The “home” (former monastery) was started in 1571 by the contractor/mon Martin del Nero. He wrote a prayer in the cement in the basement,blessing the home and the wine to come, and it is STILL recipient of that prayer.

We enjoyed cooking with Annalisa, making Pinci, sauteed  fresh harvested artichokes, stuffed zuchinni, foccacia and dried tomato/caper spread. Gelato and dark cherries topped off a PERFECT afternoon.

And of course, a bottle of the legendary Martin del Nero.

Though as busy and stretched as a mom-artist-yoga instructor-writer-cook-winemaker can be, she made us feel her world had stopped for us and our time together.

I wish I could send you the flavors and aromas, or bring back a bottle of them in my suit case. Bella, Anna Lisa, grazie,grazie.

He doesn’t like his carseat so he SCREAMS until we reach our destination. And then we can’t walk down an Italian street without being mobbed by folk of all ages who want to squeeze cheeks and offer little kisses.

We have him in every picture, so when he asks if he can go Europe when he is older we can prove he already did Italy! Here KC and Carson are enjoying a “tasting”!

And like a puzzle piece looking for it’s fit, we are sooooo there.  Only wish the folk from 2 years ago who visited were sharing this moment.  But then, they are on our hearts as we gaze across the Val d’Orcia:  Ron, Mary, Tom, Alice, Carolyn, Jeff, Jeane, Kathie, Lisa and Andy….here’s to you, Cin cin!

Waking up to Tuscany

Brenda and Perry Jansen

This summation is probably for my benefit as I reflect on the incredible experience Steve and I had In Malawi and South Africa.  Safari’s are not glamorous but folk who dedicate their lives to helping others are rock stars! They are the people who captured my heart on this God-led journey.

Dr. Perry Jansen: visionary, doctor,awesome guitarist, expert in AIDS and tropical diseases, Man of God, Caring father, colleague to many, and funny.

Brenda: devoted Mom and helpmate, tender and focused heart, hostess, musical,anchor.

Nate: bright student, college bound, passionate worship leader, great guitarist, kind big brother, huge potential.

Jansen Family

Erin: emerging woman, playful kid, good writer, great big sister, sweet tooth.

Olivia: small voice, big smile, large heart, pixie, chocolate bundle of joy and delight.

Blessing: phenomenal natural talent, dependable, quiet, polite, appreciative. Bird painter extraordinaire.

Donald:  supportive friend, gracious, focused ladder climber.

Anna, Miriam, Joseph, Lester, Ida, Lucy, Octavius, Grant, John Hamilton, John Fielder, Cory, Elizabeth, Stalkers, Colleen, Maxwell, Agnes, the kids of Takambe, nurses in frilly caps, Blue-gingham girls, the 4:30 ambulance pile-in, Chijenzes, ironed shirts, short ties, and the miracles God brought about to pass every single day.

Blessing and Donald

Things I wont miss:  Goats, potholes, crumbling roads, cold showers, bicycles, smoke, power outages, no internet, pushy vendors, extreme poverty, flying for 26 hours, converting kwatcha$, nsima.

Things I did miss or will miss:  Family at home, new friends in  Malawi, wine, big salads, servants, the warmth of the people, power outages (hey candlelight is nice) the African worship, people with passion, childrens’  faces, visiting, tv-less, early nights, early mornings, MASH episodes.

Dick and Charlotte Day

In Zomba we now have fond memories of Moira and Steve Chimombo, Dick and Charlotte Day, Windeson’s cooking, Winston, Ben, Jean,Irene, Isabel,Catherine, Faith the villages of Simyoni, Kawiya,  Makundula, the Mponda School and Zomba Central Hospital.

And we took the love of wonderful folk who donated panties, time, baby caps, pencils, quilts, stencils and funds to make it all happen,  and PRAYER and those who offered it up that kept us safe and healthy!! and a husband who shared a passion and humbly served others. Love him even more.

Thank you Editor, you keep me grounded and connected.

What a journey!

XO

I haven’t seen most of these Lavender Ladies since graduation, 39 years ago though Christmas cards keep us updated with some.  Many hugs, tears, and remembrances! I think we look great (you can tell who we still are, if that makes sense), and are all on the verge, or have just retired and are eagerly tackling new challenges. And not to be trite, but 60 sure looks and acts like the new 40!

A few aches and pains, several grandchildren — or none at all — lots of travel, and all good people. I even made some new delta friends from other classes.  Imagine, 425 ladies attended out of the 1200 members that are still alive — a whopping third!  We were singing sorority songs, eating, and drinking a lot of wine or ice tea.  I never thought I’d be at this end of the spectrum, age wise, but was amazed and challenged by the sisters attending who were in the decades ahead of me.

What a beautiful day to treasure forever!

It was one year ago today that we left for Manchester on our way to Volvo and Montalcino. This week’s trip will be to the Open Air Market in Little Italy on Saturday to replenish oils, spices, and memories. Bene, molto bene.

What I miss is rediscovering my husband in so many little ways. In Montalcino we got to play “house”.  Shop, cook, wash dishes, and delight in the discoveries we made each day. Read books, watch movies on the computer between us in bed on “movie night.”  No distractions, settled in, drinking wine, making new friends, being of small service, and sharing the immense sense of marvel.  Boy did we fight too! 

Trying not to fall into old patterns and roles, still hurting from failures, and sometimes thinking the only thing we had in common was the kids. Choosing to love, remembering how to love, loving from the head when the heart forgot how. Vowing to change and be different, and making progress . OK, too deep.

I loved having company come.  How honored I was to have someone come so far to share this.  And we were only too eager to share what we had found.  

Cooking Italian style, lots of Jug wine and cheese on a terrace with a million dollar view. Scarves, market day, Duomo’s, Easter week, 8 of Maggio, church bells, finding the small treasures of a small town, great ravioli, poppy fields,  crunchy underwear, shutters thrown open to greet each new day! 

And how humbled I felt that some dear people would read my frequent ranting on my travel blog and let me share this all with them from afar. Thank you.

I was blown away by the faith  of Christians through the many centuries who went on crusades, spent lifetimes building Abbey’s, Cathedrals, walled-cities, who dedicated their lives to sculpting masterpiece, painting ceilings, writing music that glorified God. Sure ,there was greed and self-interest, but you could tell there were hearts who swelled with the love of their Lord to dedicate their lives to doing what they thought was His will. That faith really reached through the centuries and grabbed my heart. 

I confess my “walk” with the Lord has been a little distant of late, maybe less intimate, because of the enormity of expressions of others that make my meager efforts to serve seem so meager.  Why would the God that inspires the Pieta, want to listen to my jibber jabber ( but He does, so i’m working on this).

But WAKE UP Italy and the rest of Europe!  How sad to see the catherals locked and shut down.  Meager attendance, Easter habits, faith as an old persons’ panacea.  They are not smarter because they have put their faith on a shelf.  They are missing the Glory, the faith-dimension that is the only thing that makes this world make any sense. 

Thank you Jesus, for Father Piernino, Giovani, Miranda, Juonpaulo, the monks of St. Antimo and those who still burn brightly. We pray for revival.

So much for the rawness of 3a.m. self-examinations.

Interlaken is the land and city between two alpine lakes near Bern (the capitol).  We went by train from Seftigen to Thun to catch the ship that criss-crosses the lake.  We were visiting Heather, Heinz, and their baby Jackson who are friends of our daughter KC (isn’t it great when your kids become adults and share their friends with you!).  We had a beautiful, awesome day in the low 70′s,clear, snowy alps, azure water. 

Swiss life is amazing, gentle, and tasty.  The minimum wage is close to $25 an hour, but then it’s $7 for a simple cup of Starbucks. The public transportation is great, lots of pasture and farms with big-eyed cows wearing their bells (not all of them, these are prizes that they get to wear around their necks if they are best in show).  And every home is required to have a bomb shelter and air purification system in it.  Heather and Heinz’s made for a great wine cellar with a heavy thick door though it was kind of scary.

Ahhhhh, but Venice. There were no gondolas, water taxis, or vaporettos running on this busy Sunday.  There were races in the canals of all sorts of floating contraptions, but mostly multi-person skulls.  Never saw a start or finish line, but  these had commandeered the scene.  They were fun to watch but couldn’t get to some places because of crowds now all reduced to walking.

We managed to get to St Mark’s Square, where there is construction limitations on the campanile, only to find it wall to wall people (Multiple cruise ships in port).  Lines were so ridiculously long, we passed on all sights and had a cup of hot chocolate, and people-watched and meandered down alley-ways that weren’t impassable.

We took a bus and a train from Vicenza, where we are staying at a military base, a very ,very nice suite with every amenity.  I was slammed with a head cold so we are staying a third night before heading to Bern, didn’t want to spread it.  Steve thinks it’s wine withdrawl.  I’ve gone 3 days without and I’m going into detox? 

So it’s mixed reviews on Venice.

Coming back from Roma and climbing the hill to our walled-city, “Friends” by Michael W. Smith was playing.  It is an all time favorite of mine, but now phrases like  “packing up the dreams God planted” and “Tho’ it’s hard to let you go, in the Father’s hand we know” have new meaning to me as tears streamed down my cheeks from under my sunglasses .

Yep, it’s time to pack and think about moving on.

This vacation was so much more than items to check off a list of things to see; it became home to us and we made some beautiful memories, some forever- friends, and shared it with some special people.  And just like a special recipe, all the ingredients came together ….juuuuust right.