While waiting to see RICHARD THOMAS (aka John Boy from “Little House on the Prairie”) in the classic TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, part of our regular Mirvish Theater Series, I had a chance to review our fun days in Toronto. Attending the city’s bi-annual ONE OF A KIND show, one of the largest consumer craft shows in North America showcasing high end handmade crafts and creations by skilled artisans, taking in all the holiday lights, visiting the DISTILLERY DISTRICT with all its holiday booths and shops as well as delicious food choices…and spending some wonderful family moments…good times and new memories.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS ALL!!

“The Creator made Italy from designs by Michelangelo.” Mark Twain

On a steel bird I’ll fly

To places old and new…

See the people I’ve missed,

Rekindling dear old friendships

…basking in their glow;

Getting lost on strange streets

In unknown cities and towns…

Tasting new cultures:

ITALY’S BEAUTY…

It’s ancient, crumbling charm

Inviting my soul;

Patchwork tapestries

With cypress trees…stitched by hand…

And notable landmarks;

Warm, friendly people

Under a Van Gogh heaven…

Exhilaration! JOY!

In the hush before sunset

when buildings are golden,

and piazzas embrace friends

while birds serenade them…

there’s an other-worldly presence…

an awe-inspiring peace that is

ITALY.

First ORVIETO, in Umbria…then on to LAKE COMO in the province of LOMBARDY…the Italian Lake District: (primarily Bellagio and Varenna,) then finally to Milan in Northern Italy.

Thousands of sneaker-clad feet walked (and climbed) the pebbled streets and alleyways of Bellagio and Varenna, small cities of the Lake Como area in Northern Italy. (We journeyed from town to town on a ferry that sailed from one place to the next.) Different from the cobblestoned streets and walkways of Orvieto, these lanes and pathways were composed of fairly large, round stones…great for foot massaging but not so great for easy walking. Michelle and I enjoyed every minute we spent here…including the walking. We explored new nooks and crannies, found off the beaten path places: gardens, churches, shops, restaurants… and we spent time just sitting and observing life around us…all relaxed, leisurely. We stayed in Bellagio, in a lovely room with a balcony overlooking one of the great, long alleyways with shops and restaurants on both sides. It was always busy but was especially lovely at night when it was empty…

I’m FOREVER grateful for my very special daughter who’s patient enough to accompany this aging mother to the places that speak to our hearts. Looking forward to our next adventure…

After soooo many years of seeing photos and hearing about my dear indigenous Ethiopian families and friends from Nairobi, Kenya, Michelle and I made the loooong trek to meet and spend time with them all.

Other sights traveling on the Omo River…an extension of the Nile…

Shortly after a pride of lions killed a zebra and had had their first feasting on their kill, the vultures had their turn. You can see one vulture stuck his neck in the neck of the dead zebra to feed…and came out all bloodied.

GREAT trip to Boston…visiting old haunts like Quincy Market. We stayed in a small boutiquey hotel across from the Market and around the corner from the T. It was easy to get around…and we even had snow! That and the availability of LEGAL SEAFOOD’s lobster PLUS another Andrea Bocelli concert (this time,, with his talented family) made it a perfect long weekend!!

We had been planning this trip ever since Emma and Holly, daughters of longtime friends Ingrid and Andrew DeBruyn, came to visit us in the USA. Their visit was a celebration of Emma’s high school graduation and Holly joined her because it would be several years before she graduated and we weren’t sure how our ability to host her would be years from now. They live in East London South Africa, but I met Andrew many, many years ago when he was our charter pilot in Namibia. Michael had chatted with them all on FaceTime through the years, but this was the first time he met Ingrid and Andrew face to face. It was an ideal visit…and both girls we’re home as well…Perfect!!

Before spending time with the DeBruyn family, we were in Kenya with other long-time African friends, Steve and Jayne Turner. Steve is usually my travel companion and adventure planner (as well as caretaker) and has been for more than 20+ years. Often, Steve, Jayne and I travel to new places to check them out before they offer the trips to tourists. Steve is Managing Director and owner of https://originsafaris.com . (If you want to take the trip of a lifetime to Central or East Africa, OriginSafaris is your best bet.) Here are some photos from our time with them…

I’m so thrilled that my life partner has finally met people that have been so important to me for so many years…people with whom I spend time each year, so far away from Michael. So grateful for the opportunity made possible and planned with so much care by Steve and https://originsafaris.com . Forever grateful…

We traveled through the mists of time to a forgotten age and a tale of devotion, courage and love…at MEDIEVAL TIMES Dinner & Tournament. We experienced the pageantry and excitement as a guest of the reigning Queen…we traveled back ten centuries to the way it might have been. Screaming cheers for our heroic Blue Knight on his spirited horse …

…we ate our “hands-on” feast while watching some amazing athletic feats and challenging swordplay…feats that have become hallmarks of this unique entertainment experience at MEDIEVAL TIMES in Toronto, Ontario. The Queen’s top knights battled with brawn and steel to determine one victor to protect the throne. But the best part of the whole experience for us was the fact that our grandson, Hunter, was one of the Queen’s Trumpeteers who played intermittently, throughout the entire performance.

We also had the pleasure of seeing two shows…one of them on its way to BROADWAY. The first play was “2P4H…Two Pianos, 4 Hands.” Michael and I didn’t particularly care for this one.

But “& JULIET” the next day was another story. Its premise was imagining what would have happened if Juliet had lived after Romeo died. Shakespeare and his wife, Anne Hathaway, were lead characters, among others. The energy was high, the music was fun and the entire production was an exciting spectacle! I hope you have an opportunity to see it!

As always, we treasure our time with our little family whatever we do…precious moments…precious memories…always!

GRATEFUL EVERYDAY!

THE MEMORY OF AN ELEPHANT

by ALEX LASKER

Stunning, extraordinary, profound, thought-provoking and emotional… a must read for all elephant lovers! This is a deftly told epic story that brings the beauty and the wild cruelty of Africa vividly to life. (It also reminds us that humans don’t deserve to live on this planet!) “The Memory of an Elephant” by Alex Lasker tells the story of the elephant, ISHI. In fact, it’s Ishi’s own “first elephant” voice…his perceptions that begin the novel… and a broader, omniscient third person narrative voice that fills in where needed.

Ishi’s journey takes place in a variety of places between 1962 (when his family and his herd were killed by poachers and he was found by a young, local tribal boy who arranged care for him at a Kenyan animal orphanage. We follow characters (and Ishi) around Kenya, London, New York and back again to the plains of his birth in Kenya for his final journey, returning to the place where he was nurtured and cared for as a young, orphaned calf by a family of very caring “two leggers” and specifically by his friend and guardian…the young Kikuyu boy named Kamau who found him. It is in the human lives touched by Ishi and his growth and development over time that this story fully captures the reader. (This novel reminds us that man’s cruelty extends beyond humans and into the innocent animal kingdom…exactly why I give to organizations that protect these awe-inspiring, impressive, sentient beings.) I’ve had the privilege of visiting these elephant orphanages and believe me, it’s exactly like caring for a new baby…requiring constant attention and most of all, LOVE.

Alex Lasker’s book, with its generosity of imagination and it’s spirit of empathy, will re-focus the elephant in your heart. This was a marvelous read that I may, at some point, revisit!

A weekend immersed in nature, art and music…heaven to me! Michael and I spent a few weekends ago in Ithaca, N.Y. It’s a sweet university town (Cornell University and Ithaca College) known for its natural beauty. In the heart of the Finger Lakes, it has more than 100 waterfalls, gorgeous gorges and challenging hiking trails.

But, we weren’t there to bask in Ithaca’s natural beauty THIS TIME. We were there to soak up the wide variety of street art/graffiti gracing buildings around the city…and MOSTLY, we were there to experience, LIVE, a South African Zulu singing octet who I’ve wanted to hear since I started traveling to Africa 30+ years ago. They’re an acapella choral group made up of 8 family members. Founded in 1964, their sole purpose was (and still is) to bring their people…actually ALL PEOPLE, a message of hope peace, love and harmony. It was especially important when they started, as South Africa was in the midst of the racially driven APARTHEID and their upbeat messages were musical gifts! It seems that the world needs them now as well…

Since their founding, they’ve been nominated for 19 Grammys and won 5. Their soundtracks can be heard throughout many movies, but they’re best known to us for their collaboration with American singer-songwriter Paul Simon on his 1986 Grammy award-winning GRACELAND album. Their harmonies are legendary, as they relate their traditional stories, history and culture through their music. They’ve performed all over the world, for royalty and for general audiences. Their energy and fun personalities are evident in all they do…they’re a DELIGHT to watch and to hear. GRATEFUL!!!

Although our time in Toronto was filled with music, shoe-shopping and lots of eating, Michael and I also did our part helping Michelle with volunteer clothes-sorting for a locally based charity called SAFETYNET…something she and her neighbor do almost every Sunday. SAFETYNET is an organization that provides wrap-around services that encourage independence and helps break the cycle of poverty for those in need. If a family is suffering financial hardship, be they immigrant or local, their community is there to help. They not only offer free clothing but also tutoring, music lessons, furniture, kitchen items and bicycles. For the items they do NOT offer, there are other local organizations that DO offer these services.

We went through the donated clothing and accessory items very carefully, looking for rips, holes, stains and broken zippers, buttons, etc. The clothing that’s finally offered to families is clothing they’d be proud to wear and happy to own. When you go through your closets, please keep this in mind as you choose which pieces to donate.

We have similar organizations in my home town, Syracuse, that offer the same services for families in need…as well as opportunities to volunteer time and goods…making the climb out of poverty so much easier for those making that journey. This volunteer time was a time that touched our hearts and made us aware of the need in every community, everywhere. Here’s some visual information about our time at SAFETYNET… double tap on each photo to see it completely.

My hope in posting this is that we all realize that there are those living among us who are in dire need of help. Consider donating your gently used items to one of these service organizations…or consider volunteering your time to help keep these essential organizations afloat. There will ALWAYS be families who are in need of their help.

Do frequent trips to Canada count? Since Michelle’s and my trip to Italy in October/November 2021, we’ve been to Canada to see our dear family. Italy just whet our appetites to travel more…we’re used to journeying far and wide…anywhere we wish to go. Because of COVID, our passport has been inactive . Michael and I had to postpone an African journey in October and a Christmas trip to Germany and Austria to visit the Christmas Markets…a riverboat trip that we love. Plus, Michelle and I had to postpone our Ethiopia/Tanzania trip that we’d be doing right now! Looking ahead with hope and anticipation, though. I think we’ll be in Italy again in May to celebrate my 80th birthday, Michael and I have rebooked our Africa trip as have Michelle and I have done . So, we have lots on the horizon, but nothing soon enough to ease the itching! Enough whining… The purpose of this posting is for me to document some of how I’ve been spending my time…working out to stay strong, reading some good and not-so-good books…and creating art in addition to visiting with friends. Here it comes…

That’s a lot of art and a very satisfying way to pass the time… experimenting, researching topics I don’t know a great deal about…again, LIFE IS GOOD. Thanks for checking in. Stay healthy and keep a smile in your heart .

Big Hugs,

abbyj