back home in oregon--after only a day or so.....

wellll now i am in oregon, a new and old country for me.i am amazed at the wide open spaces here, and all the lush greenness of it all. i keep looking at our hills and marveling that no one has bothered to terrace them!! driving around in towns, i am once again saddened by the fact that they are all set up for people to drive cars between all the shops and places we go. we devote so much space to parking and ways for cars. quite unlike of course the compact towns and cities in italy where more things are in stories going up, and there are streets only meant for feet. even homes are stacked; i see so many houses all alone here!! maybe it is just where i live, but we are so lucky not to be in apartments here!

it really seemed at first when i got home that i was not used to riding in a car. i think we were in about 5, on 5 occasions while in europe. here i drive and am in one once or twice a day, or more. i also got jumpy riding w/ jim, thinking he was about to hit someone!! out of practice i guess...