Mamma said there'd be days like this...

After a difficult Tues. Dr.'s appt. (will post on later), I found myself blessed on Wed. with cancelled lessons and a free day to spend with Mimmo. We immediately took advantage of the situation and headed to our small port, Aquamorta.

We took the boat out to the other side of San Martino, one of Mimmo's favorite spots since he was a boy, to fish for cozze (mussels).

While Mimmo went down to the rocks,



I climbed upwards to find myself a spot in the sun next to beautiful, clear waterways.


There I rested and pat my belly


and tried desperately to tan my very white (only at present, mind you) self.


Mimmo popped up at one point to proudly show me his catch so far



as I continued to relax and take in the sun. I opened my eyes and noticed a change in the sea.



The tide seemed to be coming in strong, crashing against the rocks.



So I called to Mimmo to come back. He climbed up the rock and showed me a baby octopus.



And his catch of the day - not a cozze to be found, but lots and lots of scongigli (sea snails)!

Pasquetta & the Catch-Up...

It's been a long time for me with no internet and no phone line, but I think I may have just found my temporary sanctuary in Tullio's (my brother-in-law's) "office".. Tullio has a club called "Vivi l'estate" that happens to have a clubhouse with 2 computers and adsl...and guess who now has the keys?! YES, YES, YES!!!

I have been right smack in the middle of change and movement - inside & all around me. We moved and have been adjusting the house and yet we're leaving in 2 months to go to California. It's hard to feel settled obviously when I know we're going. Mimmo and I are both excited and have no idea about what we're up for in the move out west. There are a lot of unknowns, but our vision is that we will open a business out there and come back to Monte di Procida for the summers (just like all the other Montesi-Americani here). I am trying to trust a lot as I am not a grrl who is a planner. It usually starts with an instinct, a vision, a need which I follow, but it feels a bit different now with a husband and a child to think of as well in my journey. Mimmo's looking into getting a leave from work, we're trying to figure out visas, and I'm also trying to organize our California wedding celebration which is happening in 2 months.

For all the mixed emotions I have about living here, it's strange to think about NOT living here for me right now. On Friday, I went to Procida with Gilda (my mother-in-law) and Manuela (my niece) to watch the Good Friday Procession (the camera was not working at the time) and I felt so emotional at the thought of not being on this beautiful bay this summer. I am trying to remind myself that we will spend our summers here and also about how hard it is for me to be here the rest of the year. I have deeply missed my friends (who are my family), my art, my family, and being in a more open community. I'm also trying to focus on all the possibilties. And, the gratitude that I feel for having both this place to call home and California as well.

But, most of all, I am trying to just really enjoy this moment. With all the movement and change and unknowns, I have these 2 months here to soak in.

Monday for Pasquetta, Mimmo, Manuela, & I took our first sailboat ride of the season to Procida. It was a beautiful, sunny day on the bay and when we returned, we were blessed to get enough wind to get a real viaggio a vela. I was happy that the baby also got his/her first ride in....with many more to come...

Si vede, si vede!!!

Ok, this is a damn near miracle that a)I got my digital camera to work, b)I'm able to post here & c)my tummy is finally showing!!! I have no time here on this machine, but I just had to post for now the first photo of my growing belly from the baby's first sailboat ride yesterday (details to follow!)

This is what 16+ weeks looks like....