Sometimes you just have to be sneaky...

Whew! I bet this got your attention. The photo doesn't even do it justice because that shirt glows. It's bright pumpkin orange. Crayola orange. A Sunkist orange couldn't be more orange.

Now, don't be shy...everyone who thinks this shirt is a little (eh hem) loud, please raise your hands.

All righty then...it's unanimous.

Someone (friend? foe?) gave my husband this golf shirt. When he wears it he looks like a walking, talking construction cone. It's not a color he normally wears, but for some reason he likes to wear this shirt when he goes to the range to hit some golf balls.

A walking, talking construction cone with a golf club.

Sheesh.

But look what I discovered this morning...

the icky shirt at the bottom of the laundry hamper.

I am thinking that I will keep it buried in there...under a mountain of clothes...and it will be there waiting to be washed...waiting forever and ever and ever...

Why does stuff like this make me cry?

(thanks, Peggy!)

Discovered!

The rafting photos I posted yesterday caused quite a stir. I received an email from Wildwater Ltd. Rafting saying how they loved the photos and even recognized the guide. Then they said our photos gave them an idea for a contest in honor of their upcoming 40th anniversary and asked if they could use them on their site as promotion for the contest.

Of course, we all think it's funny. No . . . we think it's hilarious. We're going to Hollywood! was the common phrase on both sides of the Atlantic.

The only glitch is that they referred to the photo as a vintage rafting photo. Hmmmm. Now, I ask you, if the photo is vintage, does that mean that those in the photo are vintage, too, as in old?

Yikes.

But it doesn't matter . . . we're going to Hollywood, baby!

August 1985: White Water Rafting on the Chattooga River

To my cousin Damiano and his wife, Irene, who recently went on a calm, romantic canoe ride during their first week in Canada: look here...this is what you need to do! (click on the photos to read the captions)

The funny thing is that the guide kept yelling instructions in English and I kept shouting the translations, but in the excitement things got a little garbled. In fact, soon after this photo was taken, we went down a rapid and got stuck in a whirlpool. The guides (ours and the ones in the other rafts) had to rig up a pulley system to pull us out one by one. Just a tad embarrassing...

Snippets

Timothy, it's time to go to bed.

(He ignores me, pulls out his toy cell phone and proceeds to dial.)

Who are you calling?

I'm calling God to see if he'll let me stay up.

pause pause pause

He said I could.

*******************************

Timothy, looking at a photo album and pointing.

Mommy, where are you?

I'm taking the picture.

Question repeated 534,857 times (it was a rather large album).

********************************

Jonathan, why are you going to bed so early?

I'm really tired.

He grins.

Besides, I need to replenish my body and soul.

**********************************

Timothy, you cannot say the word "idiot".

Nicholas and Jonathan say "idiot" all the time.

"Idiot is a bad word. The next time they say "idiot", come and tell me.

So, Nicholas can't call Jonathan an "idiot" and Jonathan can't call Nicholas an "idiot"?

That is right. There are no "idiots" in this house.

And I can't say "idiot", either.

Sigh.

Later, it dawned on me that during the course of that conversation we said "idiot" eight times. So who was the idiot, I ask you?

***********************************

Me, after Pablo celebrated his first Mass as a newly ordained priest:

God, I have three sons. Do you want one? I know they don't seem "priestly" right now, but maybe in time...?

Holy News

1. Pablo, a family friend who studied at the North American College in Rome and who very graciously gave us a personal tour of St. Peter's Square and Basilica when we were there two years ago, will be ordained a priest this weekend. His ordination will take place this Saturday at the Cathedral in Savannah, and Sunday he will celebrate his first Mass here in our church.

2. The documentation papers to have Sandro nominated for sainthood have been ceremoniously sealed by the Bishop of Verona and are en route to the Vatican. You can read his beautiful story here and here.

3. Sister Gaudiosa, the nun from Tanzania who has become a member of our family, will be visiting us again this August. You can read about last year's visit here and here and here.

Buon Viaggio

My cousin Damiano and his wife, Irene, are leaving Italy today for a year in Canada. Irene received a research grant/scholarship, and Damiano will continue his work via computer.

Here's to a new adventure to a wonderful couple. Buon Viaggio! Buona Fortuna!

Bacioni,

Bia, Joe, Nicholas, Jonathan e Timothy