Amiche di cuore...

So you've read how we met, and you've maybe come to understand that Francesca and I enjoy a very close friendship.  Here is another story of us...and how we discovered something we shared in common (with another friend as well).

We arrived for our stay with Francesca for Christmas 2015.  One of her friends, Anna, and her family came to celebrate Christmas Eve with us.  Anna was sweet and curious about us, and I could tell she had a generous soul.  One thing that told me so was that Anna had made bread and brought it for our Christmas Day lunch the next day.  I enjoy baking, so homemade bread is a wonderful thing to enjoy.  But this was no ordinary loaf of bread. It seemed to be perfect in every bread way...a crisp outside layer, followed by a soft and chewy inside, full of amazing seeds and flavor.  I mentioned to Francesca how much I loved this bread, and she invited Anna over to give me a lesson in how to make her amazing bread.

During this bread making lesson, we discovered that all three of us have the hobby or interest in finding/seeing hearts (cuore in Italian) in nature, our food, and our everyday lives.  We also all photograph these hearts.  I know there are probably millions of other people who do this around the world, but these two women were the first who I had ever told that this was something that I do, and we were all surprised that it was something that we all shared.  

When I had to say goodbye to Anna and Francesca after our Christmas trip, we vowed to share our heart photos with each other via a Whatsapp group.  They even surprised me by baking me this dough heart (I still have it!)  Our husbands have made fun of us, the kids have teased us...but we have since that day enjoyed sharing our photos together.  It has been a simple but meaningful way to keep in touch.

 We have also enjoyed our at least annual reunions...sharing our hearts in more than just photographs.

 Anna tends to find hearts in her food and cooking most often. She sees them the most frequently I would say.

 This was one we found while Francesca and I were at the market in Chivasso. Little did we know Anna was at the market too...we saw her just minutes after we took this photo!

I tend to see hearts in nature the most...

Although this cheese heart is one of my favorites!

Francesca often finds hearts in nature, but also in her home. I like to think the places we find our hearts are reflective of the places and things we love. This tradition continues after three years, and these two are truly friends of my heart in so many ways.