Read Marsha Burdick

Sometimes it happens. You interrupt an activity that you like (blogging) just for a bit, you think. And then months pass before you get into it again. Well, I'm back. In the past year, I've become a grandmother, I've worked a lot, I've learned how to paint (sort of), and I've started working on my novel (again). I want to sound encouraging because it can be frightfully depressing to think about the things that I want to do, but never get around to. Time management is one of the keys. I've started using a site called Toggl to keep track of what I really do during the day. I'm discontinuous and distracted, almost the point of being jumpy if I hit the coffee pot too hard, and from a business angle, I'm tracking the hours I spend on projects and other important activities. I have found that I can, after all, find time to write so please check back in a week or so. I'm putting together a new reading list. Too many interests can also cause errat...

Stories and summer go hand in hand. Teachers assign summer reading, vacationers cradle novels as they bake on the beaches, and airport bookstores offer all sorts of options for passing the time after take-off. It was summertime when I read my first novel in Italian, The French Lieutenant's Woman by John Fowles. My approach was to sit down with a book and a pencil and underline the words I didn't know. If I could understand the gist of the story without these words, I would continue reading, but if I was missing too much. I would put the book back and get another one. Finally, I found one that was OK. I could understand enough to figure out what was going on. However, when I started looking for a dictionary, I was appalled! We were staying with my inlaws in a house that belonged to other relatives who did not own any sort of reference books - and this was long before Internet and wifi - so I had to ask the mother-tongue Italians I was with to define words that I didn...

Shows, food, discussions and lots of people are all going to converge to hopefully bring a much needed surge of business to the local economy. We're counting on it, I'd say, but there is more to it than that. Universal Expositions are actually fairs to promote international tourism, industry, design and exchange. If you want more history, I suggest you hop over to Wikipedia for a quick brush-up. What is EXPO Milano 2015?  Tourism, farming, food, music, art, architecture: these are the more obvious themes of this year's Expo. Pavilion styles reflect cultural differences with a definite slant in expression towards food and perception of natural resources. Several countries have independent constructions to illustrate their commitment/contributions towards the world's food supply. Many have interactive tables or video games to let people playfully explore topics like crop production, sustainability and innovation. Argentine beef salad Feeding the Planet... ...

Farinata with an interesting white wine at the #Eataly Pavilion. That's all everyone is talking about right now. I live in Italy, and Italian food is ... well, do I really have to explain that? The main reason that food is on everyone's minds is that Expo2015 is all about food, so it seems obvious that this month's book list should discuss the topic. How many cookbooks do you own? At last count, I think I had between 40 and 50. Some of them are really small paperbacks, and some are nice big treasures with lots of pictures. A few were given to me as gifts, and one or two are legacies from grandmothers. My favorites?  They're oldies but goodies. The Microwave Guide and Cookbook by General Electric Company. La Cucina , edited and adapted by Myra Street with a wine section by Serena Sutcliffe. Chocolat by Stephan Lagorce is absolutely fabulous! Of course, my copy is in Italian. This very creatively packaged book looks like a wrapped chocolate bar, wi...

It's absolutely crazy at work! Every business in Milan is preparing for either (or both!) the EXPO or the  Salone del Mobile - which is only the biggest international furniture fair in Europe. My translation business is involved in the preparation for these events, so I'm doing lots of furniture or tourism related text. It's interesting to get to know the history of a thriving company, and the passion that helped it get where it is now. At this difficult time for the economy, companies are looking to attract customers and, naturally, sell their products. The buzzwords? Natural , environmentally friendly , innovation , convenience , comfort, timeless beauty , durability , and my personal pet peeve for this year: avant-garde . Why o why has every copywriter starting using that word? Anyway, have you read any good business books lately? Business books are filled with marketing tips and encouragement, and they don't beat around the bush. It's as plain as da...

Writing I decided to work on a short story for this round of Camp NaNoWriMo, though I already know it's going to be hard to finish. This time of year, I've always got a ton of work to do, especially at the beginning of April. We'll see what I can manage to get done. My story is about a woman who makes a big decision when she is young, without really realizing how important it is until much later. I'm trying to explore our need to give and receive advice, and why we are willing to believe certain things or people. What do you think about advice? Leave a comment and tell me about it. EXPO 2015 The  World's Fair  will be opening on May 1st in Milan and everything is really crazy. Some of the construction work isn't finished yet, and there have been the usual accusations of politicians spending all the money before things were actually paid for. In fact, last year I saw advertisements for volunteers to work the stands! It seems that there is no money to ...

Sometimes we get nostalgic. Poetry is a good way to express those feelings and give them a particular weight. This is a piece that I sent to the 2002 edition of the "Montagne d'Argento" contest from Keltia Editrice , and it was chosen for publication. The theme was childhood games and toys, and so I chose this and translated it.   Dolls in the Closet As I look at them today, They seem to ask: Where have you been, little one? You used to pay close attention, And care daily for us- Dress us, and brush our hair. What toys are you playing with Now that you are grown? A window to childhood – These dolls in the closet. Lifeless creatures of plastic That once were so real. The sisters I never had, Or the children I would have someday. They played these roles, once- Long ago. Now, as I brush their hair again And wipe away from their eyes The dust of the years- Their faces shine ...