75 degrees or more!!!! November 2!!!! Autumn!!!! And, yes.....it was warm and dry, no humidity!!! An absolutely wonderful day to spend as much time outside as time allows.......and sooooo, I did.
First.....my dark, rich Fr. Roast coffee on the patio while it was a bit on the chilly side, but pleasant enough. Then.....to a task that required my attention, or so I was told. I had to get on this little lappie and go over some verbage and format on a document, review, edit, and then review again. It is just a small little project that an organization that I belong to has decided to put into writing in a document. This took about 2 hours.....and all the while I was sitting in our glassed in "patio room" which looks over the patio as I did this bit of work.
Then.....yep....I FOUND the instructions for the self-cleaning oven of ours. Sooooo, I locked it up and turned it on......and before long, I found myself turning on the attic fan to remove the smelly aroma seeping up and out of the oven as it quickly came alive to destroy all of those horrific little burned piles of food that had seeped out of dishes and baked potatoes as they cooked. This took three hours for the entire cleansing project.....and then there was a certain amount of residue left for me to wash out of the oven. BUT......it is CLEAN!!!!!
Next.....a small bite of lunch(trying to lose a few pounds), and then it was a quick trip to the Courthouse downtown to check on some figures as to just how the Chinese formula works for our house and personal property assessments for the annual taxes. UGH!!!!! Our personal property taxes went up 300%!!!!!! Yes....that's right.....300%. So, after a bit of afternoon time with the county folks, I believe I was assessed correctly......NOT that it makes me any happier, but at least I believe it was calculated correctly......DAMN IT!!!!!
Then.....back to the homestead on the hill.....and finally......some down time to sit on the patio in the light and shadows from the yellow-leafed trees and with another cup of coffee, I had the time to read for awhile. In my sorting of our Library to donate the books, I ran across a small little novel by......DON'T laugh......by Nora Roberts. Well, I have read a couple of her other books over the years.....and you don't want to read them all in a row......they can be toooooo much like the ones you just read. Anyway......
I was "captured" from the very "git-go"!!! After the first couple of pages, the lead character was off on a trip to Florence, Italy!!!! One of my very FAVORITE places to visit!!!!!! Sooooo, I was having difficulties reading much at a time because my mind would wander as I thought about, and could visualize, the places in that wonderful city. I have been there on each of the 12 trips I have made to Europe.....and could very, very easily spend my entire life there. SOOOO much of what we know and love began there.......of course, the Renaissance had its birth there, and from that time onward, the arts flourished there with great passion.
Architecture, painting, sculpture, and music........they are soooo predominate there and so loved there. The Florentines are sooooo stylish, so in love with Life, and while the city throbs and pulsates a with a vibrant energy the people know how to relax and enjoy a glass of wonderful Italian vino or a frothy capuccino as they sit in a park or a sidewalk cafe. There are fountains and more fountains and wonderful piazzas with colorful flags and banners flapping in the breezes, along with replicas of the famous statues and sculptures that are housed in the numerous museums of the city. Don't let me forget to mention the wonderful open markets, the little boutiques, and the many craft shops that are around every corner. AND.....the wonderful bridge across the river that runs thru the city which house about 50 little shops that are all very, very expensive jewelry shops. Hahaa.....all of the elegant shops on the bridge were at one time....butcher shops where the animals could be butchered and the innards thrown over the bridge walls and into the river!!!! I could go on and on and on.....but...not tonight!
If you don't know much about Florence.......may I suggest to you that you do some self-study on the history of Florence.....Firenze in Italian. And........if you have the opportunity: Make a trip to Florence......it will be a trip that will equal no other that you will ever make.
Soooo, with this little bit of a Florentine tour, I will close. Life is GOOD (it would be better if I was in Florence!!).....and I hope it is good for all of you, also!!
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