Posts Tagged With: Venice

Day 4986: Luck

Posted on August 27, 2026 by Ann Koplow

Yesterday, on Make Your Own Luck Day, I had all kinds of luck.

I had the luck to have a short work day, so I could leave the house to do errands for my upcoming trip to Switzerland.

I had the luck to head back into my office at 5 PM to have a Zoom call with a colleague and friend.

I had the luck to walk to the back of the office to retrieve my off-work laptop and to step into some water on the floor, which caused me to look up at the ceiling and see a huge stain and slowly leaking water.

After freaking out about my bad luck, I had the luck to find a plumber who showed up at night.

Eddy has had the luck to look like Pierce Brosnan now and like Tom Cruise when he was younger.

Eddy also had the luck to live in Venice for many years, which I had the luck to visit in 2025.

With some luck and lots of skill, Eddy figured out the source of the leak and stopped it for the night. (Before Eddy showed up, we had turned off all the water in the house but we didn’t have the luck to stop the leak.)

We’ve now got a fan blowing on the damaged part of the ceiling …

… and with luck we’ll be able to repair that easily.

Michael and I have been discussing the luck of this happening at this particular time before I leave for Switzerland, since he never goes into that room when I’m not here.

Do you see luck in my other images for today?

With any luck, the plumbing and ceiling repairs will not cost millions of dollars.

When I went to YouTube just now, I had the luck to immediately find this:

I also have the amazingly good luck to have wonderful readers like YOU!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: cats, different types of luck, Dolly Parton on the David Letterman show, leaks, Make Your Own Luck Day, plumbing, The Daily Bitch Calendar, the South Shore of Boston, tuna noodle casserole, Twitter and Bluesky, Venice | 4 Comments

Day 4473: Fools

Posted on April 1, 2025 by Ann Koplow

It’s April Fools’ Day! According to Jung, the Fool is the most evolved archetype. Or do you think I’m fooling about that?

That Fool might look like they’re going off a cliff, but they are clearly off on an exciting adventure. And unlike me, they didn’t overpack.

When I’m traveling, don’t speak the local language, and get too close to the edge, I might worry that I seem like a fool to others. But then I realize that I am no more a fool here than I am anywhere else.

I love that my Twitter (renamed “X” by some damn fool) friend Geanine Hudson said this about yesterday’s blog from Italy:

I’m not fooling when I say I feel seen by Geanine.

My friend Janet, who is no fool, wore a very cool t-shirt yesterday.

Janet writes wonderful books and I would be a fool not to link to her webpage.

Yesterday, on the trip from Venice to Arezzo, Janet’s husband Ray and I made fools of ourselves with texted fish puns.

I may feel a fool for doing the bare minnow-mum in fish-filled Venice, but I know I can always go back. And now we get to explore Arezzo!

Are there any fools to be found in my other images for today?

I have to remember that if I’m not always right, that doesn’t make me a complete fool.

Here’s what I find when I search for “fools” on YouTube:

Thanks to all who embrace their inner fools, to those who aren’t fooled by greedy and toxic liars, and to all my wonderful friends, including YOU!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism, travel | Tags: April 1 2025, Arezzo, Embracing Your Inner Fool — TED talk by Ms. Kathryn Medico, fish puns, France, Janet Raye Stevens, Jung, The Daily Bitch Calendar, Twitter, Venice | 8 Comments

Day 4472: Control

Posted on March 31, 2025 by Ann Koplow

There are things I cannot control, like time changes (losing an hour yesterday in Italy) and when the trains run, as we leave Venice today for Arezzo.

However, I can control how often I have pasta in Italy and what photos I put in my blog and in what order.

Now I have to control any tendency to leave possessions behind as I repack my stuff for our train trip today to Arezzo.

Thanks to all who are here for this control post, including YOU!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism, travel | Tags: March 31 2025, Murano, pasta, St. Mark’s Square, the Basilica di San Marco, The Daily Bitch Calendar, Twitter, Venice, what people can and cannot control | 18 Comments

Day 4471: Transported

Posted on March 30, 2025 by Ann Koplow

In Venice, people are transported by water transportation called the Vaporetto and, of course, by gondolas. I have been transported by the overwhelming beauty of the city, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection of incredible art at her villa on the Grand Canal, and last night by a concert of exquisite Antonio Vivaldi music at Vivaldi’s Church performed by the Vivaldi Baroque Ensemble.

Are you transported by my images for today?

Here is some of the music that transported me on a non-virtual vacation day.

Who knows where I’ll be transported today?

Thanks to all who are here for this transported post, including YOU.

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism, travel | Tags: March 30 2025, Peggy Guggenheim collection, transporting music, Twitter, Varporetto, Venice, Virtual Vacation Day, Vivaldi, Vivaldi concerto, Vivaldi’s Church | 9 Comments

Day 4470: Respect

Posted on March 29, 2025 by Ann Koplow

My friend Jeanette, whom I respect very much, introduced me to the artist Tracey Emin yesterday at an exhibition of her works in Florence. I respect how Tracey Emin has turned her pain and other aspects of her life into incredible art.

Do you see respect in my images for today?