This French philosopher’s quote is apropos of the current shelter-in-place circumstances we are facing. We are birds desperate to get out of quarantine. Will all of this pandemic togetherness result in a corona baby boom or will the social distancing and forced time together cause a spike in the divorce rate? Only time will tell … More “Marriage is like a cage; one sees the birds outside desperate to get in, and those inside equally desperate to get out.” Michel de Montaigne

I have a confession to make: I’ve been cheating. This self-described Francophile has been taking Italian lessons! My interest in la lingua italiana was piqued several years ago while on a train from Livorno to Florence. A young girl entered my railcar sobbing and yelling loudly in Italian, gesturing wildly into her cell phone. Despite … More “We breathe in our first language, and swim in our second.” Adam Gopnik, Paris to the Moon

Welcome to the Chasing Hubert-Finding Leon Salles blog. “Sometimes a new beginning is even better than a happy ending.” 101 Quotes About.com For the past ten years the blog Chasing Hubert was dedicated to seeking information leading to the identity of an etching signed by the mystery artist Hubert. I was fortunate to have achieved … More The Journey Continues…

Patience is a virtue. It’s a virtue I lack – I hate to wait. When I was young my mother would frequently admonish me with “good things come to those who wait.” I heard that quote so often I became curious as to its origin: was it something created by my mother to appease my … More Good things come to those who wait…

Every life is like a book and we all live out our story. Some have many chapters, some are  short stories. Some read like thrillers while others are more ordinary. Some have happy endings while others are sorrowful. Whatever the story may be, they are all unique. We all own our own story. I can … More Chasing Hubert, Finding……..

Eleanor Roosevelt believed we should “do one thing every day that scares you.”  Not as fearless as Eleanor my belief instead is “do one thing every year that scares you.”  I was able to check off this years scare in June when I ventured west of the Rockies for a vacation in Jackson Hole, Wyoming … More "By replacing fear of the unknown with curiousity we open ourselves to an infinite stream of possibility." Alan Watts

November was my month for trying new things. A milestone birthday for daughter #3 was approaching and we decided to celebrate with a trip. Although most people would elect to visit a tropical clime to escape the approaching winter season, we opted instead for an excursion to frosty Iceland for our adventure. It was a … More "Rejoice in the things that are present; all else is beyond thee." Michel de Montaigne

A series of unfortunate events intervened and hampered my search for Hubert and my resultant blog postings so I’ve been out of touch for a while. They say when you fall off a horse the best thing to do is get right back in the saddle. Obviously the best thing is not to fall off … More "Whoever you are, I have always depended upon the kindness of strangers." Blanche Dubois, A Streetcar Named Desire

How many times have you thought about a person only to have the phone ring and that very person is on the other end? How often have you had a song pop into your head then turn on the radio and hear it playing? Or come across a bit of information that keeps crossing your … More Is it a sign or a coincidence?