Where have we been?

It's been awhile since I've posted anything.  Is it winter blues? Lots of work? Or the fact that after six months in Viterbo, things don't seem so "new"anymore?

I still take photos around town of things that strike me as funny, but I guess there is never enough at one time to build a theme around. Maybe I'll post a hodgepodge like "Catching up."

So what have the Hermanns been up to during this time of radio silence?

Rick continues to work at home and pick up Max every day from school. He also explores around town, usually in search of something delicious. There doesn't seem to be a language barrier when it comes to food.

Max has started soccer with boys his age. Bad news is that they've been playing since they learned to walk...making it a bit intimidating. He has been madly collecting "Cucciolotti" packs from the news stand. They contain one card and 7 stickers that you place in the correct place in your Cucciolotti book. The proceeds (or part of...) go to support animals in shelters. I can't tell you how many oddball animals we've learned about -- anyone ever heard of a pink iguana?  There are only about 100 left in the main island of the Galapagos.  It appears pink because it's skin is semi-translucent, allowing you to see the blood circulating inside.

And me? I've been haunting the Saturday market in search of cool fabrics/sweaters, surfing the web for nifty patterns and putting a few things together.  It's been great. My partner in crime is Patrizia, a woman who owns a hobby shop across from SYA...yes, the only craft store in Viterbo. She recently helped put together Max's Carnevale costume, but that will be another post.

SYA kids left for a 10-day trip, and I finally decided to bite the bullet and buy a sewing machine. What will I do with it, all the creations and all the fabrics when I leave? Who knows, but while I'm here and I have the stuff, I'm going to continue having fun.

The temperature continues to be mild. I think this is it, spring is on the way. Everyone kept promising us that the worst was yet to come, but I think it all went to Boston instead! What a great year to be gone. (With all the money we saved on snowplowing bills, I think we should go on vacation to Sicily!!)

I'll leave you with a couple of my recent "gotta-post-this photos."

I constantly walk by this vending machine with a big sign:

Yes, the sell alcohol breath tests for 2 euros in the vending machine at the gas station. Makes you wonder why we don't have them! Right next to the M&M's and condoms.

Right down the street I was able to take this photo (no, I didn't place the butt there for artistic reasons!)

The Italians are pretty straightforward when it comes to their warning label on cigarettes: Smoking Kills. Again, makes you wonder why we don't do the same...

We have been hankering some American food lately -- in particular, pancakes. The one mix we found was more like a crepe mix, but we persevered. It took awhile to gather the ingredients and figure out the measurements, but we did in fact have blueberry pancakes, made from scratch, on the one day I actually saw blueberries at the fruit store.  We also make our own popcorn for movie night.

No, not an item in this photo is common or easy to get here...but they can be found, eventually. The US staff all share information on where to get certain items. A recent find was Ramen noodles, curry flavor! Oh the joy! I know, how can I live in Italy and eat such disgusting college food?  Because it doesn't taste like pizza or pasta, it tastes like home.

And just for fun, here are two photos from shop windows (you know how I love those!)

Want to play doctor?

hard to read, but one of the hearts says: "Stressed, depressed, but well dressed." What a perfect Valentine's gift.