Missing...

Earlier, I was looking back at our bad a$$ Grizwold Christmas tree pictures from last year. The thing was humongous!!! I remember finding it and telling Dennis it was the perfect tree. And, it was. Perfect shape and height, a classic in my impeccable tree standards! It reminded me of the scene from Christmas Vacation where Clark cuts down a tree and brings it home only to have a flying squirrle or something of the sort attack him. This was that kind of Christmas tree. I seriously was thinking as big as it was something had to be hiding in it just waiting to pounce me while decorating the thing.....anyways, I digress.

The tree was so full it could not pass through the bailer, so we tied it to the Rogue and drove slowly home to unload and bring in the beast of a tree. My brother came over and helped husband get it off the roof of the SUV and carry it inside. I think we estimated it was at least 12 feet tall. Gorgeous!

A couple of days later when the house was filled with the scent of the tree and the limbs had fallen just enough, we decorated the tree. I pulled out my favorite ornaments. Most are either shoes or owls. Isn't it funny how we remember where we acquired certain ornaments? Like the ballet slipper my grandmother gave me when I was a little girl, the snow owl ornament from my big sis, the hand-painted ornament from our honeymoon in St. Lucia, oh the list goes on.... I missed unpacking the ornaments this year and re-living just for a moment those times of my life that the ornaments represent. I miss the smell of a fresh-cut tree. I miss the tiny little lights that illuminate the house and make the most mundane Monday nights feel special while eating dinner with only the lights on the tree twinkling.

I have mentioned since we are traveling over Christmas we did not get a tree this year. We haven't really decorated except for some Christmas candles. We decided to keep it minimal since we were still unpacking from the move. But, I must admit it hasn't really felt much like Christmas yet. We are missing those tangible things that seem to put us in the holiday frame of mind. However, soon enough we will be in the midst of a crackling fire, a pretty lit tree, all with family and friends.

No matter who or what you may be missing this year, we wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a very blessed New Year!

Home....

A week from today is Christmas. It seems utterly impossible that the year has gone by as quick as it has. Our family has gone through major changes within the past few months. A new job, a new city, new home, new school, new daycare, etc. I think we all have adjusted well. We have been and continue to be so blessed.
We will be heading home to see our families next Thursday. It will be a long 16 hour drive there and back for a very brief visit. I am looking forward to Christmas morning with my mom, dad, and brother like it used to be before marriage and children of my own came into the picture. Only this time we will have the innocence and awe of children to fill my childhood home once again.
Though we have made Florida our new home, Memphis will always be home. Where our families are. Where both me and husband grew up. Where we fell in love and got married. Where our children were born.
We have been warned that winter has not been too kind to the bluff city. It has been bitterly cold. There have been episodes of snow flurries. I was reminded today by my dad that for the past 29 years or so I would wish for a white Christmas and white birthday (January baby) each year. I love the snow. I love how the air gives the fore-telling that snow is on it's way. The air becomes crisp and smells clean and you just know when you wake up in the morning there will be snow to greet you. I love the purity of it and how the sun bounces off of it making it and everything around it, sparkle. My dad told me while working out in the snow flurries last night he was inwardly cursing my little/big girl wishes (well not so much cursing but blaming me for the falling snow).
I have to say it doesn't feel like winter now that we are in southern Florida. Landon said the other day he couldn't wait for it to snow. I told him it more than likely would not snow in Florida (it might happen, right?). He said something like "we'll see". You have to love how children think anything is possible! It hasn't quite felt like the holiday season. I am not wishing for the white stuff this holiday since we will be traveling in it. But I am looking forward to a brief stint of colder weather, visiting family and friends, and sharing the holiday spirit at home.

Ciao from Venezia!

Ok, so the title of this post should probably be "Stupid American in

Venezia"....

But Ciao! sounds much better, don't you think?

After I started my new job in Florida I was given the opportunity to go to Berlin for an investigator meeting for a new study two weeks after arrival. Because I didn't have a recent passport (last one circa 1987), I passed up the chance. However, only a couple of weeks later I was presented with the opportunity to go to Venice, Italy. Of course my response was "when do I go?"

Off I went to get my new passport. It had to be expedited and done through a courier type service to have it in time for my December 1st departure. Several hundred dollars later I had my passport in hand 4 days prior to my trip!

I was so nervous to travel basically across the world by myself to a place I had never been. I knew very little Italian, but I was going! The trip was mainly for the investigator meeting not leaving much time for anything else. However, I was determined to see Venice in the small amount of time I had.

The trip was filled with chaos....I am now pretty sure that when I travel chaos follows me! I arrived at the West Palm airport early like any good traveler, checked in for the international portion of my flight only to be informed the morning flight (11:30am) never left West Palm due to some freak rain and wind storms in Newark. So the gate agents scrambled and got me on the already delayed flight since my 3:35pm was surely going to be canceled (dreaded word by the way, as well as delayed). I got to the gate in time to board and arrived in Newark only to be informed the 8-9 hour flight to Munich was delayed due to snow. So I left Newark at almost 11pm instead of 8:30pm. The international company who booked my travel was nice enough to put me in first class most of my trip. Let me just say, I never want to fly coach again! It was heaven. Business class on Lufthansa was awesome. The seats reclined to a full bed, had massage rs, personal TV, etc. I wasn't so sure I would sleep on the flight, but I did like a little first class baby! Upon arrival into Munich the next day all I saw was white. Snow blanketed every thing. Sure enough my already re-booked flight was then further delayed putting me into Venice at 6pm instead of noon due to the snow that seemed to paralyze most of Europe. That pretty much ate up all my sight seeing time. But I was determined to make the best of it!

I stayed at the Laguna Palace in Mestre 15 minutes outside of Venice. The hotel was very modern and had a canal running through the middle of it with an impressive marina. I got there in time to shower and change for the dinner reception which featured rustic Italian dishes and local wines. This foodie was in love with the calamari and spelt salad, fresh mozzarella and basil with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, etc...The meeting the next day was filled with more information than my jet-lagged brain could handle. But I pushed through and was able to arrange to be in Venezia before dark.

I arrived in Venezia via my Mercedes taxi {because that's how they role in Italy}, and began my search for San Marco Piazza and the Basicila of San Marco. It seemed easy enough, right? This is a huge tourist spot and on the list of things you must see. I fell immediately in love with the cobblestone streets and canals. I stumbled upon a man in a tiny shop making Murano glass jewelry. He was very talented and spoke hardly any English which made bargaining a chore as he had to punch the numbers on his cash register to tell me prices. I came away with some beautiful pieces for Christmas presents for family and friends.

I found charming little restaurants opening for dinner and impressive hidden old churches converted to art galleries. Some of the old churches appeared abandoned and yet still loved by many as I saw a couple kissing on the steps of one. Venezia is charming and romantic. I really wished my husband could have shared the experience with me.

As charming as Venice is, it all begins to look the same when dark outside. There are no street lamps to speak of, no street signs, and tons of alley ways to get lost in. So what did I do? You might have guessed...I got LOST. I am talking 4 hours straight up lost in the streets of Venice. I saw places I might not have seen otherwise, but never made it to San Marco Piazza or the Basilica.

While trying to figure out what turn I made that placed me near a large waterway with water taxis, I began thinking. {Keep in mind my dramatics} How will ever get back to the hotel? What happens when I don't make it in time to get my car back to the airport in the morning? (yes, I know excessive.) How will anyone ever find me? I don't speak Italian, my cell phone doesn't work in Italy and is d-e-a-d! So I just kept wandering around muttering to myself "stupid American, stupid American"; which I am sure was a spectacle of it's own.

I stopped in a small boutique hotel that was beautiful. In the midst of my stress, I didn't get pictures, but it had an atrium with small white lights strung above it and the displays on either side of the entrance were adorned with the Carnevale Masks which reminded me of the Phantom of the Opera masquerade scene. I asked the clerk at the desk how to get back to the bus station at the entrance of Venezia. In his thick Italian accent, he told me it was 10 minutes using the water taxi and an hour walking. I opted to walk it.

When I finally made it to where I could take a cab to Mestre I was a little sad my adventure had ended but greatful to be sitting down as I had walked at least 5 miles in HEELS! Yes, heels. Again I had to say "STUPID AMERICAN"!

I had wanted to eat at one of those charming little restaurants I had found while wandering around. By the time I had made it back to them, they were closing. I ended up ordering room service. Luckily the chef and staff were Italian, so I assured myself the food would be worth it, and it was. Caprese salad, risotto, and a flute of presecco were all served to me while I was in my PJ's. It was a nice to end to my trip. I would love the chance to go back to Italia one day and see the things I missed, but I wouldn't trade anything for the experience this stupid American girl had while lost in Venezia!

Arrivederci!!!