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Grand mother's kitchen floor was made of bricks. The door was always opened. Chickens came n and out from the yard like they owned the place. Lupo granny's sheppard was watchful and alert to everything moving and every little noise. The big kitchen fireplace was set in front of the door; the idea was to let the air aliment the fire. Lots of things were cooked on the fireplace. The best baked potatoes were cooked on the hot fireplace bricks covered with hot aches. In winter time we threw chestnuts on the flames and watched them explode like bullets. Every time grand mother made a big loaf of bread she saved few pieces and fried pizzelle for us. That was a great treat for us children. Granny always put a designed a cross with her finger on the bread and prayed over it before she took it to the baker. We did not have running water for a while so we used the conche, big brass containers to go to the fountain and bring drinking water to the house. The ladies used to carry the conche's on their heads. No wonder they all ended up with cervical arthritis. Life was rough but happy. It was so relaxing to hear the clip-clop of the horses steps approaching the house. Grand father and his brother allowed the farmers, who came from nearby towns to sell their produce to the local market, to park their horses in the back of the property. They loved the horses defecation for they considered it a better fertilizer than cow's bowels. I remember once they fought over a big one that was on the line that divided their property. Finally grandma' ended the fuss. She took a piece of cord and split the excrement in half. The two men took their shovels and dumped it in their compost pile.