Blogger News and Announcements

If you think my blog posting has been somewhat sporadic, you can imagine that my blog reading has been even less frequent lately.  It's not that I don't want to keep up with my friends and fellow expats, it's just that sometimes life gets in the way.  Like when you sit down to finally type out that email you've been meaning to write and the phone rings, then the coffee pot bubbles over leaving an oozing mess all over the stove.

Just about the time you've cleaned that up there is a knock on the door from a very sweet neighbor who has thought enough about you to show up with freshly-made cheese and so the only right thing to do is invite her in for a tazzina of that caffe' you just made (and fortunately cleaned up the explosive evidence of your inattention to the moka pot).  When she leaves the phone rings again and you're summoned to the piazza to pick up a package that has been left for you at the bar, which means you encounter five or six people who want to chat.  When you finally get home and sit down at the computer again you've forgotten what the heck you were planning to do in the first place and turn your attention (at last) to work.

At least that's how my world has operated recently.  Not that I'm complaining, really.  But yesterday I finally sat down and dedicated some time to blogs and sites that I like, but that I haven't had time to read.  There are some pretty cool things happening among my acquaintance that I think are worth sharing.

• Arlene Gibbs, aka NYC/Caribbean Ragazza, who has been seen around the Pinon Tree from time to time, is making her screenwriting debut this weekend.  Woohoo Arlene!  Way to go, girl!  Her wedding movie, Jumping The Broom, opens in theatres this weekend, so get out there and see it.  It looks like a funny flick (and who doesn't need a laugh right about now?)

• Dianne Hales, the brilliant author of La Bella Lingua and the fabulous Becoming Italian Word by Word blog, was knighted by the Italian government with the beautiful title of Knight of the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity in recognition of La Bella Lingua as "an invaluable tool for promoting the Italian language."  Bravissima! 

• Cherrye Moore, the energetic writer of My Bella Vita (and who also runs a B&B in Catanzaro) has put together a week-long foodie tour of Calabria; reading the description made me want to lick the computer screen and pack my bag.  If you love food and are planning a trip to Italy in October, check it out.

• One of my new favorite blogs is Come Inside The Villa, sponsored by the villa agency, Trust and Travel.  The unique format takes you into the parts of the house- for example The Garden or The Kitchen- to share stories, travel tips, history and interesting tidbits about the villas, their owners, and the locations (Tuscany or Venice, anyone?) 

• Dario Castagno, the tour-guide author of Too Much Tuscan Sun and Too Much Tuscan Wine has turned out his fourth book, An Osteria in Chianti, which recounts the tale of Ultimo, a vespa-tossing character who embodies pre-war Tuscany and the changes that take place thereafter.  Sounds fascinating!

Phew, I feel better.  Now back to that email I've been meaning to write all week.