Yesterday

Actually it was last Wednesday, but it reminded me a lot of my past. And probably yours too.

A friend took me to a Beatles concert at Roy Thompson Hall. I got there early and sat down to wait. Soon I was chatting with another couple. The woman’s sister had been to see The Beatles in person at Maple Leaf gardens in 1964. I remember thinking at the time, that I was only in my teens and didn’t have that kind of money to spend on a ticket. I would wait and see them when they visited Toronto the next time. There was no next time. There was only TV and Ed Sullivan.

Last week’s concert involved 3 singers, a back-up drummer, and the entire Toronto Symphony Orchestra. My friend and I wondered how an orchestra; strings, brass, percussion wind instruments, would fit in with the Beatles music. The first number, Get Back, from 1970, told us all we needed to know. This was going to be a brilliant musical experience.

The next 2 pieces included graphics on the screen behind the orchestra. The songs; Ticket To Ride and Drive My Car, both from 1965, were accompanied by picture of the early Beatle:, John George Paul and Ringo, and sketches of the Volkswagen Beatle of the era. The audience clapped and hummed along. Admit it, dear reader, you are humming too.

We hummed and listened to songs we knew by heart, even those with seemingly meaningless lyrics. For example, I am the walrus, goo goo g’joob. Or I say hello, you say good bye, I say good bye, you say hello. These guys were on something powerful. How about Bang Bang Maxwell’s Silver Hammer – about a serial killer?

The first half of the show ended with Hey Jude, accompanied by the audience holding up their phone flashlights and swaying to and fro. By the end of the concert we had listened to 28 songs and we knew them all in their original form. But the back-up by the symphony orchestra was a melodic accompaniment, adding depth to the music. For one piece, Eleanor Rigby, the orchestra took over, giving the 3 singers a break. It was a truly impressive performance.

The concert seemed to be ending when the TSO left the stage. But it was not finished by any means. The 3 singers took centre stage and started in with the original arrangement of Twist and Shout. They folllowed that with I Love you, Yea yea yea, and I Saw her Standing There. By then we were All standing there, on our feet, clapping and singing along. The final song was one we all knew well: I Wanna Hold Your Hand! We sang the chorus by ourselves, an entire audience singing our hearts out, full of love for our past musical heroes.

On the weekend we were visiting with some of our adult kids, and the conversation turned to pop music. I brought up the subject of The Beatles, thinking I would get guffaws. “Only oldies go to those concerts” is what I expected. But instead the kids asked to see the program and scanned the list of the songs. I was surprised to learn that they too knew most of them. Then Peter, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, piped up. ” I remember going to that concert back in 1964! My brother took me.” He had a wide grin on his face.

The Beatles have music for every occasion. With the world in such turmoil these days, it’s not hard to start thinking about Paul McCartney’s song from 1965: Yesterday all my troubles seemed so far away. Now it looks as though they’re here to stay. Oh I believe in Yesterday. You know it – go ahead and sing.

Sue

A Walk In the Woods

This past weekend Donald J. Trump got the entire world involved in a war, without anybody’s permission and for no obvious reason. Iran does not have intercontinental ballistic missiles, and there is no plan for how to help the Iranian people move forward after the bombing stops. The underlying reasons could be several: his payback to Saudi Arabia for his new jet and other monetary obligations, an attempt to distract the public from the Epstein files, his hankering for the Nobel Peace Prize, or his anger with the Supreme Court over knocking down his tariff walls. Maybe it’s all of them, revealing an enfeebled old man wanting to ensure some sort of sick legacy.

To get away from the news on Sunday, Peter and I decided to take a walk we normally do in the summer. It meanders through the woods and along the Humber River. What is it like in the winter? I’ll show you:

Bundled up in heavy coats, mitts, tuques, and scarves, we walked through the neighbourhood to the path in the woods. The first thing we saw was this abandoned swing. Soon a little child will be smiling and screeching as he goes higher and higher.

It was a little icy so we held onto each other as we made our way down to the river. Attached to one of the trees was some advertising for a dental office. It seemed to be a strange place for clients to stop and read. Could the woods be full of hidden candies?

Then we walked past the Humber River Yacht Club, definitely closed for the winter:

Even the snowmobile had been deserted.

The dog park was empty too:

Peter decided to go the extra mile for you, dear readers. He stepped out onto the ice, while I held my breath, and my phone, ready to call 911:

The ice held, and the river, usually full of geese, was silent.

Then we trudged up the hill back to civilization.

We stopped to do some shopping on the way home, avoiding the inevitable CNN news feed for a little while longer.

Sue

Signs Of Spring

As new snow fell yesterday, I managed to get a picture of our oleander, which spends the winter inside, sprouting its first buds.

And another signs of spring: the Blue Jays are warming up at spring training camp in Dunedin, Florida. The crowds are thinner since far fewer Canadians are venturing to the USA. But the team is showing signs of success.

Peter and I are avid fans of this team. I grew up in a house where baseball was on TV every weekend. My dad had played in an amateur league in his twenties. As kids, my brother and I were glued to the television during the World Series, making 25-cent bets on the Yankees as they played the Dodgers for the coveted World Series title.

Peter and I began going to games on a regular basis when we moved to Toronto in 2018. We sometimes took family with us. I’ll never forget the look of astonishment in the eyes of our in-laws visiting from the Philippines when they first visited the Skydome, as it was called back then. It was almost overwhelming for them to see a stadium that held more than a few hundred people. Another memorable occasion was back in the early 20’s when the Jays played for a wild card spot in the Series and we managed to get tickets online. The stadium was alive with excitement.

For the past several years we have bought a 6-pack; 2 tickets to each of 6 games of our choice during the season. In the spring we would study the calendar, choosing one game for each of April through September. We would catch the GO train and walk a few blocks to the Roges Centre. Afterwards, depending on the weather, we would walk to the waterfront and have dinner. And once every summer we took my 2 adult kids and their partners, all baseball fans, to a game. It worked out perfectly for us.

Last season we watched almost every game, either from our beloved seats in section 230, (close to the third base line and in the shade), or from our living room couch. The Jays piled up win after win. Our last game at the Rogers Centre was early in September and the crowd exploded as the Jays came even closer to the playoffs. Then from our couch we saw the World Series begin, and end with a sadness so profound that we were almost in tears. Never mind, we thought. Next year we will WIN!

This year everything has changed. Our first clue was in the fall when we were invited to buy ticket packs; not 6-packs but 10-packs, one per person. This meant that Peter and I would have to buy 2 ten-packs, one each, for a total of 10 games. And the price for “our” seats in section 230 was almost $200 each, more than twice the price of last year. We called the box office and were told that there was a chance the 6-packs would return in January.

In January the 6-packs were nowhere in sight when the ticket sales were opened to the public. I rushed to the site, only to find that tickets were selling fast! Really Fast. I decided to hunt for the 6 seats for our family game first. I scrolled through the entire season and came up with only ONE game – March 29. The price was astronomical but I wanted to continue this tradition. So I paid.

Then I started looking for other games with 2 seats together in our beloved section 230. There was almost nothing left in any of the 200’s sections. With incredible patience I searched. After a couple of hours I found tickets to 4 games – spread out over the season, at exorbitant prices. What is our long-standing loyalty worth to this franchise? Nothing.

Nevertheless we will head down to Rogers Centre a few times, sing the OK Blue Jays, Let’s Play Ball song, do the wave, and keep on cheering. Go Jays!

Sue

Family Day Lunch

Our neighbours next door have 2 children; Hudson age 10 and Jade about to turn 7. We have gotten to know them through visits with their parents, and when they’re riding their scooters on the street. When I am walking Venus or Tobie, the kids always come over for a pat. They have a trampoline in their yard; their heads pop up over the fence when they are jumping. It has become a game. Pop up and say “Hi Sue” Pop up again and say “How are you?”

This past Family Day we were not doing anything with our family. So I asked the kids’ mother if Hudson and Jade would like to come over for lunch. Quite quickly she answered, “Yes They Would!” We sorted out the date – Sunday February 15, for lunch around 12. The day before the big event was Valentine’s Day. Both kids appeared at our door with home-made cards! pink and full of hearts in various sizes.

Suddenly the stakes for lunch went higher! How could we make it special? What should I cook?? After texts back and forth with the parents, we settled on spaghetti and meatballs with salad greens on the side. I bought a platter of fruit for dessert. Hudson and Jade arrived for lunch at 12:01, out of breath. Jade had on her Valentine’s Day skirt, all pink and fluffy. They settled onto the couch to watch some Olympics hockey while Peter and I dished up the lunch. It turns out that both kids play hockey a couple of times a week; Hudson on a team and Jade in a practice league. So far so good.

Lunch was served and we all sat down. Hudson dug into the spaghetti but Jade took one bite of the pasta and grabbed her water- in fact I hadn’t read the sauce label very closely and it turned out to be quite spicy. Oops! Fortunately Jade loved the salad, (with no dressing) and the meatballls, and Hudson had second helpings of the spaghetti. The conversation revolved around their classes at school and their friends around the neighbourhood. When we asked about the kids across the street, Hudson started to elaborate. “Well to be honest, I think that…” Jade jumped in. “Hudson! If you can’t say something nice, then don’t say it!” So much for gossip.

Then I offered them fruit and they both became distracted by something in the sun room. Apparently the fruit was not as enticing as my fitness weights. I have 2 pairs- 3 pounds and 1 pound. Hudson grabbed the 3’s and Jade took the 1’s.They performed some interesting feats of strength while telling us that their mom has “huge muscles. You should See them!!” Not wanting to get into too much family information, we moved to the living room where we played a new game they had brought: Play Nine- a golf game! Apparently Hudson plays golf in the summer.

We got through a few rounds of Play Nine and then switched to UNO, followed by Mexican Train. Then Jade asked if it was time for dessert. Since the fruit hadn’t been a success, I tried muffins, and cake. No interest. I couldn’t let this lunch end on a sour note. What could I do? Then Hudson came to the rescue. Did we have any chocolate? I wondered if someone in the neighbourhood had told him that Peter and I eat chocolate every night after dinner. Quickly I put our chocolate assortment on the table. They chose dark chocolate without nuts – healthy. Lunch was saved!

When their dad came to the door to pick them up, we told him they were welcome back any time. And we meant it.

Sue

This Trumps Everything

Over the last few days, Donald J Trump has been declared responsible for the largest measles outbreak in decades, has cast aside remarks that the DOJ is severely understaffed, requiring them to adopt the policy of “Ready, Fire, Aim.” He has put in motion a new law to suppress voter registration by requiring voters to produce either a passport or a birth certificate, although many citizens don’t have either. He has doubled the number of farmers’ bankruptcies, withheld 16 billion dollars in tunnel construction until an airport and train station are named after him, depicted President Obama and his wife Michelle as monkeys on his social media feed, and enlarged his ICE concentration camps. Last night he tried to steal our new Canadian bridge in Windsor.

Meanwhile, in a Civilized part of the world,… the 2026 Winter Olympics opened!

In Milano/ Cortina the country came alive in the opening ceremonies. The opening number featured the artistic talents of Italy, known for centuries as the epicentre of art and music. The scenes symbolized the theme of “armonia” – the unity or harmony of mountains, city, humanity, and nature. Ballet performers installed themselves in and around picture frames as a tribute to Beauty. Mariah Carey and Andrea Bocelli raised their voices in an acknowledgement to the masters of Italian opera. In another piece, three tubes of primary colours: red, yellow and blue, blended into a gorgeous and harmonious display of dancing.

During the Athletes’ Parade, competitors from 93 countries around the world assembled in 5 locations in Italy to show off their National attire and pride. From Livigno we saw freestyle skiers and bobsled athletes emerge through the golden ring. In Cortina, snowboarders, luge and skeleton participants walked proudly through the ring. Milan hosted speed skaters, figure skaters and ice hockey players. Predazzo hosted ski jumpers, and Tesero sent cross country skiers through the ring. Each of these entrances were perfectly timed, so that one followed another like clockwork.

The athletes gathered together at their various sites to watch two opening ceremonies, one in Milan and one in Cortina, as Italian flags, and then Olympic flags were raised, Italy’s national anthem was played, and the cauldrons were lit. Both of these ceremonies were held simultaneously as people across the globe cheered.

This impressive feat of exact timing was about modern technology. But it was also about “armonia.” Togetherness. More than 2,900 athletes, 12,000 performers, 6,000 security personnel and 2.1 Billion TV viewers joined in this event. Despite our differences, we celebrated our admiration for physical accomplishments, gathering together joyously to support one another in a world of peace and harmony.

How about that, Donald?

Sue

Puppies

The snow had cleared enough by Sunday that I was able to drive to a barely-shovelled parking lot near a subway station. Then subway service was being impeded by a huge crowds trying to get downtown to show support for the Iranian community. Despite these challenges, I carried on. I had puppies to visit!

My granddaughter Sophie had excitedly told me about a new sport – PuppyYoga! I had taken yoga classes when we lived in King City. I had heard about Hot Stone massage where hot stones were placed on your back to untie the knots. I had also read about Goat Yoga where baby goats climbed on your back to work out the kinks. But Puppy Yoga was a new one for me.

Sophie had gone with her mother in the fall. She enthused about lying on mats on the floor and trying to do yoga moves, as cute little golden retrievers climbed all over, snuggling into shoulders and tummies. So for Christmas I gave her an invitation to join me in an hour of Puppy Yoga. I found a “studio” near a subway stop where we could meet for our class, and a shawarma restaurant where we could have lunch afterwards. We were all set.

Our subway ride took us both longer than we had planned, due to the excessive crowds. We met at Yonge and Davisville and started walking. The sidewalks on our route were not in good shape: some cleared only a few inches wide, and some only stamped down into slippery grooves by earlier pedestrians. After half an hour we found the studio and all the other participants waiting for us.

We arranged ourselves on our mats and the yoga instructor began with some simple stretches. As she moved into more formal yoga poses, the puppies arrived: brown and white British Pugs, some big, some tiny, began wandering around on our mats and under our feet. Yoga was quickly forgotten as everyone sat or lay on the floor and began patting and snuggling amidst “oohs” and “aahs.”

The yoga instructor kindly told us that it was OK to take some moments with the puppies in between Warrior and Goddess poses. She understood that the wrinkly little sweeties were our first priority. She encouraged us to take photos as often as we wanted. A couple of families had come to celebrate a birthday. They got special opportunities for group photos, surrounded by puppies.

Sophie was in love. She coaxed the little guys closer by jingling puppy toys in their direction. Soon she had one sleeping on her shoulder. Then a staff member realized that Sophie was wearing a hoodie and this spot would make a perfect picture. I began thinking that maybe we could sneak one home in this perfect pouch.

Our hour was up all too soon and we said a reluctant good bye to the puppies. Sophie and I headed towards the shawarma restaurant. But our challenges were not over – this restaurant was take-out only, with no seating. We tried a Mexican spot nearby – also without seating. So we had to settle for Tim Horton’s. But our minds weren’t on the food anyway – we were still thinking about how those cute little puppies had made our day.

Sue

Snow Man

On Sunday, as the winds howled, and the snow fell for hours, I was stuck inside. l got thinking about a possible topic for today’s post. I almost felt duty-bound to write about the latest shocking murders in Minneapolis. Or maybe I should tell you how “our boys,” the Blue Jays, are taking us to the cleaners with sky-high ticket prices because of last year’s success. Or perhaps I’d give a little jab at any Canadian who dares to criticize Mark Carney’s brilliant speech in Davos.

Then yesterday I changed my mind and grabbed my camera instead. We all awoke to bright sunshine radiating off sparkling piles of snow and I thought “Wow. This is beautiful! How lucky we are to have the change of seasons.” (Of course we also have indoor heating, and warming shelters, lots of salt, ploughs working around the clock to keep us going, and Snow Days. But I digress).

By 9:00 am. our neighbours were all out shovelling – two mothers and a son clearing sidewalks in front of their house, an older man across the street making a space for his car to back out, three teen-agers going house to house looking for shovelling work, and the kids next door heading to the hill with their sleds. Everyone seemed filled with energy.

After his second coffee, Peter put on his warm coat, boots and gloves, and even his hat which has been the butt of many jokes. He went out the back door to get his shovel. But where was his shovel? It’s usually standing right beside the back door, within easy reach when needed. But it wasn’t there. Had Canadian Tire run out of shovels and forced someone to steal ours? But there were no tracks. Could a Russian drone have picked it up? Or… could it be buried in a snowbank?

Peter got the kitchen broom from the cupboard and began his search. He brushed off the top step. He brushed his way to the nearby window well, where he spied a bit of red plastic. He inched forward on his knees and reached down. And up came his shovel. After shovelling a pathway to the walk on the side of the house, he gathered up the compost from inside and went cross-country to the big compost bin outside.

By then Peter was exhausted. He came inside for lunch and a quick nap. But he couldn’t sleep. The driveway was calling him. So he went into the garage and found the snow-blower which his son Daniel had given him several winters ago. It was practically unused. After searching a while for a suitable extension cord, Peter plugged it in and got started. The little snowblower looked a bit anxious about the daunting piles of snow ahead of it, but it chugged forward and back throwing snow to the sides of the driveway. I could almost hear it saying “I think I can, I think I can.”

And together they did. In less than an hour the driveway was cleared, ready for the cars to take us out. The pathway to the front door was cleared, ready for the mailman to bring us more flyers. And Peter had finished his day as the Abominable Snowman.

Yesterday was an exhilarating break from our usual day to day routines and worries, as we gave in to nature’s power; and beauty.

Sue

Old Folks and Newish Buildings

Last week, on one of the many snowy days, Peter and I had to escape. Peter was tired of shoveling and I was tired of cooking. We needed to focus on something besides our TV screen.

A few weeks ago we had seen an article in the Toronto Star which detailed some unique architecture, combining old and new, in downtown Toronto. Why not go and see that? Driving to the GO train or our nearby subway station were not options because our street was not ploughed. So, in a burst of energy, Peter said “Let’s Walk!”

Fortunately he only meant we would walk to the end of our street where we would get a bus to the subway. We bundled up and began our little hike. It was tough going through the snow and up the hill. We were the only people foolish enough to be outside. Just before we reached the bus stop, the bus went by. Was this a sign to turn back?

But we carried on: walking to the next stop and waiting for the next bus to come along. We climbed on thankfully and finished our journey on the subway east and then south. Finally we were downtown at our first building: 2 Queen St West.

This building is a pleasing mixture of old and new. The old part on the bottom was a men’s clothing store in 1895, then a bank, a record store, and a Woolworth’s. Then, in the mid 1990’s, 2 well-known Toronto architecture firms partnered to design the glass pedestrian bridge over Queen St, and connecting this building to the Toronto Eaton Centre. The glass addition to 2 Queen St. West was an obvious choice. The top is designed as restaurant space but is so far uninhabited.

As we waited to make our way south through the slushy Queen-Yonge intersection, we had time to look up. And there was the Bank Of Montreal, built in 1905. The inside lobby is transformed into a trendy restaurant with a walkway to the Toronto underground path. The rest is commercial space. Across the street, we saw the Fairweather Building, constructed in 1897. While the commercial part is now operated by Moore’s clothing store, the beaux arts facade is built into the modern Scotiabank Plaza.

The other buildings on our route were much farther south, on Queen’s Quay. As we wandered along, we admitted that our feet were getting cold from slogging through snow and our stomachs were rumbling too. In a moment of brilliance, we decided to head west on Front St. and visit the most famous Toronto heritage building – Union Station, built between 1914 and 1927.

This heritage treasure, Peter’s first view of Toronto when he came from Italy in 1958, is now surrounded by the CN Tower and glass skyscrapers. One of the other modern aspects of the place is a massive food court in the basement, offering multicultural foods galore. We filled up our stomachs and warmed our feet. Then we stepped onto the subway and went towards home.

The walk from the bus to our house was downhill all the way, as we dreamed of settling on the couch with tea and cookies. Our outside winter adventure had been long enough. The buildings on Queen’s Quay will have to wait till spring.

Stay warm, dear readers.

Sue

Friendly Restaurants

Last Friday I met 2 friends at a restaurant in a plaza on Lawrence Ave. This place fulfilled our lunch requirements: it was easily accessible, and it had some interesting food items on the menu. The choices are vegetarian; no meat is served. But there are lots of fish options and interesting salads. And their specialty, bagels, are a good choice any time. Finally: it’s almost next door to Winners!

The 3 of us, and often another friend, have been meeting over food for almost 40 years. It all began at work. We were teachers at a high school and every Friday we would celebrate the end of our week with a drink and munchies at Diana Sweets. We called it Period 5. It was a place and time to shed our school issues. We heaved sighs of relief as we contemplated a couple of days to rebuild our strength and shore up our lesson plans. We began to relax as we drank vodka and orange juice and nibbled on quesadillas, and potato skins.

After we all retired, we stayed in touch. Diana Sweets closed down so we had to find other places to meet. Our days were free and we could meet any time; for example, lunch! One place that attracted us was Red Lobster. We discovered that their seafood chowder was delicious and the rolls were all buttery and warm. We could even ask for extras to take home. And the restaurant, located close to a highway, had a huge parking lot.

Another place that caught our eye was downtown on the subway; The Queen and Beaver Pub. It had a great menu with delicious salads. Because we were so healthy on the first course, we decided to try their sticky toffee pudding for dessert. WOW. It was out of this world. Which led us in another direction – a search for the best sticky toffee pudding in the city. We scoured the internet and found sticky toffee pudding at the Pickle Barrel. We tried 2 different locations but their STP was no match for the one we had at the Queen and Beaver. So we gave up and focused on something else: shopping.

Since we were retired, why not combine lunch and shopping? One of our favourite places to shop was Second Nature, a high-end consignment store on Mt. Pleasant Ave. We found some unique clothes there, even a wedding dress! But it took a lot of energy to browse all 3 floors. We needed to fit lunch into our plan. Lo and behold, there was a fish and chips store nearby.

Penrose Fish and Chips was an iconic spot; a family business started in the 1940’s. The entire family worked there, frying up the fish and rolling it in newspapers. Their menu was short – fish and chips and coleslaw. And maybe a coffee. Sadly, this historic spot closed down in 2014. We tried a replacement on Laird Drive. The fish was quite good but the parking was terrible and there was no transit or shopping. So we moved on.

One place that served well as a replacement was Swiss Chalet. The quarter chicken dinner with fries and coleslaw could always be counted on. The meals were reasonably priced and the restaurant had clean washrooms. It was our back-up when other ideas failed. In fact we went there so often that, when one of us was about to celebrate a milestone birthday, she jokingly mentioned Swiss Chalet. She was pretty surprised to see 12 of her closest friends gathered there on the appointed day.

Recently one of our group moved into a retirement apartment at Christie Gardens, so naturally we had to try out the restaurant. It’s large with bright windows looking onto a patio and garden. The meals are displayed on a table at the entrance, so you can actually see what you are going to order. The seats are comfy and the wait staff very friendly and patient. Three courses are offered: soup or salad, a main course and then a dessert trolley with many choices, although sticky toffee pudding hasn’t appeared so far. And there’s a small gift shop too.

This past weekend I finished reading the latest book for my book club. The story covers life in a Veterans’ hospital built in Toronto during the first World War. The story briefly touched on the food served to the vets – cheap, with little variety and cooked in huge batches. The ending shocked me: the hospital was torn down in the 1960’s and replaced with Christie Gardens! Too bad the vets didn’t get to eat there.

Sue

Christmas Visit

After a busy, fun-filled Christmas holiday, our houseguests, Beniamino and Anna, are returning to their home in Italy tonight.

As you can see from the photo, they came prepared for the weather. Besides down-filled coats, they had gloves, scarves, hats, ear muffs and boots. They ventured out almost every day. Only Boxing Day, with the heavy snowfall, deterred them. After a lot of frantic pacing, they gave up and accepted our offer to take them on the subway downtown to Sankofa Square. They held onto each other as we navigated the ice and slush, stopping at Little Canada, and enjoying the lights at the Eaton Centre and the 2 City Halls. Then we came home to relax with coffee and stories of Peter’s childhood village in Italy.

Beniamino soon got the hang of winter driving and the next day they were off again visiting relatives and friends. Their daughter and grandchildren, who were staying elsewhere with an aunt, joined them when their travels took them as far away as Canada’s Wonderland, and Niagara Falls. The grandkids got a huge kick out of Blue Mountain where they tried tubing, cross-country skiing and rope-climbing in the snow drifts.

During their stay, Beniamino and Anna made shopping trips for souvenirs to take home. They collected traditional things like snow globes of the CN tower, and maple leaf tee-shirts. Their favorite food souvenirs were maple syrup, peanut butter and Tim Horton’s coffee pods. They stocked up on paper plates and other stationary. They made a trip to Lee Valley for tube squeezers and other gadgets. Their bedroom got fuller and fuller.

We shared meals, mostly breakfasts, together. We learned that they prefer fruit and sweets like biscotti and cannoli, but one day they got brave and tried the breakfast that Peter and I eat every morning. That night they returned with strawberries and ladyfingers. Apparently our steel-cut oats were not a hit. Planning dinners was more complicated. Often they would call around 5 pm to say they wouldn’t be returning till late. Our fridge bulged with leftovers.

One day they found themselves here for lunch. They had anticipated this and bought a BBQ chicken and some asparagus which Anna planned to cook. It was a pasta recipe she had recently learned from her daughter who lives in Mexico. But she needed some tomatoes to make into a sauce. Peter gallantly offered his home-made “tomato sauce” which he neglected to mention also contains beef. While the chicken was warming up, Anna prepared her recipe of asparagus, garlic and olive oil. She stirred it lovingly as it simmering on the stove. Then Peter triumphantly dumped in his homemade concoction. Anna glared. It was the war of the sauces!

Peter and Beniamino had many spirited conversations, with Anna adding comments here and there. I could usually follow the topics but I rarely offered more than “si”, or “perfetto”, or “fredo” (which was a very useful word because it WAS cold every day!) But we did have one language default with greater consequences. On New Year’s Eve Beniamino and Anna were leaving for the entire day, beginning at 10 am. They were going to several events with various groups, and Peter got the definite impression that they were staying overnight at the last place.

As we got ready for bed aroud 11:00 pm, we turned off the lights and turned on the house alarm. Around 1:30 am our guests returned and unknowingly set off the alarm. Buzzers sounded and a commanding voice shouted “Identify yourself! The police are coming!” When I woke up and ran to the entrance, Anna and Beniamino were standing near the door, frozen in place, a look of terror on their faces.

Other than that incident, we liked having our holiday guests. We enjoyed their company. We shared lots of Italian baking and family stories. I re-learned a few lessons and some vocabulary from my Italian classes. Peter talked with long-lost cousins, and revisited a lot of childhood memories from his Italian village.

But, sadly, the Christmas season is over. Time to rest up, eat all those leftovers, and move on.

Sue