Simple thoughts

It has been one, really. It started friday night. Here, as in almost all north Italy (and in others northen Europe countries as well, as far as I know) we celebrate St. John the Baptiste. The night between the 23 and the 24 of june is commonly known as the night when the darkness starts to become longer (after the shortest one, the 21st june, the summer solstice) and in ancient times, the peasants harvested all sorts of herbages at the breaking of the dawn, when they were fresher. There're a lot of traditions and habits connected to this night, from the fires put on to chase the bad spirits, to making healing potions exactly on this night, to collect the dew as a healing remedy and a fertility cure. In my hometown there's a tipical dish called "tortelli" (a stuffed pasta with a filling of fresh cheese called "ricotta", parmesan cheese and spinach, seasoned with butter and parmesan) that's the must for dinner on this night. We went for dinner to our friends' home on the hills, and after dinner (tortelli, some homemade bread with oil, tomatoes, and some others with tuna paté, cakes and ice-cream, and a lot of good wine) we went out in the night to get the dew, sitting in the dark under a very starry sky, staring at the stars, and having fun just for being together. We went to bed at 2.00am, but it was worth it!

Then, on saturday, after going out for grocery shopping with my daughter in the morning, in the afternoon the two of us relaxed at home cooking, reading on my bed and just made little women talks. It was a very peaceful afternoon, that I treasured so very much, considering how she's grown up lately, and that she has less and less time to spend with me.

Yesterday night, we went to my daughter's best friend 18th birthday party. She was so very excited about that, she wanted all the people she cares for around her, us too obviously, being me and hubby her second-hand-parents. We had a great time, with a lot of laughs and hugs. The cake was so delicious, and the gifts all so personal and special. I can't wait to see the pics everybody took.

I had a very nice surprise today! My cousin living in England was in Italy for a few days, he was supposed to come tomorrow for a short visit. Then he said to my mother he was coming today instead, and I was really disappointed coz I'm at work and I wouldn't have the chance to see him. But just after lunch at my mother's, he came to my office to see me!!! He stayed just half an hour, but I'm happy he did. I feel this kind of protective feeling toward him, and I know he's a grown up man of 30, but I can't forget the baby he was back then, when he put his hand in mine and asked me to bring him around. I had so many things to tell him, and I ended up telling nothing. So I guess I'll wait till he would be back home, and then I'll write him a very long letter.

Denmark, 2005.

Well, it was nice to see all the machinery hubby help being done, finally at work

The Nyhavn, the most crowded place on earth

The Lousiana, the best place showing arts.....

Egeskov Castle, really amazing place.

Making a call at home from Marazion, south-west England, 2004

I know it's a fake, but Arthur's Round Table had charme, nevertheless

Stonehenge at last, a dream came true

It was raining like hell, there were so many people around us, but the magic was still there, you can breath it.

The other day me and hubby were talking with some friends about next summer vacations. Usually august is devoted to this, taking a break from work, school and family obligations. We will reunite with our friends at the end of the month, to fullfil each other with vacation memories and pics. So I began to recall the best moments of our trips abroad, when we really felt we were deep in the country heart, or right in the place we were dreaming about for so long. So, in random order, here are my fondest memories......

Martina and Veronica in the front garden of St. Jacob Kircke (the weirdest church never seen, trust me) in Thal, near Graz, Austria, 1997.

Biking along the Danube river, just outside Grein, Austria, 1997.

The Tauern mountains, on our way home, Austria, 1997.

Bretagne, 2002. The ancient spot of Carnac......

the amazing view from Point du Raz, with Raf and Marty posing for remembering.....

and the isle of Ouessant, where me and hubby are planning to retire one day.

In 1995 the company I work for, celebreted the 50th anniversary and payed for a trip in Budapest, here I'm with a friend on a very nice night out

and the Chain Bridge, crossed so many times.

The Gerbeaud Pastry, just like heaven to me.

This is just a starter, more to come.................

It seems yesterday I had my daughter. But she's now 18, ready to fly away, like it or not. This summer she's babysitting a co-worker's daughter for threee weeks. Then she volunteered to stay with my father a little when my mother is out (never done it before). And she's taking her driving license. But, more than anything else, she's talking guys with me! I like that she trusts me in this matter, along with her best friends, but it seems so strange to me. If you look at her room, lots of dolls, teddy-bears, actors posters. And suddenly she talks about guys, love, sex to "moi"????? The world is upside-down.

As the title goes, really. Here it's all the same, work, school, dinner with friends, shopping, reading, a few tv. Sometimes I think my life couldn't be flatter. Sometimes I think, no news good news. Either way, I'm unsatisfied. Sometimes I'd like a little storm in my life (not the kind of the latest one that stroke our family), I mean something thrilling. But I suppose this happens only in b-movies. Anyway, here I am, hoping and dreaming for a beautiful tomorrow.