Venice...Love

National Geographic Magazine August 2009; "Vanishing Venice" by Cathy Newman:

"What is Venice - so seductive, so lethally attractive - except the most sublime setting for the trilling of the heart?

For example, one fall day not long ago two children, 12 and 13, from Grosseto, a town in Tuscany, decided to run away. Their parents disapproved of their romance, so they saved and spent their allowance on a train to Venice. They walked narrow streets paved in stone and lingered on the bridges that vault the canals. Night approached, and with it the need for a place to stay. They arrived at the Hotel Zecchini, a modest guesthouse with an inviting orange-and-white awning. The clerk heard a small voice ask about a room, looked up, saw nothing, leaned over the desk, and looked into the faces of two children. Skeptical of their story about an aunt who would arrive soon, he gently questioned them, listened, then called the carabinieri.

"Such innocence and tenderness. They just wanted to be together," said Elisa Semenzato, the hotel manager. When the carabinieri arrived, they took the pair on a tour of the city in their boat, then to district headquarters in a former convent and put them to bed in very separate rooms. The next day they were served a three-course meal on a table set with lines in a hall facing the 15th-century courtyard.

Romance triumphs; reality intrudes. The parents, less than enchanted with the Romeo and Juliet narrative acted out by their children, arrived that afternoon to take them back to Grosseto, away from the soft ache of first love and the gilded beauty of Venice.

Kisses end. Dreams vanish, and sometimes cities too. We long for the perfect ending, but the curtain falls along with out hearts.

Beauty is difficult."

Love, and all good things to you.

I've given this a lot of thought and I've decided to discontinue my blog. I have enjoyed keeping it for these four years and have met many other bloggers that are wonderful and have amazing lives and stories to share. Lately, I haven't been posting much and I think it's because life is so full right now and all my attention is on our now and future plans. I have so much ahead and I want to give that my full attention. I cannot, however, sever my ties to all you awesome folks, so I will continue to visit and comment on your blogs and enjoy keeping up with you in your lives. Please take care and may God bless you in all your days. Love.

On Hold

You'll be seeing less of me on here for a bit. Reason? We'll be on the move...again. H has finished his training and we will be heading back to NM. Right after, we will be on the road to Utah and Idaho to visit family and a few friends. So, I have a ton of packing and cleaning to do. Hope you all have a wonderful end of September and beginning of October, if I'm not back on here before then. Take care and God bless.

The first 11 years.

Last night, H and I celebrated our 11th anniversary by leaving the kids with a sitter and heading out on a date. We went to dinner at Texas Roadhouse...love those rolls, then went to a honkytonk for some pool and dancing. We scored the only free pool table and played until we got our butts handed to us by a pro. It was great. The music was awesome...lots of George Strait. And then, before we left they dedicated a dance to H from me and it was "Amazed" by Lonestar. I didn't pick the song, but it couldn't have been more perfect. Here's the lyrics:

Every time our eyes meet
This feeling inside me
Is almost more than I can take
Baby when you touch me
I can feel how much you love me
And it just blows me away
I've never been this close to anyone or anything
I can hear your thoughts
I can see your dreams

I don't know how you do what you do
I'm so in love with you
It just keeps getting better
I want to spend the rest of my life
With you by my side
Forever and ever
Every little thing that you do
Baby, I'm amazed by you

The smell of your skin
The taste of your kiss
The way you whisper in the dark
Your hair all around me
Baby you surround me
You touch every place in my heart
Oh, it feels like the first time, every time
I want to spend the whole night in your eyes

I don't know how you do what you do
I'm so in love with you
It just keeps getting better
I want to spend the rest of my life
With you by my side
Forever and ever
Every little thing that you do
Baby, I'm amazed by you

Every little thing that you do
I'm so in love with you
It just keeps getting better
I want to spend the rest of my life
With you by my side
Forever and ever
Every little thing that you do
Baby, I'm amazed by you

And that's what it feels like...every year has been better than the last. And he's still the best person I know. I pray we can have many more years together and are always able to work through the rough spots. I'm a blessed woman.

11 Years

Today is our 11th anniversary. We'll be doing something fun tonight. Think I know what it is, but no plans are ever final. Will update later. Yay for us! 11 years! And we like each other more than when we started. That's a good way to go.

I'd like to claim it's genetic, but I think she just learns from our mistakes.

Me (to Tiny): If you had a bunch of money, what would you do?

Tiny: Pay my taxes.

Smart girl I'm raising.

Wiling away the hot summer days.

Moving things around a bit. Trying out a new layout and title. Seeing how they fit. Just needing to change it up a little. Here's what we've been up to...

4th of July weekend with some fireworks and playing on a boat.

Kicking back

Enjoying some good food

(Yes, that's butter. He loves it.)

Watching a few movies

Playing dress up

Running through a sprinkler or two

Gaining battle scars (this one is from trying to shave like daddy after finding a disposable razor)

Working on our balance

Meeting new friends

Hitting the road

Watching a few more movies

And heading to the library about 3 times a week.

It's a tough life...but someone's gotta do it.

Lest you think I'm dead...

I better post something to keep this blog going. Although, I've been thinking more and more about ceasing my posts. With facebook, email, and texting, it's pretty easy to keep up with friends and keep them updated on us. However, if I didn't do this, I probably wouldn't keep any kind of journal/log of life. I suck at journaling.

So, I just wanted to let you know we're doing well. Tiny has made many friends out here and isn't dreading starting at a new school, albeit for only about 1 1/2 months, since she'll know a few people. Mister is wiling away his summer playing video games and watching movies. I should probably get him to be more active, but I'd be doing the exact same thing if I could. Little Man is now 2 and his daddy is now 35. This weekend we celebrated by going to Sea World and then a family party the following day. If you're ever thinking of visiting Sea World during the summer...DON'T. I felt like I was melting all day. And we only stayed a few hours because it was just too hot. But we did get to see the Shamu show and ride a roller coaster and see the animals.

H is enjoying his classes and is learning a lot. He's been ace-ing all his tests and seems to be really into his new career path. I am still putting together my packet to apply to the AF officer board. I got my physical taken care of, and while they want me to get another test to make sure my ticker is working great, I can move forward in the application process without them requiring that test for it. When I am chosen, they can run the test then. Sounds good to me. So, I have started the paper work and am going to gather up everything else I need. Then polish it all up and send it off in December. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE cross your finger, say a prayer, think good thoughts that the next board won't be cancelled like the last two were. If it is, I will have to wait until April to apply. I'd rather do all this sooner than later. Because after I'm selected, it will likely be another year before I leave for training. So, like I said, the sooner, the better.

In other things, I am hurting to find a good hair stylist that I can trust to dye my hair. That is a hard part of moving, you have to start over again at each place to find the best stylist, dentist, routes, etc. So, if anyone knows a good stylist in San Angelo, TX, please pass along the info.

Well, I'm off. I'll see ya when I see ya.

I'm going to blame the heat.

I have some updates from the 4th of July weekend and some about our new home in San Angelo. But I am lacking the motivation and resources at the moment to post those. So, be on the look out soon. Hope you're all doing well.

Big Hair, Big Buckles, Big Pain in the Butt

Now I have nothing whatsoever against Texans. Actually, I love them. Everything from their Texas drawl, to the big hair, and, finally, their cowboys...the men, not the team. Gotta love the Lord for making those. So, what is about to follow should not be misconstrued as dislike for the people, just the behavior.

Since arriving in Texas for the summer, I've noticed an irritating habit of the people here. Whenever we are in a store, whether it's a grocery store, Wal-mart, or even Lowes, the customers will stop wherever they may, stand there, and JUST NOT MOVE. They could be in the middle of the aisle, seeing you coming right at them knowing that you would like to get by, and they will stay put. They might even be standing right in front of something you need and you can walk this way and that around them, scoot up into their personal bubble, and even stand right there visibly irritated at their immobility....and they will not move an inch.

Are they daring you to say something? Take action? What? Yesterday, I went to Lowes with all three kiddos in tow to get a few things. While looking at the hoses, this woman parks her cart on the left side of the aisle and stands on the right. No big deal except that there was a display in the center and SHE SAW ME COMING. What do you do? I patiently waited, made a little noise, and then just moved her cart out of the way. I think "subtle" is not a trait in Texas.

Fill-In-The-Blank

1. My dream vacation would be to travel every place that my family has dreamed of going. Mister would choose Venice. H would like to go back to Spain. I would like to go to New York. Not sure where Tiny and Little Man would choose, but we'd have a blast.

2. The best trip I've ever taken is when I went on a study abroad to London. We also went to some surrounding areas and spent a weekend in Ireland. I think my friends made it all really great.

3. The most important items to take on a road trip are great music, twisted pretzels and caffeine!

4. The next trip I'm looking forward to is Texas for the summer and hopefully, Padre Island for the 4th.

5. If I had to pick one CD to listen to for a long road trip it would be any George Strait CD.

6. The biggest disaster I've ever encountered while traveling was the scary situation while camping in Taos...can't even talk about it.

7. My favorite traveling memory is every place I've gone with my family. We've road-tripped to the east coast, up through NM, CO, UT, and ID, and the west coast. We always have fun and have made some great memories. We got another one coming soon.

So true

Had to post this. Not sure if you've ever paid attention to the lyrics of this Taylor Swift song. But they ring so true. It's too bad that if we were ever able to go back and tell our teenage self that bigger things are waiting for us and to not take it all too seriously, we wouldn't be likely to listen...because we knew it all. But, this is still a great song.

"Fifteen"

You take a deep breath and you walk through the doors
It's the morning of your very first day
You say "Hi" to your friends you ain't seen in a while
Try and stay out of everybody's way
It's your freshman year and you're gonna be here
For the next four years in this town
Hoping one of those senior boys will wink at you and say
"You know I haven't seen you around, before"

'cause when you're fifteen and somebody tells you they love you
You're gonna believe them
And when you're fifteen
Feeling like there nothing to figure out
Well count to ten, take it in
This is life before you know who you're gonna be
Fifteen

You sit in class next to a redhead named Abigail
And soon enough you're best friends
Laughing at the other girls who think they're so cool
We'll be out of here as soon as we can
And then you're on your very first date and hes got a car
And you're feeling like flying
And you're mommas waiting up and you think hes the one
And you're dancing round your room when the night ends
When the night ends

'cause when you're fifteen and somebody tells you they love you
You're gonna believe them
When you're fifteen and your first kiss
Makes your head spin round but
In your life you'll do things greater than dating the boy of the football team
But I didn't know it at fifteen

When all you wanted was to be wanted
Wish you could go back and tell yourself what you know now
Back then I swore I was gonna marry him someday
But I realized some bigger dreams of mine

And Abigail gave everything she had to a boy
Who changed his mind and we both cried

'cause when you're fifteen and somebody tells you they love you
You're gonna believe them
And when you're fifteen, don't forget to look before you fall
Ive found that time can heal most anything
And you just might find who you're supposed to be
I didn't know who I was supposed to be at fifteen

La la la la la .. la la la la la .. La la la la la

Your very first day
Take a deep breath girl
Take a deep breath as you walk through those doors.

Hurry up and wait.

So, I went for my AF physical on Tuesday and it seems that I came through the physical with passing marks. But, they want me to get a more recent test on my heart to make sure there are no problems and that it functions properly and such. So, I am waiting for a call to schedule that appointment, then I will travel back up to Albuquerque, do the test, and then wait for another call to see if all is approved. I am just really glad that they haven't said no yet. I am hoping that I will be able to take care of all of this before we head to TX for the summer in a week.

The visit was an experience. I met a lot of kids that were there to ship out that same day for different military branches. I was the oldest person there for processing. I felt a bit old, but was told that I could easily pass for 5 years younger. That helped. I will definitely keep you updated and please cross your fingers that I will get called soon. Thanks.

This really tweaks my melon.

I came across this article on yahoo about a woman that fell asleep during her flight on United Airlines. She didn't wake up when the plane landed, and for some reason, the crew missed that she was still onboard when they exited the plane and locked it up. The woman awoke 3 1/2 hours later and wasn't able to get off the plane for a while.

Now, I can understand being in her situation and becoming angry. Even filing a complaint. But, no, she is actually suing the airline for negligence, false imprisonment, and emotional trauma. Come on. I mean, she's not a 5-year-old that woke up all alone on an empty, locked bus. She's a grown woman, one that could have picked up her cell phone, or the plane phone, and called for help. Sounds to me like she is trying to take advantage of the airline's mistake for all that she can get out of it. So, sorry, no sympathy from me, past her understandable annoyance.

And then, I came across this article about Beyonce being sued because she was filming a music video and the neighbor of the location was inconvenienced by the crew, their traffic, and the noise they made when he was sound asleep at 7 am. Again, I can understand annoyance, complaining, and even asking for some reparation. But suing seems a bit unnecessary.

I mean, after all, there ARE a lot of other things to worry about in the world right now. Important things. Like, gushing oil poisoning the ocean and killing millions of creatures each day. Like, protesters torching buildings in Bangkok.

Come on, people. How about we get some priorities straight and stop acting like temper tantrum-throwing, red-faced, insufferable brats. Thank you.

I am soooo there, it's insane!

I got it. I got the approval for my Air Force physical. I will be heading up on Monday night, they are putting me up in a hotel, and I will catch the shuttle to MEPS early Tuesday morning. I expect to be there ALL day. They're the military, of course they have to make me wait forever. Hurry up and wait at MEPS. But I don't care. I'm so excited to be finally going. Did I mention that I've been trying to get a physical since last August?! Well, it's finally going to happen. YAY!

Now that I have celebrated, I must ask that you PLEASE send me a lot of good thoughts and prayers. This physical is my biggest hurdle between me and applying to the AF. I am healthy, but I had some issues when I was younger that had an effect on my heart and they will be doing a scan of it to make sure it's tip-top. So, please remember me and send good vibes. I appreciate it and I will update you as soon as I hear back on it. Thank you.

Hanging in there.

Quick update:

Tiny is playing baseball and her team is undefeated, and they are like 6 games in. She's having a blast, which is what it's all about. She is also going on a lot of field trips. The next is to the pool and I need to get her a new bathing suit. Last summer's bikini is probably waaaaay too small now.

Mister is thinking of giving up the cello, after three years. His elective choices for next year are art, p.e., and career tech. Apparently, in career tech, they learn about all kinds of technology used in different careers. They will be building models, trying out robotics, computer programs and animation. All this sounds right up his alley.

Little Man is talking so much and repeating everything. He was poking his head in the computer room today and kept saying something that sounded like "ryback". Which, I figured out, was for "be right back". Another favorite is when he tells me "momma, watch. momma, watch." And if I don't pay attention right away, he uses my first name and tells me "watch". Then he'll show me something or show off some new move. He's a blast.

And I am working half the week, shuttling Tiny to baseball four days a week, Mister to his weeding job three days a week, and I'm taking care of Little Man every other minute of the day. I'm tired and miss H. A few more weeks and we will be joining him in TX. Hanging in there.

Present and Accounted For

I'm still around. Just busy and tired. H left for TX two weeks ago and will be there for 6 months. We plan to stay with him during the summer though. But that's still about 4 weeks away. Needless to say, we miss him and can't wait to head to the heat and humidity in San Angelo. H is cross-training into a new career field for the Air Force and is at tech school. We're hoping that he will learn a lot and it will help him in his future career endeavors.

Meanwhile, we are here, me and the kiddos. Little Man is a large bundle of mischief and energy. And I'm used to having my helpmate to calm the whirlwind that he is. But we are doing our best and have done okay so far.

As for my AF goals, I am going to be looking into the officer positions available in the Reserves. But, for now, I'm STILL waiting to hear back if I can get my physical. All your prayers and good thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Serving my country is something I REALLY want to do in my life and know that looking back, I will always be proud to have fulfilled that service. So, I'll keep you updated.

The Story Continues...

My roommate, Trish, sat cross-legged on the floor, staring at me with confusion as dress after dress flew out of the closet, across the room, and onto my bed. I was running out of clothes to throw and my bed was about to completely disappear.

"This is impossible!" I yelled. "How do you dress for a date with a complete stranger? I don't even know where we're going!"

"Remind me again. Why are you going?" Trish asked.

I stopped my frantic search and turned to her. My brain tried to process an answer, but came up empty.

"I don't know," I sighed. "It makes no sense. I know nothing about him but his name." I collapsed onto the edge of the only visible corner of my bed. "And that he has some kind of grudge against 80's music."

"He could be a total weirdo. And how did he know where you lived? Now that's kind of creepy," Trish pointed out with a look of barely-hidden worry.

"I know, Trish. It makes no sense. But, I think that's why I want to go."

___________________________________________________________________

Charles Silver was punctual. That was the second thing I learned about him. The third was that he didn't own a car.

I had been told by my mother when I was fifteen that you could tell a lot about a man by the car he drives. She would point out the small, but well-maintained economy-sized cars and judge the driver to be "responsible and stable". The neutral-colored four-door sedans received an "unimaginative" or "married". And the flashy two-seat sport cars usually garnered the same response as the monster-sized pick-up trucks that required a ladder to dismount. She would smirk and just say, "Over-compensation."

Once I was old enough to understand her definitions, it became habit to try to classify men in this way. Unfortunately, it was not going to help me any with unlocking the mystery that was Charles Silver. Mom never classified bicycles for me.

He pulled up to the curb on a tall, black bike, his helmet covered in artwork that looked a lot like a fire-breathing Cocker Spaniel. I knew then what my second question for him would be at dinner.

"Wow. You're here," he stated, surprised but still wearing that confident smirk.

"I'm here." I eyed his bike. "Sooo, where are we going?" I paused. "And how are we getting there?"

His lips spread in a wide smile.

"Food is our destination. And I can offer you two options." He motioned to the front of the bike. "The handlebars, with a magnificent view? Or, the seat, with the security of your arms around me?" He waved toward the seat.

At that moment, I was grateful that I had chosen to wear the shorter, black dress and ballet flats that Trish insisted on, instead of the long dress and heels that I was favoring.

"Well, why not? Here goes nothing," I mumbled under my breath as I gathered the skirt of my dress and headed to the seat.

"Prefer security, eh?" Charles teased as he glanced over his shoulder at me. "Well, I'd bet money it won't be long until you're up front, enjoying the view and holding on for dear life."

I didn't know why, but it seemed to me that Charles Silver was more sure about who I was than I did.

To Be Continued...

This is some random writing that I did back in April of last year and I never got around to continuing the story. So, this is to refresh my blog memory and to, hopefully, urge me on to writing the next part.


I walked along the gravel-covered ruts through the cemetery. The stone markers were haphazardly strewn throughout the grass, as if the earth were rejecting their intrusion and the intrusion of those they marked. The wind breathed through the tall grass and stirred applause from the millions of leaves on the trees. I couldn't remember the last time my life was this still. Everything around me was speaking, reminding me that it was all alive.

I almost become lost in their voices until my eyes fell upon the rough headstone. SILVER. "It is better to have loved and lost than to never have...ah, what a load of crap." He always did have a strange sense of humor. Like the time we met. I was staring at a poster for the theater group's production of Moulin Rouge on the community board of the campus when his voice interrupted my thoughts with, "Why go and see that when I can just tell you about it right now. They all sing a conglomerate of 80's pop, fall into forbidden love, and the girl dies a tragic, but beautiful, death. There. Now you have that night free to have dinner with me."

I turned to see a mischievous smirk upon the face of a man who could only be described as boyishly charming, as cliche as that was. But I had heard enough pickup lines to know that I shouldn't give in too easily to a witty remark and its accompanying smile, no matter how cute he was.

"What makes you think that I don't happen to love 80's pop, or that I would go to dinner with you, a complete stranger?" I asked him coyly, using emphasis on the word strange.

"Are you kidding? One, nobody likes 80's pop. At least, not enough to sit through two hours of it. And two, I would think it would much more exciting to spend those two hours enjoying dinner with a complete stranger than any length of time listening to an odd blend of Madonna and The Police."

I had absolutely no comeback to this and he stole the advantage by quickly adding, "Great. I will meet you outside of Henley Hall, 7 p.m., Friday."

"Wait. How did you know I live at Henley Hall? You don't even know my name."

"Sure I do. Barbara."
He waited for my reaction, and must have seen my confusion.
"Sara? Beth?" That same smile spread across his face again. "Ok, so I don't know your name. What shall I call the lady that will be haunting my thoughts for the rest of my existence?"

"Paulette. But you still didn't tell me how you knew where I lived."

"Ah, that I will save for you until our date. Until then, I think I will just let you go mad trying to figure it out. And just so we're not on uneven footing, the name is Charles, Charles Silver." He walked away, slowly picking up speed, but still managed to look back once more with that same grin on his face, like he definitely had a secret, and I was it.

Friday Fun

Once again, I have snagged a list from Laugh Outloud. It's from fill-in-the-blank Friday. Enjoy, steal, share.

1. The first thing I do in the morning is hit the snooze button.. at least five times. It's a good thing my alarm is my phone and it's on vibrate.

2. Every night before bed I take the only free time I have to myself to use the computer, watch a little tv, or read a good book until I can't keep my eyes open anymore.

3. My favorite thing to do when I'm having a bad day is take a nap, even if it's just for 15 minutes.

4. Something that makes me cringe is the dentist drill and cutting my leg while shaving.

5. Social situations are usually really fun, and a great reason to get a little dressy.

6. I like to collect bells from places I visit. I have some from London and Ireland.

7. Weekends are for cleaning house, chilling with family, relaxing, and doing something fun.