Italy

So I was in Italy for 8 days. Met my parents who were over there visiting lots of my mom's relatives. We stayed in a teeny town in the south, south-east of Naples. Absolute rural farm country. It was fabulous! Then we spent three days in Rome. I took 812 digital images, four rolls of 120 film and nearly three rolls of 35mm.

Here's a picture to whet the appetite...

So the past week has consisted of taking care of my parents' cats, waiting for good weather - didn't come, getting ready for the trip to Italy, and trying to do some art.

The weather stinks - too cold to swim last week and then nothing but rain. I had to try to vacuum the pool today in the rain. There is green algae on the bottom and I am just annoyed with it. Chlorine switch next year.... This has been the summer of slime... At least there won't be slime in the Mediterranean at Paestum...

Taking care of the parents' cats is a job because they are both special needs kitties. And I always try to undo the damage my dad does spoiling her, knowing full well he will ruin my efforts when he gets back. Gimpy is dangerously obese and that aggravates her arthritis (which is partly a result of her long ago broken leg). If she was lighter, that would put less stress on her bones. If she was given herbal medicine that might alleviate the pain, she may be less depressed and grumpy. So, I put her on a diet and give her herbal medicine at each visit. What do I get? A ferociously loveable cat. She purrs nonstop, walks faster, drooled on me and even lets me pick her up. Hmmm.. perhaps I know what I am doing?

I have been working on small sculptures with bones and bugs. The final part involved felting. I tried it last week. I can't do it. The bottom of my right palm hurts too much to apply the pressure I need to apply while rubbing the wool. I got 6 pieces and one flat piece done, but not without pain. There is also swelling. The wrist where the incision is fine but this is a new development. Back to the doctor on the 26th....

I leave for Rome tomorrow, so that is a bright spot. I fly in overnight, get picked up by the parents, and we drive back to the apartment they rented in Zuppino. I am nearly all packed and just glad to have been able to get the ticket for the price I got it at. I am bringing the Holga, the Diana mini and the T2i. Lots of b&w 120mm and just a few 35mm. May also bring a sketchbook and some pens...

I developed the film from Paris with some Acufine from work that would have been thrown out. I took one can home to test if it was still good considering it is most likely older than me. It is a bit weak so I extended the development time by a minute or so and great results! Once the school year starts and it gets darker earlier, I plan to print in the basement more. Of course, that has to be done while the hubby is home. Millie cries too much if we are not on the same floor and the basement is a no go for her...

I think she and I need some cuddle time before I leave... time to put the red blankie over me on the couch...

Planning...

So even though I plan the projects in June, I am always tweaking things. So I have been reading - as usual - and looking at stuff on the computer. Some things planned for P2 & 3:

• Experimentation and in-depth work with aperture
• Flash - both on the hot shoe and off
• More history - this should motivate them to do more stuff that is non-stock or snapshot-y
• Self-publishing
• A report - I've done this when I taught middle school... tons of more work for me but they truly learn more
• Experimentation in the darkroom as an assignment or an element of one
• Formal portraiture - I saw a box of something donated when I was in the room recently; with the lights we got from media last winter and the new backdrop, we can do this for real
• Revising permissible submissions and the frequency of them.

Needless to say, I am not going to back down and skip the really hard stuff. I know many will struggle, but they don't learn and appreciate what I teach if it comes easily. After talking to a former student, I realized I am teaching the right stuff and it should not be a problem if I try to challenge them. I am sure I will get arguments and problems from parents, but this isn't for me. It's for the students and the program. Too many kids get into college and then need to take remedial classes or are not ready for the work and difficulty. I don't want my kids to get by in college. I want them to blow away the other art students...

Now off to do some art...

Eh...

So I realized no one is reading about Paris. So I will just leave it as a wonderful experience that will be a secret between me and some super cool photo students....

The last couple of days we went to the Eiffel Tower, some gals went on a Seine River cruise as the sun went down, M.M. wowed us with her ability to bargain down the price of a souvenir, some of the group went to a small town out in the country, some of us met up with one gal's uncle and had fantastic gelato, we went to Pere Lachaise cemetery to see Jim Morrison's grave (and many others!), we went to Montmartre and saw the seedy area... So many nice things and, though I was beat when I got back home and thought I'd be fine with no trip next summer, I am actually missing the togetherness and good vibes. I am going to try for the Berlin/Prague trip, knowing it probably will not happen... Gosh I miss the gals...

Louvre...

And now... back to Paris. We went to the Louvre on their late night - Thursday - to avoid crowds. Fabulous idea. Students went their way, hubby, Lisa, Dems and I went ours. Dems didn't care what she saw, so I led. Hubby and Lisa tired easily - of course - and we left them to wander. I like the old, creepy, devilish Medieval and Early Renaissance. So, the walk involved seeking just that type of gory thing out. The end goal was to show Dems the Brueghel and Bosch. Alas, those galleries were closed. But, on the way to finding hubby, we happened upon the apartments of Napolean III. I am a sucker for whole rooms exhibited in situ. This was amazing - plush chairs, flocked walls, spiral stairs, 19th century heating fixtures and one loooong dining room table.

We hung around outside the Louvre as the sun set and waited for the rest of the groups to make it out. It was such a nice night. I still don't like the I.M. Pei pyramid, but the rest of the Louvre was just wonderful. Of course, we all only saw a fraction of it. And a funny aside - as we were standing inside by a planter, Lisa saw a mouse! She tried to get a picture and I looked for the cutie, but he must have run up inside the planter. This is funny because a few years back, I bought a kids' book about a mouse that lives at the Louvre. I thought the drawings were Gorey-esque. The mouse stops a theft from happening. Wonder if the mouse was related... tee hee...