For the last several years, I’ve used the 1996 Broadway Musical Rent song, written by Jonathan Larson: Seasons of Love, as my signature sign-off for the year. The song’s lyrics ask what the proper way is to quantify the value of a year of human life in 525,600 minutes. Here is the equation: 365 days × 24 hours per day × 60 minutes per hour = 525,600 minutes in a year. Plus, over the last two weeks, I’ve been pondering how to end my blog on the last day of the year, capturing

Ohio in October: Six Days, Countless Blessings My mind is overflowing with gratitude for six days on the road last week, where I’ve had the chance to visit many wonderful people — a college roommate on Kelleys Island, Cross-Country teammates in Bowling Green (including two Olympic Gold Medalists!) for a Hall of Fame Event, and family and friends in Cleveland with catch ups and dinners out. It was a great solo trip to the Midwest, and my heart feels both full and rested. Somet

Travel is fun and great and is part of my healing therapy journey of being a long-time cancer-fighting Mom. I do not take any trip for...

Ciao! The first time I looked through that Window to Tuscany , I could almost taste the fresh Tuscan air—crisp (still spring), earthy...

It's been a minute since my last post, but I traveled to Richmond, Virginia, last week for the Road2VA quilt show and spent the week...

Ciao! Ciao! The title of my post was the mantra my sister-in-law Beth repeated several times as we hustled around Rome and Florence in...

Ciao! Let’s talk Gelato! For starters, on this delightful dessert in Italy (and many other places), I am a bona fide weirdo when it comes...

Ciao Ciao Roma! Despite having pinkeye now with itchy eyes and gunk blurring my vision at times, I had eagle eyes in Rome in May 2025 to...

There is a lot in life to be thankful for, and our trip to Italy (and any travel, frankly) was a huge blessing for my family and dear...

Access to the Pantheon had historically been free for centuries, even millennia. Thirty years ago, I walked in and out of this site at...

The Villa Vada in Poggibonsi was a terrific place for a baker’s dozen family and friends to rest, reset, and roam the breathtaking Tuscan...

On May 2, 2025, we boarded a "Swiss" operated well-known airline, Austrian Airlines. This airline and others are under Star Alliance...

It’s June 1, 2025 - Kelleys Island, Ohio - Race Day! (Updated) Oh, I’m still working on my Italy stories (in my head and in an outline),...

Ciao! Wow, this is the longest I have not blogged—six days— in over twelve years! It's been a minute to get myself together after the...

Ciao! Our rented Villa Vada and the Annex off the main building could accommodate up to 15 people. We had twelve and a baby in the...