Spaghetti & Confetti (041/365)

TIME: 8:55 AM
PLACE: Vivianos
SUBJECT: Spaghetti & Confetti

The annual Family Italian/Cookie run occurred this morning.

I have my cheese, bread, salami, wine and cookies.

It will probably all be consumed before Christmas.

Freshly Picked Raspberries

TIME:  8:21 AM
PLACE:  Kitchen
SUBJECT:  Raspberries

The raspberry bush is loaded this year.  I picked a quick handful this morning.


TIME:  8:48 PM
PLACE: Joey B’s on the Hill, St. Louis, MO
SUBJECT:  Stella and her spaghetti

The girls and I went shopping in St. Louis this evening. 
We then went out for supper.
That’s a whole lot of spaghetti – she didn’t make a dent.

The Family (253/365)

“What greater thing is there for…human souls than to feel that they are joined for life - to strengthen each other in all labor, to rest on each other in all sorrow, to minister to each other in all pain, to be one with each other in silent, unspeakable memories.”

George Eliot (English Victorian Novelist. Pseudonym of Mary Ann Evans, 1819-1880)

TIME:  9:23 AM
PLACE:  The Hill, St. Louis, MO
SUBJECT:  Building detail

My dad picked me and DramaQueen up at 8am this morning to go to the Hill for cheese, salami and bread.  This building is across the street and east of J. Viviano & Sons on Shaw Ave, where we stopped.  There is a sign for Di Gregorio’s Market (5200 Daggett Ave.) on the front of the building, but I don’t know if they own the it or not.  In any case, I like this detail on its front.  I’ve been working on my genealogy again, and this sign is very apropos right now.

Canned Tomatoes (352/365)

“The path of civilization is paved with tin cans.”

Elbert Hubbard (American editor, publisher and writer, 1856-1915)

TIME:  9:20 AM
PLACE:  Viviano & Sons, Inc., St. Louis, MO
SUBJECT:  Marconi canned tomatoes

This morning was our annual “Italian Run” for the holidays.  We met up with Dad, Great Aunt Marie, my sister, my brother and his family and my niece’s friend and his family at Viviano & Son’s in St. Louis.  Then we bought fresh salami at Volpi’s and finally made the trek to our cousin’s bakery (Rosciglione's) in St. Charles for Italian cookies.  The best part of this tradition?  Eating lunch when we return home – fresh baked bread with Filzetti salami, some caccicavallo cheese and a sprinkling of olive oil with cookies for dessert.  Later tonight, I think I’m opening the bottle of Riesling we bought.  The kids are driving me to drink.

Blue Ridge Bottling Co. (071/365)

 
“I'd rather have a bottle in front of me, than a frontal lobotomy.”

Dorothy Parker (American short-story Writer and Poet, 1893-1967)

TIME:  12:47 PM
PLACE:  S. Kingshighway, St. Louis, MO
SUBJECT:  Blue Ridge Bottling Co. building

This building is just north of Shaw Ave, near the Hill in St. Louis.  It no longer houses the Italian oriented bottling firm that was originally established in 1914, but the sign remains.

I stepped out of work early today (I went in from 8:30-11:00am) when I found out that HandsomeHusband took a 1/2 day off and we went to lunch together.  Sort of a date!  We went to the Lafayette Fire Company No. 1, in Lafayette Square in St. Louis.  We had a nice lunch and then headed to the Hill to check out Bertarelli Cutlery and Di Gregorio’s Market for a bit.  Before we left, I ran into Viviano’s for some bread and mortadella (Italian salami).  After delivering one of the loaves of bread to a friend, we stopped for some ice cream and indulged ourselves - a malt for HH and concrete for me - and then headed home.  Apparently, it’s all about the food with us.  I enjoyed the time with HH, just the two of us…I wish we could do this more often.

Behind the Green Brick (074/365)

"Sometimes we stare so long at a door that is closing that we see too late the one that is open."

Alexander Graham Bell (Scottish born American Inventor and Educator, 1847-1922)

TIME: 10:51 AM (yesterday)
PLACE: 5100 block of Wilson Avenue, St. Louis MO
SUBJECT: Green brick and a pink door

I spent much of today supervising and helping the two older kids rake the leaves that had plastered themselves against our chain-link fence in our yard and listening to DQ complain THE ENTIRE TIME about the raking of said leaves. I also cleaned up the flower beds at the base of our front porch. They have been empty ever since HH rebuilt the porch a couple of years ago. I guess this year I really need to do some gardening with them! So intent was I on yard work, and so tired afterwards, that I failed to take any photos! So, the above photo is from yesterday; this building sat across the street from St. Ambrose Church. I noticed the green brick first, which has a smooth glass-like surface. Then, I saw the pink door and was taken by its contrast with the brick.

A Reverent Place (073/365)

"“A holy reverence checks our speech, And praise sits silent on our tongues”

Isaac Watts (English Hymn-writer, theologian and logician, 1674-1748)

TIME: 10:36 AM
PLACE: 5130 Wilson Avenue, St. Louis MO
SUBJECT: The Interior of Saint Ambrose Catholic Church, looking toward the Altar

DramaQueen spent the night at the Science Center with the Girl Scouts last night and I went to pick her up this morning. HH requested that I stop on "The Hill" and pick up some bread, cheese and Volpi salami. I readily agreed! After our shopping expedition, we drove around and I took some pictures of this St. Louis Italian neighborhood. I decided to show DQ the church that ties the area together. There is something about entering the quiet of a church. For me, it is always so peaceful, soothing and spiritual. This is such a beautiful church. I said a few prayers for my family and friends and then took a few photos. There are many more I want to share...I'll have to post them on my other blog for you.