50th CLASS REUNION (A tale of the City Mouse versus the Country Mouse--and yes, we've got them here, too:rodents and other wild life are the less glamorous elements of Italian country life)
There's nothing like the 50th class reunion of a small-town high school to bring out the envy factor. After turning in my "update" survey where I confessed that I live in a renovated Italian farmhouse and work the land, one friend said she was picturing a glamorous Merchant Ivory-ish Farmer Donatella, instead of the more Grant Wood-ish reality. Farmer D, dressed for working in a field of chest-high Umbrian flora. (The mask is a good idea when combatting our ubiquitous local herba della tossa, aka "the coughing plant." The Micky Mouse sweatshirt and pants discarded by son are perfect for all outdoor work. The once-chic hat has taken some hard knocks out here in the country. Ditto for the Madras cotton scarf from Guadeloupe that still offers good neck protection.) Merchant Ivory, huh? While cleaning for the visit of our cousin and her friend, I stumbled on a perfect storm of an antidote to those misconceptions. As I was going outside to sweep away ...