Last thoughts before i come home

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Today is Sunday in Milano. The weather finally felt like fall a couple of days ago. The family keeps telling me that October is usually FFFRRREEDDDDDO (freddo-cold) but this october has been down right hot at times. the trees have turned their beautiful colors and makes me miss the colors of the Omaha fall. Well, i told you all that Halloween had arrived in Italy. well kind of. It has become a reason for the young people to have a party. they dress up in goofy costumes and parade around, get their picture taken and thats about it. the children as far as Ive seen are not involved. so no cute costumes on the kids. I am virtually packed and ready to go. Ernesto didnt want me to leave today and be gone all day as i usually am. he has been so wonderful to me and i have had many insights into the workings of my family because of it. Siria too has been really great. she is my key speakiing coach. so cute. she opens her mouth in an exaggerated way to show me HOW TO PRONOUNCE each syllable. its fun and its been helpful. the difference is remarkable when you say things correctly 😊 there are a couple of stories on the news that have been pretty interesting. One is that our president, Mr Obama, and his lovely wife really caàt sneeze without the Italian people being interested. Honestly one or both of them are on the news every freaking day. I asked Ernesto and Siria why Mrs Berlosconi isnt talked about at all. they just kind of shrug (iàll show you when i get home...pretty Italian) make a noise like meaau...and that says (of course I am not bilingual yet) "cuz" or "its interesting and our presidentàs wife isnt...) or something like that. EVERY night. I heard today that Elton John had to cancel a concert in Rome and it wasnàt even talked about only on the running scroll at the bottom of the screen. huh. ok, the second story is the "assassinati on" a career criminal by a guy who is member of the Napoli mafia. I have learned the names of the different ones a little. I guess the naples mafia sent their hit man up here to Milano to get this guy. The the cameras on the store, caught it all on tape, so you and I could watch a murder. cool, not really. my uncle was disgusted and my aunt was embarassed. I told them I wanted to understand their experience of it. and sooo, i have been somewhat educated. Not on the mafia per se, but on our families experience with the mafia. and again, i found out that my father told me the truth. wow. more on that later. as i write this polizia are walking around the train station. City seems to be on alert that more mafia activity could be around. sad and interesting. makes me very aware again about how ignorant americans are about crime in their own communities, not just crime but many things. its everywhere and you dont know and dont want to know who is part of something.

this will be my last entry. I finish packing domani( tomorrow) and fly out Tues 10 am. arrive 1130 omaha. Iàll be at work Wednesday morning. to all who have read these entries, i appreciate your good thoughts because i have had an amazing time and am grateful beyond words for this time. your good thoughts have had, no doubt, a lot to do with it. See you all soooon! cant wait to hear about you all and how your month has gone, ciao for now arrivaderci, karin

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