WWOOFers

me, Stefan, Kayla, Miranda, and Michelle in the kitchen

So this is a bit late, but I thought I should introduce you to the other WWOOFers at Tenuta. In my defense, I had to take time to get to know this gang before I tried to adequately describe them to you.

Michelle and Kayla picking strawberries from the garden

First we have Michelle, and you all know Michelle by now. You may not know that we first met while competing against one another in the WV State Tennis Tournament. We officially met two years later at the WVU Newman Club, but we didn't recognize each other until our university parish priest (Fr. Bill: he has a mind like a steel trap and was even on Jeopardy to prove it) reminded me that I played against her when I was a high school junior. Michelle didn't remember this detail until we were wearing the same state tennis tourny shirt. When she told me that she had that shirt, I replied that I knew that. She then asked our mutual friend Tim about my high school colors and deduced that we had played each other in a match.

Miranda!

Next is Miranda. She's the oldest of five kids and was born and raised in North Carolina. Miranda is often the hand that keeps us WWOOFers on the same page as our hosts. That may be due to the fact that she hangs out with the boys of our hosts quite often because she is able to better learn the language that way. She loves spending time with families but prefers quiet reading time to loud conversations. She often refers to herself as a deer (because she likes to graze and snack) or a cat (because she likes to sleep). In fact, we sometimes can't find Miranda. She recently disclosed that she has secret places around our hosts' property where she likes to relax on her own and sometimes sleep in the shade. In college, people called her "the girl who sleeps around" because she was often spotted napping outside in odd locations.

In Miranda's childhood home, communication was the most important aspect. Therefore, not only did she major in psychology, she feels comfortable broaching all topics with all people...anytime. For instance, our host Mauro has two children from another marriage, and twice now I've walked into a room just as she was asking him what their names were or how often he saw them when they were little. Or like today: she mentioned to Mauro and Pia that they were in a much better mood, and then she whispered, "Are you making more love?" Thankfully, Pia had just asked the table another question and didn't hear her.

Stefan and Kayla at the Swedish dinner

Now we have our WWOOFing couple, Kayla and Stefan. They're from Texas, and I still have never met anyone I haven't liked from Texas. They both quit their jobs to backpack around Europe for three months, and their friends now question them as people and feel that they are unpredictable. Michelle and I think that they're great; we've discussed it. They make their own deodorant, shampoo, and conditioner, for the sake of Pete!

Let's start with Kayla. One of Kayla's first stories went something like this:

One of my friends was in an office waiting room when the woman at the front desk came into the room to timidly call a name, "Shady Nasty?" the woman said, barely audible. No one responded. The woman said it again, a little louder this time, "Shady Nasty?" The woman continued to say this name until she was nearly shouting in her search for this patient, "SHADY NASTY?" Finally a woman stood up.
"Uh-uh, girl! It's Sha Dynasty!"

I've often heard Stefan call Kayla "Qui (pronounced kwy)" and I asked her why this was so. She informed me that in the eighth grade, she made up a name for herself: Quila Bagina Lynn (QBL, as her friends sometimes call her). There was no reason for her to make up and use this name.

Although Kayla is silly quite often, she is one of the most attentive people I know. She notices when a topic of conversation bothers someone enough for him/her to quietly leave the room. She called me considerate when I poured the breakfast cereal instead of using my hand to grab some out of the bag. She always says thank you, no matter if you should have completed the task anyways or not. Her relationship with the Lord is very important to her, and you can catch a hint of that in tomorrow's post about wildlife!

Stefan is, notably, the only man among us WWOOFers. He is called the "wood man" and is often asked to do the heavy lifting (washing machines, crates full of grapes, kitchen appliances). Division of labor is sometimes based solely upon the fact that Stefan is the only male. Mauro and Stefan work together most of the time, and because of this, we women tend to think that Stefan knows more about what's going on than we do. He thinks this is funny.

Stefan is the reader. Not that Kayla isn't a reader, but in comparison to Stefan, most people just aren't readers. On more than one occasion, we've been waiting to have a meal because Stefan is off somewhere reading, oblivious to the fact that we ravenous WWOOFers are patiently waiting for him to drop the iPad. Because his reading appetite is insatiable, Stefan knows a lot about a multitude of different topics. (He taught world history for a bit.) He often asks our opinions about different things and then tells us what he's read about them lately. When I suggested he start making money on trivia game shows, he told me that he doesn't know much about all that popular stuff, just about the things that he thinks are worthwhile. A few days ago in the vineyards, he mentioned that he believes empathy is the most important virtue you can instill in a person, and today the whole group held an hours-long discussion (mainly encouraged by Stefan) on morality while we peeled and chopped apples.

Cutting apples for jams...for hours

This is the gang of our first WWOOFing farm. I know that I'll miss them all dearly when they leave Wednesday--Miranda to another farm near the lakes and Kayla and Stefan to "Colorado." I hope to see them again very soon. For now, arrivederci, buoni amici!