• Darkness - Difficulty - Hope - Safety - This really happened.

    The open spaces & the river.

    March 22, 2023 - By 

    When I was seven years old, I won an award at Girl Scout camp for fire building. We were, with fire pits all lined up in a row, supposed to build a fire that would catch quickly, (a one-match fire as the cool kids used to say), rise quickly, and burn through a length of rope that was suspended several feet above. Let me repeat — I was seven years old.  Some people are naturals at downhill skiing or card games. I seem to have a natural ability in building fires. I found this recently, I don’t know the author:…

  • Light

    Il cuoco — the chef.

    June 15, 2022 - By 

    I was told the most wonderful story. Thank you, A, for this. He knows that I have written about the Poste Italiane – the post office.  And when he told me this story It was in the spirit of my story of the Poste Italiane – which terrified me. That one day that I was sitting in the line – which lasted forever, at the post office.  And the women who were thirty years my senior always leaned over and talked to me – not only at the post office, I might add – but on the numero 10 tram.    This one…

  • Blessings - Light - This really happened. - Travelling

    I prossimi passi …the next steps

    June 15, 2022 - By 

    We did it. We flew. The first day I always think — I am fine. But it is not until the third day that I understand that I was not fine. But I will be. I always am. We are here deliberately to soak up inspiration. Beauty. Joy. We are here to hold hands and to dream. Not knowing how to begin again after the world changed, we just took off walking, trying to wrap the city around us again. This block, that block, street by street our former life began to unfurl itself. More and more things familiar. We…

  • Darkness - Hope - Light - This really happened.

    Blue Grace

    December 17, 2021 - By 

    Episode 23. Blue Grace. It was Grace. It was pure, unadulterated grace. Like the old-fashioned kind. The Gift of the Magi kind of grace…when the young bride cuts her hair to sell — to buy a chain for her new husband’s pocket watch. But he has just sold his watch – to buy sterling combs for her long beautiful hair. It’s the kind of grace in that story — the gift of the magi — but not quite. It is a story of our times. Whatever your ideological leanings I hope you will take a moment to take in this…

  • Light

    The return – il ritorno.

    December 4, 2019 - By 

    Sono tornata. I have returned. It doesn’t seem normal to me to walk down the streets of Milano empty-handed. So in short order I have ducked into PAM for provisions. I walked into the wrong door…alarms blazing. Sono stata io — it was me, I explain to the guard. (Darn jet lag). He nodded his head and told me not to worry. Non preoccuparSi. I grab not one but four scatole di polenta, some chocolate euros for Chanukah, i pistacchi and hand over my cash. Ah, normale. I feel normal now, carting my heavy black bag on my shoulder. I…

  • Difficulty - For fun. - Light - This really happened. - Travelling

    Venice: slag & vaporetto roulette.

    December 30, 2017 - By 

    Venice…Venezia. I want to embrace you. Wrap my arms around you. I adore you. I am excited just being here. I cannot explain the reason why — I have no idea. I love the green Adriatic, rising and falling between your structures. Buildings, where we stand and sit and rest and eat — always knowing that sea life is teeming under us. I love knowing that the magical underneath is always underneath me. I love knowing that while I sleep, octopus chase in the deep below. You are amazing. You are a hodgepodge of old and new and good and…

  • Difficulty - Food - Light - This really happened. - Travelling

    Two months now.

    December 27, 2017 - By 

    And now, two months. I can understand the italian on the train, on the street. The bartender last night told me that I spoke very well…and then I answered him and messed up my pronouns — as if to prove him wrong. We have had family arrive…teeny apartment now teenier. We are playing tour guides to our kin, providing train cards to all. Had a big test in class. Big one. Disappointing but so much progress and so far to go. Such a big thing to try to adjust my expectations of myself. Always having been an “A” student, realizing…