Translated, the title means A Good Job, and in this case, several good jobs were accomplished at our friend’s home in the country. It all started with adding some cane to the iron fence for added privacy.
After that, we planted the garden or orto, which despite two bouts of hail, is doing quite well…tomatoes, zucchini, peppers and onions.
When Len asked, “What else?” Fernanda said the next job was too big, but alas, off we went in search of the best wooden sheds. And soon, the building process began.
Using extra bricks from the garden…
And some pallets …
ingenuity set in and the foundations began to emerge.
Oh, did I mention she bought TWO sheds?
Neighbors Bruna and Loreno heard the noise and wanted to be sure we had food for lunch, so they generously donated “supplies” from their very large garden and healthy hens.
Shortly after, Loreno added his expertise to the construction team. As Carlo would say, Len was the design engineer,
Loreno was the boss of the workers, and Carlo was the worker and translator.
It was so interesting for me to observe the communication. Loreno speaks no English; Len, just a little Italian; and when Carlo needed to run to the store for more supplies, Len and Loreno’s hand gestures, smiles, frowns, grunts, eye movements and laughter worked well.
Since Fernanda was at work, my job was to be sure the team had espresso and biscotti breaks often, and also make them lunch, which in Italy, always includes pasta.
By the time Fernanda came home from work, the first shed was nearly complete and the team was tired but satisfied.
A few days later, work commenced on the second shed. Understanding the construction better, the work went smoothly,
and roofing shingles were added for extra protection.
Mission accomplished – two wooden sheds and a big smile from Fernanda.
Fernanda planned a BBQ dinner celebration to thank everyone involved, and as you might expect, it was quite a dinner. She and Bruna headed to the butcher for the meat: ribs, sausages and steaks.
Bruna brought supplies from her garden.
Loreno was in charge of the grill – his hand-made steel grill which he brought over from his yard.
Len and I brought lots and lots of wine. And then the eating began.
Afterward, Barbara surprised us with her homemade desserts.
It was a wonderful evening filled with great food and lots of laughter.
Before the sun set, there was one more thing to do…
The three “artists” each signed a door as a happy reminder of their effort. Un buon lavoro – A job well done, for sure!
Next up? Time to return to Chicago for some rest!
Ciao,
Judy