Monday Morning . . . in Italy!

Two years ago today, we were in Lazio, Italy, on a daytrip from our daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter’s home near Rome to the medieval clifftop village of Calcata. Condemned in the 1930’s for fears of subsidence, Calcata was mostly abandoned by the 1960s, but revived in the 1970s as artists and hippies began squatting — eventually settling in to buy and restore homes in the tiny comune and convince the Italian government to reverse that 1930s decision. Read more here where you can learn something about the renowned artists who have made their home in this picturesque haven. . .

The article mentions that visitors often stop in the village’s piazza to have their photograph taken in one of three Etruscan-styled oversized stone thrones by local sculptor Costatino Morosin . . .

I wonder how many of those visitors adopt a “make cute” pose with hands framing their face. She was Five then; I think that phase is over (how many phases have we only witnessed through FaceTime–and grateful for it!– over these last two years?).  . .

As we stroll through the narrow medieval streets, I’ll catch you up on the impending blog move. All is apparently progressing steadily, and I think we’re almost ready. The eight-hour time difference between the company doing the work and the person who knows all the log-in information — that would be me — meant that a few days last week, I woke to find, checking my email, a small task or query. The first one, perhaps the second as well, I was inclined to see as stressful, except that the (temporary) problem was explained so clearly and accompanied with an equally clear method for effecting the solution. These solutions did sometimes mean waiting on line for assistance or carefully reading steps or finding where I’d written a username/password. . . But by the end of the week, I realized that we hadn’t been lopping heads of a Hydra (or, more pop-culture, playing Whack-a-Mole), but rather moving steadily along a path, stopping at several points to perform necessary but manageable tasks that would allow us to proceed.

Like stopping, perhaps, to find a key under a plant pot? (No, I have no idea what she was investigating)

Behind the scenes, of course, things may not have been this simple. I have been wonderfully relieved, though, to perceive them thus on my end. I can begin to imagine a wider vista. . .

Heck, I might even try a Power Pose. Works for the Girl in Pink! (another phase she’s moving out of)

My version is much more conservative, isn’t it!

For the next while, the closest I’ll get to Italy will be through photos and my travel journals, through FaceTime chats, and films and TV series and Italian classes. . .

but the anticipation of my new blog home carries the anticipation of the day when I can once again Blog Live (well, relatively), Blog “On Location” . . . and you can accompany me, virtually. . .

Let’s hope that day is not too far away. . .

While we’re waiting . . .

Back when she had all her baby teeth . . . .

Gelato alla fragola?