In this pliable, foldable, wearable bagI place a semi-confident assumptionthat I will be ok.I accept its quirks as I hope it accepts mine.In this bag, I hold snapshots of the pastand consider future plans. For as much as this bag is meant to carry allof my knicks and knacks,it can’t quite contain the mass of…
Tag: travel
Buenos Aires, Argentina | 2026
This spring, I had the incredible opportunity to serve on a volunteer/ministry team on a trip to Pilar, Argentina. I have been an adjunct faculty member at my alma mater in the Department of Communication for six years (teaching PR writing and occasional other courses) and I was thrilled to be invited by the department…
Book Review: The Secrets of Florence
Why I was interested in this book: Last fall, my family took a lovely vacation to Italy. We started in Rome, took the high-speed train up to Venice and the ended our trip in Florence (with a final flight back out of Rome). In preparation for the trip, my sister and I had found some…
Above the Clouds I, II & III
I. Let me be above the cloudsjust for a moment;up here, I can breathe.The worries of the earth have to leave me alone.I can’t tend to my garden above the clouds.I can only dream of the roses, peonies & lilacsthat will make my home a glorious altar to the senses.I can’t harvest my vegetables.I can…
Book Review: The Writer’s Table — Famous Authors and Their Favourite Recipes
Why I was interested in this book The Writer’s Table caught my eye as I wandered through Anthropologie on a sunny Sunday afternoon. I really had no business buying anything that day, let alone a coffee table book, but the book’s concept & design were really captivating. I own quite a few art books that…
Book Review: A Time of Gifts
Note: I’ve been on the struggle bus with book reviews for the past month or so—not because I haven’t been reading books. On the contrary, I’ve read quite a few good ones lately and I’ve felt rather guilty about not sharing the wealth. A few years ago, I decided that writing reviews on this blog…
Florence, Italy | 2025
After the mesmerizing beauty of Venice, my family traveled (again by train) back southward to Florence. I was looking forward to Firenze, having been told that I would “love it” given my interest in art. The museums on our to-do list looked interesting and I had found (via Instagram) a list of sandwich shops that…
Venice, Italy | 2025
For most of my life, Venice held a sort of magical mysticism in my mind—based, of course, primarily on what I had seen on film and read about in books. The first time I remember really encountering the city was in the 2003 movie The Italian Job. I won’t spoil it for you, but the…
Rome, Italy | 2025
When in Rome… I’m not sure any of us actually used that phrase during our time in Italy, but we certainly tried to do as the Romans do in terms of eating, drinking and generally enjoying life during our time en Italia. We arrived on our direct flight from Chicago O’Hare to Roma Fiumicino early…
Book Review: The Adventures of Arsène Lupin, Gentleman-Thief
On my trip to New York City this spring, I picked up a pocket-sized edition of Maurice Leblanc’s seminal work, The Adventures of Arsène Lupin, Gentleman-Thief, in the gift shop of the New York Public Library. I was thrilled to find a copy in English because to my own dismay, I have yet been able…
L.M.Beatty 