4 novembre 1966

We are all remembering the anniversary of the Great Flood of Florence, 1966. We were students together and we experienced the flood together. All of us remember fondly Thanksgiving dinner at the Maybeck's. There home was in a magical setting through a gate and then a garden. With a massive fireplace and long antique dining table, the warmth and comfort of that night among really close friends is a treasured memory. On the anniversary, Joanne, Marghi, Gloria and Janice all wrote to remind il Gruppo. Below is Joanne's email and then a few photos that I had close at hand.

Carissimi amici,

Vi sto pensando a tutti questo giorno, l'anniversario dell'alluvione a Firenze.  Figurati, 45 anni fa!!!  Dove sono scappati gli anni!

Abbiamo fatto bene come giovani studenti.  Sono orgogliosa di essere fra di voi..."angeli del fango"

Mi ricordo bene questo mese e specialmente tre settimane dopo e la festa del ringraziamento dai Maybeck senza tanti convenienze ma avevamo noi stessi e la nostra bella amicizia

di cui ne ho tanti bei ricordi.  

Vi penso sempre e spero di ospitare un'altra riunione di "Il Gruppo"!

Cari saluti.  Vi abbraccio tutti e vi invio tanti bacioni!

Joanne

aka "Giovanna"

Book purchased by Joanne as my Christmas present December 15, 1966

Il gruppo lending a helping hand and dubbed "the angels of the mud"

Proof sheet from a Finnish journalist I took around to report on the devastation for his magazine. Somewhere I have proofs with me in it and the story in the magazine he later sent to me.

Joanne and I were diverted on the "rapido" train from Rome to Bologna where we were stuck (I say that loosely because we fared much better than our fellow students who remained behind in Florence). We amused ourselves with this set of Monopoli and eating Lasagna Bolognese and the Tre Vechhi. Ah, I remember it well. This set was the only one that we had in our household while the kids were growing up. I think they thought Monopoly was Italian and that playing in Lira was the norm.

At our 44th year reunion in San Jose, CA in September 2010.

Abbiamo Mangiare Con Amici Nel Poulsbo Fino Estate

The marble table is all set when we arrive and the antipasti served.

Bonnie and Byron with the first bottle matched to our meal.

Cutting the bread for our dinner

Greeting when we arrive

Rabbit on pasta

From left, me, Tom, Bonnie, Byron, Steve (Cody is taking the picture)

Friends Cody and Steve invited neighbors Bonnie and Byron and us to their beautiful home in Poulsbo overlooking Liberty Bay. They once lived on the 4th floor of Hillclimb Court but moved closer to Cody's work and couldn't pass up the chance to have a sunny slope where they could indulge their passion for growing every sort of vegetable, herb and fruit imaginable and then some. We ate at their marble table outside in the fresh air. I made a four-course Italian dinner which survived the ferry crossing and drive to Poulsbo and Byron matched Italian wines to each course. The first course featured fresh figs from their yard, Parma prosiutto and Italian gorgonzola, dribbled with blackberry honey from the Market and fresh thyme. Second course was rabbit slow roasted with pancetta and first-of-the-season Chantrelles on a bed of parpadelle from Italy sprinkled with parmesan. Third course was heirloom tomatoes on arugula with garlic, parsley, basil and my preserved Moroccan lemons chopped fine and sprinkled on top with some EVOO and balsamic vinegar. Finally, we finished off the meal with my homemade Limoncello and a lemon Mascarpone cake, fresh whipped cream, topped with peaches, blueberries and blackberries gathered on a walk, different kinds of currents, and some old-fashioned strawberries from their garden macerated in a Spanish Vermouth. It's making my mouth water just thinking of it.

Gregg and Elisa's New Years Eve 2010 Wedding

Gregg and Elisa were married New Year's Eve 2010 and a very glam wedding it was. What with the loaded Margaritas (ole!) and the presence of my favorite men, and of course all the dancing, we ushered in the new year in style.

Uber-reunion Weekend

Eight-five of our fellow school mates from Castlemont HS, Oakland, got together to celebrate our respective birthdays in a beautiful San Ramon home. Many of the faces in the room I saw for the first time when I entered Kindergarten at E. Morris Cox, including my best friend Patty. Amazingly, we all remembered each other, some, to be fair, I saw at our 40th school reunion and our Girl Scout Troop reunion in 1998 and 1997 respectively. I read portions from a diary I wrote in 1957 which included mentions of many of the people in the room. It was hilarious. Given my poor spelling skills it's amazing I graduated. Now we're working on our 50th.








Il Gruppo reunites in Santa Clara after 40+ years when 12 California college students pioneered the first California college system's year abroad in Florence, Italy. Our year included the flood of 1966 which bonded us forever.
















From left, Dennis, Joanne, Sherrie, Ed, me, Gloria, Janice, Bill, and Judy. Present from Italy by phone, Marghi. Present through her newspaper column recounting the year abroad, Dede.




















Cal Poly roomies reunite and find we have lots to talk about after 40+ years.

Annual Pig Roast

Warning: Real pig parts. The Hannah's annual pig roast. Mark now has a fancy new roaster and the pig did turn out perfect. The weather was about 30 degrees colder than the previous weekend and threatened rain. But alas, we were moisture free.