Buone Feste!

A short video card...



It's been an incredible year for us. After spending the last 30+ years in the Seattle area, we relocated to Italy. The changes in our lives have been both dramatic and subtle. I've tried to capture the transition in this blog, but it's hard to capture the feelings and effects of leaving your jobs, home, family, friends, and country and moving half-way around the world.

We are very thankful to all the people who have helped ease our transition. Our families and friends have been incredibly supportive and some of them have even consented to visit us in Italy to help alleviate any feelings of homesickness we might suffer! We had visits this year from Jim's nephew Mike and his wife Tina, Jim's sisters Alice and Marilynn, our friends Keith and Shay, and Jim's former boss and our friend Charlie. And next year's roster of visitors is already starting to fill up, so we have a lot to look forward to in 2010.

We are also very thankful to the people here who have helped us in our transition. The friends that we've made through Jim's work have been very kind and eager to help both Jim in his new job and us in our new life in Italy. Jim has nothing but good things to say about the people he works with.

The women who I've met through the International Women's Club have also been invaluable in our transition. An active group, they offer many activities, including Italian conversation classes, cooking classes, and field trips. In addition, they are a great resource of information: best doctors, restaurants, market stalls, gelaterias.... It's made the transition a lot faster and a whole lot more fun.

Finally, we must mention Letizia, Francesca, and Mattea, three generations of a wonderful family that we are lucky to call our neighbors. From the first day we moved in, they have been willing to help us, whether it is translating for us when the repairman comes, teaching us how to harvest olives, or inviting us to their home for dinner. (Even their dog Kruk is a good neighbor. He and Bruno like to get together and croon. We speculate that they are singing a love song to Bella.) We couldn't have asked for better neighbors. Without them, I think we would feel isolated at the end of Via Prulla.

We hope that you and your families are all healthy, happy, and enjoying the holiday season. All the best in 2010!

Pace e buone feste!