Yesterday morning, Saturday, I drove into Fiano for groceries. It was damp but the sun had broken through. I parked the car in a very quiet Piazza and carried the water bottle crates to the fountain to fill up with fresh water. I felt an overwhelming pressure in the air, like a looming storm, but there was nothing to indicate this in the sky. I walked up the empty street to La Dispensa, just three people were inside and, the conversation was subdued. Rosella behind the bar chatted with me and her final words were, ‘There is talk going about that we are likely to be in lock-down again by December.’ So it wasn’t just me. Today, Sunday, we are expecting a big announcement from the Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte.
But we are not worried, Life eeez good, Life eeez now! My man and I are very fortunate, we live in the middle of the Tuscan countryside and can easily work from home. We are already in partial lock-down by choice and this morning’s walk around the garden was really uplifting. Everything remains lush and green, with heavy dew in the mornings and sunshine to encourage continued growth.
Masses of acorns are falling from our oak trees and we should probably rake them up. Last year several took root and my man has been mowing the tiny shoots down. The thought crossed our minds that maybe we should let them grow and have our own oak-tree forest! What do you think? A neighbour has nets under their big tree, collecting the acorns for some reason. Wine, tea? Any ideas?
I mentioned fungi last week and the damp weather continues to encourage wonderful displays of mushrooms and other fungi at the base of some of the older and rotting tree stumps. And, from the lower terrace the view was stunning as we watched the morning mists gradually dissapating in the rays of the morning sun.
Back in my study I checked my emails and was once again was reminded of another reason why I love Autumn so much. Yes, I’m talking about Autumn/winter Italian fashion, you guessed! Here is an outfit that I love, again from Luisa Spagnoli; I’m on her mailing list. I know, but I am only window shopping, one day when I have made a fortune from book sales, I’ll fill my wardrobe with her stuff! http://www.luisaspagnoli.it
Well, that’s enough, my man is expecting roast potatoes for lunch. I can’t complain when he looks at me the way he does, I just love him to bits. He’s currently overjoyed about Exeter Chiefs winning the European Rugby Championship. Exeter is my city of birth and my man used to go to the old Rugby ground there when it was still ‘standing only,’ weeds growing up through the cracked concrete and on the site of the old speedway racing stadium! Well done Exeter Chiefs!
OK, time to sign off and send you this blog. May you all remain safe and sound, I miss you all, maybe we’ll meet again next year.
Salute June x
PS Visit my author site at http://www.junefinnigan.website
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Ciao June, Interesting blog. We too have a surfeit of acorns, they are thick underfoot near the oaks, and the squirrels and jays obviously can’t keep up. I looked up acorns as food and the information below is copied from the internet.
Like many other true nuts, acorns are an excellent source of food, and they provided people with a wealth of health and food recipe ideas in earlier times. Today, they’re still in fashion as a food, and rightly so, because they’re filled with B vitamins, protein, little fat, and they’re a decent complex carbohydrate, and are good for controlling blood sugar levels.[1] Every species of acorn is edible, but some taste better than others. However, it is very important you do not eat them raw; in order to not eat acorns that are bitter-tasting and toxic, you’ll need to process them first. Here are directions and some suggestions about how to use acorns as food.
They must be “leached” by boiling in water several times until the water is clear.
Remove the acorns once leached and leave to simply dry or to make roasted nuts after drying, as desired. Raw acorns can be stored for months without spoiling; this dramatically increases their value, being a “process as needed food resource”, however, they must be dry or otherwise they can get moldy and mildewed. But only when leached are they ready to use.
So there you are, if you fancy a little cottage industry, get collecting!!!
The sun is shining this morning after a completely grey weekend, so must get out in the garden. Rain forecast for the rest of the week. All is well here, but like you, waiting for the axe of another lock down to fall! Had a nice meal at home with all the family yesterday, just in case!
Molto amore Hilary xx
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Thank you Dearest Hilary, Always so very helpful and knowledgeable. xxx
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