This book is making me guffaw.

It would probably do the same for you.

Il Mostro di Firenze

I just finished reading The Monster of Florence, by Douglas Preston. I picked it up thinking it was a scary novel but soon realized it was a true story. You may have heard me remark that I couldn't believe Dr. H. H. Holmes, the serial killer featured in the outstanding book The Devil in the White City, was not more well-known since he was America's version of Jack the Ripper. Well, il mostro di Firenze is Italy's version of the Ripper, and this guy is still at large. Kristen, we could have walked past him on our way to the Brancacci Chapel! Gah!

Douglas Preston is an American crime novelist who moved to Florence with his wife and children in order to write a thriller novel about Masaccio and the Brancacci frescoes. While researching his novel, he spoke to a journalist friend of his, Mario Spezi, and Spezi told Preston the astonishing story of the Monster of Florence killings. Preston was shocked to find that two of the victims had been murdered in the olive grove just outside his Florentine house. He soon abandoned the Masaccio novel and he and Spezi set out to discover the identity of the killer. What starts out as a creepy story ends up as an indictment of the Italian justice system, as you would not believe the whacked out theories that have been posited in this case.

Fascinating book, highly recommended.

May Meat Meal

This month, I made the Pioneer Woman's recipe for Linguine with Shrimp.


As raw shrimp goes, it's one of the lesser terrifying meats, but it's scary just the same.


I had to run out and buy white wine for this recipe, so now I'm going to be looking for other recipes to use up this wine. Getting that cork out was an ordeal.


Fresh parsley smells so nice.


The Pioneer Woman called for four large cloves of garlic, so of course I did six. PW is delightful but she is not, to my knowledge, Italian.


That's a thing of beauty.


There are few aromas more satisfying to a Sicilian girl than that of garlic and olive oil. It's like being in Mom's kitchen on sauce day.


To this mixture I added diced tomatoes, white wine, kosher salt, and pepper. The kitchen smelled amazing.


Toss in your scary shrimp...


...and your extremely al dente pasta...


...and into the foil it goes. Topped with all that beautiful parsley.


Into the oven, or out on the grill if you've got one, for 15 minutes. I love recipes like that because you can use those 15 minutes to wash all your dishes and clean up your kitchen.


And then you get this. The pasta is perfect, the shrimp is plump, and the clean-up is minimal.


Dig in and do the happy dance when you realize it tastes like Maggiano's garlic shrimp linguine.

Saturday goings-on

Looking through my recital pics...




Farmer's Market score...


Now I'm working on the May Meat Meal. This one's gonna be good.

Break a leg, pumpkin.

Tonight is Julia’s first dance recital. I am so nervous and excited for her. I hope she has lots of fun.


The last time I saw her perform, in the church musical recital, she waved to me in the middle of her song. So sweet.

Yamahama, it's fright night!

I refuse to believe I am the only person being utterly terrorized by this SNL skit.



I swear these guys are coming for me in my sleep.

Our table's conversation at Trivia Night

Discussing Harold Camping...

Jen: He should just get a group of people and hide somewhere on an island so people think he was raptured! That's what I'd do.

Brian: I don't know who's crazier now.


Also, we won first place and are leading the competition in overall points, which pleases me to no end since we wrested the lead from that cheater team that I've mentioned in previous posts. Good times all around.

The Lettermade Stand

Have you all seen Jamie's new website? It's still under construction but it's totally cute. Look for Kristen's photos of Mikey and Gracie.

Indeed

Something lovely and wonderous for you this morning

Maggie's recital

Thursday night we went to Maggie’s dance recital. For the first time Alexa was cheering in the audience with us instead of dancing on stage. Maggie gets more and more talented every year.


Is it wrong that I'm jealous of her dress?



How adorable is this:


One of the more unusual performances of the night was a group of students' fathers dancing together as "The Bad Dads." They performed a medley of songs and to my eternal disappointment, Shawn was not among them. Maybe next year. Here they are doing "Thriller."






On pointe:


Her awesome solo:




Flowers for Mom, the announcer:


Signing the program (a little tradition):

The Beatles, about to cross Abbey Road

Very cool, no?

Julia's first trip to the library

Last Friday, Julia took her first trip to the library, and Mom and Jen and I went with her. It was a very exciting trip for our little pumpkin.

That look is the face a three-year-old makes as her aunt drones on about how much fun she's going to have with that library card.

Mommy applies for Julsie's library card.

Giving her new library card to the librarian.

She wanted to sit down on the sidewalk and start reading her books.

Grandma let her walk on the bridge edge like we did when we were kids. They're tearing it down this summer.

And of course you have to slide off the end.