I wish I was Wonder Woman

Ciao Bloggisti!

Gosh, it’s been such a busy month for me! So much to do at work, my toddler’s started doing back flips on the bed, we’re finishing renovations in the house, my car conked out on me last week and I have laundry coming out of my eyeballs (lovely mental image, non?). I’m so exhausted when I finally put the kids to bed that I just don’t have the energy or the inspiration to write anymore. And that’s getting me down because I really do enjoy blogging.  But instead writing I’ve been winding down by watching the superlative  Peep Show (it’s not what you think!) or The Beatles Anthology.

So what’s a desperate blogging mommy to do? Invoke the help of the gods? Nah, I’m sure they have better things to think about, like how to best destroy the weapon of mass destruction that is Aretha Franklin’s hat.  No, I have a better idea, I’m going to ask you, my dear friends from cyberspace, what to do. How can a gal with two young kids, a full-time job and no Mr. Belvedere  get her writing groove back? What do you do to get over the dreaded “block”? What are some new blogging tricks and doodads that might help me get inspired again?

One woman who has inspired me since I was a wee lass is Wonder Woman. Yes, she’s a hard act to live up to but maybe she’s just the person to help a working mommy blogger. Maybe, just maybe if I watch Lynda Carter it’ll turn me into Wonder Blogging Woman, able to deflect bullets, meet translation deadlines, bake lasagne, lasso her kids and write killer posts with just a simple spin. Ok, it’s a long shot but here goes…

See, it worked! I was able to lasso the demonic writer’s block and debilitate him with my magic powers!! Now if I can only manage to sort the laundry in my satin tights I’ll be set.

Fabrizio De André

Ciao Bloggisti

It’s taken me a while to get back to blogging after a long holiday break but I’m proud that my first post is in honour of  Italy’s troubadour, Fabrizio De André. He passed away 10 years ago yesterday and all over the country, they are celebrating his life and art with concerts, exhibitions, tv and radio specials.

Unfortunately, I didn’t know who De André was until I heard the news about his death. But over the last decade,  I slowly discovered the work of this artist who created exquisite music spanning diverse genres. But more than anything else he was a true poet, writing lyrics that spoke of liberty, the poor, the marginalized as well as love in all its forms.  His songs are studied by children all over Italy and there are streets and schools named after De André.

But enough of my yakking. Let the great Faber speak for himself. The first song, Il Pescatore, is my daughter’s favourite:

This next video shows De André performing the song that he felt represented him the most, Bocca di Rosa. If you understand Italian quite well, I suggest that you have a gander at the lyrics. It’s such a wonderfully colourful story and so well-written that I can actually see the faces of the characters he’s singing about.

Grazie Faber.