Tonight's Italian Meetup

Another smashing success tonight at our latest meetup. We met at Michelangelo's restaurant again. Good food, good wine, lots of laughs!

More photos and videos too? Click here!

Bridal Show at the Dulles Expo Center

After the cat show (see below), Ofeliya wanted to go next door to the bridal show. I didn't try to pretend I was a potential groom, but all the vendors kind of assumed I was, which was kind of fun. The better news was all the free samples of catered food and wedding cake.

More photos and video? Click here.

Cat Show

Today my friend Ofeliya invited me to a cat show at the Dulles Expo Center. I'm not a huge cat person (Sorry, Ofeliya! Sorry, Noelle!) but this was an interesting show. Cats were being judged in different categories and lots of cat accessories were for sale. Yes, some of the cats were awfully cute.

For you cat people, you want more photos and video? Click here!

Is it Halloween ALREADY?

Yep, Halloween stuff is already on sale! I must have fallen asleep for a month or something.

Someone tell the retailers: it's only September 7th! If you buy these pumpkins now, I doubt they'll look very good by the time Halloween rolls around!

Oktoberfest...well....

My wife and I decided to go to a local Oktoberfest party in Herndon last night. After we got there, though, we realized it was just a dinner being put on my a German restaurant with a traditional German band.

We took some pictures and then went home to watch Monk. :-)

Celebrating...A Separation!

Today we braved the weather to go The Old Brogue, an Irish restaurant in Great Falls, to celebrate our friend Gina's newly forged, contractual celebration from her husband. Suffice it to say without going into details that this was a real cause for celebration!

Water, Water Everywhere...

Today here in the DC area we got the remnants of Hurricane Hannah.

We had torrential rain and wind.
In the first two photos you can see one of the trees near our house that lost one of its branches.

In the last two photos, you can see a fence, part of which is completely underwater.

Hurricane Gustav, Hurricane Hannah and Hurricane Ike...Hannah and Her Brothers!

My Friend Davide in Italy sent me this photo from the area where he and my sister live....click it!!

Joe Ganci Maxim #3

I'd rather be a fat man in a thin man's body than a thin man in a fat man's body!

Joe Ganci Maxim #2

If time flies when you're having fun, then I must be having a blast because life is flying by!

Joe Ganci Maxim #1

As long as there is life, there is hope.

Mom is Making Great Strides Back to Health!

Guess who called me today? My mom!! Well, it was my sister at mom's hospital bedside, but this was the first time that mom was able to express a desire to talk with me. I understood most of what she said and she knew who I was I'm sure.

It's hard to believe but mom is getting better every day! She now recognizes my sister most of the time, she is eating again, and soon she is ready to start walking again! I am returning to visit her for another three weeks Sept. 23rd and hope she continues to improve between now and then.

My sister and I communicate every day and the stories she tells me of her conversations with mom are incredible! We couldn't make this stuff up!

For instance, here are some tidbits from the last few days. If you haven't already read my entry from August 27th, go back and read that one first so that this will make sense to you!

1. In the last few days, mom has recognized my sister just fine but today once again did not. My sister tried several things but mom kept saying to her that she was appreciative of her kindness but her daughter would come visit soon. Finally, in an act of desperation, my sister pulled out her ID and showed it to her. My mom looked at the ID, then at my sister, then back at the ID, then exclaimed,
   
   Oh, figlia mia! Perdonami, questa malattia mi ha impedito di riconoscerti!
   
   which means "Oh, my daughter! Forgive me, this disease has caused me not to recognize you!" She then extended her arms to hug my sister and my sister cried from joy and relief.
   

2. "Mom, do you remember when Joe was here?"
   
   "Joe was here? When? How long was he here? How many times did he come visit?"
   
   "He was here for three weeks and came to see you every day!"
   
   "Oh, my, I only remember him coming once and I wasn't even sure about that!"
   
   "Yes, and he's coming back soon to see you again!"
   
   
3. Mom: "What month is this? June?"
   
   "No, mom, it's September 3rd."
   
   "That's not possible. How long have I been sick? At least a year, right?"
   
   "No,mom, a little more than two months."
   
   "No, that's not possible, it's at least a year! I don't know if I'll be able to return home. After all, I'm already 83 years old."
   
   "No, mom, you will be 73 at the end of the year."
   
   "How is that possible? I was born in 1935, so I'm 83!"
   
   "Look, mom, let's subtract it on paper. 2008 - 1935 = 73."
   
   "Wow...I had no idea I was that young! I feel as if I were 100 years old! Hey, if I'm only 73 then I can still get better!"
   
   "Yes, mom, but you have to promise me that you're going to start to eat and slowly start to walk again."
   
   "Yes, I promise you I will."
   
   
4. "Mom, a lot of people have come to see you. Alessandro came again yesterday, but you were sleeping and we didn't want to wake you."
   
   "Alessandro? My nephew?"
   
   "Yes, he came all the way from Savona, at least three times now in the last couple of months."
   
   "Especially for me? You should have woken me! Poor boy! How good he was to come visit me. Tell him I'm sorry."
   
   "Others have come too. Chiara, Emanuele, Paola twice, aunt and uncle. But you were to ill during that time."
   
   "Darn this head of mine! All these people came and I don't remember anything!"
   
   

Defiant Leaf Stands Up to Gravity and Wind!

It's a little out of focus, but you can clearly see here a fallen leaf that has decided to stay upright, erect, vertical! No lying down on the job for this leaf.

Imagine trying to make this leaf stand up...it would be very difficult or impossible! But on its own, propping itself with a tiny tendril, it is standing straight up, at least until wind, gravity or a kid on the bike ends its reach for the sky!

Car Park or Park of Cars?

It was a pretty day when I woke up so I thought I'd get a little exercise in and get a good hard walk in at the park. When I drove there, there was only one parking place left! When I got out of my minivan, I saw that I was in good company. Almost every other car there was either a minivan or an SUV! No wonder: walking into the park, I saw nothing but young moms and their little kids. Yep, families in America use family vehicles!

Which one of these minvans is mine? I"m not telling!

Wet Web

I found this next to my fence when I went out one morning to walk my dog. Sometimes we see spider webs on the grass. I guess they're the ones built by lazy spiders who don't like to climb too high!

On this day, which followed a night of rain, it was interesting to see how the water beaded up on the web. Kind of pretty, I think!

Click the photo to enlarge it and see the detail.

A Fantastic Day for Mom!!!!

After weeks of us seeing little progress, today was an incredible new day for my mom. My sister was at the hospital, as usual, and mom was awake and aware. The last few days had been a bit heartbreaking for sis, as mom has slept a lot and not necessarily been the nicest person when awake.

But today was a different story. Mom has started to remember. She carried on a full conversation. She said she has lost track of time and asked what day it was. She said she feels she had been stuck in a dark tunnel and that people would come visit her in that tunnel, showing her photos and asking her who the people in the photos were (as my sister and I have done often with her). She said she remembers being confused and not being able to recognize the people in the pictures.

My sister asked her if she knew who she (my sister) is. Mom told her she was the nurse. Then she showed photos of herself (my sister) and asked my mom who the person in the photo was. My mom answered, "That's my daughter."

"What is her name?"

"Her name is Sally." (right)

She then showed a photo of me and asked her who I was. She responded, "That's my son." That was the first time she has done that since falling ill. My sister asked her, "What is his name? Is it Joe?"

"No," she responded. "It's Giuseppe." (That's my name in Italian!)

She also recognized my father, who died when I was two, and her mother, who is also deceased, and others in the photos! At a certain point, my mom told my sister, "How did you come in possession of these photos?" My sister told her that she brought them from home. She then told my sister to please arrange to bring photos of others who are still alive because the only ones in the photos that are still alive are herself and her children!

At another point, she asked my sister to get a piece of paper and then recited from memory my sister's home and cell phone numbers and asked my sister to call my sister and ask her to come visit! My mom said that she can't believe that even though she's been in the hospital for weeks, that my sister hasn't come once to visit. Of course, my sister has been there every day and said so, adding that I had been there every day for the three weeks that I was there.

My mom made it clear to my sister that she was surprised to have come out of the tunnel she was in and that she is very anxious to get back on her feet and get back to a normal life.

I know, I know, this may all be temporary. Tomorrow she may relapse back to how she was. I hope not, of course, I hope she gets better and better! I hope to return very soon as finances permit and see her awake, recognizing me, smiling and kissing me once again.

Thank you for continued good thoughts and prayers!

I am an Italian American

My roots are deep in an ancient soil, drenched by the Mediterranean sun, and watered by pure streams from snow capped mountains.

I am enriched by thousands of years of culture.

My hands are those of the mason, the artist, the man of the soil.

My thoughts have been recounted in the annals of Rome, the poetry of Virgil, the creations of Dante, and the philosophy of Benedetto Croce.

I am an Italian-American, and from my ancient world, I first spanned the seas to the New World. I am Cristoforo Colombo.

I am Giovanne Caboto known in American History as John Cabot, discoverer of the mainland of North America

I am Amerigo Vespucci, who gave my name to the New World, America.

First to sail on the Great Lakes in 1679, founder of the territory that became the State of Illinois, colonizer of Louisiana and Arkansas, I am Enrico Tonti.

I am Filippo Mazzei friend of Thomas Jefferson, and my thesis on the equality of man was written into the Bill of Rights.

I am William Paca, signer of the Declaration of Independence.

I am an Italian-American. I financed the Northwest Expedition of George Rogers Clark and accompanied him through the lands that would become Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan. I am Colonel Francesco Vigo.

I mapped the Pacific from Mexico to Alaska and to the Philippines, I am Alessandro Malaspina.

I am Giacomo Belinimi, discoverer of the source of the Mississippi River in 1823.

I created the Dome of the United States Capitol. They call me the Michelangelo of America. I am Constantino Brumidi.

In 1904, I founded in San Francisco, the Bank of Italy now known as the Bank of America, the largest financial institution in the world, I am A.P. Giannini.

I am Enrico Fermi, father of nuclear science in America.

I am Steve Geppi, founder of Diamond Comics, the largest distributorship of comics on the planet.

I am the first enlisted man to earn the Medal of Honor in World War II, I am John Basilone of New Jersey.

I am an Italian-American. I am the million strong who served in America 's armies and the tens of thousands whose names are enshrined in military cemeteries from Guadalcanal to the Rhine.

I am the steel maker in Pittsburgh, the grower in the Imperial Valley of California, the textile designer in Manhattan, the movie maker in Hollywood, the homemaker and the breadwinner in over 10,000 communities.

I am an American without stint or reservation, loving this land as only one who understands history, its agonies and its triumphs can love and serve it.

I will not be told that my contribution is any less nor my role not as worthy as that of any other American.

I will stand in support of this nation's freedom and protect against all foes.

My heritage has dedicated me to this nation.

I am proud of my heritage, and I shall remain worthy of it.

I am an Italian-American.

Beautiful Washington, D.C.

I live near one of the most beautiful cities in the world. When I was 17 and graduated from the American High School of Milan, Italy, I took a month to travel around the United States before I started college. The first city I visited was Washington and I fell in love with the city. It reminds me of European capitals, no wonder because Pierre L'Enfant, who had designed much of Paris a couple of centuries ago, also designed much of Washington.

After the Thai Festival, I decided to do a little sightseeing. It was a beautiful day. I'm going to try to get back this coming weekend and spend the whole day being a tourist!

More photos can be seen by clicking here.