Roma-The Eternal City

We had a good flight over and essentially hit the ground running. We couldn't check into our rooms so we changed at the hotel and walked somewhere between 3-6 blocks just to catch the bus to take our "City Tour". It was interesting and a great overview of the area. Very hot here today though! We ultimately got off at Colosseum and did that tour along with the Palatine Hill and Roman Forum area. This area is credited with being the birthplace of modern civiliation..so amazing how old this city is! After our LONG trek back we returned about 5:30 to the hotel...cleaned up and then went down the street for a local Italian dinner. It was delicious! Everyone is asleep as I sit up and do this update. Here is a few pictures of the day! By the way we have had very little sleep since leaving Nashville yesterday! Greg was the winner for sleeping...Phil, Deanna and I had less than 2 hrs. sleep on the plane! You will also see a picture of Greg refilling a water bottle. The water is safe from any fountain and cold. Amazing! Internet is slow, but will try to update tomorrow also!

Italia-Here we come!

We leave home at 7:30 in the morning. We fly from Nashville to Chicago and from there it's direct to Rome. When we arrive it will be about 1 am CDT and in Rome it will be 8 am. Sunday will be our day to tour the city by bus! We will be spending 2 nights in Rome and then on to a small town, Castellina which is south of Florence. We will be there 4 nights and travel that region during those days. The 7th night in Italy will be on the east coast in Ravenna and then the following 2 days will be spent touring Venice and that area. After that we are hoping to go into the Dolomite area. We have 3 nights with no reservations so we can be flexible in travel. The last night September 12th will be in Milan. We fly out from there on Saturday the 13th. Our thanks to Phil and Deanna, our traveling buddies, for planning this wonderful trip!

Basil and Peppers

I got home on Saturday night, after we ate at our favorite restaurant in Nashville. We've really been dry here until last night. Finally "Faye" decided to bring some rain our way! Thanks to my Mom, Dad and Greg my plants on the deck did stay watered. The produce in the EarthBoxes has abounded. When I left I had 6 basil plants in one box that were no more than 4" tall. Now after the rain they are falling over! I plan to harvest soon. I learned a easy convenient way to store it from my many years of attending cooking school.

Take the clean dry basil leaves and put in a food processor. Add just enough olive oil to moisten. Pulse until finely chopped. I put about 2 T. in a snack bag and seal. Then I store my many snack bags in a quart bag and label. The basil will remain that bright green color in the freezer and you can just add a bag or two to sauces, pasta salad or even salad dressings. You can use it to make pesto later on also!


I also decided to grow jalapeno peppers this year. They have gotten so tall even after staking that they have also fallen over. Many have turned red also. I will be pickling peppers and doing basil very soon!

Joys of Being a Grandmother!

Benjamin, Warren and I had a picnic today. Tropical storm Faye decided to finally dump some rain in our area today so our planned outdoor picnic became an indoor picnic in Warren's bedroom! It tasted as good as if we were outside! Yesterday I got to travel to Orlando and officially babysit Camden. He was good as usual for his CiCi. He is a precious baby! The night before, Ben spent the night with me and we had "burgers and broccoli". We had his favorite dessert...POPCORN as we watched his favorite movie, "The Polar Express". It doesn't matter to him that it's a Christmas movie. He loves it any time of the year! It's been fun for CiCi to spend time with all in Florida!

Special Treat

I had lunch yesterday with my dear friend Amy Buckspan. We met in Rio de Janeiro in 2004. Her husband Randy is a Plastic Surgeon and they had gone from their church (FBC St. Petersburg, FL) with Calvary Baptist out of Tuscaloosa, AL. We immediately became friends in this foreign country and have continued to visit when we are in the area. After meeting and discussing places and things in St. Pete we discovered that we had similar tastes in food and shopping places! Our favorite restaurant is Red Mesa, so it is a real treat to get to go there when in town! Thanks to Randy and Amy for being great friends!

Old Friends and New

One of the greatest joys of our trips to Rio have been shared with some of our oldest and dearest friends. Jimmy and Cheri Price who we met in 1971 in Memphis have had the opportunity to go to Rio with us for 2 years. This year we had a special treat by having Dennis and Carolyn Schmitt go with us. We met them in 1975 when we moved to Sparta, TN. What a blessing to go "on mission" with such special friends! Half of our team hails from Alabama and Greg and I've been going on trips with some of them for the past eights years. It's been so neat to see how God has put all these special people in our lives!

Rio "The Marvelous City"

This is Rio's nickname and so appropriate. The landscape is so majestic although there are "favelas" (slums) almost in every view.
I am reminded of a phrase from the song, "Shout to the Lord" when I am in Rio de Janeiro. The words that describe this landscape are as follows...

"the mountains bow down and the seas will roar at the sound of His Name! I sing for joy at the work of Your hands forever I'll love You for ever I'll stand nothing compares to the promise I have in You!"

This is the view of "Sugarloaf" (Pão de Açúcar) from the "Christ the Redeemer" (Cristo Redentor) which stands on Corcovado Mountain. The Christ Statue stands 125 ft. tall and to walk up to it you have to travel 220 steps!
The heading on my page is a view from the top of our hotel looking towards Copacabana Beach. The first picture is a view of a favela looking from the roof just behind the hotel! Such a contrast of landscapes and lifestyles! Praise God He came to save the rich and the poor!
If you missed our updates from Rio you can get a good idea of how blessed our trip was by reading our daily journal updates which were written by our fabulous writer Page Hughes.

Sunset at Parrish

Just wanted to share the beautiful scenery from our backporch here in Florida. These pictures were taken the middle of July! God's masterpiece!

Still in Florida-Brazil was awesome!

I left TN on July 24 and I hope to return soon! Allison's baby came 3 weeks early so after our Mission Trip to Brazil I flew straight from Atlanta to Orlando. After getting over the respiratory illness (I apparently brought back from Brazil), I have thoroughly enjoyed taking care of Allison, David and baby Camden! He is such a good baby! To see more pictures of all the grandsons be sure and check out Ashley's and Allison's blogs.