The Gift of Giving

Last week the children at the AmBrit International School here in Roma, where my friend Larry teaches, had their yearly visit from Babbo Natale. Babbo did bear a striking resemblance to Larry in many ways but particularly in the way he helps teach the children about giving as one of the best gifts at Christmas.


Most of the children at the school want for very little and enjoy healthy and happy lives but they have learned that there are children in their own city who are not as fortunate. These are children in the AIDS ward at the Bambino Gesù Pediatric Hospital - many of whom are undergoing treatment far away from home. So for several years now, on that special day when Babbo Natale finds time to stop by, the children at AmBrit have been bringing gifts for a gift exchange. But it is a not a gift exchange as we normally think of it. The children give the gifts to Babbo Natale to take to the children in the Hospital when he does his Christmas Eve rounds. Their gift in return is knowing that they have give a few moments of happiness to another little boy or girl.

They have learned a lesson that is often forgotten - that giving can be one of the best gifts of the season.

22 decembre - Sant'Onorio di Canterbury

Lunedi Lunacy

Okay this little bit of inspired lunacy came in the way of a present from my dear friend Larry for my birthday. He had been reading my entry on Saint Sebastian a few weeks ago and decided this would be an appropriate gift.

In a way I'm glad they stuck (sorry bad pun) with the arrow story - I'm not sure what sort of doll the nice people at Unemployed Philosophers Guild would have come up with had they gone with the alternate form of martyrdom????

13 decembre - Santa Lucia da Siracusa

Let the Games Begin

Okay the Winter Olympics can now officially begin - I received my Winter Olympic Mittens in the mail today! Big old bacis to my darling Sheila! Mille grazie cara!

12 febbraio - Cerimonia inaugurale dei XXI Giochi Olimpici Invernali a Vancouver, Columbia Britannica, Canada.

A Few of My Favorite Things - Well Chosen Gifts

Each Christmas it becomes more and more difficult to find something unusual or even just fun to give. The big question around our place is always: Well what do want for Christmas? And for the past while the answer always seems to be: You know there's nothing I really want. So gifts become socks, underwear, gloves - all those practical things that your old aunt gave you as a kid and you turned your nose up at but now accept readily because you always forget to buy them for yourself. Fortunately there are also the little surprises that do appear under the tree such as a 3 CD set of vintage recordings of Mahler, Brahms and Strauss (even after 60 years Kathleen Ferrier and Bruno Walter can break you heart with Mahler's Songs on the Death of Children) or a Cavalry officer from the Greek War of Independence in beautiful detail.

Then there is that gift that you may have mentioned briefly at one time, forgotten about and is suddenly yours. When we spent that fun Sunday at Wendy's Flavor of Italy making pranzo I used this great rasp style grater to zest the lemons for the ravioli. I think I may have said something to our friend Jocelyn about it in passing one day. Well guess what I unwrapped at her place on Christmas Day? The minute I got home I had to try it - voila a pile of lemon zest in seconds and no idea what to do with it at two o'clock in the morning!

And while wandering around the housewares department at Rinascente gazing at 600 euro coffee machines on Wednesday I came across two ceramic cups that I had seen in Pesaro in August and thought were cute. They turned out to be perfect stuffers for Laurent and Lionel's stockings. And also a great idea for the gift exchange on Christmas Day. And of course I had to buy one for myself for those mornings when I need a double espresso to get motivated at the old keyboard.

And finally totally unexpected I received a lovely present when we dropped in to say hello at our friend's Simonetta and Renato. A perennial and delightful guest at their table on family occasions is Alberto Testa, the Italian dancer, choreographer and dance authority. Il professore - I once called him Dottore and was begged not to: "Everyone in Rome is a dottore" he said with a sardonic twinkle in his eye and voice - turned 87 on December 23 and is still elegant, graceful and a wonderful story teller. His description of teaching Burt Lancaster (a natural dancer) and Claudia Cardinale (a stick) the waltz for Il Gattopardo is funny with a bit of a bite. He surprised me with an autographed copy of his book on Nureyev.

Looking over what I've just written I may have to revise those first thoughts - there are still things out there that when given or received give delight, particularly when they come from family and friends.

29 decembre - San Tommaso Becket

Christmasy Things - Betty Jean's Cactus

With the passing of the year things have changed - as they do - and this Christmas will be different from last year in so many ways. First we're another year older, then we're in a different apartment in a different part of the city. For the first time in over 18 years we don't have a puppy or two running around getting underfoot as the tree gets trimmed. Bundnie always loved the little felt mice that went on the tree and one year actually managed to get a hold of one and hide it. Reese was always a little afraid of the tree - he could never figure out how the hell it got there and why it was sparkling.

And this year one dear friend will be missing from Christmas celebrations. Last year we spent Christmas with our friends Betty Jean, Stephen and their off-spring Sarah and Brian. We had started off as colleagues in Warsaw but, to our good fortune, became friends. Though the reason for their stay in Rome was not the happiest it proved a happy time in many ways. We shared a lot over the past 18 months: food, drink, conversation, warm companionship and laughter - particularly laughter.

I have made passing reference to both BJ and Stephen but never went into details as I felt it was not my story to tell. Stephen was under going treatment here in a three year battle against cancer with the incredibly strong support of BJ, if ever there was a team it was them. They returned to Canada in October and the night before they left I spoke with Stephen on the phone. He was tired but he wasn't giving up - that unique recognizable laugh of his still came, though perhaps not as easily as in the past. Stephen passed away on November 11th with BJ, as always, by his side.
Many of the plants on my balcony came from BJ when she was closing up house the first year we were here. And she gave me this Christmas cactus just after we arrived. I've never had much success with Christmas cactus and last year was no different. It sent out a few weak little buds but nothing bloomed. Then suddenly this year ten or twelve buds appeared in early November and by the end of the month it began to blossom.
In a somewhat silly, sentimental way I guess I'm associating those blooms with the good times we shared: the food, the drink, the conversation, the warm companionship and the laughter - particularly the laughter. This Christmas will be difficult one for BJ, Sarah and Brian and I wish there was some way we could make it easier. The only thing I can offer is that we are holding them in our hearts and as we gather for Christmas we will remember them in our toasts and graces. And when I look at our Christmas cactus I think of them and Stephen with the joy of friendship shared and laughter - particularly the laughter.

21 dicembre - San Pietro Canisio

Just Like the Real Thing... Only Smaller

Tuesday was a gorgeous day here - almost spring like, I noticed a few of the plants on the balcony are sending off new shoots. It was certainly too nice a day to sit around the house and I had to get down to a toy store at Piazza Navona before Laurent got back that afternoon from Greece.

And what does a toy store have to do with Laurent's return you may ask - or you may not but I have to work this in somehow. He collects lead soldiers which means he is the easiest person in the world to buy for - birthday, Christmas, anniversaries, welcome home I missed you cause nobody else would put up with my crap are occasions for adding to the collection. So what did I get him - something Italian? a Swiss Guard? A Carbineri? - nope if I were going to do that I'd try for the real thing!!!! I got him a Chairman Mao, little red book and all. Doesn't quite work with the 18th century French grenadiers but he can add it to his famous people grouping.

In honour of his time spent in China I have no problem giving him the Mao figure, however I refuse to be the one to add the Pope J2P2, Stalin, Mussolini or Hitler miniatures to his collection. And why exactly do they always group those figures together?

31 gennaio - San Giovanni Bosco