More Mt. Etna eruptions

Cinquecento

(Uno) 1. Waking up to a gigantic lava flow running down Mt. Etna toward our neighborhood.

(Due) 2. Remembering that we are about 20 miles away from the summit, and there are manmade diversions (besides buildings and such) that are designed to keep the lava away from our neighborhood.

(Tre) 3. Watching the sun rise over the snow-covered, lava-smeared mountain as we drove to work this morning. Okay, okay, “we” didn’t drive to work (how awkward!) – Dave drove. I drive home. Sometimes.

(Quattro) 4. My colleague returned to work today! If you have any extra energy to give tonight, send it the direction of Sigonella for this exceptional woman and her husband, who just lost his father. She was out for the funeral. The office wasn’t the same without her and I am thrilled she is back!

(Cinque) 5. Pictures!!! Another colleague of mine, Teresa, took some amazing photos of the lava flow. She snapped these shots from her house, which is further north on the coastline, and further west from the autostrada. Plus, she has an amazing camera and a great eye! (See below)

Cento

Easy dinner is my favorite kind of dinner. Oh, you know I love food, and it’s true I’ve been known to cook, but the truth is that I love to eat food other people have prepared. My interest in cooking stemmed more from the dearth of quality restaurants at my income level than from a deep desire to feed others or cut my fingers up. Indeed, I dreamt of attending cooking school and developing wicked good knife skills. Alas, like many of my dreams (ahem, “saving-the-environment”), I have accepted that I can’t have it all. Mmmm…easy dinner toasted-bread-with-vegetable-and-melted-cheese, you’re the best!

Mt. Etna and her glorious eruption:

The lovely contrast between the snow and lava.

Boom!

The lava explodes, pushing rock and debris in its path.