Since starting to organise children’s birthday parties for my kids (and also taking them to friend’s parties) I felt that the party bags are a real waste of money. Nevertheless kids like them, so about a year ago I had an idea!!!

I purchased some CAFOD gifts from the World Gifts website, made a template for a “party bag” and printed one per child. I basically printed an A4 with two images, folded it in the middle and made the bag.

Then I went onto the “kids zone” part of the CAFOD website and printed some colouring sheets, relative to the gifts that I chose this time. I rolled them up and put one in each bag.

Finally, I added a sweet per bag and… there we go, a nice message, some educational things to do and a reward for coming to the party sharing my child’s birthday with him!

This time I chose a “Vegetable Garden” and “Some Chicken” - see the pdf of the party bag and the one of the colouring sheets that I have used.

On the first weekend of October the little village of Bonassola, near the Cinque Terre (Five Lands) along the Italian Riviera, celebrates the dedication of the Parish Church, dating from the XVII century, to the Lady of the Rosary.

The celebration, centered originally around a Catholic Mass on Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m. and a parade of the Statue of the Virgin Mary in the afternoon of Sunday at 4 p.m., has grown over the years and now it is a truly religious and folkloristic festival that involves the Council and the whole of the village.

Over the weekend, along the streets of the village, people can enjoy live music (a concert on the Friday night and a live band on the Saturday night), food and wine stalls selling traditional dishes (gatafin and apple frittas are just an example!), clothes, jewelleries, bags, sweets and all sort of market stalls (open until late at night), are just a few of the key events of the weekend.

The center point of the folkloristic celebrations, though, is the spectacular firework display that happens on Saturday night, over the bay at 11 p.m. The sea is normally lit by floating candles that have been put in the water by children and adults in the early hours of the evening and that have drifted with the currents to light up the coast. Fantactic!

Some practical hints:
 - If you are staying somewhere else than Bonassola, take the train. Extra trains are scheduled for taking people back after the fireworks, so ask at the station for special services.
- Find a palce on the beach, better towards the left-hand side, where you can enjoy the view of the fireworks.
- Even if you are not religious, have a look at the Church. It is decorated for the occasion with lights and flowers. Some people may think it is a bit OTT, but it is certainly something you don’t see outside Italy! The church seem very plane from the outside, but it is richly decorated inside, with a few unique features, like the original marble Altar or the XVII century organ behind it or a paitning from Discovolo. There is also a major organ, but the true jewel is the little hidden one.

The weekend is buzzing with life and there is a diffuse sense of cheerfulness that is worth experiencing. The village is small, so although busy, it is still a village celebration therefore you won’t feel lost if you let the atmosphere engulf you for a few hours. If you have a chance to go, don’t forget to let us know! 

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If the semi between Nadal and Murray was a great fight, Federer showed a different class altogether and Murray couldn’t find an answer to his super forehand!

Well done Roger! We’ll llook forward to number 14!
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If you haven’t see the semi between Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray, you have missed some really great tennis!

Here is the link to set 3 after the rain on YouTube. I am sure that soon set 4 will appear!

Let’s hope that the final will be as good. But what a difference in Murray’s tennis comapred to Wimbledon!!!

Testo di Gabriella Morandi

Per lo stile di vita meno frenetico e più legato allo scorrere naturale del tempo, non ci sorprende che in alcune aree d’Italia l’età media della popolazione sia più elevata. Tutti abbiamo sentito parlare della “via dei centenari” che attraversa il cuore della Sardegna. Ma c’è anche un angolo di Lombardia in cui si vive di più, incuneato tra Piemonte, Liguria ed Emilia Romagna. Non troppo distante dalla metropoli convulsa, anche nell’Oltrepò montano non mancano storie di eccezionale longevità. Come quella di nonna Carmela, festeggiata a fine luglio in occasione del suo centesimo compleanno. Classe 1908, Carmela Palli coniugata Gandini, di professione maestra elementare, inziò la sua attività in una scuola privata ma ebbe a Oramala, un piccolo comune vicino a Varzi, il suo primo incarico statale, proseguito a Caglio, in provincia di Como, quindi nel Lodigiano, a Corte Sant’Andrea sul Po, nel Pavese a Travacò Siccomario e a Cava Manara e infine all’Istituto Ada Negri di Pavia. Di esemplare rettitudine e coerenza, i nipoti la ricordano bravissima a farli giocare, insuperabile nel leggergli “Pinocchio”, formidabile nell’insegnargli a fare gli gnocchi, ma anche nonna sui generis decisamente emancipata per i tempi: in gita con le amiche di Varzi ogni lunedì d’estate mentre il nonno a casa faceva il baby-sitter, accompagnatrice d’eccezione durante le prime vacanze in Grecia, viaggiatrice autonoma e intraprendente nella tratta Milano-Londra, dove abita tuttora la nipote Claudia.

I festeggiamenti sono iniziati lo scorso 23 luglio con una cena all’agriturismo “La Sorgente” di Varzi , dove la nonna ha trascorso una piacevole serata in compagnia del figlio Alberto, della nuora Paola e di nipoti e pronipoti. Lo stesso sindaco di Varzi, Ernesto Querciolli, e il parroco don Gianluca sono passati personalmente a farle gli auguri. Le celebrazioni sono continuate il 25 luglio con una gita al suggestivo eremo di Sant’Alberto di Butrio, meta preferita di Carmela per le sue più belle gite degli anni passati e dove la nonna-Cicerone ha sorpreso i suoi compagni di viaggio ricordando Frate Ave Maria, che in questo luogo per circa quarant’anni  - dal 1923 al 1964 - condusse una vita straordinaria all’insegna del motto “essere felici” ma sempre nel nome della preghiera e della penitenza. La tappa successiva, dal singolare toponimo “Oramala”, ha emozionato particolarmente nonna Carmela riportando la sua memoria ai primi anni del suo mandato quando, appena ventenne, proprio qui ebbe il suo primo incarico in un istituto statale. E proprio accanto alla scuola, chiedendo un’informazione, la nonna ha del tutto casualmente rincontrato un suo alunno: “Ma allora tu sei il Cesarino!”. E così Cesare Botti, 87 anni suonati, ha rivisto la sua maestra di quinta elementare, che come un odierno Pico della Mirandola ha ricordato che la classe di allora era formata da quattordici bambini, e anche le due sorelline di Cesarino. L’incontro e’ stato immortalato in una bellissima foto. Emozioni al cardiopalma domenica 27 luglio, con una messa in suo onore nella chiesa cittadina, dove Irene, una dei pronipoti, ha letto due speciali preghiere dei fedeli e il parroco ha definito la nonna “una perla di saggezza, esempio vivente di amore e fedeltà a Dio” e i cinque pronipoti seduti in prima fila “un esempio di ciò che ha saputo dare”. Al “Ristorante degli Alberti”, gestito dalla famiglia di uno dei nipoti di Carmela, i festeggiamenti si sono conclusi insieme a una sessantina di persone, tra parenti estesi e amici più cari. Certo nonna Carmela non si aspettava di rivedere proprio lì una ex collega e tre ex allieve: Elena Bensi, che le aveva scritto per anni anche dopo le elementari, Cecilia De Martino e Chiara Muggia, tutte compagne all’Istituto Ada Negri di Pavia. Che hanno sorpreso tutti mostrando temi dell’epoca, su foglio protocollo ingiallito rigorosamente piegato a metà, con tanto di giudizi oggi forse desueti ma simbolo di una severità ormai perduta. E finalmente la super nonna tutta d’un pezzo ha tradito l’emozione. Quelle gocce che rigano il viso appena segnato dalle rughe, nonna Carmela, ti hanno resa ancora più bella.

This photo was taken at the “Lac Vert” in the Chamonix Valley. Slade was only two and a half and did the walk all by himself. He was so cute with those big boots and his determination not to be carried. We obviously enjoyed a rest (and a cuddle) by the lake.

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Nonna Carmela, my Dad’s Mum, is going to be 100 years old on the 23rd of July 2008. We are planning a celebration with friends and family on Sunday the 27th of July, starting with Mass in the Parish church of Varzi and continuing with a reception at the “Ristorante degli Alberti” in San Marino di Varzi.

At the beginning of June she came to the UK for Shane’s First Holy Communion, cooked the “risotto giallo” for her great-grandchildren (and grandchildren too!) and enjoyed learning how to use skype! She certainly lives her life to the full.

I am a fan of driving from the UK to South of France (Chamonix) or  Northern Italy (Treville where Villa Mimma is) rather than flying.

The reason why? Because if you fly and the flight is delayed, there is not much you can do with three young boys in the airport. You are trapped in the Duty Free area and if you are lucky there are a couple of display cars, otherwise you have just a few shops and not much else. Boys get bored and there is so much they can read!

In the car, they know very well that the journey is long. We do Guildford-Dover with no problem and the Channel Tunnel breaks the journey. Once in France we set off with a few things to read and to play, then lunchtime approaches. I take my time to prepare sandwiches in the car and pass them around so another hour goes between bits and pieces. Then it is time to stop.

As we have had lunch in the car already, we don’t need to sit in a restaurant or self-service bar, so the kids can run around. If it is nice weather and not too hot we normally kick a football about as well. A trip to the gents and ladies and we are off again. Normally we refill the car of diesel too. Having a diesel now is actually a bonus because we could do the journey with one refill half way between home and Chamonix (we have actually done it!).

After lunch we put a dvd on so that Glen can rest (he normally drives from home up to this point) and I can do my two or three hours shift. The children are happy and we can get on easily.

When I am tired and can’t go on driving any longer, we have a quick stop to a parking area just for a toilet break and to swap driving again - literally 10 minutes!

A few more games and books to read and colour takes us to dinner time that again is served in the car. I normally take enough stuff so that I have a few alternatives that the two meals are a bit different. Another dvd after dinner ends the car journey.

Once we approach Geneva and the Chamonix valley, they change in scenery and the excitement of almost being there makes it all much easier. In winter at this time it is quite dark and the children tend to fall asleep for the last hour or so of the journey - and so do I In summer, there is enough to see to keep them busy, once we start spotting water falls and rocks with special features on the mountains that start to appear around us.

If we have to go to Italy, it is a bit trickier because from Chamonix there are over two hours to get to Villa Mimma. We have done it by stopping in Chamonix for a good hour to rest and setting off again late in the evening so the children do sleep for this part of the journey.

In summary, if you are travelling with children:

• Have your meals in the car and don’t prepare them before leaving. Take your time and make the meal last as long as you can!
• Stop for running around either where there is a play area or a green that can be used for a quick football game.
• Do not give the children a lot to drink otherwise they ask for toilet breaks more often, hence do not eat too many crisps and salty things that make you thirsty.
• Fruit and veggies are a great snack!
• Choose movies that don’t make you fall asleep, i.e. that you know well too because while the children are watching the movie, you can simply hear the sounds and if you are driving it is terrible. If you know the movie then it is much easier to concentrate on the driving - this applies only if you have one dvd player for all!.
• Take plenty of science and animals magazines with lots of pictures and things to do. They can be passed around between the children several times and they will always find something new to look at. They work a treat, while reading books are not so great in a car.

We do not have DS yet and we always wonder if it would make the journey easier if we had. I do like it the way it is, though. We do have a couple of games, but they are boring and the boys tend to play them only for a little while at a time. They certainly spend more time with the magazines.

Things that work well are the cube and puzzles that they can make, those with pieces stuck in a square - I’ll find their names and let you know exactly what I mean ASAP. Also little cars, animals, Uno and battleship are worth having around.

If I think of anything else, I’ll add it later, but for now these are all my tips! Hope this helps!

What a match! Whoever saw the tournament today cannot be other than excited for Andrew Murray. Nadal will be a tough opponent, but we must stay behind Murray and wish him victory again!!!

The Dore centres have helped many many children and adults with dyslexia and learning difficulties to improve their skills and transform their lives.

At the end of May 2008 the Dore centres have had to close and this is truly a disaster! My son completed the programme 15 days ago and I can honestly say that he is a different child!!!! What would I have done without the Dore programme for him?

We must help the Dore centres to reopen for those children and people who need help and could have their lives transformed too. What can we do?

WE CAN:

1. Sign this petition to our Government - it takes you no time at all!
2. Email your local MP through the “writetothem” website - it may take you a few minutes, but worth the effort;
3. Email your family and friends and ask them to sign the petition - easy to do;
4. Write to your local newspaper with your stories and raise the public awareness - time consuming but certainly worth it;
5. Talk to schools, churches, associations and ask them to help by disseminating this information.

If you think of other ways for helping, do not hesitate to let me know and I will update this list.

 Let’s work together for the benefit of our children!!!!