I’m excited to be celebrating America’s birthday in the United States for the first time in four years. I hope you and yours are stuffing yourselves with hot dogs and hamburgers, taking in the sun, and getting ready to view some fireworks. We just finished off a plate of grilled corn on the cob, onions, sliders, dogs, and ribs. The cupcakes with strawberries and blueberries on top are now calling my name. If you’d like to join me and my parents at our table or at the George Washington Bride, where the flag is flying high, you can visit the “Fourth of July 2010” photo album.
With the exception of my mom being away in Florida with my brother, his wife, who is expecting a baby (who is now seven days late and doesn’t seem to want out) and my sister, Easter 2010 was perfect. It was the first holiday, besides Thanksgiving (which I don’t count because my Italian husband never celebrated it until he met me in 2004), that my husband and I have spent together in the six years we’ve known each other. Crazy, right? You can join in on the fun — including our lobster dinner and egg game antics — by visiting the “Easter 2010” photo album.
Christmas Eve is always a crazy day for Italians. Everyone is cooking fish for the evening’s celebrations and relatives are stopping by with gifts and more food. It gets crazier every year. One of the reasons everyone stops by to see us is because of my father’s elaborate nativity scene, which is known as “presepio” in Italian. In fact, this year, the famous presepio even appeared in a newspaper all the way in Ohio. Check out the Ohio newspaper story by clicking here. (See pictures of my family’s Christmas Eve celebration at the “Christmas Eve 2009” photo album.) You can also see the video of my father’s presepio on YouTube –
As most of you know, my husband Antonio arrived in Naples this morning, so that he could spend the holidays with his mother and sisters, and I’m still here in the United States working and spending time with my family. I miss him terribly, but I realize we’re pretty lucky. Military families who have deployed loved ones in Iraq and Afghanistan have it much harder than I do. You can check out my About.com blog about the vow renewal ceremony some Army couples took ahead of holiday deployments. Leave your comments because I would love to know if you think these kinds of ceremonies help married folk who have to be separated for long periods of time.
In case you’re wondering, the photo above is from a glorious night Antonio, our friend Ludovica, and I spent breaking bread at the New York City apartment of our friends Alex and Rosario, who are also hosting an Italian native who is studying English, Cinzia. Alex is a fabulous chef and a dear friend, and we’re still talking about the meal she prepared, which featured spaghetti, meatballs, rolled chicken and beef for seconds, mulled apple cider and a pear tart (and that’s not even everything). One of the highlights of the evening — besides Alex and Rosario’s lovable dog Molly — was our visit to their rooftop and the beautiful view of the New York skyline. See more pics below. Grazie ancora to Alex, Rosario, and Cinzia!
One of the bloggers I follow is crazy for pumpkins, so she invited fellow bloggers to write posts and share pumpkin-filled photos. I used the image above, which is of our front lawn, in a post for the About.com Newlyweds site. It also includes info on how to create such a scene at your own home. D & D Landscaping, which is run by my parents, is responsible for creating the Halloween scene at our house every year. My next goal is to carve a jack-o-lantern and make some caramel apples ahead of my Halloween bash for the kids on Friday night. I’ll give you more scoop on the party planning as the week unfolds. Happy Halloween!
My life happens in two worlds - Italy and the United States. In both places, I work as a freelance journalist for American-based publications and Web sites that cover a range of topics -- from business education to marriage.
The Italians consider me American. The Americans consider me Italian. I consider myself distinctly Italian American. My husband, Antonio Gerenini, a native of Ischia, an island off the coast of Naples, Italy that is also the home of my ancestors, joins me on my adventures. I'd like to welcome you into our Italian American world. Come on in and stay a while. Benvenuto!
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