Good morning!, I have about 10 minutes before our group takes off for a tour of central Padova. We’re staying in a wonderfully quirky art hotel, in town. The hotel is family-owned and the wife is a prolific artist. So there is art everywhere. I was just sitting in a chair that had been decoupaged, before moving to a quieter spot. The chair I’m sitting in now is equally special. Later… Well, let’s see, we just returned to the hotel, after a marathon 9 hour tour of Padova! I have information coming out of my ears! Can you see it?…
Read the rest >>Hello, dear friends, We left Rome yesterday, by train, on our way to Florence. The Italian train system is very impressive. It’s clean, prompt and friendly. But the best thing of all, was the scenery. When traveling, you’re at the mercy of the travel agent. You never know what kind of hotel you’re going to end up with. Even compared to our hotel in Rome, the Hotel Santa Maria Novella, in Florence is first rate! Let me show you around! The breakfast buffet was beautiful! Notice that there are two croissants on my plate! One has to fuel up for…
Read the rest >>Greetings, dear friends! I’m sitting in our hotel’s lobby, after another marathon day of touring. While the city’s sites and history are amazing, I’m thrill-tired! We walked at least 10 miles, I’m sure! Good thing, I guess, since the morning pastries here are pretty delicious! While it rained much of the day, I’m happy to report that I returned to the hotel with relatively dry feet. We began our day at the Catacombes. We visited one of several sites, where half a million Christians were buried between the 2nd and 4th centuries, until Constantine made it possible to choose one’s…
Read the rest >>Hello there! Greetings from Rome! We just ended our second day of touring Rome, Italy. Actually, yesterday’s tour did not start until three in the afternoon, since our plane landed in the morning. But I’ve gotten so much information in the last 24 hours, that my head is spinning! Dorothy, my roommate and I, have the supreme luxury of having Maria, as our tour guide, all to ourselves. Thank goodness! Instead of waiting in lines around the block, Maria and her special powers, got us to the front of the line! The Parthenon, which was originally a tribute to the…
Read the rest >>I’m sitting up in the air, in my very little airplane seat, in route to Italy, as I type this note! While I wish I could master the trick of being In two places at once, I’ll have to miss this event, but I hope you can make it, if you’re in the area! It’s rated one of the best shows of its kind, by the people that rate these kind of things! So mark your calendars to be in downtown Roseville, California, on April 21st. Or check out Mes Amis Antique Fair. I hope you’ll snag yourself something pretty!
Read the rest >>Greetings, one and all! Today, we are in good company! Alison, from the beautiful blog, www.ThePoloHouse.blogspot.com, is here to share the loves of her life! She’s a gorgeous mid-western girl from the suburbs of Chicago, who I have enjoyed bantering with since the beginning. She has a trained eye, which you know, if you’ve ever taken a tour of her stunning home, which sits on what used to be a polo horse ranch. I had better let Alison, tell the story, before I start sharing any glaring inaccuracies. You’ve got the stage, Alison! Thank you so much, Barbara, for your…
Read the rest >>Greetings! If you were here last week, when I decided to turn my shiny brass ceiling fan into a an updated gorgeous ceiling fan, I have good news! As you may recall, I got in way over my head! After some help from Mr. Wonderful and some research on the Internet, I found that my only option was to spray paint the shiny brass pieces of the fan. It would have been a real inexpensive project, but of course I had to try out about four different metal colors before deciding on the one I like best. It turns out…
Read the rest >>Easter greetings to you! We’re starting our Easter morning bright and early, this year. All of you with little ones, anxious to see what the Easter Bunny brought, are up early too! Wrappers flying, fingers sticky, with more energy than a freight train. I remember those days, looking back fondly. Some days, wishing I could turn back the hands of time and snuggle with the kids, wearing their footed sleepers…all warm and soft. And it’s times like this, missing my dad and the kids far away, that I can start to feel a little sorry for myself. It’s easy to…
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