Sharing

Though things have been a little off kilter here the past week or two doesn't mean I haven't been following my favorite bloggers. Though in many cases I haven't been commenting a great deal - imagine me keeping my mouth shut - I still found so much to enjoy out there.

• The doyenne - so young and she's a doyenne already - of Opera here in Italy if not all of Europe, the beloved Opera Chic has been featured in Classical Singer magazine. Interviewer Amanada White, rightly IMHO, calls her the world's foremost opera blogger.


• My darling Auld Hat is back in full force after a brief sabbatical and is as wise, witty and talented as always.


• Sageweb went on a trip and gets tripped up at Ikea. And then she goes and gives us the cutest damn puppy and puddy picture around. And you all know how I feel about puppy and puddy pics.


• RG has totally ruined The Wizard of Oz for me, I'll never look at getting back to Kansas the same way ever again.

• Once again Tater writes from the heart and reaches our hearts with a memory profile of his beloved Jimmy.


• Lorraine is touched by grace at a time and place she least expected. And in the telling proves that grace can be in the written word.


• And Elizabeth muses on the nature of friendships and the kinship of being an outsider.

And that just a random sampling of what I've been reading from my blog buddies - all of them more than worth a regular visit if they're not on your list already.

These pictures where taken on a back road in the Reiti plain in November. That old dog was very concerned when we separated him from the flock. The shepherd had given us the all clear when there was a break - but that old boy kicked up quite a fuss.

25 gennaio - Conversione di San Paolo

More Sharing

Our friend Jack is arriving from Beijing tomorrow so I'll be out and about for a few days showing him Rome; so I thought I'd do a bit of "stay at home" and blog read like crazy. Here's a few more things that are definitely worth a peek:

• Auld has a new porno site - well not really porno more like erotic cookery. The first post of Naughty Nibbles has a recipe to keep you heart (that's heart okay) strong - Hoppin' John.
• Larry at AMOROMA has two posts about the Holiday season. Some great shots of their Christmas with Vincenzo's family in Sicily; and a rather specialized Roman menu for the New Year.

And now for a few more totally unrelated and gratuitous photos from the back log of 2007. These were taken in late summer on Via Nomentana - the main street from our area into Centro - it was one of the great "roads that lead to Rome" and still is 2000 years later.
A public fountain - part of the Aqua Marcia, the aquaduct system that supplied water to Ancient Rome and still does today.
It appears that someone was killed at this intersection - probably a motorino driver - and friends have built a memorial at the site. This is common sight along highways, less so on city streets.
Shrines are found all over town and there are local societies or Schola that look after them. This one is in the wall surrounding the Russian Embassy - ironically an old convent.
Nomentana was once lined with Villas, many like ours, have been turned into condominium parks. Owners of others, such as this one, have sold off the surrounding land and then abandoned what is probably designated as a historical building.

02 gennaio - San Bassilio

Sharing

Okay just because Christmas is over doesn't mean we still can't share things. And there's lot to share out there:

• Auld Hat has done a major redesign at The Voluptuary where the colours are seductive, the content saucy and the artistry superb.
• Over at Meanwhile Aaron shares another series of his beautiful photos.
  Field Trip: Flushing Part I
  Field Trip: Flushing Part II
  Mystery
• Joe, My God broke the news that our beloved Big Ass Belle is the co-winner for 2007's Post Of The Year for Piano Music. It is a touching and powerful piece that reflects the passion and compassion that is Lynette.
• Elizabeth looks at family as a mother and as a daughter.
• Dr Faustus got a rather decent preposal. And gave the right answer.
• And one place that I don't visit often enough but always dazzles me: Japonisme

And why the Carousel picture? Because I like carousels and I have all these pictures from 2007 that never got posted.

01 gennaio - Maria Madre di Dio

Parlo del Piu e del Meno - Le Tradizione di Natale

Several of my blog buddies have posted Christmas stories or Christmas features. And I thought it would be nice to share my friends posts for those of you who may not visit them.

• Over at Dulce y Peligroso RG shares the memory of the first Christmas after the death of his father and an unusual, and touching, celebration.


• His Boston Buddy Evilganome has an equally touching but frankly hysterical story of a wayward Christmas tree and his mother Doris.


• Auld Hat has the complete and utter History of those Reindeer that do all the hauling for the fat man.

05 decembre - San Guilio