Mary and the Mantra

Post holiday blues?....

Not so much.

I am actually feeling really good.

Perhaps it is because I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of 2008.

2008 is going to be a stellar year.

I can feel it.

I plan on willing it to happen.

My mantra: 2008 is a great year for Annette. 2008 is a great year for Annette. 2008 is a great year for Annette.

I wanted to make my mantra easy to say. Note that the mantra does not include will be, can be, could be.....the secret of the mantra is that it has to be a positive affirmation.

I am also repeating it 3 times. I figure since you must say a Hail Mary three times to invoke the blessings of the Blessed Mother.....it can't hurt to say my mantra three times to invoke the blessings of 2008 on my life.

I'm hoping that the combination of the tri-mantra and the tri-hail mary will work out well.

C'mon Mary ~ help a sister out.

Yorkshire Pudding Day.....Revisited

Tuesday, 12.25.2007






Returning from Midnight Mass at 2am......I still had breakfast to prep for the morning.
Egg thing happily comes together quickly...and after winding down, I was tucked in bed by 3:30am.

Christmas Day was a glorious day.
The sun was shining.....the sky was a crystal clear blue.

Pop and I woke first.....we spent the early morning hours drinking coffee, eating christmas cookies and wearing our paper crowns.
Pop told me the story of being discharged from the army on Christmas Day in 1945. He had spent 2 years, 11 months and 25 days in the the army.
He called home and asked them to come and pick him up.
The family was not expecting the call.....and apparently dropped everything and headed down in a terrible snowstorm to get him.
His mother had never seen her son in uniform. He had been gone from his family the entire time....never once with a leave home.
As he waited for the family to arrive, he and a buddy volunteered to be the altar boys at Christmas Mass. It was the last mass he ever served, and the last day in the army. Ironically, it was also the last day he ever ate turkey on Christmas Day.
While Pop and I were chatting - I popped 'egg thing' into the oven - easily figuring that by the time everyone else was up, egg thing would be ready to eat!

As the natives slowly rose, paper hats were adorned and we settled down to eat again!
I handed out stockings to everyone......
I love stockings. I think that the best gifts come from stockings....
Once stockings had been opened we gathered around the Christmas tree and began to hand out presents to open.
As usual, the opening was a flurry of ribbons, papers and the cats jumping on paper and running off with strings of ribbon caught between their little legs.......
With gifts opened, we began our holiday morning calls to all points of the country.....

• With the beautiful weather.....I announced I was going to take a walk outdoors......Pop decided to join me..While it was not my normal brisk walk/run......it was nice to share the time with him....and we walked along wishing Merry Christmas to all the other families that seemed to have the same idea!
  The remainder of the day was very low key, very relaxed.
  
  I began prepping dinner a bit early....Knowing that everything would come together quickly at the end.
  My Christmas Day Menu:
  
  Standing Rib Roast
• Yorkshire Pudding
• Roasted Asparagus with Walnut Oil
• Chive Potato Gratin

This was my first attempt at Yorkshire Pudding ~ and I had never even eaten Yorkshire Pudding before.
It was really yummy. It was really fattening. It was worth it!
The roast was a beauty.....I roasted it simply and finished a pan gravy with the drippings, beef stock, heavy cream and butter.....It was a decadent gravy.
Roasting vegetables is my preferred way of cooking all veggies.....and these came out wonderfully. The walnut oil added a nice warmth to the dish.
During dinner we pulled out another bottle of wine, Pop enjoyed some Manhattens and we over indulged in dinner. Fantastic.

Thanks for the Card!

I used this title for another post earlier last week.
Now that the nightmare of that is over.....I decided to use the title again....only for a different subject.

I received a card from my buddy Nikelle. It was a holiday card that was a gift card to The Limited.

Inside she wrote:
Annette,
You are not the fat girl in the mirror anymore!
Merry Christmas,
Nikelle

It was the perfect card. It made me feel good again. Today she told me that she picked it because only 'skinny bitches' shop at The Limited. Apparently I am now a skinny bitch.
How awesome is that?
On top of being, in her opinion, a skinny bitch....she also wanted me to forget the statement that had been made to me 2 weeks prior.

I had been discussing my ongoing 'body image' issues with another woman. This particular woman has gone up and down the scale for many years. When I told her that I looked in the mirror and saw the same person everytime....she immediatey piped in, "hey...no matter what, you will always be the fat girl in the mirror"

nice. thanks for the positive feedback.

Lesson learned, if you want positivity, don't ask a miserable person.

So thank you Nikelle, for the gift, and for the laugh!
There is a new skinny bitch in town!

Eve Revisited...

Monday, 12.24.2007

I awoke early to head to the grocery store. I had pre-ordered a standing rib roast for Christmas Day....and had attempted to pre-order clams. The fish man basically said, too bad so sad...no pre-orders on clams allowed. I asked him for the scoop on what time I would need to get there to get what I wanted, and he said 6am.

So I woke at 5:30am and out the door I went, list #2 in hand.

Pop decided to join me. He is an early riser and I welcomed the company. We headed to the fish counter first. I bought mussels, clams, calamari, scallops, shrimp, crab, and stuffed trout. Popped to the meat counter for my rib roast.....scooped up the missing lemons....drat...still no basil! A few hundred dollars later, we returned home....looking like Bob Cratchit loaded down with holiday goodies.

I decided to get some excercise in...knowing I would be indulging for the next few days...so onto the treadmill for a mere 30 minutes....so much to do! So little time!

I headed home and fed everyone lunch, finished baking the last batch of cookies..then off to the store to finish the Christmas shopping. Remarkably, I finished in one hour! I was slightly terrified that this indicated that my own stores would be having a bad day....where was everyone?! (apparently not in the mall I was in)

Came home - wrapped the final gifts....and suddenly became aware that I still had not dressed, prepared any of the evening meal or even showered! Yikes.

The time was ticking down....and I began to prep my meal. I knew I would be smelling like a calamari in garlic....(and not in a good way) so the shower would come after.....

My final menu was:

• Clams Casino
• Seafood Medley Salad
• Fennel and Orange Salad
• Linguine with Red Clam Sauce
• Stuffed Calamari
• Stuffed Trout

I began on the medley first.....the individual fish are quickly boiled and then all are tossed in a simple vinagrette. I used a meyer lemon infused olive oil, garlic and lemon juice....rounded it out with flat leaf parsley and let the flavors mellow for a few hours.

Next, I sliced my oranges, red onion and fennel - they were tossed in a simple vinagrette also.

The stuffed calamari was prepped - see recipe in post below. I was really pleased with myself on this dish....I prepped the cheese sauce, piped it into the bodies and then refrigerated the whole thing....as it cooked, the calamari held their shape and the sauce did not oooozzze everywhere.

The clam sauce would come together simply at the last minute.....and I had cheated by purchasing a ready to pop in the oven trout!

I laid out a platter of assorted olives ~ maddalena, sicilian, blue cheese stuffed (thinking how wonderful they would be in a martini)....Next came brandy snifters of marcona almonds placed here and there and I sliced a baguette and put out a dish of the meyer lemon olive oil for dipping.

The Asti Spumante was chilling ~ it would not be Christmas Eve without it! and I had a lovely bottle of J pinot grigio chilling too.

I went to dress and decided on my Isacc Mizrahi Special ~ this dress is so cute and very comfy...I knew I was in for the long haul with Midnight Mass on the agenda. With no time to do the hair, I opted for the sleek bun and was ready to get the party started....

The table was set with my favorite red table cloth, green plates and topped with red napkins and Christmas Crackers.....(much to the horror of my family ~ I have forced this oh-so-British holiday tradition on my Italian/Irish family) I love the Christmas Cracker! It pops, it's festive, it has a prize in side and comes with a fashionable paper hat! Accessories to go that look fabulous on everyone! Why wouldn't you love that?!

I began to pour the Asti ~ I was feeling a bit of the holiday stress.

Holiday stress = Annette trying to be perfect in an imperfect world

Asti + Annette = What holiday stress?

The guests began to arrive - and I put the men to work at opening my clams for the clams casino. A side note here....I am terrified of cutting myself opening clams. I love clams, I love to eat clams, but I can't open the suckers. And I know it is because I am afraid of needing stitches.

The holiday music was playing, the Asti and wine were flowing, the clams were being filled ~ and I could feel Christmas surrounding me!

I adore Christmas Eve. I adore being surrounded by people I love and sharing this night with them. The clams were ready and everyone was served. To me, they tasted just like Christmas. I thought of my Nonnie and all the years she made this dish for us......I thought of my sister who hates clams but always wants the casino part in the empty shell.....I thought of Nunu arguing with Dad and Uncle Gerry about the best way to open a clam....I thought about Jack Roses, and gifts opening and cocktails and laughter.....I recalled the year of the two fisted cocktails. One in each hand!!!

As we enjoyed the first course, I finished and set out to make my clam sauce.....some onion, garlic, red pepper flakes and olive oil........clams, fresh tomatoes, fresh oregano.....tossed in the pasta....topped with parsley and parmigiano cheese..... We gathered everyone around the table and cracked open the crackers! With party hats on, it was now time to eat!

The pasta was delicious....and as we enjoyed...the salads were put out to come to room temperature....and the stuffed fishes in the oven...

I served the remaining courses buffet style.....

With the meal coming to a close, we began to tell stories of Christmas' past. We finished more bottles of wine.....set the advent wreath on fire....(doused it out with my Aqua Panna water) only after blowing on it and trying to snuff it out with my beautiful cloth napkins failed to work. Credit to my guests who tried to recall thier firefighting skills while being slightly toasted.

We pulled out the platters of cookies and cakes....enjoyed coffee and a gift exchange. As the evening was winding down....It was time to head to Midnight Mass. My guests said thier good-byes and Nan and Pop and I headed for the church.

As we walked into the church.....it took my breath away. The altar was flanked on both sides by two christmas trees filled with white lights....dozens of pointsettias lined the altar in front and behind.....candles were blazing and the lights were all dimmed. The church was full of people...all silent and reverent for the mass.

The bell rung and a man began to sing the Christmas Prelude ~ it gave me chills it was so beautiful.

We sang O Come Let Us Adore Him, the Kyrie was done in the Messe Breve in C...during the presentation of gifts the choir sang For Unto us a Child is Born from the Messiah, the Sanctus in Latin, During communion the choir sang the Nativity Carol and In the Bleak Midwinter and then the entire congregation joined in on Silent Night.....and finally Hark the Herald Angels Sing for the recessional....

It was a beautiful mass.....and a beautiful ending to a wonderful day.

Christmas Weekend Revisted Part 1

Success!
The holiday came off beautifully.

I live in fear of building holidays up in my mind and then having them dissappoint. You often hear of that happening to so many people.....Often I have assumed that eventually...... it would happen to me.
It didn't.

Happily....another holiday unscathed. No disappointments, no let downs. I allowed myself to enjoy the moments for what they were and let gratitude fill the days.

Friday evening, 12.21.07

I finished work and drove to New Jersey. The purpose of this journey was to pick up my grandparents and bring them back to Virginia with me for the holiday. They are too old to drive and I know for a fact....that at 86 and 84 years old, our holidays together are limited.

I did not allow myself to grumble at the traffic or the bad drivers. Instead, I listened to my music, made some holiday cheer phone calls and enjoyed the 3 1/2 hours of solitude in the car. Upon arriving in New Jersey, I was lucky to not have to parallel park my car! Hooray, a space was open and I slid right in!

Nan and Pop had waited up for me....we visited for a few hours before heading off to bed. My plan was to do a bit of my "office" work in the morning and hit the road for Virgina at 1:30pm.

Saturday, 12.22.07

Woke up late. aaaggh

Are you familiar with that panic feeling at waking up later than intended? You are tired, groggy and trying to jump out of bed as fast as possible....as if jumping out quickly will make up for the extra hour you slept. I rushed downstairs in a panic to turn on my laptop and catch up with any crisis that may have occured since shutting down at 2:30am.

No crisis.

I began making the calls, sending the emails.......all the while fielding questions from the kitchen about what did I want for breakfast? did i want an orange? how about a banana? (Nan has a thing about fruit consumption in the morning) I chose the banana.

The day progressed and shocking - I was not able to leave on time. One thing after another came up with work....not allowing me time away from email and the phones.

Nan and Pop busied themselves packing and deciding what to wear. Raincoat or winter coat? Dress or skirt? We also decided that they should open thier presents from California before we left.....Let the festivities begin!

With gifts openend, we loaded the car and began our ride to Virginia. As the hours passed, I began to realize all of the "to do's" that still had to be done.

In my mind, I planned to feed Nan and Pop before arriving home. Besides, I had not a scrap of food in the house. I needed to get to the grocery store and buy list #1 that I had prepped thru the week, had to decide on the final menu for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, had to complete list #2 for final grocery store run, had to complete Christmas shopping, wrap gifts, finish final batch of cookies.

I knew that feeding Nan and Pop would have to involve a restaurant that served basic food that would be hot, and include soup or salad, and vegetable and starch......Being limited on my choices, I opted for the Cracker Barrel. Nan had chicken and dumplings with carrots and fried apples. Pop had pot roast with carrots and mashed pototoes and green beans. (He actually pointed to the picture in the menu and said, "bring me exactly that") Much to my chagrin the vegetables were clearly from a can and cooked to mush......luckily, that is just the way Nan and Pop like them.

With the grandparents fed, we headed for home. I dropped them off, unloaded the car and put in a movie for them to watch as I went to the grocery store. With "It's a Wonderful Life" playing I headed for the store.

The grocery store on the Saturday before Christmas....I prepped myself for chaos....but because it was after 8pm...it was quiet! Hooray! I ran up and down the aisles making my selections. Being motivated by my houseguests, I knew that I had to have plenty of fruit. I also had to buy a tea kettle. They love hot tea for lunch and dinner. I quickly crossed off my list and only had a few items that had to be moved to list #2. Apparently they had a run on basil and lemons. I came home just in time to see George Baily rescue Clarence from the river.

I unloaded the groceries, tucked everyone into bed with strict instructions that we would be going to 10:30am mass on Sunday.

Sunday, 12.23.07

I arose early and headed to the gym. Ran a few miles on the treadmill, lifted some weights knowing that I would be sleevless for the symphony performance. (somehow convincing myself that a few reps on the weight machines would give me instant muscle definition instead of flab) Returning home, the grandparents were already awake and ready for church. We attended mass and left for the Kennedy Center. We were pressed for time. The priest had felt a little long winded and now we had less than one hour to get there, park and find our seats. And of course, with older folks, you can't make them hurry.

It was fun to watch them ooh and aah at the Washington sites....Nan asked about 8 times if that was the Potomac River..."yes, Nan"

Pop marveled at the Watergate....isn't that where Nixon got himself into trouble?...."yes, Pop"

We were fortunate to find parking rather quickly, up the escalators we went....made a quick stop to the bathroom....(well kind of quick, they are old) and made it to our box seats. We were at the symphony for a performance of Handels "Messiah" My favorite part is "For Unto Us a Child is Born"......the rest....not so much. I was actually disappointed in the performances of the soloists....

On the upside, my favorite cello man was there....I enjoy watching him. Nan did fall asleep, which made me giggle....but she is 86! She can sleep whenever she wants! Of course, she claimed to just be resting her eyes.....she thought the music was lovely. Her favorite part was the older woman playing the violin. Nan was convinced that the woman had to be in her 80's and wasn't that just fantastic that she was still performing. I did not see this woman and can't weigh in on whether or not she was 80 plus.

With the performance over, it was once again time to eat! Old people are on a very tight eating schedule.....and the days events were preventing the preferred timelines....once again, I knew we needed to have soup or salad, entree with vegetable and starch included. We took them to a diner type establishment....I thought the food was terrible....they loved it!

We drove home and enjoyed the holiday lights....had a hot cup of tea...some of Nan's wonderful cake...enjoyed some cookies from Cat Boy....and off to bed they went.

It's A Wonderful Life!

Despite the challenges of the last few days......It is still the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

I wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas.

Enjoy your family and friends.....and take time to enjoy the season....

Thank You Mary J

A little Mary J Blige goes a long way in making a girl feel like a strong and powerful woman.
This is my high praise and recommendation for her new album Growing Pains....
That is all.

Calamari

This is so simple to make and quite lovely to eat.

Stuffed Calamari
Christmas Eve to our Italian family means the famous ‘Feast of Seven Fishes’ – this is a favorite – and just one course of a 5 course meal! You could serve this alone as a meal with a green salad and a glass of Pinot Grigio! (or pinot gris)

1 lb of Calamari bodies (tubes)
1 lb of crab meat

Cheese Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons of all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup of milk
1 cup shredded sharp natural cheddar cheese

melt butter in saucepan over low heat, blend in the flour, salt and dash of white pepper. Add milk all at once, cook quickly stirring constantly, till mixture thickens and bubbles. Remove sauce from heat when it bubbles. Add cheese stirring till smooth . Add the crab meat to the cheese sauce stir.

stuff the calamari bodies with the cheese crab sauce, place in a baking dish and add pad of butter generally one pad for each body. Bake in the oven at 325 degrees for about 30 minutes. Do not overcook bodies will be tough if cooked to long.

Traditional Feast Offerings

Scrambled Egg Casserole (aka – Egg Thing)

A Christmas morning favorite in the Cenci family for nearly 25 years! We prepare on Christmas Eve – using the leftover bread from our Italian Christmas Eve ‘feast of seven fishes’. Christmas morning it goes into the oven and is ready to eat when all the gifts have been opened!

1 baguette (cut into slices)
1/2 lb of grated cheddar cheese
6 eggs
2 1/4 cups of milk

Place bread in greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Sprinkle cheese over bread. Beat eggs in a bowl; add milk and mix. Pour over cheese and bread. Cover with thinly sliced ham, bacon or sausage. Put in refrigerator overnight. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes.

Yuletide Carol Riddler ~ Give it a whirl

The following words are alternate titles for several well known Christmas Carols.

1. Quadruped with a crimson proboscis
2. Eight PM to six AM without noise
3. Miniscule hamlet in the Middle East.
4. Ancient benevolent despot.
5. Exuberance directed to the planet.
6. Adorn the vestibule.
7. Listen, aerial spirits announcing.
8. Trio of monarchs.
9. Yonder in the haystack.
10. Cherubim audited from aloft.
11. Assemble, everyone who believes
12. Hallowed post meridian.
13. Fantasies of a colorless Dec. 25th.
14. Tin tinniculations
15. A dozen 24 hour Yule periods.
16. Befell during the transparent
bewitching hour.
17. Homo sapien of crystallized vapor.
18. Desire a pair of incisors on Dec. 25th.
19. I spied my maternal parent osculating.
20. Perambulating through a December
solstice fantasy.

RESULTS:
15-20 You are filled with yuletide spirit.
10-14 You could use a little something in your stocking.
5-9 Are you sure you have the right holiday?
0-4 You win a lobotomy at the hospital of your choice.

Yikes!

7 hours in an emergency room waiting area today.
Thankfully, all is well......I was waiting on the patient....(she is fine)

I am pooped.
I am planning on submerging my body in antibacteral liquids asap.

Why do emergencies take so long?

Hazy Shade of Winter

How strange that today at work, this song turned up on our compilation holiday CD...we have a muzak type system - and I almost fell over when this song came on. Amidst the songs of reindeers and chestnuts...was The Bangles! I have to admit to rocking out to this song. I loved that movie Less Than Zero, I credit it for the reason I never turned to drugs and alcohol.
(Requiem for a Dream had the same effect on me too)

Alas, I am adding it to my own Christmas mix.....it is a pleasant and unexpected surprise!

And shocking ~ I do like this version better than the Simon and Garfunkel one.

Happy Christmas

A friend of mine took an old photo of me and made it into an art project. It makes me happy.
I feel he gave it a bit of a Warhol treatment, and it was one of the best things anyone ever gave me.

Charles Dickens said, "Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childhood..."

I still remember that mouseketeer doll that I was so lovingly clutching to my chest, and there in the background sits my mother's ceramic christmas tree on a bed of angel hair. (Angel hair was spun glass that could cut you...so I was always careful not to mess with it!)

This is the kind of happiness we all need to remember when we start to get caught up in the stress of the season.....

Christmas Lights

I love Christmas lights.
I love getting in the car and driving around the neighborhood to see Christmas lights.
I love the color of Christmas lights.
I don't like blinking Christmas lights.
I don't like Christmas lights after January 6th.
That is all.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

My tree has ornaments that were given to me from the year I was born...My tree is awesome. This is my second Christmas going with the multi-colored lights. Usually I prefer white...but these are quite festive.

Nonnie made this for me in 1975....it would not be Christmas without him! My mother always filled him with hershey kisses...I hate hershey kisses, but have the urge to fill him with those for nostalgia's sake.

Nana's ceramic tree ~ when I was growing up everyone had one of these! I was so excited when Nan let me take it home last year....isn't it divine?

So far I have completed the following:

Christmas tree up and decorated!
Exterior lights up! and they are LED this year!
Christmas Cards signed, sealed, addressed ~ I still need stamps.
Manager holiday gifts bought ~ sadly, I could not complete all 20 scarves. I am going to make that next years gift...it will give me more time.
Symphony Tickets purchased for the 23rd! ~ can't wait to surprise the Grandparents with these!
3 Christmas Gifts purchased!
One batch of cookies done!
Christmas Eve guest list confirmed!
Preliminary planning of the Christmas Eve menu ~ feast of 7 fishes!

Body Image Issues in December

Just when I think I can't find something to gripe about.....taa-daa! Body images issues.

I am having bad body image issues. Bad to the point that I want to eat an entire chocolate cake and make myself feel bad about it.

Isn't that awful? I have lost a great deal of weight in the last year, and now, here I am, in a size smaller than I ever thought possible....and when I look in the mirror I don't see any difference.

But then I look at photos and see a big difference.
Why, in the month of December - when I should be happy and joyous, am I letting myself feel crappy about how I look?

So I am goig to take the following steps to improve my body image....and then I am going to eat a Bocca di Nonna cookie.

How Can I Improve My Body Image?

Body image can be a hard thing to change. We get used to giving ourselves negative feedback about the way we look. Thinking negatively about one's self can become an addiction. Like smoking, thinking negatively about one's body is a habit that is hard but important to break. There is no sure-fire or easy way to achieve good body image and, once achieved, maintaining positive body image takes work and persistence! Some tips for improving one's body image include:

Consciously fight every bad thought about yourself: recognize when you are being critical of yourself and remind yourself to be kind.
Speak to yourself only as you would speak to a friend, family member or someone you love.
Consciously focus on the things about you that you like. Be proud of these things!
Criticize the images that make you feel uncomfortable with yourself; try to recognize why these images are being presented to you (what are they trying to sell?) and realize that your bad self image helps to sell a product or an idea

Bocca Di Nonna Cookies ~ AKA Earl Grey Yummies

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3/4 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups finely ground blanched almonds

1. in a small bowl, stir together flour and cocoa powder, set aside.
2. in a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy, scraping side of bowl occasionally. Beat in almonds. Beat in flour mixture just until mixture is combined. Cover; chill dough about 1 hour or until easy to handle.
3. preheat oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Place balls 2" apart on prepared cookie sheet. Press each ball to flatten slightly.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until firm. Cool on cookie sheet on wire rack. Remove cooled cookies from cookie sheet. Spread about 1 tsp of Earl Grey Ganache on the flat side of each of half the cookies. Top with remaining cookies, flat sides down.

Makes 28 sandwich cookies

Earl Grey Ganache
1/3 cup whipping cream
4 earl grey teabags (or a tea ball with 4tsp of Earl Grey tea)
4 oz. milk chocolate (finely chopped)

1. in a small saucepan, bring 1/3 cup whipping cream to boiling. Remove from heat. Add the tea bags. Cover and let stand for 15 minutes. Remove tea bags from cream. Squeeze tea bags with the back of a spoon to release any liquid.
2. return cream to boiling. Remove from heat. Immediately add chopped chocolate. stir until chocolate melts and mixture is shiny and smooth. Cool mixture to room temperature.

To store: Layer sandwich cookies between waxed paper in an airtight container, cover. Store for up to 3 days.

The Same Conversation Over and Over Again

I have really been struggling this week. And ironically, today everything started to sort itself out again...(like it always does).
Over the last few months, I have taken advantage of my little video camera to have recap conversations to send to my friend. It allows me to journal, without having to write anything down. Over the past few months, many of these have not even made it as far as Jerod. Some he sees, some I keep for myself. It has been theraputic to watch myself talk thru the crazy.
This one in particular seemed fitting for the end of this week. Not only was it taken over one month ago ~ I found myself again in the same dilemma this past week. I know it will have no true signifigance for anyone but me.....but I like it anyway.

Friday Night is Pizza Night

I had no idea what to post about....and then I thought....Italy, food, friday, pizza. In my childhood years, Friday night was always pizza night...so in honor of Friday Night, Pizza Night and Italy.....here you go. A feast for the eyes.

a me me piace

This is perhaps one of my favorite moments. Normally one would say "mi piace"....but the Roman way is "a me me piace". ( I like it)
It was a fantastic running joke the entire week.....and darling Mario played it up for the camera.
Once we showed him the video - he insisted on showing everyone....such a ham!

And Cat ~ in case you are wondering....that is a ricotta crostata....yum.

Finalmente

I know, I know.....It has been a long time.
And goodness knows......I am in need of going to a happy place...so here we go!

Our first full day in Italy involved waking up on a chilly morning. I knew that the first thing I needed to do was move the body around.
Marisa and I decided we would take our walk first thing, and then return to have breakfast.

We slipped into our 'walking' gear and headed down the road.
The farmhouse sits just a short distance from the Mediterranean. We knew that walking, we could be there in 20 to 30 minutes. It was a straight shot down the road....and how amazing it would be to end a walk being greeted by the ocean!
We began chatting and heading down the road. We were mindful to walk facing the oncoming traffic.
Cars zoomed by us. As we reached the end of the road, we had to navigate thru a traffic circle....A little scary, but also a little added cardio!
As we came out of the circle, we noticed that the road to the ocean narrowed considerably...and the cars were driving by even faster. The walk now required us walking single file and occasionally jumping into the weeds to avoid death-by-truck.
I recall thinking that if I was going to improve one thing about Italy ~ it would be to put in a sidewalk. They would not have to be everywhere......but one on this particular road would be quite beneficial.
Almost immediately ~ Marisa asked that we turn back. She felt that while walking was certainly health beneficial ~ it would be awful to die in the pursuit of health.
We quickly turned back and headed to the farm.

When we arrived.....Chiarrina had our 'colazione' waiting. For the feasting that occurs thru the day.....the breakfast is very simple.
If you are a protein in the am junkie - Italy is not the place for you.
Breakfast consists of coffee and bread. The espresso is made, the milk is heated, and you are treated to the most wonderful latte this side of Starbucks. When in Italy, don't order a latte, you will get a glass of milk. You have to order caffe latte. Spread before us was an assortment of dolci. My favorite is the torta allo yogurt. Picture pound cake that is very dense and very moist. There was also a wonderful bread that had been made with anise. It was not quite sweet, not quite savory.....but delightful dipped in the coffee.

After breakfast, it was time for our 'doccia'. The family thinks we are nutty with the daily shower and hair washing....but they humor us and don't make a big issue out of it. We each were given an enormous terry robe to wrap into when we stepped out of the shower. No towels. This may have been the biggest adjustment for me. I am a towel junkie. I like one for my hair, one for my body, one to step on when I get out of the shower and then a clean one again to use when I brush my teeth, do make up etc....
Here I was limited to one terry robe.....and a communal bath mat.
Ah well......when in Rome!

I knew that the scariest moment was before me. Touching an electrical appliance. My experience has taught me to expect a severe electrical shock with every trip to Italy. As I reached for the hair dryer......I was pleasantly surprised to not be greeted with the typical electrical jolt. I did manage to blow the power in the electrical socket - and had to go to another room to finish the task....again.....thankfully, no shock!

From the conversation of the previous evening, I knew that the family was disappointed at the short duration of our trip. Given that we would not be there for the upcoming weekend, they were frantic in trying to ensure that we would get to see and eat with as many family members as possible.
For lunch on Monday, we would be going to Zio Richetto's and Zia Fausca's. For dinner that night, we would be going to Luciana's and Franco's. I was so excited about Luciana's. She is a fantastic cook, and already at this early hour of the day, I was anticipating the meal that would greet us that night! Hurrah!

Food, food and more food.

On Hold...

This is just one of those busy weeks.....a 6 day work week, a lot of travel and my laundry and dishes are starting to revolt....
I'll be back soon!

One more crazy day to go!

Caveman in the AM

You know the Geico cavemean commercial in the airport - the one with the quirky tune?
I was sitting on the airplane Tuesday morning and they were piping in a painful music selection for 5:30am in the morning - all of a sudded the Geico Caveman song came on. I never saw so many heads pop up at the same time.

It was ironic to hear that song and be in the airport.
Just a weird life moment I thought I would share with you.

The name of the song is Remind Me ~ by Royksopp

Appy Alloween!

I loved teaching the Italian kids to say Happy Halloween ~ I like their take on it of ~ Appy Alloween!

Cibo, Cibo e tante Cibo

Richetto prepares the zucchini for market.

Taking hours to eat a meal, preceded by hours to reach said meal......one would think it would be time for a nap.

However, I felt that the best approach would be to power through and keep myself active and awake until Roman bedtime.

We decided to take a post pranza walk ~ the weather was beautiful.....a clear blue sky and seventy degree weather. We began to walk up the road towards the other houses. As we approached Anna Maria's home, we were greeted by an enormous white dog. It was friendly enough, but we kept walking because poor little Anna Maria was under the weather.

Further up the road we came to Richetto's home. As we rounded the house, we could see a group of people working in the shed. 5 family members were tying bunches of zucchini blossoms together, that would be making their way to market later that night. We were warmly greeted by Zio Richetto, Zia Fausca, Giuseppina, Rachele, Emma and Flavio. Mario and Fausta from Venice were also there pitching in with prepping the zucchinni.

Just a little farm background:

All of the property of the 3 houses stands on farm land. The land was owned by my great grandfather's brother. When he died, the land was divided into 3 parcels for 3 of his children. Mario, Anna Maria and Richetto. The other daughter was given the home in Ostra Vetere in the Marches where our family originally came from. The 3 children are all older now. Richetto and his wife still work very hard, but thier land is worked by thier son-in-law Massimo. (possibly the dreamiest and nicest man in all of Italy) Anna Maria's land is worked by her son Paoulo. And Mario's land is also worked by Paoulo.....None of Mario's children chose the farming life.

It is always great fun to see the activity that is going on at Richetto's. Massimo has worked very hard to bring more modern farming techniques to his property. Everyone helps out in preparing the vegetables for market.

Despite the fact that we had just eaten an enormous meal ~ Marisa and I had one thing on our minds.....would we get to eat some of the blossoms too?! They were a family favorite. No doubt fearing that we might want to eat the blossoms before they made it to market, Giussy stepped in and invited us on a walking tour of the new greenhouses and fields. We were walking thru the fields, admiring tomatoes, fennel, broccoli, zucchini....and being followed by a passel of kids and the 2 dogs on Richettos farm. The giant german shepherd Orso and the new puppy Macchia. (Macchia is essentially Spot in english) How cute is that?!

Spending time visiting - Giussy explained that the previous week, all of the olive trees had been harvested and the oil pressed. Almost immediatley there was a buzz in the air about making sure we would have bruschetta that night. People were shouting, talking, giving thier opinion, calling other family members...all in grand discussion of the bruschetta.

There is a passion for food here ~ imagine a heated Meet the Press with the topic of how to achieve the perfect Bruschetta.

After romping thru the fields, playing with the children and the dogs....we headed back to the house for Cena. (Dinner!)

Cena is typically a very simple affair, a plate of sliced meats, some cheese, a bit of bread, wine, fruit....e basta.

We returned to discover that we would be starting the meal with the fresh pressed olive oil on our bruschetta! Alas, all of the conversation had lead Paoulo to go out and get the bread we would need.

The table was filled with bottles of the new oil. Bread was scattered on the table, and Maurizio began to rub the oil onto the toasted bread....

Unlike the over the top versions seen here in the US......this was simply divine. Toasted bread, rubbed with olive oil, drizzled generously with the fresh pressed oil and finally a sprinkling of sea salt.

Heavenly.

Chiarinna did not disappoint with the rest of the meal.....platters of sliced, cured meats were set out, a salad, some of the leftover roasted chicken and salad reappeared. We lingered for a few more hours over wine and sambucca.

I could feel my eyelids growing heavier, and heavier.....but was reluctant to let this first day end.

I finally headed up the 3 flights of stairs and slipped into bed. The darkness was still, the leaves in the olive trees were rustling....you could hear the soft animal sounds coming from outside....and sleep came swiftly..........

Can you imagine a better first day?

Qui in Italia.......(here in Italy)

After landing on terra firma again.....we proceeded to the first and most important stop....
The ladies room. As usual there was a line.
A few interesting notes about public bathrooms in Italy:

• the doors go all the way to the floor, you can't peek for feet underneath.


• the toilets have the flush button in the wall. one side of the panel for big flushes the other for small flushes.


• cleaning men are always in the bathrooms. that's right...men. They just come on in and clean up.


• most bathrooms come equipped with the options of the hand blow dryer or the cloth on a wheel. I am not down with public cloths.

Next stop - customs and baggage claim!

Like a herd of cattle we all made our way thru the tunnels, down the escalator, up the escalator, onto the little tram....out the door and down another escalator. The joy of Fiumincino is that everything is very well marked. The room opened up to several lines. To the right lines for EU citizens to the left everyone else. Oh, how I longed to be an EU citizen. The line was much shorter and everyone was better dressed.

Ahead of us was a japanese tour group following thier guide that was holding a yellow flag aloft. One by one, we waited for our passports to be stamped. Unlike other countries, as you approach the customs agent in Italy - he says Buon Giorno, you say Buon Giorno....he stamps your passport and off you go. Easy Peasy.

Walking thru the glass enclosed agent - you step out to Baggage Claim. Right away you are greeted with 2 places to exchange your money for huge fees and a luggage cart for rent that will cost you 5 euro. A note of advice from me to you......Don't ever exchange money...use the ATM's and you will get a much better rate. Pack light and save yourself 5 euro ($7.50 us).

Marisa and I headed to the appropriate luggage thing....and there was my bag! Yahoo! Then we waited for Marisa's bag.

And we waited.

And we waited.

One by one, all of the passengers collected thier bags....and suddenly we were left staring at a belt turning round and round with one lone suitcase on it....(not Marisa's) We headed to the lost luggage line and were faced with a line reminiscent of bread lines in Moscow. Knowing that we were well over one hour late, and that people were waiting to pick us up....we decided to head outside and let them know we were here....and then return to face the luggage dilemma. (Privately I was convinced that the agent in Washington had probably routed Marisa's bag to Toronto only since she thought she was Canadian and not traveling with me.)

We headed out the doors and began scanning the faces for our pick up people.

We had no idea who would be there to meet us. I had a feeling Paoulo would be there...he had always been the driver of my previous visits......Sure enough, I spotted Paoulo and began waving...we gave each other a big hug and the 2 kisses on each cheek. As I was hugging Paoulo, I could see Maurizio a little further up...he was still scanning the crowd when he looked over at Paoulo and myself. Hugs and cheek kisses all around! Marisa explained that her bag was not there. (Non che`) As is customary with our family there, Maurizio grabbed Marisa and began guiding her to where she should go. Paoulo grabbed me and kept me safely protected to the side as we waited.

Generally speaking, I think of myself as independent. I travel for work all the time, spend a great deal of time alone and taking care of myself. But there is something very comforting about being 'protected'. The family would never dream of letting us be left on our own. They surround you and take charge to ensure that you are ok. I was basking in this. Maurizio returned and told us Marisa was waiting in line. I was thrilled at the reaction both Maurizio and Paoulo had on seeing me again. I had lost a lot of weight since my last visit....and they were oozing compliments to me. Paoulo could not get over it....he said he thought that I was Meredith when I rounded the corner...and had to remind himself that he was picking up Annette and Marisa, not Meredith and Marisa. My ego shot thru the roof. (My cousin Meredith is so beautiful, tall and slender...I kept saying, if only I could look like Meredith)!!!

As we were waiting, Maurizios phone rang (telefonino)....The family was getting anxious as to where we were. There was big discussion about the lost bag and the unknown of when we would be arriving at the house. Uh oh - I knew this was potential drama. Pranza could not be late! (lunch) Pranza is a huge deal. It is the biggest meal of the day....and since we were arriving on Sunday....an even bigger deal. I could just imagine the hustle and bustle going on in Chiarinna's kitchen at that very moment. Suddenly I was hungry again.

As luck would have it, Marisa emerged shortly thereafter.....no bag. They had no idea where the bag was. No idea when it would arrive. They gave her a claim number, she gave them the address of the house we were staying at....and we decided to hope for the best. The biggest disappointment was that the gifts for the ladies were in Marisa's bag....we hated to arrive empty handed. Thank goodness for the Sambuca! and my bags had all of the gifts for the children.

Our little entourage started to make it's way to the parking garage......we loaded in the bags. Marisa rode in the front seat. ( a seat of respect for the older woman) I got into the back with Maurizio. We all began talking and laughing. Maurizio always gives me a bad time about my Italian.....he forces me to speak only Italian, despite the fact that I know he understands more English than he would ever let us know about.

It was a beautiful day, and we headed to the family farm in Practica di Mare. The drive is only about 20 minutes away.

It felt so wonderful to be back. I watched the world go by the car windows. Everything is just a little bit different than what you are used to seeing. The windows were down, the breeze off the ocean was wonderful, the radio was playing Italian songs and we were on our way to Pranza!

Heading up the road to the farm, we noticed an addition since our last visit......there was now a gate (cancello) to the entrance of the house. As the gate slowly opened, Paoulo turned and said he could not wait to see the look on Carla's face when she saw me. There at the end of the driveway was a group of family members waving wildly at the car!

Zio Mario, Zia Chiarinna, Carla, Valentina, Michela, Davide and a surprise too! Zio Mario and Zia Fausta from Venice!!!!!! It was a wonderful reunion! Lots of hugging and cheek kissing.....questions about our flight, exclamations over the lost bag, over my lost weight and of course were we hungry?

Are you kidding I was starving!

As we walked into the house we were greeted with the long table set for Pranza. Each place setting had the antipasto already in place. Down the center of the table were bottles of water and bottles of wine. (Aqua minerale and vino rosso and vino bianco) Our bags were quickly taken from us, and we were told were to sit....they put Marisa and I in the center of the table. Maurizio took a seat to my left, Marisa to my right, across from me was Zio Mario from Venice. Qui in Italia.....they waste no time feeding you. Everyone began pouring glasses of wine - some mix the water and wine.....

Before us was a plate of sliced proscuitto, sliced mortadella, carciofi, melanzane and olives. The meats were Marios own. He make them himself, the proscuitto hangs in the garage. The Carciofi are marinated artichoke hearts and the melazane is a wonderful eggplant side. It can be best described as pickled in olive oil with spices. I have watched her make this and love, love, love it. The last visit, she even made some for me to take home.

Following the antipasto, out came the next course of lasagna. The lasagna in Italy is not made with ricotta cheese. It is made with several layers of thin pasta, a light bechamel sauce and light meat sauce....I could also taste a bit of nutmeg. It was the kind of lasagna that fills your throat and stomach with warmth......so delicious and delicate.

Following the pasta, the platters of mixed roasted meats came out. The platter had both roasted chicken and rabbit. They were roasted with lemon, olive oil and rosemary. Simple and delicious. Roasted potatoes, green beans and then a salad of lettuce, fennel and tomatoes topped with a light vinagrette.

Next, Chiarinna set out platters of cheese. Asiago, parmigianno, a cheese that I should have written the name down because it was so good too.....

Baskets of fruit were set out on the table as well. Apples, pears, oranges, grapes..........

Then my favorite part, cafe! The little shot glasses of espresso were distributed and out came a mixture of dolci. a torta allo yogurt, a bread made with anise, assorted biscotti.....

And finally, lemoncello, grappa and of course sambucca.

Meal time has a religious quality about it........every course is savored, there is reverence as each course is laid out.....there is a great deal of laughter and conversation.....and of course, everyone lingers at the table.....for hours.

In my head, I could feel myself falling into a state of deep relaxation and content. This was the life.

Humor to-go

Thank God For Italian Men
On a recent transatlantic flight, a plane passes through a severe storm..
The turbulence is awful, and things go from bad to worse when one wing is struck by lightning. One woman in particular loses it. Screaming, she stands up in the front of the plane. "I'm too young to die," she wails.
Then she yells, "Well, if I'm going to die, I want my last minutes on earth to be memorable!
Is there ANYONE on this plane who can make me feel like a WOMAN?"
For a moment there is silence. Everyone has forgotten their own peril. They all stared, riveted, at the desperate woman in the front of the plane. Then an Italian man stands up in the rear of the plane. He is gorgeous: tall, well built, with dark brown hair and hazel eyes. He starts to walk slowly up the aisle, unbuttoning his shirt one button at a time.
No one moves.
He removes his shirt.
Muscles ripple across his chest.
She gasps...
He whispers:"Iron this, and get me something to eat.."

Transatlantic Crossing ~ part due

Knowing that we had ample time to re-group prior to boarding our Air Canada flight to Rome...we decided to take care of some important business.

#1 the ladies room

#2 the duty free shop

One lesson we learned on past trips to Italy, is that Italians know how awesome they are and how awesome their country is. Italy has it all! Great Food, Great Fashion, Great Cars, Great Wine... When trying to buy gifts for Italian family members...we have found that buying them what they know and like and use is the best course of action.

So we loaded up on bottles of Sambuca at the Duty Free Shop.

(i like to shop at the duty free shop, i like to shop at the duty free shop) ((i recall that seinfeld episode everytime i see or say duty free shop.))

Purchasing one for each household on the farm.

There are 3 houses on the property....

• Zio Mario lives with his wife, his eldest son, his daughter, her husband and 3 children.


• Zia Anna Maria lives with her eldest son, his wife, their 2 childern, her other daughter in law and another granddaughter.


• Zio Richetto lives with his wife, his only daughter, her husband and their 3 children.

Before you think we cheaped out and only brought Sambuca, we did have more gifts in our luggage - but we will get to that later.

Now that the duty free shopping was done, we had taken our trip to the ladies...we were called to board the flight!

Finally! I was so excited that I was bouncing up and down in line....perhaps I could have used a bit of Ritalin to take the edge off...but I could not help myself!

As we headed down the jetway, and rounded the corner of the aircraft.........shocking discovery! This plane had to be a good 20 years old. It was not roomy like the commuter jet. It did not have individual entertainment systems. It had a green interior. That's right folks....green.

As I opened my overhead bin ~ I discovered that directly above my seat lived the ancient VCR system for the aircraft. I had no overhead space. So I shoved my bottles of Sambuca above the seats in front of me. Stashed my bags at my feet, and decided that at least my bags could act as my footrest. (trying very hard to see the glass half full)

As we got underway, I took some time to observe those seated around me. The plane had a 2-3-2 configuration.

My lovely aunt was to my left in the window seat. To my right was a nice older lady. She was part of a tour group - but not seated near her companions. Directly behind me was a nice couple that barely spoke 3 words to one another the entire journey. And in front of me was a couple that seemed to enjoy Nascar. The man looked like Sam Elliott. He had a sort of handlebar/motorcycle dude mustache thing happening. I liked Sam until he decided to recline his seat into my lap 2 seconds after take off. Thanks Sam. 7 hours to go!

As we took off, I settled in for my flight. I took off my shoes and put on my cozy black slipper socks, I had my book at the ready in the seat pocket in front of me "Suite Francaise". I did take the headphones offered because despite that fact that the plane was ancient...they were showing a movie....not on tv screens in the seat, not in tv screens that came out of the ceiling, but on the projector screen the flight attendent pulled down at the bulkhead.....Lucky for us we were only 6 rows back...pity the folks further back.

Air Canada - not exactly on point with entertainment choices. We had 2 movies to see. Oceans 13 and Beetlejuice.

Ocean's 13 ~ hey, any day that includes George Clooney and Brad Pitt is a good day to me.

Beetlejuice ~ Hello, wasn't that movie made in the 80's? ok, maybe 90 or 91. I still am laughing about this choice. Apparently it was an October/Halloween theme.

I was looking forward to my meal....any transatlantic crossing must include wine. And I was anxious to officially start my vacation. Lucky for me, the meal service began and I quickly had my wine in hand. We toasted 'cin cin'! (Sam still reclining in my lap)

I chose the chicken. Marisa went for the beef. I was actually pleasantly surprised with my meal...the chicken was in a curry sauce and served with a chutney and rice. The dessert was icky. It was apparently a chocolate mousse...but I am still not convinced with what they were trying to do there. (Sam still in my lap - he had the beef)

After eating my meal, and watching George and Brad seek revenge on Al Pacino - I began my transatlantic crossing evening routine.

I am a creature of habit. It is critical that I get my sleep. In order to do that, I have to go thru my nightly ritual.

Eye makeup off, face cleansed, moisturizer applied, teeth brushed, lip balm applied...ready for bed. I headed to the bathroom with my zip loc baggie of 3.4 oz liquids and began the routine. I emerged fresh faced and ready for sleep. I set my watch ahead 6 hours ~ knowing that when I woke, we would be just about there.

I settled in with my pillow, blanket and eye mask. (Sam was still snuggly in my lap)

After a few hours of sleep, I awoke to see the last few scenes of Beetlejuice playing out on the screen up front. I pulled out my Italian lesson book and started cramming verbs. Fare, Avere, Sapere.........cramming often used words chi, quando, dov'e....cosi, allora, poi....

Marisa woke up and we determined that Chiarinna would be up by now starting to prepare pranza (lunch).....we started bouncing and clapping again. (i may have disturbed Sam for a moment...but he quickly drifted off again)

Now that I was fully awake, I headed back to the bathroom.....3.4oz liquids in hand. Wash the face, moisturize, brush the teeth...returned to my seat and put on my makeup. Viola! I was all jet set again! I slipped on my shoes and was just returning all of my items to my bag when breakfast was served.

The lights came on - passengers began to open thier window shades and we could see that we were over land again! The Alps were below us as we sipped our orange juice, ate our yogurt and croissants. They even had green and white checked gingham placemats (it matched the green interior to perfection) I enjoyed seeing that Sam and his wife did not have that "oh so fresh look about them" the couple behind was ready to roll in Rome, and the nice lady next to me had bed head, but otherwise was in good spirits.

We were now ready to land at Fiumincino ~ bouncing commenced and Sam finally put his seat into the full and upright position. We had a safe and sound landing (the few italians on board began to clap ~ a custom that is very evident on Alitalia flights) - and out the windows I could see those trademark Italian trees.....I almost had to pinch myself that I was back. There is something about this place that is under my skin......

As we headed down the jet way, the most beautiful sight.....6 gorgeous italian men with wheelchairs for the old people on board. Ahhhhh, Italia!

Transatlantic Crossing

How Awesome is my title?!
I always wanted to say that...or do that.
Anyway....this is part one of my Italian Adventure.
Andiamo!

Saturday, October 13th.
I woke up so excited about the journey ahead. I had lots of packing to finish, a bit of laundry to do and a few more things to buy before my trip.
I decided to take my morning walk - who knew if I would get the chance to excercise in Italy...and I wanted to eat carbs guilt free.
I took my 5 mile walk, returned home and headed to the Starbucks, the drug store and finally the local Target.
When I returned home, I hopped in the shower, put the final load of laundry in the machine and began to agonize at great length about my outfit choices for the week.
Random thoughts that were going thru my head:

• we are staying on a farm Annette, it's not like you need to dress up
• we may be going to dinner in Rome one night....you want to look nice....hot italian men will be everywhere. and you don't want everyone to know you are an American.
• is 70 degrees cold or hot?
• what if it rains?
• should I have an outfit suitable for picking produce and feeding chickens?
• how many shoes do I need to bring.
• the more color choices of clothing, the more shoes I need, the bigger the bag...
• I need room for my shopping at the outlet!

You can sense the agony I was going thru. Finally, I decided to opt for a simple color scheme of black, white and grey. I brought along a pair of sneakers, clogs, heels and flats. Of course I wore the flats on the plane.

Then, the final decision - what to wear on the airplane. I knew I wanted to be comfortable, warm and at the same time not look like a slob. I opted for the Michael Kors suggestion that every woman should get on an airplane wearing white jeans, a black cashmere sweater and oversized sunglasses. Perfect! I had white jeans, a black sweater (sorry michael...not cashmere) and my fantastic knock off Prada black sunglasses! I felt very jet set, and very comfortable. *the sunglasses are a great camoflage for tired eyes, and help to block the early morning sun as you fly east towards the sun on your transatlantic flight.

As I crammed in the last of my items, I did the final scan before leaving.....passport? check! credit cards? check! ok, let's go.

I arrived at my Aunt's house and we began our happy dance because we were leaving for Italy! How decadent to fly to Italy for only 6 days....how awesome we were!

We arrived at the airport and headed to the Air Canada counter. We found an amazing fare on Air Canada that had us flying from DC to Toronto.....and then Toronto to Rome. As we checked in, the lady at the counter proved herself to not be the sharpest knife in the drawer.

She was having a difficult time grasping that despite the fact that we checked in together, and had 2 US passports and 2 pieces of luggage both going to Rome that we were traveling together. She handed me my Customs card to fill out, but did not give one to Marisa. When I asked for another ~ she stated that Marisa didn't need one since she was Canadian. Um hello? How is she Canadian with a US passport? Always good to see Homeland Security working well.

As we proceeded thru security, our excitement was growing! And then....we waited. The 2 hours to kill prior to departure tends to take some of the electricity out of the air.

Boarding the plane to Toronto ~ I was very encouraged. This was my first time flying on Air Canada. The plane was brand new and very roomy. We each had our own entertainment systems! I thought to myself...joy of joys, if this is the commuter plane.....wait until we get on the plane to Rome! (I could envision myself legs extended, seat reclined, eyemask in place, peacefully dreaming my way to Rome!)

We landed in Toronto behind schedule, we knew that we were going to have to move fast to make our connecting flight....we had less than one hour. Leaving the plane, we had our eyes ready to ensure we were going the right way.....we began to follow the signs for connections and customs. We knew that our bags had been checked all the way to Rome and that we would not have to pick them up and re-check them....we only had to get ourselves thru customs and onto our next plane.

Easier said, than done.

Now, it is possible that I am stupid. But if you were me, which sign would you have followed? Keeping in mind that we were connecting to a flight to Rome.

• US Connections
• Canadian Connections
• Customs

We followed the signs for Customs. We were not going to the US and we were not going to another Canadian destination.

Huge mistake. We ended up going to Customs and taking us out of the airport. When we got to the customs agent (who was little and very scary and mean) she asked why we had come to her? We should have followed the signs for US connections. Ummm? why?

Anyway, we had to exit the airport, and then go back in. We were now in a bit of trouble. Toronto's airport is huge! We started to run. It is not easy to look like the glamorous-Michael Kors-jet set-woman when you are frantically running thru the airport. We were like the beginning of Home Alone, only with 2 people.

As we made our way to security - we got behind the family with no sense of urgency, and no travel savvy at all. Apparently they have spent the last 6 years under a rock somewhere. Each one had to be told numerous times to take off thier shoes, take off your coat, take off your scarf, empty your pockets, put your purse on the belt...(i am not kidding.....4 adults, each one had to be instructed because apparently they did not think the same rules were going to apply to each of them) another side note - they were in their 30's ...we are not talking about people that should have an excuse to be so clueless. PAINFULL!

Finally, thru security, we began the final sprint to the gate - I figured that if we ran as fast as we could, they would just be closing the door to the plane when we arrived. I knew if I ran faster, perhaps I could beg them to keep the door open for Marisa. I said a little prayer to my Nonnie and went as fast as my feet would take me.

Prayers answered! The moment we arrived at our gate ~ an announcement was made......The flight had been delayed 45 minutes! Time to breathe and regroup....we had made it!

I'm Back!

Wow, what a trip!
I have lots to report - and videos to post too.....(that will be a challenge)
Stay tuned ~ jet lag is beating me up a bit!

Speaking of Coffee

Why can't Starbucks make more choices in their Sugar Free Syrup line?

I am sick of vanilla, hazelnut, caramel and cinnamon dolce sugar free syrups.

I want pumpkin spice and white chocolate mochas to be available sugar free too!

Starting a letter writing campaign immediately.

Double Espresso

I could use one right about now..........

Why is it that the week prior to vacation can tend to be the craziest week?

Did I procrastinate a bit too long on a few projects?....ok, maybe.

Did I decide at the last minute to be a micro-manager so that there would be no gaffes to follow in the week ahead?......ok, maybe.

I just want to look out for my managers - I don't want to leave them hanging.

I just don't want my colleague that is overseeing my area to be overwhelmed by stupid questions.....(and before anyone says that there are no stupid questions, that is an utter and complete falsehood.....I could write a book on the stupid questions I encounter daily)

Nevertheless, it is 12:59am.....and I just finished my work day....which began at 4:45am.

No wonder I am tense.

One Week! One Week!

Chiarrina and Carla will be making me a pizzas just like these! Italy Here I Come!

io vengo!

Jell-o, the disturbing facts....

For the record, I hated Jell-O prior to my fear of Mormons - but the irony of the lime jello phenomena and mormons is almost too much to walk away from.

A few years back, one of my managers (who was a mormon) told me about the Jell-o thing. I thought she was just kidding....she tended to be wacky...so I disregarded her whole stance on Mormons and the love of Jell-O

I thought I would share some Jell-O facts with you.....hopefully now, I can stop obsessing about Mormons and Jell-O. and baptism by proxy, and polygamy, and what really goes on in those temples, and Joseph Smith....aaaaahhhhhhh!!!

JELL-O (JELLO)

• Peter Cooper, inventor and founder of the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, obtained the first American patent for the manufacture of gelatin in 1845. In 1895, cough syrup manufacturer Pearl B. Wait purchased the patent and developed a packaged gelatin dessert. Wait's wife, May David Wait named it 'Jell-O.'


• According to Kraft Foods, more than a million packages of Jell-O brand gelatin are purchased each day.


• In 1936 Jell-O came out with a cola flavored Jell-O. It was dropped the following year.


• The residents of Salt Lake City eat more lime flavored gelatin than any other city in the U.S.


• - The state of Utah loves Lime Green Jello so much it is their official state dessert.
  - Citizens of Utah eat more Lime Green Jello than anywhere else in North America


• The Jell-O Belt is a colloquial term in American English that refers to the parts of the western United States with large populations of Latter-day Saints. In academic literature, the area is more commonly called the "Mormon culture region" or the "Mormon Corridor."
  It generally refers to a roughly-defined area of land centered on Utah. The Jell-O Belt extends northward through western Wyoming and eastern Idaho to Yellowstone National Park. The belt reaches south through San Bernardino, California and Mesa, Arizona. In Arizona, the belt extends throughout all of the eastern part of the state, almost to the U.S.-Mexico border. Some of the larger cities with a significant Latter-day Saint population include Las Vegas, Nevada; Henderson, Nevada; Redlands, California; Riverside, California; Anaheim, California; and Temecula, California.
  The name "Jell-O Belt" references the affection that Mormons supposedly have for Jell-O (a gelatin-based food), particularly when served with shredded carrots, or blended with canned fruit and set in molds.[citation needed] Green (lime) Jell-O is the most stereotypically Mormon of Jell-O flavor-colors, probably because lime was once the best-selling flavor of Jell-O in Utah.[citation needed] Jell-O has been designated Utah's official state snack food


• Fruits that sink in Jell-O: seedless grapes and fruits in heavy syrup such as fruit cocktail, peaches, pears, etc.


• Fruits that float in Jell-O: fresh fruit such as bananas, citrus sections, sliced peaches, apples and fruit in light syrup.


• The original Jell-O flavors were orange, lemon, strawberry and raspberry.


• As immigrants passed through Ellis Island, they were often served a bowl of Jell-O as a "Welcome to America" treat.


• When hooked up to an electroencephalograph machine--an instrument that records the electrical activity of the brain--Jell-O demonstrates movement virtually identical to the brain waves of a healthy adult man or woman.


• According to the Gelatin Manufacturers Institute of America (GMIA), pork skin, cattle bones, and cattle hide are the predominant raw materials used to make gelatin.


• Jell-O can also be used to make finger paint, dye your hair, clean the dishwasher, scrub the shower, and deodorize cat litter.

No Child Left Behind

.............because they all died from lack of healthcare.
Nice job George.

idiot.

Love Letters

Love Letters by Jean Honore Fragonard

(ironically, this was the painting that I wrote my first Art History paper on ~ I got an A)

I was feeling sentimental last night - thinking of loves past, present and possibly future. Loves lost and those found again.

I came across the most wonderful site.....perhaps wonderful is not the best word, but I read a letter that was posted there and burst into tears.....

They were happy tears, the tears came from relating to something so very real and personal.....I read a letter that summed up my exact feelings about someone.

Here is the letter ~

ENTWINED, THE ENTIRE NIGHT, MAYBE LONGER

Dear _____

This is my first love letter to you, even though I'm not sure if I love you. Or if you love me. But if I had to guess, I'd say we do.

I want to tell you about our first night together. Yes, of course you were there. I'm sure you remember it. But I want to share with you the part that you weren't privy to. The part I found satisfying and symbolic.For every hour we spent in your bed, you held me. Somehow we were entwined, the entire night. Not for one moment did you let me go, out of your grasp, beyond your touch. It was as though the other side of the bed would have been a world away.I slept with my head resting against your chest. Like I had run a race and stopped to lie on the ground, with my face cradled by the softest, sunwarmed grass. The earth underneath, your heart below, beating with life.Each time I moved away, your hand reached out to bring me back. When a person is asleep can he know his arms are empty? How can a man far in one place summon love from another?I had forgotten how delicious that could be, to be joined not by words or thoughts but by flesh: soft, warm, heavy. When a sigh is a sentence and a caress a paragraph.So in return I offer you what comes out of my fingertips - my words.

They, and I, are yours,

the love letter collection

I love the irony of the human race.

We all try to pursue our lives, reject conformity, strive to express our individuality ~ and at the end of the day, we are all feeling the same feelings....making the same mistakes......celebrating the same triumphs.

If you are in the mood for some love.....check this out. I don't think you will be disappointed.

The Scariest Thing I Saw Today

It was a very long day.
It was a very long weekend.
And when I came home and opened my mailbox, this is the face that greeted me on the cover of Newsweek.....

Mormons terrify me. And this man terrifies me more than the boogie man in the closet or the green eyed hairy monster under my bed.

Santa Cleopatra! (Holy Cleopatra!)

I accomplished today what I thought was impossible.

That store is finally in working order. The stockroom is finally organized!

taaa-daaaaa!

This was one of those days, when I felt that I accomplished something. Very satisfying.

Yes, I am still tired.

Yes, I am still walking around with the remnants of this cold.

Yes, I still have to inventory all this stuff over the next 2 days.

But for tonight, I am feeling pretty good.

For your viewing pleasure, I am including some before and after photos.......

before after

I am actually becoming more and more excited about my upcoming trip to Italy now too! I have been having these conversations with myself about when I was allowed to think about it..."after the meeting, after the trip to Atlanta, after inventory, after......"

Now, the list of afters is almost over....

Sadly, I have not been practicing my Italian the way I should be. By my bedside, I have a pile of italian books ~ all of my good intentions have been there to brush up on my grammar...freshen up the vocabulary, perfect my pronunciation...

Now it is crunch time!

I am dedicating myself to Italian language CD's all weekend.

(Pity the people around me that hear me talking to myself in my caveman italian.)

Had I thought about this well in advance, I could have put some italian lanugage dvd's on my netflix list....

Instead, I settled for a DVR recording of Johnny Stecchino that ran last week and RAI TV runs late at night on one of the stations. Italian news brodcasts are not nearly as entertaining as Roberto Benigni.

I watched the movie and enjoyed it, then put it on a second night as I was puttering around the house.....just to hear the words. Unfortunately, the only thing that stuck was "Santa Cleopatra!"

This week, I have been walking around saying "Santa Cleopatra!" It is stuck in my head like a song you hear on am radio.

Check out the movie if you get a chance......

Poop or Crap, It's all the same shit....

I sent an email to someone at head office, with a note that said, "poop - I think I forgot to send this to you"
The gal responded with "I like crap better"
I then responded with the title of this post...."poop or crap, it's all the same s**t." Mainly because at work, we have to mind our p's and q's. Apparently, shit is a bad word.

My company is in the midst of inventory, and because of that, everyone is in turmoil.
Stress is running rampant thru the halls and stores across the nation.

I was actually fine, until about 2 hours ago.
Of my 17 stores, one is without a manager, and 3 stores have managers about to do inventory for the first time ever.
I am only one woman, and can't be everywhere I need to be.
Scary.
For the past week, I have spent every waking hour organizing the store without a manager.
I am pooped.
I am scared that the store won't be organized properly.
I am scared that I will be counting into the wee small hours of the morning on Sunday/Monday.
aggghhhhhhhhh

Speaking of poop - this is a gross story, but I really must share it.
Have you heard of this diet pill Alli?
An aquaintance of mine was sharing with me the fact that she began taking this pill for weight loss.
She has seen her weight go up and down over the years. It has always been a struggle for her...she finally went to her doctor and asked for an appetite suppressant.
Instead, the doctor prescribed this.
Apparently, you poop the fat right out of you.
She could see the fat in her poop!

When taken with meals, orlistat blocks the absorption of about one-quarter of any fat consumed. That fat — about 150 to 200 calories worth — is passed out of the body in stools, which can be loose as a result. About half of patients in trials experienced gastrointestinal side effects.

I was shocked that she was so comfortable telling me about looking at globs of fat in her poop.
I was equally sad that this was the step she was taking to lose weight.
Isn't that shitty?

That Crazy Moon

As you walk thru the normal routines of your day....have you had those moments when you think, "what is going on today? why are all the psychos seeking me out?"

That happened to me yesterday.

Then, last night, as I was about to lay my head down to sleep - a bright glimmer of light was shining thru the blinds.......

a full moon!

"a-ha! That explains everything!"

As the weirdness of today played out.....I actually took comfort in knowing that it was indeed a full moon. (as if that made it all better)

I found security in the knowledge that this to shall pass.

Ironically ~ I came across this bit of information on the current moon phase. And once again, found hope in the despair of the craziness of my life.

I could use another new beginning right about now.......

Aries is the first sign of the zodiac and rules new beginnings. This is the Full Moon of the child: a celebration of innocence, adventurousness and starting anew. So if you spent these last two weeks since the Virgo New Moon looking deeply at your inner motivations and/or your unhealthy lifestyle choices, and have decided to make some adjustments, this is the best Full Moon to take a leap of faith, release your desire for a new beginning to the universe and start taking action.
On an Aries Full Moon your intention is best released with these qualities in mind: spontaneity, wonder, curiosity, adventurousness, and innocence. There are few times in an adult life when we can begin anew without dragging along our past pain, fear and worries. But this is the Full Moon to strive for releasing your intention with childlike hopefulness and inner faith. Know that what comes from your strong intention will be evolutionary, supportive and…. well, a big adventure! So smile and let it fly! Since Aries is a fire sign, releasing is best done through burning, and fire ritual is best done with safety in mind; so make sure to use a cauldron, indoor fireplace, or a stone fire circle at the beach to do this ritual.
This is a time to lighten up and celebrate the cheerier, Arian side of life. For those of you who just want to have some fun, this Full Moon of the child is best celebrated with playfulness and adventure. Jupiter in Sagittarius and Moon in Aries bring out athleticism. So don't be surprised if someone starts a touch football game! Mercury in Libra and Mars in Gemini are always up for a treasure hunt or a game of intrigue and mystery. As long as there is good company and lots of action, be together in lightness and joy, and open up to the healing magic of play. This might even be a good day for a fun-filled lunch event at your office. Think of it as a break from the seriousness we'll all feel during the first three weeks of Saturn in Virgo.
Aries also represents our instinctual warrior nature; the raw animal part of us. Though it is true that most animals fight and kill for food and territory, we humans have the intelligence to garner our resources without the fight. The truth is, war is an outmoded technology and must be abandoned. It is a solution that rarely works and only brings with it increased suffering.
Since 2002, our government has been at war as the Moon waxes to its fullness in Aries, the warrior. This year though, the opposition of the hotheaded Moon in Aries and "the great negotiator" Sun in Libra are square the Pluto in Sagittarius (transforming dogmatic beliefs) Mars in Gemini (acting from open-mindedness) opposition. I think we will hear a lot about drawing down troop numbers during this time.
This grand square will also act as a tempering agent, keeping emotions at a tolerable level. It is a good time to consider where you have acted impulsively and brought emotional or physical harm to others through your own misunderstanding. Could you have listened more, negotiated more, trusted more, (all Libran qualities) and through these acts behaved more consciously?
The raw sexual energy of this Aries Full Moon will be heightened by the romance of Venus in Leo. But the Sun in Libra and Mars in Gemini want to connect and communicate with others in ways that are non-sexual. These planetary placements make for an integrated sexual/inter-relational Full Moon for fully embodied love.
The Aries Full Moon is the time to remember that we are born knowing only love and to celebrate and share this precious gift. Though our lives seem to seesaw between achievement and loss, love and pain, there is a childlike innocence that still lives within us all. This tender hopefulness continually rekindles our spirit with an unwavering belief in human goodness and love and enables us to rise up from failure. Jupiter in Sagittarius lends extra energy to this belief.
So here's to the successful launching of your new beginnings!

http://astrowisdom.com/thisfullmoon.htm