your eyes are not deceiving you...

over there... on the side bar- YES! is does say twitter and facebook. I have joined the rest of humanity- yes I know I'm a little slow, but you can now connect with me there too!

I've been planning a number of changes around here, one being with how I communicate about updates and other news. I've gotten a little lax about sending out emails to everyone each time I have something to share, instead I post the information here. In order to better connect with more of you I've decided to also share that news and more on twitter and facebook. I'll be doing away with my old email update notices and in their place I'll be posting all info here plus I'll be tweeting and posting on facebook. While I'm new to all of this I hope each "location" you find me at has a little something different to offer, be it notes about interesting things and events I've found, my usual blog posts, snippets from the day, and of course all the details about when new pieces become available.

Fear not, if you don't care much for facebook or twitter you can sign up to receive all my blog posts via email (it's over there in the side bar too)- so you won't miss a thing.

and more on the worktable

Pandas: currently ear-less but not for long...

wo-wo-wo-working! AGAIN!!!!

and it feels so nice. These bigger kitties (14")  have been really coming along ... I'm looking forward to putting on their eyes and expressions on for "real" this morning.

Ohhh to be back to work- I've really missed it these last few months.

***

Just settling back in here. The trip home was as painless as a 16 hour journey can be- I feel so lucky the flights were delay free and relatively smooth sailing. Now, we're all just getting used to being home... it's strange. My feelings oscillate from feeling totally out of place here and then I blink and it's as if we never left, but all in all it feels very good to be home. I'll be back to work shortly. Until then...

goodbye Rome and an informal list

We are headed home very soon- time is running out and this list is due so without further ado, I will miss very much:

•  walking past the Colosseum on a regular basis
• getting pizza bianca on the way to the park nearly every morning with Jay and Claude
• the super fresh and beautiful food at nearly every store and every market (it's truly breath-taking and it makes grocery shopping so so much fun)
• the 87 bus- who knew I would love the buses- but I'll miss them terribly
• being able to walk into a new church nearly everyday and still be surprised each and every time
• PIZZA- in all forms- everyday - yes, every-day
• wine and cheese and olive oil and all the baked goods
• the fountains everywhere from the simplest to the most complex- all with clean drinking water for thirsty little boys and their mothers
• the utter and overwhelming kindness that Italians shower onto all babies and children
• the Pantheon
• and all the other amazing structures, sculptures, paintings, fountains and...
• the salty sea
• the plants and trees and flowers and the smell spring blossoms as you walk down the street
• this time with Claude - watching him become more and more and more....... and more
• the breadth and depth of the beauty and complexity of this city

goodbye Rome- my home away from home. (each day when we get back to the house after a long walkabout- Claude spreads his arms wide, arches his back, and yells "HOME!". I know I'm not the only one who will miss this place.)

our last day... and a goodbye drawing

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!

To all mothers, soon to be mothers, and to the daughters and sons of mothers too- HAPPY DAY!

little photos from home...

it's nice to see Spring has finally come to Minneapolis. A friend sent me a few photos of my yard just beginning to bloom. This will make our homecoming much easier as it seems I've gotten a little too used to all this lush green, warm days, and plants heavy with blooms and fruit... it still looks a bit shabby but I'm just so happy the snow is gone, and how lucky to experience the onset of spring a second time in one year?!

yesterday...

Even after 3 months here Rome continues to unfold, surprising me with something new and unexpected nearly every day. We leave here in less than a week and even now I'm trying to reconsile what my life is, was, and will be. This place and time has changed me- and while I think it will be a long time before I can feel out how and what is different, I know I am very much the better for it all.

I'm trying to make a list of my favorite parts of living here. It's a tough list to narrow down but it will be thoroughly considered and reconsidered, written, photographed, and posted before we get on that long plane ride HOME.

ding dong!

HAPPY MAY DAY!!!

(a tim walker photograph - via all the mountains - via Emily's pinterest )