Thankfulness Day 11 - Dehumidifiers!

Mold was a non-existent problem at our last place, here in Italy however, the mold is rampant everywhere. Nearly every spouse I know battles with it in their houses. Italy is a humid place, and someone told me the paint here isn’t permitted to have the chemicals it does in the states and as such it is less hostile for mold growth (but I don’t know if that’s a fact as I haven’t researched this thoroughly). When I spoke with the landlord, his solution was to paint over it. OVER it?? I shudder at the thought of how many layers of mold are underneath these layers of paint…

The mold is terrible for one’s health and we’ve tried all manner of things. We used to spray and scrub it, however many people told us not to bother with the scrubbing, as it will only make it worse the next time it comes back. We’ve sprayed vinegar on it, and that definitely worked, but it always came back within weeks. The interior of the house is not so bad, but anything with an exterior wall flares up with mold. Our son’s room is terrible with it and we felt badly putting him in there so we moved him into our room with us and hardly utilize his room. I read on the military spouse facebook page of other spouses who found stuffed animals molded through, and while it has stuck to the ceilings in our place, we wanted it taken care of.

            Today a painter came and scraped off layers and layers of old paint, and repainted the problem walls. We also purchased dehumidifiers to place in our problem rooms, as we’ve been told they are a huge help. The landlords also said we had to open the entire house for 15 minutes a day (yes, even in the freezing of winter! Every time I open the windows and feel the cold rushing in and the warmth out, I have flashbacks to my childhood and can hear my dad’s voice in the back of my head, scolding me and telling me he’s not paying to heat the whole neighborhood! haha). We must also open the windows during showers and when running the laundry.

            We also got a humidity reader that sits on the wall above the thermometer and lets us know what our humidity is at. I’m bummed we didn’t get this running/installed the day we started the dehumidifiers! We don’t know how bad it was when we first started the dehumidifiers, but when we did get it up a few days later, it said our household humidity was 78%. Eep! The recommended household humidity is between 40-50%. Our house is now consistently in the 50’s, and on occasion we’ve been able to get it as low as 38%. The mold is still present in the locations the painter didn’t get, but it hasn’t increased/spread. So I am thankful that these dehumidifiers seem to be working, and that the house is a healthier place for us to live in!

Thankfulness Day 10 - Automatic Cars

Today I am thankful for Automatic Cars. Do we have one? Yes. Do we drive it? Currently, no. The insurance is through the roof over here, so in order to save some dough, we parked it and got an Italian beater. And while it is more compact (which is good for squeezing down Italian roads!) it is a manual, and I really dislike driving manual. Perhaps it’s because this is my first manual car and it’s the car itself I don’t like… Something new breaks on it every week. From the window to the lights to the stereo to the air or heat… And the struggles to run in higher gears if you have other things, (like the heat) running at the same time. The windshield wipers seem to make the rain on the glass worse, and yes they are brand new… But no, I think it is the manual driving that gets me most. I messed up my knee playing Ultimate Frisbee while in college and pushing the clutch over longer drives becomes a quick pain. And although I’ve been driving it for months, I am ever stalling out, and in all the wrong places! Sometimes it is definitely my fault, other times, I am quite certain I did nothing to cause its untimely lapse in life. This sounds more like a complaining post, and that’s truly not my intention. I am merely attempting to depict why it is that automatic cars are worthy of a post, and for my daily stress levels and myself, I realize automatic cars are a blessing for me. I was appreciative of our little automatic car, prior to owning this manual car, however I am now very thankful someone bothered to invent automatic cars! They are much more suited for people like me. 

Thankfulness Day 7 - Thankful for our Landlords

Today I am thankful for our landlords! They have been exceedingly kind, gracious, and hospitable from the moment we met them. Some people would have reservations about living in a duplex with their landlords above them, but really I love it! They are right there if we have any questions or needs, house related or otherwise, and when Troy can't be around (and let's be honest, in the military that often means, not much) I have no fear for my safety in a strange house in a foreign land when I can hear the bustle of feet and the clang of pans above me. I am never alone for one of them is always home. (likewise we don’t worry about our house when we leave because, they are always here!)

Last night the woman brought me an all vegetable soup (in accordance with my diet of course), all of the veggies of which they grew themselves.

They let us garden on their land and asked our son to call them nono and nona (grandma and grandpa) and they dote on him as if he were their own, knitting him socks and blankets, kidnapping him to show off to the neighbors, and watching after him when I need a break.

They involve us in their Italian lifestyle in every way they can, from teaching us their words to their way of life. The woman has offered to teach me how to cook Italian food. (How many people do you know who get personal one-on-one Italian cooking lessons, for free at one's own home!?) Upon our last lesson she taught me how she makes Minestrone, and shared with me the Italian cooking mishaps of her former American tenants. (Some didn’t sound like mishaps to me, but they laughed and shook their heads, so I made mental notes not to repeat such actions)

When it was time to harvest the wine from their vineyard they showed us how to make wine. They kill their own chickens and turkeys for meat and the woman cans their fruit and veggies as well. They are kind souls and a wealth of knowledge on subjects Italian and beyond.

We have had a few trying moments, like the time after putting the baby to bed, I decided to take a shower. While lathering my hair, I heard a strange voice. I come out of the shower and in my hall I find the landlady. She had let herself in and even though I stood there, dripping in my towel, how could I be mad with someone who had just brought down a hot Italian meal? They can be rather bold, they often stop me to converse when I'm running late for some occasion, and sometimes they forget to wear all their clothes... But I love them and it is such a pleasure to have them here and a part of our lives. I am very thankful for our landlords!

Below are pictures of the day in mid September when we harvested the grapes from the vineyard to make wine. 

They had a large truck load of grapes

 

Some hunk helped them bucket the grapes out of the truck... and you can bet I invited him to dinner that night ;)

 

and into this machine

The machine separated the grapes from the vine

 

The grapes were then pumped into a large vat

 

Sooo many grapes!

Our Little One observed the entire process with us. I hope he's taking notes!

 

Care to help squish the grapes son?

 

Successfully removed all the grapes!

And here are the Landlord's themselves! He's 82 and she is 76 and they still garden and farm daily. Lovely people!

Thankfulness Day 4 - Thankful for Italy

I am so thankful for where we live! What an amazing blessing and opportunity it has been to live in Italy. Sometimes I feel like I live in a storybook. I am now living in the midst of the scenery I once saw in travel shows and picture books. This country is rich in culture and history; as such, it is common to drive along the road and see ruins of a castle or other great, old mansion. 

You can stroll through the town and as the bell tolls (because every town has a bell tower) you can see the older folk relaxing outside their houses and in front of shops, eager to socialize and converse with people. I have seen others with bread in the baskets of their bike as they make their daily bread run to get it fresh from the bakery.

I love the relaxed pace. Stores open in the later morning, close around noon, and reopen after resttime, or Riposo as they call it. Time is not so strict, and if you are asked to arrive at 9:00, it really means, arrive around 9:00; none of this crazy hustle and bustle one often finds in the states and the stress of being “the late person”.  People will get here when they get here and events will start when one feels ready to start them.

I particularly love our little place in Italy. I took the picture below after sitting in the house on a foggy autumn morning, and I heard the tinkle of little bells. I peered outside to see a flock of sheep being herded down our street by a little shepherd boy.

Please sir, wait for me whilst I change into my peasant dress and cloak!

There is never a dull moment, (but that doesn't mean it's crazy, they are relaxed, yet interesting moments) and there's always something fantastic to discover. I love living in the Italian countryside! 

Bella Befana Bazaar

This past weekend was the 46th annual Bella Befana Bazaar! I have become a fast fan of the bazaars, which are held once in spring, and once again in the fall of every year. The enlisted spouses assist in organizing the spring bazaar, and the officer’s spouses assist in putting together the fall bazaar.

Vendors from all over Europe and beyond come to attend the Bazaar, which is held in one of the large hangars on base. Furniture made with wood from old churches and monasteries hand crafted in Germany? Check. Imported cheese from Switzerland? Handicrafts from Holland? Antiques from all over Europe? Check, check, and check! Everyone comes to us and are all in one location. It is a fantastic shopping experience! I hope you enjoy the pictures I took at the event!

Turkish Rugs! 

Carved Wooden antiques from around Europe

With many of the larger, nicer items, such as the Turkish rugs, antiques, and furniture, my hubby and I decided to get those sort of things our last year here, just before we are shipped back to the states. That way we have time to save up and also won’t have to squeeze them into our tiny house for very long! I can’t wait to get Turkish rug and perhaps a lovely carved something… until then, I will admire them and plan for the future!  

             Matryoshka Dolls from Russia! Also known as “nesting/nested dolls”, first invented in 1890. And yes, I most definitely bought a set. There were numerous ornate ones made from various materials, but I wanted something close to the original. The woman showed me the model after the original design, and it was smaller and far simpler than most, a peasant design, but it seemed the most authentic to me, so that was the one I purchased. 

Aside from shopping, I loved chatting with the vendors (and hearing their accents from their various homelands). They always seemed to enjoy discussing their craft/passion and I it gave me the chance to learn a bit about their history as well. (And sometimes if you build a tiny relationship with them, they will give you a discount and be more willing to bargain!) I met the woman who hand makes and decorates these Venetian masks here in Italy. I acquired a few to hang on the wall as both décor and memento of Italian life. Halloween is not very popular here in Italy, and is really only practiced by a few people here due to the local American influence. Their time to dress up in odd costumes and party is during the festival Carnevale, the event where these masks are typically worn.  

This booth had all manner of things made out of Olive Wood. I happened to win a a bowl set valued at $50! Needless to say I was very excited. My hubby, as a recent chess enthusiast, was quite interested in these Olive Wood chess boards. But we didn't acquire one this year.

Oh man, so many delicious sweets! And I can't have any due to my special cancer diet :( It was very depressing, but also highly motivating!

 

While the women come for the shopping, I believe the guys mostly come for the food… Here is a turkey leg, it was one of three meals my husband and his friend ate during our two-hour visit, and what they talked about during the entire drive over... 

      My Little and I, in the food court outside of the Hangar. The Bazaar is a great fundraiser for the various organizations, clubs, and squadrons on base. Each group can host a food booth to raise money. I volunteered at the Breast Feeding Club booth again, before heading out for more shopping!

There are loads of things I didn’t get pictures of (sorry, I was busy shopping and talking!). But hey, they have this twice annually so I can almost guarantee that you'll see another Bazaar related post in the future. :)

Back to Nove! - the town of ceramics and Ceramiche Bressan

When I say “Back to Nove”, you may be thinking, ‘oh, she’s going back for the second time’. False. This post is about my fifth excursion to Nove, and yes I already have my 6^th trip scheduled, and yes that means I have averaged one trip per month of my stay in Italy thus far… Now that we have my gross love of Nove cleared up, we shall proceed.

            On one of the military spouse facebook pages I am a part of, someone mentioned a ceramic factory I had not yet been to, so I made note of it and figured that we would take a stop there and see what it had to offer.

            I plugged in the location on my iphone and off we went. This place wasn’t actually in the town of Nove, but right next to it in a smaller town called Pianezze. I was beginning to doubt the accuracy of its location, as we were driving through what seemed to be a residential area, and when it crept up on me I nearly passed it by as it was a rather discreet location.

Their main sign was engulfed in an overgrown bush and we nearly missed it!

This place was unlike the others I had been to, as it appeared to be all factory/workshop, as compared to others, which were part factory and part store where they would sell some of their products. My mother and I were searching for the “store” part, but never came across it. When we inquired about it, a worker there said ‘oh yes’, and led us upstairs. The room was fairly large, and very well organized with the sets on the glass shelves. We found it odd that there was only one of everything, I then picked up a piece and found that it left a dust ring around it’s former location. These pieces hadn’t been moved in a long time. After observing a table and chairs at the head of the room, we quickly realized the room we were in, was a show room. A place where larger companies would go to see what they can do and then bargain over prices and quantities. Oops, we were no such company. 

One of the many displays to look through. 

The meeting table at the head of the room

We made it clear that we were no such company, simply individuals interested in ceramics. They were fine with that and then let us tour the facility. We then got to see the step-by-step process of how these world famous ceramics are made!

Here are the ladies making the plates and bowls by hand. They would then set the stacks of freshly made bowls into large carts to dry. 

Adam on one of his many Italian field trips! Lucky kid :) 

Here, three of the workers take the dried ceramics and paint them

It was so fun to watch them work! Here a woman paints berries at a rapid pace. She was pro. And they were very pleased to be photographed. I guess giving personal tours isn't very common and they enjoyed showing off their work! 

This man's focus were the lemon ceramics

After painting the ceramics, they dry once again as they wait to be glazed and fired.  

Here is a rack of ceramics fresh from their massive oven. This was about as close as I dared get for a picture as the heat waves coming off of it were intense! They would wheel the racks outdoors to cool before they were packed and shipped. 

We enjoyed getting to have a personal tour of the ceramic shop and seeing the step-by-step process of how the world famous hand made ceramics are crafted. It amazes me that they can mass-produce so many ceramics and they are all made by HAND! It was crazy to watch them work. It was a very educational experience and at the end, we got to purchase some ceramics! They don’t normally do individual sales so they rather made up some prices on the items I picked and because I’ve been to Nove so many times, I know I was getting them at a steal!

As we were leaving, one of the men handed me their card and told me to tell my American friends about them, and I promised I would. So here is a post dedicated to them. If you ever happen to know of a company looking to purchase ceramics hand crafted in Italy, forward them here! As they are just outside of and not in the center hub bub of Nove, they don’t get as much attention and business, however their work is just as good as any other factory I’ve been to, and cheaper too! And never before have the people been so kind as to give us a personal tour. What an experience!

A blurry picture I took of their card :)