tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83828028951246799482024-03-13T19:36:23.237+01:003inGiroTo live in Italy was never my dream, but it has surreptitiously become my dream come true. I blame it on her covert seduction.Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08772723381708427902noreply@blogger.comBlogger805125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382802895124679948.post-56879690946364544942018-11-03T15:06:00.000+01:002018-11-03T15:07:40.953+01:00italian education :: 30
It's been a while.
Well, life has marched on for all of us. It's never really perfect, but we have been fairly fortunate.
Young One started high school this fall after delightful years of middle school; all of the tales of hellacious middle school experiences never really panned out for her. (Boy, was middle school an awful time for me.) In fact, she thrived in a way that she never really Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08772723381708427902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382802895124679948.post-19793265533861070522016-12-09T17:43:00.000+01:002016-12-09T17:49:11.516+01:00Is this blog dead or alive?There once was a time that I was a regular blogger, with a mix of posts sharing the details of our days and posts sharing my novice photography obsession. Those were good times.
And then I eventually transitioned to blogging mostly in my head, with sporadic, unpredictable appearances here. The stories in my head have been fantastic.
And then I fell silent. Or, really, switched to micro-bloggingDanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08772723381708427902noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382802895124679948.post-56612879040037774492016-02-24T12:45:00.000+01:002016-02-24T12:45:02.810+01:00Italian Education :: 29 :: after six monthsSix months into the middle school experience and the kiddo is faring well. The first (of two) report cards was issued online a few weeks ago; there were no surprises for us and the grades were a bit lower than the elementary grades.
Most of the grading / progress is fairly transparent, even if we don't have an online grade book to consult obsessively each day. Major grades are recorded in Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08772723381708427902noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382802895124679948.post-80623209812900109372015-10-14T13:55:00.001+02:002015-10-15T09:34:12.372+02:00Italian education :: 28 :: differentiated learning, perhapsI recently shared the subjects Young One will study during her first year of middle school. While there are a couple of unexpected differences compared to American middle school education (two foreign languages, technical drawing), most of the subjects are fairly familiar, on the surface, at least.
What is glaringly different, however, is the variation of the time! Not all subjects meet for the Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08772723381708427902noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382802895124679948.post-58672014561692726872015-09-30T18:10:00.000+02:002015-10-02T08:23:25.127+02:00italian education :: 27 :: hello! middle schoolHello.
Anybody out there?
Young One has transitioned to a local public Italian scuola secondaria primo grado or middle school where she is enrolled in a music-specific section, which means that in addition to all of the subjects of the regular sixth grader, she will also study music, intensively.
It's the perfect inspiration to get me back to this blog because, well, it's a bit different.
Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08772723381708427902noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382802895124679948.post-35763302136524988222015-06-01T15:30:00.000+02:002015-06-01T15:31:31.617+02:00present participle | may 2015I'm jumping on the monthly "present participle list" bandwagon this year, partly because I'm excited that there are people who can identify present participles and partly because I'm hoping it will end this blogging break I seem to have permanently taken.
This is what we've been up to in May 2015...only one present participle needed:
SURVIVING our crazy month of May, by the numbers:
Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08772723381708427902noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382802895124679948.post-68770557329528699172015-05-01T08:44:00.001+02:002015-05-01T08:44:38.871+02:00present participle | april 2015I'm jumping on the monthly "present participle list" bandwagon this year, partly because I'm excited that there are people who can identify present participles and partly because I'm hoping it will end this blogging break I seem to have permanently taken.
This is what we've been up to in April 2015:
DOWNLOADING new-to-me podcasts. I go through phases and stages with podcasts, and Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08772723381708427902noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382802895124679948.post-40447233464066017082015-04-11T21:47:00.000+02:002015-04-11T21:50:25.658+02:00(Easter) weekend break | zagreb, croatia
Zagreb, Croatia
We reached the capital city via car in about four hours from our home in northern Italy.
Generally, when we travel, we go for budget accommodations, usually opting for apartments over hotels, even though we are only three. It just makes more sense for our lifestyle.
We've been mostly lucky with apartments across Europe, but there always seems to Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08772723381708427902noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382802895124679948.post-55423704787430053532015-04-07T08:55:00.001+02:002015-04-07T08:55:25.596+02:00first film
Yep. Absolutely in love with this. I'm not sure where I can take it from here, but I'm looking forward to giving it a try, especially since I don't know what the heck I'm doing.
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel Ti
Lens: 28-90 mm (The one that came with the camera all those years ago.)
Film: Fujifilm Superia X-TRA 400 (Cheapest on Amazon)
Developing/Scans: MpixDanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08772723381708427902noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382802895124679948.post-57320937091719632842015-03-30T15:49:00.001+02:002015-03-31T07:48:26.117+02:00present participle | march 2015I'm jumping on the monthly "present participle list" bandwagon this year, partly because I'm excited that there are people who can identify present participles and partly because I'm hoping it will end this blogging break I seem to have permanently taken.
March 2015
EXPERIMENTING with my film camera. After first loading the 35mm film, I had to work up courage to press the shutter Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08772723381708427902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382802895124679948.post-9946748957527646812015-03-25T19:29:00.004+01:002015-03-25T19:29:55.914+01:00corner view
corner view :: imagination
How do you decide what gets filed away for posterity and what gets tossed in the recycling bin?
Corner View is a weekly appointment shared by people around the globe, an appointment started in the spring of 2009 by Jane in Spain and currently hosted by Francesca over at Fuori Borgo. We welcome you to join us.
Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08772723381708427902noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382802895124679948.post-50639595770584207322015-03-19T06:35:00.001+01:002015-03-19T11:20:41.252+01:00corner viewcorner view :: looking up
March 2015 | Instagram Photo
There is a lot to be missed in this country should you not spend some of your time looking up. This striking modern glass chandelier is found in the lobby of the nhow Hotel in Milan.
Corner View is a weekly appointment shared by people around the globe, an appointment started in the spring of 2009 by Jane in Spain and Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08772723381708427902noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382802895124679948.post-88482800300219719782015-03-16T15:47:00.001+01:002015-03-16T17:14:12.237+01:00italian education :: 26 :: going publicWe are going public.
After nearly ten years of private institutions, from nido to asilo to scuola primaria, we have enrolled our pre-teen in a local public Italian middle school for next year.
Just a little anxiety about that in our family.
Just a little.
The kind that comes even with in-depth research that leads to confident decision making.
It's just how we roll. All of us.
We expect some Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08772723381708427902noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382802895124679948.post-17082845501827630022015-03-11T06:23:00.002+01:002015-03-12T06:12:49.131+01:00corner view
corner view :: something difficult
Instagram Photo | 10 March 2015
When I first met with the piano teacher in January, knowing a few things about me she expected that I had at least some knowledge of music: after all, most Americans experience some form of music education during the K-12 school years; after all, I am married to a music educator (who has changed career paths after nearly 25 Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08772723381708427902noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382802895124679948.post-82950280125548635432015-03-10T11:15:00.003+01:002015-03-11T08:08:01.128+01:00italian education :: 25 :: fifth grade update:: Five years with the same teachers is getting old. Previous thoughts of the greatness of this "looping" are being reconsidered, strongly.
:: The fifth graders recently took a field trip to the mountains where they frolicked in the snow along with their teachers while wearing rented snow shoes. Young One's teacher opted out of that adventure. One child broke her arm but it was great fun Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08772723381708427902noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382802895124679948.post-10496650743602142402015-03-01T08:33:00.002+01:002015-03-02T09:13:19.805+01:00present participle list | february 2015I'm jumping on the monthly "present participle list" bandwagon this year, partly because I'm excited that there are people who can identify present participles and partly because I'm hoping it will end this blogging break I seem to have permanently taken. I hope to continue with the "weekend (-ing)" posts soon as well.
As February 2015 draws to a close, we three are ...
Celebrating The Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08772723381708427902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382802895124679948.post-39074534815404731882015-02-19T06:15:00.002+01:002015-02-19T06:15:37.951+01:00corner view
corner view :: homemade
The only thing homemade that is being created in our house lately is from the kitchen. One of my new year's resolutions is to spend the year mastering some of the dishes of my childhood, dishes I know and love that have unfortunately not secured routine places on my family table.
This is our first 2015 attempt at pork and sausage jambalaya, which barring the factDanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08772723381708427902noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382802895124679948.post-20091345689002692722015-02-17T16:30:00.000+01:002015-02-17T21:35:00.832+01:00carnival weekend in nice, france
The weekend in Nice was a wash: events were canceled, sidewalks were pulled up, the beach was inaccessible. The weather was absolutely awful, except for these few times I've captured here. We did have some lovely moments with friends new and old, but, really . . . we go to the South of France in February for the hope of warmth and sun along with the hope of a unique carnival experience.
Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08772723381708427902noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382802895124679948.post-43925644104134875432015-02-13T08:07:00.000+01:002015-02-13T11:03:12.954+01:00@ the italian primary school :: 24 :: choicesWe are currently in the throes of deciding on a middle school for Young One. The only thing I have to say about that at this time is that if selecting a middle school gives us this much angst, then I'm simply not sending her to college. True story.
Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08772723381708427902noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382802895124679948.post-5290809638438566592015-02-11T07:55:00.001+01:002015-02-11T07:58:02.588+01:00corner view
corner view :: love in my corner
Love in my corner is often found at the bar & pizzeria. Giovanni makes Young One a heart-shaped pizza every single time we visit our favorite take-away pizza joint nearby. Hearts in my caffè macchiato appear less frequently, but they always brighten my mood.
heart=love.
right?
Corner View is a weekly appointment Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08772723381708427902noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382802895124679948.post-54477160126320835982015-02-08T20:16:00.001+01:002015-02-08T20:16:31.186+01:00Saturday errands
A quick stop at nearby Ca'Basso to stock up on a bit of everyday table wine, quickly changed to . . . "So tell me again just how I can bottle your wine and make my own Prosecco." And if we can find the time, we intend to do just that.
Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08772723381708427902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382802895124679948.post-22294792882835642672015-02-07T05:00:00.000+01:002015-02-07T05:00:01.737+01:00cittadella views
When I visited Colmar, in the Alsace region of France, I remember thinking there couldn't be any place quite as quaint as Colmar. We've seen our fair share of quaint across Europe and even the US, but there was just something a bit different about Colmar.
That was until we visited nearby Cittadella recently. In the province of Padova, the old town of Cittadella Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08772723381708427902noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382802895124679948.post-60414314663804444622015-01-31T08:00:00.000+01:002015-02-02T06:46:43.444+01:00present participle list | january 2015I'm jumping on the monthly "present participle list" bandwagon this year, partly because I'm excited that there are people who can identify present participles and partly because I'm hoping it will end this blogging break I seem to have permanently taken. I hope to continue with the "weekend (-ing)" posts soon as well.
As January 2015 draws to a close, we three are ...
JAMMIN' to Ed Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08772723381708427902noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382802895124679948.post-13148616084293576522014-12-11T21:57:00.000+01:002014-12-11T22:00:12.394+01:00making merry
That night we served Thai...umm, they loved it. While we weren't able to pull together a meal (the shame!) we did have the stage ready for the kiddos, and they did not disappoint us: one sax solo, one trumpet solo, one sax and trumpet duet, one kid well-rehearsed with two piano pieces, one with one not-so-well rehearsed piece, and three vocal performances, to include one with original lyrics.Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08772723381708427902noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382802895124679948.post-22973680467747919142014-12-08T08:12:00.002+01:002014-12-08T09:06:37.970+01:00101. I really want to be a more frequent blogger.
2. My daughter has taken a step into the realm of community theater.
3. Which means we have all taken a step into community theater.
4. Community theater is great fun and fosters many positive things.
5. It also requires a huge commitment of time for performers.
6. And their parents.
7. My daughter's parents don't function well without a good daily Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08772723381708427902noreply@blogger.com2