When you wake to a snowy April morning

If you’re anything like me, you’ve had just about enough of this lingering winter. The few days of sunshine and relative warmth, sometimes even occurring concurrently, have been a mean tease, rather than a reliable harbinger of true spring. I’m over it. I want to wear sandals and dresses and tops that bare my shoulders. … Continue reading When you wake to a snowy April morning

“If you have the words,…

…there's always a chance that you'll find the way." — Seamus Heaney Before I went to Ireland for the first time in 1990, the wife of the chef I had worked with prior to my move to Albany strongly recommended that I read the novel, Trinity, by Leon Uris. It was a must. I remember nothing about … Continue reading “If you have the words,…

QPL XXI

Yesterday was my youngest son’s 21st birthday, a milestone that came with no small sense of satisfaction. Parenting this kid, the family baby, had not been without its challenges. There had been numerous early miscarriages, (something I’ll forever attribute to the aggressively high radioactive iodine dose I received and my managed state of hyperthyroidism), before … Continue reading QPL XXI

Italy – lost and found

I’ve come to learn that no two trips are ever the same - there are far too many factors involved. Things like personal finances, weather, physical wellness and current interests are variable and, in my experience, combine uniquely on each individual adventure. Maybe that’s what keeps me so keen on traveling. After my latest trip … Continue reading Italy – lost and found

Dinner at home in Firenze

Almost 24 hours later, I think I’m finally able to attempt to share the finest moments of my time in Florence. This was my fourth visit to Florence, if you count the single day I spent there taking in David and having a shitty meal in a place that even we knew, was a tourist … Continue reading Dinner at home in Firenze