Birthday Aspirations: Goals for my Thirty-Fifth Year
It's my birthday and I've come up with some things I will aspire to in my 35th year.
The last few years I was pretty stagnant in the whole goal department. My biggest goal was to simply survive my husband's two year tour overseas. Now that my family is once again together I feel much more at peace, and in a way I feel like I've experienced a rebirth. It's like I've been a shadow of myself these last two years and the Nicole I know and love is finally coming back into the light.These last few months have brought fourth many new changes and challenges and I want to take advantage of all the opportunities and experiences that will come my way, but I've also set fourth a few goals for myself for my 35th year.
- Write every day. I've gotten out of the habit of writing daily. This is a travesty I will eliminate completely this year.
- I want to achieve the goal of self publishing something -my goal right now is a short story -but that could turn into a novella if all goes well.
- I have wanted to try Yoga for years. This year I will begin exploring yoga. I think it will really help me to focus and calm down a bit in certain aspects of my life where I tend to be "high-strung".
- I want to learn a new skill. I'm leaning towards the Piano.
- I am an incredibly shy person. As an adult I had to force myself to be outgoing and I've found that my shyness is rearing its head in a HUGE way. I need to put myself out there and really make some new friends.
- Finally, I plan on volunteering some of my time. I've already made arrangements to be a Sunday school teacher in the Fall and I think that will be a great avenue for me.
love & birthday candles,nicole
A Strange Paradox
What follows is the result of a sleepless night spent with a restless brain.I can't promise it will be good.******I am a paradox and a little bit strange.I hope for sunshine but relish the rain.I catch my breath and let it go.I'm loud when I should whisper low.I am awkward I am shy.I long to dress like Grace Kelly.And pray for happy endings.I love sad songs, and ballerina flats.I toast to fallen stars and broken glass.I sometimes feel like a balloon floating on the horizon,Both free and doomed to get tangled up in a turbo prop engine.I believe in Angels. I think I spied one once.I don't think all accidents happen by chance.I'm present in the moment but get lost quite often.Twisting and churning like a falling leaf in the middle of autumn.In my youth I tried to fit in. I'm sure I did, with a few select friends.Sometimes I felt, like someone on the outside looking in.I can't say, I don't feel that way still upon occasion.I like long exploring walks where I can laugh out loudand marvel at all I behold.While shedding a tear for the decay that will eventually unfold.***** Yes. That is definitely not good. It is quite bad.Oh well. It was a good writing exercise to say the least.xo
Using Your iPhone in Italy
If you're moving to Italy and are worried that your smart-phone wont be able to make the trip - have no fear, Italy has all the mobile phones and smart phones that one can find in the U.S.Unfortunately, I can't say the same for the quality of cellular service, as it isn't that fast, and you get a lot less for the money. Also, if you're in a semi-rural area like I do it can be spotty. "Can you hear me now?" Is no longer funny.Don't fear, using your iPhone in Italy is not impossible.I will say that if you already own an iPhone make sure it's unlocked before you move. If for some reason you find yourself in Italy with a locked phone you can still contact your carrier and see about getting it unlocked, it's just more difficult. There are of course "people" who know how to do these things and you can use your best judgement on choosing a "person" to unlock your phone.There are two major cell phone carriers here. Vodafone and Tim. I have an unlocked iPhone 4 and use Vodafone's prepaid service. I try to stay off the internet while I'm out as much as possible - unlike my near constant "checking" of stuff with my phone when I had glorious AT&T.You can check out the plans they have once you get here, but right now Vodafone got me the best "bang" for my buck. However, had I been under twenty-five Tim would've been the way I went as they have a plan for "young" people that is pretty good.
I would avoid a contract if you can. I've heard horror stories about getting billed for all sorts of things - and what not from multiple people who had to learn the hard way and I decided to trust their advice on that subject. You of course can decide what is best for you.If you think you'll just sign up for a plan and get the "free" iPhone, just know that there will be fees and charges, and other things - and purchasing an iPhone outright will be in Euros and therefor WAY more expensive.If you're traveling to Italy and are wondering if your iPhone will work, I'm sure your carrier at home has an International plan you can use, that will probably be pretty pricey, but an alternative is to simply switch out your sim card for a pre-paid one while you're here. That whole unlocked-phone thing will still apply of course.There are places that have Wi-Fi but internet here is no where near as fast as the states and it seems to be even slower on your mobile device at times (this I say from experience.) Keep in mind, that with aps like Skype and Magicjack calling back home to the states is as easy as dialing a number. I use these free aps to connect with my friends and family back in the States and even to conduct business when I need to call the U.S. However, I found that I get the best call quality when I am literally right next to my router, and even then my phone calls aren't always perfect, so please keep that in mind.Like everything when you move to Italy, you simply need only to keep an open mind, and a gentle attitude. Things here are not like they are in the States. Once you get passed that you're experience will be lovely.love & iPhones,nicoleP.S. I'm like 999999999999999.9 % positive this information would also apply to any other smart phone. But a little bit of pre-move investigative work wouldn't hurt.
Sparkling Summer Daiquiri - A most refreshing cocktail
With Summer just about to get into full swing, I thought I'd share a great summer cocktail I came up with when I had some left over strawberry "Ice-ee" I'd made for my kids.
Ingredients:
- 8 - 12 oz Frozen (or fresh) strawberries [or more to taste]
- 1 cup ice cold water
- 1/4 cup sugar (to taste).
- 1/4 cup Limoncello
- 1/3 cup Prosecco or other similar sparkling wine
- 8-12 ice cubes
To prepare:In a blender combine the strawberries and water and sugar until well blended. Add in 1/2 of the ice cubes and blend until smooth. Add in the Limoncello, if the mixture gets too watery add in more ice if you prefer a thicker daiquri and blend. When you're happy with the consistency of your daiquiri add in the Prosecco and blend for an additional 10-30 seconds. The mixture will bubble and you want to keep that fizz so don't blend for too long.When I made this I used about 1/3 cup each of the Limoncello and Prosecco and was plenty happy with the results. You can make this as strong or as "weak" as you like. If you prefer a virgin version simply substitute the water and Limoncello for lemonade or just the the limoncello for fresh squeezed lemon juice, and the wine for lemon-lime soda. You can also add more ice to make a granita.
Pour into your glass and garnish with fresh lemon or strawberries. Cheers!nicole
Well, I don't have cancer.... Skin Biopsy Results
The results of my biopsy came in last week. I don't have cancer. The cells on my back remain "a-typical" and unchanged since my last biopsy, which means they still need to be closely watched. I've an appointment with a local dermatologist this week to discuss my results. I felt I needed to have someone here who I can go see whenever I needed as opposed to the dermatologist at the base clinic who is here sporadically at best.I know I've been sort of an absentee-blogger for a while now. The last two years I was sort of put off it-or rather felt off my game (if that makes any sense to you), and more recently- in all honesty- I've not felt like blogging...Or even writing for that matter. I've never, not had the desire to write. I think it had a bit to do with a lack of excitement for what I was writing and being a bit over whelemd. Because I've certainly had plenty of ideas and inspiration, I've just not had the desire to put anything down yet.I think I just needed some time to sort of mull things over and to just, well, be. To allow myself time to adjust...to everything. Moving in and of itself is exhausting. Moving to a foreign country quadruples the exhaustion and stress factor. Add in parenting, re-connecting with a spouse you've been away from for two years, and the possibility of skin cancer, well you can see where a girl needed sometime to just reflect and live her life...I've reflected. I've adjusted (as much as one can in a relatively short period of time) and my family is once again a whole unit. I feel incredibly blessed and lost, and found, and very human.I'm ready to share all of that with you.I do promise to start blogging more - with my goal to get back to the days where I'd post something - even if it was just a picture every day.As for my writing, that's also going to get done everyday again. As it should be. It's good for me. I need the creative outlet. It feeds my soul.xo,nicoleP.S.I also have a birthday at the end of this month and this birthday is sort of a "big" one. I feel stupid writing that. Shouldn't every birthday be a big one? I always get a little depressed around my birthday - but I think I've gotten past that this year, or so I hope.Last year my husband promised he'd take me to Venice for my birthday. As it turns out the boys have swim lessons that end on my big three-five, and hotel rooms are 500 and something Euro a night. I'm thinking the day after might be a better deal. Still I can't complain. It is Venice after all!
Drink Up Life: Do not waste your dolce vita!
The other night as I was rearranging my kitchen counters, I experienced yet another one of my "epic" moments of clumsiness.I managed to trip over my own feet and drop a bottle of wine I'd been saving for a "special occasion".As I watched the bottle crash to the floor I couldn't help but think, the spirits must have been thirsty. I followed that thought by "it's good luck!" Which I say, when anything semi-bad happens.As I gingerly collected the shards of glass, and moped up my floor, I couldn't help but think thirsty spirits are really annoying, and probably regret not getting their fill of wine while living...You didn't know I was superstitious did you? I'm not all that superstitious, it's just when things like this happen a childhood spent around superstitious "abuelitas" comes to the forefront.Yet this little "accident" caused by my blundering, awkward feet got me to thinking... We weren't given this life to "wait" for special times, or important occasions.We should eat on the good china-I don't have any at the present- but that doesn't take away from the truth, that life is meant to be savored.If it wasn't, would God have given us beautiful sunrises, breathtaking vistas, chocolate, or love?Our world is a crazy place, horrible things happen every day. Yet beauty remains. Kindness and hope fill most of our hearts. Focus on the positive. Smile. Dance when the opportunity arises, and if it shouldn't, make the time to dance.If there's one thing I've learned about life in Italy, is that it forces you to slow down, they don't call it "la dolce vita" for nothing.So my friends, I implore you to pop open that really good bottle of wine and toast a perfectly good mundane day.Because you may just have a Humpty Dumpty moment and spill your Moscato all over the floor.Or tomorrow may not come, and your bottle will still be sitting there waiting for that perfect time.Drink up life. Slurp it up. Pour yourself another glass and toast your "dolce vita".Cent' anni,(May you live one hundred years!)nicole