Springtime Joy and the game of Risk...

Dear Friends and Family,

Among other blessings this week I heard the doorbell ring while studying one afternoon. I went to answer the door and found the family's 4-year old girl standing there (this is of course her house but she had been out in the yard), offering me some flowers that she had picked. She was quite intent on me receiving them and putting them in water. So, I grabbed what was handy.... which was an empty can of green beans, and discovered that it made a rather handy vase. So, these past few days I've had these flowers and rather original vase sitting on my table, as can be seen above. In fact, I'm looking at them right now as I type this.

She wanted to keep talking. I explained that I had to make a phone call to someone in English in a few minutes. She asked if she could sit with me outside while I made the call. I explained that it would probably be rather boring for her and so instead guided her back to where her mother was working in the garden and she seemed content to rejoin her mom.

I recount the above to share with you some of the simple, little blessings in everyday life here. Another blessing this past week that would fall more in the category of daily life is the game or Risk that I began last night with the teenage young men of the family. I will post here a photo of the current state of the game. I am the blue army. Since I'm unable to figure out how to turn the photo around, I'll have to post it here sideways:

There is something refreshing and uplifting about trying to conquer the world and having battles with various armies, and the young men are good sports. We'll see how this game ends. We had to stop last night at 11:45 PM. While that hour might seem crazy to you, we were only able to begin at 10:00PM because dinner here usually begins at 9:00PM. Some families in Italy follow a Mediterranean rhythm closer to that of Spain, My host family is one of them. Hopefully, we'll continue the game tonight, but in the meantime, after lunch which is about to begin in a few minutes, I'll take a siesta...

There were, of course, many spiritual blessings this past week, but I thought you might appreciate hearing about some more ordinary aspects of life here.

Praying for you all. May Our Lady watch over you and Jesus be you strength and protection.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari