Sicilian Spring

Shovel. Bucket. Scissors. Gloves. Jug of Water. I almost always have these important items in the back of my van, especially this time of year in Sicily when the ditches are full of color. Glorious, billowy wildflowers just begging to be picked. Our dining room table, kitchen counter, hall table, bathroom ledge and even the jug near the front door are constantly being filled with different blooms thanks to our bountiful Sicilian ditches. 

I am sorry my blog posts haven't been as bountiful lately. Life suddenly got very busy around here. First there was Passover which started off with a lovely, quiet Seder with another Jewish family here on base. Then there was Easter which involved a fabulous Pirate/Egg Hunt birthday party for a little friend of ours. Then there was a Sicilian Easter experience which was quite memorable and I'll try to post about that soon. But the biggest event of the past couple weeks was something that has been in the works for about a year. 

Last Spring, I got a little thought in my head. It was an idea that just wouldn't go away. It nagged at me, until it finally took root and I started sharing it with others: "Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could get an American children's author to make a visit to our small school here in Sicily?". That tiny seed of a thought eventually (with lots of work:fund raising, grant writing, and organizing) grew into an amazing reality last week.  I promise to write more about that soon, too. 

So much to catch up on and so much looming on the horizon. Spring always catches me off guard with the moody weather, the raucous displays of color, and a calendar that suddenly erupts with obligations big and small. Hoping you also have fields, ditches,or gardens full of Spring right now...it's the best way to calm the frenzy that can sometimes come with this season.