“At Rest”…New Jed Smith Watercolor!
I've been craving more time resting in stillness..."At Rest," my first watercolor in several years (I've been immersed in oils) is my tribute to the [...]
When Expectations Become Attachments.
And when they turn into mental prisons…Believe me, I’ve been learning this lesson in spades during my eight years in Italy. I’d never really considered [...]
You Asked for It, So Start Pedaling!
Start pedaling? Huh?You're probably scratching your head, wondering what the heck I'm talking about. Well, as you work towards immersing yourself in the Italian language [...]
Woohoo! Italy Opens Up…Well, Sort of…
Prime Minister Draghi just announced that Italy opens up starting April 26.By saying that Italy opens up, he means most regions will turn yellow. “Yellow” [...]
Like to talk or do you adore sweets? You’ll love chiacchiere.
Fare quattro chiacchiere! Eat or chit chat? It’s both, actually!If you want to understand and participate more fully in the Italian culture, chiacchiere is a [...]
Italy’s Vaccine Rollout—Che casino! (What a mess!)
Yep, it’s been (and still is) a big mess.Back in December we were being told that Italy’s vaccine rollout was coming for COVID. Those of [...]
The Life Ahead is an Italian Film that Delivers a Timely Message
If you're like me, The Life Ahead just might take you by surprise.La vita davanti a sé (its Italian title), directed by Edoardo Ponti (son [...]
The Seemingly Interminable Wait Here in Italy
Here we are, a year later, and the country’s path forward is anything but clear.And the light (resolution) still seems far off in how Italy [...]
Learn the Italian Idiom for “A Rare Occurrence”
Know the Italian idiomatic expressions.If you really want to demonstrate that you’ve been doing your Italian language and culture lessons, then start boning up on [...]
My ItalyWise Blog Takes on a Heightened Focus.
Going forward, my ItalyWise blog will be dedicated primarily to the Italian culture and language. I know that already I’ve presented quite a bit [...]
Italians Wear It with Reverence and Dignity
Italians demonstrate their passion in a multitude of ways. Many non-Italians might think this would manifest mainly as energetic hand gestures, unrestrained facial expressions, [...]
A Year of Surrender and Taking a New Path.
2020 challenged even the best of coping mechanisms. Funny how we can delude ourselves into thinking we have it all together when life is [...]
I’m Dancing in a Sea of Italian Wine Finds
I've been stocking up my sweet new wine fridge Hallelujah! I’ve just returned from Conad, where I harvested a load of Italian wine finds. [...]
Watch Out for These Italian Critters
Your Italian life will undoubtedly include time in the campagna. That's where the chances of encountering one or more of these featured Italian critters [...]
Living in the here and now.
I don’t often go through the archives of my past paintings… Recently I did and came across this one, entitled [...]
Dive In! Start Learning the Italian Culture NOW!
If I had a do-over, I'd have started WAY earlier and studied WAY harder If there is any one overarching piece of advice that [...]
Practical Driving Instruction in Italy—Prepare Yourself!
If you're American, and you want to drive in Italy, you can't dodge this requirement. Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings if [...]
Seeking Light in a Period of Darkness
The world seems like it has gone mad. For me, despair comes when I enter circular thinking in an attempt to figure out two [...]