Vested Interest

Have you ever flown on one of those “discount” airlines? Well we have, and they come complete with some pretty interesting experiences. You could even say that I’ve made some discoveries and few decisions based on those curious first-hand accounts. In fact, I made a recent purchase as a result of what I’ve learned.

First of all, the “discount” price is for the cost of the seat only (which, by the way, does NOT recline). There’s a charge to book online, which seems to be the only way to purchase a ticket. Catch 22?. Of course, no luggage is permitted beyond the carry-on, unless you’re willing to pay an outrageous additional fee.

When we flew with some friends a couple of years ago, none of us wanted to pay for extra luggage, of course, so we each carefully packed a small carry-on suitcase. No problem, right? Well, not for us, but when we weighed their luggage at our house just before leaving, it was slightly over the limit. What to do? Nothing. They concluded that surely the airline would be okay with only a couple of pounds over the limit. Right?

Wrong! When we got to the airport, signs clearly said that the airline would NOT accept ANY overage whatsoever. That presented a bit of a problem, so they got creative. They happened to be wearing vests, so they proceeded to fill every pocket with the heaviest items from their carry-on. A camera here, a GPS device there, the cell phone in that little flap, the travel guide book barely fit, wedged in on top of 10 other things in that side pocket. Perfect. Pretty soon they looked like Weebles. You know,” Weebles wobble but they don’t fall down.” Neither of them could have touched their toes if they had to, because they were so tightly stuffed with gear.

The Vest "map"

I thought to myself . . . those street market vests are just NOT made to handle such a load. So I began my search for a vest that COULD accommodate specific things, yet not look too bulky. I found what looked like the perfect thing. It’s called a Scottevest. It’s named for the company founder, Scott Jordan. Unfortunately, the price reflected the unique design. I was looking for a solution, not a long term in-”vest”-ment. So I shopped around on-line and found that one of my favorite travel-wear sites was offering the same vest at a much lower price. Perfect. I ordered one.

iPod pocket~if only I owned an iPod

When it arrived, I was thoroughly entertained by its cleverness and design details. The female version has 22 pockets—all designed to be streamlined. And, the best part is that the vest is designed for technology—all the stuff you want to keep close anyway. Well, that is, if you have those things. For example, there’s an iPod pocket. I don’t have an iPod. It has a Kindle pocket. I don’t have a Kindle. It has a channel to feed your iPod earphone ear pod cords through so that they come out at the back of your neck—no tangles. But, as I just said, I don’t have an iPod. The vest also has little magnets in the hand pockets, so that you can close them easily and quickly. Why? I don’t know. It’s also equipped with an elastic loop inside one of the many pockets to hold a water bottle upright. Great, just what I needed!

The most curious thing is that large pocket across the back where . . . and I am NOT kidding, you can put your iPad. Not iPod mind you. A tablet computer! An entire iPad. I might not look puffy, but I could appear a little stiff, like I just slipped a stop sign down my collar into the back of my blouse.

The X-ray of contents

Mr. Jordan has a pretty slick website, where he shows everything that HE puts into his vest. There’s even a simulation of an X-ray showing the contents of the pockets. How cool is that? They consider the vest to be the equivalent of another carry-on, without being a carry-on. The idea is that you can simply wear your vest right up to security in any airport, remove it “fully loaded,” and place it in one of those plastic trays for X-ray scanning, and you’re through. Yessireee, pretty stylish AND practical.

Chamois on a bungee

Even though I’ll have to make new pocket assignments to fit my own needs, I’ll undoubtedly be very cool wearing my new storage vest. I can see it now: I’ll pause slightly at security, removing the little bungee-attached chamois cloth which is neatly concealed inside the secret lining seam on the right side; I’ll wipe my sunglasses with a slight air of superiority; then magically slide them into their specially designed hidden pocket beneath the lapel; and then, after the attention-getting activities are finished, I’ll step confidently towards the TSA. Of course, as they always do, the agent (who has been appropriately impressed) will give me the familiar head-nod gesture to remove my vest and place it on the conveyor belt, just as I expected.

Then, I will wait and watch. Watch in amazement as the X-ray technician identifies each and every item. And as I step through the body scanner, I’ll glance at the security agent with a smug, knowing smile. All eyes will be on me, admiring my amazing organizational skills and preparedness. Then, as my vest clears the X-ray machine, the agent will ask, “Is this yours?” “Yes,” I will say, pleased that he had noticed. But rather than an approving smile . . . he will frown.

“Would you mind stepping over here to empty the pockets of your vest? All 22 of them!”

A humorous link: Cheap Flights

Link to Scottevest (You’ve got to see the X-ray and Mr. Jordan’s presentation)

You may also enjoy visiting our other websites:

The Journey – The Ride of a Lifetime

Under the Tuscan Thumb Blog by C & E

Uncommon Promise Story, Music and Art

New Music—Virtual CD

Uncommon Promise Video Channel

In Touch in Tuscany

A Sign of the Times

This way to the castle

Question: Since when did traffic signs become entertainment? Answer: When the inventive Italians started imagining different possibilities. For example, what’s so funny about a white “T” with a red top that means “no outlet?” Or, how about a curved line indicating a wide swing to the right. Or a straight white arrow pointing the way? You’re probably thinking there’s nothing here to chuckle about, but that’s just not so. After all, we are in the land where an enormous ancient stone castle can be reduced down into a cute little international symbol that everybody understands. For starters, let’s take a closer look at the segnale stradale di nonno, grandaddy of roadsigns.

Careful, careful, careful!

The exclamation point says it all! No matter what the circumstances, it always means the same thing—PAY ATTENTION! SOMETHING IMPORTANT IS GOING ON HERE! The problem could be anything—no white lines, crumbling shoulder, tree in the road, you name it. Keep it simple! Just stick an exclamation point there.  HEY, HEY, WATCH OUT!!  Apparently, they have an entire warehouse (probably in Rome) full of those useful little roadside logos, and they’re authorized to proudly display them as often and for as long as needed. In other words, FOREVER! High water in the winter? Nothing would say that more eloquently than an exclamation point. Slap a simple wavy water sign below and Voila! You’ve been warned. Sure, it’s August now and there’s no hint of rain for months, but why take down the sign? Why ever take down any of the signs? It’s a really inexpensive solution to just about every transportation issue or problem.

Right curve ahead

Signs are so compelling that they’ve actually become interactive. Apparently, a new order of artists with a strange sense of humor are doing their own enhancements. How? When? We don’t know. But we’ve started “collecting” the creatively altered signs by snapping a pic or two as we pass by. Some are sweet, like the right curve sign that’s posted as we drive through Borgunto. Okay, everybody can tell there’s a curve in the road—duh. But wait! Did we see a clever modification to that sign. Slow down for a closer look. Sure enough.

Mr. Top-Hat picking a VERY LARGE flower

Someone has used the shape of the arrow to represent a human body. A circle’s been added for a head and then, believe it or not, a top hat has been placed on the head. Must have come from some formal event. But what’s he doing? Taking a second look, we see that he’s picking a flower. And inside the center of the flower is a tiny heart. What??!! How funny is that? Some well-meaning street artist decided to lighten the driving mood by making this unnecessarily serious sign more whimsical.

Straight Arrow Angel

Then there are the angel signs. Frequently you’ll see those single white arrows on a blue background indicating that you should continue straight ahead. No curves, angles or intersections. No nothing (as Italians might say, never fearing the dreaded double negative). Simple. But upon closer inspection, there’s a white circle “head” added to the arrow, which makes the points of the arrow look like wings. Then, floating above the head is a delicate little halo. Really. This sign seems to be something of a theme, since we’ve seen them in various places in and around the city. They’re always exactly the same, as though some “angel kit” has been distributed to a group of do-gooders to develop this new meta-signage throughout Tuscany.

Guardian Angel

What a sweet idea. Any motorist’s blood pressure would surely drop 20 points, just by gazing upon a straight arrow angel. They’ve become the guardians of the roadways, and believe me, Italian roadways can use all the heavenly intervention they can get. Seeing these signs makes me think of Dan Brown’s novel, Angels and Demons. Angels are on the signs and demons are behind the steering wheels. Just kidding. Italians are among the best drivers in the world. They really are.

Oops! Dead-end

But there’s more. Last week we came upon a somewhat disturbing detour to the airport. No big deal, the route was clearly marked until we took an impromptu shortcut. We imagined that a quick left turn would take us back to the main road, beyond the construction zone. We passed through an intersection and I glanced up to see the familiar white “T” with the red top. Oops! Dead end. The only alternative was to back up to the nearest block where we could turn around.

Did I say cross roads?

As we backed into the main intersection, I looked up at the dead-end sign again and noticed that something was different. I tilted my head, ever so slightly toward the right and recognized the stylized silhouette that had been applied to the sign. It was the unmistakable image of the crucifixion. Baffling. Strange. And disturbing.

Give me the angel sign, or that formal guy picking a flower. Or where is that castle? I’ve come to expect amusement on the road. Driving is serious enough without being jarred by provocative images. If I want heavy, I’ll watch the news. If I want serious, I’ll read the headlines. Driving should be a light-hearted tour through the Tuscan countryside, right? And it often is. That is, until you try to pass an old Fiat Cinquecento that’s straddling the center line on a blind curve, where you encounter an oncoming motorino; a garbage truck parked at a dangerous angle next to the curb; a rusted turquoise ape (a barely roadworthy golf-cart truck) struggling to make it up the hill; and a senior citizen crossing the road, looking down, with his hand outstretched to stop traffic. Then suddenly,  it’s not quite so amusing! Classic, maybe! Just not quite so entertaining.

You may also enjoy visiting our other websites:

The Journey – The Ride of a Lifetime

Under the Tuscan Thumb Blog by C & E

Uncommon Promise Story, Music and Art

New Music—Virtual CD

Uncommon Promise Video Channel

In Touch in Tuscany

Digital Embrace

Thanks to technology, distance can be easily closed by staying in touch.

Sure, we get annoyed when someone answers a cell phone and interrupts our conversation. Sure, we feel pangs of invisibility when we are deserted for an incoming text message. Okay, we may even wish you’d (and you know who you are) would just stop surfing the net while I’m talking to you. But . . . I have to admit that when I’m on the sending or the receiving end of the equation, I feel completely differently.

Skyping, miles away

A couple of weeks ago, I was visiting the US and found my internet connection most comforting. I Skyped Italy almost everyday to talk and see Emerson. It’s interesting to note how facial expressions are so important in communication. To see him smile and hear laughter at the same time is something of a modern miracle to me.

I remember when I was a kid, first there was talk of “computers taking over.”  That was on the heels of microwave cooking, which destroyed the typical, homemade dinner—and the American family as we knew it. So technology often times is/was a mixed blessing.

1956 NBC logo, designed by John J. Graham

Then TV went technicolor. I still remember the NBC Peacock fanning its tail feathers, showing the magnificent range of color capability. Then there were the late ’70s, when I went through a couple of semesters in graduate school where keypunch was the only way to communicate with a computer. One wrong punch by the typist on the keys meant that the program simply would NOT run. So, as you can see, I’m no stranger when it comes to interfacing with technology and the constant change that it brings into our lives.

1960s Rotary-style phone

Somehow, I thought of the telephone as something different. It never occurred to me that the phone could or would change. We had a handsome black rotary style clunker and I still remember the sound as I dialed. And, the telephone numbers began with a beautiful word. Our prefix was “garden,” and Em’s was “melrose.” Sure, there were party lines, when Mom had to ask our neighbor to relinquish her death-grip on the phone line so she could make an extremely important call. She’d ring her sister and then the nosy neighbor would quietly pick-up her phone again to listen in. Mom always heard the click. I remember her saying, “Wait! I think someone’s on the line.” When the neighbor’s attempt to listen in was thwarted, she not-so-gently replaced her hand set to its cradle with a loud clack. Mom typically held the phone about a foot from her ear to avoid the jarring sound of Mrs. Allen slamming down the receiver. But a phone with a screen? Who’d want such a thing? Why, you couldn’t answer the phone in your PJs or without having at least combed your hair.

Sweet little Mac

In the mid-1980s, Em brought home a “portable” computer in its nifty not-so-little backpack. The company wanted him to work from home, as well as in the office, So they “issued” him this sweet little machine. The first portable Macs weighed over 15 pounds (not exactly a sweet little machine). But, we were hooked. We were already anticipating the demise of the typewriter, its messy ribbons, and various correction products. We loved the ability to make changes immediately with no tell-tale signs of our botched attempts.

So, as computers were refined, the phone + computer question was answered. In fact, it’s called CTI. which stands for Computer-Telephony Integration. That happened, too, in the mid-1980s. In 2003, Skype became the name in computer calling. Then came Google Voice which allows account holders to freely contact each other. Now, Apple has introduced FaceTime, which is its own internal network for MacGeeks. Sometimes it’s difficult to tell which device is calling. Last week, Em’s computer started ringing. Who was it? Which system was it? We’ll never know because we didn’t figure it out before it stopped.

But last month, while I was thousands of miles away, I was thrilled to have the ability to stay in touch. I sent Em an email, alerting him that I’d try to call via Skype soon. I imagined the slight smile on his face as he typed his humorously romantic response, “I will patiently await the hour of our digital embrace.”

You may also enjoy visiting our other websites:

The Journey – The Ride of a Lifetime

Under the Tuscan Thumb Blog by C & E

Uncommon Promise Story, Music and Art

New Music—Virtual CD

Uncommon Promise Video Channel

In Touch in Tuscany

Net Worth

A Tuscan window and the view beyond

Ah . . . zanzare, mosquitoes! As you may remember from an earlier post, I AM mosquito food. I saw the chart, and I’m all of their food groups combined into the tastiest, zestiest, most complete form of nutrition possible for the little buzzers. But I will not go gentle into that good night (Nod to Dylan Thomas), and we have absolutely no intention of ever covering beautiful Tuscan windows with screens!

After a visit to the US this summer, I returned with a classic mosquito net. This little contraption is to be suspended over the bed, edges tucked in to secure closure and voila! A guaranteed blissful, stingless night’s sleep. Sound too good to be true? We’ll see.

How strange

Upon arriving back in mosquito-land, I unpackaged the net, which was held within an 8.5 X 11 inch thin plastic bag . . . including the hoop. Uh oh, I thought to myself. How can this be “full size” and big enough to safely enclose 2 people? But I suspended judgment as I slid my finger under the flap. 2 pieces dropped to the floor: a billowing flow of ecru color net and a hoop with a diameter of about 6-8 inches. What? I took up precious packing space to include this cheesy little experimental device in my suitcase? Upon viewing the minimalism of it all, I was beginning to feel a bit foolish and disappointed with my decision. It was then that I caught a glimpse of the two pieces of nearly invisible scotch tape around the hoop. I snipped the first piece of tape and nothing happened. NOTHING! I then snipped the second piece and something quite magical occurred. Suddenly, the hoop sprang from my hand and became the diameter of a small hula hoop. I’m not kidding! Miraculously, the small packable hoop lept to my rescue, becoming the key element that I had banked on to save my skin. With a new diameter of nearly 3 feet, I felt an emerging sense of personal satisfaction and possibility. Hmmm. How EXACTLY does this thing work? I was curious.

Perilous proposition

I climbed onto the bed with my small ladder and stood teetering in the center of the mattress that should never be stood upon—right where the net would hang. My simulation was a bit lacking. With a little encouragement, Em assumed the role of a slightly safer net-height-simulator. He’s 6’5″ so we got a pretty good idea about the distance that the hoop should be suspended above the bed.

Necessary stuff

Next? Well, obviously we’d have to install the cup hook (included in my nifty purchase) somewhere in the vaulted clay tile ceiling, which obviously presented a bit of a challenge. Then I remembered. We had bought lenza, fishing line for some patio furniture repairs, so we had the ideal, invisible, high strength solution for dropping the net to exactly 6’5″ above the bed. I was really pleased with the way things were going.

I found a spare key-ring and tied one end of the nylon line in two square knots which I learned how to do when I was a young girl scout. Okay, I was a Brownie. Em installed the hook into a wood ceiling beam—a slight compromise from dead center. He then looped the key ring over the hook. We tied the other end to the ring on the top of the net and the intricate installation was just about complete.

Our new friend Casper

Perfetto, perfect! The mosquito net hung like Casper the friendly ghost hovering above the bed. We spread out the net and entered the no mosquito zone to conduct a “test run.” Seemed good. Had possibility. We admired our work with unspoken self-congratulations and went about our normal routines. Every so often, we’d casually walk by our installation and smile approvingly.

The finished installation

Around midnight, we climbed into our filmy bedroom tent and slid spare pillows into strategic locations to minimize net marks on our faces in the morning. The ad-hoc technique worked like a charm. We felt like kids, camping in the backyard on a clear summer night. A cool breeze wafted through the open windows, which is the way it should be in a Tuscan farmhouse. There was nothing between us and the great outdoors to restrict our morning ritual of leaning out the window to admire the view and take in our first breath of fresh country air.

Ha ha—foiled again!

At 6 am, I awoke to a familiar buzzzzz. Oh, no! I thought to myself, still dazed from my deep sleep. THEY’RE back. And they’re here for only one reason: to sting me in as many new places as possible. I had momentarily forgotten about our new hanging invention and my heart sank with dread. Then my eyes opened, and immediately I saw the recently installed no-fly-zone. AND a nasty little mosquito! He was clingling to the outside of the net trying desperately to get at me. BUT he couldn’t! He buzzed and circled. He dove and searched. He looked for possible entry points finding nothing. No matter how hard he tried, he could not breach the new security barrier. I smiled at him. Okay, it was more of a smirk. I drifted back to sleep with the sweet “white noise” of a mosquito buzzing a safe distance from my ears—a sound I never imagined I would enjoy so much!

You may also enjoy visiting our other websites:

The Journey – The Ride of a Lifetime

The UP Side Lowdown by Cheryl

Uncommon Promise Story, Music and Art

New Music—Virtual CD

Uncommon Promise Video Channel

In Touch in Tuscany

A Site for More Eyes

Warby Parker "LookBook"

In my ever-driven desire to find win-win situations, I’ve found a sweet one. There are lots of sites that coordinate with organizations to provide goods to those in need. Some attempt to tax the world a little less by offering “green” alternatives. Today, I’m highlighting one of my new favorite finds.

A recent discovery is the website, warbyparker.com, whose homepage says, “For every pair of glasses we sell we give a pair away to someone in need.” Working with the charitable group, RestoringVision.org, they have distributed glasses to 24 countries around the world. Pretty good idea, I think. For someone like me with “vision issues” (hereditary near-sightedness), having corrective lenses has to some extent, saved my life. Without glasses or contacts, I couldn’t legally drive. So I know the importance of glasses. But in addition to providing this humanitarian offering, Warby Parker offers 2 other compelling and unique things.

Boutique-Quality Eyewear for $95

The first twist that WP offers is glasses at an unbelievably low cost. The last time I went to the optometrist, I was shocked at the prices. There’s one price for lenses and a separate cost for the frames. The total can easily be hundreds of dollars. To keep costs low at WP, they limit the frame offerings. There are just 27 styles, but they are trendy, fashionable frames that make you look like you’re wearing the latest, current frames of 2010/2011 rather than 1943. The glasses, lenses and frames sell for $95. Amazing!

Upload a Photo of You!

But here’s the fun part: Warby Parker lets you try on the glasses before you buy them. What?! How?! Good questions. It’s pretty simple really. They have a page that walks you through how to upload a photo. Then you just browse through the collection and do a “virtual try on.” Click on your glasses of choice. The glasses that you’ve chosen will appear on the photo that you’ve uploaded. Voila! You get to see yourself as you will appear once your new glasses arrive.

Me Trying on "The Sibley" Style

Don’t like a particular style? Select another. The first pair disappears from your face and the second pair appears instead. If you don’t waste 20 minutes or so just laughing at yourself, you’re not trying. And finally, Warby Parker offers something really unique: a monocle.

Normally, I wear one contact lens for distance. My second eye takes care of the close up tasks. A monocle would be perfect for me. When I’m not wearing my contact, I could throw on my monocle. How fun is that? It’s called the Colonel and costs $50.

How do I Look wearing "The Colonel"?

It’s described as “the perfect accessory for budding robber barons, post-colonial tyrants and super villains.” Or maybe it’s just the thing to resist the tyranny of optical extortion!

You may also enjoy visiting our other websites:

The Journey – The Ride of a Lifetime

Uncommon Promise Video Channel

Uncommon Promise Story, Music and Art

Under the Tuscan Thumb Blog by C & E

New Music—Virtual CD

In Touch in Tuscany

A Pomegranate by Any Other Name . . .

Natural Habitat

A year or two ago we discovered pomegranates. No, we didn’t really discover them, we just added them to our diet. They are supposed to be powerful antioxidants, vitamin C or rich in polyphenols or something like that and we were keen to seize any natural supplements that we could—especially delicious ones.

According to Wiki, the name “pomegranate” derives from Latin pomum (apple) and granatus (seeded). In Italian the word for apple is melo, so at the market in Italy, we ask for a melograno.

Still Life

In the states we originally bought pomegranate seeds in the deli section at a couple of grocery stores. But, they are pretty expensive, so we decided to harvest our own seeds. We have never seen just the seeds in Italy, so the decision to harvest our own seemed pretty smart, especially since we didn’t seem to have a choice. But how?? I promptly went online to learn. There were a couple of techniques, so I tried each one. The method that I rejected was the “hold a pomegranate half over a bowl and smack the rind with a large spoon” technique. Somehow the red inside spattered all over the kitchen walls, as well as on my face and hands. That approach seemed a little gruesome, not to mention unappetizing. So I concluded that the underwater technique is by far the cleanest, easiest and fastest. Let me explain.

First Cut

A pomegranate can be cut in half on any cutting board. But you will notice that immediately, the cut halves begin to leak juice.  Although the juice is a pretty color, you don’t really want that color to stain your clothes, or hands and face. (See paragraph above.) So here’s the trick. Have a deep bowl or pan of water handy. After you’ve cut the fruit in half, halve it again, then again. Now you have a half that is in quarters, making 4 manageable sections. Slide them into the water. Repeat the quartering process with the other half and toss them into the water, too.

Hand Size Pieces

Now here’s the magic part: Because the pieces of pomegranate are “hand-size” you can easily reach down into the water and simply open them up. The seeds will fall to the bottom of the bowl and the skin floats! After you’ve released the seeds from all 8 sections, just skim off the floating rind and pulp. Your beautiful little pomegranate pearls will be glistening in the bottom of the bowl. Drain off the water and store the seeds in the fridge. Sprinkle some on you next salad and then wait for the healthy side-effects.

Free Radicals

Are you waiting? Feel anything yet? No? Hmmmm. Not even a little?  Don’t you even feel a little more oxygen in your air? How about free radicals—do you notice any of those? No, not the ones from college in the late 60s. Oh, well. Not to worry. Your cells know what to do with all of that good stuff. They are busy pairing up all those free radicals and turning them into a magic anti-ageing elixir. Okay. Maybe that’s an exaggeration, but surely your efforts will be rewarded someday. Soon.

In the meantime, enjoy your salad.

You may also enjoy visiting our other websites:

The Journey – The Ride of a Lifetime

Uncommon Promise Video Channel

Uncommon Promise Story, Music and Art

Under the Tuscan Thumb Blog by C & E

New Music—Virtual CD

In Touch in Tuscany

Yin-Yang

Coupled Commas

Two together look like a complementary color yin-yang. What are they? They feel like, yes, they’re rubber, each with a contrasting color dot in the middle. A year ago we saw these little wonders in the Utilità, the utility store in Fiesole. We asked Roberta and Claudia, “What are these?”

The answer was simple, “Sono le virgole! They are commas!”

We continued our inquiry, “And what do they do?”

“Tengono le finestre aperte. They keep the windows open.”

Wedged in above the Hinge

“Okay, we’ll take 2.” We took our little treasures home and tried them out. We opened the window a little and wedged the comma into the space above the hinge. Then, scientifically, we watched and waited. Wow! They really work! We compared them to a window without commas. What a difference. The shutter banged against the window each time a mighty wind swooped through and then subsided. The two window frames clattered together or against the wall, gouging the plaster with the little metal bracket. Could something so clever and simple as little rubber commas really be the answer? Yes

We went back to the Utilità and bought 3 more pairs. We have blue in the living room, green in the guest room and a sweet terra-cotta color in our room. We bought a white pair, with a black dot in the middle. (The dot, we have discovered, is for gripping the comma to remove it from its place near the hinge.)

Evidence?

But, here’s an interesting thing that we have observed: spiders poop. We were completely unaware of this phenomena until we bought white commas. We boldly installed a pair of white commas in the upstairs window well that remains mostly undisturbed. Because our windows are recessed, they create sweet little corners for spiders to weave webs. Of course when an unsuspecting tidbit flies by, often the spider snags him as a tasty morsel. As Mr Spider munches away on his meal, he drops undesirable left overs below. And he poops.

Well, within 3 days Mr Spider had enjoyed several meals, as evidenced by the stains on the commas. Sure, they’re washable, but really. How rude!

But then again, how appropriate! How balanced! With the good, comes the bad. With joy, comes disappointment. Opposite and yet equal, complementary qualities. Seems there is a reason that they look like commas—they are colorful reminders of a philosophical truth. Silly us. We thought they were merely window stops!

You may also enjoy visiting our other websites:

The Journey – The Ride of a Lifetime

Uncommon Promise Video Channel

Uncommon Promise Story, Music and Art

Under the Tuscan Thumb Blog by C & E

New Music – Virtual CD

In Touch In Tuscany