Well we arrived in Rome about two and a half months ago. We found out in the van on the way from the airport to our new apartment that our new apartment wasn't available. Well, that was a huge letdown, because I had unwisely bonded with it on the internet. We've been in temporary quarters in the meantime, trying to work out a solution to lack of housing. The temporary apartment is in a great neighborhood with good bus service and lots of shopping for daily necessities. The problem is that it's in a condo canyon with no sunlight, on the first floor with all the utilities humming and vibrating, and there's construction on at least three sides of our building, the kind of construction that involves the grinding saws that cut steel pipes, marble and tile. Excruciating. To top it off, we're in the landing pattern of the airport. Again.
I know I can just leave the apartment during the day, and most of the noise stops at night. But I'm trying to learn Italian by studying at home, and the noise is just too painful and distracting. So I study in short bursts and get out as much as possible to sight-see and talk to Italians.
Keeping it positive as best as I can, in spite of missing our daughter and our cats so much it takes my breath away and causes a clamping feeling in my vital organs, we are truly enjoying being in Rome. We've been having a blast, attending concerts, ballets, art installations, tech conferences, university events and archaeology exhibits. We've been attending receptions, dinners and cocktail parties at the Colosseum, the Vatican and the Baths of Caracalla where the prosecco flows like water. We've met writers, artists, cartoonists, diplomats, dancers and musicians. It's fabulous.
This week, we got word that we can finally move into our apartment, the first one that I had unwisely bonded with, hopefully before Christmas. And our daughter is coming to visit next week, just in time to help unpack all the stuff she helped pack up last summer. Yay!
Friday, December 7, 2012
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Pre-Packout Pandemonium
With four days to go until the moving company descends upon us, packing every cup, sock, paper clip and candle in the house for its destination in either Rome or Olympia, either by sea, air or car, my stress level is about as high as it ever gets. At just at about this point in the process the first time we went overseas with the foreign service, to Romania with a baby and two cats, my friend Janet K. gently let me know that I needed to get much better at asking for help.
Every time I move now, I remember what Janet said, and I ask for help. I am so lucky to have friends and family who love us enough to help us when we are at our worst. This time, Becky gave hours of her time to start the culling and organizing process, and reducing my holdings of heavy books, carting them to donation locations. She did research to find worthy charities to help ease me into the mood to part with my heavy stuff.
As I sort out magazines, calendars, vases, dresses and suits, Janet D. and Brent S. take them from me and deliver them to deserving organizations that will use them or sell them to carry out their programs.
Then my sister-in-law Mariah came to stay with us for over two weeks. She kept us on track, urging us to purge, setting up locations in the house for storage items, shipping items and suitcase items. She kept us healthy by encouraging us to exercise, drink water and have fun. She helped us organize the yard sale and sat outside all day long, setting prices, negotiating sales and keeping weirdos at bay. When she left, we weren't sure how we were going to stay motivated. Then Ela arrived.
Ela was warned that we were in the last throes of pre-packout panic, and to expect bad behaviour. She asked how she could be most helpful, and I said, "Feed us." Today, when I was near comatose from sorting through a box of old receipts and clippings, she presented me with a ham sandwich with gourmet imported Polish ham the she carried down from Ontario. This evening, when I got home from an appointment, there was dinner on the table, and the table was set. She had gone into my cupboards and fridge, and found ingredients to make angel hair pasta with pesto, chicken, mushrooms, and carrots. It was amazing. Next to my plate was a salad, already served in a bowl. All I had to do was eat.
Having the luxury to sit and eat without having to cook got me to thinking about all the people who have helped us get ready for this move to Rome and Olympia. They have helped us not only with the concrete handling of stuff, but with the delicate handling of our emotions as our little family unit will be separated for the first time by about 1/3 the planet's circumference (Joey pointed that out to me today on our little after-lunch stroll in the park).
And we won't only be separated from our child. As we researched the pet moving process, and the conditions in our attic apartment in Rome, we came to the conclusion that, for the first time ever, we would have to go to post without our cats. When I finally got up the courage to ask my mom if she would consider adopting them, she accepted so quickly that I hadn't really even launched into my rehearsed hard-sell routine.
And just when emotions in the house were at an all time peak, my sister called to say she was working out a route and itinerary for our road trip to Olympia. How did she even know that I was also thinking about a Lewis and Clark route, but never had found the time to research and plan it?
These are only the few incidents of loving kindness toward our family that came to mind just now while I was loading the dishwasher. There were more, and there will probably be even more as we wend our way to St. Louis, Wyoming and Portland, on our way to deliver our one best favorite person to her next adventure, her solo flight that we hopefully have prepared her well enough for during the last 18 years.
Every time I move now, I remember what Janet said, and I ask for help. I am so lucky to have friends and family who love us enough to help us when we are at our worst. This time, Becky gave hours of her time to start the culling and organizing process, and reducing my holdings of heavy books, carting them to donation locations. She did research to find worthy charities to help ease me into the mood to part with my heavy stuff.
As I sort out magazines, calendars, vases, dresses and suits, Janet D. and Brent S. take them from me and deliver them to deserving organizations that will use them or sell them to carry out their programs.
Then my sister-in-law Mariah came to stay with us for over two weeks. She kept us on track, urging us to purge, setting up locations in the house for storage items, shipping items and suitcase items. She kept us healthy by encouraging us to exercise, drink water and have fun. She helped us organize the yard sale and sat outside all day long, setting prices, negotiating sales and keeping weirdos at bay. When she left, we weren't sure how we were going to stay motivated. Then Ela arrived.
Ela was warned that we were in the last throes of pre-packout panic, and to expect bad behaviour. She asked how she could be most helpful, and I said, "Feed us." Today, when I was near comatose from sorting through a box of old receipts and clippings, she presented me with a ham sandwich with gourmet imported Polish ham the she carried down from Ontario. This evening, when I got home from an appointment, there was dinner on the table, and the table was set. She had gone into my cupboards and fridge, and found ingredients to make angel hair pasta with pesto, chicken, mushrooms, and carrots. It was amazing. Next to my plate was a salad, already served in a bowl. All I had to do was eat.
Having the luxury to sit and eat without having to cook got me to thinking about all the people who have helped us get ready for this move to Rome and Olympia. They have helped us not only with the concrete handling of stuff, but with the delicate handling of our emotions as our little family unit will be separated for the first time by about 1/3 the planet's circumference (Joey pointed that out to me today on our little after-lunch stroll in the park).
And we won't only be separated from our child. As we researched the pet moving process, and the conditions in our attic apartment in Rome, we came to the conclusion that, for the first time ever, we would have to go to post without our cats. When I finally got up the courage to ask my mom if she would consider adopting them, she accepted so quickly that I hadn't really even launched into my rehearsed hard-sell routine.
And just when emotions in the house were at an all time peak, my sister called to say she was working out a route and itinerary for our road trip to Olympia. How did she even know that I was also thinking about a Lewis and Clark route, but never had found the time to research and plan it?
These are only the few incidents of loving kindness toward our family that came to mind just now while I was loading the dishwasher. There were more, and there will probably be even more as we wend our way to St. Louis, Wyoming and Portland, on our way to deliver our one best favorite person to her next adventure, her solo flight that we hopefully have prepared her well enough for during the last 18 years.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Tuna Steaks Over Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes
My mother and all of my in-laws are Italian, so cooking Italian is my default mode. When I cook up something that turns out really good, I like to write it down and publish it so I can find it later. (And share it!)
Last night, I took out a frozen Ahi Tuna steak from Trader Joe's. It had a recipe for pesto butter on the package. I had all the ingredients on hand but I didn't feel like making the paste. Plus, I had a ton of tomatoes from my garden that just all ripened at the same time after the drought ended. I had to use them up.
I took the tuna out of the freezer and put it in the sink to thaw in luke-warm water, and went to deliver a newsletter to a neighbor. Walking home from from her house, I invented this recipe in my head and then cooked it when I walked in the door. Wow, it was great!
Tuna Steaks Over Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes
One pound of tuna steaks
10 ripe tomatoes
3 cloves garlic
3 T butter
4 T olive oil
1/2 cup pine nuts
juice of one lemon
big handful of fresh basil
big handful of fresh parsley
salt and pepper
one pound of pasta (I used ziti)
Start by marinating the tuna steaks in olive oil with salt and pepper. Then boil water for the pasta. When the water boils, cook the pasta according to directions on the box/bag.
While those are doing their thing, prep the other ingredients, because they go in the pan in pretty quick order. Peel and chop the garlic; cut the tomatoes in chunks; juice the lemon; rinse and chop the basil and parsley.
In a large saute pan, melt the butter on medium heat. Add the pine nuts and garlic. Stir until both are just starting to turn color and release their aroma. Don't let them get brown. Then toss in the tomatoes. Cook until they lose their firmness. Add half the lemon juice, the basil and parsley, and the salt and pepper. Cook another couple minutes until the flavors mingle.
By now the pasta should be cooked. Drain it, put it in a big bowl, and pour the tomato sauce over it, toss it to coat the pasta so it doesn't get sticky. Cover and keep warm.
Now for the tuna:
Keeping a little of the tomato drippings in the pan, add the olive oil from the marinating tuna steaks. On medium heat, sear the tuna, 2 or 3 minutes per side. Remove tuna to a plate. Add the rest of the lemon juice to the pan and stir for a few seconds to make a bit of flavor drippings. Drizzle that over the tuna on the plate.
To plate it up, serve the pasta in shallow soup or pasta bowls. Cut the tuna in bite sized chunks. Place the tuna chunks on top of the pasta and serve.
This should serve 4 people. It's a quick and flexible recipe. If you love garlic, add more. Same with all the other ingredients. Taste and adjust as you go. The whole preparation time should be the time it takes to boil the water and cook the pasta. I started with frozen tuna in a vacuum pack, so I put the package in sink with luke-warm water. Then I took a walk. It was ready to use when I got back.
Last night, I took out a frozen Ahi Tuna steak from Trader Joe's. It had a recipe for pesto butter on the package. I had all the ingredients on hand but I didn't feel like making the paste. Plus, I had a ton of tomatoes from my garden that just all ripened at the same time after the drought ended. I had to use them up.
I took the tuna out of the freezer and put it in the sink to thaw in luke-warm water, and went to deliver a newsletter to a neighbor. Walking home from from her house, I invented this recipe in my head and then cooked it when I walked in the door. Wow, it was great!
Tuna Steaks Over Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes
One pound of tuna steaks
10 ripe tomatoes
3 cloves garlic
3 T butter
4 T olive oil
1/2 cup pine nuts
juice of one lemon
big handful of fresh basil
big handful of fresh parsley
salt and pepper
one pound of pasta (I used ziti)
Start by marinating the tuna steaks in olive oil with salt and pepper. Then boil water for the pasta. When the water boils, cook the pasta according to directions on the box/bag.
While those are doing their thing, prep the other ingredients, because they go in the pan in pretty quick order. Peel and chop the garlic; cut the tomatoes in chunks; juice the lemon; rinse and chop the basil and parsley.
In a large saute pan, melt the butter on medium heat. Add the pine nuts and garlic. Stir until both are just starting to turn color and release their aroma. Don't let them get brown. Then toss in the tomatoes. Cook until they lose their firmness. Add half the lemon juice, the basil and parsley, and the salt and pepper. Cook another couple minutes until the flavors mingle.
By now the pasta should be cooked. Drain it, put it in a big bowl, and pour the tomato sauce over it, toss it to coat the pasta so it doesn't get sticky. Cover and keep warm.
Now for the tuna:
Keeping a little of the tomato drippings in the pan, add the olive oil from the marinating tuna steaks. On medium heat, sear the tuna, 2 or 3 minutes per side. Remove tuna to a plate. Add the rest of the lemon juice to the pan and stir for a few seconds to make a bit of flavor drippings. Drizzle that over the tuna on the plate.
To plate it up, serve the pasta in shallow soup or pasta bowls. Cut the tuna in bite sized chunks. Place the tuna chunks on top of the pasta and serve.
This should serve 4 people. It's a quick and flexible recipe. If you love garlic, add more. Same with all the other ingredients. Taste and adjust as you go. The whole preparation time should be the time it takes to boil the water and cook the pasta. I started with frozen tuna in a vacuum pack, so I put the package in sink with luke-warm water. Then I took a walk. It was ready to use when I got back.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Cory's Old World Native Garden
I guess I could call my new blog "Cory's Non-Native Garden", since I'm leaving my four-year old Virginia native wildlife garden behind to follow my husband to his new job in Rome. "Capitolo Italiano" means "Italian Chapter," and that's what this blog is about. During the last four years in Virginia, I've learned so much about native plants and their benefits during this last stay in Our Nation's Capitol, and I hope to continue learning and sharing about the global benefits of native plants even after I get established in Rome this fall. I don't know where I'll be living in Rome yet, but I hope there will at least be a balcony with space for a few container plants. I expect I'll be visiting gardens around Rome and Italy, and I'll take photos to post here.
So here's the new blog, same as the old blog "Cory's Native Garden" , only this time the setting will be in Rome, Italy. I'll be learning the native flora and fauna, and their critical interactions, but from the Mediterranean perspective.
But first, I'll use this spot as therapy for myself, a place to unload the stress and turmoil of moving a household to another continent (every 2.6 years!). Such is the life of a diplomat's wife.
Oh, and there will be photos and recipes!
So here's the new blog, same as the old blog "Cory's Native Garden" , only this time the setting will be in Rome, Italy. I'll be learning the native flora and fauna, and their critical interactions, but from the Mediterranean perspective.
But first, I'll use this spot as therapy for myself, a place to unload the stress and turmoil of moving a household to another continent (every 2.6 years!). Such is the life of a diplomat's wife.
Oh, and there will be photos and recipes!
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