Updates (in no particular order):

Joel and I are back in Ithaca, in a new apartment and starting a newsemester.

My camera liked Sicily so much that it decided to stay.

Joel hit the quarter-of-a-century mark.

The English department convinced me to work with them for a month.

I planted lettuce!

John and Galadriel are married.

And, of course, Kelly and Alexander are married.

We've been borrowing other people's children and pets.

Marble tabletops aren't as expensive as we thought they'd be, at least not in Italy.

Cornell has a position called Graduate Resident Fellow that is similar to that of Faculty in Residence, but for graduate students, that we are considering applying to for Academic Year 2010-2011.

The absence of a skirt hanger can easily be remedied with a normal hangerand two clothespins.

Joel and I were told that we eat like aristocrats.

The Lincoln Park Zoo has a sun bear that enjoys sticking her tongue out at passers-by.

Joel is teaching an elementary Italian course this Fall.

Most of my plants are still alive after going all summer without me (aided by our friend Jesse).

Freecycle enabled us to receive a nice, new-to-us desk to help Joel in his studies.

We have really deep windowsills that fit lots of plants!

A drying rack and a dehumidifier make a very nice combination.

I think this list is long enough for now.

:-)