Rome, Italy Here I Come!

Right now I should be finishing my packing, but instead I am blogging. On Tuesday morning I will be flying from Vancouver to Toronto to Rome......I can't wait! For one thing, this is something that I've thought and dreamed of for a long time and can't believe that September 3rd is already here. Another reason why I am so looking forward to going is because it is in the mid 80's there while here at home it is raining and cold. I am not going to miss the wet climate here......I am going to be able to enjoy some more sunny weather in a place that will hold many memories for me for a long time.

I will be meeting my son in Rome and for three days we will be doing all the Rome sightseeing we can fit in. Then, I'm off on a train to Cortona for my Sally Jean Alexander workshop in the hills of Tuscany. If any of you have seen the movie "Under the Tuscan Sun", this is the town that I will be visiting for 8 days. We will be making a candelabra chandelier and also going on some day trips to antique markets and such. Then, I am back to Rome to spend another two days on my own and then back home to share my stories. I only wish the flight wasn't 15 hours long!

This will be the first time that Lola will be away from me and I hope that she survives me not being at home. It is going to be a big change for her.......maybe she'll bond with the rest of the family!

So, "Ciao" baby and the next time I post I will be in Rome......

This Summer Has Been Crazy Busy!!!

I can't believe my last post was in early July.....you can tell that it's summer time or that I have just been sorely neglecting my blog and spending most of my time doing leisurely things outside. To say the least, this summer has been full of going here and there and everywhere. My youngest daughter and I spent a week in San Diego with her basketball team where they participated in a tournament. It was a great time and the sunshine couldn't have been better. Another mom and myself rented a convertible car for the week and we fully got our money's worth touring the streets and highways of San Diego. It is truly a beautiful place with many things to see and do. The beaches were exquisite and the sights unbelievable. We took little Lola (my teacup yorkie) to the "dog beach" there. When you looked out over the beach you could see hundreds of different types of dogs running around....it was truly a dogs world at that place. Lola didn't fancy the ocean much and once a wave went over her head she didn't want anything to do with the surf anymore. When we tried to get her to go in again she ran the other way! There were some other yorkies that she was curious about so they played together for awhile. She's not around any of her type of breed so it was nice to see her interact with dogs her size. 

Once back from San Diego it was time for our annual camping trip at Chilliwack Lake. This is a lake 40 minutes from our home and we truly enjoy going there. We go with another family who has a boat so for a week straight there is nothing but eating and tubing! We lucked out with the weather and enjoyed sunshine for the whole week. Sitting around the campfire telling stories and playing games and then hitting the sack to prepare ourselves for another day of fun.

My youngest daughter and I just returned home from Oregon this past weekend after spending a few days there visiting and celebrating my mom's birthday. For a treat we took her to Ruthie B's in Springfield and had lunch and shopped. That place is truly packed to the rafters with antiques, antiques, antiques. I just love going there everytime I visit my parents. I am going to have to make a special trip in December to see what Christmas goodies they have there!

Here we all are before our lunch came......

Me and my daughter.....

And here is my daughter being silly.....