Catching up!

Hi Everyone,

I want to write and catch you up on all the beautiful and difficult changes I'm experiencing in my life here; there's so much to say.  Instead of writing all in words, I'm going to start by sending a gallery of photos from November until now.  I hope you enjoy, and I promise to write soon!!!

Actually, these photos start in October, when my friend Megan and her friend Cat arrived for my first visit from home.  We took a day trip to Montepulciano:

Where I couldn't resist hot chocolate pastries fresh from the oven...

Megan and Cat -the great adventurers!

Cat says that Italy is the land of tiny cars...

And giant doors!

Perfect Halloween Fiats!!

We decided to have a spa day.  Before we went, I was a little nervous because there was a treatment called an "emotional shower."  But as you can see, we were all pretty relaxed at the end:

PS:  An emotional shower is a shower with lights and smells...it was kind of funny!

Megan and I enjoyed the train ride:

Maybe a little too much:

And, as you aren't here visiting, here is a little walk around Siena:

NOVEMBER:
My new roommate Andy brought a lot of energy to the house!!

We decided to do Thanksgiving.  I cooked everything, including the turkey, which turned out perfectly.  This is a photo of the reality of Anna in the kitchen.  I was making pastry for the pie when I, um, sort of crashed all of the flour.  This was four hours before dinner.  Andy took pictures after we had cleaned up a little:

This is the official "Anna as Martha Stewart" photo.  No problem, right?

My landlord Pino and his family came for dinner:

There's so much to say about watching Italians try sweet potatoes with marshmallow for the first time.  Really, I wish I had videotaped it.  But as you can see, we all (including family, roommates, and guests) survived pretty well.

DECEMBER:  Home for Christmas

With my nephew, Zane, on Christmas morning:

And here is a photo of the reason you might not have heard from me over Christmas:  dental surgery that made the most beautiful bruise on my jaw...and lots of pain killers that left me on the couch for almost the entire time I was home.  I also had an infection when I returned here to Italy.  Such fun.

There was a little problem getting home:  hurricane strength winds closed the airport in Pisa, so I was left for a day.  What's a girl going to do?  First, take pictures of the tourists pretending to hold up the tower:

Then take pictures of the tower:

And the Arno.

I realize this is totally out of order, but I wanted to share these pictures of my grandparents' farm in Taylorsville, NC.  I went with my brother and was seized by my childhood impulse to run through the farm up the the tree where I spent hours of my childhood dreaming.  My grandparents have been gone ten years now, but I sense their presence when I'm in the hills that were their home for so many years.  They were just short of the 70th anniversary when they died.

And to finish:  I am sending all of you my love and best wishes as we start this new year.  I am sad to tell you that my cousin, Stephanie Bost Brown, died two weeks ago at the age of 48.  Stephanie leaves two beautiful daughters, twins, and a loving family behind her.  As Stephanie struggled with an eating disorder for many years, I am more determined than ever to write my book and live a life that is full.  To all of you:  appreciate your days, love your bodies, and think of each other always.
Anna