September has rolled around once again.
As it always seems to! My favourite month because what’s not to love?
And my favourite: Grape-picking season is in full swing here too! At least for the white wine varieties, their season actually began last month, although some were picked way back in July.
It’s the picking of the red wine varieties that’ll be kicking off this month. Those who know me, will know this is my favourite type of vino.
I’m f’sure looking forward to the first Vino novello making an appearance on my local supermarket shelves in late October. Vino novello (‘young’ or ‘new wine’) is a light and fruity red wine similar to its French ‘cousin’ Beaujolais nouveau.
As an aside here: Global warming has a hand when it comes to harvest times. The bulk of the white wine grapes being ready weeks earlier this year than last, while in 1980 the reds used to be picked as late as November!
Anyways, soon enough there’ll be figs (my wife’s favourite), and not forgetting the lovely Fichi d’India (‘Indian Figs’ or ‘Prickly Pears’). The latter cactus fruit not to be confused with the former, of course! These ‘figs’ being another favourite of mine, due to my love of cactuses, and the ‘Opuntia’ varieties especially!
We can’t ignore peaches, plums, zucchini, eggplant and peppers either.
Seasonal fruit and veges are awesome!
(Mostly) Sweet Memories
I’ve now reached, as Sinatra aptly put it: “The warm September of my years.”
Not all of ‘em good!
On Monday the 14th September 2015 I was ambulanced to Auckland Hospital due to having a suspected heart attack.
The second possible one as it happened. I’d shrugged off the first late the week before as … not a heart attack, surely? Doofus me!
Anyways, that life-changing event out of the way now, let’s move onto better things also worth remembering.
Like the one that occurred 10 days later, but 27 years prior: Saturday the 24th September 1988. The day I got married, thirty-six years ago now. Don’t time fly when you’re having fun, huh Alice?
The very next day, the 25th September 1988, was my then-30th birthday.
My 66th this year. While certainly a time to celebrate having made it this far, even betterer: On Wednesday 25th September 2024 I get my UK pension. Surely a double celebration! I talk about making it this far because my father died at 47, and his father at 58, so I’m doing just fine.
And we simply can’t forget Saturday the 26th September 2020, can we?
That day four years ago when we boarded the 11.45am EasyJet flight from London Gatwick to Catania, Sicily. Our one-way flight, that is. Of course!
Can’t grumble!
The Greatest Gift
The greatest celebration of all began on Tuesday the 17th September 2024.
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| Happy memories, Windsor, UK |
A wonderful day! One made even better when our youngest son Anton arrived the very next day, coming in from New York.
What more could any parent ask for? “Nothing!” is the short (and very sweet) answer.
While this is Anton’s second visit to Modica, it’s Adam’s first, which was the icing on the cake.
Speaking of cake here? Things got even more special because Sunday the 29th September marked Adam’s birthday! So, not only are we a complete family again after many years apart, it’s also a chance to mark our first-born’s special day together once again. As we used to do many years ago now, of course!
I believe ‘fortunately’, but anyways we raised both of our sons to experience the world: To travel; to encounter; and to enjoy. The upside being men who don’t mind leaping into the almost-unknown by jumping on a plane and going to foreign parts to live and work: France, Canada, the United States, as well as the more ‘mundane’ NZ and UK…
The downside (perhaps) is that we raised ‘gypsies’, who are happy to up and move about the planet, while we’ve now settled down in this rural city in Sicily.
But such is life!
I wouldn’t want ‘em to change…
