What goes on in her head?

Just a little sabbatical

2012-01-24T15:14:00.000+01:00

...and I'll be right back.

Around mid-February is what I'm thinking.

I'm feeling a little disenchanted with the internet and watching other people over-sharing. All this makes me feel self conscious.

There's also the redundancy that's happening now that everyone is on Facebook. The reason I started this blog was to share daily with family across the country. Now Facebook fills this niche.

I know other bloggers feel it. Just wondering where I will go (if anywhere) with this blog.

Tune-in in a few weeks to find out.

Comments/suggestions? I'm listening.

Wordless Wednesday #66

2011-11-16T21:24:00.002+01:00

Feast Day of San Martino,
patron saint of wine and wine making.
Venice children clangs pots and pans and don red capes on November 11, 2011.

Window shopping, Venice

Wordless Wednesday #65

2011-11-09T08:00:00.003+01:00

Is this a good dog, or what?

Wordless Wednesday #64

2011-11-02T07:59:00.001+01:00

Verona: Juliet's House

Vicenza Antique Market

2011-10-27T12:02:00.002+02:00

Recently, Thom and I headed to Vicenza for the monthly antique market.

On market day, all the stores and restaurants stay open even though it's Sunday.

My favorite pastime is people- (and dog-) watching. Vincentino's love their dogs!

But they don't feel the same about their horses.
We ate here. Thom contemplated the menu and settled on a salad.

Vicenza has a really great blend of all the things I love in a city...
historical buildings, great shops, museums, great transportation,
abundant green space and good food. Plenty to see and do.

All vibrant cities have one thing in common and Vicenza is another great example:
people actually live in the downtown core. Above and behind the shops you will find people living their lives.
They do their shopping, have their morning coffee in a cafe, go to church, walk their dog, eat out.

Whenever I need a quick dose of humanity, I'm heading downtown.

Found my keys!

2011-10-09T19:12:00.000+02:00

and you'll never guess where they were...

The weather got a bit chilly this weekend and we broke out the coats and guess who had the keys in his pocket?

For the back story and so you get the irony of this discovery, read this: Where did I put my keys? and laugh at the uncomfortable chagrin my husband is suffering.

Wordless Wednesday #63

2011-10-05T21:11:00.001+02:00

Plaza Real, Barcelona

One of Gaudi's spectacular architectural feats, Barcelona

Casa Batlló ; another great Gaudi house.

Fifteen!

2011-10-05T20:58:00.000+02:00

I just can't believe that my youngest, my baby is fifteen already. It was just yesterday that I was sniffing his fat neck, tickling his belly and admiring his chubby knees and elbows!

Oh yeh, and Carol is visiting to make the day even better!

"Oh yayuh... this is my cake and you can have none, sistah!"

"But maybe since you can make a
cool swan arm, I'll consider one piece"

"Hang on a sec cause we're cracking ourselves up..."

"See these faces Mom? This means we are related to you
for only you can make such a ridiculous face
and pass the gene onto us."

and finally... "Happy Birthday to Patrick"!
Can you tell I cooked all day in that
shirt all day? Jeez.

Wordless Wednesday #62

2011-09-28T06:00:00.001+02:00

Mushrooms! Asiago, Italy

Carol stars in filmette

2011-09-27T06:00:00.002+02:00

Carol and her film class put together this short. Carol says it's what the Norwegian sounds(ed) like to her.
And by the way, SLUT at the end of the film means END in Norwegian.

Finally connected!

2011-09-26T12:47:00.002+02:00

Wow, did that not take foreverrrrrrr? Finally last Thursday on the fifth or sixth service call we were able to get wireless internet.

Of course, not one to leave well enough alone, I needed to hard wire my desktop (doesn't have a wireless modem) but I couldn't get the cable to work in any of the router ports so we traded in the router on Saturday for a different one and guess what...

it didn't work... no wireless, no nothing. This was Saturday afternoon and we did not take the disappointment well. We spent the evening stomping around, angry and growling at each other and without internet.

Sunday at noon we got YET ANOTHER ROUTER from the phone store on base and... voila! everything works.

Now I'm sitting here looking at my blog overwhelmed with the mass amount of stuff I should blog about but it's all old news now!

I've got to start somewhere so here we go...

Last week I attended the Benvenuti class put on by Army Community Service for FREE, yes FREE! Benvenuti means 'welcome' in Italian and the class is all about getting assimilated in your new country of residence. Seriously folks, I would actually spend cash to take this class because, when you're done with it, you will find that you're much more comfortable in your surroundings. It will change the way you feel about being stationed overseas.

Believe it or not, there are a lot of soldiers and their spouses who absolutely hate being stationed in Italy. I bet they haven't attended this class.

On Tuesday we sat in a classroom and talked about cool stuff available to us on base, learned a little language, had an authentic Italian meal cooked for us and froze to death because the air conditioning was so powerful.

On Wednesday we took the bus to Vicenza and then the train to Venice and had a marvelous time taking in the sites, getting a look at the Jewish Ghetto, having lunch, shopping and wandering through San Marcos square. We took the vaporetto (the boat-bus on the canal) back to the train, train back to Vicenza, bus back to base. Really a great day.

Thursday was a trip into Vicenza on the bus to experience their market, a stop for a cappucino and brioche, visit to a local grocery store and then we wandered around town taking in the fabulous Palladio buildings. Also we stopped at a really excellent restaurant where you could opt for either a 7 or 9 euro menu plus 80 cent glasses of wine - amazing. Local readers might want to check it out: Nodari Cafe and Restaurante!

Friday was a trip to the Vicenza Hospital; San Bartolo to meet the patient liason and increase our comfort level in case we have a health emergency here. We were all comforted to know that the military keeps an English speaker on the premises at all times. Big sigh of relief for me. Afterwards we drove to Marostica, Nove (for ceramics) and visited a popular Italian furniture store. We also enjoyed a family style authentic Italian lunch.

It was a great week but I was exhausted. exhausted EXHAUSTED. I took last week off work so I was expecting an easy week but with all the travel and constantly THINKING (why is that so tiring?) I was pooped but happy.

I am also taking an Italian class that's offered on base two times a week so I'm learning enough Italian to be dangerous. Actually, this time I'm personally focused on learning phrases that are useful to me and not on the spelling and grammar.

Enough for today... Arrivederci!

Italy House Pics

2011-09-25T15:29:00.000+02:00

Long overdue but here they are....

dining room/entry way

downstairs tv/computer room

kitchen

laundry room downstairs

Patrick

2011-09-19T11:36:00.000+02:00

Patrick was part of the Color Guard for JROTC this past weekend at the Vicenza High football game. We hardly recognized him - can you?

Carol's Adventure in Norway: Part 2

2011-09-09T08:52:00.000+02:00

Madre

My legs are killing me.

We went on an eight hour hike in the mountains on Wednesday. It was a three day trip to a place called... er well I can't remember the name. Anyways I don't want to go into too much detail because I want you to experience it for yourself the next time you come to Norway. I'm dead serious. It is an experience I will NEVER forget! And I was thinking of you the whole damn time. I know you would love it so much! It's a lot of hard work but in the end you don't regret a single minute. You should buy us some hiking gear (I had to borrow the school's) and I'll join you in the mountains :D You'd love it, I promise!

I feel like I can climb any mountain and stand on top of the world :D

But onto other things. We start our extra classes soon. Me and Signe picked every exercise class on the list and are ready to commit. We both agree that we've been spending too much time eating candies and tapping on our computers and not enough time eating fruit and running up and down the stairs :D

Tomorrow me and Signe are going to check out the club scene. We may be the only ones in the school who haven't been to the local bar yet. Haha.

Apparently it's quite popping. I have a friend who is still sporting a boob injury from last weekend. I'll be careful, don't worry. I'll try to hang around people I'm sure won't try to bite me in the chest and I won't talk to any random guys unless I have a billion of my friends around me ^^ AS ALWAYS.

Carol's Adventure in Norway: Part 1

2011-09-01T08:47:00.000+02:00

As you know, my darling Carol is spending her school year in Norway attending a Folkhogskolet. She is now finishing out her second week. Here are some tidbits from a recent email:

I've made a lot of friends, and I don't even need to introduce myself to anyone anymore because they already know me. Apparently Americans are very unusual in Norway. But I think that may be because more than half of the school is from up north, where not many people are interested in going. Oslo is where it's at, according to everyone.

I'm having an absolute blast. I'm not really taking pictures, and I've still yet to start on my documentary thing. I'm trying to recruit people for help.

Ah! About film class! I love everyone in there. This week we're making a film about ME! :D I was happy it was suggested that we make a film based off of my day to day life with a bit of modification. Meaning things happen that don't every day x) We have one more scene to shoot today. I'll send it to you after we edit it and stuff .

Concerning my day to day activities! It really varies depending on the day, but I'll tell you how we go about our business the most. First we wake up. Of course. Breakfast is at 7:45, I think (I've never been there on time) and ends at around 8:30. At 8:30 we go to the auditorium and they talk to us for about an hour, which is extremely boring for me and my friend Signe (now my closest friend in Norway :D She's great.) because I can't understand anything and I always have to ask her what's going on, which means she kind of has to pay attention. But most of the time she sits there and texts her boyfriend. After that we go to class until lunch time, which is at 11:30. Then we go back to class until 4:30 or half four and eat dindins. Yes the mealtimes here are very strange. After that we're supposed to go back to class, but we haven't started doing that yet. Our days have been very lazy because we haven't picked our extra classes, which are supposed to be after dinner time until night-bite (that's what me and Signe call it) which is at 8 pm. After that we can stay up as late as we please. Normally I go to bed around 11 and fall asleep around 1 in the morning to the sweet sounds of Kaizer Orchestra, my roommate's favorite band. (lol)

My Norwegian on the other hand is not as fun as my days are. If I get to thinking about the fact that I can't speak the language too hard I get extremely depressed and I have to go sit in the bathroom and give myself a pep talk. I keep telling myself that I have nine months. It's only been about two weeks. If I don't learn as much as I learned in french class by the end of the nine months I'd have to be extremely stupid. Even if I don't try. I also remind myself that I learned things about Korean from watching dramas and if I just pay attention and watch what people do and what they say then I'll pick up a lot in no-time. I really surprised myself the other day when Signe offered me some water in Norwegian (she wasn't holding the water in her hand, mind you) and I actually understood what she was saying and said "ja, takk" :D then she spilled water on me and said something like inchill or whatever (I always think of enchaladas when someone says this) and I said "it's fine". I'm pretty sure that means "sorry" or something, but I have to ask her. Haven't gotten around to it yet because I keep forgetting x) I was mostly just guessing when I said "it's fine". Yeah but other than that I only know how to say basic words and names of food and stuff. Oh and a few randoms like horse and donkey. I can count to 100 though! :D Probably further but I always get lazy at 100. And now when I listen in the assemblies I can pick up just a few phrases like "be in the Blackbox (this huge music room with all black walls) at half 8" and stuff like that. I'm pretty proud of myself. I'm learning faster than I thought. I'm sure after a month I'll be able to understand better than I do french! Hahaha :D

____________________

Carol says the other kids get lots of snail mail and she WOULD ABSOLUTELY LOVE to get some letters too... if you are reading this and would like to send her a letter, email me and I'll send you the address!

Warm and Sunny

2011-08-31T10:37:00.000+02:00

Yeh. Not feeling it but...

It hasn't rained here in over thirty days. Not one drop. Today it's supposed to.... well a 40% chance of it. Being from Seattle, I like rain. Too much sun and heat makes me crabby. Or in my case: crabbier

Patrick FINALLY started school on Monday. He was nervous but came home the first day cheerful so all is well. This was a big relief to me because when my kids are stressed, I'm stressed. I'm not good at detaching myself from their emotions. Therefore, I didn't sleep too well either the night before the first day of school.

Carol left for Norway almost two weeks ago and I'm in a bit of a funk. You wouldn't think the loss of one warm body would make such a difference but it does and I miss her, her silly giggle and spot-on fashion advice. It really sucks not having internet because I was counting on skype and regular emails.

I know that Carol is having the adventure of a lifetime and that fact smooths my feathers.

Don't get me started on the internet... ridiculous! I can't feel "moved-in" unless I am connected. I am lugging my laptop to the library and ACS to update my finances and sneaking in blog entries and emails at work. Weekends suck because I have to go two or three days without checking in and I'm worried something will go wrong with one of the older kids and I won't know about it.

Patrick had to handwrite an assignment yesterday that was supposed to be done on the computer with pictures and visuals and printed out but alas, our printer is wireless. Can't use a thumbdrive any more - security risk. Can you tell I'm irritated?

Moving on (or trying to)...

Erik has finished his first term with STRAIGHT As! Can you believe it? I can - he's a smarty. He just registered for Fall Quarter so he is chugging along and doing a marvelous job balancing his job at a paintball place and school.

Back to the no internet - my blog feels naked without the usual visuals and I am resentful (can you tell?) A picture really does say a lot when I'm not feeling particularly wordy and sunshine-y... like right now!

On that note... just wanted to let you all know I'm alive. Back to work.

Just Kidding...

2011-08-26T12:48:00.001+02:00

at least another week so to get a telephone and internet.

Today, we are going on day 42 of daily pestering at the Telecom business office on post. Can you say FRUSTRATING!

Internet tomorrow!

2011-08-25T09:48:00.000+02:00

Yes!

Finally.

P.S.

2011-08-12T08:35:00.000+02:00

about my keys? Still can't find them.

I wonder if I accidently threw them away...

Unpacking; a military wife's guide

2011-08-11T11:14:00.000+02:00

Still no internet, therefore no photos.

We received our household goods last Friday. It wasn't what I was expecting. I had heard that the movers took a very long, Italian-style lunch break and generally took their time unloading the truck. These guys (there were three of them) worked their asses off in 90 degree humid heat from 8:30 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. with a one hour break.

I had a bout of apoplexy watching the movers lift our 650 pound piano from a truck that was chest high and without a ramp! That was a first (and hopefully last)! Seriously, I had to turn my back to the debacle. Thom had to help too or I think they would have dumped the whole thing in the road. I get breathless and tense just writing about it...

After all thirteen crates were unpacked, we went out for pizza in downtown Vicenza with a friend and collapsed into bed.

The movers told us they would come to pick up the empty boxes in about a month and left us a phone number. I told them I would be done in a week - they laughed.

On Saturday morning, Thom was overwhelmed by all the boxes everywhere and it occured to me that he has been home for only about half of our unpackings. "Pee-shaw!" I said... "don't worry about it."

Here's how to put away 13,000 pounds of household goods in less than a week:

1) Make sure that the boxes and furniture are put in the proper rooms or at least in the near vicinity. Carry a pair of scissors or a box cutter in your back pocket on unloading day and slice open the box and check the contents if you are unsure what the box contains.

This was especially important on this move for us because our Belgian packers did not speak much English. Every book-size carton was labeled MB Books and every wardrobe box was labeled MB clothes or choes. After about ten MB Books boxes came out of the crate, we started cutting them open and found all kinds of stuff in the books boxes that belonged in the garage, kids rooms etc!

2) On the packing end, ziplock genres of stuff together like all tapes (scotch, duct, electrical), sewing stuff, pet stuff. On the receiving end, it is so much easier to find a place for a ziplock bag of stuff rather than a million bits and pieces of mismatched junk.

3) Get the boxes out! Get the boxes out! Get the boxes out! I am like a tasmanian devil - a whirlwind of box-cutter, packing paper and household goods. Out comes the stuff, throw it on the bed (or table or couch) and break down the boxes and move them out to the garage. Then put stuff away quickly. Do not linger over your bedside stand junk or whether or not socks are in the wrong dresser drawer - save that for another day. In the kitchen I have to leave an intact box for every unpacked box to hold all the packing paper, which I roll up, about 30 sheets at a time into a tube and put back in the box.

4) Think about placement and storage before your goods get there. I usually have/buy graph paper and plan out the living room and bedrooms before delivery so I know where everything will be placed. I also give some thought to where linens, wrapping paper, cleaning supplies, paper goods/school supplies will go. Sometimes I don't have a solution and just have to solve the storage issue later but thinking things through allows me to move through boxes quickly.

5) Get the order right. Everyone is different, but I unpack rooms in this order: master bedroom, kitchen/dining room, kids rooms, living room, bathrooms, laundry/utility room, garage, outdoor furniture. This allows us to sleep in our beds the night of delivery and eat in our kitchen soon thereafter.

This may be TMI for some of you but I thought I would share.

On a last note... I want my packers to feel appreciated. I go all out and buy lunch every day plus drinks for all 3 days. No monetary tip.

At the destination: drinks, cookies and a 10 euro tip each seemed to make them very happy!

Transitions

2011-08-03T10:54:00.001+02:00

Still no internet nor any hint that they know we are alive. We went into the office on the 24th and they told us that it would take up to 10 days to get a phone call just to make an appointment to come set it up... we are past that. The fact that we are now in August also stacks the cards against us. Italians (90% of them) take their summer holiday in August.

Thus, no pictures on my blog. Sorry.

Today is the one month anniversary of our arrival in Italy.

I think I'm going to like/love it here but just like anywhere I'm going to have to adjust. Belgium was so sleepy and laid back (at least where we were). You could walk or ride your bike on any of the streets and not fear for your life even though the roads are narrow and in disrepair, I felt safer - here things are crazy and Italians drive like nuts... it's a different world.

Our house here is sweet though... It's in a suburb of Vicenza called Santa Maria Camisano which (as luck would have it - and everything about housing in the military is luck) is one of the nicer areas around.

The house is actualy a triplex - we have Americans on either side of us who moved in the same week... it's brand new, three stories, very modern/scandie. Marble (type - not sure if they're real) floors with floor heating, solar panels, AC, fairly large fenced back yard with a palm tree. The kitchen is twice as big as Belgium's, 4 bathrooms (3 with bidets that I use for holding TP) and three bedrooms. It's plunked down in a new housing area but we are abutting some older houses including the original farmhouse that owned all the land these new houses are being built on.

Camisano has a massive market every Sunday within walking distance of us. Takes about an hour to walk through and has at least a hundred vendors: lots of clothes, decor, underwear, kitchen tools, shoes, fruits and vegies, cheeses, deli type stands for a quick Sunday dinner.

I have to be honest here... I miss my Belgium and the bucolic setting of the Belgian chateau in the countryside. I know I will grow to love it here but it's definately different, and hey, the roof doesn't leak and I have air conditioning!

We get all our furniture on Friday. Would have had it sooner but we have been gone (me working full time and Thom travelling for work). Can't wait to be surrounded by my things. The older I get, the more comforted I am by my belongings... I know that sounds old and crotchety but it's the truth.

Last weekend we went to dinner at a restaurant that Thom had tried before on his "go-see" Italian trip in May - very tasty and afterwards we went to a gelateria right by our house... super yummy! My favorite is definately limone (lemon). We sat outside in the dark and watched the lightning. Pretty typical summer weather here is blistering hot days and stormy evenings. We also got to our local grocery store (150 feet of pasta aisle - AMAZING) and the mall.

Carol is visiting family in the states and having her gone has been a real eye-opener for me. The house is so empty and quiet and weird. Having just one kid at home means no conflict between the kids = silence which, to me, is disturbing after 21 years of noisy-kids-cacophony.

This year is going to be a transition for me, big time!

About Italy.

2011-07-27T13:52:00.000+02:00

Our house is so secure, I'm afraid I'll get locked out and never get back in again... I have eight keys and two remotes. All our windows have safety glass and all but two have shutters.

We have to sort our garbage FIVE ways:
food waste
plastic/tin cans
paper
glass
everything else

Italian drivers don't believe in blinkers, lanes markers or speed limits.

The majority of the young soldiers I meet in my job don't like Italy. In fact, they hate it and can hardly wait to go back to the states. I'm trying to figure that one out.

The food here is OUTSTANDING!

The city of Vicenza is surrounded on three sides by mountains althugh I didn't notice it until this week when a fresh breeze blew in and it was clear for a day... the mountains are gorgeous and remind me of home.

It takes a really really long time to get internet service here. This is why I haven't posted pictures in a few weeks. I'm sneaking this post in from work.

Gas is very expensive here. It is costing me about $150 to fill up the Odyssey gas tank. We are still waiting for our gas rations. I had to get a vehicle inspection and was spanked for having bald back tires. Now the tires are sitting in the back of the van and we are waiting for our appointment to have them put on THEN we can get gas rations and we will pay what you, dear stateside readers, pay in the states.

The weather here is divine. When we first arrived it was very hot and humid... low to mid 90s. This past week, however, has been pleasant - high 70s and 80s.

Barney made friends for us with all our Italian neighbors. They love Barney! We scored some lovely cherry tomatoes, basil and cucumber from one friendly neighbor's garden. The wife and I exchanged a pantomimed introduction and I promised her I would learn to speak Italian... today it's Rosetta Stone Italian during my breaks at work. Seriously, I would love to say I learned to speak at least ONE language besides English fluently in my life.

I am vowing to devote myself to this task.

GASP so busy...

2011-07-19T20:01:00.001+02:00

I'm so busy, I can't catch my breath, really.

Started my job yesterday after just 10 days to settle here. I'll be working 4 days this week and 4 days next week. It's the same job I had in Belgium but I opted to take a lot of time off clearing out of Belgium and so they were anxious for me to start quickly here.

We found a house and it's fabulous! I would love to wax on and on about how much I love it and show pictures but seriously, I hardly have time to think about it. We are having to put off getting our household goods until the first week in August because we don't have the day to spend with the movers but we actually move out of the hotel and into the house this Saturday. We will subsist with Army loaner furniture for a few weeks.

Bought a used car: a Fiat Punto - it's a puny Euro spec vehicle to use for all our running around.

Thom hit the ground running here and is spending three days IN CRETE, the lousy rotten scoundrel! And next week, it's Rota, Spain. Such a tough life... I am plotting to get in on some of these business trips (if I pay my own way).

Carol heads to the states to visit her cousins at the end of the week!

Back in Washington, Erik started school up a few weeks ago and is taking a math and history class. So far he's doing splendidly splendific... He reports 100% on all things turned in so far.

Alas, all is not perfect... Patrick is bored in the hotel and misses his drums and his friends desperately. He hits the pool daily for a bit of entertainment but other than that he's feeling pretty isolated.

That's all I can think of for now. Just wanted to give a quick update.

More later....

Vicenza, Italy

2011-07-11T19:00:00.001+02:00

On Saturday, we ventured into the city of Vicenza.

It's a pretty easy trip on Bus 1 from the gate of Caserma Ederle (this is the base where we are staying at the Army Lodge). Unfortunately we stayed on the bus too long and ended up on the edge of town in a parking lot adjacent to a field.

We started walking off to find our way but I decided to be assertive and went back to talk to the bus driver who was having a smoke. He kindly walked us to the proper bus, told us the stop we were looking for and said a few words in Italian to the other bus driver. We were off again.

Just five minutes later we were in the center of town... beautiful.

We arrived though during pausa pranzo, the three hour lunch break. Everything but ice cream stores were closed. Luckily we were just 15 minutes away from everything opening up. Just enough time for an ice cream (for Patrick) and a limon granita for me YUM.

We wandered. Lots of shopping, quaint streets, fabulous architecture, old buildings, churches. The famous pastels buildings I associate with Italy. I'm in love!

After a quick tour we headed back to base because we now live where we can watch first run movies IN ENGLISH. We had a date with Transformers 3 on base.

Here are some pictures of our new city...

We made it!

2011-07-11T11:06:00.001+02:00

We drove all day Thursday starting at 7am and arrived here at Caserma Ederle in Vicenza, Italy at 8pm.

Not too bad!

Chuck meowed himself hoarse until about 3pm when he just plain gave up. He had finally resigned himself to being confined in a gortex cat cage for the rest of his life when, alas, we arrived and he was released into a room exactly like the one in Belgium. Only difference: tile, instead of wood floors and different cheap art on the walls.

We drove through Switzerland (never been) and it was everything I imagined from the Heidi story and any other movie I've ever seen with Swiss landscape. Steep green hills with swiss chalets perched as high as the eye can see, lots of tunnels boring through mountains (one had to be at least 10 miles long), blue blue blue lakes... lovely.

We came out of the mountains into a Swiss city, Chiasso and there we hit the border into Italy.

Entering Italy (crappy photo from moving car for your viewing pleasure)

Driving out of those fresh, clean mountains into the smoggy, hot flatness of Italy was a bit of a shock but once I sunk under the carbon cloud I soon forgot all about it. The landscape was flat with jutting short green hills - reminds me of I-5 in Central Oregon on the way to California.

It's hot here. About 90 degrees and humid. It's not Georgia hot but I get the whole siesta thing from noon to three. Quite sensible.

I think I'm going to like it here.

Wordless Wednesday #61

2011-07-06T07:00:00.000+02:00

Goodbye Chateau.

2011-07-05T07:00:00.000+02:00

Where did I put my keys?

2011-07-04T07:00:00.007+02:00

The move out of our house started out pretty normal (yes, this is normal for us) until I found I couldn't find my key ring. I tore apart my purse, the van, my coats and the bathroom we were using for storage (with all our "don't move stuff"). All to no avail.

On that key ring were the ancient, irreplaceable keys for the chateau gate, mail box and our door.

Of course add this catastrophe to the fact that moving makes us irritable and stressed. Thom, my usually easy-going husband, was not happy with me and let me know it.

A bit of wintery cold shoulder, two days of evil glares and the threat that I would be the one telling the landlady of my stupidity should have been enough to render me a helpless puddle of insecure mumbling.

Thankfully, I'm made of tougher stuff!
Insert Wonder Woman music here.

Read my public apology below:

Dear Thom,
I am the big dummy who inadvertently dropped her keys in the crack of the couch or left them in a grocery sack or shoe that was packed by the ever-efficient packers and I didn't notice until it was too late.

I am very sorry for the stress this may have caused you.

Please forgive me.

Love,
Your Wife

As part of my exercise in eating crow I also had to complete the following:

1) I had to humbly break it to the landlady that the movers packed her keys and beg to mail my once-found-keys to her from Italy

2) I had to buy a new $70 mailbox because I lost the key to the old one (it is also on my key ring)
and finally...

3)I had to pay 18 euro for a new gate key. Then, to make matters worse, I washed the pants that held the all-important receipt for said expensive key thereby making it impossible to pick up the cut key at a later date and causing me to make nice-nice with the landlady again who I happened to meet in the parking lot of the key store when I was coming out all dejected after being told, in French, that I was a big stupid imbecile for washing the receipt and now I can't have the key. Landlady, who is also the daughter of a baron and baroness, and quite full of self-importance, took pity on me and accepted shredded receipt as payment in full and relieved me of the key problem.

Can't I please just say..

The End

to this part of the story and be done with it?

Thanks, because things get worse...

I don't know what it was about my movers. They weren't all that professional. Yes, they did hermetically seal each of my furniture items in white paper and packed so efficiently my keys disappeared. Maybe my lackluster opinion is rooted in the fact that they each weighed about 135 pounds, spoke little to no English, and they did not use a lift. This meant every piece of furniture had to be lugged down 30 stairs and also around the staircase landing corner.They weren't the most careful once they got out of my sight. I know because I was spying on them from my uncomfortable perch on the window sill.

Watching them struggle with my 700-pound cast-iron-framed upright-grand-piano about pegged me out on the Mills Moving Meter.

It took those four skinnies with 6-inch weight-lifting belts on, a dolly and two plywood ramps to clumsily move that piano 300 feet to the moving van. They broke two rock slates on the back porch and cracked two tiles in the hall when they set the piano down a little hard. I will say that the piano made it into the back of the truck in one piece. I watched the drama myself.

I really should learn to play something impressive and Beethoven-y to make this all worth it.

The whole experience was nerve wracking and had me wishing I still drank heavily.

Moving is not for the OCD. I have learned this myself - that in order to make it through three days of strange men rifling through my drawers, closets and secret hiding places, I just give myself over to it - surrendering to bribing the invaders with four cases of Coca Cola and three days of pizza and sandwiches in order to have them play with my things nicely. Between that and my hater husband with the only keys to the escape vehicle is it any wonder I feel prone to heavy drinking?

Friday night at about 8pm as the last nail was hammered into the crate holding Thom's motorcycle, we breathed a big sigh of relief, took two advil each and flopped down on our air mattresses where we slept fitfully, swatting at the flies that had invaded after three days of open doors.

I, personally, was already in pain from standing, bending over a lot and not having a comfortable place to sit for three days. Most people with our age and experience in the military would have hired a cleaning service at this point for $300 to get the house ready for inspection,

but, no. I'm too cheap.

You knew that already, didn't you?

So we cleaned, repaired and sweated - gasping now and then when our backs seized up. The weather got very warm. We suffered from indigestion brought on by lack of vegetables and too much pizza and Burger King.

Monday morning finally arrived and we passed the inspection easily with the exception being that the landlady hadn't had the utility meters read like she was supposed to. So we left our house for the final time not having any idea what we owed.

I had my estimates. Looking at our past usage, I was thinking 150-300 euros for heating oil and water and maybe 150 euro for electricity.

Two days later I received the bill for the mesuit (heating oil) and water. I honestly felt physically ill upon being told that we were to immediately remit 1800 euro or we would not receive the almightly HOUSING STAMP on Thom's clearing papers. To put that amount (which was for four months) into perspective: it is just 100 euro less than FOR ALL TWELVE MONTHS OF LAST YEAR!

I marched into the housing office with the bill asking for an explanation. There was none and they too were shocked at the size of the bill but, pity aside, said that since we share the tank with other tenants there wasn't much they could do for me.

THEN, on top of mesuit bill, even right after the shared tears, the housing office handed me a bill for electricity for 1100 euro.

GASP!

I was under the mistaken impression that even though we received a reconciliation bill and paid it on time we were current. Actually the electric company came up with the amount arbitrarily. They hadn't ever read our meters. That was my job (yes, as if I'm not in enough trouble already). 1100 euros was our actual unpaid usage accumulated over 2.5 years.

So, exchange all that into dollars and you have $3800 in utilties.

Insert choking, and weeping sounds here.

That was my car money for Italy.

Sound of blowing nose and slight sniffling as if cheering up

Oh well, at least it's Italy, right?

Chievres Army Lodge, Belgium

2011-07-03T17:15:00.011+02:00

So here we sit in the lovely hotel on Chievres Air Base waiting for Thom to complete his clearing papers and for our Italian visas.

It is drudgery sitting in the hotel but I have to say this hotel is a nice place. I would even venture to say that it's the nicest Army Lodge I've ever had the pleasure of staying in.

Of course the contrast to the hotel we stayed in on our arrival here in Belgium is quite stark... when we arrived here 2.5 years ago we stayed at the Hotel Masieres aka The Hotel Misery. It was referred to as such because it was a cinderblock mold-fest from the 1960s with faulty heating and a dirty diaper smell permeating all floors. I blogged and posted photos when we first got here: http://edithmills.blogspot.com/2009/01/belgium.html

This new place (completed a little over a year ago).... aahhh... brand new, flat screen TVs and AIR CONDITIONING... bliss. The only other place I know of in all of Belgium with air conditioning is the US commissary so we are feeling LUCKY.

This next Thursday we are loading up and taking the day to drive to Vicenza, Italy. We should arrive around 7pm and there we shall sit in another hotel until we can find housing.

We made reservations back at the end of February for one of these highly prized rooms (I think there are only 4 or 6). The couch sleeps two, the bed sleeps two and you can also use one of the air mattresses available to the rooms if you have a family of five.

There is also a kitchenette with two heating elements (like a hot-plate), a microwave, a pretty large refrigerator and GASP, pinch me... a dishwasher!

We were welcomed here with our dog and two cats and two kids. Out the back they have a playground, poop bag dispenser (for the dog not the kids) and a large lawn for dog walking.

For those of you arriving or departing Shape/Chievres, here are some more pictures of our pet suite room.

Moving Part 4

2011-06-24T09:49:00.003+02:00

Day before pick up...

Wordless Wednesday #60

2011-06-22T12:36:00.004+02:00

Moving Part 3

Moving Part 2

2011-06-20T13:54:00.005+02:00

Movers Come in 36 Hours

Everything is off the walls, holes are patched, curtains are down, rugs rolled.

By the way, I would be washing all curtains, couch blankets and finishing up laundry EXCEPT my washer broke down this weekend - no spin cycle AND the coupe de grace... SO DID THE DRYER.. Murphy's Law I guess. Since these pieces of s*&t appliances belong to the army the army will be repairing them on Wednesday.

So, laundry at the last minute, I guess.

Pile for car

The pile for the car (what we take with us) is growing and is now my current concern... we can't fit everything in the minivan. Also, Italian law requires to carry a dog carrier with us. It's large and can be broken down but it still takes up precious space.... oh well, think about that later.

Moving Part I

2011-06-17T11:44:00.007+02:00

I'm tearing the house down. I'm getting to be an expert at this particular activity. I wander around the house with a list, and a bucket of ziplock bags of all sizes. Bit by bit I tackle junk drawers, cupboards, file cabinets, tv area and THE GRAND HORROR: the kids rooms. I usually save that one for last before moving onto the below items.

If you don't sort, you receive moving boxes at your destination that are a mess of junk and it takes forever to sort and put everything away.

When done with that it's onto removing garbage, broken stuff, cleaning carpets, curtains, getting rid of food, cleaning everything high up (cause the movers usually take my ladder) and recycling.

Did you know that it's damn near impossible to give away a TV nowadays that's not a skinny flat screen? I can't find someone to take (let alone buy) my 200 pound, 40 something inch, sony flat screen. It causes me great pain to leave it at the dump. Any Belgium readers want it?

The movers come on Wednesday. I'm expecting 7 of them - one of them will speak English very well. They will pack boxes for two days and then roll up a couple of trucks and crate all of our belongings on the third day -Friday.

Over the weekend we will clean, clean and more clean and eat out and sleep on air mattresses. Sounds like fun? Not really. It's frustrating to go to the kitchen and not even have a glass for water or soap to wash hands. I'm always looking at the wall where the clock was and wishing for a soft place to sit down. I usually plan ahead for basic needs but always forget something important.

The good news for me is that (experience tells me) the minute all of our household belongings drive off on the truck I am filled with an overwhelming sense of relief and well-being.

I will be skipping and cheering and looking forward to moving on... to the hotel for 10 days.

Graduation

2011-06-10T18:26:00.004+02:00

Daddy of the Almost-Graduate - he's been feeling verklempt.

Not me!

Who get's the Supreme Headquarters Allied Commander, Adm. James Stavridis of NATO to speak to their high school graduating class? SHAPE American High School, that's who. The whole thing was pretty epic.

A handshake and we're almost there...

Someone else is super happy!

Tah Dah!

Senior Prom

2011-06-03T20:02:00.004+02:00

Here is Miss Carol lookin all lovely and stuff...

Wordless Wednesday #59

2011-06-01T07:00:00.000+02:00

Wordless Wednesday #58

2011-05-25T07:00:00.000+02:00

Sorry Faithful Readers...

2011-05-21T11:06:00.006+02:00

I see that you stop by (some of you every day) and I feel horrible that I don't have anything new up here.

I'm in the midst of a tornado of shit. The moving frenzy has begun.

This past week was all about cars (and spending LOTS of money$$$$), housing inspection and trying to get my landlord to pay for a bathroom door we had to break down because the lock broke (long story - too long for me right now).

Carol had her Oklahoma opening night on Thursday. She doesn't want us to see her until they have a few performances under their belt... this Friday we're going.

Next week is all about finishing up at work and getting Italian Visas (costs LOTS of $$$$$ - fortunately we'll be reimbursed). And getting Carol ready for prom and graduation.

And I got a nibble on my Volkswagen. Trying to sell it.

I loves youse guise. Don't stop visiting!!!!

2011-05-12T10:00:00.001+02:00

Six months ago when my cousin Camilla invited me to her daughter Irene's confirmation in Norway, I jumped at the chance to witness this rite of passage and enjoy being with my Norwegian family.

Irene is the quintessential Scandinavian beauty and when she donned her Norwegian Bunad for the day we gazed upon her in awe...

After only a glimpse, she was whisked off to the church.

We fancied ourselves up a bit and headed for the church.

We gathered in front of Drøbak Church. Almost all the women and some of the men were wearing their traditional Norwegian dress (bunads). When we entered the church, our mouths dropped open... the exterior of the church is rather nondescript; plain grey and white... very unspectacular.

The interior, however, was AMAZING.

They actually have was a ship hanging from the ceiling, several chandeliers and it packed to the brim with colorfully dressed Norwegians.

I sat next to my favorite Tante Ingunn and we watched the confirmees enter through the door behind us to the loud beating of drums (very Viking-like!).

Throughout the confirmation Tante Ingunn thankfully kept us on key as we fumbled through Amazing Grace in Norwegian. She also whispered the details of the ceremony as it went along.

We got a little misty eyed looking at beautiful Irene as she entered.

After the confirmation ceremony we attended a lovely reception/buffet dinner nearby that Camilla had organized. Throughout the afternoon, we socialized with family and friends and enjoyed a meal that was interspersed with songs, poems and speeches honoring Irene and her day.

Before dessert, she opened her cards and gifts.

We sang "Takk for maten" (thank you for the food) and alas the day was over.

Patrick and Carol, who have never had an interest in church before said all the way home,

"I want to be confirmed! I want to be confirmed!"

interspersed with...

I want to live in Norway! I want to live in Norway!

ORDERS... finally!

2011-04-28T10:12:00.001+02:00

The ten week count-down begins.

Wordless Wednesday #58

2011-04-27T06:00:00.000+02:00

Honfleur, France

Heaven

2011-04-26T10:58:00.008+02:00

Mont St. Michel

We just returned from a best-ever vacation to Normandy, France!

The weather was gorgeous: 70-78 degrees daily.

Le Ferme du Pressoir B&B

The lodging was fantastic - a B&B in the country nearby Bayeux and the D-Day Beaches (www.bandbnormandie.com), hospitable and peaceful and the French almond pastries at breakfast were something I could NOT resist (oops).
I saw sites I've been aching to see since I got here:

D-Day Beaches, American Cemetery, and Point du Hoc

Sainte Mere Eglise

Etretat and Honfleur
And on a final note... in my opinion any place that is known for it's fine stinky cheese, wine and superb seafood is somewhere I could live forever. Seriously.

Wordless Wednesday #57

2011-04-20T06:00:00.000+02:00

Cream With Coffee

2011-04-19T06:51:00.000+02:00

"Oooh what's that?"

Carol reaches across the table for the little white tub.

"I think it's cream, Carol"

says I,

"for your coffee".

"Ahh",

she says

"Mmmmm, rally tasty Madre"

Patrick

Thom with heavy sigh, removes his glasses and rubs his eyes.

Patrick

Carol

Graffiti in French

2011-04-18T09:02:00.002+02:00

One of our favorites. On Rue d'Ath in Nimy...

Three Cheers for Patrick!

2011-04-17T10:16:00.014+02:00

Patrick competed in the European Zone Pepsi Youth Bowling Championships this past week at Ramstein, Germany. He has bowled with the youth league on SHAPE for the past two years so back in the Fall we decided to take a few days in Spring and attend this event so he could experience competitive bowling.

When Patrick attends Youth League every Saturday morning at ten, he stumbles into the bowling alley all bleary-eyed from video game playing the night before and usually bowls anywhere from the 90s to the 140s (his average was 113). He did qualify for the tournament though - his handicap was 97.

So we show up on Wednesday morning to this massive bowling alley. It's loaded with kids carrying their fancy Slingshot bowling balls, wrist braces, liquid bandaids, bowling towels, shoe covers, tense parents, pacing coaches. SHAPE had one of the largest teams.

We bought a coffee and settled in not knowing what to expect.

Patrick immediately bowled a 160 (that's without handicap) a 134 and a 186 (his all time high) and the rest was pretty much more of the same. He consistently bowled in the 130s with and qualified for the finals on Friday. We were actually expecting to be done on Thursday.

On Friday Patrick bowled ELEVEN GAMES!!! Attention grown-ups reading this: Have you felt what your ass and arm feels like after bowling 2 or 3 games? Think about bowling 11 games straight!!???

I was expecting flagging scores, blisters and gutter balls but Patrick had nerves of steel and determination. Patrick bowled a 119, 148, 183, 102, and a 136. He placed 4th in the Boy's over 12 Handicap Bowling and won $165 scholarship!

THREE CHEERS FOR PATRICK!!!

Wordless Wednesday #56

2011-04-13T06:56:00.002+02:00

Ahhh... Spring.

2011-04-10T17:12:00.002+02:00

Today. Our backyard, relaxing after a bike ride.

I sure am going to miss this place.

Wordless Wednesday #55

2011-03-30T06:00:00.000+02:00

I'm here, I'm here

2011-03-28T16:09:00.007+02:00

I swear it, I'm here. Just lots going on.

We are still spinning our wheels waiting for orders but Thom just returned from a long visit to Italy checking stuff out so I'm almost positive we are going.

Patrick is running track at school. Thom is a Track Coach specializing in the High Jump and a few other events.

Carol is getting ready to graduate. She has found herself a nice boyfriend... Damien. Here's a picture of them to hold you over until Wednesday when I might have two seconds to scrape together something else to blog.

ARGH!

2011-03-18T11:23:00.000+01:00

Parenting is the hardest job I've ever had.

Wordless Wednesday #54

2011-03-09T21:44:00.002+01:00

Birf-Day

Wordless Wednesday #53

2011-03-02T10:07:00.003+01:00

Around Louvignies

More old pics

2011-02-28T09:02:00.006+01:00

Pretty scenery from a hike in Norway

I've been working like crazy the last two weeks and feel like things are spinning a bit out of control. I have so many household things to catch up on, phone calls to make, bills to pay.

Today, though.... relief.

A day off.

How am I starting my day off you ask? But of course... looking through old photos!

Must share these from the 1960s - these made me smile... and it keeps my relatives reading my blog, okay?

Bestemor (my paternal grandma)

My parents mountain climbing in Washington State

before they got married. Love my mama's glasses!

Guess who?

The fierce Norveegian (it's my dad)

Once upon a time...

2011-02-24T07:00:00.001+01:00

There was a girl, age 23 who lived in Anchorage

in a very small apartment.

She worked for the daily newspaper.

She had recently made a vow to never give another military boy the time of day.

*********

At the same time, across town, there lived an army boy, age 22

who was a surfer from California

turned Helicopter Crew Chief.

He was very cute and charming.

*******************

One evening,

the evening of October 15, 1988

in a bar named Yesterdays on Dimond Boulevard

the boy and girl met

and their lives were changed forever.

because they fell in love.

They couldn't help themselves...

they wanted to be together forever and ever

so they got married

on the fly

in the living room of their new apartment.

with three friends.

and a preacher from Spenard present.

On February 24, 1989.

22 years ago!

Wordless Wednesday #52

2011-02-23T06:00:00.000+01:00

OOPS!

See the green card stuck in our front loader washer?

That is Patrick's Shape ID... few things strike dread in the heart of a Shapian (or a Shapian's mother) like the loss or destruction of your valuable Shape ID.

Patrick assured me that things would come out all okay - good thing (for him) he was right.

Um, yeh.

2011-02-21T09:25:00.005+01:00

about this weight loss thingie....

this last 13 pounds is not going so well and in order to not demoralize myself any longer, I'm going to remove the (see below) weekly weigh-in from the sidebar and add it to the Getting Healthy label. I'll still update the post weekly if you're interested in my progress.

I just don't have my head in the game right now.

My mantra for the next 6-9 months?
Maintenance, get moving and more maintenance!

Last year I lost 44 lbs! I have 13 lbs to go to reach my goal of 150 lbs. I'm going to git it gone by May(that's my goal anyway)!

01/03/11: 163 lbs
01/10/11: 165 lbs
01/17/11: 163 lbs
01/24/11: 160 lbs
01/31/11: 164 lbs
02/07/11: 163 lbs
02/14/11: 163 lbs
02/21/11: 163 lbs

02/28/11: 162 lbs

03/07/11: 160 lbs

Combat soldiers carry too much weight

2011-02-16T11:43:00.004+01:00

Really? No sh*t! - I could have told them that after watching Thom suffer for the last five years.

Reported in the Seattle Times; Army Times
The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Feb 14, 2011 8:58:19 EST

SEATTLE — A newspaper report says combat soldiers are carrying too much weight, leading to increasing injuries.

The report by the Seattle Times found that the number of soldiers medically retired from the Army with at least one musculoskeletal condition increased nearly tenfold from 2003 to 2009, according to Army statistics.

The heavy loads contributed to rising numbers of Afghanistan and Iraq war veterans retiring with degenerative arthritis, cervical strains and other musculoskeletal injuries. The newspaper estimated that disability benefits for these injuries exceed $500 million annually
Read the rest: Report: Combat soldiers carry too much weight - Army News News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Army Times

Love

2011-02-14T15:12:00.008+01:00

"In the arithmetic of love,

one plus one equals everything,

and two minus one equals nothing."--Mignon McLaughlin

Happy Valentine's Day!

Best book I've read in ages...

2011-02-08T09:03:00.003+01:00

Agaat by Marlene Van Niekerk.

This was the most well crafted, well written novel I've read in about a year and a half (and I've been reading a lot).

Set in apartheid South Africa, Agaat portrays the unique relationship between Milla, a 67-year-old white woman, and her black maidservant turned caretaker, Agaat. Through flashbacks and diary entries, the reader learns about Milla's past. Life for white farmers in 1950s South Africa was full of promise — young and newly married, Milla raised a son and created her own farm out of a swathe of Cape mountainside. Forty years later her family has fallen apart, the country she knew is on the brink of huge change, and all she has left are memories and her proud, contrary, yet affectionate guardian.

With haunting, lyrical prose, Marlene Van Niekerk creates a story of love and family loyalty. Winner of the South African Sunday Times Fiction Prize in 2007, Agaat was translated as The Way of the Women by Michiel Heyns, who received the Sol Plaatje Award for his translation. Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.com

Ninety Four

2011-02-07T11:26:00.004+01:00

My Grandma, for whom I am named, is turning 94 today.

She was born a few weeks before the United States joined World War 1.
She has lived through the Great Depression
She saw her husband go off to fight in World War 2
She was married for 63 years,
She gave birth to and reared five children
She has 14 grandchildren (of which I am 1)
She has 30 great grandchildren. Number 30 was born just one week ago.
HAPPY
BIRTHDAY
GRAMMY!

Okay, I'm Stressed.

2011-02-07T10:17:00.006+01:00

Remember all that crap I said a few weeks about how i am ignoring the move this summer until the orders come through?...

I guess I was lying to myself because I'm definately feeling the "I'm gonna move soon" feeling. I am plagued with Edith's Five Stages of PCS:

...flutters in the belly when I think of all the stuff that has to get done
...the gradual detachment from friends and acquaintances
...belly-aching about Belgium and it's idiosyncracies
...list-making in my head (haven't resorted to pen and paper yet)
... thoughts that begin with "when I'm in Italy, I'll...".

Oh, and yeh... while I'm detaching from Belgium and my friends, I'm having a HARD time detaching from food.

I'm not losing weight.
I am back on the Couch25K Running Plan (Week 4. I had to start over), I'm white knuckling it a lot of these days with the food and really, really wanting to reach for pretty much anything that tastes good. This behaviour of mine is predictable. I do this when I'm stressed but, even though I anticipated the stress, I'm having a hard time fighting off the cookies, nuts and chocolate demons.

More on this later (or maybe not if I can get my act together - you see the numbers on the sidebar).

Other excitements (and stresses)... Carol was accepted to her Folkehogskolet in Norway! She's so thrilled which is really nice to see. But now we must plan (or should I say I must plan) for her next school year. More lists in my head...
...how to get her belongings to Norway?
...we have to get a Visa for her for Norway and Italy
... and also how do I figure out the money stuff... i.e. getting money to the school?

Patrick decided the trumpet wasn't for him and is back to drums and percussion instruments. He is running with me and wants to run track in a few weeks.

Thom bought a bass guitar and is teaching himself to play. He also is going to be an assistant coach for the High School Track Team if he can get his paperwork together.

We've been tossing around ideas about our After Army Life. What happens after he retires from the Army in 2015? Where will we live? What will we do for jobs?

In other news, the crocuses are up! The temperatures haven't dipped below freezing for about a week! I am typing right now without the heat cranked behind the computer desk and my fingers are cooperating.

The male peacock in the back garden was calling his girlfriend this morning. I don't know why but he doesn't make a sound from mid-October until February. Maybe it's getting close to breeding season - he is dragging around full plumage so he sure looks good!

Barney feels better on his anti-inflammatory meds. He gets into all kinds mischief when we go on walks and he feels so good these days he jumps himself completely airborne at dinner time.

Silly old dog.

Wordless Wednesday #51

2011-02-02T10:01:00.004+01:00

Signs of life

Wordless Wednesday #50

2011-01-26T07:49:00.001+01:00

216

2011-01-23T14:58:00.002+01:00

Ladies and gentlemen, no, that is not my weight...

it was my bowling score today!!!!

Excuse me while I gloat.

Ghent, Belgium

2011-01-22T15:30:00.014+01:00

I try to take my work days off around Thom's four day weekends. Sometimes it doesn't work... sometimes the planets align and everything falls into place.

Last Monday, the kids grumbled because they had to go to school on Martin Luther King's birthday. All their friends in the states were lolling about in their PJs while my two trudged off into the cold dark morning. I was secretly (well maybe not so secret) happy to have them on some sort of mission that involved a) getting up at a decent hour b) putting clothing/shoes on and c) doing something productive rather than stinking up the environs around here.

With the kids out of the house, giddy with freedom, Thom and I decided to get out of the house ourselves and visit Ghent.

The drive took one hour. There was cheap parking galore. We parked in an underground garage with FREE TOILETS! (that means a lot around here). Off we went. My pockets overflowing with tour book, kleenex, ID/money cards, granola bars and toilet coins. Thom carried the camera.

Besides soaking up the famous beauty of Ghent and it's canals, I was determined to see two sites in this city; St. Bavo's Cathedral and the Gravensteen Castle.

My Fodor's Belgium tour book said that St. Bavo's was very humble looking on the outside but one was not to be deterred by appearances.

True dat! We forged onward and inward tripping over a beggar on the church steps.

Outer appearances aside, I was completely impressed with St. Bavo's and it now ranks as my all time favorite Belgian church,

Here's what it has going for it as far as cool-factor:

1) A really awesome crypt filled with luxurious robes, markers and crypts and graves from as far back as the 15th century. 15 and 16th century frescos on the walls. Handwritten Bibles and songbooks that were several hundred years old.
2) The very famous polyptych* Adoration of the Mystic Lamb painted by the van Eyck brothers... yours to view for the low, low price of 4 euro each. That 4 euro includes an informative audio guide that lasts about 45 minutes if you have the patience for it (I did not).

3) The richest, most intricate and fabulous pulpit I've ever seen made of white Italian marble and Danish black wood. It was amazing and other worldly.

4) Last, but not least, a Rubens masterpiece, Saint Bavo's Entry into the Monastery is right across the chapel from the entrance into the crypt.

The church was CHILLY. I froze my butt off and I was dressed warmly. It must be lovely in there on a hot summer day.

I haven't been in many European castles. Gravensteen does not disappoint - if for nothing else but the view of the city from the top. The actual castle is modelled after a Syrian crusader castle and was built in 1180 by the Count of Flanders.

You tour the castle on your own, following the numbered placards that are easily visible.

In Gravensteen Castle, there is a creepy couple of rooms featuring implements of torture. Turned my stomach but let's be honest here... ADHD girl read every single display with morbid fascination. If you love that kind of thing.... you'll love Gravensteen. 8 euros each to enter. Not sure on the price for kids.

We tried to do some shopping but almost all the shops were closed on Monday. I was surprised and wondered if it was some Belgian holiday (the answer: no). I did manage to find a few places to browse while Thom got restless. We grabbed a sandwich and a coffee on our walk back to the car.

Thom and I both felt guilty as hell touring a castle without Patrick so I'm sure we will return to Ghent soon - it's not to be missed.

*okay, I had to look this word "polyptych" up because I've never heard it before (I know - me, the Scrabble Queen). It means: an altarpiece consisting of more than three panels, set with paintings or carvings, and usually hinged for folding

Wordless Wednesday #49

2011-01-19T17:56:00.003+01:00

Ghent, Belgium

Moving to SHAPE, Belgium?

2011-01-12T09:49:00.005+01:00

Join SHAPE Families on Facebook.

This Facebook group is an excellent resource. The group is only a few months old but it has everything from up to the minute road conditions, where to get your hair cut to what's for sale in the community.

It's a closed group so email a request to join and state your affiliation with S.H.A.P.E or Chievres Air Base.

Shape Families: shapecommunity@groups.facebook.com

Wordless Wednesday #48

2011-01-12T00:05:00.000+01:00

The List Maker vs. Scarlett O'Hara

2011-01-09T10:18:00.006+01:00

You might wonder (or maybe not, maybe you forgot all about this) why I haven't blogged with great fervor about our move to Italy this summer.

You're not the only one. Friends keep asking me if I'm excited about this primo PCS (Permanent Change of Station for you non-military). My work wants to know when I'll be leaving. I have junk drawers that need organizing, wall holes that need patching.

I respond to all these queries with a lackadaisical "Um yeh, I'm not thinking about it yet."

This is very unlike me. I AM The Listmaker, Planner, Think Aheader... every circumstance, misstep is anticipated and thought through before we even step out of the old house and make our way to the new...

The truth is, I can not and will not get myself all vested in another fabulous three years in Europe until about March or April. You see, I've learned the hard way.

Too many times, we have had the rug pulled out from under us when it comes to a planned PCS.

Like the time we were planning for a promised extension on our tour at Fort Bragg: one day we were shopping for houses around Fayetteville and the next day we were on orders going to Fort Stewart, Georgia... in three weeks no less.

Or the time Thom sat at a school in Maryland and waited and waited for orders (while all the others soldiers went to their duty stations weeks earlier). Me and the kids were poised to move back in Washington State and then, BAM, orders to Fort Polk (the worst post on earth if you ask me) and a deployment for Thom to Kuwait two weeks later.

Or the very worst... orders to Fort Meade, Maryland (and a welcome break from Iraq deployments) were yanked because Thom's replacement couldn't get it together for an impending deployment so guess who had to stay and deploy? I was crushed and depressed for the next 15 months while Thom was on his second tour to Iraq.

So, you see, I've finally caught on. I got smart. Things have actually gone wrong more times than right.

Don't mind me, I'm pulling a Scarlett O'Hara and thinking about that stuff tomorrow. If you see a flurry of entries about moving in the spring you know we are at least on the right track.

Will Belgium cease to be?

2011-01-08T15:19:00.001+01:00

The rumblings are getting louder.

The fifth mediator resigns on Wednesday after trying to bring together the country after 207 days of stalemate.

Interested? Read this:

MinnPost - Belgium's political impasse deepens as mediator resigns

How to make Brioche with Bisquick

2011-01-07T08:05:00.003+01:00

Carol comes to me yesterday with a wad of French recipes and says "I have to make something and film it for my French final". oh and "it's due tomorrow".

All the recipes were in French, involved yeast and were stuff I don't usually cook.

Carol piece-mealed together some ingredients for Brioche and prepared it solo (well, Pat played the role of Assistante). Note the butter cubes that never got melted, the yeast that never proofed and the bisquick that had to make up for lack of flour.

Love It!

Wordless Wednesday #47

2011-01-05T00:05:00.000+01:00

Happy Healthy New Year!

2011-01-03T12:40:00.004+01:00

I am at the 365 day mark of my "This Year I'm Going To Lose 57 lbs Dammit". I have lost 44 lbs. I'm pretty pleased with myself.

Now, I'm putting the 2010 weekly weigh-ins (below) into the archives of Edith's Head and moving on. My goal to lose 57 pounds wasn't quite attained but I'm really proud of myself and the fact that I've stayed fairly stable the last 5 months.

I admit (and you can see by the weigh-ins) that I ate a little too much holiday junk but, after all, I'm in this for the the long haul. I'm not going to beat myself up and keep eating. I'm going to lose it.

My health goal for this year - 2011: Lose those last 13 pounds, keep running (I want to do at least one 5K race) and work on my core strength.

ONWARD!

01/11/10: -7 lbs
01/18/10: -0 lbs
01/25/10: -4 lbs
02/01/10: -2 lbs
02/08/10: -4 lbs
02/15/10: -0 lbs
02/22/10: -3 lbs
03/01/10: -1 lbs
03/08/10: -2 lbs
03/15/10: -0 lbs
03/22/10: -4 lbs
03/29/10: -0 lbs
04/05/10: -3 lbs
04/12/10: -0 lbs
04/19/10: -1 lbs
04/26/10: -2 lbs
05/03/10: -1 lbs
05/10/10: -3 lbs
05/17/10: -0 lbs
05/24/10: -2 lbs
05/31/10: -0 lbs
06/07/10: -1 lbs
06/14/10: -0 lbs
06/21/10: -0 lbs
06/28/10: -4 lbs
07/05/10: -1 lbs
07/12/10: -0 lbs
07/19/10: -0 lbs
07/26/10: -2 lbs
08/02/10: -1 lbs
08/09/10: -1 lbs
08/23/10: +2 lbs
09/06/10: -2 lbs
09/13/10: -0 lbs
09/20/10: +2 lbs
09/27/10: -2 lbs
10/04/10: -0 lbs
10/11/10: -0 lbs
10/18/10: -0 lbs
10/25/10: -0 lbs
11/01/10: -0 lbs
11/08/10: -0 lbs
11/15/10: -0 lbs
11/22/10: -1 lbs
11/29/10: +3 lbs
12/06/10: -0 lbs
12/13/10: +1 lbs
12/20/10: -1 lbs
12/27/10: +4 lbs
01/02/11: -1 lbs

Carol is EIGHTEEN!

2011-01-02T13:14:00.002+01:00

My little morsel, Carol, my cherished only daughter, my middle child is now a legal adult. Boo hoo, I can't believe it!

Gunnar, we must be related.

2010-12-31T00:05:00.001+01:00

About ten years ago my brother, Gunnar wore this wacky outfit to mow the lawn. He's never lived it down and doesn't really care. He still remains oblivious to his crazy clothing concoctions, much to his wife and daughters' horror. The story goes something like this (this is the abbreviated version):

Note: I have just been told by my husband that I have this story confused with another of my brother's outfit disasters. I'm leaving this as is though because, really, what does it matter? Both stories are equal in mortification factor.

Gunnar had this leftover onesie paper suit (probably used for painting or something). Not one to let something go to waste and thinking his wife would be pleased that he was saving her a load of laundry by wearing a disposable suit, he donned it to mow the lawn on a hot summer day. He tucked it into a pair of rubber boots.

He also put on his safety goggles (to protect his eyes from flying rocks, of course). I believe he was wearing his boxers underneath the paper suit.

As you can imagine, he cut a fine figure.

He mowed the lawn, starting at the back of the house.

By the time he made it to the front side of the house, he had been hard at work for about 30 minutes and had sweated his way through the paper of the suit. It was dissolving around the edges, had rubbed away under the arms and was transparent pretty everywhere else from his sweat.

Although I wasn't there, I've been told by horrified witnesses (my neices) that you could see all his black chest hair and colorful boxers through the dissolving paper suit. The entire ensemble with glasses and boots was worse than if he were naked. His wife and two lovely daughters drove up (they had been shopping at the mall), screamed in embarrassment and tackled him with a plastic tarp or something. I don't remember the acual ending of the story because I was laughing so hard.

I bring up this story (and it's rather anti-climactic because I can't come close to matching my brother) because I put on a utilitarian ensemble tonight that consisted of slippers, apron under bulky sweater and my cherished night-time-reading-in-bed headlamp to barbecue on the dark snowy back porch and was ridiculed terribly by my family members.

I just had to remind them of my brother and his outfits and they shut up instantly.

I'm not so bad after all.

A Lille bit of Christmas

2010-12-30T19:15:00.015+01:00

You like that headline, huh? Lille is in France... just under an hour away from our house.

A few weekends ago, Thom and I applied thumbscrews and dragged the kids to the car for a trip the the Christmas Market in Lille, France. We arrived around 1 in the afternoon and could not find parking. We returned home and I sulked for the rest of the day I was so disappointed.

Today we tried again - we got an early start (that means we left the kids behind). I was pleased as punch - it was lovely! Really great shopping around the Grand Place, a ferris wheel and a fairly large Christmas market with nicely priced handmade items.

After visiting the Info Center, and getting some cash, we took off from the square and walked ten minutes to the the Musee des Beaux Arts de Lille - supposedly a French collection of paintings second only to the Louvre.

At the Museum, we perused some Bruegels, Bosch, a few Ruebens, one Picasso and a special showing of Eugene Leroy and a wonderful photography exhibit. We whipped quickly through the landscapes (I'm not a fan) and the God/Jesus paintings (I've seen enough for a lifetime) and headed down to the basement of the museum.

The basement contains a few archeological artifacts from Greece and Egypt (about 8 small cases) but the real prize and coup de grace were some very cool (and immense) relief models of the big cities of of Northern France and Belgium from the early 1600-1700s. These behemoth tables, lurking behind glass and shadowed in very dim light, show great details of the towns as they stood back then.

Apparently these tables sat somewhere in the town hall where the Burgermeister or whoever ran things used them for defense and artillery planning. It is a fascinating look at things as they were - to see the lay of the land, the crops and farms detailed down to the crop rows, the tree lined roads leading to the city, the rivers and hills, the church steeples and buildings peeking over the protective walls and gates, the ramparts starring out from the center. I imagine the powers that be hunched over them,plotting the logistics of warding off enemy attacks. Back in the day, these tables were necessary tools to accurately measure elevation and distance.

A lot of the relief maps were of cities we've visited: Ostende, Lille, Namur, Charleroi to name a few.

The Museum was not expensive to visit - 5.50 euro each and well worth a visit. My novice summation: I like the Brussel's Musee des Beaux Arts better but I'm not complaining - I enjoyed this one.

We wandered back to the market, shared a crepe smeared with chocolate, bought a treat for the kids and headed home.

Big Snow part 2

2010-12-20T21:04:00.003+01:00

This is Mons, Belgium the big city 10 miles south of us. SHAPE and Chievres Air Base are pretty much shut down and the kids get snow days for the last two days of school for the year.

Snow Day!

2010-12-19T20:00:00.005+01:00

Woot woot!

Just got word that school is cancelled tomorrow which also means I don't have to go to work.
Happy Me! Happy Kids! Happy Dog!

Jazz Hands

2010-12-16T14:23:00.009+01:00

Patrick, quite simply, loves music.

He has a natural talent for it - he can hear a song once and memorize the tune and most of the words and sing it for you later- it's uncanny and fantastic all at once. He is famous for driving us nuts with his little ditties and crazy beats and funny mouth sounds.

Last year (his first year in band), we attended his first concert and he was absolutely lit on fire afterwards... about the big sound, the audience response and the technical aspects of the performance. Believe me we heard about every nuance.

It is absolutely the best feeling to watch your child so excited about something!

This year, in addition to playing the drums he is in the choir and enjoying it very much. Their performance was very entertaining and included some fairly complex choreography for one of the numbers, Boogie Woogie Santa. I think the whole Glee craze has inspired the choir kids. The audience loved it! Patrick loved it! It was so fun to see.

and...

Unbeknownst to us, this week Patrick asked his teacher if he could learn another instrument so now he is learning the trumpet! He will practically be a one man band.

Wordless Wednesday #46

2010-12-15T00:01:00.000+01:00

Wordless Wednesday #45

2010-12-08T00:01:00.000+01:00

Too much Paris? NEVER!

2010-12-03T00:05:00.005+01:00

I can never get enough of Paris. I absolutely love that city! Everywhere you turn there is something interesting, famous, beautiful, architectural, historic, colorful, Frenchie, shocking, expensive... you name it, eye candy abounds.

I wander around, looking at stuff and bossing my husband, the cameraman, around... "take a picture of that. No, just that corner. Oooh, stand here and take a picture of this." Thankfully, Thom obliges or you would have no pretty pictures to look at here.

Last Friday, we packed the van to the max with people and drove down to Paris with my cousin Camilla, her husband Fredrik and their three kids (who hosted us in Norway the previous week). Erik came too. As his last hurrah in Europe, he wanted to see Paris (who wouldn't?).

We hit the usual suspects - Notre Dame, the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, visited a boulangerie, did some shopping, espresso drinking, and lots of walking, saw a few Christmas lights, virtually no tourists, and best of all, SNOW!

It was magical.

We were in the Louvre when it started coming down and everyone turned their back on the world's greatest masterpieces to stare at the beauty of nature swirling white outside in the courtyard. The irony was not lost on me.
After working my butt off cooking Thanksgiving for three days, Paris enjoyed with my family was a sweet break from it all.

Norway was fab

2010-12-02T08:39:00.009+01:00

...thank you very much.

Why wouldn't Norway be fab? you ask.

Well, for one, it's cold this time of year and two; it's all dressed in black and white and it's very dark.

BUT.
I JUST PLAIN LOVE NORWAY! simple as that.

My people are there and I am always greeted with open arms, smooches and welcoming snacks: Like glogg minus the booze, vafler (tasty Norwegian waffles), boller (little cardamom buns with raisins mmmm) and lots and lots of open face sandwiches.

Besides the snacks and family, this visit was all about Carol and getting her plans for a year in Norway more solidified. Her intent is to attend a Norwegian Folkhogskolet next year. It's a gap year program that Thom and I are encouraging because we would like to see her learn the Norwegian language, explore her creative side (acting and film) and figure out what she would like to do with herself for the rest of her life without her parents breathing ominously down the back of her neck.

We visited three of these schools (BTW the website is here for the program: www.folkehogskole.no ) and as it turns out the one my cousin Camilla suggested as an afterthought/let's-just-squeeze-in-a-visit turned out to be, hands-down the best choice for Carol. She is now working on her application to attend next year.

We also dragged Erik along on this adventure. He had never been to Norway and had a really great time meeting all of Camilla's people, my other cousin, Tone and her daughter Vilde and having a tasty lunch with Tante Ingunn. I think Erik and Carol enjoyed some sibling bonding time too.

Wordless Wednesday #44

2010-12-01T00:01:00.002+01:00

Erik went back to the 'Ham

2010-11-30T14:03:00.005+01:00

Erik went back to the states on Saturday with great plans to find a job and move on with his life. He also has his wages from the PX burning a hole in his pocket. He missed his friends and he has gotten rather attached to Bellingham and it's hippy-ness. We will miss him.

Thanksgiving

I FINALLY GOT TO MINUS 50 LBS!

2010-11-23T08:17:00.004+01:00

Sunday night, I flew back from a fabulous trip to Norway with Carol and Erik (I'll write more on this trip after Thanksgiving - right now I'm swamped and should be doing a million other things besides bragging) where I ate lots, had a mocha, waffles, boller and lots of delicious open face sandwiches AND I got on the scale and the scale was kind...

I lost that one pound that has been eluding me. The one pound that I have been waiting for three months to lose. The one pound that puts me honestly at the "I-lost-fifty-pounds" mark.

Okay, now... back to Thanksgiving. I may be crying the Weight Loss Blues next week.

Wordless Wednesday #43

2010-11-17T08:03:00.002+01:00

Wordless Wednesday #42

2010-11-10T01:00:00.000+01:00

Mom

2010-11-04T01:00:00.003+01:00

Today would have been my mom’s 71st Birthday.

She is long gone – passed away from cancer at the young age of 51. I still miss her.

Mom had a vibrant personality and appearance. When I was a kid, I could pick her out of a crowd in a second – just looked for her flash of bright red hair.

She also had a big passion for life, she would get enthusiastic about something and despite all our eye-rolling we couldn’t help but catch some her excitement – even if it was about something we dreaded… like going to the grocery store or even moving to a different state.

On the other end of the spectrum, you didn’t want her mad at you – her displeasure was palpable (at least for me) and I would do anything to turn the tides and get things back to normal.

She loved Hostess-Os (the ones with the raspberry filling and the powdered sugar outside). She was prone to low blood sugar and sometimes she would come home from grocery shopping with powdered sugar sprinkled all over her chest… the secret was out and she would have to share the remains of the box – if there was any left.

It drove her nuts that she could never remember a word when she needed it. She would get irritated with us kids and get our names mixed up when she was yelling at us.

She would pee her pants if she laughed too hard.

She often felt inadequate at preening and blamed it on her farm girl upbringing. When my sister and I were pre-teens and teens she would drag us into her bathroom or bedroom and ask us our opinions over her outfits and agonize.

She got pimples until she was in her forties.

She loved orange lipstick and Chanel Number Five perfume. I loved to look at her before she went out for a fancy evening. She was always transformed beautifully from a sweatshirty slippered mom into a fabulous princess.

As I age and pass life landmarks, I think of her. Is that what she was feeling when her oldest child left home and went off to college? Did she feel like this when I was 17 and stayed out all night? These days there are plenty of aha moments as I navigate parenting my kids during their teenage and young adulthood years. I find myself thinking about how she handled me and my siblings - what she must have gone through... I get it now.

It's just heartbreaking to not have her around to share it with.

Wordless Wednesday #40

2010-11-03T01:00:00.000+01:00

Gathering Nuts

2010-11-02T01:00:00.000+01:00

At Thanksgiving, when I live in the states,

I have to hunt high and low

to find chestnuts to adorn my turkey stuffing.

Usually I find it at a gourmet grocery

and they're always imported from Italy

and they usually cost me about $1 a nut.

Well, here...

they are free

and

there are no

squirrels or chipmunks

to compete with.

I love Autumn!

2010-11-01T01:00:00.000+01:00

and can you believe I live in such a place? The glory of Fall abounds!

And did I mention that Barney loves the Autumn months himself?

Much better than itchy hot summer.

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T01:07:00.000+02:00

Dorks!

Amsterdam

2010-10-30T08:37:00.005+02:00

I finally got my trip to Amsterdam.

Thom and I wanted to take Erik to see some sights before he leaves right after Thanksgiving but because of our work schedules, unfortunately, we haven't been able to do anything! Last Monday Thom took the day off, Erik and I didn't have to work and we headed to the Netherlands.

There is so much to see in Amsterdam - stuff I want to see anyway! World class museums, pot smoking coffee shops, a REAL red-light district, the Anne Frank house, lovely canals bordered with the requisite colorful houses, flower market etc.

We narrowed it down to the Van Gogh Museum. I really want to see the Anne Frank House but T & E looked at me like I was nuts. It sucks to be outnumbered.

The Van Gogh Museum was fabulous! We all got the audio guides and wandered for two or three hours through the stages of the very short painting career and life of Vincent. I love museums like this... ones either devoted to a single artist or someone's small or medium sized collection (like the Peggy Guggenheim museum) because you really get a sense of either the artist or the collector. I guess I relate more to the artist or collector more than I do to the art itself.

Anywho - we were pooped and flopped ourselves in the cafe at the museum for a coffee, discussion, and, yes, we made fun of some of the tourists.

Afterwards... a walk to the flower market and back.

A note about the photos here and throughout my blog: I have received some very flattering comments about the fabulous pictures on my blog and I have to give credit where credit is due... my husband takes most of them when we are travelling. The pictures of our house, animals and other stuff he considers boring drivel are my feats of photography plus about 20% of the travel ones - I do get lucky sometime. We use a Nikon D60.

!!! ITALY !!!

2010-10-28T11:27:00.003+02:00

We are on orders for Vicenza, Italy in July 2011!

Wordless Wednesday #39

2010-10-27T14:44:00.000+02:00

Wordless Wednesday #38

2010-10-20T14:40:00.004+02:00

The Incredible Shrinking Edith

2010-10-17T13:03:00.003+02:00

That's what someone called me last week and I laughed. Yep, that's me. I have been shrinking.

This has definately been quite the journey. I will say that once I got in that weight loss mode around February, after about six weeks of white knuckle-ing, it was pretty easy (at least for me) to continue.

Very briefly, I will say that the three keys for me to get the weight off were:

PATIENCE: realizing that I wouldn't drop ten pounds in a week or even a month. And keeping the weight off will be a life long endeavor. I'm resigned to it and okay with it. I want to be healthy. I want to live a long time.

PERSISTENCE: I know we hear it a million times but it's true - if you blow it one day, start over the next day and forgive yourself. Mostly I tried NOT to blow it in the first place. Never give up!

PLANNING: the biggest for me. I planned how I would feel and react in a hundred different difficult situations that would cause me to eat either because of emotion or temptation. I planned IN ADVANCE how I would deal with it. I also planned meals for the day and counted calories like crazy woman.

I'm finally getting comfortable in my own, new skin. You know, while you are in the the diet process, it comes off pretty quickly and it took time to adjust to the new me - I would catch a glimpse of myself in a window, mirror or picture and just want to stare with incredulity. That's not me. WOW, that's me. How 'bout that?

Believe it or not, I still have 8-10 pounds to get off to achieve a "healthy" BMI. Five more pounds and I will be there. I've been having a hard time getting back into the proper mindset to get those last ten off so I've decided to revel a little bit in what I HAVE achieved so far.

So, indulge me in my "I-love-me" moment and have a look at my fat to almost thin photos:

Belgium. Gotta love it.

2010-10-05T19:57:00.000+02:00