Somewhere in My Memory…

I used to check out “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” from the library starting in July. Yep, as soon as I had my library card I was chasing down that special Christmastime feeling. On my drive home today, my “Shuffle” mix popped up a song from the Home Alone soundtrack, which I play all year long.

We had a big storm here yesterday, lightning, thunder, cold crisp winds, the whole shebang. After several months of hot sun shining brightly, temps in the 80s and 90s, and barely a sprinkle the two times it rained all summer, it was certainly a brusque reminder of the change of season that is nearly upon us. Here in Sicily, we get an extended summer through most of September, with autumn running deep into November and even early December.

Yet, yesterday’s storm and today’s Christmas-themed music were enough to trigger my longing for that thin layer of snow to crunch through each morning, and thick mittens and jackets, scraping the windshield (okay, I do not actually miss that…), the lovely winter memories that accompany Christmastime somewhere in my memory…

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The thunder rolls…

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1. Morning yoga stretched me out.
2. Mountain scenery en route to Cefalù was gorgeous. I’m falling more and more in love with Sicily.
3. Cefalù was amazing!
4. Limone e basilico gelato (lemon and basil). Mmmm!
5. Skyping with my brother Jim and my friend Anisette. Anisette is the friend who is visiting in one month!

It’s my first Sicilian thunderstorm and I love it! This morning started out especially sticky and humid. Clouds blocked out the morning sunshine and shaded my drive to the library. While I was inside, the clouds gathered and were menacing as I emerged. The wind picked up as I headed home for lunch. Just now, as I stirred my soup, the thunder began. Sand, dust, and ash swirl as the thunder rolls back and forth across the sky. We have about 56 wet days a year, which means I get to enjoy the novelty of each one. Check it out.

 

The most ominous sky I have seen here yet. I know what you’re thinking. “THAT is ominous?” Please remember the constant sunshine has pleasantly displaced memories of other weather patterns from my consciousness.

Look at the neighbor’s willow swirling around and the palm tree on the other side of the house is all side-ponytail right now.

The metallic windsock is about to fly away!

The “what’s that smell” effect and eyelid sweat.

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1. Picked up a sketch pad, pencils and erasers for an art project.
2. Completed cleaning chores for the weekend.
3. Had a great running workout!
4. Picked up groceries and a bottle of Moretti at a new-to-us neighborhood market; entire transaction in Italian!
5. Ate the yummiest, most succulent, and flavorful nectarine – from the Catania market.

Sweat; it happens. I have been so busy enjoying the sun and its accompanying heat that I have been too distracted, almost, to notice the humidity and its accompanying sweat. Our rental car lacks air conditioning, magnifying the effect. Two extraordinary sweat mentionables: (i) I ask myself “what’s that smell” only to realize moments later that I’m smelling my own sweat! (ii) eyelid sweat: when my eyes are open, the sweat collects in my eyelid folds, as I start to close my eyes and my eyelids descend, I can feel the air hit the dampness that has accumulated. That’s sweaty.

The Outfits

Buon giorno!

After slogging through a fairly miserable Seattle spring, I had been anxious for the unrelenting Sicilian sun. I remembered the heat and relative humidity from my 2005 visit to Sicily and I packed my bags accordingly.

Unfortunately, when I arrived, I realized a key piece of my temporary wardrobe was no longer appropriate to wear in public. This key piece is one of my favorite khaki skirts; and I have worn it so regularly and for long enough that I wore a hole into one of the side seams. This was my only heat-tolerable bottom piece. Therefore, until the other day, I had been surviving the Sicilian heat by wearing sundresses. Yes, I packed five sundresses.

Because the rest of my clothes are packed with our household goods, it will be about six weeks until I see the rest of my wardrobe.

So, I went shopping. Well, shopping-light. I got two new outfits, including a pair of black shorts that will allow me to wear something other than a sundress.

A little black dress.

While I already have a pile of dresses, this was too cute to pass up!

Ciao!