99 bottles of beer on the wall.....

Actually for today, June 25th, it is more like 101 days before I leave for Italy..... Soon the countdown will be in the double digits. I am impatient for the time to be here even though I do not want time in general to slip away.

We had an extended talk yesterday about Civita di Bagnoregio. It is like a fairy tale, or something out of your nightmares. The scene has been depicted in many Dracula movies, the Beast's castle where Beauty must escape and many other horror films. High up on the craggy hill, no escape except for a narrow, treacherous path. Any minor loss of footing could result in death. The small town is over 2500 yeqars old. People have lived there for hundreds of years following in their father's footsteps over generations too many to count.

The path is long, ascending over 10 stories to the ancient city. I hope to have oil and Bruschetta made in the way that the family has made it for hundreds of years (this is beyond the hope to make it up the path in a reasonable amount of time and alive). "New and Improved" does not exist here.

They say it is a dying city as the sides crumble away. Bbut as long as so many remember and hold it in their hearts can it truly die?

http://www.civitadibagnoregio.it/civita/storia.htm
http://images.google.com/images?q=civita+di+bagnoregio&hl=en&btnG=Search+Images

Space

Having a little extra space goes a long way. When I bought this condo the I told the realtor that a yard for the dog was good and easy access was a must for my mom. She said "what about you?"
I'm like make those things happen and I will be happy. I saw my place online and called her immediately to say that I wnated to look at it. The pics of the inside were nothing but the outside was enticing even then.

Over time, as with the rest of the place, the appearance has changed. The mound of dirt covered with astro turf is now the beautiful area with small bushes (the good kind!) and vines. It is a haven for the birds and butterflies...and a few bees! Every year I plant a couple tomato plants and revel in fresh tomatoes. I haven't mastered the growth of the blackberry bush there to the right of the table but maybe someday. The hardscape has increased with hard labor and concrete blocks, not all even mind you but presentable all the same.

We did have resident gnomes when we moved in and felt it just wasn't right to bring in a new family so the only other garden creature is the pig/cat....he is open to interpretation and never offended. This year we have a huge umbrella which is very much needed in the California sun.

Overall I can say that I am happy with my purchase here, this is now my home. I made it that way, something of which I am very proud of. The "things" I surroound myself with make me happy because they are beautiful and serve a purpose. The people I have in my life are much the same except that they give back and that is something that a "thing" can't do.

PS; Beauty means more than outside appearance, beauty is a light that shines and warms everything around it.

Father's Day

Father's Day is in a week. It is a bittersweet day for me.

I had the best dad in the world. He wasn't great at fixing things. He did not have any special skills. He wasn't rich. But my dad made me feel important and that is why I loved him. He listened to me and when he looked at me I knew he was looking at me and that he was proud of me for who I was.

My dad would sit and read to my daughter for as long as she said "please", she would trail behind him to the garden and he would give her the world if he could. My dad was the type to help anyone who needed it without thought of payback. He rarely spoke a word in anger or haste, never against someone. When caught sleeping in his rocker he would just chuckle and say "yup, guess I was asleep"! He could laugh at himself better than anyone but you always wanted to laugh with him.

I wish my dad was here but he has been gone many years now and although my daughter was too young to hold onto many memories of her Grand Dad I know that his love for her still exists as does his love for me. I will try to live my life in the way he would be proud.

PS; Daddy, I know I don't do so well on that one topic that you and I disagreed on the most, but I've never seen her the way you did. I hope you can pass me a little more of your patience. Love, Deb

Back on Track???

Work is starting to slow down. We can get so caught up in the everyday stuff that we forget to breath, drink, eat. That was last week. I realize that when I don't do things for myself I just feel that much worse. So this week I made it to the gym 4 out of 5 days. I made some good food and I made sure to drink alot of water!!!

Whirl Wind!!

Life has been a whirlwind lately. A good friend got fired, possibly for cause but hard to tell. Noreen left for vacation May 24th. The other nurse, Eve, called out sick having done NONE of her weekly work. So last week the beach nurse, Karen , and I did all 13 homes alone. I love Karen! She is efficient, thorough and competant. Hope for an easier week did not occur. I worked the holiday for about 5 hours and it did not help me to finish without a butt load of unpaid overtime.

So..... As I am not feeling shitty enough about working my ass off, my mother makes sure to point out to me that my dog is having some issue with her skin/coat. Does she really think I can't see that spot where she is diggin' at herself? Does she believe that I don't hear her scratching at my bedside? Mostly I think that it is just that convenient method for reminding me that I fail her as well as the dog. Course I am not the one who is home all day but will leave the poor dog with an empty water dish while the cat has ice water in a special glass......