Torre pendente di Pisa

Twenty one years ago today, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, was closed to the public. 

It wasn’t always leaning of course. Just 5 years after breaking ground in 1173, and as construction progressed beyond the second floor, a weak foundation and unstable soil caused the building to begin to sink.

Efforts over the years to stop the leaning have resulted in a numerous studies and stabilization efforts, even the removal of the bells (it was originally intended as a cathedral bell tower).

The good news is, the Tower was reopened again in 2001, but this time only to guided tours of 30 people at a time and requiring advance reservations.  

It comes as no surprise that Italy is now invested in maintaining the building’s tilt (more than 12 feet at the top) because of the role the tower plays in Pisa’s tourism.

My sister and I traveled to Italy in the late 80s and managed a trip through Pisa.  Regrettably, we ruled out a trek to the top - perhaps too little energy (for the 290+ steps) or more likely, too little cash.  We did, however, meet some very lovely people there, including a delightful elderly couple from the UK, Mr. and Mrs. Pickles.  

We didn't even bother to take the obligatory photo of us trying to hold the tower up but here's a photo from the train station in Pisa (see the poster of the Tower on the right).

Friendly Uruguayans along with me
and my sister at the train station in Pisa

So for those of us, like me, who didn't make it, here's a view from the top.  

National Smith Day

Believe it or not, today is National Smith Day. Yep, that's right, there is an official day to celebrate a surname.

Smith is, in fact, the most common last name in the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States. It is the second most common last name in Canada and the fifth most common last name in Ireland. More than 5 million people worldwide have the last name Smith.

Smith Day actually commemorates the Jan. 6, 1580, birthday of Captain John Smith, the English sailor and settler of Jamestown, Virginia.

My research reveals no National Jones, Johnson or Brown Days. But if you ask me, a Smith by marriage, it's great that a name so un-special, has it's own special day.

June 1991 on our Honeymoon - I'm a Smith!

The Twelfth Day

When my mother was a young girl,  Santa brought and decorated the tree on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day marked, as is traditional, the First Day of Christmas.  You know, the same one when your true love is supposed to deliver your partridge?!  Continuing that tradition, the 12th day of Christmas, January 5th was the  day our holiday decorations were taken down when I was growing up.

Nowadays it's popular to begin the  Christmas decorating process the Friday following Thanksgiving. And even that might seem late to you if you set foot into a retail store any day after Halloween.

The early onset of Christmas decorating is as disconcerting to me as the early demise of the decorations.  I don't believe I am the only one who thinks that  seeing a tree curbside or a house unadorned of its wreaths and lights on December 26th or 27th is unreasonable.

Full disclosure, we took down our decorations on January 2nd this year.  And when I say "took down" I mean transitioned the decorations, from their previous places of honor, to our dining room table, where they are sure to rest until the end of the month.  Not the tree or the wreath of course, which made their way to the compost pile, but the candles, artificial garland, advent wreath, etc.

I guess that was my bowing to peer pressure and, no doubt, to convenience  since more hands were at home to help with the "un-decorating."

Perhaps someday I'll confidently leave our decorations up, inside and out, through January 5th.  And I won't anticipate or fear the suspect glances and retribution of my neighbors.

And drummers drumming?  I'll be waiting for them.

Happy Statehood Day Alaska!

 On Jan. 3, 1959, President Eisenhower signed a proclamation admitting Alaska to the Union as the 49th state.

Alaska's been in the news A LOT recently, particularly because of a certain former Vice Presidential candidate.  But, since this isn't a political blog (though I'm not saying I won't have one of those too, some day),  I wanted to write a little about the majesty of Alaska and celebrate the day it joined the Lower 48 as part of our great union.  

I can hardly believe it when I write that my family has a thirty year history (when you take into account that the state's history is just slightly more 50 years) with Alaska.  

My husband spent two long  summers working at a fishing lodge in Alaska during college.  

To this day, this fact still surprises me.  Not because my husband is a true southerner, born in Memphis and raised geographically almost as far from Alaska as you can be in the U.S., and not because my husband doesn't seem like the type to do this kind thing (because he does), but because I don't think I seem like the type of person that would marry a guy who did such a thing.  

The Brooks Falls in the Katmai National Park is famous for bear viewing.  My husband took this photo in 1982

Resolving to be Organized

One of my perpetual New Year’s resolutions is to become more organized.  Consequently, I am always in search of ideas, gadgets and tools that will help me accomplish just that. 

Thanks to technology (hooray for the inventive-types!), I think I’ve found something that will be very useful to me.

I just became familiar with what I think are two really good free apps  for my smartphone. 

The first app is CardStar.  This app rids your wallet and keychain of those irritating reward/membership cards whose popularity has grown exponentially in the last few years. It allows you to store your grocery, drugstore,  library (really!) and lots of others cards, in your phone. It converts the data you enter and creates the same barcode that appears on your card.  Consequently, you can just hand your phone to the clerk and he/she can scan it.

I don’t know about you, but I tried carrying all those cards in my wallet and it just wasn’t big enough.  I moved them to a clear Ziploc-type makeup bag, which was often left in my car.  But, where’s the organization in that, my friend?  Finally I settled upon a black cardcase, generally used to collect business cards, which I purchased at Target. 

The problem is, I had more cards than the case had shiny transparent sleeves. (Okay, maybe that’s a compulsive shopping problem, but let's solve one dilemma at a time).  

It's 2011!

A happy New Year! 

Grant that I
May bring no tear to any eye
When this New Year in time shall end
Let it be said I've played the friend,
Have lived and loved and labored here,
And made of it a happy year.
~Edgar Guest