I Blog Post

Italian Without Words [Video]

November 24, 2020

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. And I think it’s true. But here in Italy a gesture is also worth a thousand words! Because Italy has a second (unofficial) language – hand gestures, and there are dozens of them! So if you come to Italy you don’t necessarily have to learn Italian,…
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Where Thrift Reigns: The Italian Village of Thrift

November 21, 2020

Do you rush out to buy new things or have you learned the art of making do? My husband’s hometown is a village where thrift reigns. Where people have long been used to making do. The current trend toward simplicity and frugality is so normal to them, that they would ask “Is there any other way?” …
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Old and Abandoned: On Homes Forgotten

November 18, 2020

As we travel around the countryside, old abandoned houses like this one are a common sight. And they always fill my heart with sadness. A sort of longing for what must have been. I imagine cozy families gathered around the hearth, children playing in the garden. And whole families gathering produce from once-flourishing fields and…
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Olive Harvest and Moving [Video]

November 17, 2020

Hello everyone, life has been a little crazy around here lately. Some days it’s hard to keep up. Especially since we’re planning a temporary move from our hilltop village down to the nearby bigger city. And of course that always turns things a bit upside down. So today, even though the olive harvest is just…
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The Gift of Mamma’s China

October 26, 2020

Some time ago, I came across a post which intrigued me: Which Lord of the Rings Personality Are You? I’d heard of personality types and tests, but dismissed them as a lot of nonsense. But The Lord of the Rings? They had me hooked there! Now, if you’re not familiar with The Lord of the Rings you might want…
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After Lockdown

September 15, 2020

We’ve been in and out of lockdowns here in Italy more times than I can count. And while they’ve varied in severity, they all have a few things in common. They’re inconvenient and unpleasant. But even worse, they’ve stolen our personal freedom and liberty. And from my observations, they haven’t worked. Thankfully, there were fewer…
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