Ivan

Last week I was at the vet's office and they coerced me into taking another cat. This one was a mature cat whose owner had brought him in to be euthanized because she couldn't afford to keep him anymore. (Who does that?) Anyway, I took Ivan home and introduced him into the "cat house." He, like all new cats, went to the top shelf and stayed there for 3 days. Last night I went in to get their dishes and he was at my feet wanting to be petted. I thought all was well until this morning. I took the cats' food dishes into their house and Ivan was nowhere to be found. I had the window cracked about 2 inches wide and somehow he pushed it open and got out. I guess he'll come back or he won't. Being a cat whisperer is a tough job.

The Sicilians

Last week Dennis went to his high school reunion and met up with his friend, Sam Lupo, who was there with his wife, Mary Lee. They had a great time reminiscing about their high school and college days. It turned out that Sam and Mary Lee knew some of the same family and friends who I grew up with. In short, Mary Lee contacted Margarita and Joe Lo Medico, owners of Venice Pizza and long-time friends from the Sicilian community, and set up a dinner for last night.

We (Dennis, Mom and I) met the Lupos at Venice for dinner and had a great time talking about the old days. We expect to see more of them and the Lo Medicos in the future. As an aside, we found out the Lupos were in Sicily around the same time we were. Small, small world. I should have taken pictures. Darn.

Movie Tuesday

I know it's a little late, but we did go to the movies last Tuesday. The movie was Prisoners with Hugh Jackman, Terrence Howard, Jake Gyllenhaal, Melissa Leo, Paul Dano, and Maria Bello. This was a very dark movie. I didn't care for the storyline, but I have to admit it was gripping. 

Giardini-Naxos, Taormina, Sicily / Siracusa Sept. 10-11, 2013

The Beach at Giardini-Naxos, Taormina

Cactus growing in the sand

Taormina

For Mom

Siracusa

Our Hotel

More Giardini-Naxos

Dinner with friends from San Diego

Dinner and a Band

Panorama

Driving across Sicily - Sept. 9, 2013

From Palermo to Catania

An interesting bridge

The center of Sicily is rural farmland

A long, long tunnel

An excellent driver

Exit to the Shopping Outlet

Mt. Etna

Fica di Indya (cactus apples) line the freeway