It’s the lightHow it illuminates a portion of each orange treeWhile the remainder resides in shadowThe trees stand swathed in light and darkSpring green accents on forest green leavesNew light spills onto the field beyondImbuing the graying oak mulch with a soft peach glowBrightness holds promise of the new dayShadow reminds that repose is nature’s…
Lest Anyone Needs Chicken Soup: Here’s an Excellent Instant Pot Recipe
Hi all, This is a tried-and-true recipe from kristineskitchenblog.com that I’ve used many times. Today, I’m using frozen chicken thighs, which means increasing the cooking time to 12 minutes versus 7. In fact, I threw in the entire package of chicken thighs to have extra for tomorrow for a different meal. I returned from Sicily…
First Official Day of Sicily Tour
We had a very full day today, starting with a tour of Old Town Catania, a trip to the Riviera del Ciclopi, “The House by the Medlar Tree in Acitrezza,” and then on to Caesar Palace Hotel in Giardini Naxos. The sites were entertaining, the hotel is beautiful, and I am so tired, I can…
The Final Day before the Tour Begins
Today, many members of our tour group arrived in Catania in preparation for the official start of our trip tomorrow morning at 10. People have flown from all over the US, Canada, and even Wales to join our SCN Sightseeing Tour and Writing Workshop, and it’s been exciting to hear of the safe arrival of…
Let the Fun Begin!
Our friends Jan O’Neil and Richard Davies have arrived from Wales to join us on our Sicilian adventure. Rich and Jan are the brother and sister-in-law of our friend and priest, Ian Elliot Davies, who is kindly watching our dogs, Cordelia and Frankie, while we are away. Jan and Rich have become good friends over…
Made it to Catania!
Ray and I have made it to Sicily. We took the bus from the Catania airport – 2 – 4 euros – then walked to our hotel with our backpacks. The temperature was mild, and there was a cool breeze. The young woman at our Arts and Jazz Hotel reception was fluent in English and…
Last Minute Departure Chores
This is what I did today, the day before our trip to Sicily for two weeks: Night night.
Almost Time for Sicily!
After one Story Circle executive board meeting and seven sessions with college and law school essay students today, I am heading home for a good night’s sleep. I will wake up early tomorrow to prepare for our trip to Sicily before seeing two final students in the late afternoon. Ray and I will have a…
A Few Photos of Our Grandkids & Ron’s Mom
As Ray and I prepare to head to Sicily later this week, it was beyond a treat to have our three South Pasadena grandkids with us for an overnight stay. We also had the pleasure of having Ron’s mother, Cindy, visit at the same time, so we had a full orange grove! Cindy will also…
Three Older Grandkids Spending Night w/ Us: So Sweet
Right now, I am writing my blog from the foot of the bed that holds two of my three Pacheco-Beaty grandkids, Nico (8) and Lya (5), while Luna (11) snoozes on a mattress on the floor. They are visiting Grandma and Grandpa, and this is their first overnight stay in a long time. I’m so…
20 Minutes a Day 