Monday, July 28, 2008

Italy . . .

That one word simply does not describe the life that resides in that beautiful land.  Yet I will not gloss over the love that I have for that simple word.  Forever more will it hold an armload of warm feelings and rushes of pleasurable memories all within it's brief utterance.  Never have I been to a place as that which has given me such a place to belong in.  We fit each other perfectly and I will not pass into the after lands without having visited it again.  I find myself dreaming daily of my own villa in the hills which I can visit multiple times a year.  Sigh . . . why not every day?  My children would follow me.  Daily they voice their own versions of the same desire.  "Mommy, wouldn't it be nice if Italy was in the Netherlands?"  "Mommy, the sun was nicer in Italy." "In Italy . . . " and the list is endless.  My husband has voiced more than once the desirable positions he could attain in Italy.  Yet for some reason I hear that voice we've all been trained to listen to.  You all know it.  The one that seems to talk to you in the voice of your mother, "Wake up child and stop dreaming.  Welcome to the real world."  Well, there's this song I've heard from a favorite artist that claims there is no such thing as the real world.  Some of you may know it.  I realize now that I have experienced the awakening you expect you will find upon traveling Europe.  It is nothing I expected it to be.  It is like falling in love for the first time and tasting a new flavor that upon first touching your tongue you had an urge to dislike, but realize it's possibly the best thing it's ever touched before and then find yourself making that flavor linger on your tongue longer than it can possibly stay.

It is here that I beg of you to answer me one question.  Would you prefer that I lavish you with the intimate details of my view on this world experience or that I gloss it over and compress it into a quick and quiet travel diary?

You know you've only one answer, but you must answer anyway.

Monday, July 21, 2008

Behind on blog posts? Me? Never!

I had to laugh over Holy's comment on my last blog post.  Yes, I'm afraid I'm dreadfully behind on my blog posts, dear.  Touring Europe, you ask?  I will be painfully coy and admit that I have been doing a bit of traveling through the continent.  Sigh . . . .  and LOVING it!

Between visits from parents, visits from friends, children's vacation, and family vacation I'm afraid this blog has not seen it's proper use, but I promise to fill you in on all the best details.  Eventually.  ;)  Many posts are half written things that could probably get plopped into the blog just as they are and you'd enjoy them, but because I'm a neat freak I MUST have all my lines straight before you see my thoughts.  Please be patient with me.  I'm working on the photos and posting them to Flickr slowly but surely and the kids are still out of school and suffering from rainy summer day syndrome (several days in a row).   Sigh . . . I'm not so loving it!

Oh . . . another thing.  That Cat is expecting a litter any day now!  Catherine says, "But, Mommy, she's only a teenager."  The conversation I just about went into . . . Sigh . . . not so sure if I'm loving it or not yet.