letter from Italy (3 maggio 2009)

Hello Everyone,

We are happy and safe and about to sail over Tuscany in a balloon...
we are drinking the red wine,
visiting the hilltop villages, and eating the food. The only thing
we,ve done that was terribly upsetting is letting a couple of thieves
distract us long enough to escape with one piece of luggage. This was
the one, of course, with two cameras, our computer (with copies of
every pic and every video we had made), a GPS for driving, and etc.

As a result Tony got to explain the whole thing in Italian to a
carabiniere at the complaints office just down the block from the AVIS
office where this took place. Just another opportunity to speak
Italian, I guess.

But as a result of this we wont be taking pix or sending many emails.
I know all our friends will understand. Ir is an important life
lesson... to focus on the moment, on what we see and hear and feel,
and let the objects fly away if they wish to do so.

I also lost my reading glasses for music, and several books I was
reading, and our beautiful Florentine stationery.

Please send us your best thoughts and sympathetic vibrations, but tea
in the garden is waiting for us, it is a lovely day in Montisi,
Tuscany, with people we like, and after all we are still where we want
to be.

Love and hugs to all, Tony and Joselyn