This two-room apartment of mine is really pretty great: A bedroom with lots of storage, two skinny little...
Introspection Articles
Festa della Repubblica
While here in Milano for the cycle of a full year, I've tried to get some sense of every holiday or special occasion....
The Milanese Man Purse
Two "fashion" trends persist for men around here: orange-colored pants and the Milanese "man purse", a sleeker,...
Tall Corn and an Alpine Arc
The corn stalks are more than knee-high. The rapeseed has been harvested and the poppies cut along with it. Workers...
Memorial Day
This day was not set aside to mark the beginning of barbeque season. Memorial Day is a time to remember and honor...
Young Legs
While riding the subway this morning heading into town, the train came to a stop and an elder man got on. I was...
Early Bird and a Late Night Girl
It is 4:14 a.m. No. I haven't gone to bed yet but the first bird just sang! I could say I'm in the throes of jet lag,...
Lullaby
Seven in the evening after a mid-80s day. My french doors are open and I hear a music box playing "Lullaby and...
Rapeseed & Red Poppies
My flight arrived yesterday evening, followed by a train ride into the city. I caught a cab and loved the winding ride...
Lycra or Linen?
Seattleites wear fleece, gore-tex, lycra and denim. Their fashion sense is inspired by the sporty, athletic look,...
The Air is Fresh and Clean
It's a lovely day here in Seattle. The sun was shining first thing this morning while I scurried around to get the...
A Question of Perspective
My house in Seattle is a mansion. My living room here is as big as my whole apartment in Milan. All of this space for...
No Shoehorns
This has been crystallizing for a while and I finally honed it to this kernel: "If you have to use a shoehorn, maybe...
Luigi’s Garden
There's a farm field along the canal, across from the Zibido Cemetery, that has piled up a rank-smelling mound of...
Just Park It!
"My car fits. Doesn't that make it a parking space?" "It looks like a parking space." "Oh. You mean this is a...
Luigi Gathers Wood
Running parallel to the Naviglio Pavese canal, between the bike path and the highway, is a drainage ditch overgrown by...
Buttons and a Handshake
Journal Entry - 10 Aprile 2010 Really, I've kept my world very small. There are some that would rush to assure me...
75 Degrees of Perfection
THIS is the time to be in Milano. The temperature is warm enough (75 degrees) to be comfortable in light linen and...
Ushering Ants
The first order of business this morning was to usher the flock* of ants OUT. As soon as the weather warmed, the ants...
Goin’ Home
One month ago I wrote this entry in my journal, and am now ready to post it, announcing that I've decided to move back...