Monday, July 7, 2014

A Night in Naples

When the kids were little, we were with them day and night. Now they are teens, the whole family hasn't been in the same room for months. So when my friend Elizabeth invited us over for an Italian dinner (her husband is from Naples) I said to her: "We're all coming." (Poor Elizabeth!) Thought it was worthy of a group selfie before we left home, but had to commandeer the 16 year-old on this one, my aged clumsy thumbs could not manage it.

Kevin, Jackson, Tallulah, Me, Cy, Teddy and Harley taking group selfie at home

Entering Elizabeth's house is like traveling to a completely different country, a country that she's created. Which is only to be expected from someone who wears a velvet opera cape to Safeway's ("where else would I wear it?"). She's an antiques dealer who scours Italy and France for finds and then seems unable to part with some of them. Occupational hazard? There's something to look at in every nook and cranny and much attention is paid to holidays - even the boarhead has his tiara changed with the seasons.

Giampiero and Elizabeth in their kitchen




Linda and Elizabeth have know each other 30 years

Giampiero's home-made limoncello, fancy firewater



Tallulah and Elizabeth admire her corgi, Winston

Everyone around the table

Elizabeth made everything from scratch - tuna pasta, salmon with snap peas and courgettes, salad and then berries with orange juice. Giampiero made the bread and the limoncella. (I scoffed two plates of the tuna pasta then realised it was just one of four courses.)
 
They asked us how Kevin and I met. You know the story...it was a party in London and we ended up sitting next to each other after being spurned by the objects of our temporary affections. Perdentes.

Elizabeth told us that she and Giampiero worked together at a fashion company in SF but she hadn't considered him as he was two inches shorter than her 5ft11. He was persistent though and invited her and her mother to dinner after which her mother said: "He's the three C's -  cute, charming and a great cook - what are you waiting for??!!" They have two sons ages 24 and 26 who work for their papa at his construction company.

Our boys were horrified at the thought of working for their papa. We agreed that everyone was different when it came to working with family.

We then raised our glasses and said: "In the face of the one who thinks badly of you!" (It sounds prettier in Italian.)

So how did you meet your loved one? Go on...you can tell me...







36 comments:

  1. Hope this is what you needed to help with the funk. We are high school sweethearts. Saw my glorious ass and knew he would marry me. I kept thinking there might be something a bit better...I was horrible...but fortunately he stuck around until I wished up.

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    1. You and Jay together on the high school romances!

      Brings a tear to my eye, glorious ass 'n' all and tenacious man wins the day again.

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  2. It's not a new story but we met at his 18th birthday party, he'd got his friends to hand out invites to as many females as possible, the party was approximately 5 boys and 200 girls!
    Our 18 year old is working on the building site with his dad tomorrow - I wonder if he'll survive the day?!

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    1. Love the story of your meeting - and how incredibly long you've been together - is it that you have more memories with your husband than without?

      I only have a couple of friends who were actually married in their early twenties, the rest of us much later. There was a whole bunch of us Kiwi "girls" in London and we moved in a solid group which blokes said could be intimidating.

      Can't wait to get the update on the 18 year on the building site!

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    2. Far more memories with him than without, he knows everything about me! We only married.when I was 26 and he nearly 31, don't like to rush things!
      Number 1 son worked a full day; from 8.30 to 2.30! And he's exhausted!!

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  3. haha yeah I would not want to work with family either, no way hosa, unless it was great pay. Sounds like she has a place all her own indeed.

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  4. Great pics! and like that zigzagy dress Jody; love their home and they look like the perfect hosts. Sounds like the perfect evening.

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    1. Thanks GSL, chevron stripes aka ziggy zaggy with appear again on Wed with some other bloggy frock hopefully.
      Hope all is well with work

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  5. What an amazing house! She must dust a lot though!

    I met my ex-h at my French penfriend's wedding. He was the 'temoin' (Best Man).

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    1. Your penfriend then would be a ....(word in Japanese which means the person that brought you together) and you are supposed to give them a gift every year.
      Not sure what happens when they are ex...
      Apparently we should have gifted that person who had the party in London. She now lives in Marin so no excuse for us really...

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    2. A gift? More like a booby prize!

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  6. So fun to read about your evening with Elizabeth! I imagine your kids were wide-eyed! They will never forget that evening; they could have gone to ten movies and three restaurants and not been more entertained (though they may not realize it now). You were a smart mama to include your family in the magical evening.
    I'm enjoying your blog....Elizabeth steered me in your direction!!

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    1. Hi FV! Welcome to the blog! it was entertaining for the kids to hear all our stories and esp those years they lived in Italy with their two boys

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  7. We met in high school, I saw him first and fell hard, turned into a stalker. He was dating someone else, but when they broke up we met up, took me a while but landed him. Married when I was 18 and he was 19.

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  8. We worked together--- I know-- not terribly original! But I am glad we were friends first and that we had the opportunity to develop respect for one another.

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    1. He was the manager and you were a manager too right?

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  9. Oh my goodness, this looks like an awesome party. Next time, can I go? Your family looks absolutely precious. When I was nineteen I decided to take guitar lessons, then I changed my mind. Meanwhile the guitar teacher kept calling my house while I made up my mind. Finally, I relented and picked up my guitar. I had never seen this man before. As I was walking into the music store I passed someone and we glanced at each other. thought, "I bet that's my teacher." The weird part is, I also thought, "what if we date and get married." That is weird because I never thought about getting married. I was in college and working at Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour. He was my teacher, we did date, we got married. Is it fate if you divorce five years later?

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    1. Hi Burnita, fascinating story! re fate, I think you have asked the ultimate question, how far does fate take us?

      I was so bad at the guitar (and violin) that I had to fake strum in the school band performances and fake bow in the school orchestra, it was for the greater good.

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  10. Just love this! Elizabeth's house is amazing as is she. I have been to a few dinners at homes like this in my life and never forgot them. I admire people who effortlessly entertain and create such a beautiful world around them like this! I aspire to be like her one day.

    You guys look cute in the selfie. Gosh the kids have grown so much! Hope you all are enjoying summer. We are trying to get back after post-vacation slump.
    xx Kim

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    1. You would love it Kim! It was such a unwindulaxing eve and really felt I traveled to a different place on earth.

      I know that slump, hard to get out of it isn't it? i have not exercised not a jot! since I got back from NZ which is part of my problems..

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  11. What an amazing home :) Looks like such a wonderful time xx

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  12. What a lovely dinner! I love those sort of casual evenings, with lots of chat, wine and good food. Your chevron dress is fab too.
    I met my husband at the Pub. It was Uni exam period - he'd finished his exams unusually early, and as I was studying Architecture we didn't have any exams that particular year (we had horrendous design submissions instead. But that clearly didn't stop me going out). The pub was literally deserted (normally you couldn't move). So he had to talk to me… we hit it off, and that was it really...and here we are 20 years later, married with three kids. I often tell him how lucky he is. xx

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    1. He is lucky!

      In NZ I think its pretty widely accepted that architecture is the hardest degree there is(harder than training to be a doctor) so well done you on squeezing the pub visit in!

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  13. We worked in the same office. We both had feelings for the other but as is the case in the workplace, you have your funny email banter and don't let on! He went off to work in Japan for what was going to be a very long time. As soon as he landed, I confessed my crush. We spoke on the phone and after he hung up, he was a wreck. He says "I just got off the phone to the girl I knew I was going to marry and I was stuck in Japan for what was probably going to be a very long time". My timing wasn't great. The next day, the massive Tohoku earthquake and tsunami occurred and he was forced to fly home immediately. I moved in with him within a couple of weeks and last November we were married.
    I agree with Kim above, you can see Elizabeth has created a beautiful world for herself and those who visit that inspires me to do the same.

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    1. Hi Anna, thanks for coming all the way over from skiing near Melbourne - how cool!

      What a lovely story with really happy ending - just as well you confessed your crush!

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  14. I have a less than glamorous story about how I met Chris...it involves lots of beer and someone throwing up in a sink! Enough said!!

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  15. Her home looks amazing! My husband and I have been sweethearts since high school.

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    1. Gosh, lots of high school sweethearts here today! Cool

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  16. What a great evening! I'm jealous:)
    "In the face of the one who thinks badly of you!" sounds much more elegant than "Up yours" does it not?

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