Nighttime Colosseum In about 2 weeks we are going to Rome. It’s about an hour and a half train ride from Florence, so when we go, we usually take an early train and then return the same day. If we get there by 9:30 or so in the morning, we can have 12 full hours […]
I did it. Boldly, I declared what I needed from the friendship. She stopped by for an impromptu visit, full of complaints and criticisms, and I said, “Enough! I don’t want to talk about other people or problems. I want to talk about the lack of balance and the direction of our relationship.” She was […]
One empty bench beckoned us from across the park. We had been hiking a bit, so we were ready to sit down and relax for a few minutes. All the other benches were occupied, so we felt lucky to find the last available seat in the “house.” dyed digit As we approached the bench, Em […]
To say that things move slowly in Tuscany would be a colossal understatement. However, thanks to that nearly imperceivable plodding pace, Toscana remains true to her simple beauty—year after year after year. However, beneath the timeless and serenely rolling landscape, change does in fact arrive in its own way—piano, piano (slowly, slowly)—Tuscan style. For years, […]
After all . . . it was just my favorite hat! Once in a while, I run across something that really suits me. My blue baseball cap is one of those unique treasures—cool green stitching around the bill, a quirky off-centered design that was a bit tricky to figure out, and, of course, it […]
Ah, Spring! It’s that magical season that reminds us that what was closed and silent begins to open, open, open. life begins to move Immediately in front of us is the most incredible display of hope and faith in each new day. The Tuscan spring of this year arrives in all its splendor. Millions. No, […]
The Invitation The sling chair looked inviting this morning. With a cup of hot tea in hand, I decided to sit down for a few minutes to soak in some warming rays of the morning sun. I settled back onto the cushioned headrest, my hat pulled down to shadow my eyes from the brightness. Within […]
When I was in high school and college, I set a goal for myself to see all the Oscar-nominated movies. Then, of course, I’d second-guess the Academy with my expert opinions. I actually had a pretty high success rate. You can often tell which movies are going to have stay-ability and broad appeal—or those that […]
Nature’s Bounty The ciliegio, cherry tree, in the corner of the garden was full of bright red cherries with that deep irresistable glow. We plucked a couple and popped them into our mouths as we walked by. They were wonderful—as sweet as they could be and just about ready for pickin’. Tomorrow would be the […]
Thread, string—whatever We like to play a little game called Follow That Thread. It’s really simple and great fun because we never quite know where things are going. It’s also good exercise for slowing down, paying attention and trusting the process. It leads to the most curious things, but to make it work, judgment has […]
