Travel to Tuscany

Special dispatch from Louise Divilio Brown (Louise visited Italy three times last year. Trips to Tuscany were the highlight, along with the pictures she sent - to the right)

The view from the villa in Montisi where I stayed illustrates why this was my favorite visit. The villa slept 18, had beautiful views, and was perfect for brief walks into the village to buy fresh ingredients for delicious food. The cheeses were incredible, with different flavors from what we can purchase here. (It might be the fact that they are not pasteurized in these small Tuscany villages.) Since there is no air conditioning, September and October are ideal times to visit. It helps to have a member in your party who speaks Italian if you are traveling in the villages. Many Italians spoke English in the cities.

The Italians were all fashion plates. They wore high heels and beautiful scarves with their dresses. We were comfortable yet identifiable as American tourists in slacks and short-sleeve tops.

Click on photos for larger image

PienzaArezzo - Plaza where "Its a
      Beautiful Life" was filmed

Todi    Ponte Vecchio, Florence

Il Campo, SiennaView from our villa in
      Montisi

An Encouraging Word

The Hidden Messages in Water (Atria Books) by Masaru Emoto, a Japanese scientist, reminds us of the power of the word. Emoto holds the copyright (2001-2004) on this work in English and Japanese.

Concentrated thought, written or spoken, photographs of the earth's beauty, and music are all shown to affect molecules of water. The gorgeous high speed photographs of crystals formed in frozen water in this book illustrate that our thoughts, words, and feelings affect water (the primary component of humans and earth). Words of love and gratitude evoke beauty; words of hate and derision result in pictures of chaos or prevent the crystalline beauty from emerging. This is mind- blowing research with implications that resonate with what we’ve experienced. Appreciation and encouragement call us forth to be what we can be.

Remember Who You Are

Marianne Williamson's wisdom and that of A Course in Miracles shines in The Gift of Change.

The chapter entitled "From Separation to Relationship" reminds us that all relationsips are teaching and learning opportunities. We can perceive the innocence in others. We can be messengers of love and forgiveness. We can invite the Holy Spirit to enter any relationship and prevail over the ego's fear and panic.

Marianne Williamson offers us this prayer:

Dear God,
I place my relationship with...
In Your hands.
May my presence be a blessing in his life.
May my thoughts toward him be those of innocence and love,
And may his thoughts toward me be those of innocence and love.
May all else be cast out.
May our relationship be lifted
To divine right order,
And take the form
That best serves Your purposes.
May all unfold,
In this and all things,
According to Your Will.
Amen.

(Copyright 2004 Marianne Williamson)

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