THE EVOLUTION OF A KITCHEN

I know the experience of putting in a new kitchen is not unique...most of the people I know--that would be you--have renovated, rebuilt, renewed a kitchen, a bathroom, a house.  But the lingering memory of it all is THE GRIT.  The crunchy, sticky, slippery stuff that travels from "the room" to every nook and cranny of the house....and no matter how much I clean, I mop, I sweep, I dust, it lives and thrives and grows.  And I'm in constant cleaning mode--not my favorite mode in which to live.  And then one day, it's done...and the cleaning continues, but the final product is admired and enjoyed.  And like the pain of childbirth, the nightmare of THE GRIT is a long-forgotten memory. 

I'm still waiting for the memory to replace the reality, but I am confident....Below is a pictorial of the process...luckily for you the grit doesn't photograph well.


exposed gas line...yep, that's cement and rock

before renovation





                                                    

pipes and plumbing--
more than I ever wanted to
know about what's behind
the walls



the artist at work!!  the tiling mostly finished....

And then IKEA came and in four hours assembled and installed all the elements...and I now have an expanded work space and a solid counter top and more cupboards...wahoo!!!

I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS

THE BIDET:  WHAT OTHER USES??

As you know, the bidet, used for personal, intimate hygiene, is standard in most European bathrooms.  Not a bad idea and the Italians are crazy about their bidets.  My cousin, Rino, spent most of one evening extolling the virtues of the bidet and explaining, in detail, how it's the only way to REALLY get clean...down there.

Americans, not so much.  Most of us are happy with showers and  feel just as clean...down there.  However, I have found some other functional uses of the bidet.....

*  After a day of walking the hot streets of Rome or Florence, soaking my feet in cold water in the bidet...heaven!
*  If I'm giving myself a pedicure, the best place to soak my feet, in preparation...the bidet.
*  Washing my underwear....
*  Rinsing out the mop...
*  Filling it with ice and putting in a 12-pack of beer to cool...
*  But, my newest discovery...watering my plants and letting them live there for about a week.  My marjoram plant grew 3 inches last week from just sitting in the bidet.

It just shows-to-go-ya, take a cultural icon and turn it on its head, and you've got...a planter!

Which leads me to my next question---

HOW DO WE REFLECT OUR NATIONALITIES??

We play a game when we're out and about, especially sitting in the piazza having a coffee or a Compari: "Where are THEY from?" (THEY are the women with kids, the group of boys, the couple with the paper....)  I've become a great believer in idiosyncratic behavior that mirrors an entire nation--you know what they say, there is a basis for all stereotypes!

For example, Italians saunter and stroll every where they go...no hurry, no deadlines, just a cool promenade across the street, or in front of the car, or into the hardware store.  Because cutting a bella figura is important---how one looks in clothes and in actions is everything.  I work on it every day, and somehow, just when I think I've got it...I remember I forgot milk at the store and I twirl around and rush into the store---oooops, where'd my saunter go???

The British gesticulate less than the Italians.  They aren't as effusive in speech or manner, but are serious and intense while talking.  They also carry also an air of confidence and belonging, whether in Rome or Necosia or Mumbai---is that a reflection of a nation that occupied much of the world?

Americans are loud...when we are out in public, our voices carry. When we're in a group, the sound is magnified.   When I laugh hard, my laugh fills a room...(I like to laugh), but that immediately identifies me as American because the Italians don't laugh out loud like that.  When Gary is making a point, an important point, his voice fills the room, his singular voice demands attention...and people look--at him when he talks, at me when I laugh.  Oh well, we've embraced our idiosyncrasies!! 

Clothes are a great definer...but it's becoming harder and harder because, I believe, of the influence of television and films.  Teenagers, for example, look the same whether in California or Porto, Portugal.  Jeans, t-shirts, sweatshirts.  Italians don't wear tennis shoes when they go out.  To the gym, yes.  To have a coffee or to go shopping, absolutely not!  There was a time only Americans wore tennis shoes out; comfort being the operative here.  The Italians would rather be uncomfortable and look good than be comfortable and look bad---ahhhh, la bella figura raises its head once again. 

We have recently joined a gym (yes, applause, please) and leave first thing in the morning, have our cappuccini, and hit the treadmill---but, we leave with our workout clothes on and run errands after the gym, in our workout clothes, then go home and shower and change.  Where do we think we are???  California???  We're obviously more concerned with comfort and utility than how we look....we'll never be Italian!

And a fanny pack???  Forget it...nothing attractive about those!

So our game continues....how someone sits, walks, dresses, talks, gesticulates, interacts with friends, orders coffee, greets friends all contribute to an image of not only who they are, but where they're from!

SINCE WHEN DID THE WEATHER BECOME SOOOO IMPORTANT??

It's so obvious, weather conditions impact crops and travel and livestock and world economies...I just seem to have missed it.  Do ya think living in Southern California, where we live in perpetual spring, has something to do with it?

Here, the weather dictates everything.  Do we go out today??  Can we plant our flowers yet?  Does the car need snow tires so we can drive on the roads??  WHAT DO I WEAR TODAY??  Are we having company, will we need to put a million blankets on the bed??  Do I need my umbrella?  Shall I wear my down jacket or the leather one???  Will the Regata be a success??  Will I be able to eat fresh mussels??  Can I have tea in the garden or in the house??

So every day we check the weather channel, online for the 10 day forecast, and look at the sky.  But the sky isn't consistent---it could be brilliantly clear in the morning and then covered by dark rain clouds by mid-day.  How can I decide whether we'll go to the cheese festival or not?  Will the flower festival be rained out??  Are festivals rained out?  Can I go for a bike ride--if I went for bike rides--??  Are we expecting a thunder storm?  If so, the dog next door freaks out at thunder and has been known to tear up our screen door just to get to people.  Are the winds kicking up??  Do we need to bring the umbrellas in??  And on and on and on....

It's an awakening to a primal and visceral element...mixed with great awe.  I hate being "controlled" by the weather, but we don't control it, it controls us...and one must be respectful.  It puts everything into perspective; makes our petty plans and problems just that, petty. 
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Bidets and idiosyncrasies and the weather...I have trouble reining in my mind.  But, I have the joy and privilege of looking at my life through a different lens each and every day---thanks for letting me share it with you!