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After a drought that hung around like the house guest from a “b” film, spring arrived with drenching rains bringing wonderful relief to central Texas. We have been reminded that the natural color of grass is green, that trees provide a shady refuge from the Sun, some plants produce cooling treats for hot weather meals and sadly, the lawn mower that has waited patiently for two years in case it might be needed, now requires major repairs. In the week leading up to Memorial Day, we harvested the first cherry tomatoes from the “volunteer” tomato plants that sprang from the memories of last year's burned out garden and read an email from a native Texan in the midst of a chance of a lifetime trip to Italy.
Italian spring this year included an apparent mafia bombing of a school and a substantial earthquake, but events that made the network talking heads take note do not show up in this correspondence. Imagine a man retired and pursuing his stone carving passion who made connections with carvers in the US who provided introductions to a master carver in Italy. The introduction blossomed into a month of study in northern Italy while his wife samples the more traditional tourist itinerary of Rome and Paris. The story in following email compares cultures, climates and standards that we like to call home.
