Donna's Art

Rome Day 2 part 3-Lost in Rome

2010-05-01T15:08:00.000-07:00

Near the Parthenon there is a McDonalds. Most of the kids and adults go to use the bathroom there before we leave there. Not me though, I'm too interested in the Parthenon. So I decide to go after the Parthenon. McDonalds has one of the only free bathrooms in the area. The rest are restaurants. Even most public buildings you have to leave some change for the person who cleans the rooms. I go back to McDonalds after the Parthenon and there are now two street people in leather, one at the top of the stairs to the bathroom and one at the bottom, charging to use the bathroom. I don't think they were actually McDonalds' employees and I'm upset that they are charging so of course on principle I don't go. By the time we reach Piazza Navonna, I have a real need for a bathroom.

We look at the painters who have set up all of their wares for sale. My group says they could see me sitting here working as a painter and selling them. We find this man who spray paints his paintings. They are good and I think it's amazing and maybe Zoe's class at the high school could do this. We are by one of the lesser fountains at either end of the Piazza and I take this picture of the spray painter and these of the fountains. I find it interesting that the pigeon's love the fountain.

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After looking at a few of the painters I tell the other adults I need to use the restroom and what happened at McDonalds. I say that I'm going to see if this church, I learn is St. Agnes in Agony, has a bathroom and will let me use it. I go off from my group expecting that they are going to stay by the fountain. I go into St. Agnes where music is playing and Easter worshippers are in meditation. St. Agnes in Angony is of course another beautiful Italian church. There is a lady there selling postcards and such. I ask for a bathroom and I encounter my first non-English speaking Italian. Luckily another Italian man translates but the lady says no, no bathroom to use. I ask about pictures, another no, so I buy postcards of the beautiful church and go out to tell my friends. I take these three pictures before I go in.

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When I get out the door, they are gone. Absolutely gone. I think they must have gone shopping, which is what they wanted to do, in the little shops. I consider my options, I could go to the little shops and try to find them, I could wait here the entire time, but I need to use the bathroom. I don't really want to shop. I want to go to the Leonardo exhibit that I passed on the way here.

I decide to go back and try to find the McDonalds and pay if I have to. I can't find the McDonalds. I think it was at the Camap di Fiore, but find that no it was not at all. It was near the Parthenon and I've no idea how to get there. I could ask but urgency intervenes. I spy a bar, decide to go in, use the restroom and buy something, anything. I buy a really good bottle of mineral water and leave. I find the Leonardo exhibit we passed. This was the courtyard.

The exhibition is machines of wood built from Leonardo's drawings. In the courtyard hangs his flyer. I'm so excited! I'm in Rome. I've now seen Michaelangelos, Rhapaels, and now this!!! Leonardo!!! I'm in total art heaven.

Going inside I find it's a paying exhibit. I've picked up a few Italian phrases already the main one being "Quanto Costa?" I ask then see that there is a sign saying how much. The woman speaks English and realizing I'm lost for words she asks how many in English and I say one adult. I go into the most glorious exhibit of drawings and machines and wander there for a bit taking pictures.

This is Leonardo's music box. The woman is turning the handle and it's really playing!

I look briefly in the gift shop and buy a little calendar that has Leonardo drawings. I realize that maybe the others are worried about me and I'd best get back to the Piazza Navona.

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I leave the building and courtyard but realize I'm lost, really lost. I've turned the wrong way I think. I wander down the street. Everyone is speaking Italian, and I'm not afraid, but I am suddenly lonely wanting to hear English. I realize how it must be for the Hispanic kids who speak no English. I also want to share the experience of Rome with someone. I wish my husband were here. I remember what our director said when he left us at Piazza Navonna. That if we did get lost, duck into the shop and ask for Piazza Navonna and so I do. I later discover that most all shopkeepers speak English. Very smart of them to speak several languages.

On the way back I pass this painting on the side of the building which I've now seen three times. I really can't believe that paintings are everywhere.

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I've also passed this Sushi Sign now three times and think of Zoe W. I wish she was here sharing this too. See Zoe if I moved to Rome we could still go for Sushi.

Almost back to the Piazza I see this beautiful Italian woman selling reading glasses. I decide to take this picture for Dan. I've been seeing handsome Italian men everywhere, but she so far is the most beautiful Italian woman I've seen. Chiao Bella. I think you are a beautiful woman and I love your reading glasses they make a nice photo too.

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On the way back I stop to rest for just a moment and look at the shops. This pidgeon comes up and WILL NOT go away until I take his picture.

Everyone in Rome works, even the pidgeons.

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I get back to the Piazza Navona and find my friends. They had gone into the church, when I went in, were mesmerized by the ceiling and the beauty of the church and sat down to wait for me. I never even saw them go in. After waiting for me for a bit, they left and went shopping but kept circling the Piazza to look for me. I'm sorry I made them worry, but I did have fun off by myself. This is when I realize that if I learned the language I could really live in Rome. I love it here. The crowds, the energy, the art, the history. I would love to live here for at least 2 or 3 years.

But not yet, I sure couldn't support myself. I take comfort taking more pictures. The half light gives a pinkish glow to everything. The main fountain, which is under construction, is surrounded by fencing and I take the first three pictures through the fence. I find the shadows on the buildings lovely and take a picture of that and of the angel on the balustrude again while we wait for our group to join us.

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We meet our group and go to the restaurant Sotto Sopra where we dine on pasta first-Penne in Salsa Rosa, then Pollo al forno and veguire di Stagione, followed with desert Dolce della casa. Also the adults share a bottle of good house red wine. A lovely meal.

After the meal we go to get gelato at the Blue Ice Gelato shop. There are several flavors, but I'm trying to be good, so I choose only one the first night. Nutella. Mmmmmm Nutella. You can actually buy Nutella-chocolate with hazelnut, as a spread here in the U.S. I'd heard of it but never tried it. I LOVE it in gelato. Gelato is creamier than ice cream and so lovely to taste. I miss it now, but have been told there is now a gelatarie an hour from my home. My friend Dorian and I are going to check it out soon. Maybe zazzo-Zoe will come too.

After our gelato we walk back to the metro where we then take the metro to where we will take the bus. It is dark now and the lights are so pretty. This hotel reminds me of a hotel where near where my grandmother used to live that we would see at night. I especially remember the green glow of the light then, and it speaks to me now.

I take this picture to remind me of that and of this place and time.

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Our bus finally comes, drops us off for the ten min. walk back to the hotel. We meet briefly with Chris in the hotel lobby. Tomorrow the Michigan group with us for most of the trip will be going elsewhere. We will be going to Pompeii and the Herculaneum, then meeting up with the Michigan group for dinner and another walk around Rome. Wake up call is again at 6 am. It's 11 pm now. I want to get my cell phone working because I want to call Dan. The last time I called him was when we were stuck in Philly. I rent some time on the internet on the computer at the bar, but when I go to use it a teenager is on playing games and networking on facebook. I go back upstairs and Barbara lets me use her phone. I call Dan and tell him to pack I want to move to Rome. He laughs, but I'm somewhat serious, I'd like to live here two or three years. I tell him all about the Vatican and everything, and we hang up.

This time my roommate Barbara and I are both exhausted. We talk for a very few minutes but then go to sleep, I'm so happy and content here.

Rome Day 2 part 2 Campa di Fiore and Parthenon

2010-04-25T12:58:00.001-07:00

After we leave the cafe of the heavenly lasagna, I am looking at my pictures, as I am reviewing to see which ones to delete I learn the first lesson of international travel. Do NOT touch whatever a street vendor comes up to you with. I am accosted by a vendor of scarves. The scarf is sheer with velvet and I do love scarves. I love the jewel tones on this one he holds it out and I touch it. He immediately starts in 10 euro. No I say, he offers 5 euro and I buy. Then he offers another and another, and then I am surrounded by 2 more scarf vendors. I end up buying scarves until I run out of money. I end up with 6 at 5 euros each. Not really too bad I find out later. I find these scarves where we go next Campa di Fiore-the open air market and they are 12 euro each.

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In order to get to the Campa di Fiore we take the metro. I suppose Rome metro and bus system is like most big cities, but I'm not used to it. When the doors to the metro train open people shove off and everyone shoves on and packs in literally. People move about and it's not too badly crowded. The bus we take after this though IS crowded and I wonder how on earth everyone fits in. But we end up at the right spot and take a 10 min. walk to the market.

I love, love, love the Campa di Fiore with it's open air flea market atmosphere. People and vendors and produce and everything except meat that one could want. The first stall I come to is a fruit and Veg. stall. I take these pictures there.

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I wander the market enjoying the sounds of people talking in Italian. The smell of the flowers and vegetables, the sounds of the street musicians. There are sax players, guitar players and a clarinet player. I am reminded of home and Dan as I listen to this guitar player. He's really good. I take his picture and drop some change in his guitar case.

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My friends and I go to the venetian murano glass sellars stall where I and some of them purchase many glass necklaces for 3 euro each. A really good price. Galye also gets a bottle stopper for the same price.

I take more pictures of fruits, vegetables, this vendor and the wonderful pecorino cheese which is the cheese of the heavenly lasagna. It's not cheap, I consider buying some and remember customs and don't but oh how I want some to make lasagna with and promise to find some at home.

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We gather where the tour director Chris is waiting at the fountain. The market is closing down, the men are taking down the stalls, the vendors are packing up, the garbage trucks are picking up garbage. A heated discussion between this vendor, another, and the guys taking down the tents develops. I don't know what they are saying but Chris is laughing and tells us they are cussing and in an argument. The argument part was evident even with language barriers.

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While waiting for all the kids I spot these lovers at a cafe and snap this picture.

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We meet up with our group and I'm walking with the girls from our group. I snap these photos of the flowers and the flower vendor as we leave the piazza. On Monday when we return here there will be very few vendors open and no flower vendor. But he was there this day and his wares were so gorgeous and sweet smelling.

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We walk to the Parthenon. They are restoring the outside of the Parthenon. Hannah, the teacher who arranged the trip laughs. The last time she was here they were restoring the other half and it had scaffolding. This time it's this half. Maybe next time she comes the whole thing will be done she says.

Here is the front and a detail of one of the supporting columns.

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There is a man there dressed in Centurion garb and I snap his photo. I don't realize till hours later that he is "selling" photos of himself dressed this way. There are many street actors and mimes who sell pictures and performances in Rome.

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The Parthenon is so very crowded on this day before Easter. It seems all of Italy wants to get in. We squeeze in as others are squeezing out. Still I am NOT prepared for the beauty inside. The light comes from the hole in the dome and there are statues and paintings everywhere.

Here is the opening in the dome and the main altar. The Parthenon is used as a church now. There were chairs there too set up for Easter.

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There is a painting of the Annunciation of Mary that I KNOW I have studied, but I can't remember who it is by. I take two pictures, one of the full painting and one of the detail that I remember from college art history class.

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Here is one of the many sculptures that are in front of the tombs at the Parthenon.

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Raphael is buried here. Here is Raphael's tomb altar and the two bronze angels in relief at each side of his tomb. I feel like I really am in the presence of greatness.

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Next up the Piaza Navona and how I get lost in Rome for two hours.

2010-04-21T17:56:00.000-07:00

Rome Trip First full Day-Day 2 part 1

After a wake up call at 6:30 am. No there are no pictures of this event thank God, we had a hearty buffet breakfast at the hotel. I am so excited because this is the day we will visit the Vatican Museums, see the Sistine Chapel, and the Pieta. This is one of the main things I have taken this trip for. I've wanted to see The Pieta since I was 16 years old and studied Michaelangelo in High School.

We are ushered out the door promptly at 8:05 am. We have a reservation at the museum and if we miss it, it could be a two to three hour wait before we could get in. We walk the 15 min. walk to the Vatican museum entrance and indeed there is the beginning of a long line there. We meet Winfred who will be our guide here and at Ostica Antica and wait while Chris and Winfred get tickets and whisper phones for us to use. Once inside I see my first tapestry. It is rather small as far as the tapestries of the Vatican go but still fairly large and I take a picture. I am impressed by the size of the place already.

The first tapestry.

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Next we are given a run down of the general layout of the place by Winfred who is German and a very good Vatican guide. While in the square listening I view the millenium ball sculpture that rotates. I like it so I take a picture.

Then we are on to the square where the gardens are. There is beautiful Majolica on the tiles on the building. Here for my friend Dorian is a picture of some of them.

The actual gardens are private and we are not allowed down there, but I take a couple of pictures of where I suspect the pope often walks.

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In the entrance hall are many statues, among them Greek and Roman Gods and Goddesses. It is interesting to me that the church did not destroy these works but saved them and in some cases incorporated some of their ideas into the church. I remember reading that it won the hearts of the people at the time.

Here is an Egyptian statue.

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And a fertility Goddess

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Then we find this Diana. I have always liked Diana the Goddess of the Hunt. There are several Diana's there but this is my favorite. I particularly like that she is reaching for her arrow and I like the dog looking up.

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Shortly we come to this hall with the Grecian urn. A nice picture I think.

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Next up are the tapestry rooms. These tapestries are so colorful they look like paintings and it's hard to realize that they are really woven cloth. The detail is wonderful. These line a room that is about the length of a football field. The ceilings are trompe l'oeil and look very much like plaster sculpture.

A few of the tapestries and the faux ceiling sculpture.

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Then we are on to the map room. The amazing thing is that these maps are painted. And how did they KNOW what the land looked like. Here's a map of the city of Rome.

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We walk on into the Raphael rooms and I am almost moved to tears. I have a new favorite painter and his name is Raphael. The beauty and the glory of these paintings are awe inspiring. Here are a few paintings in his own style and a photo of the mosaic ceiling.

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Yes folks I am a glitzy girl and I LOVE this photo of God which is guilded with gold leaf.

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The problem with Raphael is that he can not be confident in his own style, or maybe he is mocking other painters which is certainly what Michaelangelo thought, but he does beautiful Boticelli faces and later paints big burly twisting figures like Michaelangelo.

Notice the beefy arms and figure with their back toward you. This is Raphael doing Michaelangelo.

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Now look at his most famous painting The Academy which totally blew me away with it's magnificance. This is Raphael at his best. His portrait of Michaelangelo as scribe is beefy, but Michaelangelo was a hefty sculpture. His Leonardo, his addition of himself , and his girlfriend are true beautiful Raphael.

Raphael's Girlfriend

Raphael himself

Michaelangelo

Leonardo on left

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After the Raphael rooms we go on to the Sistine chapel. I have no pictures of the Sistine chapel because photography is not allowed. It is not because of the delicacy of the painting, but because Sony paid for the restoration and now owns rights to all of the images.

But I notice that Michaelangelo's colors are not as bright as Raphael's. I also think "it's too busy," and I remember that Michaelangelo never wanted to be a painter. His love was sculpture. He only did the Sistine chapel because the pope promised to pay him money that was owed to him for previous work. They paid him half up front for the chapel and never paid him another dime. Still I find the back wall of heaven and hell intriqing. Michaelangelo has sent the people he did not like to hell on the hell side. A bit of painterly humor.

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We walk out of the main building and on to St. Peters. This is truly a heavenly place. The dome is beautiful as is the painting on the inside of the dome.

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There are many statues and paintings here where people are buried. Here is an angel extinquishing life and Teresea of Austria's tomb. She was quite a girl with a wild streak who still was buried here because she gave much money to the church.

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Next we come to what I've waited 37 years to see. The Pieta. Even blocked off by glass it is beautiful. But it is also surrounded by other admirers taking photos. I get my turn in to see it and to take photos. It is as lovely as I imagined it would be. Raphael may be the better painter, but NO one was better at sculpture than Michaelangelo.

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Walking around St. Peters we also see this statue and I'm impressed with the marble, how it was sculpted to look like cloth. Not as intricate as the Pieta, but amazing none the less and the color is striking.

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Finally we turn to the altar itself and the Berninni altar piece. St. Peters was set up for Easter so there were chairs but with a zoom lens I managed to capture some of the beauty.

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We exit into St. Peters square where they are also set up for Easter. Here's a photo of where the Pope comes out on the balcony every Sunday and underneath where he will come out for Easter. Also a picture of the clock and bell during day and the fountain during the day.

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At this point I am so happy I could end the trip here and be delighted. But there is more, oh so much more, that by the end of the day I will say that I want to move to Rome for the art and history.

After we leave the Vatican we go to the official Vatican gift shop where I buy a lady bug rosary for myself, Vatican coins for Dan, a Mary reproduction painting for me, Holy water for myself, several pill boxes with sites of Rome to give away, and many many postcards. Then it's off to lunch where I have the BEST lasagne I have ever eaten. The cheese is not Mozzarella or Parmesean, it is distinctly Roman, and I will tell you later what it is when I take you to Campa di Fiore which is where we go next, the wonderful Campa di Fiore open air market and the Piaza Navona, two of my very favorite places. Stay tuned for part 2 of day 2.

2010-04-16T20:16:00.000-07:00

Rome Trip Day 1

The airplane took off on time and all was well on the flight to Philadelphia. We arrive in Philly on time and get checked in and wait for about an hour and a half. The flight takes off on time with 9 happy travelers aboard on the way to Rome.

One hour out and the pilot comes on to inform us that there is a problem with the communication equipment and that without this equipment the plane can not fly across the Atlantic, so we must return to Philly to have the problem fixed. At Philly we are informed that we must fly around to burn fuel as we have too much fuel to land. Two and a half hours later we finally re-land in Philly. My hips and back hurt, although told we should remain in our seats, we all stand up to get the kinks out. Another hour on the ground so that the plane can change crews, reload food, snacks, etc., get rid of trash and fix problem, then we are back in the air bound for an 8 and a half hour trip to Rome. After a plane meal of chicken, rice, salad and desert we fall asleep so that we can be ready for the time change in Rome.

We arrive Rome at 3pm Roman time, 9am U.S. time. We are met by an NETC rep, our tour director is with the other group which arrived a day before we did and are in Pompeii.

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An hour ride to the other side of Rome to the motel and we check in at the Hotel Nova Domus. There is an egg tree for Easter Holiday and a great Roman column as decoration.

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Accommodations are nice and my room mate and I decide to explore the bar and meet Mauritcio who makes a great Spritz. Here I am with Mauritcio.

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Feeling much better after the spritz I take pictures out of our hotel window. Here is one of the apartments across the street, the gelato shop down the street, and a picture of the street. I am so in love with the apartments with plants everywhere and the terracotta roofs. I am beginning to love Rome. We never visit the gelato shop there, although we have gelato every night while in Rome. My favs. are the nuttella and the pineapple. Gelato is smoother, creamier than ice cream but like ice cream. Definitely not "Italian ices" like you get over here. Oh so much better.

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We go next door to where Kasey and Gayle are staying to see their room, the view from their room and to talk. I am intrigued by the bidet which I didn't know about until right before I came to Rome. An interesting invention. Luke, Kasey's son who is one of the high school students traveling is resting on the bed. Here's Luke and Kasey.

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Soon we all go downstairs to meet our tour director Chris Roche and the group from Michigan. The kids eye each other cautiously. Here's Chris all smiles ready to be our guide. Chirs is Irish Canadian and lives in Londan. His day job is film director and he does tours a couple of times a year. He lived and worked in Rome for 3 years.

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After a dinner of Gnocchetti al pomodoro e basilico; Tranci di salmone al limone d'Amalfi; Patate prezzemolate; Dessert we head out for an evening stroll which is a very Italian custom. The lights reflect off of everything and the magic begins. Slowly Rome weaves it's beauty into every pore of my being. We walk around Vatican city, the wall enclosing the fortress that is the Vatican itself. I take a picture of the entrance to the Vatican museum which we will go to tomorrow.

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Across the street from the Tiber River the statue of St. Catherine catches my eye. A beautiful sculpture, she's just one of many on the Roman streets.

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I look up and view for the first time, the castle of the Angel and am in Awe. Atop this building is an angel with a sword pointing down. The building is so large. This is the building and angel that was featured in the movie Angels and Demons. The history of the building is that toward the end of the plague an angel appeared and told the people that the plague was about to end and what to do. The people were so grateful that after the plague they built this building and statue in honor of the angel who visited grace upon the city.

Angel from the top of the Castle of angels.

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Now we crossed the street to the Tiber River itself. The magic continues as the lights reflect off the water of the great Tiber river. I look one way and take a beautiful picture, then the other and the same, it is beauty all around me.

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I see a film crew pointing it's cameras toward St. Peters, and I ask what they are filming. They are waiting for the Pope to come out and greet the people gathering for Easter Watchnight service. They can not get any closer because the street is blocked off, but their cameras are good. I take several wonderful pictures of St. Peters, but this is my fav. by far. I like the addition of the people and cars. It gives a sense of how large the building is and how grand. Nothing is allowed to be higher in Rome than the dome of St. Peters. Thus there are no skyscrapers in Rome and St. Peters stands out as a gem of the city.

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We walk on toward St. Peteres square. Many people are gathering there for the watch night service that will continue each night until Easter. It is Good Friday. The columns on each side of the square are curved, reaching out as the ancient pope intended, gathering all of God's children into the square and the church.

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There are fountains at each end of St. Peters square. I am captivated by the water, thinking them very beautiful. Little do I know they are fairly plain as far as fountains go in Rome. Still the night is warm the lights are glowing and we are falling under the spell of beauty.

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It is getting late, we are not yet used to Rome time. We decide to gather as a group to return to our hotel. Here is the whole group by the columns preparing to return.

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Going down the street we see this Swiss Guard who poses to have his picture taken. The Swiss Guards serve for 3 years then go back to Switzerland where they may resume a normal life and marry if they so choose. The ancient uniform is said to have been designed by Michealangelo himself. Very quaint and interesting but what was he thinking???

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We get back to the hotel about 11 pm. I'm so keyed up that I can't sleep and end up talking to Barb until about 2 am . She is as excited as I am and we have loved our walk.

Revitalizing the blog

2010-02-06T23:16:00.000-08:00

I'm revitalizing this blog because I can now upload pics from the MAC and I'm tired of paying for a blog. So my new home is again here.

Going to try this out again.

2009-08-12T23:54:00.001-07:00

I decided to try and see if blogger would now allow me to upload pics from my Mac after three years and it does!!! Going to try to start blogging here again.

Finally a picture, and of me in a hat no less.

2007-06-12T21:59:00.000-07:00

New web blog

2007-01-02T20:22:00.000-08:00

I now have a new webblog. Since I have no picture uploading capabilities with blogger, I have created a webblog for my art at

http://donnasart.typepad.com/

Please come visit.

Merry Christmas

2006-12-25T12:42:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to all.

It has been a strange Christmas here.

My granddaughter is in the hospital with severe dehydration. They thought it was due to a stomach virus/ear infection but she is also clutching her stomach and crying. It is hard to know with a two year old.

Some of our Christmas has been nice. A nice time yesterday morning with my stepson and husband. A Christmas tea with my mother this morning. In between a visit to the hospital where some gifts were given to the sick baby. I am going again soon.

My son is in Quatar. My love goes out to all soldiers serving the country at this time of year.

Angels

2006-10-28T10:31:00.000-07:00

Are angels real? I believe that they are and that I had an experience with angels.

One night about ten years ago now, I was headed home from a retreat. It was late on a Sunday night, and I was very tired. Driving my Suzuki Samari I turned on the highway to go up to my home in the mountains, where I lived then. I navigated the curvy sections of the road fine, but grew more and more exhausted the closer I got to home. I must have fallen asleep on the straight stretch, but was dreaming I was still driving. And, I dreamed I was closer to home than I was.

The oncoming car lights woke me. I had not gone over the line, but was speeding towards a T-intersection. I barely saw the "stop ahead" sign when I slammed on my breaks. The Suzuki spun several times in the deserted intersection, then hit the gaurdrail on the drivers side. As the car flipped over in the air for a second time, I knew I was going to die. I thought. Well, this is it. My second thought was that I did not want this to be "it." I wanted to see my children grown, doing well and happy. And, I wanted to meet my grandchildren. Immediately, I had a vision of being surrounded by people. The verse from the Bible "Surrounded by so great a cloud of witneesses, that have gone on before." came to my mind.

I then got a vision that the car was going to come down right side up, wheel first. I heard a voice say "Throw up your arm, the glass is going to break." About that time the car hit, and I heard glass breaking. I threw up my arm.

Then, as the silence surrounded me I took full stock of my predicament. I KNEW the drivers side wouldn't open, so I reached over to the passenger side. Miracously it opened, and I remember climbing over the hump of the car and out the passenger side. I do not remember going up the hill. Just getting close to the top and being on the road.

I tried go flag down a car, but they didn't see me and did not stop. The second car that I did manage to flag down was a male nurse on his way to his job at a nursing home. He was helpful but didn't have a towel to wrap around my injured arm. The third car coming from the T-intersection "just happened to be" the head of the fire department/first responder team. Also the first person to respond to his call was a friend of mine who took care of my arm.

When the ambulance came, they kept asking me "What is your name? Where do you live? What is your phone number? Are you married? Do you have childfren? Was anyone in the car with you?" After answering these same questions I asked them why they kept asking them. It turned out that the steering wheel on my car was so badly bent they KNEW I must have hit it with my head or chest, and they couldn't find any chest injuries.

I told them "No, there is an angel in heaven that is badly bruised and battered right about now. He's saying, I'm never riding with her again."

The only injuries I recieved were a severely cut arm. It was cut in zig-zag layers to the nerve. It did not damage my nerve, by grace. After numerous stitches both inside and out, I was sent home to heal. I have scars, but I feel BLESSED to be alive. My car was so badly mangled that they didn't see how anyone could have survived.

I know how, Angels who are all around us, gaurding us constantly.

Still no picture capablilites.

2006-10-23T19:54:00.000-07:00

I appreciate all the helpful comments about pics. I will try firefox and see if that works.

Thanks.

Tagged

2006-10-23T19:19:00.000-07:00

Okay, so my writer/teacher, Marly Youmans, tagged me for a meme. 5 things no one knows about you.

1.I have a fascination with Mexican culture. I particularly have become interested in the Mexican idea of the duality of life and death, and the "Days of the Dead" Celebration. I am currently finishing a skeleton sculpture and a Frida Kahlo type self portrait.

2. I hate Macaroni and Cheese and Stewed tomatoes. Both a sin I think for a midwestern transplanted soul in the South. I do like raw vegetables on occasion, but my favorites are starches. Bread, pasta, potatoes. My daughter and grandaughter have unfortunately inherited this tendency. I do eat most things however, and have eaten rattlesnake at a wild foods weekend.

3. I collect angels. I had an accident nine years ago, where I believe I met with angels. Maybe that should be a post. I also collect Asian type artifacts. Buddha's, Hindu gods-Pavarti, and Ganesh. Along with other religious things such as Gaudelauppe from Mexico, Christian crosses with and without Jesus on them.

4. I have been on a free-flight baloon ride. I saved money up from working with the Census as a part-time job, (last census), and took my then 76 year old mama with me. We flew over Statesville, NC and had a wonderful time. It was something we both had wanted to do. I didn't know that had been one of mama's dreams until a few months before, so I decided that we both needed to go with that. It made me want to learn to pilot a balloon all the more. If only I could win the lottery.

5. I have enough poor white trash left in me to like the large blow up stuff from Wal-Mart, and would if my more cultured husband didn't nix it, put up one of those blow up snow domes with the Santa, snowman and reindeer on my front lawn. I also love smaller snow domes, and collect them.

Well, that's it for now. Maybe another post later.

Posting Pics

2006-08-19T07:23:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I was able to post a couple of pictures before when I upgraded to Safari.

NOW Blogger will not let me upload any pics. I choose one and it says Loading pics, but only a ? mark appears. Anyone out there in blogland have a suggestion? I am running a MAC PowerBook G4 with the latest Safari for a broser. HELP PLEASE!!!

Donna

Art in Motion

2006-07-22T15:21:00.000-07:00

I went last night to the most fascinating abstract art opening that I have seen in some time. Our little gallery here in town held an opening for Patricia Wallace's mixed media paintings. She calls them "collages" and some of them have things other than paint mixed in, for example-words, but for the most part they are mixed media paintings. I particularly loved the one she has done that is just paint on paper, two circles, one small and one large, that are brilliant red. The "background that is infringing on the circles is crimson mixed with black or brown. There is a white bar at the bottom. It is somewhat reminiscent of Kandinsky, and yet not. It is something apart, that looks as if it belongs in a museum in New York rather than at our little gallery in our small town.

There were other great abstracts as well, and I found myself wanting even more to move in an abstract direction. I have been feeling this way for about a year now, after taking a painting workshop last summer. It doesn't help that I have watched the movie Pollack twice in the past two weeks. That Ed Harris started painting and worked at painting for several years for this role is amazing. He truly moves like Jackson Pollack. Both he and the woman who plays Lee Krasner truly seem to be channeling their characters.

For a while I turned my back on abstract art. It seemed to be the onlly thing that was talked about/done in art school, and I felt that most of it had been done already, mostly the greats had done it all before I was even a twinkle in anyone's eye. And I felt that the 20th century photorealism movement was on the right track. But now, I am thinking what is the point? If you want a photo, grab a camera. I am looking to incoroprate passion back into art, and the abstract artists at least seem to convey that fire and passion. I still love some of the "lovely to look at" artists as well, I just admire the drive and energy of the abstract artists.

Another interesting thing about the opening, was that this lady is in her 70's. The last two abstract artists that our gallery has shown have been women in their 70's. It is wonderfull to me, to think about being able to create well into one's twilight years. Both of these women are intelligent, passionate, experienced women that create a firm sense of ability, passion, and class.

I wish I had some of their work to post, but I have checked the internet and find that neither has a website. Instead I am posting an abstract that I found and love from the following site. http://community.livejournal.com/abstract_art/

The Palace stays put

2006-06-16T14:31:00.000-07:00

Okay,

Due to a system upgrade I can now upload pictures to blogger, but I now have to get my artwork digitized somehow to be able to upload to blogger. But, the palace stays put. And, stay tuned for artwork to come.

Baby Lucas Carter-Dale Mayhew

2006-06-16T14:25:00.000-07:00

Baby Lucas,

Newborn with mom Corrie. Born June 11, 2006 10:05 am. He joins mommy, daddy, and "big" sister Kaley who is 18 months old.

Palace Moving

2006-04-03T14:11:00.000-07:00

I may be moving the palace, as I cannot post pictures at home because I run a Mac laptop. I can do it here at school, but want to do most of my blogging from home. So I am currently looking for a space that supports Mac better. I'll let anyone interested know if I move.

Tea Pots

2006-04-01T22:10:00.000-08:00

"If you are cold, tea will warm you. If you are too heated, it will cool you. If you are depressed, it will cheer you. If you are excited, it will calm you."
William Gladstone

"There is a great deal of poetry and fine sentiment in a chest of tea."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Today my husband and I went antiquing again. This time I found a wonderful Chinese Tea Pot with four cups. I love tea pots and tea of mostly any type. I have several tea pots, the most unusual is one that is in the shape of a dragon with a turtle on it's back. It is called "Mother and Child", and has been one of my favorites. My new one is lovely too.

I shall have to brew some tea in it. If you get a chance come on by for a spot of tea.

The Royal Child revisited and The palace gardenr speaks

2006-03-29T19:02:00.000-08:00

Another go at the poem " The Royal Child

The Royal Child

Her name was whispered in the halls, as slowly she walked by
And so she wondered what it was, that caused the sound so shy.
What had she done, just who was she that they made such a fuss?
She was a pleasant child she thought and not a gloomy guss.

Was it the time that Robert came and pulled her by the hair?
She didn’t holler, no not she, but calmly she did bear
Then she took him by the arm, threw him soundly on the ground
And gave him a good pound.

Or maybe it’s the time she took,a llizard from the rocky wall.
And placed it on her tutor’s chair which caused the teacher then to bawl.
The teacher cried and cried and ran
Then no one came to tutor Ann.

At any rate she walked the hall, the royal hall at home.
And when she walked she didn’t care,
what they thought when they did stare
Cause she was left alone.

******************************************************

Let me tell you I don't know what the queen was thinking when she bought this place. "Looks pretty in the trees." Indeed. Does she have to rake the endless leaves that fall from the "pretty trees"? I think not. Do you know HOW many bags of leaves I took to the woods in back of the palace. I lost count at about 20.

And, you know what? I can't even get a proper garden started for the blasted roots from the "pretty trees". Just goes to show you, queens should not be allowed to buy palaces based on looks alone. But then, they never consult me, I'm just the palace gardener.

Don't know

2006-03-29T15:57:00.000-08:00

I feel like I need to write, need to post, but just don't know what to say. So much time and energy goes into teaching, and family. I get to the point I feel like I am all bottled up. I also feel like I am just at a creative block again. Probably because I am again not getting a lot of rest. I think I logged 6 hours of sleep last night, then I went to teach this morning.

I went to a Linda Rief workshop on Monday and learned some new teaching techniques. Because of this my 3rd period class had a wonderful discussion about the poem "The Wreck of the Hesperus." I felt like we had the best class time we have had in a while.

So, maybe I will write some more tonight, or maybe this weekend. Just wanted to say hi to friends in Cyberspace.

Blooming

2006-03-15T21:09:00.000-08:00

Everywhere here flowers are in bloom. It is no longer dark when I set out for school in the morning and the drive is spectacular.

Main street in town is filled with tulips, yellow and white, showing themselves off in their owners yards. A canopy of blooming white trees greets my drive down the street. Their branches touch overhead. I love to drive this street. Forsythia, planted in rows beside some of the houses, grow untamed in their golden splendor. I want to do a pastel painting of them. It puts me in a happy mood to just go to work.

Spring is wonderful. I tried to post a picture of some of my artwork, but it didn't work, I shall have to work on that.

In other news I have applied for a new job. The official titile is "performing arts coordinator." It would entail creating the calendar for our school system's performing arts center, and doing the advertising/media releases for shows. I would love this. My current teaching situation is so stressful. I "might" get a call next week for an interview.

The Royal Child

2006-03-13T13:08:00.000-08:00

Her name was whispered in the halls,
As she walked slowly by.
And so she wondered what it was,
That caused the sound so shy.

What had she done, just who was she
To hearken such a fuss.
‘Twas it the morn upon the hill, when she would pick the daffodil?
That caused such gloomy guss .

Or maybe twas when Robert came.
And pulled her by the hair.
She didn’t holler, no not she.
But calmly she did bare.

And then she took him by the arm.
Whilst throwing him upon the ground.
While grownups looked on askance .
And stood about them round.

Or maybe twas the time she took.
A lizard from the rocky wall.
And placed on her tutor’s chair.
Which caused her teacher thus to bawl.

At any rate she walked the hall.
The royal hall at home.
And when she walked she didn’t care, what others thought when they did stare.
For she was left alone.

This does need work, but I am too tired tonight to work on it.

Reborn

2006-03-12T16:01:00.000-08:00

Reborn.

It’s been raining in my soul for weeks,
For I have been “under the weather.”
It started slowly at first.
Small drops filtering down until,
I no longer could stand.
Then the storms appeared,
Full of lightning pain,
And I feared I would not make it through,
The stormy night.

Eventually,
The storm cleared,
And to my amazement,
Small flowers of hope are appearing.
Like the small velvet purple violets that are blooming,
In my backyard.
I want to run,
Play,
Write,
Draw,
And live again,
Reborn.

Alive again

2006-03-07T12:21:00.000-08:00

I am SOOOO much better. I was at the Dr. again this past week. He is sending me to specialist, but gave me the best anti-biotic.

The writing test wast today. HOOORAY IT IS OVER!!!

I feel like a three-thousand pound weight has lifted. I want to laugh, to dance, to write poetry, and stories again.

Hopefully more of that soon here.

Better

2006-02-22T00:08:00.000-08:00

After a third visit in as many weeks to my Dr. I am finally begining to feel a bit better. Two infections, and the flu left me in an awful state this month. So far my pharmacy bill alone has been $150.00 this month, heaven knows what I will owe the Dr. after the insurance is done with their part. BUT Tama-Flu works, and I am now on the mend.

Honestly thought this weekend that I might be on my way out.

The upside of all of this is that I took today off to get better and I am taking tomorrow off to rest as well. I rarely, if ever take time to get well, which is proably why I was sick for a month.

So, here's to health and taking care of ourselves.

The snow fell wiping everything clean.

2006-02-20T09:45:00.000-08:00

The snow fell wiping everything clean. When I looked out my bathroom window last night the snow had fallen in my woods, dusting my woods with soft white glitter. I raced back to bed, and snuggled under the covers and felt warm and content. I fell into the deepest slumber, and dreamed of snow, of whiteness covering everything. Wherever the snow fell, it was not cold, but warm, and instantly everything around was covered and wiped clean. The snow fell, not only outside, but inside, in my bedroom. Everywhere I looked was white, good, pure clean. My dresser was white, the knobs were white, my bed was white, and I was covered in a white down blanket of snow. Joyful at this newness and cleanliness, in my dream I jumped out of my bed, but as soon as my feet landed on the floor the snow scattered and everything was the way it always is. The antique dresser was again brown and the hardwood floors brown. The snow began to evaporate, and I was left in my room, weeping, wanting the clean new start of the fresh snow. I must have awakened a bit then, because I remember feeling miffed that I can’t seem to get a fresh start, but too tired to comprehend anything, I drifted back off to sleep, chasing the eternal snow.

Baby news/Children news

2006-02-19T13:40:00.000-08:00

Although being laid low by the flu since Friday, I have some good news to share. Lucas Carter Mayhew will make his way into the world sometime around July 1, 2006. He will be joining big sister Kaley Brinn Mayhew and his mommy Corrie, and daddy Shannon, in their new house.

That's right folks, It's a boy. Corrie and Shannon found out Tue. that the baby is a boy. They will be closing on their house on Mar. 1 and moving in then. I am so happy for them all the way around. Corrie has had a couple more migraines but all in all is doing well with the pregnancy.

Daughter Laura is sick again, but has a wonderful husband to help her. I went over a couple of weekends ago and they gave me the loveliest birthday celebration that I have had in some time. It really was a great day/weekend.

Son Paul is still in the Air Force in Utah, battling blizzards and working in the Haz-Mat department.

My family is my joy and happiness.

Another Friday.

2006-02-17T12:48:00.000-08:00

Another Friday has come, and they are again predicting nasty weather for the sunny south. I awoke this morning feeling worse, even though I am on macrobid. If this does not quit, I shall be back at the Dr. again. As soon as I post this, I am headed home for the comfort of my bed, with all of my 7th grade essays in tow. I will work some on them, we have Monday off, but tomorrow is reserved for sleeping late and creating. I will post anything I write.

Until then,
B.Q.

2006-02-14T13:46:00.000-08:00

A poem from the bard for Valentines Day,

Happy Valentines day to all.

Sonnet 116

Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O no! it is an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle's compass come:
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.

Wow I did it!!!

2006-02-10T14:21:00.000-08:00

Wow, I did it!!! I now have a home on blogspot.

More later,
Donna