The Enigmatic Faces of Carnevale
Carnevale, a centuries-old Venice festival invites “shadow play.” And, soon it will be upon us again for 2019. It begins just [...]
Feeling Overwhelmed? Finding a path to sanity…
Venice’s Acqua Alta is a great visual metaphor for me when I’m starting to drown in worry. Toto, we’re not in Kansas anymore. I have [...]
Sweeping Out What Weighs You Down.
361 © Jed Smith, Watercolor The problem is, most of what weighs us down is hidden from our conscious minds. That’s what I’ve realized recently, with [...]
Our Olive Harvest in Umbria Yields Gold!
What a glorious experience from start to finish! When I’d taken a closer look at our trees back in late summer, I knew this year’s [...]
A Silver Teaspoon Says “Live Now!”
Funny how a simple thing can expose a lifetime of conditioning. And, in this case, it was a silver teaspoon that somehow had escaped from [...]
Italian Holiday Greetings are Easy but Come with a Few Warnings!
Have no fear! Italian holiday greetings aren’t difficult. In fact, you can probably nail them all within a mere thirty minute’s practice. Then you need [...]
Prosecco vs Champagne in International Competition
This is the story of a Prosecco that took on Champagne and other sparkling wines and prevailed! Don’t get me wrong, I love champagne. Veuve [...]
La Transumanza – Take the Shepherd’s Journey
It’s an Abruzzo practice that is thousands of years old. La Transumanza, which literally means “crossing the land” is a twice-yearly practice of Abruzzo shepherds [...]
Meet Our Italian Cat Family
Consider this a birth announcement of sorts. Yes, our Italian cat family has grown from two to three with the addition of little Olivia! And [...]
Now You Can Adopt a Sheep
Yes, you can adopt a sheep in Italy, even if you’re halfway across the world. And by doing so, you [...]
Reflecting on Life as Night Falls in Venice
Life and beauty aren’t always found in brilliant light. Maybe this is a brief, passing phase, but I’m finding myself increasingly fascinated with the “darker [...]
La Porta dei Parchi – An Organic Farm Ahead of Its Time
Organic farming was a unique concept forty years ago. Looking back to the late seventies and early eighties, I remember how organic products were a [...]
Join Me for a Tour of an Inspiring Organic Farm in Abruzzo
Go deep. This is becoming my mantra here in Italy. The potential for rich experiences is plentiful. But it’s easy to zoom by, to just take [...]
Castrovalva – A Fairytale Town Clings to a Precipice
Impossibly situated… That’s what I thought when I first saw the tiny village of Castrovalva, perched high on a sliver of rock in The Apennines [...]
Italian Faces Etched with Emotion
I love faces. And Italian faces are endlessly fascinating to me. Being married to an Italian has taught me firsthand that the passion that is [...]
La Giostra di Cavalleresca di Sulmona – Don’t Miss It!
Guess who scored a press pass to La Giostra di Cavalleresca di Sulmona? That would be lucky, lucky yours truly, thanks to Saint Novelia, my [...]
Nuns Out and About
Just call me a paparazzo of the nuns. If you’ve followed previous photo posts, here and on my Instagram feed, you’ll know that I’m a [...]
Dealing with the Angst of Elusive Answers
When did we become convinced that answers should be ready on command? In my case, I suspect it happened when I began to think abstractly [...]