Weekend with Nonna

Friday night I went over to my Nonna's house to spend the weekend with her. I had Columbus Day off, so I had a three-day weekend, and she always tells me with her shaky Italian accent, "Maybe when you have a long weekend you can come over and stay with me." So I did. It was nice to spend time with my Nonna. It really took my mind off of things, and I had a great time.

On the first night we stayed up and watched the Italian channel, RAI International. We watched Ballando con le Stelle, which is Dancing with the Stars in Italy. American actor Ronn Moss, who plays Ridge on the Bold and the Beautiful, was a special guest dancer that night. He didn't speak a word of Italian. But Ballando con le Stelle is just like its American equivalent, the main difference being that there are five judges instead of three. But the judges themselves are quite odd characters. One resembles an Italian version of Joan Rivers, and one was this prissy, snobbish, Paris Hilton-type character, complete with her little runt of a dog. I've always thought that Italian people were among the most beautiful people in the world, but some of these people were just caricatures of American stereotypes. Many of the dancers were beautiful, although some of the women dressed like buttane (whores), as my Nonna repeatedly pointed out. The American women are the same way.

The main thing I can expect when I go to Nonna's house is lots of food. She just can't stop cooking for me! She made me beans, pasta, broccoli, potatoes, squash, and lots of other things. Much of the things that she makes for me comes from her garden. The squash that she made for me was a light green maraca-shaped squash, which I later found out is called calabash or bottle gourd. In Italian it is known as cucuzza, which is also the Sicilian word for squash in general. It is also an an affectionate term, as well as a slang term for a stupid or hard-headed person (hard like the squash itself). She gave me a cucuzza to take home, as well as a small pumpkin from her garden. Another oddity from her garden was a miniature watermelon, which was juicy and sweet. This watermelon was so small, it fit in the palm of my hand! I've never seen a watermelon so small in my life!

I helped her bring some of her plants into the basement before winter comes. I told her that I was thinking about getting some plants for my apartment, so she gave me one. She asked me, "Why go out and buy plants when I have so many here?" She's right: her house is surrounded by a variety of plants, including a forest of flowers, a few fruit trees, half a dozen basil plants, and, of course, her vegetable garden.

On Sunday, I went to church with her. Going to church is a nice respite. It is a refreshing escape from the mundane. Everytime I go with her, I feel a sense of relief, as if all burden was lifted from my shoulders. It is a strange experience that is very uplifting. It seems to gradually wash over me. I always feel awkward going to church, as I am not truly a Catholic, but I never feel shunned or unwelcome. I eventually become quite comfortable with the experience. Roman Catholicism is an important part of my family, and a piece of it lies within me. It fulfills something within me in the same way I find fulfillment in Paganism and other religions. It is a beautiful, indescribable experience. I find truth within its beauty.

One of the other activities that I enjoy is listening to her stories. She has a great memory, and is full of stories about Italy, her childhood, her family, my grandfather, my father, and my uncle. I try to absorb as much of this information as I can. I love learning about the history of my family. It makes me appreciate my heritage even more.

I had a great weekend. We did a lot of activites together. I'm glad I got to see my Nonna! Thanksgiving is just right around the corner, so I'll see her again soon!