Back in the Saddle - I smell Smoke!

Ciao a tutti Amici,

So today I am finally feeling like I am ready to do business.

I have had a really prominent slump. I mostly attribute this to the harsh and extreme experience that is intercontinental air travel. sheeeesh. It is hell... to me. But I feel it is necessary to grow and develop in the direction my heart leads me right now. Anyway... I have had a huge writing block since coming home. Sometimes I start to think that Humboldt-Sohum-Garberville is uninspiring and even debilitating to me... but no. This morning I realized that I am craving exploration. Input of "new" and "different" is required now. So I thought of many places in town I have never been. This mornings walk with Yota was longer and more brisk than ever before. And we "discovered" a few new places we have never been.

So I am inspired again lol.

I also stopped off at the local Hospice and signed up as a volunteer. I intend to slave a little for them and help them to produce an event that is coming up on July 5th. It is their annual fund raiser, but falls the day after a big holiday. So they will need a little extra help to get people out and attending despite their hangovers lol.

Another accomplishment of the morning was finding and installing Microsoft Office X on my computer. Since my update to OS X 10.4.11 right before my excursion abroad, I have not had it. Without Word and it's companions I have had a great excuse for not getting any REAL work done. Now I have it and I am just waiting for an e-mail with the activation code so I can get to work...

Also today for the first time since leaving school in Italy... I studied Italian Grammar again. I study the language every day, usually vocabulary and conversation. I also listen to Italian music, watch Italian tv and talk to myself... alot lol. But studies of Italian Grammar require some serious focus on, to make any progress with.

Also made good progress on my current art piece in the works. I have been painting an ancient Olive Tree. It haunted me for weeks after leaving Italy... so as soon as I could I started it's rendition. I just can't seem to get the right shade of gray-green-blue that I feel is needed...

Oh in case you did not know... the world as we know it here in Southern Humboldt is ablaze.

I have been considering volunteering for the fires. Like helping out in the fire camp or making lunches for the fire fighters. A lightning storm that came through the area a week ago started over 100 fires here in Humboldt County and thousands around the north part of the state. they got half of them out right away, but 50 were in hard to reach places. There are 3 near to our home in Legget Paradise Ridge and Windy Gap. It was very windy yesterday and today the smoke is so thick, the girls and I are dizzy, coughing and our eyes are stinging from the smoke. It looks like a cloudy day today, but it is not. The sun is shining a dark red through the smoke. I looked at the fire report and there are more (5 new, 56 altogether) and bigger fires (double the acrage to 1,500 acres) today than yesterday. The wind is coming up now... and fire season does not usually start here until late August or September. Low relative humidity this year!
This weekend we are supposed to have another lightning storm, like the one last week. oh no!

My daughter Christen and I have an agreement... We take turns cooking so everyone does not have to eat Italian food every day lol lol. She usually makes Asian or Mexican dishes. I have been making pasta and other recipes I collected up in Italy. I ordered 25lbs of the right kind of semolina dura flour from the local health food store yesterday. Last night I made Gnocchi in a Ricotta sauce with greens, walnuts and basil. I was emulating a dish I had in a Bari restaurant the day before I left. Tonight Christen is making beef steak fajitas!Above: Orecchiette Pasta

Now I am going to the farmers market to look for a few choice ingredients for dinner tomorrow night. I got so much done today... when I get home from the market, I will settle down with glass of wine to celebrate a good and productive day.

Back in the saddle again.

My love goes out to all of you.

A Clash of Two American Cultures

Okay so I am admitting it. A weakness.

Culture shock is getting the best of me a little. I came home to a world of chaos, dirt and noise and I am not very happy. I am changing and would like to make a life for myself that is quite different from my past life.

In the past Garberville has been host to an annual Rodeo weekend with a parade and two weeks later we would have the annual biker run weekend. Both of these cultures I find a little interesting and entertaining but unnerving in many ways. Some really smart person or group of people made the rodeo and the biker run happen on the same weekend this year. The weekend I return home from Europe.

A clash of two obnoxious american cultures lol.
The American Biker Culture
I think the bikes are beautiful works of art. But I hate the noise they make. Like thunder on the horizon, but more rhythmic. With hundreds of them running every road in the county it is quite an "effect". My dog cringes the whole weekend shaking and ducking under furniture. The bikers take pride in looking and acting tough. Heavy black leather, shaved heads and tattoos with skulls, dragons and often violent images from head to toe are quite common. Both the men and the women too lol. And when the bikers "run" it usually means a lot of drinking and loud aggressive behavior all around.
The American Rodeo Culture.
The rodeo culture makes it's living from the exploitation of animals damn it. I hate to see the harsh treatment given the bucking animals and the calves for roping. That said I have always loved the rodeo because of those animals. I love seeing the parade with the people and horses dressed up in their finest western regalia. I am one of those people who always roots for the bull during bull riding events lol.

I think I have grown a bit... out of the old life and into the new with less tolerance for loud or aggressive places and people. The weekend is over and the thunder is starting to recede a little now. The bikers have mostly left for home now. My dog can recover now.

Now it's time to get back to the business of making... my life what I want it to be....

Coming Home

I am home.

My return trip started with both Joze and Zeki putting my baggage on their bikes and escorting me to the trolley stop near their house. From there I went on a trolley then a train, plane, tram, plane, BART, taxi, then car. This last portion of my trip was as awesome as any other part. My family and friends have made this a warm and wonderful homecoming for me.

San Francisco is a good airport to come home to. They had an exhibit of beautiful Tibetan Art, wow. I was VERY relieved to see my luggage in the baggage claim area and I was surprised that customs let me keep my olive oil and all the seeds I was bringing in, EVEN the carob pods and seeds!

This oil can was in a suitcase marked fragile and looks like it was
beaten with a hammer. It ended up with just the tiniest leak in one
of the top seams but only a drop leaked out.

I stayed at my friend Kim's apartment in Oakland for a day and was spoiled with a beautiful view, fully stocked kitchen and absolutely the most comfortable bed I had experienced on the entire trip! I felt quite a bit in shock and pain from having to pass through London Heathrow Terminal 5 again, but slept very well.

Then I was picked up for the last leg of my journey by my friend Jama. She treated me to lunch at a nice seafood restaurant in Marin and then she took me grocery shopping at whole foods, clothes and household shopping at the SA Depot in Lytton Springs! Not only did I pick up a few real star pieces of clothing for my wardrobe, I found this print of the Little Angels by Raphael and it's hanging in my living room.



My daughters finished painting the kitchen, cleaned and arranged the house nicely, filled all the vases with flowers and had homemade chicken soup waiting for me when I arrived at home in Garberville.

Sleep. Lots of water. Internet reconnected. More sleep. Jet lag has not been too bad, but I think it will take a few more days for my back to stop hurting.

Io fa la fresca pasta per la mia figlia stasera e... abbiamo mangiato alcuno di migliore olio di oliva. YUM. Felice felice.

Ringraziamento eterno.

Dreaming... A World Without Too Many Cars

Ciao a tutti amici,

When I arrived at the beach, I broke down and cried like a baby.

My friends laughed at me and teased me, but they also hugged me and gave me their love too. The reason for my tears... there are no cars allowed within a long distance of the beach here. No cars, no high rises, only bikes and walking paths. We were on the only beach, a 1 mile stretch, that allows dogs too. And they only allow dogs for 3 months of the year. This is to protect all the wildlife during the breeding season. My friends told me that my reaction to the carless beach gave them a new appreciation for it. They had been taking it for granted.
Below: Parking lot at the beach, bikes only!

I am very sore today but very happy.

Yesterday we went on a very long bike tour. We went to a bird sanctuary first. The sanctuary was closed but when my friends told them I was an environmentalist who works for the endangered species in California. They made an exception for me and gave me a tour of the facilities.

After the tour of the bird sanctuary we went to the beach on the Northsea. After the shock of no cars wore off I went into the water. I was very suprised at how warm the water was here. I expected it to be very cold because we were so far north. But it was much warmer than on the Northern California coast.

In a way... I have regained some hope for humanity here. The people here ride bikes and they are fit and happy. Maybe more people in America can start riding bikes too. If we could achieve that transition... maybe there is hope for the world.

The Dutch People hold the key to survival of the planet... in their pockets with their little bike keys. I just received a request in my e-mail from the bike path advocates in Eureka. They want photos and information about bike paths to help them in their quest to build bike paths around the Humboldt Bay.
What luck... I have some to send to them. Please check out the Trail Trust of Humboldt Bay and contact Jennifer Rice for more information or to help out with this project. jen@nrsrcaa.org.

I leave Europe tomorrow morning to come home to America. I will be in San Francisco by 5pm. Not only carrying the best olive oil and many new skills, but a renewed hope... of a healthy world without too many big cars.

I will miss my new friend Batu (also called: Batuti, Bahhh Tuuu, Tuti Wooti). He was watching me pack my bags today and he was so sad... whining and crying. I had to give him some extra love. We have become very good friends while I have been here. He is part Fell Terrier like Yota and they have some of the same charachter and physical traits.
My love goes out to all of you who have befriended me, rescued me, helped me, housed me, fed me, and taught me many important lessons about language, life, love, culture and about myself too, while I have been here in Europe. I will miss you so much and I will never forget you!

I will be in touch!

Some Things You Never Forget

Ciao a tutti amici,

Well I guess it is true what they say about riding a bike! You never forget how. Jozé and Zeki had a small bike for me and yesterday we went for a ride. I had so much fun. It has been many many years since I tried to ride a bike. Mainly because of my back injury and the length of time it took me to heal. But maybe also because around Southern Humboldt there are no bike paths and getting around by bike is very difficult and even dangerous.


I went with Jozé and Zeki to a friends home for dinner last night. Their friend Oboe prepared Indonesian foods for us and it was very good. I had never tried Indonesian foods before. After the dinner we attended a housewarming party for some other friends. They had taken a multi-unit townhouse and made it one house. It was like a castle. It had 8 bedrooms, 2 baths, 2 kitchens, many rooms for entertaining, 2 terraces, and a gardenspace on the bottom floor.


The people at the party were very friendly and I met several expatriots there. Some people from Canada and a man from New Mexico. I did notice one very big difference between the Italians and the Dutch at this party. In Italy I am of average size. Here in the Netherlands, I am a little shrimp. I was by far (4 inches) the shortest person at the party! I think that the average height for Dutch people must be about 6'2". We danced, ate and drank wine for many hours and walked the bikes back home because I was a little tipsy. lol


Also I noticed yesterday that the sun sets much later here. 10:30pm! When I checked the maps I could see the latitude here is about 53. I think this is the farthest north I have ever been. Jozé says the sun sets at4:30 in the winter time.


Some pictures of the beautiful birds I have seen here: The Trumpeter Swan

A Mud Hen in her nest with her babies

A parrot introduced from India.

The doves here are twice as big as the doves in Italy or America.

These ducks are similar to the mallards at home. But I think they have a much longer beak.

And here a good shot of the Nile Geese.

I am trying so many new foods here... breads, cheeses, wines, beer, pastries and cookies. I wish I had room in my luggage to bring some home with me to share with people. But I am already so overloaded I think I will just hurt myself if I try to bring more.

I will try to write one more blog post before coming home on Tuesday. My love to all of you... my friends and family.

Buon Appetito!

Ciao Amici,

It is starting to set in... I am NOT in Italy anymore. Oh woe is me. Despite the fact I am with wonderful people, in a beautiful place and I am about to return to see my beloved family, friends and home... I have started to mourn for leaving Southern Italy. I will return when the time is right. But I will have to work very hard, I know this.

Anyway... I will add a few photos I have taken of Den Haag because it is such a beautiful place.

Above: This is the canal with the big fish on the street where I am staying.
Above: A path along one of the neighborhood greenbelts.Above: This is the middle of town in mid-day! Where are all the cars and people?
A very nice place I found along one of the canals, and if you look closely you will see a few of the Nile Geese that live here in the summer months.

It was raining and cold today so we did not go to the beach. I am starting to think of going home more and more. I checked the weather reports for San Francisco and Eureka. It is even colder there right now, than it is here in the Netherlands. It will get hot soon enough though I am sure of that.

My love goes out to all of you.

Rest and Recuperation in Den Haag

Jen Dobri!

That is the how you greet someone in Polish.

I am learning from the beautiful 7 yr old Polish girl who lives next door. We are teaching each other a few words in our own language. Her first english word was "beautiful". That word never sounded so good as when she said it yesterday. She has been here in the Netherlands with her family for only one year and speaks fluent Dutch already. Amazing. She came over for dinner last night and after dinner we danced. So much fun. It seems like everyone I have met here is multi-lingual. In this house Dutch, English, German, Italian, Turkish, Polish, French and even a little Spanish is spoken. This is a multicultural neighborhood too. Shops and restaurants include many Turkish, Chinese, Mediterranean and Indian too.

I am starting to feel back to normal after my difficult travel experience. Although I am still kicking myself for not calling and checking into the airport a day in advance to find out if my flight was still scheduled and my booking was good and clear. live and learn. I have had several of those expensive lessons on this trip (lost luggage, dishonest taxi driver, unscheduled flight). When I travel again, I will be packing much lighter I think and scrupulously checking all bookings, maps, prices, and schedules for changes.

I am taking lots of photos and picking up a few small and light weight momentos and souveneirs from the area. A few chrystal stones, some sea salt from the North Sea, a pewter salt dispenser with dragons, some flower bulbs and seeds. But luckily... British Airways allows an additional 20 kilos in weight for luggage of people flying to the US from Europe so I wont have to worry about that!

Jozé, her friend Zeki, the dogs, the neighbor children and the birds have kept me very entertained. Yesterday after a wonderful dinner party of salmon, wild rice, turkish beans, yogurt cake and Italian wine, we sat in the garden and played various whistles to go along with the various bird songs. Magic. Then we took the dogs, Noel and Batu out for a midnight walk and a neighbor showed me a photo of a giant fish he had recently caught out of the canal that runs down the middle of the street. A 40lb pike! He throws them back after he catches them and has caught this one several times now. It can't resist his special home made bait. He uses strawberry flavored dough balls made from fish flour for bait. Fish candy hahaha

Jozé had to go to work today so I am on my own. I think I will go to the grocery and see what is available in the way of Italian ingredients. Maybe I will prepare one of my new Italian dishes for her this evening to stay in practice. I will be here in the Hague for 2 more days and then I will be in Amsterdam for 5 days. I will be in San Francisco by 5pm next Tuesday. I think it will be really strange to hear people speak only English again. How dull hehehe. I'm still speaking in Italian half the time, and want to keep doing it too.

Blessings:
- The birds
- Less Cars and polite drivers. Here most people ride bikes and trolleys. There are parking spaces available everywhere and those that do drive are very cautious and curteous.
- Veronica The polish child next door.
- A computer with high speed internet in my room hehehehe.

Curses:
- Worries over the return trip with British Airways and the possible unforseen complications.

I am listening to KMUD at the moment and it sounds great. Dreaming of a new laptop lol. Starting to get ready for another period of culture shock and reintroduction. Tomorrow we are going to the beach on the Northsea with the dogs and I am so looking forward to it. Photo ops!

My love goes out to all of you!

XIII Biennial of Young Artists From Europe

Ciao a tutti il mio amici,

I am in Den Haag (the Hague) Netherlands now and it is bliss. My travel experience to get here was a nightmare. My scheduled flight was canceled and I had to rebook at the last minute. A flight that costed twice as much. It drained my account and now I am waiting for reimbursement from 2 different airlines. Arghhh Air travel is screwed up! I guess that is what I get for travelling during the Mercury retrograde sheeesh. I should have known better and have learned many lessons besides the italian language and culture on this FOR SURE!

I had to wait in the airport for 12 hours for my rebooked flight and sleep (sort of) on the cold hard floor. Then my luggage was too heavy (by 23 kilos) and I had to spend a few hours choosing which of my belongings to throw away or give away. I did a little of both. I am not so attached to material things and it was not that hard to do. A few employees at the airport were very kind and helped me through this ordeal so I was happy to give them a few gifts of some of my things! In the end I was still 7 kilos overweight and they were charging 18 euros per kilo for overweight luggage. But the woman who checked me in LET ME SLIDE!!! another wonderful person.

I made it to Holland after 30 hours in transit exhausted but happy to be done with that part of the trip. My friends in Den Haag had a cake and garden party waiting for me. They are wonderful! My first impressions of Holland. It is very beautiful and green but also VERY HUMID! Also the birds here are big, very vocal, very colorful and very friendly charachters... just like the people.

so here as I said are a few images from the art exhibit I attended for 2 days in Bari, there is lots and lots more to come but it will take some time to process. here goes.

A wooden carved baby

Self portrait with burka

A very interesting quilt in the textile arts exhibit.

Pink with gun...

Moon babe.

A girls self portrait. part of a larger piece.

Fox chairs...

one of my favorite clothing designs... I want one lol

Doll Art... wow!

From Syria... makes one think about how our american culture impacts the youth of the world.

Well I will go for now. I will have an amazing or maybe several amazing slideshows to share when I get home. Looking forward to seeing more of Holland, but it's raining today and I think I just need a little rest from my tramatic travel experience.

Love you all!