The Rain

 When I heard the sirens this afternoon, I immediately put on my rain coat, rain boots (with a hole in them), grabbed my umbrella and camera and hit the road. Something draws me to "emergencies". I am not at all an adrenaline junkie- I will have nothing to do with scary movies, haunted houses, roller coasters, or anything that involves scaring myself. I don't see the point in it. But if I hear an ambulance then I have to refrain from turning around and following it...so these sirens downtown were literally calling my name.

Directly in front of the camera is a bridge- a pretty big bridge...and the polizia wouldn't let me close enough to get pictures of the water...The water can come up to 6meters before it begins to overflow into the streets and today it got up to 5.9meters.

 People were preparing with sandbags

 These next couple pictures are of a once creek...People usually park along the far bank, underneath the trees and then climb down the bank to go fishing. I can't wait to go back and get a picture of how low the water normally is right now. 

 The one thing I was amazed at was how fast the water was moving!!

At this bridge- the same one from the first couple of pictures, they had a crane that was pulling out truck loads of debris. In the hour and half I was wandering around they probably filled up 4 of those white trucks. This was the saving grace of the city....there is no doubt in my mind that the streets would have been flooded if this crane did not pull out the branches and logs from the river

The best part was watching all of the people chip in a help fill sandbags for the river. At first, everyone was getting sandbags for themselves, but by the time I had looped back around everyone was filling sandbags and blocking up the bridge and river bank. I was dying to join in and help...but I couldn't figure out the exact instructions...and there were so many people standing around. It was so confusing... next time I need to be a little more courageous and just jump right in!

Going for a drive

Today I went for a drive- to just get out and do something. I find that I an easily hole up in my house and never leave if I let myself, so driving around is something that I enjoy from time to time. I still get alone time, to think, process, and plan- it helps that we have no radio in the car.

I brought my camera along and just started turning down random roads....got pretty narrow at some points and smelled of cow and horses. Here is where I went:

I decided from now on that I need to carry my camera with me at all times. There are such beautiful sights everywhere I turn.

I am so thankful that James got me this camera! I have really been able to explore photography and I even  love it more and more!

Reminiscing

I was looking for a birthday card to get into the mail and instead I stumbled upon my Sweetheart card holder. Kara gave it to me...it is a cloth envelope for me to keep letters from my sweetheart. It has an American flag on the inside and this poem:

Sweetheart

I thought that you would like to know 

That someone's thoughts go where you go, 

That someone never can forget

The hours we spent since first we met.

That life is richer sweeter far

For such a sweetheart as you are,

And my now constant prayer will be 

That God may keep you safe for me. 

I have lots of letters. Letters from high school. Letters from college. Letters from Ranger School. Letters for our engagement. My Sweetheart has a way with words. He is so eloquent and can be so ridiculous. For example:

"I really have to sleep now (unintelligable letters/words) In fact, I just passed out writing this and someone had to wake me up..."

"I heard we don't get our packages on the bus this time, so not so much food, but definitely chips and cookies and candy."

He is so sweet to me. He always has been. Even though we were far apart. And I am so glad on days like this that I can sit back and read his words. How he can still make me smile- even though I know what the letter says and how he can still call me out for having the same "eye rolling" and "head shaking" reactions. 

Our love transcends any distance- it always has and always will. One day it won't have to. One day soon we will be back together. But for for now, the poem's words ring true- my constant prayer is that God may keep him safe for me.

What I'm Loving Wednesday

• Working out
• Volunteering at the Clinic
• Being challenged and asked my opinon
• Lunch dates
• The mountains after the rain 
• His sweatshirts
• Old photos
• Skyping with friends
• Care packages
• Granddaddy's snail mail
• iTunes
• Safety in the storm
• Pumpkin Candles
• Christmas gifts coming together
• FINALLY being able to iron our table cloth, cloth napkins, and cloth placemats
• Celebrating a friends birthday
• Buying gifts for people
• Tears
• Songs played at just the right time
• My Beautiful Wife Bible study
• Introducing myself to a new girl at the post office
• Chocolate!! 
• Skyping with my brother
• Perfect timing 
• Absentee Ballots

CioccolandoVi

aka the Chocolate Festival. I heard about this festival within my first month of being in Italy, and was pumped. The vendors travel around to different cities for a weekend and d chocolate. They are stores from all over! I found a store in Venice and I can't wait to go find him on my next trip.

I went Friday night with a couple of girl friends, and no one was there! The weather had been awful all day long, but cleared up for a couple of hours...and then started pouring again. Here are some pictures from Friday night:

I got really frustrated trying to take pictures because I didn't have a tripod...lucky for me, I live within walking distance and came back downtown Saturday morning. Saturday was a wonderful day. I wandered downtown, sat in a cafe with a friend and read Little Women while sipping on my cafe latte and pane svizzero. Then we wandered around the chocolate festival tasting all the different types of chocolate and staring in amazement at all of the chocolate designs.

The square was lined with tents with vendors displaying their chocolate masterpieces. You could get chocolate crepes, hot chocolate (or chocolate pudding basically), chocolate covered strawberries, and chocolate liquor.

Let's just say people are c.r.e.a.t.i.v.e with their chocolate.

 This is what I walked away with:

Carmel, cafe, and hazelnut chocolate squares...some of the best chocolate I have ever had!

Chocolate salami...no meat involved. It is kind of like a chocolate wafer...I'm not sure if that description even does it justice. Once again...it's so stinkin' good.

Chocolate covered espresso beans. You can never go wrong with these!