Summer 2017

Flying to Zurich was a great idea, we really enjoyed our stays there at the beginning and end of our trip in June. After Zurich we headed south to Bologna, dinner at Ristorante al Sangiovese for old time's sake. Then we reported to the Villa Torre alle Tolfe outside of Siena for the 9-day seminar led by my old professor/director Giuseppe Mammarella.

Pinturicchio fresco in
Piccolomini Library in
Siena's Duomo

Giuseppe Mammarella

A shame there was a heat wave on at the same time, made some of the touring somewhat arduous. We really enjoyed meals with the group, trips to Siena, Lucca, Florence, Arezzo and Montalcino, and classes back at the villa (Italian film, Political Science, Art, and even Italian lessons, the advanced class for me).

At the new Stanford campus in Florence

Il Gruppo di 2017

After the seminar was over, we rented a car (wanted a Volvo, were given an Alfa Romeo, not really ideal for dirt roads...!) and set off for Country House Montali (our last visit had been in 2010 so we were long overdue). This whole trip was really a celebration of our ten-year anniversary, a little late. The pool at Montali was really welcome in the heat and the food was as good as ever. We made short trips, one to Perugia, another to Panicale to see again the room where we were married.

Portrait of Masolino
in Panicale Town Hall

Perugino's Madonna
and Child in Fontignano

When this part was done, we took the train to Milan, another great dinner at Hostaria al Borromei, and the next day boarded the Bernina Express for stunning views of the Swiss countryside on the way back to Zurich. One of the Siena seminar group lives in Zurich so we spent some time with her on our last day, as well as visiting James Joyce's grave.

James Joyce, Zurich

Bill and Betty Gerson, lunch in Zurich

Dinner at Olea in Brooklyn
on our way home from Europe

I wasn't home very long before it was time to go to Chester again with my special poetry friends. Refreshment for the mind before our month in Gilmanton. Which has just now concluded. I would say the highlight of Gilmanton this year was my winning the annual croquet match. So I am up-to-date for once. Always an article for the Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey to finish--the current one is our fifth in the series and due to come out in mid-September.

Winter 2017

Beginning December 7 with the launch of Volume Six of the Cool Women Anthology series, the Cool Women have been performing at a fever pitch, doing two more readings in March, and two in April. All our activities are up on our website at http://coolwomenpoets.org. In between this activity Chris Schopfer and I were getting out our third article in the Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey (it came out in January). Lois, Judy, and Juditha (of the Cools) and I participated in the Women's March in Trenton on January 21 (8,000 strong).

Then Bill and I headed to California on January 31, this time Southern California only, nice visits in the Pasadena area with our friend Mimi (Santa Anita races), Kirk and Melinda (saw their new home, and stopped in at Melinda's new workplace at the Washington Elementary School library in San Gabriel), and had dinner with Ed and Gypsy Bergstrom. With Fran and Roger we toured the Villa Aurora in Pacific Palisades, home of Lion Feuchtwanger, exiled German writer, and then went to the Los

Library at Villa Aurora

Angeles County Museum of Art. My sister and I went to the Casa Romantica in San Clemente, home of Ole Hanson, founder of the city, and then I went back there a few days later with Bill. We drove down to San Diego to spend the last few days of our vacation. One day we went to the San Diego Museum of Art in Balboa Park, and another day was spent walking the beach at the La Jolla Shores. We also paid a sunset visit to Sunset Cliffs. Back home February 13.

San Diego Museum of Art

On March 9, I read to a very special group of friends from Guilford (many came from the Guilford Poets Guild, the sponsor) at the Guilford Free Library. It was a lovely place to read, and the audience was especially lively. It was taped for the local cable TV station and can be viewed here.

Volume four of our genealogical series is soon to be out. Flowers are finally blooming here in New Jersey (also our heat is still on, I notice!)--it's May for goodness sake. Yesterday Bill and I were in the city to hear Parthenia (group of viola da gambists) perform at St. Luke in the Fields, and dinner in the Village at Dell'Anima. Getting ready for our getaway in June, to Siena.