3.28.2012

What I'm Loving Wednesday's




  • Finding a new park
  • Sun hitting my face on a run
  • A rooster cock-a-doodle-dooling 
  • A little, white bunny
  • Baby chicks
  • Bottles of wine
  • Carolina In My Mind
  • Long drives with friends
  • Italian farm houses
  • Cooing of a little baby
  • Text message from James
  • Gelato truck music
  • Using our mortor and pestle for the first time
  • The aroma of rosemary, thyme and garlic
  • James home
  • Random day trips
  • Walled cities
  • Plane tickets booked
  • Family emails
  • Greek yogurt
  • Using cloth napkins
  • James' reaction to the house 
  • 2 late call mornings
  • Dark chocolate M&M's



3.26.2012

Keeping Busy

This past week moved slow. Really slow. I feel like the month has gone by slow, but when you know he is so close to coming home time likes to drag it out. Such a terrible trick. So in retaliation of my slow week, I jammed my weekend full of activities to help the time go by faster.

I stayed up late and almost had a heart attack watching my Heels play on Friday night. Rough game, but we somehow pulled it off! I was so proud of them for sticking it through without Kendall Marshall! Those boy's seriously are the best!

Saturday was spent at a winery and the James Taylor concert!! The winery is one of my favorites around here, and so this time I decided to stock up on wine...3 cases later, I felt satisfied. This place has one of James' favorite wines that he always talks about, so I made sure to get plenty.

Villa Sceriman is an pretty cool winery. When you first walk in you can do a taste test of all of their wines, for free, then you can buy a bottle and some ham, cheese, olives, and bread and go sit outside on their porch covered in picnic tables to drink and hang out. The last time I went it was really cold outside, so we sad inside by a fire place...but I can't wait to go back in a couple of weeks when everything is in full bloom! 





Kaitlin and I left Villa Sceriman and headed further east to Padova to see James Taylor. We drive down the back side of a mountain and saw the prettiest view I have seen here in Italy yet! I am definitely going back to take pictures. We winded our way through several little towns, vineyards, farm houses and more. It was beautiful to say the least.





Then we spent the next 45minutes driving around Padova trying to figure out how to get to the theater...we could see it, we just couldn't get there- so frustrating! But we made it at last and got to spend and awesome night with James Taylor! The venue was awesome! Once we picked up our ticket we got some food from a vender that was set up- he had panini's, french fries, and cheese and then wine barrels set up for tables! There was an opening act set up in the lobby inside playing some pretty good music, that neither one of us could understand, and best of all...there was a candy bar. A HUGE candy bar. It was awesome. Kaitlin has those pictures, so I'll have to get them soon...I was in heaven.


The concert started and we were so excited...we patiently awaited for him to play Carolina In My Mind- we only had to wait 3 songs and when we started we both burst into tears...so embarrassing, but true. I'm just glad I wasn't the only one. Ultimately- James Taylor was fabulous in concert!! He didn't really speak all that much, but he would introduce his songs, and even spoke some Italian! The crowd LOVED him. Seriously, everyone was clapping and stomping their feet- it created an awesome atmosphere to hear him play. The best part was the Italian guy who sat behind us. He was clapping his hands and stomping his feet and singing. Loudly. Trying to harmonize. It was great. Then there was this guy who was standing in the aisle/side of the auditorium, and he was LOVING life. He was clapping with his hands straight up in the air, a huge smile on his face, and dancing. Needless to say, it was awesome. Here are some pictures:






Last but not least, I woke up late Sunday (missing church because my phone didn't automatically change the time) to a text message from Kaitlin asking if she could convince me to go to Lake Garda......there is no convincing me. She picked me up and off we went! Lake Garda is a huge lake about 45 minutes away. There are several little towns and villages that you can go to along the coast and some beautiful drives up the mountains and the coast of the lake- but we picked the "touristy" town. It is this little town at the tip of a peninsula that juts into the middle of the lake. Let's just say it is touristy for a reason. Of course the day we decide to go, the town is celebrating the 500th anniversary of one of the churches and it was crowded!!! The town was bustling with life- all of the buildings are brightly colored, there were fruit stands open, gelato bars scattered throughout, there is a 13th century fortress that you can climb up to the top and get some breath taking views, and you could walk along the rocky beach to the very tip of the peninsula. Kaitlin and I hiked up to the tip of the peninsula, cracked open some cheese, salami, and bread and watched the boats float on by...and the several couples making out around us. Then Heidi and her brother Sam met up with us, and we climbed the tower and toured the little town. It was an AWESOME day trip! I can't wait to go back!











3.22.2012

What I'm Loving Wednesday

  • Walking through the downtown market 
  • My new hydrangea 
  • Local cheese
  • Hanging out with new friends
  • A present from my neighbor :) 
  • Strawberries
  • Running
  • Birds chirping 
  • Sitting on my front porch with the sun warming up my face
  • Emails from James
  • Potato Leek Pizza
  • Impromptu sangria 
  • Girl Scout cookies...specifically Tag-a-longs
  • Eli Young Band
  • Flowers
  • Winning a game and getting a prize! 
  • Wine. 
 The market was incredible and massive! There were a ton of clothes that would have taken forever to look through, and I don't really enjoy searching for clothes...at all. But once I found all of the flowers and food I was in heaven! I can't wait to go back to get fresh fish! It was really crowded around the fish and I wasn't going right back home, so I didn't get any this time, but I stocked up on some asiago cheese- which is James' favorite right now, we will have to wait and see if there will be any when he gets back. I also got the potted hydrangea and I can't wait to actually plant it! I have already done some research- Ellen would be so proud! It was a great morning/afternoon. I literally walked from 9 until 1- so of course the next step was to reward myself with gelato...duh.






 I just realized today was Thursday...and I thought I was so on top of it....

3.18.2012

StraVicenza Marathon

I ran a race today! My first one ever!! I am not a really big runner...mainly because my mental ability to keep going is much lower than my actual physical ability, so it's just not fun. Even since I have been here I have only run outside one other time. One. I do the elliptical and treadmill at the gym because I would rather watch TV while I run than look at the street, but my friend Lindsey called and told me that she was going to run in the StraVicenza Marathon and asked if I wanted to join. First thought- absolutely not, I can't run a marathon, and do you REMEMBER the last time I ran with you? Luckily, I think Italians call ALL races marathons and she was only going to run the 4.5K part- which is right under 3 miles. I agreed- because why not? Plus, James has always said running a race is a lot different than running by yourself because you have so much adrenaline.

So I did it! We signed up this morning, and prepared to run. And let me tell you what- these Italians were all about it! They were decked out in some serious gear...and while some of them were doing the 10K, most of them were not, and it was hysterical. They were doing ridiculous stretches and warming up, and the whole ten yards.

Here are some pictures of the outfits- lots of spandex going on:



Here are some pictures of Vicenza:







Here are some pictures from the run:
















3.17.2012

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Because this is one of my ALL TIME favorite videos. You are welcome.


3.15.2012

Hanging Pictures...

...Is a struggle. First of all, the walls are concrete, so using nails is a no go, and drilling into the walls and using special nails is way too much work. I heard of these special hard-wall hangers- when we got here back in November...and every time I have been to the PX I have been on the hunt for these things and seriously found them for the first time 2 weeks ago. I'll go ahead and admit that I'm sure the PX hasn't been out of stock the whole time, but they were difficult to find. This is what they look like:





Weird looking, right? And I feel like they are backwards...those prongs go into the wall and then you have to slip the hanging wire between the wall and the hanger to get it to hold. 

It took a couple of attempts but I got the pictures hanging!! Woohoo




I'm sure my mom will re-hang these when she comes out here at the end of the month. Mark my words.