If you have some cash in your pocket

and would like to add some art into your life. A few opportunities are on the horizon.

On 12/8 is the annual Photo a Go-Go . Why did I submit this image from 1998 you ask? Because it was already framed and I since I missed the official deadline I didn't have time to prepare anything else. This image is also up at S. Maasch but it sold (which is good...I'm not complaining) so now I have none. sort of odd.

Then on 12/9 is the party at Fuller Craft Museum . The exhibit runs from now until March so if you miss it...don't worry... there is plenty of time.

Ethan sure does have a funny little brain. Got some good laughs out of these:

- when thinking about where he will go when he is 10, "I think I'll go to Italy... or maybe I'll watch a long movie"

- My mom, looking for something for him to wear on the car ride home, said, "hmmm this is dirty, but....." before she could finish he said, "did you just call me dirty butt?"

- Watching Henry and Tommy do their fighting-play-thing that they do he said, "... ooohhh... their going to kiss out"

- His description of a vampire, "things you plug in the wall and suck out all your electricity"

Nothing to do with Ethan.... this is my favorite sculpture

yippee.. we made it through Hannaford's. horray... Karin and Kari are coming, Yay Yay... school conferences went extremely well.

I will be working day and night soon (if you'd like you can sing dolly partons 9-5 song when you think of me. just change it 10-2 then 7-1) . may not update blog a lot, not like I have been.

all is well up here in Maine.

oh.... Deb's new picture book is out. Dedicated to me and Aidan.

ooohhhh.... Project runway. I was so excited. didn't' like any of the outfits last night but there are some characters I am looking forward to love/hate! fun fun fun

Happy Day

My house is clean!
Deb is back from Africa with AMAZING photo's!
i like today. the boys are outside playing and I am still feeling the joy that being outside brings ( Yesterday we took a hike with some of our better Portland friends).

I will most likely never blog about Italy... I'll just post random photo's


loved this sculpture in Florence. my second fav. first of course it he Rape of the Sabine Woman. I have a few photo's but I keep working on those...will post at some point.

the rules of Piazza San Marco

Our apt in Venice is the 3rd door on the left

loved seeing this Colosseum in Verona. I knew it was there but was completely blown away when I turned the corner. It was amazing. they ahve opera's there now. all i can say is wow wow wow

Today Karin and I went by the gallery to look at the photographs again and check out the portfolio's. I am really blown away by how amazing it looks. I feel really happy to be involved with such talented artists.

It's been a busy week (is there any other kind?). we did the book fair at Longfellow so I got to hang out with Ms Fabulous Meg which I always look forward to. Plus, I got to catch up with superstar Jen a bit too which always makes me happy... Tomorrow we are going to see her show at Edith and Edna. the only that would have made it better was if Moira was there and we had a nice bottle of wine in front of us.

Karin has been here since Tuesday which I love. Today we were able to spend some time together at the New England Museum conference ( i volunteered so I could go for free), it always amazes me how many wonderful and creative people and programs there are in the world.

I was to work the book fair in the am but was so wiped from bean last night I just needed to sleep. that is sad. My other sad story is that we missed Aidan's event at school. We found out about it on Tuesday and were already booked. I hate missing school stuff.

The boy are doing well. Will be doing better since Chris brought down there winter coats. hmmm... winter coats is sad.

this was pretty cool...
this was Donatello's sculpture that Michelangelo used as an inspiration for his David





To think that he was standing right here

I didn't like the pigeons so much. this one was sort of cute though

My Dad, Emmy and Eddy came up last night. Was so great seeing them. The turn out at the opening was huge... very overwhelming. Dad had to leave but Emmy and Eddy stayed for a while. Made me home/Boston sick... I miss my peeps!

Happy Birthday Aaron!!

I know I have been really quiet about the trip. It had such a huge impact on me that I am having a hard time processing it. well... I am processing it, just not into blog words. Bottom line, it was great. We had a blast.

One major event was we met a relative

and learned a bit more about our Italian ancestors. I have mentioned to many of you that my great grandmother was a countessa and she married a commoner and that's why they came to the US. Well, we have just scratched the surface on the research but turns out that the family was a bigger deal that we anticipated. matter of fact our ancesters our buried here

right next to Dante's tomb.



It was really shocking. The woman who was giving us the tour was so excited...she had a friend of hers who is a local historian do some research and was calling with updates as we were walking around. lot's of stuff...

aahhhh...

I asked Aaron how Portland looked to him after being in Italy. He said, "like home".

what a good idea

we should go to a medival town without a map. on a train in a country where we do not speak the language. great idea. better if it is done in the rain. yes?

siena was amazing. we had quite the adventure though. this is our last night in florence. we are up at 6am and on to ravenna. not sure if i will have computer access. will try too. riding the trains has been the biggest cultural obstacle thus far. tomorrow should be interesting!

greeting from florence

we are here (obviously). right now aaron is sitting on the couch knitting. he has been eager to get to this yarn shop we heard about. now that we found it he is content.

all is good. today we had the tour, the woman was an art historian so it was very interesting and filled with details I am sure to forget. but it was well worth it all in all. Florence is a amazing city... since we do not have a lot of time here there is just so much we cannot do. we keep saying that we will have to come back. in the staw quarterss we put a coin in the pigs mouth then rubs his nose, lore ensures us that we will return (with rest of family of course)

the trip over was long. the ride to paris was nice. much better food than aerlingus. time in the paris airport was annoying if anything... so much perfume in the air my allergies went nuts... security made me put my film through x ray... just that type of annoying things. our trip from paris to florence was nice, we went over the alps, but the ride was about half turbulance... felt pretty sick by the time we landed!

italy has been great. great food, art, people. I wish we had siesta in the US. we really miss our family. luckily they call often. I just got off the phone with Max and Aidan.

now...

why didn't I think of this !

Forget you Milan

We're going to Paris.

a new airlines.. time frame (much better)..more cash. but we are getting there.. word is the french airline may strike. hoping not.

oh my...

the Italian airlines went on strike. we can get to Milan but will either have to wait until 8:30pm (we arrive 7:30am) for an alternative connection to Florence or take a train. We will take a train.

Needless to say this adds a bit of adventure to our trip. From Malpensa will take a train to the train station and on to Florence. From there I believe we can then walk to our apt.

It will be 1am our time. This is fun, right!?

Aidan's school makes national news.

yesterday we were driving in the car, talking about this issue. Max pointed out a girl walking by that he went to middle school with (so she's about 14/15 years old) who is 6 months pregnant. He said this is the first pregnancy she is keeping.

"Obviously, Dick Cheney is sort of the black sheep of the family."

this cracked me up. not sure if it's really funny or I am just way over tired.

I saw her on John Stewart. He did a good job being courteous and honest. I was sort of impressed with her for going on... talk about walking into the line of fire. think that there may be some serious political spinning behind that move.

She brought John a Darth Vader doll. odd duck, I'd say.

17 years

we've been married for 17 years. it sounds like such a long time. damn... it IS a long time.

We didn't' have a very festive day... Just so much going on... football, photo stuff, Italy, a pretty girl cat pooping on our bed (yes. your read that right. anyone want a cat?). I am thinking that she feels that she has not conveyed just how much she hates Tommy. she keeps trying new tactics. sigh....

oh... I am going to send out an e-mail regarding the show at the local gallery on the 2nd of November for the photo book. I am adding it here in case I do not get to it.

what else? boys are all doing well. were very happy this morning when the cat poop was not on there bed. We met and loved Judy. Walked around downtown and the Old Port. Had dinner at Flatbread. Yum. Papa is very happy. life is good. I am a bit freaked about Italy. Not so much about being there.. getting things ready here before we go. I also forgot to learn Italian. I just say I'm Canadian and all will be forgiven. Si?

Trippin'

We leave in 9 days. My Mom came up the other day and we laid out the trip. Here it goes:

we arrive in Florence and spend the first two days roaming the city. She did organize a 2 hour personal tour for our second afternoon. There were longer group tours but it sounded like it would be too much for Aaron. This way the tour guide will gear it toward our interests.

on our third day we head out to visit Siena . Which I hear is an amazingly beautiful city. I first saw it in the movie My House in Umbria , let's just say it was love at first sight. then we are back to Florence and on to Ravenna for two days. My Mom has set up a tour guide here too. This the city where her Grandmother is from, we are hoping to find out a bit more about her. My Mom and aunt Paula went to Kingston MA yesterday to do some research. I know that they did find out that there is a 700 page book (written in Italian I believe) written about the family in the Harvard Library. The people historical society were pretty impressed and said we will find the family name all over Ravenna.... that's all I know so far.

From Ravenna will then head up to Venice . I am very excited about Venice.. I do hear it's very expensive and hard to navigate though, luckily my Mom set up a tour for Venice too. One form of advice we received was that if you are walking down and alley and it opens up into water just shrug your shoulders, turn around and walk the other way. Sounds like a good plan to me. My only concern is that we need to be @ the Venice airport by 5:30am, so we will need to get a water taxi around 4am. not sure how that's going to pan out.

our last day in Venice we will take a day trip to Verona . Aaron has wanted to go here ever since they studied Romeo and Juliet last year. Word is that this is where my Great-Grandfather comes from.

movies

I have been reading books & seeing movies that take place in Florence or Venice (I have Verona imaged by Romeo and Juliet...don't want to mess with that and not many take place in Ravenna that I know of)...a very fun task. Last night I rented a movie that takes place in Venice, In the Company of Strangers, yikes. did not love it. I liked that it was not an American made, isn't' Italy perfect and glorious, film but it may have been a little too dark (even for me). we are not talking to ANYONE nor going to there home... no matter how beautiful it may be. It did make me excited to be in Venice (during the day minus crazy killers)

any book/movie recommendations?