Things I Love Thursday in Italy

This is where I am. La Meridiana. This is a photo credit.

& Being in Italy & being in Italy with my grandmother, sister, mom, aunt, and grandmother's goddaughter & olive  oil from the olive grove next door & olive oil with salt and bread (try it. sprinkle some salt on a plate, pour some olive oil on the salt, dip your bread in this. you will never want to eat bread and oil any other way.) & gelato & people who speak three different languages & talking and laughing with people who speak no English while you can't speak their native language & learning to make things out of clay & learning to make porcelain clay in different colors & learning to make ceramics in Italy (yes, I am saying Italy a lot because, come on, you would too if you were in Italy.) & getting to know my grand mother's goddaughter & dancing with Lise (pronounced Leez) from Canada to the "13 Going On 30" Soundtrack & The Golden Light of 5 p.m. (This light used to make me sad. When I was in grade school and the summer was coming to an end, meaning I was going to have to go to school again, I would start crying around 5 p.m. When the golden light made everything beautiful and I was sad I was not going to be able to lounge around being painted by that light. Now, I have a new and happy respect for this light. Thanks, Italy.) & Olive Oil Tasting (You've heard of wine tastings... olive oil tastings are the same thing. Only, I never knew so many flavors could be found in Olive Oil.) & finding little things for friends & making little pieces of jewelry for people (it you would like a piece of something I make in Italy post a comment and email the Fantastic Spatula with your mailing address. I'm serious. Until I run out of little things. Then I'm not serious any more.) & Curtis Benzle and Martha and Antonella (OK. Curtis is my teacher, Martha [pronounced Marta] sits at my table and we laugh and make things together, and Antonella is another student in the class. These people are amazing artists and I can't even begin to tell you how amazing it has been to be in the same ROOM and them.)  & Taking Pictures of Italy & meeting my bosses daughter in Florence for a wine and bread and olive oil & Italian Food & Two Hour Lunches & Siestas & laughing all night with my grand mother and cohorts about what we did when we were babies & so. many. things. & all of you. & I can't wait to show you pictures from my trip & everything online being in Italian &