If you don’t get the mass you will get the mess

My teacher, Dick Goetz, used to say, “If you don’t get the mass you will get the mess.” We kind of got the mess today. The mayor wanted us to participate in the festival of matrimony at the church. He said it would be no problem even though we weren’t Catholic. (Doesn’t catholic mean universal? I am pretty sure my tastes are catholic) However, as is the case in many confrontations between church and state, the Catholic church apparently prevailed. We could not have a certificate, because we had not been baptized in the Catholic church and we had not been married there either. (and they didn’t even know I had been divorced. Kiss of death.)

At the church one hour early.

See how demure Italians are? Who is the crazy woman here?

But, in the end, the mayor had the last word. After he handed out all the certificates to people that fit the bill, he called us up and said that although we were not Catholic, we had bought a house here and had been married 25 years and he wanted to honor us as well. He said that he hoped we would return to Castelvecchio for many years to come. I didn’t actually know what he was saying, but when he turned to look at me, I was pretty sure the answer should be an empathic, “si!!” So it all worked out well and we got more notoriety than any other couple. The mayor knows how to build community.

These are the flowers that two of my Italian neighbors sent me. Enrica actually came back from the ocean at Pescara to be there.


After, so many people came up that I didn’t know, they all said congratulations, kissed me on both cheeks and shook Jim’s hand. It was all so sweet, especially the deserts that were laid out in the convento. There was chocolate cake and people were all over that thing. I knew I would spill it all over myself. I had two excellent things. One I have no idea about, but the second was one of the waffles that are traditional here. 

 And best of all while we were in the church it rained. I am sorry we missed that, but this morning is cool, fresh and wonderful. Another magic day in Castelvecchio and tonight, “theater in the nude”.






Painting I started today in Castel di Irie.