We planted mammoth sunflowers in our back yard this summer and they were stunning. Bright, yellow, and towering over our fence like sunny beacons. Their petals fell off over several weeks ago but I couldn't bring myself to cut them down because the birds and the bees were so happy with them. This morning I finally cut them down and as much as I love their yellow beauty, I actually kind of think all of the seeds in center of the heads are pretty darn cool (and heavy, too). It's amazing to realize what can grow from just one tiny seed. Want to read even more cool stuff about seeds? Skip over to The Magnifying Glass and see what Dawn just posted.
One of the most surprising and enjoyable aspects of wandering the streets of Venice, was the discovery of not just one, but several delightful bookstores. Here are two of our favorites:
On our first night in Venice we were given a small piece of paper with the name of a gelato shop, the name of the street and the name of the dessert we must try before leaving the city. We spent our last day in Venice on a quest to find it. We walked, we hopped on a vaporetto, and we walked some more. And when we started to see people promenading along the water with gelatos in hand, we knew we were finally headed in the right direction towards Gelati Nico. We were not disappointed.
Venice! Gondolas, masks, winding alleys, beautiful bridges, and pigeons...we loved all of it and more. I have to admit that I went to Venice with low expectations. I had heard complaints about how it is over-run with tourists, it's dirty, it's sinking, it's expensive, etc. And with those criticisms echoing in my head, I was caught off guard when the city began to work it's magic on me. I think it started with our first night when we attended services at the beautiful Spanish Synagogue. Just as with the city, I was caught off guard by how much I enjoyed the service which was Sephardic Orthodox...entirely in Hebrew, separate seating areas for men and women...something I had never experienced before. Following the service we attended a lively dinner at Gam Gam, a local Kosher restaurant. We ate family style with Jewish ex-pats and travelers (from Australia, London, the States, France, Israel) and locals. We sang, swapped travel tales, and exchanged e-mails. As the evening came to an end, we wound our way through the Jewish ghetto back to our apartment, the streets were surprisingly empty and it felt as if we had the city to ourselves.
We are preparing to depart for Venice where we will be celebrating Rosh Hashanah. Instead of packing, Camille and I decided to pull out the glitter and make a few apple decorations. Although Rosh Hashanah marks the start of the High Holidays, it is not a commercialized holiday. I like that. I like the time to truly reflect, make amends, and look ahead. There aren't the same distractions that happen for me with other holidays. I don't fret over buying gifts or feel weighed down by expectations or obligations. I like that it means we make our own simple decorations. And when it comes to celebrating the New Year, can you really ever have too much glitter or puffy balls? In addition to sharing our wishes for a sweet and glittery new year, we are also sharing with you some of our favorite Rosh Hashanah books and fun Jewish kid cds:
This Saturday, September 11th, there will be a special art walk in Lafayette, Louisiana to honor my dad. Really, really, really wishing I could be there. If you are in the area, please go. You can read more about it here and here. I am proud of my mom and all those who have worked so hard to make the Elemore Morgan, Jr. Visual Arts Endowment such a success. I know my dad would be very proud, too and he would do a lot of dancing and talking if he were there on Saturday night. Actually, let me revise that. I know he will be there.
Found while wandering in Caltagirone a few weeks ago. My voyeuristic tendencies have gone a bit wild since moving to Sicily. There are just way too many enticing views behind partially opened doors and tempting arches. 
Noah took a big risk and decided to audition for the Missoula Children's Theatre production of Pinocchio. In typical Noah fashion, he grumbled and worried about even trying out for a part. When he got a part as a toy soldier, he smiled momentarily and then informed me that he only intended to do the rehearsals and not actually get up on stage. On the morning of the first rehearsal day, he woke me up at 6 am. He had made himself breakfast, gotten dressed and was ready for me to drive him to rehearsal...which wasn't for another 4 hours! At the end of the first day of rehearsal, he announced at dinner that he had a surprise for us and we would have to wait until Friday night to see what it was. Turns out he had been given a special toy soldier role in the play. We were proud of how he did, but in many ways I was even prouder of him for taking that initial risk to try out for something that he had never done before. Have you ever attended a Missoula Children's Theatre production? It's a pretty amazing thing. Two actors arrive on Monday with bags full of costumes, props, scripts, and the scenery. On that first day they hold auditions for school-age kids followed by several days of intense rehearsals. At the end of the week they have a public performance. If you get a chance to see one of their productions, do it. In addition to enjoying the show, we also had the pleasure of hosting one of the actors. She was a fabulous house guest and it was fun to show her a bit of Sicily. 
And Camille, who wouldn't get in the water at the start of the summer, is now an amazing little swimmer. I am so impressed by how hard she has worked this summer during her swim lessons and during the times we have just been hanging out by the pool. She also started soccer this week and loves it. In the midst of four year old soccer chaos, she was laughing, running, and kicking with the best of them. Our kids have accomplished some pretty amazing things this summer. As adults, taking risks usually means starting a new career or trying a new recipes. When I stop and really think about the milestones that kids tackle, they are pretty monumental risks...from crawling to walking to eventually swimming and horseback riding; entering a new school full of strange faces; auditioning and getting on stage for the first time. Those are big things. So please forgive the lack of blogging. We are alive and well and just caught up in the momentary frenzy of finishing up summer,sponsoring a family new to Sicily, starting the school year, and watching big things happen.
Bits and pieces of daily life, nomadic rambles, pickled cravings, piles of books, and a furry dog. Cajun, Jewish, Taiwanese, American family on the move.
In addition to loving the blue doors we found on a little, dusty street in Urubamba, we also enjoyed: lunch at Kaia , ...
