Mother's Day

This blog is hidden behind another because it's just a personal note and only slightly related to being in Italy. Please just chalk all this sentimentality up to it's being Mother's Day.

Today is Mother's Day and I am slightly sad only because communication is difficult and I may not get to talk to the kids today.

Bob and I discussed early in our marriage that we would never feel obligated to get each other gifts for Mother's or Father's Day because, after all, we weren't each other's mother or father. We would help and encourage the children to give but not do anything ourselves. So what he has done the past week has been especially thoughtful.

Bob has been so gracious in making sure I have a Mother's Day celebration. A week ago he bought me this beautiful Italian leather bag for my computer. I had seen it and really loved it but would never have bought it for myself (anything over $10 is too much). It was so expensive I told him I would have to sleep with it, carry it everywhere and keep it forever. When it starts falling apart I'll have to cut it up for key chains, wallets and other leather goods to keep on using it.

Last night we went to the annual garlic festival in Tre Castagni (cost-ahn-yee) where we walked the streets lined with vendors from all over Sicily, northern Africa, Romania (if that's were gypsys come from) and Morraco (yes, I know that's also northern Africa but it's part of my story)

At one vendor's booth we saw several things we loved. The nice man who manned the booth talked to us quite a bit (Did you know they speak English in Morraco?). He and his friend had brought decorative and useful pieces both new and antique and I fell in love. Anyone who knows me know that "stuff" is not important to me but occasionally I find something that touches my heart and I know it's something I'll love for a long, long time. I found this small Morracan chest that I fell in love with. I don't know why, it just touched me. No matter that I have no where to put it in our small house, no matter that it really has no use, it was beautiful. Bob wanted me to have it and he bought it for me saying it was a Mother's day gift.

But the sweetest thing was what he did this morning. Before we left for the base for church, Bob went out and brought me yellow roses from our yard. We live in what could be called a flower garden. Roses, jasmine, geranium, lavendar and a multitude of other flowers grow all around our house. The fact that Bob made sure I had flowers for Mother's Day touched me as nothing else he might do could.