Giovedí…my new favorite day!!!

April 7, 2022

This morning, day 2.5 in my Italian house, I was sitting in bed shopping online for a dresser and a ceiling light for Grammie’s room when I heard a truck horn, a friendly beep, beep, beep. I hopped up to see if it was the delivery guy…but no! It was the fruit & vegetable truck guy IN MY DRIVE serving all the local nonni! WHAT?!?!?!?! I was SO excited!!! I sprang into action, throwing on clothes, combing my hair and finding shoes…I can’t meet my new neighbors for the first time in my PJs and bed head!!! I headed out the door but alas, I missed him 😢, how can this be?! I was SO CLOSE.

I strolled up the drive, wondering if my perception from the window placed him in the wrong area and much to my surprise, there he was just 2 houses up the road, helping another nonna. I walked quickly up the road and then patiently waited, eyeing all of the goodies, but I had to be mindful that I don’t have a kitchen yet, don’t have a large fridge and can’t cook anything. The nonna and I started chatting and I introduced myself, she was thrilled to learn that I just bought Casale Gelsomino.

It was my turn to select my goodies and she came back out in case I needed help with translation, but no, I Got This! Her name is DeeDee and she’s a yoga nun. Yep!! That’s right, an 80 yr old yoga nun!!! (Not a Budhist nun, as she proclaimed) I invited her over and gave her a tour of the house. She said it is lovely and has a loving, warm feel. I wish I had a picture of her face when we stepped out onto the Giulietta balcony…it was pure delight and she giggled when she saw her house just up the road. I told her that she is welcome anytime!

Funny note, if not totally disappointing. After I got to know Terry, the British woman up the road (Casa Mimosa), I shared this story with her and she asked if I was speaking of the woman in orange. I said yes and she sighed loudly and said, they are ALL DeeDees. WHAT?!?!?! Apparently they had one of the buildings in Santa Maria as a commune (definitely different than our Comune), and at some point there were a bunch of them living in Casale Gelsomino. I can’t tell you how disappointed I was in learning of this new information.

But the best part of today, and all Thursday’s going forward, was learning that Tomas, the vegetable guy, would be in my drive around 9am weekly, not only allowing me to get fresh fruit and veggies at my doorstep, but creating regular opportunities to interact with Luigi and Giuseppa, our 80+ year old neighbors in the property behind us. (That is Luigi in the picture of Tomas & his truck)

I LOVE THURSDAY!!!!!