Letters from a 300-year-old Italian farmhouse. June 29

Finding joy in gelato, family and home.

Our house is a very, very, very fine barn…

As unwieldy as it seems, the old barn we discovered 12 years ago, is turning out to be just what we had hoped it would be. Yes, we have ants whose fortitude rival that of Napoleon’s finest armies, and an abundance of scampering lizards, not to mention the occasional scorpion. But the whole reason my husband and I fell in love with our 300-year-old stone barn, was that the massive space was one where we could imagine sharing time with our kids, under the same roof with us, all at once. And that is just what is happening here right now.

Our son and daughter in law and their three kids arrived from Canada for the month and it is as wonderful as we had dreamed. Their kids, our grandkids, have been here often enough that they now know their way around, and settled in to “their room” in a matter of minutes, before piling into the pool. The squeals and the splashing were welcomed sounds during our heat wave. And afterwards, we served dinner in our wine cave, which is not only the coolest room in the house, it somehow always feels like eating in an Italian restaurant, even to me.

With grilled chicken and a mint stracciatella gelato cake, we celebrated our oldest grandchild’s 11th birthday. I can not speak for him, but it is a birthday party I will always remember..

It is so fascinating hearing our kids’ take on the world around us, and observing what excites them. These people, young and younger, are among the most interesting I know. I always learn so much when we are together.

After weeks of bewildering news and headlines, listening to Italian radio DJ’s laugh and joke about the American billionaire’s embarrassing spectacle of a wedding in neighboring Venice, or following the geopolitical news about war and peace and peace and war, I had grown really quite weary. But I am realizing, especially now, that being with family is what truly matters. Catching butterflies, making pesto together, waiting to finally see the fireflies appear in the distant bushes under a fading red sunset and a silvery crescent of a moon, that is what endures.

Italians know a thing or two about this, about being centered by family. I am understanding it more fully than ever.

These young people, in contrast to the people and pundits in the news feeds, are the ones who will guide us into the future, who are already doing so in many ways. Their values, their curiosity and innate wisdom are a comfort to me, in a sometimes uncomfortable world. I feel truly lucky to have met my husband who brought three amazing young sons with him when we married, who welcomed me into their lives so seamlessly, and whose families are now also a part of mine.

Today would have been the 101st birthday of my mother, Rainy, and her spirit is also very near. I sense that she has been hovering around us in the garden, by the pool, in the kitchen and at the gelateria. And I know that she is also loving the tastes, the colors, the sounds and the textures of my life, my family, now.

What about you? Are you listening to the sounds around you?? Appreciating the blessings of family, of a cool summer morning, or a warm summer night? Are you taking time to stop, put away the newsfeeds and feel what matters most to you, in your home, your community? In your life?

Tell me what you are doing, and how you are feeling. Are you eating well, and enjoying what good things there around you? It is so important to find the time to bring joy into our lives. I want to see how we are all making these times, be the best of times.

And keep looking for my posts. I’ll be right here looking for you. It is so nice to be back writing from Italy to you.

Thank you for spending time with my letters. And if you enjoy them, I would love for you to click the little heart at the top of this letter, and comment or share it with others. It means more to me than you know. These letters are how I stay close to everyone, near and far. I will be writing every week or two, with stories of Piemonte, recipes that I have fallen in love with, tales of people I meet, places I discover and anything else that I think you might find amusing, curious or worthwhile. It’s a way to connect with you, look at the world from a different window, and hopefully let a little Italian sunshine into your day.

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