Service is nourishing in a way not to be paralleled.

wonderful thing for Thursday:  Jonathan and Jared live here in Prato with their mom and their granparents.  Jared is about to become a lawyer.  Jonathan is about to graduate in Agronomy.  Now I know why.   We spent a good part of the day at their place, working outside with him.  Okay, first off, their mom, Stefania, has a clothing factory right there in a little outbuilding.  She has a carding machine which makes parts of sweaters, then she assembles them (little known fact:  when you buy a piece of clothing that says "made in Italy", chances are it has been made in a Chinese factory in Italy, by Chinese workers - not in this case, though).  She works day and night.  Nonno and Nonna are coming up on 90 years old, but they both still get around and are tons of fun to talk to.  We have nothing but respect for how they have been able to maintain their home and their grounds during these hard economic times.  Jonathan pretty much has all the care of the grounds, which means a small olive orchard, cherry trees, pomegranate trees, orange trees, vegetables of every kind, herbs, etc. Until recently, they also had pigs, rabbits, pigeons, chickens, and so on.  We cleared dried grape vines, hoed and raked along the fence lines, weeded and mowed, along with Jonathan.  He's going to put decorative plants along the fence lines for the winter.  Last year, someone cut through their fence during the night and stole their tiller, mower, and chain saw.  He bought another mower and chain saw, but the cost of a tiller is prohibitive; hence the hoeing and raking.  The ground is so workable and beautiful, as is the natural state of things in Tuscany.  As we worked, we talked.  That was the great value for us.  We gained a huge appreciation and a greater affection for him.  Their whole family is super; there was a great spirit there.  Stefania made some wonderful lasagna for dinner, after which we ate homegrown pomegranates and ice cream bars, dining at the outside table, beautifully decorated by Aunt Laura, whose paintings adorn the house, under a straw awning.  There was a great spirit of conviviality, fueled by Blaine's, Jared's and Jonathan's good humor.  Blessed day!

fun thing for Thursday:  Merenda.  I mentioned it before.  It's like a mini meal between breakfast and dinner.  Halfway through the workday, Jonathan brought out a plate of prosciutto, goat cheese, and bread.  But those words don't do justice to the actual eats!