So, Randy offers helpful Italian (or Italian-like) phrases via The Sopranos (am I really the only person not to have ever seen this show?), and I thought that he and some of the rest of you might be interested in a related event on 10 June [NOTE DATE CHANGE] at Kreston Wine & Spirits, 904 Concord Ave. (Rt. 202), Wilmington. Kreston's is featuring Lorraine Bracco from the Soprano series. Evidently, she has her own label of wines -- Pinot Grigio (I know Dee is smacking her lips!); Amarone; Montepulciano (I'm smacking my lips!); and of course the perennial favorite, Chianti. Bracco lived in Europe for 10 years and learned much about wine-making. So, if anyone is interested, head to Kreston's (though I still prefer the classier Total Wine store!!!), on Wednesday, 11 June, from 5:30-7. As far as learning the Italian language is concerned, well, progress is slow. Brains not what they used to be and time too elusive (or poorly managed?). I'll have to bookmark Dee's website to learn those handy-dandy phrases! One of the Italian language texts we have introduces each chapter with a tongue twister to warm up the vowels and rrrrrolling rrrr's! Here's one that suits our family: "Lucio e Decio lisciano dodici gatti felici." Working on the "ch" sound, this tongue twister translates as "Lucio and Decio pet [literally "stroke"] 12 happy cats." Let's see, for us it would be "Tim e Char lisciano sei gatti felici -- e duo cani felici." (Tim and Char pet 6 happy cats -- and 2 happy dogs.)
3 comments:
Wowee! I am so going to try to be there! She was Tony Soprano's spot-on--stone-faced shrink in the HBO series and she was an amazing portrait of strength under fire. She was equally good in Goodfellas as the wife of main mobster character, Henry Hill, though her character's cocaine habit kind of did her in...
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/lorraine_bracco/. So I'd say wanna join me, but these days I'm lucky if I get to go to work without permission from my real boss. Thanks for the heads up anyway. She seems to be a really neat woman. I'm pretty sure she recently went through a tough divorce from some hollywood mogul who tried to leave her bankrupt or something too. very not nice of him. can't remember the circumstances and don't feel like looking it up! Just goes to show ya though, she's toughing it out in life just like the rest of us.
Is any of that wine available as a 5-liter bag in a box here in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico? And is there really a store named "Total Wine"? I thought that was Char's nickname?
There are plenty of "teach a broad," er, teach abroad opportunities here in T or C, especially since even the Smithsonian sometimes doesn't recognize New Mexico as part of the USA. Come sample the night life (meth deals), the wildlife (diamondback rattlesnakes), and poetic poverty of our quaint (euphemism for psychotic) little town. And you don't need to speak Italian. Hey, you don't even need to speak English.
Hang in there, Char. A trip to Bella Italia always rejuvenates one. Look at what it did for Tim Russert--his first day back from a trip to Bella Italia and how quickly his troubles were over. And how quickly the tributes flowed. Emmeline Grangerford couldn't have done 'em faster.
Myself, I plan a quick trip to Bella Abzug. Oh wait, she's dead, too. What is it with all this death? A new fad?
"To hell with dying," as Alice Walker said. Power to the people (empowero rabbolo), as Italian truckers will say at the end of this month when they go on a five-day nationwide strike.
Ciao! (Italian for "have a cow!")
Your ever-lovin' insane coronary friend,
Don
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