Arrivederci!

Afternoon thunderstorms are the best times for napping in New Orleans. But, being home most of the day unpacking and re packing, while job hunting and catching up with friends, thunderstorm time means I sit and show you the last bit of photos from my trip.

Our last days in Italy were spent in and near Milan. I brought Andy to the duomo to climb to the top. Despite the heat and our aversion to stairs (did I tell you about the time we walked the three hour down hill trek to Amalfi and couldn't hardly walk for the following three days?), I assured Andy it was worth it and, luckily, it was.

The day before we left we took the train to Lake Como for some cool breezes. I went there in February but this time it was warm enough to swim. We also took a ferry across the lake, which made for more scenic views.

We landed in New York the next day, tired and hot, after many delays. Passport control was as polite as you expect in NY, and despite great plans, we hardly left the neighborhood. No photos of New York, but finally I will start printing postcards again, making books probably staying home for a bit. Well, once I get back from the Ladies of Letterpress Conference next week. Yikes.

Garden Bounty

It's been so hot that after about twenty minutes in the garden I feel woozy. Though usually I am there in mid-afternoon after waiting tables for 8 hours and I am soaked in diner grease and I feel like a baked potato in the sun. That doesn't stop me. We have red okra that need to picked every 3 days or it turns into a giant cardboard model of an okra pod. There is a jar of bitty ones in the fridge pickling right now.



Also there are tiny eggplants growing in fistfuls, spicy peppers (maybe jalapenos, maybe serrano), and three kinds of grapes. Yum! Also in the garden area are two persimmon trees and two pear trees. I have a recipe for persimmon cider. And a plan for persimmon cinnamon rolls. If only summer lasted forever.



Don't think the garden is separate from my art-making. I photographed these frozen friends, okra sliced cross-wise, this morning. Nevermind why I was up at five a.m. photographing things from the freezer. I have plans. Just you wait.