Abraca-Pocus! burning incense to mask reality's stench since 1986.

Prayers for Larry

2008-10-17T15:50:00-08:00

My friend Larry was rushed to hospital (4.5 hour drive from here) by air ambulance for emergency open heart surgery.
Please pray, or do whatever it is that you do for him and for his wife my dear friend Zhila and two teenage sons.

Thank you and may you and all you hold dear be blessed.

~R

Fall

2008-09-29T16:51:00-08:00

Fall is absolutely my favourite time of the year. This year I got really lucky. We began having Fall temperatures mid-august! I find myself reflecting a lot lately. I find myself thinking about how my girls are growing and what wonderful little people they are becoming. I ponder how I enjoy my work and the wonderful people I work with.

I love Fall cooking and baking. Italian sausage with pumpkin sauce, roasted peppers, and apple cake, to name a few. What I miss the most from my life back east is the abundance of tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, I used to get for free from my family and friends' gardens. I wish we had an Italian green grocer in town. Thankfully there is the most awesome Italian food import store right across the street from my job! I make due with whatever verdura (dark leafy greens) I find at the local produce shops but it's not the same. Funny how when I lived in the big city, we shopped at the farmer's market right in the center of town. I live in a town surrounded by farms, orchards, and vineyards, and yet, I pay a premium for fresh local fruit and veggies. Boh....

Z’intunette

2008-09-13T16:48:00-08:00

She's 85 -and never been married. She shares a modest abode with her dog and a hen who provides her with all the eggs she needs. She is nearly completely deaf. She can cure migraines and anxiety attacks instantly by a wave of her tiny, callused hand. It is suspected that she withered her neighbor's crops because she blames them for the death of her water buffalo cow. She picks a walnuts from the tree in the backyard, and cracks them open perfectly, in her palm.

This is my aunt who lives in Naples. Right this very minute.

Justification for further education

2008-09-13T16:36:00-08:00

So, you're Italian. You're Italian with a burning interest in Italian witchcraft and folk traditions. Well, I suggest you beef up on your Italian language, history, and geography and get Googling. You can literally obtain a plethora of information regarding the specific region your family hails from and sometimes, you can find the specific practices of the tiny village your family hails from, online... for free! ETA: Granted, you need to have command of the Italian language in order to be able to properly search and interpret what you find. A knowledge of your people's dialect is an awesome asset as well. As far as Italian folk magic is concerned, Malpezzi covered all there is to know about Italian folk magic in general in 13 pages in the must-have book: Italian-American Folklore.

Now, how about those rustic, traditional dishes you remember your nonna making?

So, how was your summer?

2008-09-13T16:28:00-08:00

We had a moderately warm summer. Nothing remotely akin to the scorching summer we encountered the first year we moved here. I've loved every single minute of this summer.

The season was mostly spent working except for a two-week holiday late July/early August. My porch garden didn't do well at all. My lavender is still alive, however it is still the exact same size it was when I first bought it five months ago. My basil is doing alright -but not more than that. I'll be harvesting it this weekend to make some pesto sans pine nuts.

I've also been busy outside of work. Lately I've been experiencing a high demand for my services mainly in the realm of spiritual counselling/guidance. This has been most satisfying.

e parlave francese…è accussí?

2008-08-16T03:27:00-08:00

Reginella is the first song my zia and zio taught me. I was 5. Whenever I am missing them. Whenever I need to feel comforted. Whenever my children need comforting. Whenever I need to feel them near me, I sing it.

It's been eight years since I lost my zio, two since I lost my zia. I can't get through the song without tears pouring down my face. Sometimes, I sob, and take a long time to finish the song. I still miss them dearly. Everyone's gone. All that is left are songs.

A Tazza ‘e Caffè

2008-08-04T17:02:00-08:00

This song is very meaningful to me. It's the second song my Zia taught me to sing when I was little and it will always remind me of my late Zia and late Zio I miss dearly. This song is so meaningful to me, I named my child after it.

Memories are Made of this….

2008-08-04T16:49:01-08:00

Luna (aka Teresa Giosia)

For those of you that have been reading my articles over the past few months, you’ve gotten an inside look into one Canadian Italian woman’s point of view and thoughts.

As I sit at my desk, about to write a new article, I decided to put in an old, old tape, yes a tape…in the CD player, there’s an opening for tapes and thank God, because I have over 160 tapes and they all hold wonderful memories and moments over the course of my lifetime.

Brutta figura

2008-07-21T15:47:00-08:00

Terri Giosia, aka Luna

The ultimate in an Italian’s life is “brutta figura”. What does that mean, literally translated “ugly figure” which means “portraying a bad image” and for Italians it’s all about image, looks and what others think, vs. what really counts.

Mom and the Malocchio by jerseyroselee

2008-07-21T05:05:01-08:00

"the kid always got better... guess what? They had to get better, because there wasn't a goddam dollar to take 'm to the doctor."