Sicily on fire

tuesday, june 26, was quite a day. started out like any other. until i went to take a shower so i could go and have my first violin lesson. as i wrote in one of those misc. posts, there was no water. so i could not go to the lesson at 12:00 or to the red cross training at 4:30.

late in the afternoon, around 5pm i went outside with the dogs. and i saw ashes in the yard...i thought...is Etna erupting? then i smelled the smoke. i got the dogs back in the house. went out on the street and could see thick smoke not very far from our house. so i went up on the top deck. i took these pictures from there a few minutes later.



the fires were burning about 3 houses up the hill. i walked up that direction and could see a medium sized tree on fire and a lot of other flames behind it. the fire was going back away from the street - which is what you can see in the pictures. it was very smoky and my eyes were burning.

i was not sure what to do. when i called Brad's cell, he was trying to get onto our street but it was blocked off at the top of the hill. i just got the dogs in the car and drove to the bottom of the hill. he parked his car and we drove mine back up to the house, packed up a few items - laptops, clothes and toiletries and our Bibles.

we were praying as we left (had already been praying). we both knew that it was possible that the next time we saw the house, our stuff could be destroyed. we both received an amazing peace knowing that God had it all under His control. no matter what happened, we were okay with it.

we tried to drive up the hill a little ways to see what was going on. there were big flames on the side of the road and the caribinieri started madly waving for Brad to drive up past the barricade. at that point we could not get back onto our street. Brad called several Sicilian friends trying to find out what they knew about the fires. he also talked to the police and caribinieri even though they did not speak much english. they all thought at that point that they had everything under control. we decided to go around the long way to the bottom of our street since they would not let us drive back past the open flames (i wonder why not!?).

when we got down there, we could see that the fire was worse than before - it was blazing out of control. but there was nothing we could do and it was starting to get late. luckily our very dear friends said, come on over and bring the dogs. so the dogs and i followed Brad. when we got there they had food and water for all of us. and a comfy place to stay.

Brad got a call from our friend Mario and he was talking to our landlord who was with the caribinieri out in front of the house. they were concerned about us and the dogs. so it was perfect timing because otherwise they were going to try to get in to make sure the dogs were okay. they said the house was fine and the fires were out. so we thanked God for His blessing of saving the house and that none of the neighbors were injured (that we know of).

here is something that is also amazing - in the morning, i was upset about missing my violin lesson. but if i had gone to the lesson and then stayed on base until the red cross training, we would not have known about the fire or been able to get the dogs or any of our belongings out. the dogs would have been home alone with all the smoke and fire engines going by. they would have been really freaking out. more praises to God for that...!! plus since we were with our friends and Brad had a change of work clothes, he could go right to work in the morning.

we later found out that there fires burning all day and they had skipped up the hills into our neighborhood. there were many other fires throughout Sicily. it was the worst they had seen in over 50 years. the temperature had been 115 on monday and 116 on tuesday and the island was so very dry. one of the men that works with Brad told him yesterday that he had huge palm trees in his yard that were 'burning like candlesticks'.

we read an article saying that the heat was endangering the lemon trees and some of the other fruit and vegetable crops. but then yesterday and today it has been much cooler - probably over 20 degrees. so hopefully everything will be okay.

[i was able to reschedule my violin lesson for Weds, to!!!]

misc post #4 - short trip to Caltagirone

a week ago Sunday (the 17th) i thought there was an antique market in Caltagirone which is a city famous for it's beautiful staircase that has colored tiles that are decorated in diferent ways for different festivals and for Christmas. we went with our good friends after church to check it out. oh, the other thing that Caltagirone is famous for is ceramic arts. so we shopped around a bit. some of the stores were closed on Sunday. some closed for riposo and we did not stay until after it was over so we did not see those shops.

what i really wanted was a clock, but i did not find the exact one i wanted. so i bought a pair of dolphins and a butterfly that i will put a wire through and hang on the kitchen wall. our friends bought us the olio, aceto, sale e pepe set. it was a very nice gift and we are so thankful. it was my favorite set there that i found in the places we looked and i really have needed one so badly. it is not as easy to limit your quantities of oil and vinegar when you are pouring out of big bottles!

we all forgot to bring our cameras. but we will go there again probably a number of times - besides the shopping, etc., it is a beautiful city and there are surprises down every alley - a steep, narrow stairway, a view of the valley - it is incredible. so we will have pics later to share.

misc post #3 - heat and fireworks

wow, yesterday it was 115 degrees here!!! Brad said we could cook on the sidewalk, but we didn't. after being unusually cloudy, cool and rainy it has now become hotter than usual for June. i do not mind it so much because there's not much humidity, but even with a/c units the house does not get very cool. i need to learn how to make gazpacho. that's my goal for today is to find a good recipe and maybe if we can get the water back on, then i can shower and shop for ingredients....

this past weekend was the festival of San Giovanni in Aci Trezza and there were fireworks all day and night. i never saw fireworks in the daytime before but basically they are the 'bombs' that i posted a picture of before. even last night they had them. at midnight i suddenly was awake and hearing all of these loud blasts that rattled the windows and doors. so i jumped up, ran downstairs and grabbed my mosquito wipes that smell like citronella and went outside and watched the last 10 minutes of the show. it was fantastic. so many bright, glittery, colorful and huge fireworks. they were beautiful. and did i mention that they were loud? dogs were barking all over the place (not mine though - they were right inside the door waiting for me. except ringo who was under the bed scared for the millionth time). car alarms were going off too. it was comical in a way. i did not see the neighbor, Guiseppe, or anyone in his family outside.

wish i had pictures...

misc post #2 - caprese

this will be a really short post - just so you can see these lovely caprese salads that i made for us the other night. it is our favorite salad - made with tomatoes fresh off the vine and Sicilian buffala mozzarela that comes in a bag of some sort of liquid which i think is like a mild brine solution. the cheese is not salty and is extremely soft and fresh. i never had anything like it before coming here. when i lived in Germany i remember traveling and having caprese before, but i cannot remember it being this good!

the ingredients: pomodori (fresh, vine-ripened tomatoes), Siciliana buffala mozzerella, olio di oliva (olive oil - also much better fresh!), aceto balsamico di modena (balsamic vinegar from Modena - really delicious...), sale (sea salt - but we have not had a chance to buy any of the good stuff made right here in Sicily yet) e pepe (pepper - fresh ground)

oh, and fresh basil from my plant in the window sill! :-)

....and buono appetit

misc post #1 - no aqua

right now there is no running water in the house. could be that the town is working on the water and has it posted somewhere that there will not be water between certain hours today. of course, i do not know this, so i had to turn off our water collector (a giant vat of water that is constantly refilled supposedly for emergencies and which we must have gone through earlier this morning) so that the motor does not burn up.

this is a bummer because i am supposed to pick up my violin and have my very first lesson today from Isadore, a Sicilian violinist who plays during the chapel services and is extremely talented. i begged Brad to pick it up for me since he repaired it and will be waiting for me and i have no way to contact him. i am not sure if Brad is going to make it since when i called he was in a 'really intense meeting' and was not sure he could get there.

this will be the first of a series of short, misc. posts because i have a lot of little things to talk about.

this picture i am attaching is one from a few weeks ago that i thought i might draw or paint or something. Brad picked up the bread, tomatoes, apples and cherries right down the street. the wine was a gift and the olive oil is just an essential in the kitchen!! the cherries are just in season and so sweet and delicious!

Father's Day

it's not Father's Day yet but it's close and it is on my mind because I have not sent my Dad his card yet which will never make it to the States in time now. partly because it is in a box with stuff i am mailing, one thing i did not get until this past thursday. but that is something for my Mom... Dad is a hard guy to buy for. he's got everything he needs and pretty much everything he wants. except maybe a million or so dollars so he can just have someone else to mow the yard and do the projects around the house. i don't think he minds that too much anyway.

so i'm probably going to end up getting him something like a best buy gift card (shhh...don't tell). that will get there before the Father's Day card itself in the box. he always seems to be able to find something he likes there and he can pick something for his camera, or movies or most likely a computer program.

some people just have a gift (for lack of a better word) for giving great gifts. gifts that capture the hearts of the recipients. wish i was one of those people... Brad's brother Bruce and his wife Alice are like that. their gifts are always so special and meaningful...absolutely perfect! it is like they have such incredible insight into the people they are buying for - they just KNOW.

speaking of gift-giving and Fathers, it would be just absolutely impossible to write about these things and not write about my Father in heaven, who gave me the most meaningful gift i've ever received. even though i did some really horrible things (in other words sinned!) as a teenager, and when i was older even. things i'm not proud of.

yes it is in the past, but it was still hanging over me. still 'out there'. even though i was really sorry for them and even though some people in my life had forgiven me. even though my life had changed a lot, there was still sin there. (details omitted!) but when i learned that Jesus' dying for the sins of the world meant MY sins...i knew i needed that gift from God. and when i asked for it. He gave it to me.

all sins forgiven, all errors forgiven. past, present and future. does this mean i would never do anything wrong again and live happily ever after...? no. but He did not just leave me floundering. He gave me His Spirit within me to change me. in the Gospel of John, chapter 16, before Jesus was crucified he told the apostles, 'It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.' and later he also said 'when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth.'

doesn't happen overnight. doesn't happen for a really long time if i insist on being bull-headed or deny my wrong thoughts and actions. but the Spirit is always there. and now if i do something sinful, like think something bad towards someone, immediately the Spirit makes me sensitive to it. He is changing my heart and healing me. day by day, little by little. the goal is ultimately to be 'conformed to the image of His Son' - which takes a lifetime.

Jesus said in Matthew 5: 21,22 "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment."

God told the Israelites the same thing after they left the slavery in Egypt. In the Ten Commandments He said 'Thou shalt not kill', but He gave the Israelites many other commands that He gave to His people so that they would be different than the rest of the world. set apart. holy. (e.g. Leviticus 19:16-18)

so God has never changed His stance on what is sinful. He is holy and unchanging. He just so dramatically changed how we can be forgiven. way back in the day, sin was forgiven by the shedding of blood. even Adam and Eve were forgiven by God - He did the sacrifice for He clothed them in animal skins - so blood was shed for the covering of their sin. then for the Israelites it was the sacrificing of animals, which had to be done over and over again.

in Hebrews 10:3-4 it says 'But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.' that is why the people kept on sinning and kept on sacrificing.

Jesus is the perfect sacrifice. once and for all. does not matter who you are or what you have done. once you accept this gift, God gives you His love to give to others, His ability to forgive - and so on. it is called the 'fruit of the Spirit'. in Galatians 5:22-23 it says 'For the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against these things there is no law.' So the longer the Spirit works in you, this fruit should become more evident.

my life has never been more challenging, more exciting, more fulfilling, more beautiful, more difficult or more real.

Father God I pray for all of those who do not know you as Father, that they would see the beauty and perfection of Your gift. nothing we can do to earn it. but it is freely available to all who seek it and accept it. who repent and live for You. thank You for Your perfect love, and for setting the example of what a Father should be so that no one should feel unloved or unwanted in this world if they know You. Amen.

sunshine and scrabble

Thank you God for giving us some sunshine today! It has been cold and rainy here for the last 3 days, which was totally amazing to me. We are in Sicily...it is June...and we have been expecting some serious heat.

The Sicilians we know have been telling us that this year is very unusual weather and it has not been like this in over 30 years. This does not surprise me. As part of my adventurous journey from Brighton TN to Sicily, I did a lot of driving. When I left my friend Vicki's house in SC, I had to drive to Raleigh, NC then on to Norfolk, VA. That day there was a storm, but not just any storm - the worst storm of the entire YEAR! It was pouring down rain, thunder and lightning and lots of traffic on the highways. There I was driving - me and our 3 dogs that have to stop to go to the bathroom more than little kids on vacation. Do I see a pattern developing?

Since we are not just here on a Mediterranean vacation for a week or so, we were quite thankful for the rain. We planted (read: the landscaper planted) a new lawn here from seeds about a month ago, and there are a lot of new trees and plants. The existing sprinkler system only works for part of the yard and the rest must be manually watered. I stand outside for what feels like hours using various settings on the spray nozzle attachment. No complaints though - it is really a peaceful time of my day. There are a lot of birds and butterflies (answered prayers!) around here. But no matter how long I stand there watering, those areas always need more water!! I just took these pics of the yard from the kitchen door - it is really green out there now!

Check this out - last night I looked over at my scrabble tiles from a game we had started the night before. Immediately these letters jumped out at me so I had to take a picture!!!

Click here if you want to learn more about Adonai.

theme song

Brad and I have decided that our new theme song in Sicily will be:

domani domani ci è sempre domani. è soltanto un giorno via.

This is translated online by babelfish from: Tomorrow tomorrow there is always tomorrow. It is only a day away.

So, the story is that the air conditioners are all installed and the older ones were cleaned and serviced so that is great news! We are ready for any heat that comes our way. The a/c works great here for such small units they are very powerful.

this morning i thought i had been transported back in time. it sounded like canon fire from the old masted ships out over the water and when i looked out there were puffs of smoke and the 'bombs' continued to blast for about 10-15 minutes and it was only about 7:30 in the morning! i do not know what it was, although our friend told us that 2 local priests have rivalries in upcoming feasts of the patron saints of their towns and during the celebrations they try to outdo each other with elaborate and probaby loud fireworks. so this could have been a preview of these feasts that happen at the end of this month.