Chicken Extraordinarie

Some people have said to me, “why would you want to leave home, here, you have so much, you have everything you need”. I agree. I do have all that I need; all that I cherish is here. But one has to push outward to engage the world, to look to other realities and experiences to see where one resides. As an artist I have always asked of myself, “Where am I, Where do I stand that no one else does?” As a human, I ask a similar question, “what makes me unique”. My answer is my experiences. Through experience I gain meaning. I could remain home, and those experiences could be just as rewarding, or I could reach out to engage the world and experience something more, something out of my ordinary life. I choose this option at times in my life because I have always found value, understanding and yes, meaning in that effort.

Yesterday I swam in the ocean, the Mediterranean Sea with my 2 year old. Clare and I shared a few hours of bliss, but moreover, a connection to our historical past. Tomorrow Lisa, Clare and I will go to Pompeii, another connection. I Know Clare will only remember this trip through photos and family conversations, but hopefully she will also have this connection to a greater world of experience. I hope that this is just the beginning of her engagement with the world.

Speaking of experiences, my wife has made quite possibly the greatest dinner ever known to man this evening. A whole roasted chicken, with potatoes, and fennel, etc…in the Italian fashion, but with a gourmand attitude to the preparation! It was not without drama of course. In the Italian fashion, the oven would not work, the fuses were blowing over the extreme heat, the Italian landlord was summoned to fix “l’electricita’ . He did, the cooking proceeded, the bird, garland of rosemary et al was devoured by the three of us. Lisa and I both agreed, it was the best chicken we had ever tasted in our lives. Clare, will be reminded of this superior event all her life, I’m sure. We of course will always compare every chicken dinner in the future against this most magnificent repast.
A domaini…. Pompeii
Ciao, Tomaso