Hello! Welcome to my website and blog.

When used as an Italian idiom, per caso implies a wonderful process by which stuff comes together to create an opportunity that is seemingly by chance.

There are many other words… luck [when preparation meets opportunity]; courage [putting what’s important to you above your fear]; karma, destiny, fate….

I like these concepts because they encourage us to increase our awareness and live in the moment.

Please enjoy my site… it challenges me to acknowledge my courage and prepare for my luck!

Katherine Zimmer
Artist • Writer • Coach
Marketing Diva

The telephone bird is ringing! Answer it!

We couldn’t understand how someone could have such an obnoxious telephone ring out here in the dead of quiet… well, after several annoyed hours, we figured out that a new bird had arrived on the scene for Spring in Tuoro. Ringringring Ringringring Ringringring….. long pause and again…. it sounds exactly like a telephone bell! Amazing!

Thursday
Florence was like going home only without all the reasons why “you can’t go home.” We had no agenda or expectations other than a few toiletries at our favorite profumeria and a good meal. Too many people already… no shortage of tourism here. The fountain was squirting water over my marble horses, the sun was out, and the same man was selling us an our extra bag (we will need one, of course) in the straw market… he sold us one six years ago. I still don’t know why they call it the “straw” market.

We walked and walked with familiarity and warmth. As much as we talk about finding a smaller town to live in… we really can’t see ourselves anywhere but here. Don’t panic, we didn’t find a flat or even look for that matter!

There were a few new sidewalk cafes, crowding in the piazzas even more. The Carabinieri (policemen) on horseback were on cell phones… uninterested while tourists snapped pics at their sides. Franco, our elderly waiter was like an old, favorite shoe. Enjoying our seasoned respect for his profession and doing his best to be invisible while our every need was met. We enjoyed the feeling of time standing still while watching hundreds of unique foreigners bustling around in a piazza on a sunny day with their new technologies…. in a renaissance city…

Reading back, this all sounds so corny… I wonder what the Italian word for corny is?

I got “lost” for a while with my new camera taking pictures of some old subjects… my Tribunal building with the angel boys and mysterious women… I love my new zoom lens! I can see their faces and every nick in the stone… much safer than scaffolding. Mom is an exceptional photographic assistant!

Then a gelato for the walk back to the train station… perfect. The trains back to Tuoro run on the hour at nine minutes past… how convenient for a stop in such a small town… thank god it’s on the way to Rome!

Sunday
It rained again today, hard. The leaves are growing so fast on the trees… it seems like everyday they are completely different. I’m going to run out of film. We stayed in, read, played with the cats, and worked on the book. Oh, we also finalized our plans for Rome. Yehaaaa! We’ve decided to go at the end of our time here so as to have something to look forward to (in Italy) when we pack. This is a cheap attempt at staving off Italy-departure-depression-syndrom (IDDS). We’ll have 4 nights in Rome to do the city right before going on to England.

Off to Castiglione del Lago tomorrow. Hope this finds you all well and making progress on your dreams!