"Independence Day, Italian style...

So, ya know those "time hop" posts some make on Facebook?  Like "remember THIS from a prior year on THIS date?"  Even if you don't, trust me they exist.  The other day a member of my "Faux Fam" posted one of those.  And it TOTALLY took me off guard.  Because it involved me.  It was a photo of a trip to Tuscany we took SEVEN FREAKIN' YEARS AGO! How the heck did THAT happen?!?  Apparently time flies independent of whether I am having fun or not.  Which of course got me completely off track because I just HAD to go back and look at further photos from that trip And yes, yet again...the laundry didn't get done.  And since I am kinda uninspired by ANY of the photos I've been taking lately, I decided to go back and edit some from this particular trip from SEVEN FREAKIN' YEARS AGO.  When my family (both faux and real) ventured to a villa in Tuscany called "Il Rifugio".  In Cortona, of "Under the Tuscan Sun" fame.  This is what happens when I'm bored and use Google too much!  And this is why the Better Half breaks out in a cold sweat and puts a death grip on his wallet whenever he sees me on the computer.

"Il Rifugio"

Cortona, Italy

"Our Personal Wine Bistro with a View"

Il Rifugio

Seven freakin' years.  A LOT has changed in that time.  My Things have grown.  Family members have been added.  Family members have been lost. I did not even know what a blog was.  And I only had a "point and shoot" camera (ALL these photos are from that antiquated point and shoot). The Better Half was spending waaaaay too much time trying to talk me into stepping up my photography game.  It was annoying. It's even MORE annoying seven freakin' years later to have to admit he was right! Basically, it was the stone ages.  Not so surprisingly, I still liked wine.

"Golden Hour, Happy Hour"

Cortona, Italy

We were touring the Tuscan countryside for two weeks, using Il Rifugio as our home base.  Something I learned?  It was exhausting AND even a very young Thing #3 eventually got tired of pasta after two weeks.

"Got Pasta?"

Thing #3

So the Fourth of July couldn't have arrived at a better time.  We needed a break. We needed to relax. We needed a day to veg out, take a breath, enjoy each others' company AND the views we had been neglecting at Il Rifugio.

"Sisters"

Things #2 and #3

"The Better Half x 2"

"Poker and Wine"

And...we needed burgers.  We needed hot dogs.  Easier said than done in Tuscany.  Alas, burgers were a "no go".  But we did find a butcher who accommodated us with half a cow.  And we had an outdoor pizza oven that we commandeered for alternative purposes...

...and an amazing kitchen that up until Independence Day was gathering dust.  Well not totally, it was where we deposited our empty wine bottles on the counter.

"Friends Who Drink Wine Together"

So we celebrated Independence Day, Italian style.  Steak, hot dogs, panzanella and wine...

Alas, no fireworks when you are celebrating Independence Day in Italy.  Even better, the colors in the sky were provided by Mother Nature.  Who apparently speaks Italian.

"Nature's Fireworks"
Cortona, Italy

Perhaps the best Independence Day for moi to date!  No, DEF the best Independence Day even tho it was SEVEN FREAKIN' YEARS AGO.  And to that Faux Fam member who posted the particular "time hop" that prompted my trip down memory lane and this post...just so you know, your uncle broke out in a cold sweat and has a death grip on his wallet.  My wheels are turning AND yes...Google is involved.

Here's where I "link up" today

(Song-ography on Tuesdays.  Click on photo for a full description.)