snapshots on the journey5...

aahhhhhh, roma! after an incredibly peaceful 10 day journey meandering around the countryside & seaside, was i ready for your bustle, for your traffic, for your myriad of choices? why yes, i believe i was! we frequented our favorite bars (& for those of you who don't know, that's not the same thing as a 'bar' in the US!)...a cappuccino in the morning (bar trevi)...a spritz in the afternoon (bar cento passi)...fueled by fabulous italian food...we were on the move non-stop...new pathways (climb inside St. Peter's dome)...glimpses of mystery...attention to detail...new views (thanks, christopher~~ castel sant'angelo)...moments to reflect...moments to look beyond...sacred moments (Corpus Christi procession with Pope Benedict)...moments where the ordinary and the sacred met (roma's FSSP parish)......a certain slant of light...new sounds...new clarity...& hopefully~~ a return!...roma never disappoints! after 2 weeks of language lessons, a break in the middle to visit florence (that's another 'snapshot' post!), sending Baby Girl home, sending D. & Big Bro home, & greeting our eastern european adventure contingent, we were all-too-soon saying arrivederci, roma! roma, giugno, 2009

so NOT cool anymore...

i love nature. my favorite way to begin the day is to sit quietly outdoors & watch the sun rise, giving thanks for another glorious day...i love to spend time on the water...time among our flowers & herbs...time watching the wildlife do its thing...but sometimes nature gets close...

a bit too close...

as in front door close!...last week this crazy lady (the size of my hand with fingers spread) set up housekeeping in our front entryway...she was promptly evicted!!! yesterday her friend, no doubt miffed at front-door visitor's swift 'removal,' laid a nice trap for me across our sliding glass door to the back deck. well now, hound patrol moves out sometimes before the light of dawn & this was one of those days. i generally follow them out the door to prevent unwanted 'neighborly' visits. coffee in hand, i was on the tail of the Elusive L. when something felt a bit...ehem...off! & then something was definitely a bit 'on' ~~ as in ON ME!!!!! our new arachnid neighbor (another one the size of my hand was ALL. OVER. ME!!!!!! her web was ALL. OVER. ME!!!!!

in a flash my coffee was all over her. D. was down the stairs with palpitations. boyworld was way-too-awake at an awful hour. most likely our entire neighborhood joined them in this pre-dawn unplanned rising! my screams could have won an oscar. now, i don't want to hurt living creatures, but i am sorry to say, this time i cared not one wit for that spider's well-being. 8 legs crawling on me in my house = serious lack-of-thought-thrashing-throwing-screaming reaction.

D. assured me she was back out the door & even down the deck stairs with a distinct coffee trail (he claims i probably drowned her in that stuff~~ what a waste of good coffee!). i don't know... but from now on, no home exits without light & a spider-removing stick! & now, back to my regularly scheduled summer relaxing...

snapshots on the journey4...

after the rolling hills of le marche & the mountains of cascia, we were beach-bound for nettuno. while we were laying the groundwork for this journey, Baby Girl requested a visit to this town by the sea in order that she might visit the santuario di nettuno where Saint Maria Goretti (her Confirmation saint) is buried...we arrived mid afternoon, in time to visit this rather modern church & attend Mass. what an awesome sight it was to walk out the church's doors & be greeted by a very tempestous mediterranean sea!!...we could not resist an evening beach walk nor the glorious moonrise over the sea...though our time there was short, it was quite an occasion...Baby Girl & Big Bro celebrated their birthdays (21 & 17 respectively)...& we marked the occasion of D-Day with a visit to the American Cemetery...it was a very humbling experience to realize how many gave their lives to defend the lives of others. & it was also an occasion for D. & i to remember family members' stories about WWII, passing the memories of these noble deeds along to yet another generation...imagine our surprise, when searching the list of servicemen & women who are buried their, we found one with our last name (not a very common name either)...this moment on our journey was a quiet contrast to the busy days ahead in roma~~ one day & one night out of 5 weeks, but one that made a lasting impression.

nettuno, italia, guigno 2009

an ocean of excuses...

i am late to one single impression's glorious prompt for this week, but i could not pass it by. sweetest in the gale's offering 'ocean' swam in my mind all weekend & i had no computer access but i did have pen & paper. living by the ocean & seeing its beauty in all seasons is one of the greatest blessings in my life...i have worked through so many of my life's puzzles looking out to sea. i have let it carry my worries away on its currents. i have swum for joy in its waves. i have let the music of its tide put me to sleep. i am in awe of its power~ to churn up & to calm down. it is one of the most powerful ways in which God speaks to my heart. it has been my solace in this season of grief & as i let the prompt carry me, i found once again great comfort.{ocean}

an empty void stretched out before me
the abyss of your absence
& in my solitude i cried
an ocean of tears
their current flowed from the heart
of love
their release filled up the valley
of loss
& on their gentle, lapping waves i sailed
cutting through the sun-dappled shine
into the safe harbor
of your armsplease visit OSI for more beautiful poetry

snapshots on the journey3...

after a week in san vittore of rejuvenation...& hospitality that leaves your soul sighing with satisfaction...it was time to pack the bags once again & hit the open road for the mountain town of cascia......i have a special love for santa rita da cascia & so did my mother-in-law. she & i talked of santa rita often & i wish D.'s momma could have been there with us...it was with great joy that i was able to call her from cascia (cell service in those mountains is sketchy, at best) & tell her about the beauty of that place...the basilica...the town...the mountains...the peace...that fills one's soul...in too short a time, we found ourselves back on the road, bound for a beach just outside of roma~ nettuno...

sometimes...

...life really is a bed of roses!

snapshots on the journey2...

sometimes the road stretches out before us...like a seemingly endless summer day...sometimes the world shrinks, the focus becomes something close...either view is a thing of beauty, a joy to behold each & every day...san vittore & cingoli, italia, giugno 2009