Becoming Italian...

I'm Irish/Scottish...

well...

I suppose I'm a mix of a lot of things, but I do come from a long line of McEacherans that eventually came over into Canada and traveled down south into the area where I grew up in Michigan. 

Red hair and green eyes tend to run rather strong in my family...

I've inherited a love of tea, adore potatoes and have the gift of gab!!!

(and I suppose we can add that hint of a fighting temper...if we really want to get into all the stereotypes)

I mention this because I married an Italian...

I've been introduced to more pasta and mafia/Godfather jokes than I ever imagined possible...and I will tell you that when they say Italians are romantic...they aren't kidding :) 

My Father in law only spoke Italian until he was 5 years old and entered into the American school system. He was brought up in a strong Italian home...his dad worked in a bakery and made his own wine and his mom made a majority of their meals (including pasta of course) from scratch...

This is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to strories from "back when"...but, I have thoroughly and utterly enjoyed hearing not only the stories, but learning the traditions that helped mold my father-in-law and in turn, my husband, into the men they are today...

Therefore, I was humbled, honored, tickled pink when I opened my other Christmas gift this past December. If you remember, my MIL got me my Journaling Bible  but then, my FIL had another surprise...and I opened a big white bucket...

Inside were the ingredients to make my own wine...which would require me coming over to their house and learning the "tricks of the trade"...

When I finally kicked these crazy viruses that had been lingering, I was able to make it over to their house to begin the process...

I had such a great time! He had to explain things a couple of times and we were laughing pretty hard by the end because of my confusion regarding fluid ounces...

This is the point at which I was "stirring vigorously" in order to get the benzosomethingorother stuff to dissolve in the water...

We thought it wiser to allow my FIL to pour the juice in...with my track record of spills, we thought it prudent...

There you have it...It'll take about 17-19 days for it to ferment and then I have to do some more stuff to it...but until then...

All I need to do is get my sharpie markers out and decorate my wine bucket nice and pretty!!!

(That's not really an Italian thing...rather more of a "colleen" thing...but, Dad is okay with it...I think)