Thank you everyone for your kind words and prayers for me and my family during this time of loss. We now start day three of our ‘new normal’ without our precious Mumma here with us. There have been highs and lows, waves of emotions hitting us out of nowhere, as well as moments of joy as we regale in stories and precious memories of Linda (Lynn). But not all our family can be with us during this time…
Two months ago, my cousins moved to Italy. We all had a wonderful time celebrating their new adventure, mom being the most excited for her beloved nieces. My sister made the trek across the globe to help them get settled and relished in Italy’s historic beauty. It has been so wonderful watching my cousins settle into their new home, taking in all the beautiful countryside has to offer. Mom loved seeing all their pictures of Florence’s gorgeous architecture, its amazing food culture, and loved seeing the permanent smiles on each of my cousin’s faces.
God’s Timing
During this time, my agent pitched my next book concept, The Seasonal Pantry, to my publisher. It will be about food security, getting back to our roots of eating, growing and raising food the way God intended and preserving and creating foods in a sustainable way, so we are no longer dependent on the supply chain to feed our families. It was then my cousins, and I decided a trip to Italy was warranted, so we booked my ticket for September. I would use the fall season to glean what I could from a country who has been living real food right for centuries…and use this time to create lasting memories with my family!
The Lord knew my heart then and He knows it now. He knew what laid before us and He knew when our amazing Mumma would leave this earth, even if we didn’t see it coming.
God’s Timing
I was so very blessed to have had my family and closest friends with me at my book launch party on August 6th. Seeing my mom’s sweet face, beaming with pride and happy to have her grandchildren by her side. During the event, I shared a sneak peek of my next book and shared I would be headed to Italy to interview and engage with local farmers, merchants, growers, and restauranters. The announcement to gather pertinent information and experiences to create my comprehensive guide to food security received a round of applause.
Why did it resonate? Because so many Americans are yearning for this information. We no longer wish to be chained to large corporations and their distributors. We are aware of the damaging effects of pesticides and food additives as we battle the onslaught of cancers and the epidemic of autoimmune diseases that plague our nation. Worse, many of us want to break free from, and end, the corruption within our governmental agencies who allow us to consume and use the very things proven to harm our bodies and our environment. The excitement for my next book could be seen on every attendees face, including my precious Mumma.
God’s Timing
What I didn’t know was how my life would forever change shortly after our wonderful event that Tuesday evening in August. I did not know mom’s health would take such a nosedive nor did I know we were facing a challenge she would not bounce back from…
Even though we faced so many unknowns, I continued to trust in God’s timing. He took my mother quickly and peacefully, free from pain and surrounded by those who loved her.
This afternoon, I will head to Italy. I take with me my sweet little Mumma’s love and excitement for Italy. I excited to hug and love on my cousins as we grieve, and rejoice in, the memory of their auntie. I will learn and grow from this experience so I may share knowledge with all of you.
And I will bring YOU along with me.
I will host fun Facebook and Instagram Live events, share amazing photos, pass along tidbits of useful knowledge and share tender moments with me and my amazing cousins. Please don’t hold it against me if I shed a tear or two while live – my heart wells up just thinking about the mixture of emotions I know I will be processing.
XOXO
I love you all so very much! Thank you for your love, compassion, and your patronage over the years. It has been a joy to share my life with you all the while providing food preservation knowledge so you too may eat better, live better, and become more self-reliant. I am so honored to be a part of such an amazing community of people who will continue to strive towards getting back to our roots.
Thank you for loving my family and for showing such outpouring of love for my/our Mumma.
So Much Love,
Diane, The Canning Diva®
Photo Credit: My beautiful sister Deborah; July 2024 Arno River with the Ponte Vecchio in the distance and the Tuscany countryside.
