Rolling hills dotted with vineyards, Medieval cities filled with artistic treasures, a coastline with popular beaches, farms that produce prized cheeses and charcuterie, and convivial trattorias that serve fresh pasta and other local products—it may sound like Tuscany, but I’m actually describing Emilia Romagna. Tuscany’s neighbor to the north, Emilia-Romagna produces some of Italy’s most famous foods—Parmigiano Reggiano, prosciutto di Parma, balsamic vinegar from Modena—yet it’s rarely among the first places in Italy that travelers visit.

L’allée d’eau by Charles Guilloux, 1895We are sneaking in two full moons this month, one right at the beginning and one right at the end. This happens from time to time, there sometimes being 13 full moons in a year. It makes it tricky to assign the old Medieval and Celtic names to them. Luckily there are plenty for August, so split them as you will. Grain Moon obviously refers to the ripening grain in the fields, while Lynx Moon is a bit more of a puzzle.

Woman with a Parasol, by Claude Monet (1875)Every artist chases an impossible dream. Monet’s dream was to paint light and color as they appeared to him in nature, always moving, never fixed. This was his impossible dream, to capture the ever-shifting quality of natural light, or the ‘envelope’, an artistic principle which would become known as “impressionism.” In pursuit of this dream, Monet never stopped painting outdoors, often returning to the same place over and over again.

Because I love doing this and I love you all and I am trying to spread the good word about Field Blend, all posts of this fun newsletter are free to everyone (though I dance around in pure joy for you paid subscribers!!). Let’s spread the word, shall we? Share Field Blend “You don’t get to stay comfortable if you want to change your life,” the voice from my car speaker said with conviction.

I was once part of a group of leaders working on a cross-company initiative. We all had different points of view, and every conversation felt like we were going in circles. Because we could not align on anything, our teams were unsure what to do, and this conflict continued all the way down through our organizations. Share It got to the point where we weren't talking to each other; we were talking past each other.