Part II of A Couple of things to report this morning

Posting pictures of the quilt took up so much room that I decided to add another entry for the rest of my entry this morning. 

I'm so excited!!  I got my airline tickets to Italy.  Oh, my gosh...  This is all coming together and it's going to be a wonderful experience.  My sister, Carol, my mom, Cari and I leave on October 4 for Milan with a stop over in Atlanta, Georgia.

Our plans so far are:

Milan for 2 days, Verona for a day or so, and then on to Venice for a few days.   From Venice we are going to Florence for a week.  While in Florence, we are taking a day trip to Cinque Terre.  After Florence, we will head to Rome.  On Oct. 16 we have arranged for a private guided tour of the Vatican.  I am really excited about that!  We are going to go to Positano (if you saw Under the Tuscan Sun with Diane Lane, this is the village her handsome young lover lived in by he sea) and Capri for an over-nighter and then return to Rome.  Cari will head home on Oct. 20 to go back to school and life (boohoo....poor Cari).  Carol, mom and I are staying until November 1.  We plan to visit Sicily, Naples and Pompeii and then the rest of the agenda is sketchy.  We haven't really decided what we are going to do the last week or so but we are coming home from Milan so we will be heading back up to that area. 

We have reservations for all of our hotels thru October 20.  As we finalize our plans, we will make the rest of our reservations.  We have used Rick Steve's Italy  for ideas and as our guide book.  It's a wonderful resource.  Cari is a wealth of information because she lived there for 3 months and we have friends who have traveled there who have given us pointers. 

I am walking to get ready.  My mom is exercising and walking, too.  All of us are determined to shape up and be ready for the adventure of a life time.

Bryan's family is going to Maui on June 8th for their investigative visit for a possible move there.  He talked to the man who is selling the business he would like to buy and it sounds like it's a go if they can work out a few details.  If they can find housing and if everything sets well and it feels right, they will be going around September 1.

I talked to my cousin, Tom, last night who has lived on the main island for 40 years.  He gave me some good pointers to pass on to Bryan and told me to have Bryan call him directly because he knows a man in the same business Bryan is interested in that could give him some good in site.  That would be helpful.

Bryan was concerned that his tow-heads would be picked on because they are going to stick out like sore thumbs on an island of dark haired, dark skinned natives.  Tom said they would be picked on because they are new not because of their skin color/hair color.  He said the quickest way to get over that is to get into the community and get to know as many people as possible.  To present a positive presence and they will be accepted and welcomed.  It's the people that go over there with an air of entitlement and superiority that breed hostility and rejection.  Bryan and Shannon are so sweet natured and easy going and their children are friendly and kind.  I'm sure they will be fine.

There is a lot more to write about but I have to get the bills written and stuff done around here so I'll be back later.

 

Hugs.....