Columns

Talking about the concept of email in Italian is tricky.  For one thing, the word “email” is an English abbreviation for “electronic mail,” and this abbreviation is not easily translated into Italian. For another thing, the way English speakers and Italians talk about email has evolved with each technological advancement in communication, and will probably continue to change in the future.  We may find that the terms we use in this blog today have been abandoned for different terms tomorrow! But, let’s try anyway to talk about email the way Italians do — at least for now and hopefully into the …

One of the downsides of selling an investment property is the capital gains tax that the IRS requires you to pay. But the IRS also provides you with an out know as the 1031 exchange. This method allows you to defer capital gains tax liability when selling an investment property by purchasing another like-kind property with the profit gained by the sale of the first. There are guidelines that must be followed and conditions that must be met in order to qualify, and that process starts with filling out the necessary paperwork providing information about the properties you’re looking to …

When we were in our 20s, it was a whole different ballgame. Way back then, we couldn’t possibly have predicted what our life would be like as we enter this new decade of the 2020s. We’re all aware that the Roseland we grew up in has changed dramatically over time and some of us former Roseland residents have taken daytime trips to today’s Roseland to see just how much change time has wrought. Many of the houses we grew up in have had their date with the wrecking ball. Some fell apart sooner rather than later for lack of tender …

Christmas is a time for celebration, but how celebrate has changed over the centuries. How do you celebrate Christmas? Do you embrace the more secular version embodied by Santa Claus with his big bag of presents, or the more religious one in which gifts are given in recognition of God’s gift to us of His Son Jesus Christ? One tradition I embrace is the Christmas story told by Mario Avignone, the founder of this column. Fr. Pierini asked him decades ago to start writing Petals as a way of keeping Roseland alive in our hearts. In my 10-plus years as …

How to Use Benvenuto! and Italian Holiday Party Conversation “Benvenuto!”* and its variations (Benvenuti! Benvenuta! and Benvenute!) are frequently used Italian interjections that all mean “Welcome!” Guests (gli ospiti) to an Italian household can expect to hear these words as a warm greeting before crossing the threshold into the home (casa) of the host or  hosts (la padrona di casa/il padrone di casa or gli ospiti).**   Whether family, friend or acquaintance, every guest will be greeted warmly as a sign of the Italian dedication to hospitality for all. And, of course, the Italian Christmas season, which starts in early December and lasts until early January, …

I write in response to André Dimino’s article “Hey, NEA! No Way!” about the NEA’s resolution concerning Columbus Day. First, let me establish my bona fides to address this issue. My father, maternal grandfather and maternal great-grandparents were all born in Italy — every drop of my blood traces back to Italy. So, I am as Italian as one can be. I am also a teacher of 26 years experience, and for the last 18 years, I’ve been a dues-paying, rank-and-file member of the National Education Association. In fact, for 17 of those 18 years, I’ve held some kind of …

When the Representative Assembly of the National Education Association recently voted in favor of replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day, it offered precious little by way of justification. Here is the full text of its resolution: “The National Education Association believes that the history of colonization needs to be recognized and acknowledged in every state. To do so, the Association believes that the name of the current holiday known as ‘Columbus Day’ should be renamed and recognized as ‘Indigenous Peoples’ Day’ in recognition of the early indigenous peoples who were living in the United States before colonization by European …

How to Use Bello with Singular Nouns Bello is an Italian adjective that one will use often when visiting the “bel paese”—so many people are and places are beautiful, nice, and lovely in Italy!  But, the form of this adjective will change according to the masculine or feminine form of the noun (person, place or thing) it modifies, the number of “things” that are beautiful, and also according to where this adjective is placed in the sentence. When referring to a person, bello/bella are used to mean handsome and beautiful, as well as nice, or lovely.  Places or things can be beautiful, and also nice or lovely.  The …

I am an only child. My parents were had the foresight to realize that they did not need more than one of me! As an only child, I became very self-sufficient, or at least self-dependent. So my social skills are a mess and I don’t delegate very well … among other flaws. In high school and college, when I had to work on a project in which team participation was required, I was either the person who rode other people’s coattails, or the person who took charge and did all the work. No in-between for me. My report cards, those …

The long winter months are upon us and you already thinking about preparing your home for the open market in the spring. What if I told you there are a few simple DIY improvement projects that can significantly raise your appeal to a potential buyer? And by cutting out the professional contractor, you could save more than half on your project! The proper insulation could save you or a new buyer up to 50 percent per year in energy costs. Insulating your attic is a simple low-skill project that most DIY’ers can pull off. Make sure never to stand on …