shave ice & gelato

I'm sorry to hear about the budget cuts. It seems everywhere you turn you hear similar stories but we must be greatful for the jobs we do have. Your photo choices are beautiful and so fitting for the theme.

Your photos are beautiful. I love how you captured the detail on the door.

You have had a busy time recently. It is such a shame that we can not get our priorities straight and fund education. We are jeopardizing our future.

I've driven a Honda for over 25 years. We had an Accord for 20 years. It was a great car. We switched to a Civic and it has been great also. We also have a 1983 Toyota Truck that is still going strong. Both are great cars.

Congratulations on your new Honda!! I've had mine for almost 10 years and it stills runs like a dream. And it's very low maintenance. :-D

We are in the same state budget-wise. I started the school year without start up budget, so I spent my own money to purchase glue sticks, paper, pencils, crayons, etc. Sad state...

I love all the twisted columns! Great photos for today's theme. Mine is finally up - LATE.

Great sequence of beautiful shots.
Florence is one of my favotite places.

Excellent photos. Ach it's not a good time to be a public servant anywhere at the moment. njoy your new Honda!

Stupid governments that don't put their money into education FIRST. So many of the world's problems could be eased if everyone had a high quality public education.

Bad timing with the car but it must be great to be driving a new one. I LOVE having a new car.

I absolutely love the photographs you used this week. Wonderful art and so well suited for the theme. I am sorry that you are dealing with the contract issues. I have friends who are teachers facing similar budget cuts. It sucks.

Wow... what fantastic artwork.

Hi Girasoli, I loved your photos of the Duomo and they are perfect for this week's theme! I'm sorry to hear about the cuts in education. It's too bad that they could not find the money elsewhere. Education is so important.

Congratulations on your new car. You will be very happy for many many years. My Civic lasted me 17 good years and nearly 220,000 miles. And that's in bumper to bumper LA traffic 5 days a week.

Have a great Sunday evening.

The photos are awesome! Sorry to hear about the budget woes. What a mess. And congrats on the new car! Car shopping is stressful to me, but it's great when it's over and you have a nice safe new car to drive.

I was looking at the photos, thinking those look familiar, is this the Duomo in Florence?! Got to your caption and YES, I was right!! You've managed to create a really cool optical effect with these photos - scroll up and down them and those columns appear to be twirling!

Congrats on the car! My sister, who was always a diehard Toyota fan, now swears by her Honda Civic. She just bought a new one, after running her old one into the ground. So sorry to hear about the budget cuts, that really sucks. I know money is tight, but I hate when the "answer" is found through paycuts. With the state of Nova Scotia's financial picture, am a bit worried I'll suffer the same fate when our contract expires this March, sure hope not though. A freeze is bad enough, but a pay cut is a bitter pill to swallow. Sending ((((hugs))))

Girasoli, first of all I'm really proud of you for working as a union rep (I'm a strong union supporter) and it's outrageous that your governor is cutting education funding so drastically.

I'm really sorry to hear you have to deal with all of that, and then to have your car crap out must have been the last straw! But congratulations on the new Honda Civic! At least, that will be one less worry -- I drive a 20 year old Toyota and I swear by the so-called "foreign brands." I'm sure you'll get your money's worth out of the Civic.

This probably isn't great financial advice, but I have started entering every free contest that comes across my path -- contests for travel, contests for free goods (like a new car, or TV!) It's not exactly a sound strategy, but I wouldn't turn up my nose at a trip to Vienna to hear opera!

The photos are great! I read Anne's comments and scrolled up and down to see if the columns appeared to be twirling and they do but so are my eyes!

Brava to you for being a union rep. My husband has a long history with union labor and he well knows that it requires much dedication and a lot of time and effort. Sorry to hear about the budget cuts and you car problems. Hondas are excellent cars and they really are built to last. After buying only European cars, we made the switch ten years ago to Honda andToyota and we've been very pleased. I drive a Prius in the city and I love it.

Barb, I keep telling myself how lucky I am to have a job. Glad you liked my choice of photos :)

Marta, usually the door is open, but I was lucky to catch it one day when it was closed. I loved how delicately it was carved.

It is really sad what is happening to education. I wonder if education will ever be a priority in this country. I think the problem is that everyone just thinks about the present and not the future. We definitely are jeopardizing our future.

I have been hearing good things about Hondas from so many people now. Glad to hear that your Honda has lasted so long. I am hoping my car will last a long long time.

softdrink, thanks! Low maintenance is just what I need :)

Eden, I think California is in an even bigger mess. At least we were able to prevent the larger class sizes (which would have occurred if we didn’t vote for the furloughs). Glad you liked my photos :)

Randi, thanks! Florence is amazing!!

jams O'Donnell, thanks!

Jerry, well we do have a Republican Governor who campaigned for Palin and thinks Bush was one of our greatest Presidents. Thank goodness she will be gone in two more years! I am very excited to be driving my new car. It is like being spoiled.

Carver, thanks! I love the detail on some of the more ornate churches in Italy. When I searched furloughs and education, I was shocked to see how many states are dealing with this problem. Hopefully our country will get back on its feet soon and then we can make education a priority.

Peter, thanks :)

Kathy, it took me a bit to remember that I took these photos when figuring out what I wanted to use this week. Glad you like them :)

It really is sad that education is not a priority. Glad to hear from another Honda owner. Wow, 220,000 miles! My Saturn only had 60,000 when it died.

Annie, glad you like the photos :) The budget here is a big mess! The other State workers are still waiting to hear their fate. I also hate car shopping. It is such a big decision. Lots of stress but one you drive out that door in your new car, it all fades away.

Anne, I was going to put the location on the top but then decided on putting it under the photos so everyone could guess. Good job! Thanks for noticing the order. It tried to put them in an order so when you scrolled up and down they would go well one after another. Glad you got the optical illusion effect :)

I was always a Toyota fan also. I am glad my brother talked me into checking out the Honda. I hope you are spared next year from any cuts. I agree, a freeze is bad enough but a cut is not good. Thanks for the hugs :)

sandrac, well I have to admit, I did not volunteer to be the rep (only because of all the extra meetings and the fact that they are held closer to town which means more traffic to deal with going home) but it has been interesting hearing the info at the meetings. Teachers at our school take turns and when nobody volunteers, names are pulled. I am however a stong union supporter. Grew up in a union household and have always been grateful for how the unions protect the workers’ rights. Especially with how this governor wanted to take away our duty free lunch time, our prep time, sick days, etc.

The car stuff was not the best of timing but at least I got it before I started to see a cut in pay (that will happen in November). I loved driving my new car to work today and am glad I won’t have to deal with car problems for a while (I hope!). I enter the contests also! I actually one a contest once 9 years ago – willing $500.00 in software from a special ed software company. It was for work, but still I won! Oooohhh! I would go to Vienna (and then of course take a sidetrip to Italy!). :)

María, glad you like the photos :) I am just glad we didn't end up striking the year I am the union rep! Being a rep definitely adds to my list of things to do as well as all the meetings. I thought about getting a hybrid but with the amount of miles I drive it would have taken years to make up for the extra cost. Also the back of the car is raised up more which makes it difficult for me to see well. My friend has a Prius and loves it.

hi G: Excellent clarity to your photos. It was a trivia game for me - I knew I had seem those columns somewhere:-) Isn't Florence marvelously rich with art at practically every corner of the Duomo. I fell in love with the Bapistry doors when I was there too.

Sorry to hear about your current situation with the car and job, but you won't have any concerns about car repairs for a while and you do have a job. So much for the Hawaiian sunshine. Kudos for you for taking on the added job of union rep.

I know the state is in a mess, more so than most. It's been hit too, I hear, by low percentages of tourists going to the islands.

Working for a university, the conversation about the money spent on athletics versus academics is persistent. While I support wholeheartedly the faculty (was trained in education myself), I do understand that a university's football team brings in mucho revenue to a school (Colt Brennan put UH back on the map)...Sad case of priorities I agree!

menehune, thanks! I am mesmerized every time I stand in front of the Duomo in Florence.

I am indeed very grateful to have a job and to live in a beautiful place. Things could be much worse. Hawaii is in a big financial mess right now and as you stated unfortunately we depend so much on tourism.

I realize that sports brings in money, but I am not sure how much when you look at the costs. I am not against sports, hey I am a huge Red Sox fan as you know :) I just think that we need to re-look at our priorities. Especially when things start getting cut.

So how was your trip? Can't wait to hear all about it!

Woo hoo for the Sox! We are in!!! Of course it would have been nicer if we won more of of the past few games. But, I would rather see them lose now than once the postseason begins. GO SOX!!!

Amen sista! Go Sox -- now they have to get everyone healthy! It's a great time of year - Sox, Patriots, Celtics soon, BC football. Oh yes -- there is a black and yellow team that flies around the ice too!

Smart girl. I so need a new car, but refuse to give up an Italy trip. That is why I still drive a very beat up 98 Seabring. I hope it makes it another 20,000 miles! Congratulations on your new baby!

menehune, :) I just hope that our pitchers stay healthy and Alex Gonzalez is ok. He has been a big part of our team since he came aboard.

Palma, I was really hoping to not have to get a new car right now but it did not seem to be in the cards for me. I do love my new baby! I still peek out at it every hour or so when at home :)