Happy Befana!

Did the little old witch come and fill your stocking with coal (if you were bad) or candy (if you were good)? She skipped my house, unfortunately-- my stocking is still hanging there in my living room, empty. Hmmpf! But in Trieste, whether the Befana comes to your house or not, January 6 means it's time to put away all that Christmas stuff (the miniature fake tree with lights that stay on it, the Christmas mugs we seem to receive every year from various family members, the ornaments, etc) and move on with Life. I like this tradition. It gives you a few days after New Years to catch your breath before having to take it all down, pack it up and put it away. That being said, the stuff goes up here much later. I think we waited until about a week before Christmas before we did anything festive to the house. In America I remember everything happening the day after Thanksgiving.

Oh yeah, I have to remember to change my computer's screen saver, too, no more Grinch. Time to go.