Just returned from my first Sons of Italy in America meeting and I'm disappointed that they voted to skip the July and August meetings while everyone is on vacation. After the meeting we feasted on pepperoni Italian bread pizza, spaghetti and Ricotta Pie. It's probably not a big deal to many of our readers but I haven't seen any Ricotta Pie in over half a lifetime, much less a full 26 inch by 18 inch sheet pan of Ricotta Pie. Perhaps not so oddly enough the Ricotta Pie disappeared before the Italian bread pizza and the spaghetti.

While perusing the Sons web site I found their Italian Festival Directory. Did you know that there are 81 Italian festivals in NY, 21 in Ohio, 5 in Florida and 2 in Nebraska? They include the following: Our Lady of Lourdes in Daytona Beach in February, St. Anthony in Cleveland in June, Our Lady of Mt Carmel in Cleveland in July, Our Lady of Assumption in Cleveland in August, St Rocco in Cleveland in September and around here St. Lucy in June and the Festa Italiana in August? I expect zeppole sighting reports in the coming months.

I'm relieved that tropical Storm Alberto seems to have dropped only badly needed rain in Florida. I did call Spumoni South over the weekend for a potato chip update. Marlena reported 5 open bags and 8 unopened bags so seasonal stockpiling has officially begun!

Have you considered a Dremel power tool for the table sanding project? We use one to smooth the edges of pieces of plexiglass that we use as impaled objects when we provide moulage for local and regional exercises. It's much faster than sand paper.

In a much delayed reply to Joey Big Head's post about ridiculaous nicknames in their cell phone list, I submit the following entries from my cell phone: Joe Head, Shteef, Spumoni Line 2 and Spumoni South. Somehow Maria Rose is listed as MariaRose and Marlena is listed as Marlena. Is that cause for concern?

Don't look now, Molly. I hear Duane is looking for a new apartment now that Rob Lopicola is no longer his neighbor.