these ideas, some of which are original and some of which we shamelessly stole from the Internet:

Here’s a watermelon baby carriage. It was surprisingly easy to do!

Who can resist a clothesline of onesies?

I wish I could decorate with baby shoes all the time…

Next time you need to throw a shower, shun the restaurant and kick it old style!

Open Up

When I was a teenager, my dad brought home a kitschy bottle opener he found while working on the railroad. 

Ever since then, I’ve been hooked.  It’s amazing how many varieties of bottle openers exist out there.  Who knew?

Why not use a beautiful nude to uncap your Corona Light? Everyone seems to appreciate her. 

Apparently, the bottle opener wasn’t invented until two years after the bottle cap (in the late 1800’s).  People had to use the edge of a table, knives, or their teeth.  Ouch. 

I hope twist off tops don’t send bottle caps into extinction. There’s something so satisfying when you pop the top off a bottle, especially when you’re using a cool bottle opener.

Point of View

Can a stunning view literally change your point of view?  This peaceful peek at the lake reminds me of the beautiful world we live in and how lucky I am to breathe in these surroundings. Watching the fireworks the other night, the opposite sky held a crescent moon, and I split my time admiring the competing turmoil and tranquility.

The best scenery of all though can be found around the big table, where laughter, teasing, arguments, debates and love dominate.  Breathtaking.

Ashes to Ashes

How is it that I’m not very fond of smoking, but love ashtrays?

Over the years, I’ve found some beautiful pottery ashtrays and weird ones, like this Mack Truck hood ornament.

I also love ashtrays that were probably swiped from a restaurant or hotel or that someone brought back as a souvenir.

And what's up with this commemorative space walk ashtray?

I don’t think I’ll be picking up the smoking habit anytime soon, but I’ll always be addicted to the nostalgia of cool ashtrays.