Going to Get a Little Lamb

Easter dinner in Italy is like our Thanksgiving back in the States with the quantity of food. The main meat dish served for Easter is lamb. The reason it is lamb for Easter is because in the Bible Jesus is compaired to a perfect lamb of God that was given as a sacrifice. In the Old Testament perfect lambs were often given as a sacrifice by families. I think, but should refer back to the Bible, that it goes all the way back to Egypt where God commanded that the Jews put the blood from a spotless healthy lamb on the three sides of their main doorway so that the angel of death would not kill their first born son and the angel would "Pass over the house" hence the Passover. So the tradition here is to eat young lambs (thank goodness it's not kittens). In Abruzzo, the region where I currently find myself, the hills are covered with sheep and shepherds. It is so cute to drive and past a heard of puffy sheep. I am not fond of thinking of the lambs being slaughtered, as they currently are all over Abruzzo and Italy now. However, being a carnivore, I accept that they are quite tasty. I'm sure I would be much more interesting, greenier and nicer if I were a vegetarian but I do my fair share for the world: not eating meat but maybe once a week, boycotting "Made in China" products, walk to places, and am a good girl recycling everything I can and using the things I already have without wasting on more. But when it comes to animals for food my motto is: raise them kindly, slaughter them swiftly and grill them slowly. On Wednesday I walked past the Wednesday market on the street park to meet my mom in law. We were going to buy our little lamb together and I was accompanying her to help the heavy grocery store bags. That is an excuse actually because each time I hang out with her we ritually get a coffee and have a blast talking about the most tragic things like ghosts of the murdered and conspiracy. In some very sad way it makes us happy.

Anyway, here is what you might be able to see if you walked with me on the Stradaparco (street park) through the weekly Pescara market:

Buddies with Bikes

Staying healthy

All the ladies have a "carrellino" or little cart on wheels

Veggie mania!

Aglio: Garlic

Lots of good eggs

The cheese stand

The gossip stand

You will always see a Gypsy begging for money. I feel intrigue, compassion and curiosity each time I see them.

Spanks! The "undies that keep it all squeezed in" stand

The handmade stand. I could drop some serious cash here. They sell fine lace, embroidery and table cloths at 20 down to 1 euro. They are all from expired (dead) grannies, I gather, but for me they are a treasure to take care of!

I think decorating her pot with seashells made her smile

Back at home I was very happy to see that one of my plants blossomed! I used some of my moms tricks (used coffee grounds and stones in the dirt) and within a few days the pot was looking happy.