I left my heart in Siena

Blogging on a lazy Sunday afternoon. I was taking my turn napping peacefully on the couch until my eyelids were pried open, I was jumped on, tickled, and then had to negotiate video watching from my sleeping spot. There were 2 culprits, so, no it was not just Kate. Jonathan was the one lifting up my eyelids to see if I was awake. So with my sweet sleep disturbed I'm up and blogging. Quiet sort of weekend around here. I have to say that it's wonderful. Making plans as the days go along, spending a couple of hours at the park yesterday ( the weather has been per-fect-o). Friday evening Patti and I went down to Red Lead for their paper sale and had dinner outside at Hacienda. What a relaxing, fun time.



Hannah is getting ready to go on the mission trip with our youth group, doing work with some inner city missions. I'll be helping as a chaperone for the first couple of days. I'm praying that this makes a lasting impression on her as to how truly blessed she is and gives her a heart for service. She's very, very excited, especially about working with the children. Who knows how this experience might shape what she does in the future? Please be praying for her and the group this week...for safety, and for the hearts of the people they serve as well as the students.



We are counting down until our friends, Jeff , Jacki and Maddy come to visit next week. You know the saying, "Make new friends, but keep the old. One is siver, the other gold." ?? They are like, 28 krt. True Friends from waaaayyyy back. Back before 4 children and many moves. Back in the laun-dro-mat and 90210 days. So glad to have a few days with them. The count down is ticking....:)


I mentioned last post about my favorite town in Italy. I dare say that it would be yours, too, if you had been along. Siena is precious. Siena is exactly what you picture a Tuscan town to be. I wish I had taken many more pictures there...and I wish we had stayed longer. We only had about 4 hours there total, including our little tour by Paolo. We tried asking Michael to please let us stay a little while longer, but he had the job of getting us to Sorrento before dinner, and wouldn't budge.
We began our day in the church of St. Dominic's. A simple church with the exception that it holds the head and finger of St. Catherine of Siena. I had never known about her, about the miraculous life she lived, her heart for service, for the poor and sick, or of her involvement in the political world in 15th century Italy. I'm adding this link for you to read about her life. Truly inspiring and worth reading. St. Catherine

We took a walking tour of the city ending at he Piazza del Campo, a wonderful brick square. Being a medieval city, the piazza was set to be the center where they would have races with horses and knights, the crowd in the center of the fan shaped square , the track around the edges. They still have these races during the yearly festival. We had the rest of our time for lunch and exploring. Matt, Amy and I ate at a little pizza place where in Matt's words, "they have pizza so good it shouldn't be called pizza". I could have stayed there in Siena if I had had all those I love with me.

<<--- a view of St. Dominic's ... I *love* the terra cotta roofs.

<<<--- entering into the city

<<-- wild boar sausage is popular and supposedly very good. You'll have to ask someone else about that.
<<--- the cutest, funniest tour guide ever, Paolo. Plus, he always found places for us to sit while we listened to him tell us about the history of the city.

<<-- Ferrari's on display. Ultra-cool. I heard the guys talking about which one they wanted.

<<--<<--the door to St. Dominic's.


<<--<<-- it's a very hilly town. I liked how this picture mixes the 14-15th century with today.

<<--<<-- one of my favorites.


My pictures don't do Siena justice, that's for sure. And it isn't as opulent and rich in architecure and art as Florence, but it is just perfect.

We leave Siena and head for the Almafi coast and Sorrento. Wait til you see the view!