Back in the Saddle - I smell Smoke!

Ciao a tutti Amici,

So today I am finally feeling like I am ready to do business.

I have had a really prominent slump. I mostly attribute this to the harsh and extreme experience that is intercontinental air travel. sheeeesh. It is hell... to me. But I feel it is necessary to grow and develop in the direction my heart leads me right now. Anyway... I have had a huge writing block since coming home. Sometimes I start to think that Humboldt-Sohum-Garberville is uninspiring and even debilitating to me... but no. This morning I realized that I am craving exploration. Input of "new" and "different" is required now. So I thought of many places in town I have never been. This mornings walk with Yota was longer and more brisk than ever before. And we "discovered" a few new places we have never been.

So I am inspired again lol.

I also stopped off at the local Hospice and signed up as a volunteer. I intend to slave a little for them and help them to produce an event that is coming up on July 5th. It is their annual fund raiser, but falls the day after a big holiday. So they will need a little extra help to get people out and attending despite their hangovers lol.

Another accomplishment of the morning was finding and installing Microsoft Office X on my computer. Since my update to OS X 10.4.11 right before my excursion abroad, I have not had it. Without Word and it's companions I have had a great excuse for not getting any REAL work done. Now I have it and I am just waiting for an e-mail with the activation code so I can get to work...

Also today for the first time since leaving school in Italy... I studied Italian Grammar again. I study the language every day, usually vocabulary and conversation. I also listen to Italian music, watch Italian tv and talk to myself... alot lol. But studies of Italian Grammar require some serious focus on, to make any progress with.

Also made good progress on my current art piece in the works. I have been painting an ancient Olive Tree. It haunted me for weeks after leaving Italy... so as soon as I could I started it's rendition. I just can't seem to get the right shade of gray-green-blue that I feel is needed...

Oh in case you did not know... the world as we know it here in Southern Humboldt is ablaze.

I have been considering volunteering for the fires. Like helping out in the fire camp or making lunches for the fire fighters. A lightning storm that came through the area a week ago started over 100 fires here in Humboldt County and thousands around the north part of the state. they got half of them out right away, but 50 were in hard to reach places. There are 3 near to our home in Legget Paradise Ridge and Windy Gap. It was very windy yesterday and today the smoke is so thick, the girls and I are dizzy, coughing and our eyes are stinging from the smoke. It looks like a cloudy day today, but it is not. The sun is shining a dark red through the smoke. I looked at the fire report and there are more (5 new, 56 altogether) and bigger fires (double the acrage to 1,500 acres) today than yesterday. The wind is coming up now... and fire season does not usually start here until late August or September. Low relative humidity this year!
This weekend we are supposed to have another lightning storm, like the one last week. oh no!

My daughter Christen and I have an agreement... We take turns cooking so everyone does not have to eat Italian food every day lol lol. She usually makes Asian or Mexican dishes. I have been making pasta and other recipes I collected up in Italy. I ordered 25lbs of the right kind of semolina dura flour from the local health food store yesterday. Last night I made Gnocchi in a Ricotta sauce with greens, walnuts and basil. I was emulating a dish I had in a Bari restaurant the day before I left. Tonight Christen is making beef steak fajitas!Above: Orecchiette Pasta

Now I am going to the farmers market to look for a few choice ingredients for dinner tomorrow night. I got so much done today... when I get home from the market, I will settle down with glass of wine to celebrate a good and productive day.

Back in the saddle again.

My love goes out to all of you.