The night was pouring rain the first time we ventured outside of the big city of Rome, many years ago. We’d arrived at our vacation rental house in a remote country setting in Monte Argentario, overlooking the Mediterranean, with our travel buddies Dave and Roxanne, but because of the rainstorm, the power was off in [ Read More ]
Archive for the ‘Faith for All of Life’ Category
Dan’s cousin Dean walked slowly out of the paint shop in the nearby town of Chiusi shaking his head in disbelief. “How does he do it!?” he muttered incredulously over how Dan, who spoke no Italian, managed to get exactly the right color and exactly the right paint from a shopkeeper who spoke no English. [ Read More ]
I suppose I could start off with the proverbial, “It’s a small world after all.” But honestly, I think there’s more to the story. In some respects, it is a small world. After all, earth is the 4th smallest planet in our solar system, making it surprisingly possible for us to fly out of Nashville [ Read More ]
“Citta della Pieve is so peaceful. It’s a wonderful place for you to write,” my friend Julia –a Brit married to an Italian– told me as we sat together at our favorite cafe, Matucci’s, with cappuccini in hand, sharing, as always, inspiring conversation. In those early days of living in our Italian house, a tangle [ Read More ]
“Tonight, we are friends! But when it’s the Palio, we will be enemies,” Cristian– the ever friendly owner of Bistrot della Duca, a favorite restaurant– told us with flair as he served Dan’s gnocchi and my Chicken Marsala. Cristian lives in our Italian town, but in a different section than where we live. His casa [ Read More ]
Today my husband and I celebrate our 49th anniversary, which means that starting today, we begin working toward completing fifty years of marriage. Fifty years. Half a century is a long time, and understandably, it’s cause for deep reflection, as well as celebration. It occurred to me this morning that if I were to merely [ Read More ]
Apart from some really good barbecue, there’s nothing more “southern” than visiting some authentic Civil War sites when you’re in Tennessee. Having moved here a couple of years ago, my husband and I were entertaining out-of-town family recently, so we made sure we included BBQ and also a tour of the Carter House, the site [ Read More ]
A hundred years from now, stories will still be told about 2020: “The Year the Whole World Stopped.” There’s never been anything like it in our history. We’re nearing the end of 2020, but unfortunately, it isn’t necessarily a finish line. What began as the infamous “two weeks to flatten the curve” has now become [ Read More ]
As though 2020 hasn’t already been painful enough, here we sit positioned on the brink of Thanksgiving, wondering how dire the consequences would be if we “give thanks.” My husband and I own a lodging business in Washington State, and our on-site manager fielded 30 calls yesterday for last minute Thanksgiving Day cancellations after the [ Read More ]
Kindness comes in different sizes. I mean that sincerely. Right now, the world is loudly clamoring their demands for “kindness.” But ironically, the definition of what this means is as wide and varied as trying to order “coffee” at Starbucks. One person’s need for kindness may be completely different from another’s. Trying to perceive the [ Read More ]