My family and I really love traveling and we’ve had the opportunity to visit countries all over the world. One of our favorite vacation destinations is Italy. There is so much to enjoy; delicious food, warm hospitality, rich culture, history, amazing artwork, designer shopping and beautiful scenery. Although we enjoy the bustling energy of cities like Florence and Rome, we especially love the beautiful scenery of the countryside. Our favorite region is Tuscany, in central Italy. Tuscany is credited with being the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance and was the home of Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Puccini and many other artists and musicians. It is easy to see why the beauty of this region was so inspiring. One afternoon after finishing lunch at a villa in the region we spent some time just relaxing on the verandah, gazing out over the valley. It was a clear, sunny day and the lush vineyards seemed to go on forever. We sat for hours just soaking up the sunshine and enjoying the view. That’s when I gained a real appreciation for the Italian phrase, “il dolce far niente” (the sweetness of doing nothing). We live in a busy world of constant activity. We have 24-hour news cycles. We’re always “plugged in” with our smart phones, PDA’s, laptop computers, and other gadgets. We are constantly sending or receiving information. Social networking has given everyone a voice – even if they don’t really have anything to say. But this constant communication is part of our perpetual motion society.
Posts Tagged Psalm 46:10
Be Still
Dec 13
Faith and Floating
Jun 28
I didn’t learn to swim until I was a freshman in high school. Admittedly that sounds a bit odd since even babies and toddlers are taught to swim. But for me it was a cosmetic issue. When I was a little girl my mother spent an hour each week straightening and curling my hair. So getting it wet would not have been a wise decision. As I recall, my sister and I were the only little girls on our block that had to wear swim caps while playing in the sprinklers. Yes, it was that serious in the 60’s. Read the rest of this entry »
