Harmony Hill: May 2010

Welcome to Harmony Hill

Hello
I’m Isabella Endicotti, but everyone just calls me Bella Nonna.
Let me tell you about Harmony Hill. It’s a little piece of Heaven tucked away from the rest of world. My great grandfather, Lorenzo Auditore, purchased it over one hundred years ago.
He and his two brothers had left Italy and traveled the United States looking for a better life. His two older brothers stay in America for five years before deciding to go back to Italy, but my great grandfather stayed and traveled all over the United States. He would take odd jobs where ever he could get them. One day while working for Northland Orchards he found a slice of Heaven, as he always referred to it. He knew that this was where he was destined to spend the rest of his life. My great grandfather worked night and day until he had earned enough money to purchase it.
While working out in the mid-west he met, fell in love and married my great grandmother, Harmony Lacroix.
My great grandfather took his new bride and her brother and sister-in-law home to live in Harmony Hill. They built a cozy little house and got to work planting fruit trees, nut trees and a huge garden. Soon they had earned enough money to open a general store in the center of town.
Times were tough in the early 1900’s, so my great grandfather came up a great plan. He would contact some of the people he had worked with while trying to earn the money to buy Harmony Hill.
He had worked on a dairy farm in Wisconsin and became great friends with Ingvar Gustafsson, the nephew of the owner. He knew Mr. Gustafsson would not be inheriting any part of the dairy farm, so my great grandfather offer him a piece of land at the bottom of Harmony Hill near the large lake my great grandfather named Serenity Spring. Mr. Gustafsson’s uncle had given him two dairy cows as a wedding present which helped him start his new life in Harmony Hill. In return for the land, Mr. Gustafsson supplied my great grandparents with milk and other dairy products.
While working at a construction site my great grandfather met two master carpenters, Mr. Cleavon Johnson and Mr. James Washington. He offered them the same deal as Mr. Gustafsson.
Mr. and Mrs. Schneider were about to lose their farm and all of their livestock when my great grandfather got in contact with them. They were more than happy to accept the deal.
With a bit of luck, a lot of love and hard work my grandparents were able to buy Northland Orchards. The Gustafsson family was able to buy the land that Gustafsson’s Family Dairy now sits on. Mr. Johnson and Mr. Washington started their own construction company. Most of the homes here were built by Johnson & Washington Construction. Schneider Meat products are sold in most of the grocery store around here.
Over the years my great grandparent had many traveling workers. Most stayed for a short spell, but a few had such a great love for the land that my great grandparents gave them small portions of their land with the understanding that they would share their goods and services with the other residence.
As the families grew, so did Harmony Hill. Nowhere, to my knowledge, will you find a more eclectic loving group of people. Each family has its own unique family customs and traditions, but we all share the same family value.
Hard to believe, well get comfortable and I’ll tell you a little about the goings on around here.

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Ask Bella Nonna

Dear Bella Nonna,

My three year old son refuses to potty train completely. He, for the most part, has mastered making poopy in the potty… but will not go pee pee in the potty. I have followed all the suggestions in all of my parenting books… from keeping track of when he drinks liquids to when he become wet to putting a bull's-eye in the bowl of the toilet. Please help…I am at my wits end and up to my waist in dirty laundry.

Soggy in Saskatchewan

Dearest Soggy,

I know potty training can be very frustrating, having raised three sons of my own. My first bit of advice is to relax… I was going to suggest you take a deep breath but considering your current situation I'm afraid you might pass out from the toxic fumes.

Speaking of toxic fumes… Did you know that bleach mixed with little boy tinkle will produce a noxious gas? I nearly killed myself the first time I did a load of dirty diapers. I put the diapers into the washer, filled it with very hot water and as the washer agitated the diapers I poured in a generous cup of chlorine bleach. Within seconds my eyes started tearing and my lungs burned with each inhale… I flung the lid of the washer shut and literally crawled gagging and coughing out of the laundry room.

Okay, back to your problem. I have a secret to potty training that has been handed down from generation to generation. I call it the free-range method of potty training. This method of potty training can be started as early as 21 months of age.

On a warm sunny day dress your toddler in "big boy" undies and a T-shirt and let him play outside. When you notice "nature" about to call calmly ask if he has to go potty. Gently, but quickly, take him to the potty and let him go. If your bathroom is on the second floor of your house it would be helpful to have potty-chair close by.

Make sure you praise him for "holding it" until he got to the potty, as well as, after he has gone. Don't worry if you miss the warning signs and he has an accident. This helps your baby understand the concept of "having to go potty" by letting him see, as well as feel, what is happening to his little body.
Because there is less "mess" to clean up after an accident, you will find this method less stressful on you and your child.

Harmony Hill

Translate

Welcome to Harmony Hill

Blog Archive

Tell Me What You Think

About Me

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Ask Bella Nonna