Unexpected Treats

In the past few days, life has been full of unexpected treats. 
We went for a Sunday morning coffee at Giancarlos’s new restaurant “L’Antica Osteria” (we went to the Aries on Saturday, and yes, we’re keeping a scorecard in the kitchen so we keep track of our coffee visits), when Giancarlo comes out of the kitchen holding a basket full of black, baseball sized summer truffles. They were gorgeous!! None of us have seen truffles like this in awhile, but because of the cool weather and rains, it was perfect truffle growing weather.

Yesterday afternoon, we were running a bit late for a catering job, when I heard Jeff pull up with the car, and I ran downstairs with the coolers to put into the car and there was this huge commotion outside the door. When I opened the door, the car was literally packed with kids! They were hysterically laughing and I when I pulled out the camera, they all started yelling “Cheeze!!”.  They run up and down the street in a pack, playing together all day long, and you wish you could let them know how very beautiful and special this time in their live is. When the long summer vacation days spread out in front of you, and the street becomes your kingdom.

Coming home from work a little after ten last night, loaded down with our empty cooler boxes and baskets, when the sounds of music drifted our way. When it is hot, our town band likes to rehearse outside in the little ‘piazzale’ across the street from our house. They drag their chairs and music stands outside, rig up a few lights, and rehearse.  We dropped our gear inside our house, grabbed a bottle of wine, a bunch of glasses and some chairs, and sat with our neighbors and listened to the music. One of our girl friends from this afternoon parked herself on my knee as she listened to the music and I stroked her long pigtails. Now, could there be a more pleasant way to spend an evening?