Well, I have set a new record by not updating the website or creating a new BLOG post for four months. One month of that time was spent in Italy, first visiting Florence with three friends, then traveling in the Lombardy region with fellow Italian students. It was the first time that I had visited Florence since 1999. I tried to visit sites that I had not seen before and still only touched upon half my list. As anyone knows, Florence is just so full of incredible and unforgettable treasures. I will return there soon. We then spent 4 days in lovely Cremona, home of the Stradivarius violin. Among other things we visited the spectacular museum dedicated to the history of the violin. Then on to Pavia, our base for two weeks, also home of the wonderful Italian school we frequented for en days. In between our studies we traveled around the beautiful region, ate some amazing foods and drank a lot of wonderful wine, I mean, we were in Italy after all.
After returning home, I rested up a week before celebrating my grandson’s first birthday and our granddaughters first dance recital. What a day. Then I was off to an art/quilting retreat up at Bishop’s Ranch with the lovely and talented Jane LaFazio. I hadn’t really recovered from jetlag!
Since then we have just been enjoying a lovely summer at home with the exception of a weekend up in Seattle and a trip to visit Thomas the Tank Engine. Now that was fun!
I have continued practicing with watercolor and also enrolled in an on-line class with Mary Ann Moss, learning to paint with gouache which is so different from watercolor. I’m enjoying the challenge.
