Hello all and Happy Easter! I hope that you all enjoy enough quality family time for me and you both. Luckily, these 50 students here, from all parts of the world have become my family (in a temporary sense of course), but most of us are going to the Duomo right in the middle of town for Easter Mass.

Mom just emailed and asked if Easter was a big deal here. Sorry Mom, but I had to laugh a little bit. Everyone, and I mean everyone is Catholic. I'm not even sure if there will be enough room in the church... because the whole town comes. There are actually several Easter events in Cortona. Last night, a procession with a cross walked from the beginning of town, through the main square, to the Duomo (which is church in Italian), and tonight they are carrying a statue of Christ into the middle of the church at midnight and having a mass tonight too. I'm sad because during our field trip to Orvieto, the priest was in the main piazza today, blessing everyone's eggs that they will eat on Easter morning. I really wanted my eggs blessed, but alas, I was in Umbria. I suppose another Easter. So yes, Easter is a big deal... but don't worry. Our director gave everyone a huge chocolate egg called a Kinder Egg, so it feels a little like home.

Last week, as part of my art education class, Bobbie, Brenda (another student here), and I marched into a 2nd grade classroom, full of bright-eyed, brown haired Italian children, and gave a lesson plan on coat of arms and American and Italian flags. Oh yea... it was totally in Italian. Basically I'm fluent in the language these days... NOT! We practiced and practiced and prayed and practiced a little more before we went in, and had a blast. The kids hung on our every word and loved us and gave us hugs when we left and are dying for us to come back. It's part of the art ed program, and the schools expect us every spring. But trust me... it's totally new to me. But we go in scared and come out smiling and have about 22 flags painted by the most precious children you've ever met. I am going to scan a couple to my computer so I can share them with you all. You'll love them too.

I'm going to tell you a little tale of Bevagna and Orvieto, 2 different cities with similar stories - 52 American students herded down a mountain to two charter buses, grumbling and grumpy because it was freezing both of these Saturdays and RAINING! It's not supposed to rain here, but it does anyway. So, my roommates and I decided to make the best out of the rather wet situation, and played rockin' music the whole way to the town. We couldn't sing the rain away immediately, but after or so of wandering around these towns in they gray, sad drizzle, the clouds parted and the sun showed me the cutest towns. It's like they were completely different places when the sun shone on them. Orvieto is steeped in history, though I guess every town here is. But it was rich, then poor, then almost wiped out, then bounced back. And there are ceramic stores on every corner because Orvieto was at one time the leading ceramic producer, back in the 13th century or so. The only store I walked in, the owner/artist was in the room painting pieces. And so, with a mix of Spanish, English, and Italian, I learned all about medieval ceramics. Probably the best part of all though... the paper that he wraps the pieces up is perfect for making books. So if you get an Orvieto book from me... know that there is a long story behind it.

Wow, now that I think back on the places I've been since I've written, it's been awhile since I've blogged. I forgot all about the Assisi Problem - which is a real art historian mystery - that we traveld to Assisi solve. It isn't quite resolved, but we did our best, and possibly made a few advancements. Here is a picture that I pulled off the internet because I didn't have my camera that day, though I don't believe that they'd allow you to take pictures. Hope you enjoy them, and I'll try to stay on top of my blog this week. I had a rather hectic work with school, which is, let's remember, the reason I'm here. Sometimes I get confused :)

Happy Easter... again. All my love - Casey