Sabato

Happy Birthday Cindy #50!!
A few minor things to relate: yesterday the package which customs threatened to send back the US unless i gave them a list of the value and merchandise inside, both of which were attached to the package, was released! Set free for a customs fee of 2.07 euros and inside were instruction books for the espresso machine and camera, a tie bar with my eagle scout insignia, 2 butter knives which match the set i sent in the container, some notecards, and the accessory kit for my power drill and an american extension cord. This cost 39.00 to send! Customs here is the baine of my existence!
Yesterday everyone cleared out, so it was a day of cleaning and laundry and after i hung the second load of towels (we were very short on big ones) , It poured rain, blew like a hurricane, spit hail and shot lightning! Truly WONDERFUL but only for 20 minutes enough to blow all the towels to the ground so I could rewash them. Small price to pay!
My mother in heaven is happy today as Raffaele told me the cheese grater I brought over from america was the best he had ever used!! High praise from an italian, and it was a gift my mom gave me for Xmas one year and was extremely proud of finding for me.
Today, I got up at 9AM, a real luxury, and after breakfast I spent 2 hours putting my room in order and cleaning it up, so everyone should come today and see it before I mess it up again!
Later today we get 6 guests who head up the Daniele Silvestri fan club. He is very famous in Italy and sings tonight in Offida so we are all going to attend.
The pictures today show a hill in the distance we almost bought before finding Nascondiglio di Bacco, but as with all the vineyards we were interested in, it had a problem; the owner didn't show up for the negotiations. Another is of the sheep in their mountain pasture where they eat the flowers and grasses which make pecorino cheese from the mountains so good and finally a pic of mountain flowers along the trail up to Monte Vettore. Buon weekend a tutti!! dds