The Three Little Pigs

This is a true story, proving how fascinating the mind of a six year old is.

They think so logically.

A teacher was reading the story of the Three Little Pigs to her class. She Came to the part of the story where first pig was trying to gather the building Materials for his home. She read . 'and so the pig went up to the man with the Wheelbarrow full of straw and said: 'Pardon me sir, but may I have some of that Straw to build my house?' The teacher paused then asked the class: 'And what do you think the man said?' One little boy raised his hand and said very matter-of-factly ...'I think the Man would have said -

'Well, I'll be damned!! A talking pig!'

The teacher had to leave the room.

The Space Between Us

Once the realization is accepted that even between
the closest human beings
infinite distances continue,
a wonderful living side by side can grow,
if they succeed in loving the distance between them
which makes it possible for each to see the other
whole against the sky. -Rainer Maria Rilke

We're Going to Cleveland Ohio

We are leaving in a few days for Cleveland Ohio. It's where my husband's family is from.

For about 30 years now I have travelled to this city to visit my in-laws and to get together with my husband's great, big italian family. It's always fun to visit. People often ask me what kinds of things do you do in Cleveland? I'd thought I'd share a few of these things I like to do. Well, you can visit downtown Cleveland, tour the historic Terminal Tower and shop in the stores within the terminal building. We make a special trip to the Italian deli store called Gallucci's: Gust Gallucci's is a complete Italian food market, located in Cleveland's Midtown Corridor, halfway between downtown Cleveland and University Circle. Started over 85 years ago by an Italian immigrant, Gust Gallucci, hungry for the food of his homeland, Gallucci's still sells a wide variety of Italian canned goods, fresh and cured meats, cheeses, wines, and many varieties of olives and a variety of hot foods, pizzas and yummy sandwiches. We especially love the fresh bakes loaves of pepperoni bread.

The Terminal Tower is a landmark skyscraper located on Public Square in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. It was built during the skyscraper boom of the 1920's and 1930's and was the second tallest building in the world when it was completed. The Terminal Tower stood as the tallest building in North Amercia outside of New York City from its completion in 1930 until 1964.

Crocker Park, Westlake Ohio
If you are in the suburbs near my in-laws home you can have a great time shopping and eating out at Crocker Park. This is a place my daughters like to come to spend some hours.

http://www.crockerpark.com/

You can place chess like this...


or like this...

Located on 75 tree-lined and beautifully landscaped acres at the intersection of Crocker and Detroit Roads in Westlake, Ohio. Crocker Park is one of the most exciting developments of its kind in the country. This $480 million project encompasses 12 city blocks and features a mixture of internationally known retail stores, spacious office buildings, great restaurants, luxury apartments, and spectacular homes. It's all in a park-like setting filled with the captivating charm and bustling energy of a traditional downtown main street.

Here's a photo of my in-laws Nate and Lucy. They are 2nd generation Italian Americans. In 2007 they celebrated their 60th Wedding Anniversary. We are looking forward to spending time with them. My mother-in-law is a wonderful cook. She's always in the kitchen making something wonderful.

So you can imagine we will be eating alot of her good home cooking!

Little Italy Cleveland's Murray Hill area

While in Cleveland a visit to Little Italy is always fun.

Frequent stops for bread, pizza, gelato and cannoli's...mmm...the eating never stops.


"Little Italy's Historic Museum" is full of interesting photos about the first italian immigrants

in the city.

Here are some examples of photos you would find there:

New residents of Little Italy in the early 20th century generally married fellow immigrants, such as the couple pictured above.

Rosa and Charles Presti started their bakery business in Little Italy in 1920. Originally located on Coltman Road, the business moved to Mayfield Road in 1938. Presti's continues to be a popular neighborhood meeting place.

Cleveland Museum of Art

Very close to the Little Italy area is an area filled with interesting art museums and specialty art shops. The Cleveland Museum of Art has a wonderful collection of art and they will be opening a new wing of the museum this month. I'm definitely going to make this a high priority on my "to do" list.

Completion of the East Wing marks the halfway point in an eight-year expansion and renovation aimed at giving a world-famous collection the clear, eloquent frame that three earlier expansions failed to give it.

Work started in 2005 with a temporary total shutdown of galleries. Last year, the museum reopened 20 galleries in the renovated 1916 building, which houses art from 17th-century Europe to late-19th-century America.
The new wing adds 21 new galleries with 25,000 square feet of exhibit space for hundreds of paintings, sculptures, photographs and decorative items that have been in storage or on tour to other cities since 2005.
The wing traces the history of art from the 19th-century precursors of French Impressionism to works by contemporary artists who deal with racial identity, sexuality and cultural politics.
Highlights include a glass-enclosed gallery filled with the sculptures of Auguste Rodin, from which visitors can survey sweeping views of University Circle.
In a gallery devoted to Impressionism, a luminous, quasi-abstract panorama of waterlilies painted by Claude Monet holds court over visions of ballerinas by Edgar Degas and a trio of paintings each by Vincent van Gogh, Paul Cezanne and Paul Gauguin.
Further along, the wing salutes Pablo Picasso with a display of nine paintings, including his seminal, Blue Period masterpiece, "La Vie."

Address11150 East Blvd Cleveland Ohio44106
Telephone216-421-73401-877-262-4748 Box Office216-421-73501-888-CMA-0033
Admission Free ExhibitionsTicketed
HoursTues, Thurs, Sat, Sun10:00-5:00Wednesdays, Fridays10:00-9:00Closed Mondays

Rock n Roll Hall of Fame

If you are ever in Cleveland be sure to come here. I love visiting the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame.

Address: 1100 Rock and Roll Boulevard Cleveland, OH 44114
Tel: 216-515-1228

Five floors of fascinating exhibits of music through the ages. Here are some things you will experience:

1) History - lots and lots of exhibits that trace the development of r&r..early blues, c&w, early guitar pickin's (Les Paul), early rock-Chuck Berry-Bill Hailey, thru glam, punk rock, and MTV influence. Provides a greater appreciation of the music

2)Technical exhibits: walk thru the early "garage"projects that resulted in break thru's in recording, amplifying and packaging music. The Les Paul exhibit is truly amazing. Oh yes..lots and lots of guitars!!

3) Fun with Fashion..whats r&r without the duds? An array of fashion-from the "flashy" to the "what were they thinking".

4) Plenty of listening. The moment you walk in..you can spend extra time sampling the hundreds of sound exhibits

5) Read more if you dare. Many of the exhibits include extra readings and postings of lyrics, personal letters from then aspiring musicians (the letter from college co-ed Madonna to a friend was interesting and amusing)

6) Special exhibits.. In 2004 the fashion display of the Supremes (feast for the eyes), and in 2008 a fantastic display of Marty Stuarts' personal collections which included a Patsy Cline performance outfit and Johnny Cash's hand written lyrics to "Folsum Prison Blues".

There is a lot to experience here. Expect to spend at least 3 hours minimum if you are into music and it's history.

John Lennon's passport

Westside Market

Built in 1912, this thriving public market offers fresh produce, meat, dairy products and a delicious variety of prepared foods.
Address: West 25th and Lorain Ohio City Cleveland, OH 44113
Tel: 216 664 3387

So off to Cleveland we go "Ciao a tutti!"

Congratulations ARIA

Photo taken 2008 Piazza della Signoria, Firenze

Aria called this morning to let us know she's been offered the job in Florence, Italy. We are thrilled for her as this is a great opportunity she will have to work with American Students studying abroad.

We are celebrating here and toasting you!

I thought you'd be interested in these "Rules for Students" poster by Sister Mary Corita.

"Italy is a dream that keeps returning

for the rest of your life."

-Anna Akhmatova

Who Is Sheila Hicks

Sheila Hicks is an internationally recognized artist. An American born textile designer she began her career
studying painting under the Bauhaus professor Josef Albers, but when a pre-Columbian textile course captured her attention, he took her home to meet his wife, Anni, a noted weaver. At his suggestion, she applied for a Fulbright scholarship to South America and spent the first few years of her weaving life journeying through Venezuela, Bolivia, Peru and Chile, and back north to Mexico.It was in Chile where she began her passion for working with fibers. In India she worked in a handloom factory producing commercial textiles.

Pages from her wall diary, sketches, inspirations and ideas

Sheila has lived in Mexico, Chile, India and Morrocco

Guerrero Mexico 1964


I first heard of Sheila Hicks during the Spring of 1971. She and many other international fiber artists had been invited to exhibit their off the wall/two and three dimensional fiber sculptures at several venues in the Los Angeles area: UCLA, Pasadena Art Museum (now the Norton Simon Museum), Cal Tech. There were opportunities to hear these artists speak about their work, their inspirations and their individual journeys breaking the two dimensional barriers of traditional weaving and fiber art. Some of the represented artists were Sheila Hicks (an American living and working in Paris), Jagoda Buic (from Dabrovnik) , Magdalena Abakanowicz , and a list of Fiber Stars from Europe and America were in town for this event. To a young fiber artist like myself at the time this was monumental. I was so inspired by this artists work, her independence and her creativity. I admired the spirit in which she devoted her energy to creating art and the various cultures she explored to gather ideas. When I first went to Paris that summer in 1971 I had hoped to visit her atelier where she worked. This was not possible as she was in another city while I was in Paris. That summer however we were able to view many extraordinary fiber sculptures at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. I remember being thrilled and entranced by the enormity of these sculptures and the idea of transforming traditional weaving techniques into sculptural 3-demensional forms. It was the beginning of a new path for me throughout my graduate career. Thoughout the years I have followed her creative endeavors. She continues to live an amazing, productive and creative life.

Sheila Hicks is one of the innovators who revolutionized fiber art in the 1960s.

Sheila was part of the textile revolution of that decade. She, along with other fiber artists, is really responsible for taking textiles off the wall and giving them a sculptural dimension.

Born in Hastings, Nebraska, 1934, Ms. Hicks is Internationally known for her role in the so-called fiber revolution of the Sixties that sought to transform textiles into a three dimensional contender as an art form. She studied painting at Yale from 1954-59, immersing herself in Josef Albers’s color courses and absorbing a passion for the ordered relationship of hues. (She taught his approach, in Spanish, at the Universidad Católica in Santiago, Chile, during a Fulbright year there.) Before taking up permanent residence in Paris in 1964. she studied weaving techniques in Chile and Mexico.

Working with her assistants in her Atelier in the Latin Quarter of Paris.

"I found my voice and my footing in my small work. It enabled me to build bridges between art, design, architecture, and decorative arts." - Sheila Hicks

We refer to woven materials as textiles, although many textiles are not woven. From the Latin word textilis and the French word texere, both meaning "to weave", textiles may actually be constructed by any number of methods including knitting, knotting, bonding, tufting and felting. -Sheila Hicks from Weaving as a Metaphor

Rue des Marronniers, Made in Paris, 1973Alpaca and Silk, Collection of Monique Levi-StraussSheila Hicks Biography
b.1934

Born July 24, Hastings, Nebraska
1957 - 1958

Fulbright Scholarship to Chile
1954 - 1959

Yale University: Painting, B.F.A. 1957; M.F.A. 1959
1959 - 1960

Fribourg Grant to France
1960 - 1964

Lives in Mexico: paints, weaves, photographs
1964 - pres

Lives in France

Selected permanent collections and exhibition venues:Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, New York (Wall Hangings); Museum of Modern Art, New York, New York; Art Institute of Chicago, Illinois (solo exhibition); Philadelphia Museum of Art, Pennsylvania; Centre Pompidou, Paris, France; Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; the Israel Museum, Jerusalem (solo exhibition); Museums of Modern Art, Tokyo and Kyoto, Japan; Lausanne, Switzerland (International Biennials of Tapestry); Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, Santiago, Chile (solo exhibition).

"I’ve come to think of myself over the years as on a quest – not a religious quest or a spiritual quest, but a search for meaning in my life. Oscar Wilde said the meaning of life is in art. Maybe what has happened is I have found the meaning of my life – in art. "

-Sheila Hicks

What I'm Wishing

image courtesy of Candi @http://www.slowtrav.com/blog/candi/

May you be blessed

with all good things,





May your joys,


like the stars at night,


be too numerous to count.





image by ashtapot




May your victories be more abundant


than all the grains of sand


on all the beaches


on all the oceans





May lack and struggle

only serve


to make you


stronger




And may


beauty, order


and abundance


be your


constant


companions.




May every


pathway


you choose


lead to


that which is


pure and good


and lovely.




May every doubt and fear

Painting by Suzanne Onodera

Be replaced by a deep, abiding trust


as you observe evidence


of a Higher Power


all around you.

And when there

is only darkness

image by Karen Harvey Cox

and the storms of life

are closing in

image by Mikael Kennedy

May the light

at the core of your being

image courtesy of AnnieNC @http://www.slowtrav.com/blog/annienc/

illuminate

the world

May you always be aware

you are loved beyond measure

and may you be willing

to love unconditionally in return

image by buntekuh's flickr

May you always feel protected

and cradled in the arms of God

like the cherished child you are

Painting by Joel Bedford

And when you are tempted to

judge, may you always be reminded

that we are ALL ONE.

And that every thought you think

reverberates across the Universe

touching everyone and everything

And when you are tempted

may you remember

that love

flows best

when it flows

freely

image courtesy of Annie NC@http://www.slowtrav.com/blog/annienc/

and it is

in giving

that we receive

the greatest

gift

May you always

have music image by Dan Bush

and may a rainbow

follow every storm

May gladness wash away

every disappointment

every sorrow

and may love ease every pain

May every wound

bring wisdom

and may every trial

bring triumph

image by Karen Harvey Cox

and with each

passing day

may you live more abundantly

than the day before

May you be blessed

and may others

be blessed by you

This is my heartfelt wish

for you

image courtesy of jdeq@ http://jdeq.typepad.com/

"May you be blessed"

- all words by Kate Novak

image credits given when possible

A Lovely Kind of Light

"My candle burns at both ends;
it will not last the night;
but ah, my foes,
and oh, my friends,
it gives a lovely light!"

Look Up

image via Sandra Freij

"And when it rains on your parade,
look up rather than down.
Without the rain,
there would be no rainbow."
-G.K. Chesterton

The Choice Is Yours

image via Karen Harvey Cox

It's in your hands

"Wherever you are, be there totally.
If you find your here and now intolerable
and it makes you unhappy,
you have three options:
remove yourself from the situation,
change it,
or accept it totally" -Eckhart Tolle

On the Road of Life

image via flickr Road to Provence

"Our battered suitcases

were piled on the sidewalk again;

We had longer ways to go.

but no matter,

the road is life."

-Jack Kerouac

Aria and Daniele leave for Italy today -Buon Viaggio!

We love you both! Safe travels!

Ti lascio una canzone 2009 "Trio, Ingnazio Boschetto, Gianluca Ginoble e Piero Barone" 25-04-2009

Be a Good Friendship Gardener

"Best Friends Forever"

"A friendship can weather most things and
thrive in thin soil; but it needs a little mulch
of letters and phone calls, and small, silly,
presents every so often-just to save it
from drying out completely."
-Pam Brown

Before and After

Image via Elizabeth Messina

"There are moments that mark your life,

moments when you realize

nothing will ever be the same.

And time is divided into two parts,

before this

and after this."

-Unknown

The Kiss

I love this painting by Gustav Klimt

Professor of Computer Science: A kiss is a few bits of love compiled into a byte.

Professor of Algebra: A kiss is two divided by nothing.

Professor of Geometry: A kiss is the shortest distance between two straight lines.

Professor of Physics: A kiss is the contraction of mouth due to the expansion of the heart.

Professor of Chemistry: A kiss is the reaction of the interaction between two hearts.

Professor of Dentistry: A kiss is infectious and antiseptic.

Professor of Accounting: A kiss is a credit because it is profitable when returned.

Professor of Economics: A kiss is that thing for which the demand is higher than the supply.

Professor of Philosphy: A kiss is the persecution for the child, ecstasy for the youth, and homage for the old.

Professor of English: A kiss is a noun that is used as a conjunction; it is more common than proper; it is spoken in plural, and it is applicable to all.

Professor of Engineering: Uh, what? I'm not familiar with that term.

Gimme A Little R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Aretha, over the top?


Maybe not

"I can wear a hat
or take it off,
but either way
it's a conversation piece."
-Hedda Hopper

I Hope Yours Come True

"Life affords no higher pleasure than that of surmounting difficulties,
passing from one step of success to another,
forming new wishes and seeing them gratified."
-Samuel Johnson

Think on This

Image courtesy of Nancy Hol's blog: http://www.slowtrav.com/blog/nancyhol/

"Do not regret having
lost yesterday...
do not fear that you
will lose tomorrow.
Enjoy today."
-Robert Ingersoll

"We seem to be going through a period of nostalgia, and everyone seems to think yesterday was better than today. I don't think it was, and I would advise you not to wait ten years before admitting today was great. If you're hung up on nostalgia, pretend today is yesterday and just go out and have one hell of a time."- Art Buchwald

The Tavern

There's a great new restaurant in the Brentwood area called "Tavern". If any of you are familiar with "Lucques" in the Melrose area, Tavern is co-owned by the same, famed chef Suzanne Goin. I just received the following email from my sister: "Had a delicious lunch with Annie today at The Tavern in Brentwood. Same owner as Lucques - it was lovely inside and delicious. No tables so we sat at the bar. Annie ordered a drink called "Ginger Rogers" with crushed mint and gin. It was really good."

And this is the review I recently read:

"But find yourself at Tavern, Caroline Styne and Suzanne Goin’s newest venture, and you’ll be the one in the hot seat.
Investigations begin in the larder, a street-front cafe and marketplace serving house-made pain au chocolat and gloriously crusty fresh-baked bread. (Take-out roast chicken, short ribs, charcuterie, and specialty foods — pinecone bud extract, rhododendron honey — make for dangerous red herrings.)
Boozy confessions spill forth in the bar’s arched wingbacks and plush pumpkin-colored banquettes. But it’s the sun-drenched dining room with live olive trees and to-the-manor-born decor that takes perps’ breath away.
Dinner’s on the scene with wild mushroom ragout, grilled lamb with white beans and feta salsa, and duck sausage with pancetta and kumquat marmalade. Breakfast and lunch come next week, when the place will be deluged with locals.
And anyone else who’s got a clue"
Tavern, 11648 San Vicente Boulevard, at Darlingon Avenue, Brentwood (310-806-6464 or tavernla.com).

Pick Yourself Up

"You may have a fresh start any moment you choose
for this thing we call 'failure'
is not the falling down,
but the staying down."- Mary Pickford

A Tour of Las Vegas Casinos

The Italian way
Since this was Daniele's first trip to Las Vegas we decided to start with a tour of the Italian themed casinos.
We started with the Bellagio (my personal favorite), which is just across the street from "The Paris Hotel".

As you enter the hotel you walk under a beautiful covered drive

passing fountains, you are greeted by valets to park your car and bustling tourists

checking into the hotel at the main lobby.

Looking up you will see an incredible glass blown decorative ceiling created by the artist "Chiluly".

On the opposite side of the lobby you can walk through a lovely seasonal exhibit in the hotel atrium.

This is the current exhibit. Christmas time is especially wonderful here with seasonal flowers and decorations

Just over a connecting bridge from the "Bellagio Hotel" you will enter

"Caesar's Palace"

Here you will find extravagant sculptures,

painted domed ceilings,

replicas of Roman fountains,

and floors of the finest European designer shops against a backdrop of mosaic marble floors and sculptured architecture.

Moving on we went to "The Venetian Hotel" for a touch of Venezia..With a tour of "The Palazzo" next door

Coincidentally, the town that Daniele's family is from is called Palazzo San Gervasio, so I thought this picture

would be a good one for his family.

We loved this whimsical and happy display of umbrellas and raindrops in one of the main lobbys

The gondoliers were singing as they guided their gondolas through the canals at the Venetian Hotel.

You will find many opportunities to buy a "gelato". Who can resist a taste of Italy?

The skies above will change depending on the time of day or night.

The exterior of the Venetian is beautiful emulating details of the Venice architecture.

Then we returned at the end of our tour to see the beautiful fountains at The Bellagio Hotel.

Beginning at noon and every half hour thereafter you will see the waters dance as the music plays.

Appropriately the chosen song for the noon hour was Andrea Bocelli singing

"Time to Say Goodbye"

After this stunning water show we said, "Ciao" to our little Italian tour of the Casinos.

Games We Shouldn't Play

"Never play peek-a-boo with a child
on a long plane trip.
There's no end to the game.

Finally, I grabbed him by
the bib and said,

"Look, it's always
gonna be ME!"

-Rita Rudner

Red Rock Canyon

About a 30 minute drive from the Las Vegas Strip you will find Red Rock Canyon.

It is a totally different setting from the glitzy, chaotic frenzy of the casinos.

The entrance fee is only five dollars. There is a 13 mile scenic loop drive with 19 different hiking trails you may turn off along the way. Each of these hikes is rated strenuous to easy.

Red Rock Canyon is a relatively small and narrow valley that is situated around 15 miles west of downtown Las Vegas. Red Rock Canyon NCA (National Conservation Area), is one of the most scenic spots to visit in Southern Nevada. 'Red Rock' as it is known to the locals, gets its name from the red colored sandstone formation embedded in the mountains that form the western and northern margins of this small valley. The distinct red colored layers of sandstone streak horizontally across mountains known as the Wilson Cliffs and can be seen from almost anywhere in Las Vegas valley.

The red sandstone that makes Red Rock so unique, is part of the same geologic formation, the Navaho Formation, that is found in the Valley of Fire, Zion National Park and throughout many parts of the southwestern United States and southern Nevada. The contrast of red sandstone layered through gray limestone is impressive against the tall sheer cliff faces of - as high as - 600 meters or about 1,800 feet.

Graduation Celebration for TRACE

Mike is so very proud of his nephew Trace, who is also his "God-son"
We travelled to Las Vegas this past weekend to celebrate our nephew Trace's graduation from high school.


Here are the brothers Tony (Trace's Dad) and older brother Mike


Here's Linda (Trace's mom) and me. Linda is such a dear sister-in-law. I love her!

Trace has been accepted to the University of Oregon for the Fall semester. The school mascot is "The Duck" and the school colors are green and yellow.

We walked down the hall and as we turned the corner we saw...

University of Oregon T-shirts for everyone!

Then we started seeing "ducks" and bits of green and gold everywhere!

Linda thought of everything...

including "slippers"!

Aren't they cute?

Even the pool had ducks, thanks to Trace's sister, Dani.

Graduation Party Prep

It takes a village...

Everyone is busy in the kitchen

Aria and Daniele are in charge of appetizer trays

Dan's our bread man

Mike's the resident burger master

Linda is stocking the bar...Yay Linda

This big machine is called "Margaritaville"

More drinks

and more ducks...

Pam and I look happy don't we?...and this is before margaritas!

The kids are hard at work

No one escapes the decorating frenzy. Good job Daniele!

Hey, are we done yet, Laura?

Time to PARTY!

Graduation Party Fun

Our guest of honor, Trace, master Pizza dough maker

The fire is nice and hot

Tony the baker works his magic

Everyone is patiently waiting

Or consuming large amounts of liquor

Linda and Dan hadn't seen each other in seven years...

A sweet sister, brother moment.

Here's Dani and her namesake, Uncle Dan

(Sister Dani baked Trace's favorite chocolate cake and berry cobbler...what a gal!"

We all cheered as Trace blew out the candles...Congrats to the new grad and hello

"University of Oregon"! You are gaining a great addition to your student body.


Then we had some family photo opportunities

Proud parents: Linda and Tony, the graduate Trace, and Dani

The Lewandowski Family flew in from Minnesota for this special day.

Laura, Dan, Pam and Stephanie

Linda's sister Carol and her husband Curtis helped make the family reunion complete

We were happy to represent the Cabot side of the family (Mike and Barb top row

Aria and Daniele bottom row.) We felt so lucky to be in town to celebrate this happy occasion.


Then we decided to do a big family photo.

Here's Tony setting up the shot

After several funny attempts...We Made It!

Happy Graduation Trace! We love you!

You are too cool!

Tutto Va Bene

"Non preoccuparti inutilmente,
tutto sta procedendo
per il meglio."

(Don't worry unnecessarily,
everything is working out
for the best.)

Can You Top This One

Well...hmmm

"I saw a stationary store move!"
-Jay London

Something Soothing

"There must be quite a few things
a hot bath won't cure,
but I don't know many
of them."
-Sylvia Plath

Listen

"Promise me you'll always remember:
You're braver than you believe,
and stronger than you seem,
and smarter than you think."
-Christopher Robin to Pooh
A.A. Milne quotes

Viva Las Vegas

We're taking a little mini trip to Las Vegas for a long week-end. We'll be joining some family members to celebrate our nephews graduation. It's also an opportunity for us to take Daniele there. (He's never been before.)Truly Las Vegas is unique. It's such an oddity...this huge resort town full of lights and glamour on one side and also the reputation of a city of evils on the other. It's easy to see how people are divided on this place. You either love it or hate it. Personally, I always enjoy our visits there. We are not big gamblers but we enjoy walking through the themed Casinos and people watching and shopping and eating. (Well I do admit I like to gamble a wee bit.) If you have not been here I'd say it's a must see at least once in your life.

The Venetian hotel-"Grand Canal shops"

Eiffel Tower in Las Vegas

Caesar's Palace

Fremont Street (great light show)

Bellagio Hotel Fountain Hotel (I love this hotel)

New York, New York Casino and Hotel

Venetian Hotel and Casino

Las Vegas (Spanish for The Meadows) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, fine dining, and entertainment. Las Vegas, which bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, is famous for the number of casino resorts and associated entertainment. A growing retirement and family city, it is the 28th most populous city in the United States with an estimated population by the U.S. Census Bureau of 603,093 as of 2008. The estimated population of the Las Vegas metropolitan area as of 2007, was 1,836,333.Established in 1905, Las Vegas officially became a city in 1911. With the growth that followed, at the close of the century Las Vegas was the most populous American city founded in the 20th century (a distinction held by Chicago in the 19th century). Outdoor lighting displays are everywhere on the Las Vegas Strip and are seen elsewhere in the city as well. As seen from space, the Las Vegas metropolitan area is the brightest on Earth." -from Wikipedia

What Kind of Strength Do You Have

"There are two ways of exerting one's strength;
one is pushing down,
the other is pulling up."
-Booker T. Washington
1856-1915

Homecoming

Daniele and Aria, Ponte Vecchio Firenze Feb. 2008

I'm so excited. Aria and Daniele are coming home to visit us today. I'll be leaving at mid-day to pick them up at the airport in Los Angeles. They are staying with us for three weeks. I can hardly wait to see them. The partying starts "today"! Yippee!

"Home is the one place in all this world where hearts are sure of each other. It is the place of confidence. It is the place where we tear off that mask of guarded and suspicious coldness which the world forces us to wear in self-defense, and where we pour out the unreserved communications of full and confiding hearts. It is the spot where expressions of tenderness gush out without any sensation of awkwardness and without any dread of ridicule. " ~Frederick W. Robertson

"Welcome home Aria and Daniele!"

The Negroni

This is Daniele's favorite drink. I'll be fixing these tonight!

Negroni-Traditional Recipe
1 part Gin
1 part Sweet Vermouth (classically, Cinzano Rosso)
1 part Campari
Traditionally, it would be served on the rocks (and stirred gently), but it can also be served in a cocktail glass after shaking with ice. The traditional garnish would be a slice of orange or an orange twist (you could even flame it if you wanted).

Brief History
Legend has it that the Negroni was named for Count Negroni, who often ordered it at a bar in Italy, initially as an Americano with gin added. The Americans were already loving the Americano drink, so they also adopted the Negroni and some brought it home with them. The drink is intended as a pre-dinner drink, an aperitif, to stimulate the appetite.
Drink Tinkering
You have a choice in gin, and vermouth, and those will affect the final drink. Sweet vermouths can vary quite a lot in flavor, spice and sweetness, so the balance with the Campari can vary quite a bit. You could also adjust the proportions, (sometimes the Campari is just a bit too much for me in the original proportions, so I'll tone it down just a bit, or I might add a dash extra).
And, if you are OK with bucking tradition, you could substitute another spirit for the Campari.

Here is another favorite version:

1 part Gin (he was using our Distiller's Gin No. 6, but it also works with other gins)
1 part Vya Sweet Vermouth
1 part Aperol
Served up, and garnished with an orange twist.
The Aperol is a bitter, but not as bitter as Campari, and its flavor profile is a bit different (sweet orange rather than spice). It blends particularly nicely with the Vya sweet vermouth - I have consistently been impressed with the combination. It has a lovely balance of flavors, each making itself known, rather than one dominating the drink.

Balance is the Key

cup of calm image: paper source

"While being creatively expressive and productive, certainly calls for focus and a healthy dose of obsessive behavior,
one also needs to know when it is time to stop at the nearest recreational area.
Take a walk, listen to gentle music, call a friend, meditate for example.
There are any number of other ways to include relaxation in your creative journey.
Listen to your body;
It is the house of your creative soul.
Balance is key."
-from Carol @ http://artmusedog.blogspot.com/2009/03/respites-on-creative-journey.html#comment-form

It's a NEW Month-On Your Mark, Get Set, GO

image: karen harvey cox

"Whatever you can do,

or dream you can,

begin it.

Boldness has

genius,

power

and magic

in it."

-Goethe