What is Tuscany Living?

Welcome to the first or inaugural installment of Tuscany Living - Thanksgiving night, November 24, 2011.

Tuscany Living is more about an attitude than a place.  Yes, the attitude is inspired by the Tuscany legend, the romanticized idea that life in one place might be better, or more interesting than life in any other place.  Life is what you make it.  So, Tuscany Living is more of an attitude than a location.  For those of you old enough to remember, James Taylor sang of being somewhere in his mind:

In my mind I'm goin' to Carolina
Can't you see the sunshine
Can't you just feel the moonshine
Ain't it just like a friend of mine
To hit me from behind
Yes I'm goin' to Carolina in my mind

Tuscany Living would be going to Italy in my mind.  In Tuscany you would imagine building a terrace with native stones instead of landscaping timbers or railroad ties.  In Tuscany you would take the time and effort to brew an espresso rather than drip a pot of decaf, or stir a cup of instant.  Tuscany living would mean choosing the perfect grapes and letting the wine age properly.  Life in Tuscany would mean meticulously building a brick, wood-fired pizza oven, and taking the time and effort to preheat it before cooking your own pizza.  Tuscany living would be finding and carrying the perfect leather bag, backpack, or briefcase rather than settling for rip-stop nylon or a vinyl case.

I am going to commit to a one year blog project in which I post my thoughts, get your thoughts and opinions, and we go from there.  I can not promise to blog every day, but I will attempt to be consistent.  My goal, Lord willing, is to visit Tuscany, Italy, and write about the actual experience rather than just going to Tuscany in my mind. 

Jerry making pizza for the family in his wood-fired pizza oven.  Yes, he built it.  He was a shop teacher.