Sightseeing in Northern Italy
I know I've been totally lame on the blogging lately. All of my free time has been spent pursuing other things...like exploring Italy. Everywhere I go my eyes are awash with beauty. I really am in love with this place.I've so much I want to share with you, but for now, I thought I'd post some short video snippets from my Vine account. They're only six seconds long, so they won't take up too much of your time. If you've not heard of Vine, it's a social sharing site like Instagram, but with six second videos. There are some seriously cool stop motion videos on there that make joining totally worth it. Which proves that the world is awash in art and talent and amazing things. Here are a few I've witnessed while sightseeing in northern Italy.Here is a waterfall in Fregona, we visited last week.A few weeks ago we went to an International street market in Pordenone, where there were a variety of vendors from all over Europe. Here we are sampling some Paella. I can't tell you how nice it was to hear Spanish. We spent €10 for a plate of Paella, but it was in all honesty, one of the best things I've had since arriving in Italy. Ironic? Me thinks so. Here are my boys walking over to investigate a boy chasing a pigeon. Can you believe they want to cut their hair..? We stopped on the side of the Autostrada to capture this rainbow on our way home from Ikea one weekend. (I just got my furniture delivered this week, and in writing this, realized, I really must share that experience with you too! Love and Beautiful Italy,nicole
A Mother's Day Sentiment
Happy Mother's Day to my Mom, my own personal angel.I totally lucked out when God gave me to you. Thank you for teaching me to love unconditionally, to be loved, and to love who I am. Thank you for teaching me about perseverance and how to dust oneself off when life knocks you down. Thank you for teaching me about joy in the simple things...Like fresh picked strawberries, or swimming out to the deep end, even if you're scared, because the water is cooler there, and there's nothing like floating on your back in the middle of the ocean.
Happy Mother's Day to my Grammie, who listened to me tell stories where Princesses rode giant panthers through dense forests, and for helping me spy a leprechaun when out for a walk. Thank you for always having an ear, or a story to tell of her own.Thank you both for teaching me to always find time to dance - to throw up my arms and spin and it's OK if you've got two left feet, there's Grace in that.
love always,me
Friendship Lost (A Haiku)
You were my best friend.I love you like a sister."Good-byes", there were none.
Blonde Hairspiration via Pinterest
After about five years of dying my strawberry blonde a darker auburn-or some variation, I've decided to go blonde -well mostly, I'm getting highlights. I was planing on getting it done prior to leaving Miami, but just didn't have the chance.Fast forward a few months and I still have that desire to go light. However, I'm in Italy now and I swear, like 90% of the population here is blonde. When we go out and about in town the number of women I see with blonde hair far outweighs that of black hair or brunettes. Forget about red, I think I've spotted about 3 red heads since I've been here and they've all been on base. I've not travelled farther than Venice yet, so I can't speak for the rest of the country, but here in Northern Italy, the women love to be blonde.So I've compiled a few of my favorite blondes via my Pinterest board "Oh so Pretty Hair" as a bit of hairspiration for my stylist tomorrow (which oh my gawd - am I hoping she is awesome!)Have I mentioned how much I miss having bangs? I do, but I've spent 9 months growing those bad boys out - I won't be going back into bang territory for a while.This is sort of my hair goal. Long, all (mostly) one length. I also like the darker roots which is why I'm opting for highlights.Cameron Diaz. Love her.This is a great highlight/lowlight.Is there nothing more quintessential and classic-glam beauty than blonde hair with red lips?Save
I should be writing instead of speaking
Last night while my husband and I were tidying up after supper I remarked, "If I could sing, I wouldn't speak. I'd just sing." It's something I've said, here on this blog a few times, I'm sure and in passing to friends. My husband was tolerating my choice of tunes as he isn't a big fan of Lana Del Ray. But to my ears her voice is like like liquid amber and the way she can mix the melancholy with the sweet is so lovely which is what sparked my comment on this occasion.I can not sing. I mean, I can. I do. It just doesn't sound very nice.Then my husband said something to me, that to my tone deaf ears, was sort of profound.He said, "Nicky, you may not be able to sing, but you can write. So by your account you should be writing all the time, and you're not doing that."With his sagacious words I had a moment of clarity.He was absolutely 100% right. So profound was my reaction to his observation I became very still and quiet-the proverbial deer in the headlights. All I could do was stand there in the middle of the kitchen with a dishtowel in my hands. After about a minute all I could utter was "wow", which by the way is the exact same thing that occurred the night I met him.I guess I never looked at my writing as a "talent" like singing. It was and is simply something I must do.Therefor by my own account, I'm not using my talent as I would have myself do.Sure I'm constantly "writing" in my head, or making little notes on my iPad or journals, I have my manuscript, and a few other stories I've written, and I can't discount this blog - so I've never - not written- but even my blogging over the last two years hasn't been what I would call prolific.By my account my talent has been neglected. I should be a prolific writer and I'm not.I have only one thing to do, write. Write so that should I one day loose the ability to speak, my voice would continue to be heard.Oh and in case you were wondering, we were listening to Summertime Sadness by Lana Del Ray.
The Waiting Place
I had my annual skin check earlier this week.
I really wish I could've skipped the entire experience.
I enjoy these exams about as much as going to the dentist or that other annual exam I wish I could ignore.
You know the one ladies, as it also involves one of those crinkly paper hospital gowns--that are about as useful as a flashlight is to a blind man. (God knows they provide about as much warmth as one.) Which of course leaves one freezing, waiting for the doctor, because let's face it, I've never walked into a hospital or doctor's office where the thermostat wasn't set to sub-zero temperatures. Which of course meant that I was all goose-flesh when it came time for my exam.
Thirty minutes later I had a diagnosis of "this mole doesn't look right we should have this biopsied" scenario.
All I could think was, "Here I go again."
I've been cast into that slightly uncomfortable, I just want to have this be over spot, I like to call, The Waiting Place.
Basically, it's Purgatory here on earth.
As I walked to my car despite the overcast day, I could feel the threat of skin cancer blaring down on me like the midday sun.My heart felt heavy, and I'm pretty sure my eyes got all teary as I gave myself just a moment to accept that this is happening again.The mole in question is in the same spot where I had a-typical cells during my last skin cancer biopsy which, I subsequently had removed. So if something's grown back, I mused, It can't be good.To be honest, I'm feeling much more anxious about having to have this biopsy and the results this go-round. All I could keep thinking about where the statistics, as a Melanoma survivor, my risk remains higher I can get it again, which is why I must be diligent about my skin examinations and use of sunscreen, etc.
I'm trying not to think about it. Or talk about it. But it's my skin. It's kind of hard not to think about it when you have no other choice but to live inside of it.
Still...My biopsy isn't for about two weeks, so I'm certainly not going to go around moping or freaking out, because that would do me about as much good as the paper gown did, but until I actually get the results it will be there, lingering in the back of my mind.
If you're new to my blog or would care to read some of my other posts I've written on my experience, thoughts, products I use for my skin, and the topic of skin cancer, Melanoma, in general here are a few:
- Pale Is The New Tan August 2009
- Protecting My Skin July 2010
- To Be or Not To Be Skin Cancer July 2010
- The Waiting is Over July 2010
- Got Wet Skin? Need Sunscreen? No Problem! June 2011
- Melanoma Does Not Discriminate October 2012
Your life is art
I came across this post. Had to share.
Life is short. We all say this. Made me wonder...Are you living the life you deserve?Dreamed of?Want?If any of your answers were "no".The clock waits for no one.Time wasted can not be regained.Make a plan. Set some goals.Your life is your canvas. You are it's pen, brush, camera...Go create a masterpiece.