Stacy Pollard

Things I Learned while Learning Italian

Recently I celebrated three years of officially studying Italian! And while I still feel like a baby on my language journey, I also know that linguistically, and more important, spiritually, I have come a long way. I never planned to learn Italian, despite having grown up with a grandfather who emigrated from Southern Italy when he…

Cheers to all: Cin Cin a tutti!

I never really thought about why we “toast” with our drinks when gathered with others, I just accepted it as a time-honored tradition. But the armchair historian in me was amused to discover recently, while browsing one of my Italian texts, that we have the ancients to thank for this one. This sparked my interest,…

Dreaming of Italy….

Will you be one of the 46 million people who visits Italy this year? I sure hope so! Italy is home to more World Heritage Sites (49!) than any other country in the world, not to mention iconic landmarks recognized the world over. With so much beauty and history packed into just one of Europe’s many…

Finding Famiglia – Part Two

Italy at Last — Finalmente Italia Post #2 in a series of how an Italian-American girl discovered her roots in Bari, Italy, the heel of the Italian boot. Please click here to read Finding Famiglia Part One. The first half of The Heritage Trip is spent in the frenzied fabulousness which is Italy in the…

Finding Famiglia — Part One

Behind the Scenes – Il Retroscena As promised in Italian and Me: A History, following is the story of how an American girl, raised in an Italian-American family, found her roots, le sue radici, her treasures, i suoi tesori, in the heel of the Italian boot. Fall 2009. Still very sad from losing my father in…

Is Santa Claus Italian?

This question came up recently from 7-year-old Baby Girl as she was watching the animated movie “Rise of the Guardians.” Alec Baldwin voices Santa Claus, who does speak with an accent, although I’m not sure it’s intended to be Italian. “Mom, listen to him!” she exclaimed, “Oh ya, he’s definitely Italian!” May I interject here…

Mid-Week Inspiration

We don’t always make it to church on Sundays, but when we do, I leave feeling inspired, motivated. By the middle of the week, however, I feel like my soul needs nourishment again. I have a journal titled just that — spiritual nourishment — where I keep a collection of prayers, bible passages, and book…