Spending the last week in a country where siestas are practically mandatory, I’ve become accustomed to and enjoyed one Big Siesta of a good time! Whether it was reconnecting with Steve, eating delicious foods, enjoying the beautiful Tuscany region, or just sitting drinking several cups of cappuccino (thanks to jet lag) watching interesting people, the time was relaxing and my heart was renewed and refreshed.
Of course no trip goes off without mishaps and stress, just being in a foreign country makes you feel like, well a foreigner. Without much knowledge of the language my communication became formal and deliberate. Leaving three children back in the states kept me in constant communication by e-mail with “on-line” parenting when necessary. Receiving funny updates kept me smiling yet I missed my guys and doll terribly (I don’t think the feeling was mutual).
The main reason I chose Italy, specifically Tuscany, was to experience a cooking class with Steve for his birthday. A reliable source directed me to the Sienna Art and Cooking school for our special event. I imagined a group of really fun people watching and learning from a chef how to make amazing Italian (Tuscan of course) food. After we observed the famous chef we would all eat wonderful food!
Upon arrival at the school we were introduced to the main chef and host of the evening. Since she could not speak English we had a student interpreter from Utah. This blonde haired blue eyed adorable gal did not fit my imagined setting, but she was cute and nice so I tolerated her “Utah-ian” accent as she struggled to interpret the famous chef.
Before I knew it I was cleaning and chopping 8 pounds of asparagus. Anyone who knows me well knows I NEVER do anything in water without my rubber gloves on! They don’t seem to use rubber gloves in Italy. Some guests were assigned more glamorous jobs like making the dessert. It was a chocolate tart with sugared pears fanned on the top, yummy! I did get a chance to cut and fan a pear (WOW!).
At last the time came for us all to eat our creations! The chef knew ahead of time it was Steve’s birthday. As it came time for us to eat dessert the lights went out and in marched the chef (grinning from ear to ear) with an assistant carrying the beautiful tart, lit candle and all. As we were singing happy birthday, I quickly reached for my camera to take a picture, and that fast the tart was on the floor. The assistant tripped and the tart flipped up in the air and “splatted” right before our eyes! Let me just say it was a good thing the chef didn’t have a butcher knife in her hand, she was devastated and hot! I wasn’t sure who I felt worse for, the chef, the assistant, or us! The assistant was sent home and the chef stormed out of the dining room. Once our shock subsided us students picked up the tart carefully and ate the part that didn’t touch the ground, the five second rule is universal! We all laughed hysterically yet at the same time felt bad for the mishap. We enjoyed our unusual cooking class together.
Being so far away has made me feel out of touch with my life as a mom yet very much engaged with the days in Italy with Steve. The birthday celebration is officially over. Now it’s time to kick back into life as I know it. The duties of wife, mom, disciplinarian, encourager, taxi driver, manager, friend, tennis partner, chef,…you know, all the different hats us gals wear on a daily basis. After all there’s no place like home.
Blessings,
Debbie
No comments:
Post a Comment