Mumford & Sons "Sister"

  

There's a chip on your shoulder, girl
And by God it'll make you fall
If you let it take a part of your soul

I see the love in your brother's eyes
And the love in your mother's cries
Sister don't test the ones you love

Sister don't let go
Sister don't let go of us
[x2]

Cause your roots will rot away
And your fruit, it won't grow
Your bark will wear thin, body hollow

I see the love in your brother's eyes
And the love in your mother's cries
Sister don't test the ones you love

Sister don't let go
Sister don't let go of us
[x4]

Don't test the ones you love
It'll only tear us down
If you want to feel alive
Then learn to love your ground
[x2]

Love your ground

Sister don't let go
Sister don't let go of us
[x4]


**********     **********  

How did I miss this song?  I heard that this was sung at the recent Bridge School concert it just has never been put on a CD at this time.  Missed the cut.


This song has a special meaning to me of late....  I love you....you know this to be true.

Love Locks

In the Cinque Terre, there is a paved trail that goes between two of the tiny towns, Riomaggiore and Monterosso.  They were so isolated from each other let alone the other towns, that the locals rarely married anyone else from another town.  

In the 20's a trail was made between the two towns while train lines were being built, where in the middle a gunpowder warehouse was placed.  The locals were delighted with the trail that now connected the two towns and asked that it be improved and kept as a permanent connection.   Unfortunately the trail was prone to landslides and it was closed more than it was open.  After WWII, the trail was reopened and it became known as Via dell'Amore because of the meeting between lover's from the two towns.  It was a journalist in 1949 who came up with the name which means "Pathway of Love". 

All along the trail you find these "Locks of Love", up a slope on heavy cables holding the rocky walled cliff in place and down below where shear cliffs drop to the sea on other cables.  Most are on the railings that line the walkway.  We found them first in Venice where the top photo was taken.  We would find them in such odd places, sometimes single and sometimes groups of them. 

When we strolled down the Via dell'Amore they were everywhere.  Some in the most difficult places one could find to secure their everlasting declaration of love.  I wondered if lover's who have broken up come back to remove theirs or do they just leave them to weather the seasons?

Some locks were written on and some where carved with names or initials.  There is a long covered walkway that graffiti written devotions and sometimes poetic phrases have been added.  All very acceptable to do.  You see the typical heart drawn with the names of sweethearts as you would anywhere.  I personally loved the locks.  Anyone can draw and write a name but a lock feels forever.   

When next I go back to Venice I want my Love and I to find a place to lock our love.  We will find that special spot, linger over a kiss while in loving embrace, and place our lock inscribed with our names. Our forever love.

A little occupied

I've been a little occupied.  Well, my Love and I have been occupied.  

We brought a new puppy into our home last week and it is almost like having a newborn without the diaper changes and breastfeeding.  Sleep deprivation was hard the first couple of nights with multiple visits for potty time on the lawn.

Yet what fun a new puppy is!  So happy and full of silly antics.  Sloppy puppy kisses and little yippy barks.  Everything new and in need of exploring.  

My Italy photos are going well with touch ups and uploading though it is slow without the extra time on my hands.  At the rate I'm going it will be weeks till I am done!  Last night we looked at E.'s photos and she asked if I would be touching up hers too.  Well, of course dear....

Some changes...I have stopped working on the blog I had about R. in high school.  I felt that at his age and place this was not right.  If he was little from birth to maybe 10 it might be okay.  As a teen I know he needs his privacy and I need to be honest.  Writing about what his day is like or some event that happens at school felt too open.  

However, I have added another blog in it's place about our pets.  I can brag about the pets and tell the dirty side of them too.  They won't care!  They'll still give me puppy licks.  This blog is called Pupparoos!

Back to work and writing!  The housecleaning can wait.....it's not going anywhere. I have so much to share about our trip too!! 

Venice has captured my heart.....

I'm home. Home, sweet home. Back with my Love and son...back with a cold as well.... I have been pouring over the photos I took and reliving the days and nights while in Italy. The trip was wonderful in every way, from the sights, to the food, the smells, to the sounds. The effect of traveling on the senses can best be described as intoxicating. That moment when E. and I walked from our bus to our first step onto our first bridge of many to come in Venice, it was impossible to not feel like you had just landed in a make-believe land. 

Almost ready and off tomorrow!

 I have been so busy.  So busy I have had no time to write and no time to read any blogs in days.  I have missed my blog friends words and photos but tasks must be done.  


Such as banking, bills, wash and ironing.  Some cleaning too.


I haven't packed.  I thought I would have a trial run earlier this week and nada ...it did not happen.  Today will be packing day!  Oh today is busy!


My mom's birthday is tomorrow but we are going to visit her today.  I put together a DVD of her younger years and got it burned and ready to bring over.  I wanted to bake cupcakes for her and the caregivers but I forgot to buy flour.  I can't believe I was totally out of flour!   That just doesn't happen here in my pantry.  So instead of banana cupcakes with cream cheese frosting I am letting my Love pick some out this morning for me.  This is not a big failure to not have homemade.   I am accepting this hard as it is for me.  Let go Ellen......


So we will pay a visit, bring a little vase of flowers and the DVD and then back home to work, work, work!   Not to forget charging cameras one last time.  Getting all the papers in order to put in my bag.   


I was so nervous yesterday with excitement.   Surprised myself by sleeping soundly as I was fearing I wouldn't be able to sleep.  Tonight  I may have to take some Calm Forte to make sure I get a good night's rest.


Tomorrow....tomorrow...off to enchanting Venice first....then Cinque Terre ~ Vernazza.....then to Lucca....a side trip to Barga a wee little town....and last to my beloved Florence.   


See you all in October.....Ciao!

While I'm away....

I've been cleaning house today.  The house will be uncleaned for two and half weeks while I'm away.....which had me thinking what my two men will be up to during this time.  Last night we were talking about meals since I am the chief cook and bottle washer.  R. and my Love jokingly said they would go out every night since I would be eating out every night.  I mentioned I could make some tasty casseroles for them and neither was keen on that.  Secretly I was relieved.  I wasn't excited about cooking and freezing recipes I have never made before since I don't make casseroles.  My Love said not to worry that they would take care of meals.

I thought of how many school mornings a school lunch that hadn't been made would have to hurriedly be put together or money passed to buy lunch.  R. isn't wild about the cafeteria food this year.  Last year I finally gave in and gave him money once a week so he could buy the rice bowls they did with Chinese food, till they changed white rice for brown rice which he was not happy about.  15 year old's don't like someone trying to fool them with a change like brown rice for white.  R. is a creature of habit as well, so this really didn't go over for him.

How many times will the cats be not fed?  I feed them their meals.  I feed Stewie in the morning and R. feeds him at night.  My Love will have to take on that task that he normally doesn't do.  Of course the cats will let him know if a meal has been missed.  Especially a dinner meal, where if they haven't been fed then during the night they will start walking all over you, disturbing your sleep.  Then they will sniff your face or touch your face with their paw.  I know this because even I have forgotten when I thought I had fed them.  They won't give up till they are fed.

Which brings me to the litter box since our cats are indoor only.  I also do that.  Now one or two days is gross but it does happen.  Anymore than that and there will be two very angry cats who may not want to use the litter box.  Not to mention that the box will be a disaster and cleaning will require a Hazmat mask.  Which leads me to a mistake I made yesterday.....

I had cleaned the kitty litter box and double bagged the stuff that they do.  I missed a couple of days and it was rather full (I know...I forgot...).  I brought it out to to take to our outside garbage which at our house is a long way from where the kitty box is.  I set it on the floor intending to take it when I left the house but unfortunately I forgot to get it.  There was one hour's time between when I left and when my Love came home.  What he walked into was less than pleasant.  Now I don't understand why some dogs love kitty poop but we have had dogs that do.  Just to get to the kitty box I had to make it a snug "kitty only" space under our laundry room sink space.  Here I left this bag right out for Stewie and what a time he had.  My Love walked into find kitty litter, clumped pee and kitty poo up and down the hall, in the kitchen and well wherever he could drag the bag that he so cleverly tore open.  Of course he had to clean up and then vacuum the floors.  I really felt bad about leaving the bag that way...I did!

So back to my leaving next week and our home, sweet, home.  I hope that maybe once the kitchen floor will get cleaned, along with the counters and then the bathrooms.  I also know that this more than likely won't happen.   Two bachelor's for those 16 days....no freshly changed sheets or clean towels either.  I won't be here so I won't see it til I come home!

I'm not a super neat freak.  When Annie was alive there was almost always Golden hair on the hardwood floors you could see.  A big dog seems to create more presence whether it's their hair or  drool and Annie did like to drag toys all over the house.  Stewie, being small and short haired hardly leaves any hair that can me seen except on light colored clothes.  He doesn't drag toys around either.  Then again if he isn't let out enough he will pee or poo in the house.  So I am hoping that the boys remember to let him out often.  He must not have the ability to hold his bladder because he always seems to need to go outside.  He is like clockwork when it comes to doing "his duty".  If you miss taking him out he will go poo inside.  Simple fact.  I've decided being a shelter pooch that he clearly had no housebreaking skills.  He wasn't neutered early so he did like to "mark" on the floor.  That  cropped up when our daughters brought their kitties home.  He got along with one but not the other two.  He has really improved from the time he came to live with us to the present.  Really good!  Still he does have times when he leaves those little "tootsie rolls" in the same location.  Oh Stewie....he will miss me.  I nurture and love that little pup.  I know my Love will give him lots of attention to help with my absence.

Lastly will be my plants.  Most of the indoors and my succulents only will need one watering a week and I am telling my Love to just water them once while I am gone unless it is really hot.  Plants can be replaced and this time of year the season is beginning to change.  They should do just fine.

The men will hold down the fort and they will do just fine too.  I will enjoy hearing what goes on while I was away.....

Water, water everywhere

Google Earth.....what a web site to visit.  So glad I did this morning.

I zoomed into Venice with my 3D setting on, swooped in close to see uploaded photos that travelers have posted (awesome photos!) and found that what I thought were little streets....well they are but lots of those little streets are small canals of water.

As I said before, E. and I will land at the Venice airport near 1:30 P.M. and I figure it will take maybe an hour to find our bus and get from the airport to the Piazza di Roma where the bus lets us off.  Our idea was to walk from there to our hotel which is just a block back from St. Mark's Basilica.  We figured we could use our map and cross some bridges but I also thought there would be a few main "roads" for walking on. 

Zoom....and I see lots of roads but lots of waterways too.  So many waterways that go this way and that, swirling around and under what looks like tiny bridges.  Like little veins that go who knows where or if one can even walk along the side of this building or not.  I now understand how one could get "lost" in Venice.

Oh E. and I think it will be fun to get lost...just not the day we arrive.  Or, at least I don't want to get lost with sleep deprivation.  Or God forbid, I need to use a loo.

{Did I tell you I am bringing a roll of toilet paper?  Yes, I find European toilet paper to be rather rough.  Very much like crepe paper.  Still will have to pay to use a toilet (1 euro = $1.36), but at least it will be my soft, cushiony toilet paper.}

E. and I talked yesterday about this subject of getting to our hotel.  She is quite confident that we will have no problem finding our way.   I am sighing in my head as she is young with good eyes to read the map if needed.  I think in my head that we are on an adventure and like all good adventures being cranky from sleep deprivation or needing to use a loo or being hungry never happens.  You live in the moment of what you are doing.  You laugh.  I may have to document our walk with my camera.  Facial expressions, large circle under the eyes (mine), and the view.....

I found this online about asking directions in Venice and thought it quite humorous....


If, by chance, you don't know "where you are going to get to where you want to go" you can also ask other passers-by, but first make sure that they, too, are not "foresti" (that is, people from other parts of the world): Venetians are used to giving tourists directions and are well aware of the problems facing those who get lost in this "serenissimo" labyrinth.

One more thing: the way some of the people react may be interpreted as bad manners but here are the explanations:
- if they stop to think before replying : they are only deciding which is not only the shortest but also the easiest way to explain;
- if they say "cross the bridge, turn right, then go straight on, then turn left, then ask again": it is not because they can't be bothered to go on, but the list of directions would be impossibly long and you wouldn't be able to remember it any way;
- if you ask a couple and when they reply they give you two different sets of directions that seem completely contradictory, they are not making fun of you, it just means that different streets take you to the same destination;
- if they "study" you before telling you how long it will take you to reach your destination, they are only trying to evaluate how quickly/slowly you walk: Venetians walk much faster than tourists!