La Vita e Bella

goings on!

2010-01-26T07:47:00.000-08:00

Well lovies,

It looks like this is going to be a weekly updated blog rather than a twice weekly updated blog. My life is not to the point where I'm bursting with activity... atleast not enough to warrant two posts per week.

This past week was really spectacular. My sexy man of a husband managed to garner 4 job offers after having heard nothing from anyone for 5 weeks! Now he's deciding who deserves him the most (must be nice)!!

My sister turned 29 again this year and a bunch of friends went to celebrate at Kona Grill (where the avocado egg rolls are to diiiiieeee for) and I finally got to see my long lost soulmate Lane for the first time in over a year. Chris and I met some really fun people from our church (West End Presbyterian) who are crazy and we're really excited about getting to know them more. This coming weekend three of them are having an "identity crisis" birthday party where you have to go as some sort of PERSON you're not. I'm thinking I might have to make Chris into a guido. yessssss!

At work, things were slow but I'm always happy when I'm there because I believe in what the doctors are doing and I really really enjoy them. I also learned yesterday that they told one of our massage girls that they really love me and never want me to leave. She told me "it really doesn't matter what you do... I think you can really do no wrong!"... it was certainly great to hear. I'm looking forward to my 90 day sit down time with them to discuss raises/benefits. score! Most of all I love the familiarity I'm gaining with all the patients. The best part of all of this is that I'm getting to start from the beginning (pretty much) with a brand new clinic so while it still stays small and relatively not so busy... I get to build relationships and make people laugh and smile 3 times a week for 10 minutes! Here is a drawing of a stegasaurus I drew at some point this week. ha. Chris currently uses it for a bookmark. Thank goodness for highlighters and sharpies!

This week in the kitchen I tried out a great garlic pizza crust recipe and made a pesto/tomato/fresh mozz/bacon pizza out of it. Results: incredible! I'm hungry just thinking about it again. I've really started to fall in love with making bread. So many possibilities! and it tastes so much better!

Chris and I don't have cable, but there are shows we take time to watch every week... one day late on Hulu. Hulu! best. invention. EVER! Project Runway just started and I am loving it. But my favorite thing thus far has been the wall treatment in the designers' workroom. I'm going to paint the same design on our apartment walls in the kitchen area. I'll use a charcoal grey because our walls are beige. It's a perfect solution. We wanted to completely paint the walls, but 16 foot ceilings make that HARD and we would have to paint them back beige when we move out. so, no.

Also, I gave up on "A Million Little Pieces". not so beneficial to my life. now i'm reading "The Museum of Innocence" by Orhan Pamuk. I'm halfway done. It's phenomenal. It's all about forbidden love and scandal in Turkey in the 1970s. delightful.

On another note, our wonderful wonderful office is now the home of a subscription to AFAR magazine. It just premiered this fall and it's a wonderful display of culture and food and travel and life lessons from people. I like it even better than national geographic. WHOA is right.

Alright, I'm off to spend the rest of my free Tuesday morning with my husband. What a spectacular way to spend time. You all should try it.

See you next Tuesday!

Cheers!

m.

white room, green pasta, guidos, and my photogenic hubs.

2010-01-15T14:58:00.000-08:00

Hello, dears.

To preface this post and all others following, it is necessary for you to know that I work 6 days a week. Three of those days (MWTh), I work from 7:30 to 6:30 and two others (TF)are half days, with an hour of work on Saturday morning. I come home especially exhausted after my 12 hour days and it is all i can do to not pass out in the stairwell walking up to our apartment. During these long days I motivate myself by looking for yummy recipes to cook for Chris when I get home from work. This way I don't feel completely negligent. I love to cook and I love to do anything for my husband. He is just incredibly wonderful. Also, my office is directly in front of a big branch of the Richmond public library. On Saturdays after my 1 hour of work, C&I go and check out books. It's the most convenient. Also, since the office I work in is relatively new and growing, some days are slow so I sketch at my desk. Not too much, but I'd rather do that than continue to glue my eyes to the computer screen.

ALL THAT to say... this blog will be a compilation of meals/recipes, book notes, sketches, and occasional input from hubs when he's feeling inspired. now on with it...

This weekend I bought "A Million Little Pieces" from the library book sale for 50 cents. I've been wanting to read it both because the people I think I understand the least are addicts of any kind and because (honestly) the cover is yummy! The book is totally offensive, but I know it's all completely accurate. I wonder if incessant profanity and graphic detail are really necessary to get the situation across to the reader. Reading it over and over again has begun to make me a little sick, and I start to feel as though I'm experiencing a little addiction myself. Hey, wait... maybe that's Mr. Frey's intent! I'm about halfway through now and the author (whose memoir this is) is beginning to turn a corner. I'm hoping I get to turn one with him. Full recommendation pending.

On lighter notes, dinner this week has been delicious, healthy, and easyyyyy! Monday, I made this delicious little number:It was so easy. The recipe is from an old Gourmet and is FOOLPROOF!!! This really just delighted our senses from beginning to end and we're actually coming back for round two tonight with a side of Criminal Minds (thank you very much)!

Pasta with Green Vegetables and Herbs
Gourmet June 2007 (4 servings)

1 pound thin asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup frozen peas
1 pound linguine
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
1 cup packed fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 1/2 ounces feta, crumbled (1 cup)
3 scallions, thinly sliced

Cook asparagus in a pot of boiling well-salted water 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, then add peas to boiling water and cook 2 minutes. Transfer peas to bowl with asparagus, then add linguine to boiling water and cook until al dente.

Pulse basil, mint, oil, salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup feta in a food processor until chopped, then add to vegetables.

Reserve 1/2 cup pasta-cooking water, then drain pasta in a colander. Stir reserved cooking water into vegetables, then add pasta, scallions, and remaining 1/2 cup feta and toss.

I am telling you, CRAZY delicious. Two other things I'm digging this week: my relaxed, glasses free hubs and Snooki from Jersey Shore. That guidette is a little ball of somethin somethin!

hahahha. Well that's all for tonight and I'll catch you on Tuesday.

Cheers!

m

out with the old

2010-01-12T08:09:00.000-08:00

Since I lasted posted, these major changes have taken place in my life:
- moved back to America
- travelled back to Italy for one week where Chris asked me to marry him and I said yes.
- moved to TN
- moved back to Suffolk
- got married
- moved to Richmond
- got a fulltime job which requires that I be stable and live in one place for a long time!

That's maybe a lot for one year, I guess. All in all, much brilliance occured. Because my gypsy days are now over, this blog about travels and adventures has no reason to really exist. As I was about to shut it down, I thought ... "Maybe I would like to keep track of my meals and art and book notes in a way that can be easily accessed by me and by my friends and family." This blog already existed, so I thought I may as well turn it around and rework it a bit. So, I hope to provide atleast some insight into my life here in Richmond since I am horrible at keeping up over the phone and at getting around to visiting you.

Cheers!

oh, oh. one last thing. Chris and I really enjoy the poem "I do, I will, i have" by Ogden Nash. It almost made the wedding, but was ousted by the unconquerable Mr. Eliot. Here's an excerpt.

"That is why marriage is so much more interesting than divorce,
Because it's the only known example of the happy meeting of
the immovable object and the irresistible force.
So I hope husbands and wives will continue to debate and
combat over everything debatable and combatable,
Because I believe a little incompatibility is the spice of life,
particularly if he has income and she is pattable."

Schifo

2008-11-25T13:54:00.000-08:00

While tonight may be the furthest I've ever been from wanting to write, I feel it is necessary after a 2 month hiatus. Indeed I had grand dreams for this blog, but alas... reality set in and each moment I've spent in Italy could not have been sacrificed to e-scribble some lame words to try and retrace what happened after each day... or each week... or each month. Mi dispiace. really.

So. October is a blur, but one that can be slightly clarified through the pictures I took while being hurled in several different directions. Go to facebook if you'd like to see them.

By November I began to settle into a bit of a routine, but as is always the case with me... things turned left, down, and northwest. Two weeks ago, I began teaching English at a high school in the town of San Doná di Piave (where I live from M-Th). I caught a late afternoon bus to Oderzo on Thursday afternoons and stayed there until Monday morning. Recycle.

Last week I got a call from the headmistress at the school who told me the Benetton family wanted me to come live with them and just hang out for the remainder of my time. Sounded good, so I got on board. I met them and scheduled my move to Treviso for this coming Monday, the first of December. Life was insane, as I had also made deals with 4 other groups of people to teach them English for 2 hours at a time whenever I was free. Oh, but life was good. Unbelievable and incomprehensible, but good.

This week I found out that I have to leave the country for 2 weeks after having been here for 3 months. Fine, no biggie. Then I'll have to do it again after my next 3 months. Erg, fine, whatever. No prob.

Last night I found out that I actually have to leave the Schengen states for 3 months after I have been here for 3. In short this is because of lazy Eastern Europeans in countries like Croatia and Albania who are allowed to just come to the EU and receive money because they "can't afford to live." This law was enacted 2 months ago. So I must leave Italy after 90 days... which will be December 31. I don't know where I will go for 3 months, but I am doing everything in my power to NOT go back to the USA. I would really really dislike that. I am thinking about a 3 or 4 month stint in Africa somewhere helping some organization, or maybe going to Asia for a while to teach English. My goodness there is such high demand for it there. And then, after 90 more days, I will come back to Italy and live.

mmm frustrating. I've had to just sit on my bed and stare at the walls to catch up with all that is happening. It's all going so fast, and I can't handle it very well. Who knows. This could all just blow over by this time next week. Your prayers on the matter would be much appreciated. If you must know, I actually am okay with all of this, but a lot of people will be terribly inconvenienced by my sudden departure. As could be expected. welp, I love you. Stay classy, and

Don't touch that dial.

m

With one week remaining...

2008-09-23T13:46:00.000-07:00

It's as though this trip isn't a life altering thing at all! Very little has gone into planning (other than flights and living arrangements) and at this point, my family and I are so completely exhausted from this past weekend's wedding extravaganza that even now, with 8 days left until I leave America for 8 months, it isn't yet the most important thing. I should be worried or nervous- even stressed over the great unknown into which I'm about to plunge... but somehow, I tend to not feel those things at all. I have an incredible family with whom I will live for at least 3 months, money saved up to experience an awesome country (or countries!!), and a lot of advice compiled from those close to me... and anyway, a certain father of mine has enough anxiety for 10 people!

Right now I am relaxing, watching An American in Paris with my mom, and being undoubtedly wooed to death by Gene Kelly's painting, singing, and dancing. Europe is starting to grip me, even as we speak! I will be attending a grand fair in Oderzo on October 4th and I don't know much about what it entails other than an obvious celebration of my arrival. Kidding. In other news, I recently stocked up on Moleskines to fill while I'm away. I cannot wait to share with you all the things I'm going to hopefully see and create. Beside living the good news of Christ, it will be my first priority to delve into Italian culture and come out with some awesome new perspective on life along with a great deal of artwork.

The things I am excited about doing range from extravagant and awe-inspiring to ...seemingly normal and at the same time still awe-inspiring. Things like the Carnival of Venice and the fact of being an hour away from the Alps hardly seem real. I'm trying to decide how this is all really about to happen. Even getting the chance to sit in Piazza San Marco and draw a bird thrills me. I know you don't believe that part about the bird, but it's true. Because I'm not living in the city of Venice (I'll be here), I'll get to do a lot of things that don't involve tourism with people who are not tourists. Hooray! Honestly, I am more excited about meeting people, networking with them and learning to love them more than EVERY OTHER PART combined. I'll be tutoring, doing a stage with a local architect, learning Italian, and probably crying a lot when I remember how incredible God is for making His way for me to get to do this whole thing.

I'd like to have this blog be a source of information for you guys as far as what I'm going to be doing, but I'd also like you to maybe learn alongside me. Each time I post I will include a word or phrase that I've learned, along with a sketch from my notebook, info on a piece of the culture I've experienced, and something I'd like you to pray for. All of those 4 things will compile the majority of this blog. I will hopefully get to update fairly often, and hopefully I can charm the pants off of all of you through it as the country and continent proceed to charm me.

Let's hope this whole thing turns out as ECCEZIONALE (brilliant/fantastic) as I think it will!

Pray that I'll not impose on the wonderful family whose hosting me, but that I'll make their lives easier and better. I need God to increase my selflessness and give me a servant's heart. As much as I've been planning adventures for myself, this whole thing is about me being there to help someone ELSE.

I love you all very much, and I'll catch you soon!

NEXT TIME: a brief stint in London