Elena Cernei-THE Mezzo-Soprano Of The Century

Listen readers, REALLY listen, with your heart as well as your ears.  I wrote about this mezzo-soprano two years ago and since have discovered the many facets of her well-trained and natural voice.  I have grown to love the richness and depth of her singing which brings out so much passion inside of me.

When I accidentally found her I was curious. So I found more of her videos on YouTube, thanks to her husband Dr. Stephan Poen.  What beautiful tributes he has posted!

While finding out about her and enjoying her gorgeous, sumptuous performances, I thought, I can't just listen to her on YouTube anymore.  I need to have her music for my very own.  Well, little did I know it would be an arduous journey to find it.  I tried many different sources....ITunes...Amazon.....Craigslist...Ebay, and even tried using the web to find a place to buy her music.  To no avail, but I kept trying.  Finally, 2 months ago I saw a listing for her music on Ebay.  It was a vinyl album of her repertoire which had all the arias I had been listening to on YouTube.  The seller was in Israel and I have to admit, it was a little more expensive than I would normally have paid but of course I HAD to have it.  It seemed like an eternity (two weeks) waiting for this treasure to arrive!  It came and I opened the package and pulled out a beautifully preserved vinyl disc that I immediately put on my 1969 Delmonico Nivico Hi-Fi and instantly my mind traveled to my romantic place and I was swept away.  I cried.

This record album has not left my stereo since I put it on the turntable and I listen to her almost every day.  Again, many thanks to you, Dr. Stephan Poen for introducing me to such an emotionally enriching 'prima voce'!  May Elena always be remembered in our hearts and our ears!

La Vita Bella!
Angelo di Gioa

Rionero Sanittico: A Dream Of Connecting

I have never had such a strong desire (obsession) to visit a little piece of this earth as I do this place, the birthplace of my great-grandfather Pa Tadone (Giovanni Andreano).  Although he passed away when I was a small child, I still have recollections of him, and combined with my nana's memory and stories, he lives in my heart.  You now know my reason to visit this little village.

To hear my nana tell, Pa Tadone's childhood was complicated with a selfish, cruel step-mother and a poor existence which was combined with earthquakes and lots of snakes.  Now these things I am sure are true but I know how my grandmother has a tendency (like myself) to embellish a story.  Where do you think I get that ability????  Anyway, she always described this beautiful little mountain town in Italy and I would daydream these wonderful fantasies about the village.  As I got older, the daydreaming didn't occur nearly as often but one day I was at my computer and I realized I could pull up an image of this little village, I grew very excited and typed in the name and then...........I cried.  This was the picture I saw and it felt like I was actually there.  I sat and blinked through the tears and decided one day I will travel there to make the connection to my family's past, and to my heart.  It has been a long time since that day and I have even traveled to Italy once, but now is the time to take the next step and realize my many childhood fantasies.

This is the only picture I have of Pa Tadone.  It is a little
blurry but it is a picture of a kind, and simple man.  When I look at it, I am mesmerized and try to think of what kind of life the young Giovanni had back in Italy.

I have recently done a little research and found that there are still a few families with the name Andreano living in Rionero Sanittico.  I would like to contact them so I guess it is time to really immerse myself in the Italian language.  I understand and know some of the language but I feel the need to become at least semi-fluent.
One last note, although I have more of a German background and I look mostly German, I have the heart, mind, and soul of my Italian heritage.  It is the force that drives me through my life and keeps me surrounded by beauty!

HH~

ANGELO

GMO Foods.....Wake Up America!!

Let me start with the definition of a GMO food.  The acronym found here translates to Genetically Modified Organisms.  Think about that. To me, it reads, Man Screwing With Nature For Financial Gain.  This brings up several other issues which involve health, ethics, and safety......but to me the drive behind it is greed, WHICH translates to Monsanto.  You can't ever convince me that this conglomerate is just thinking of the people and trying to end world hunger.  There are so MANY varying topics to discuss with this subject but I am going to concentrate on one.  Seeds for the home garden.

I feel the only true way to reduce your chances of being subjected to GMO foods is to grow the food yourself...you know, self reliance, accountability.  Yes, there is a little work involved but the effort is worth it because you will have peace of mind, a healthier body and let's not forget the fact of taste.  How many of you have bought fresh produce and find that it tastes like cardboard?  What about potatoes, have you peeled them lately to find that they have a green tint just below the brown peel?  I can't quite pinpoint the exact thing that is happening but in my heart I believe it all boils down to G.R.E.E.D.  Fruits and vegetables are sprayed with chemicals to control insects.  A lot of them are harvested too early and then treated to appear ripe because we all know...time is money.  I am frightened by the attitude of many people in that their attitude to what is happening is "I want what I want and I want it now and I don't care how I get it."  This type of person is unfortunately the majority in our country today.

I digress....see what I mean?  It is way too easy to get of on another tangent to this subject :)  Back to my particular take on this subject.  If you would like to take matters into your own hands and grow NON GMO foods, take a trip to your local garden center and look for organic, non gmo seeds.  You will need to experiment to see which varieties awaken your taste buds.  Now, there are two things I am quite certain of and that I can pass along to you in good faith.  DO NOT buy seeds from BURPEE as it is associated with Monsanto.  The only true non-gmo seed company I know of is Botanical Interests Seeds located at http://www.botanicalinterests.com and they are also organic.

Trust me, you will have an "aha" moment from the very first harvest of your crops not to mention the pure satisfaction of knowing you grew your food with your own two hands.  The work it takes to provide yourself with great food also gives you the exercise you need...the sun you work out in provides the vitamin D your body needs...and the food you eat provides the healthy diet you need to survive...think about it.

                                                         WAKE UP AMERICA!!!

HH~

ANGELO

My Heirloom Tomatoes

Here, you are looking at a bowl of generations worth of seed collecting of the same roma tomato.  This particular roma type tomato is named Sonoma.  This name ( I am told) was researched by a friend of a distant cousin by examining the DNA of the seed itself.  Quite fascinating I must say but I don't seem to find any information on the internet about this particular roma tomato.

All I truly know is what my Nana has told me over the years.  This tomato (it's seed) was brought over from Italy by our family in the 1920's  and the biggest, nicest looking one saved every year to continue the raising of this delectable edible.

The responsibility to carry on the seed saving has been handed down to me and I look forward to every year when I plant the seed and dream of that wonderful tomato aroma and taste.  I love the smell of the tomato leaves because it transports me back to my grandparents farm.  I am at the pink two-story farmhouse with a white wrought iron double front porch, in the tomato section of the garden with my grandfather who is teaching me how to care for these gifts of nature.  As far as the taste, for me, no other tomato can compare.  When I taste these tomatoes that my mouth has been watering for all season, I again, am transported to Nana's kitchen to relish the fresh mozzarella,tomato and basil,drizzled with EVOO on fresh baked bread or the tomato and onion salad and especially the fresh pasta sauce...I am in heaven just thinking about it.  I get CRAZY!  Memory is a powerful thing folks.

The seedlings have their first set of true leaves and my mouth is watering once again!

HH~
ANGELO

Golden Chain Tree

Here folks, we have a golden chain tree...not rain tree, like many people mistake it for being.  The latin name for all you gardening aficionados is Laburnum.  In my gardening world, the most popular variety is "Vosii" which is a vigorous grower, especially if given a protected situation from gale force westerly winds.  We want this to be a pretty tree, not looking like Tina Turner's hairstyle :)

The Laburnum is a deciduous tree that is loaded with cascading clear yellow flowers in late spring.  They resemble a wisteria, only in yellow.  Now, I am not a big yellow fan in the garden BUT this tree I have grown and it is unusual enough that it attracts a lot of attention and I feel it also provides elegance to the garden.  It is a relatively small tree growing 15-20 ft. tall and wide.  It is a perfect tree to plant in a flower garden as a focal point.  It is hardy from zone 5a to 7b and requires full sun to partial shade.  It prefers a rich soil and average watering......do not over-water.  All parts of this tree are poisonous if ingested and may cause irritation if handled.   One of the nicer things about this tree is that the branches are pliable so you can train them over a structure or even create an espaliered look on a building or fence.

I hope you give this lovely little tree a go in your garden....you will NOT be disappointed.

HH~
ANGELO

La Notte.....Arisa

My first experience with Arisa is when my dear friend Emanuele sent me the link to the SanRemo Festival video where she quietly got on stage and sang this song.  I, of course fell in love with it immediately and actually obsessed over it, as with all good music that transcends to my ears.  Like a wild man I located the lyrics AND the translation to better understand the story she was singing.  I believe that I would enjoy this song even without the words...the music is so pretty.  Give this a listen and see if you don't love it!!

HH~

ANGELO

Tribute To A Beautiful Voice

Anita Cerquetti: a most beautiful voice I had never heard until 2 nights ago.

I have a friend online with whom I have the love of opera in common.  We were comparing our favorite soprano divas and he of course said his was Maria Callas.  I must admit, I was disappointed because although Callas was one of the best in her genre both technically and dramatically, her voice has never moved me inside my heart, which is the reason I listen to opera.  :)

So, getting to the reason for this post.  I thought maybe I could give Callas another listen to maybe prove myself wrong.  I went to YouTube and looked for her singing Casta Diva, which is the measure I use to size up mezzo-sopranos, which are my favorite type of soprano.  I gave Callas another chance, and, stood firm to my opinion.  Afterwards, I started listening to many great mezzos and then saw THIS particular video.  I had never heard of Anita Cerquetti so I decided to give her a try.  This recording is actually a LIVE performance from 1958 when she stood in for Maria Callas because of illness.  How ironic for me...lol.  I started to listen to the most beautiful and full voice I had ever heard.  There is a richness and deep timbre in her voice that sends me into orbit....and YES, moves my heart enough to bring tears to my eyes!  Give her a listen and try to tell me this is not a PRIMA VOCE!

HH~
ANGELO

HAPPY 2012!

Here we are, at the start of another new year....so tell me, why do we use this as the time to turn a new leaf in our lives or start a renewal of practices we let fall to the wayside?  Is the new year our signal that it is time for us to do these things?  I also notice this with the Christmas season as well....everyone goes out of their way to be kind and thoughtful and forgiving.  Hmmm....why do these events trigger such thinking?  Is man conditioned to do so?

I am making a proposal to all of you this year.  MAKE EACH DAY a Christmas or New Year ;)  Strive to understand the truth about yourself inside first; this is the MOST important step, and then have the courage to be truthful, not only to yourself but with everyone you know and love.

Some examples to think about:
-help out a fellow human being with a random act of kindness
-volunteer at a local shelter, food pantry, hospital or pick someone to help out on your own
-stop being afraid to do what you need to do before it is too late for your own happiness
-make NO excuses for your actions or words
-don't worry about what other's think but never do things to hurt someone intentionally
-always be truthful in your communication....don't say the words you think other people want to hear

These are just a few examples of what can be done to reach your goals.  Granted, a lot of things will be painful for you to say or do but it is out of necessity that you do it in order to be free in your mind and body.  I did not promise it would be easy or that you will always follow this path but it is something worth striving for and in the long run you will thank yourself for doing things that set you free :)
The time to start is now!

HH~
ANGELO

Christmas Memories

Do you have a song that brings back fond memories?  My heart and mind are governed by music!  This special children's song used to be sung by myself and another fellow friend where I worked many years ago.  Each year as we set up our store for Christmas, this was the first song to be sung.  The rest of the store knew it was not official until Cindy and I teamed up for this duet :)

I lost track of Cindy until just recently and reconnected with her via email (which I received through another mutual friend) and the title of my email had this title in it to let her know it was me.

Such a nice feeling to know that music and people have such a powerful impact on our lives!

HH~

ANGELO

Antique Music

Buon Giorno faithful readers!  I want to share with you a "sentimental journey."  This trip started on Sunday, October 23rd.  Let me start out by saying, I have ALWAYS desired an antique phonograph of my very own.  As long as I can remember I have searched in antiques shops, classified ads, attended auctions and estate sales but always coming up empty handed.  What I found was either too expensive or, if it was the right price, involved too much work to restore it.  When I moved to my current city about 4 years ago, I discovered Craigslist and have searched on this site since.  Again, coming up empty handed for the same aformentioned  reasons..........until.......last Sunday evening when I was once more pounding the Craigslist antiques section and.....VOILA!...there it was...a beautiful floor model phonograph that was unbelievably in my price range (80.00)!!!!  I just stared at it.  When the shock wore off...I quickly emailed the poster and asked two major questions....do you still have it?...and.... is there anything wrong with it?  I nervously waited for my inbox to show a reply.  It came before I decided to turn of the computer for the night.  I mumbled a little prayer and opened up the email.  The reply: yes, I still have it.......the lid needs to be re-attached.  That's it?!?!?  OMG!  I could barely write down the phone number the woman gave me....and....I had to go to sleep.

I called her from work around 9:30 Monday morning and we decided to wait until Tuesday at 9 a.m. for an appointment to see it in her home.  Tuesday morning at promptly 9 a.m. I ring the doorbell and was greeted by a woman with a softness to her demeanor and was taken to the item in question.  I just stared at the phonograph and she had to initiate the inspection to knock me out of my shock.  There before me stood a beautiful mahogany 1916 Pooley Grand Prix Eufonola.  She explained to me that it had been her mother-in-law's, who bought it when she started working in the early 1930's.  When they acquired it she said the finish was alligatored so they had it professionally refinished.  I won't bore you with the rest of the conversation but I connected with this women because of her love for preserving old things.  She is an architect and an artist.  Her house was of course my favorite 1920's bungalow style restored to perfection with a two-story addition that one could not even begin to realize was an add-on.  She is an enamel on copper artist on top of this and some of her pieces are gorgeous.

We decided I should return the next morning to pick up the phonograph with my friend Bob.  I was there a little early so we had time to chat before my friend arrived. We talked about her work and classes I could take from her this winter for enameling.  She showed me 3 enamel bowls she had and explained they were for sale at half the cost but I declined because they were still too expensive and I decided to load the records (she gave me for free) into my car.  When I finished, I came back into the house and she presented me with my favorite bowl as a gift.  I was stunned!  I told her I could not accept and she said "Merry Christmas."
One does not run into people like her too often in life and that is one reason I had to write about it because I want to treasure this experience when I can no longer remember things.  Secondly, it is not too often I encounter such individuals.

HH~

ANGELO

Tamarix Ramosissima

Look at the ethereal beauty of this tamarix shrub!  How could you NOT be captivated by it's many alluring qualities.  My first memory of this mild climate looking shrub is of it growing in one of my grandparents' many perennial beds on their small farm.  Picture a two story, old, pink farmhouse with a double front porch and white wrought iron railings :)  Now, picture a five foot two, dark-haired Italian woman and a six foot one, strong as an ox German man.  They raised pigs and then cows and when they could afford it, they got dressed up and drove the farm truck to the nearest big city to enjoy a night at the local opera house listening to beautiful music.  They were full of passion, and gardening was one of those passions.  I am very fortunate to have these memories in my life!

This shrub is very versatile and beautiful if given the correct setting and attention.  This is not a shrub for the faint of heart :)  You can let the tamarix grow to it's natural 8-10 foot height while the branches grow thick but unfortunately the branches start to split after so many years and then you are forced to have an out of balance look.  It keeps the more graceful appearance and blooming capability when you keep it pruned for renewal growth because it blooms on new growth.  The leaves are a grey-green and have sort of an evergreen look, but I assure you, the tiny leaves turn a beautiful gold/red in the fall and drop to the ground like any deciduous shrub.  The spacing of this shrub is actually determined by the gardener but a good rule of thumb is to allow for at least 8-10 feet for it's graceful arching quality.  As you can see, it flowers abundantly with tiny rose-pink florets en masse.  It requires full sun for the best bloom but will do relatively well in partial shade.  Once established, it is quite drought tolerant because of it's long tap root and is hardy from zone 2a-8b.  I have seen where it is listed on the North Dakota Invasive Plant List but, honestly, I don't think it applies to all regions.  Like with anything in life there is good and bad and you can make your own choices :)  Me?.....I bought the shrub this fall for planting so we will see if it is as bad a foe as North Dakota claims....lol.  My grandparents certainly don't think of this shrub as an enemy ;)  Plant from the heart folks!

Happy Gardening!
HH
Angelo

RUDBECKIA TRILOBA

Hello everyone!  This installment is covering one of my favorite, and for some reason, elusive flower.  I discovered this perennial/biennial by shear accident about 17 years ago in  the herb bed of the house I had just moved into.  A little 90 year old woman had lived there, actually the only owner of the house since it was built in the 1940's.  We moved into the house in the month of March and I eagerly awaited to see what was growing in the flower beds.  I watched what I thought was a weed for several months and came close to pulling it right out of the ground.  Thank God I didn't because I was rewarded with this beautiful airy yellow/orange and brown flower when much of nothing else was blooming.  I fell in love with the fact that it grew to nearly five feet and the flowers seemed to float in the air.  I found out later (next spring) that it had an extra bonus of self-sowing.  A few people would find this annoying and slightly invasive.  I never looked at it that way...I just pulled out what I didn't want :)

I am a very sentimental gardener, so this year I built a house and one of the plants I wanted most was this perennial favorite that won my heart.  I had a lot of trouble finding it until I went to a local perennial grower for an open house and discovered they were growing the plant I coveted.  I was to say the least, ecstatic!  Although I have it now, I was not able to enjoy the simple pleasure of it's beauty this year.  I have something to look forward to next season.

Here is the general information to see if it will become a favorite of YOURS!  

It goes by 3 different names.  Rudbeckia Triloba, Brown-Eyed Susan or Three-Lobed Rudbeckia.  It is classified as a perennial/biennial which means essentially that it comes back every year but not always in the same spot.  It grows 3 to 4 ft. high (I have witnessed it reaching 5ft) and 2 to 3 ft wide.  It is hardy from zones 3-10 and requires full sun to partial shade.  It takes it a while to show you it's charms because it doesn't bloom until late summer into fall.  Like I said, not much else was blooming.  It's water requirements are average but don't overwater or it will surely perish.  As far as the slightly invasive habit, if you don't want it to reseed freely cut off the seed heads before they dry, or if you are like me, let them reseed and decide where you don't want them in the spring by simply pulling them out :) 

HAPPY GARDENING & HH

ANGELO 

MISSING YOU!

Hello Everyone!

It has been too long (a year and a half) since I have posted anything at all.  I have been quite busy with a new love, building a house, and ultimately keeping myself relatively healthy.  I am slowly getting back into my former habits...such as reading, seeing my friends and family, decorating projects, and all the little quirky things that make me smile.  This...blogging....I have missed a lot!  So, I am back to share a little bit of my world again in the hope that it can help someone out there laugh, cry, blush, cringe, joke, or look at life a little differently....but most of all, perhaps think differently :)

HH~
ANGELO

Introducing The Don'ts Of Conversation

Hello! It's me again :) Today is a "pointing the finger" kinda day! I am referring to people who don't know how to carry their fair share of a conversation!! :( I mean, really, do you think saying just "hello" to introduce yourself is going to be a real conversation starter? Especially if you know the person you are speaking with? The answer is.......NEVER!

Granted, I can be quite shy when meeting new people but what happens when you just reply to questions with a "yes" or "no" answer? I will tell you what happens... that other individual you are talking with is inside his head thinking...how in the hell am I going to get out of this one?...B-O-R-I-N-G!!!!!

I urge you to please have some consideration for the people you intend to engage in conversation. You can most likely be even nicer than Donna Reed but that will not help if you can't carry on a simple interesting dialog with another individual. This especially holds true if you are chatting on a site that one has to wait quite a while (by today's computer standards) to receive an answer. You wait ALL that time and then receive a tiny, non-stimulating response.......AGGRAVATING!!! If I were not so polite I would click you off in an instant :)...but I am nice, so I am giving you a little advice, instruction, whatever you would like to label it.

Happy chatting!! :)

Ciao and HH

ANGELO

Living With COPD (Kartagener Syndrome)

To look at me, one would never realize that I have this disorder...Kartagener Syndrome. It is an internal process so it is only announced by an external application such as wearing oxygen tubing to provide the level of oxygen your body needs to function properly. Since I do not wish to type out the definition and description of this disorder, I am providing the link to the Wikipedia version which will give you a little insight. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primary_ciliary_dyskinesia

Assuming you visited the link, did you learn anything? :) My main reason for letting my readers know about this personal, and up until now concealable disorder is that I am at the stage where I can not hide my physical ailment any longer. This past Thursday I went for pulmonary function testing and then paid a visit to my pulmonary doctor. The outcome was not a good one and so now I am breathing in mechanically produced oxygen through a tube that goes into my nose.....24/7......I HATE IT!!!!!!

I didn't mind, and even accepted this disorder as just a part of my life. My mother has told me that I have always had a positive outlook, even as a child, which got me through a lot because I was a sickly baby, going through many surgeries and procedures before the age of six. This disorder went undefined until I hit 40, seven years ago. Since then it has steadily gotten worse. It has progressed really only because I have not had the proper medical insurance or none at all and that meant I could ill afford the treatments conducive to keeping this disease at bay. So, here I am with this NOT so pretty accessory attached to my face, like a big north star blemish, and a tank (although be it small) hanging to my side via shoulder strap. How inviting for casual conversation with handsome strangers! Yes, my worst fear is that I will die alone because no one wants to be involved with someone who's mortality may be shortened. Should I even be thinking about this?

Sometimes my positive outlook takes an inward nosedive to bitterness in the land of "why me?" Sometimes I think this is the reason I have a low tolerance for whiny people and people who have everything and yet still complain how awful their lives seem to be compared to the rest of the population. Maybe it's just my attitude.........period. I am not certain of all my thoughts and feelings but I deal with them on a daily basis and decipher them as needed.

I will deal with this newest ordeal and return to the "normal" me shortly.......................I think.......hmmmmmm. :)

ANGELO DE GIOIA

Bitchy Judgement Day

A few nights ago while on Facebook, a guy I thought to be a nice person was giving a post by post description of his thoughts. He usually does this for award shows and such and can be quite comical. Last night was different. He was quite bitchy in his approach of describing different actors. What they were wearing, how they looked, the hairstyle...blah, blah, blah. He said that "Penelope Cruz is so unattractive and speaks like a deaf indian lady...dot not feather...sorry deaf indian ladies." So, tell me, is this not only in bad taste but also laced with a little racial negativity? First of all, I love Penelope Cruz but most importantly, I think he was being bitchy and racist rolled into one. So, I asked him in the public forum "what was wrong with Penelope" and his reply along with more than several of his cronies disgusted me with the negativity and hate! Being the gentleman that I am, I privately messaged him a HOT picture of Penelope and told him how disappointed I was with him. What do you think happened? HE BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE STAGE!! I couldn't believe it when I saw his next post. Basically, he sent out a not so sincere apology directly to me (which riled up his cronies) and stating....I stand by my words and this is America where we can have our own opinions and we have to respect everyone's opinion......NOT COOL! We are lucky to have such a freedom, yes, but so many individuals misunderstand that it is a PRIVILEGE to speak one's opinions and a wise person chooses when and how, if ever, to express those opinions. I myself have learned it is a good thing to lock up the mouth sometimes and listen to others :) I was so angry that I was up hours after I should have gone to bed thinking about all the people I knew like him. Ugh...why do I waste my time!

Help me out here, please! Why does it appear to me that the majority of gay men I have met feel it is their duty to dispense bitchiness in the form of degrading, demeaning, belittling, discrediting, tarnishing, disapproving, and devaluing other human beings and other minorities for the pure enjoyment of the "fun" of it? Has anyone ever told these people that this behavior doesn't match their pretty faces? They need to work on the inside as well. I am not saying that I have never tried the role of bitchy on for size and I can actually protrude quite the serpents tongue when needed. I choose rather to be kind and have found that it benefits everyone :) I know a lot of gay men are insecure with themselves. I wish they would just deal with it and stop being so bitchy. Those good looks they try so hard to preserve on the outside will shrivel up like a sour prune before they know it!

ANGELO

What a Cello!

While looking on YouTube yesterday for the music of my previous post, I discovered another amazing artist, Stjepan Hauser. He is a cellist who's solos accompanied by piano are life-stopping. I love discovering new artists that move me! See what you think.

My Favorite Aria

I know it has been waaaaaaaay too long since my last post....Wilmaryad will agree :) So....having said that and admitting my fault, I am starting my first post of the year 2010 with a sublime aria I happened to think of today and searched on YouTube. Mon Coeur S'ouvre A Ta Voix written by the composer Camille Saint Saens for the opera Samson et Dalila. I searched through various well known mezzo-sopranos but not finding the one voice I recalled quite vividly in my youth. One mezzo led to another and yet another until I stumbled on a singer whom I had never heard but INSTANTLY knew it was the voice from my past! I was absolutely thrilled and started to cry. After listening to the performance I came down to reality and looked at the information. I started to laugh because it was a Romanian mezzo-soprano by the name of Elena Cernei. You are wondering why I laugh at this? It is because the beautiful soul I have fallen head over heals for happens to be Romanian as well and it struck me as such a coincidence :) Try to tell me this aria does not move at least part of your heart!

I Belong To You (Il Ritmo Della Passione)

The title says it ALL! Such a beautiful, passionate song that you could dedicate to anyone you are seriously in love with, madly passionate about, truly infatuated with, or simply falling in love with that perfect someone you have always dreamed of finding. Well, I am dedicating this delectable number to a certain guy in Romania who I shall keep nameless to protect him (or maybe to keep away the competition).

We have only known each other a short while but when you know it is right......YOU KNOW!!!

I am thinking of you with all my heart I.S. :)

Yours~

ANGELO

Sta Passando Novembre~Eros Ramazzotti

I happened to hear this beautiful song when I was watching some Eros Ramazzotti videos and fell in love with it. It is a sad song because he is singing about losing a loved one and trying to reconnect and deal with their death...at least that is my interpretation. I have now become a HUGE Ramazzotti fan because his music is easy to listen to and beautiful. I have also discovered another old song by him that I am currently using as a song dedicated to a special person :) I will post it later and give you some time to think about the song...if you know me, you might even guess it AND guess why I have posted it :) I dedicate this song to Ed Whitt and Donald Morgan Jr. whom I remember with much love and who's endings came MUCH too soon. Mi amici bellisimi!!

ANGELO