Days and nights in Tuscany

Much life happens outdoors and we so enjoy exploring the places around us.
It is not just the small towns, but simply walking up the hill behind our house or the meadows, which have been cut and the fields have all been harvested and large rolls of aromatic hay are rolled up in huge bundles.


The white cows of Tuscany walking slowly in the evenings and we can hear their bells every night.
Just below the property is a large field, with a grove of trees. Every night a group of large deers appears. I captured these majestic animals, gracefully walking and grasing, not being really afraid, but watchful.




There is a trail going into the mountains and we have been trekking along for an hour and we perhaps could reach another hamlet, but the children are not used to such long walks and eventually we returned.


Around every bend we find something new, animals, vistas, stones and broken pottery!
I have picked greens and flowers along the path and the meadows. Its a paradise!
By now the house truly has our touch and we love sitting at night and watch the sunset. The house is perfectly suited for a larger family and cooking in this wonderful farmhouse kitchen is such a pleasure. At night we realize again and again how quiet it is up here, only the occasonal animal sound or the zicadas interrupt the silence. At night the sky gleams with millions of stars and we watch many shooting stars! And we share our wishes with the universe...
There is lots of room for everybody and everthing, a double stove provides ample space for preparing multi-course meals, we bake and we talk, eat and play games until late at night!



My little Ragazzo Italiano!


My oldest and his girl...


Well, we have made plans already to return here; we simply fell in love!


Soon more, there is much I want to show you! Today we are off to Arezzo, a wonderful town from ancient times with a church filled with the frescos of Piero della Francesca!



XX
Victoria



All pictures by V.Zlotkowski

Oh, joy

Yesterday was a beautiful Sunday, a little cloudy, not really warm, but just filled with joy!
Being Mother's day my children were excited since the day before and I had no idea why...
But came Sunday morning I slept in a little and was awoken with a wonderfully set table, gorgeous flowers, ready breakfast and a lovely gift waiting for me...
What a treat!


Many of you know how much I love to read, everything from novels to design books! You may also know that I collect books of special or first editions.

I had once contemplated to get an electronic reader to ease my book bills and keep the library contained to particular books, but felt the expense is perhaps too much!

Guess my endless joy upon receiving the wonderful gift of a NOOK! The children and hubby were not at all surprised to see me dance around the dining table...




What possibilities: Free book classics from B&N, no more schlepping of extra book pounds come summer and traveling, books for the children, husband and myself in one magical 'book' of comfortable proportions and size, color and weight?
I love the design, streamlined and easy to use!
Not only this: I can browse the web, check e-mails, shop, lend and preview books, magazines and newspapers...make a wish list of books to come, get free books from B&N every Friday, read books at the store for up to one hour without having to buy them! OH,JOY!

The day did not end there: we went out into nature, another thing I love to do and we had such fun time! Follow me into 'our' jungle just a few miles from home!











And later I skyped with one of the older boys, while the other had send a lovely mail to talk soon as well! YEAH!

Thank you, guys! We had such a wonderful, joyful day!


I so hope your Sunday was fun-filled too!

XX
Victoria



All pictures by V.ZLotkowski

Guest blogging

Today I am guest posting at Dagny's elegant blog Beautiful Living



This is the first time we've undertook this little adventure and I must say it has been great fun! Thank you Dagny, again!

So please click in her blog name above and visit the blog and my post!

Thank you all!

The last days have been crazy over here, we had the worst winter rain storm since we have moved to the neighborhood (10 years ago). As I write this in front of my window a huge tree at the neighbor's house, which had fallen on their summer porch is currently removed. Later we have our own crew coming to cut up our own big tree, fallen thank goodness only partially on someone else's roof!


No school here since we have still no power at the school, where a another tree ripped the power line.




Such enormous damage everywhere! The pictures do not show it really, every street is effected and the firefighters have been out all day and night to remove trunks from cars, streets, houses, pumping water from basements. Now Con Edison crews fixing power lines and plenty of garden cleanups!
But again, we have little to complain compare to the earthquake victims in Chile or other catastrophes in the world! We consider ourselves lucky!!! Having order back after two days of merely inconvenience is still something to be thankful for!

We've got power back last night after two days without and we realized how dependent our lives are to the amenities of warmth and electricity!
Neighbors were huddled in local bookstores, restaurants and coffee shops, not just to eat but to socialize, keep warm and to power their cell phones, computers. My daughter and her friends spend the morning doing their homework at the next Starbucks...while my little guy slept under thick blankets with 102.3 temperature!

Apart from the circumstances we manged to get some lovely moment out of it, playing Scrabble and making music by candle light. I got an almost real feeling of living in the 18Th Century!!! It was rather romantic, but to hear the winds howling and the trees cracking was very scary!






I had hoped to meet with Maria Killam of Colour me Happy in the city for dinner, but was cut off by the ravishing storm! Maria, next time! I hope you've got home safely!
Let's hope the worst is over an we can clean up and get our routines back!
Spring, where are you?


XX
Victoria



All pictures by V.Zlotkowski