This photo, as one of many taken today, merits a special explanation. My family and I took a trip to the annual St. Paul Winter Carnival today. Most of us had not experienced the joy and fulfillment this blessed event brings since 1992. No joke. So, we decided to dust off one of many old traditions, pile on the hats and gloves, and truly embrace our Minnesotan roots. Like so many others before us, we thoroughly enjoyed the festivities. There were cheese curds, little old ladies selling coffee (at 50 cents a pop...not bad!), and of course the infamous ice sculptures. Perhaps these sculptures deserve an explanation of their own, but no words (at least in my vocabulary) can convey whatever it is these sculptures do, in fact, convey. So, here is an ice sculpture of dear Leonardo's "The Last Supper." Alyssa, this one especially spoke to my heart as something you might enjoy...Although the fourth place winners' good intentions cannot be questioned, the piece itself could very easily be viewed as a semi-sacrilegious relic. And something both you and I could enjoy with a smile, a nod (both nonverbal forms of communication), and a cup of 50 cent coffee. Love you, dear!

If I don't get out of here...

... I might just lose my mind.

Shadows through a lens

Bongiorno!

At least twice a day I see the little old crossing guard man at the bottom of the hill.
He is always wearing his coat and the hat with fuzzy ear flaps.
Every day he smiles at me and I say bongiorno and he bellows BONGIORNO back at me.
Once I saw him at the mini Migros, and he still said bongiorno.
Today he said bongiorno as usual and then "Aspetta, aspetta..." (and I think he called me stella?)
And he gave me this.
And I said GRAZIE and I wanted to hug him, but that did not seem like a very Switalian thing to do.
And I was happy all day.
The end.

Burns Night: O my luve is like a red, red rose

That's newly spring in June:
O my luve's like the melodie,
That's sweetly play'd in tune.

As fair art thou, my bonie lass,
So deep in luve am I;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a' the seas gang dry.

Til a' the seas gang dry my dear,
And the ricks melt wi' the sun;
AndI will luve thee still, my dear,
While the sands o' life shall run.

And fare-thee-weel, my only Luve!
And fare-thee-weel, a while!
And I will come again, my Luve,
Tho' 'twere then thousand mile!

(in Scottish, Grazie a Marcel)

Heaven on Earth...And Proof

Rediscovering Old Treasures

Kiwi

From now on I am shopping for produce in the grotto... on my meal plan :)

And so it begins...again

The training, that is. I began my first official round of training at ACR today! It went very well, everyone I met was unusally nice (even for Minnesota), and I got a welcome cake! I think I'm going to love this company.

Santa A-luna, Figlia di Dio

Ummm, I had to.

Greetings from the Villa hallway.

Put that in your pipe and smoke it, Edward Said!

This is an interpretational photo about how I would rather play with my new colored pencils than read his painful book (however -supposedly-meaningful and relevant it is). I really need to get over it.

On another note, Alauna... I am not sure if you have heard of the amazing photo of you that is on the wall in the Main Villa. Ten bucks says I know the face that you are making at the thought of your A3 sized face on the wall, but it is so, so, so beautiful. I like to think it was the day that we were driving to the nature park and you were listening to Trace Bundy for the first time... I think it might be. Anyway, it is fantastic and every time I see it I am overcome with missing you and Brittney (she took it).

I hope all is well there!

The Tea Jar

Just another reason I love living here...

From the weekend with Marcel and the children

Yesterday we made blueberry muffins.

Today there was chaos, but it was fun.

And just for fun... Charlie attacks Marcel (if you look closely you can see some Charlie drool even).

Good morning, Minneapolis.

(View from kitchen window, through screen. Oops!)

The New Look

The girls had a "welcome home" package for me that included a new look. Don't worry...It's not real. :)

Friday Morning

This was not as cheesy as it looks. It was a lovely celebration of Friday.
We had oatmeal and coffee and... mimosas. Before class... and maybe during class too.

"I go out walking, in any season...

It could be rainin', it could be freezin'.
Don't need no reason,
It's just so pleasin' I can't stop...:

Ellen Says Hi

From the CLCS gender class... Which (gasp) has 5 males in it. Record breaking.

New Kid on the Block

I need a sunburn...

THE SUN IS OUT AGAIN... so I took a walk to Parco Civico instead of starting my paper. Look who I met there:

:)

Color, even in winter.

My Life Savings

... Or at least all that is left after buying the rest of my books on Amazon.

Just a nickel apiece.

A tulip says a thousand words...

More Tea for the Tillerman

Tupelo Honey

(Only it is Max Havelaar honey I bought with my Migros money)

"...You can take all the tea in china
Put it in a big brown bag for me
Sail right around the seven oceans
Drop it straight into the deep blue sea..."

Thank you for that Van Morrison.

Thanks, Target clearance rack.

$7.50. Not too shabby.

Ticinese love.

Today was a mess so I took a walk... And took my camera. It was lovely and healing and I found them. I felt a bit like a stalker walking behind them from the stairs to the round about, so I took some photos of the lake so I looked less like a creeper... :)

By Cat Stevens

"...while the sinners sin, the children play..."

"I need my keys.. to get into things"

I get to hang out here and wait for the phone to ring so I can let people into the buildings. It is the most relaxing thing I have done in the past week.