What a great week we had with our friends from Germany! In addition to our Pisa trip, we also enjoyed a perfect day at the beach to celebrate Songbird's birthday and a trip to Venice. We also had to have an UN-birthday party to celebrate all the birthdays we've missed since our Switzerland trip together in April. R. also kindly helped (okay, she did ALL the work) Pianogurl and I modify a dress so that Pianogurl could go to homecoming with the girls from Vicenza. In the middle of all of that sewing, we managed to try some more calzones in our pizza oven, with less success than last time, but edible results, nonetheless. Gelato was purchased at least three times and cappellacci was declared awesome by all who ate it!

We're so grateful for good friends! I was holding their baby and feeling amazed at how much she had grown and realized I've seen nearly all of their children as babies and watched them grow into little people. It made me grateful for the tender mercy of friends we've lived close to on many occasions in the last 10 years.

Now our house feels strangely big and strangely silent...

It says here if I push this little thing back,
you'll see St. Marks square