It's Tea Time with My Boys!
As I mentioned in yesterday's post, my boys and I had a "fancy" tea, honestly it wasn't all that fancy, I brewed a pot of tea, and served them in proper tea cups, but they considered it fancy business and I took the opportunity enjoy a cup of tea with my boys.
Earlier in the week I'd mentioned going to Tea when we make it to the UK they thought me crazy...
However...I think they're coming 'round.
Now I really want to throw a tea party.
We Have One Life - Tennessee Williams Quotes
“ When did we become so small and so apologetic? Why do we apologize for our humanity? Love what you love, and make no apologies. This is your identity. The most horrendous suspensions of freedom are self-imposed. We imprison ourselves daily, hourly. We have one life, one shot at all the glorious things of life, and we walk about constricted, apologetic, afraid. We have so little time; we have so little space upon which to spread our love and our talents and our kindness. Run toward life fulsomely and freely. It runs from us so quickly, like a frightened dog or youth or daylight. Chase it and care for it. ”— Tennessee Williams: We Have One LifeI've really nothing to add. My husband snapped this gorgeous picture, and I thought this quote rather lovely to go along with it.
xo
First Confession Fears
I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free. ~ Michelangelo
My eldest will be making his First Communion this Spring, his first confession is in a few weeks and I know he's been a little anxiousThis evening as I tucked him in he asked, "What's going to happen if I make a mistake?"I kissed him on his nose and said, "God will love you still."I told him that God already knew who he was meant to become, and on his journey to becoming the man God has intended him to be he'd make mistakes. I told him, "Making mistakes is part of growing up." I explained that he can not live in fear of failing because by doing so we'd be dishonoring the journey God has set us on.I told him that, the whole reason why we confess our sins is so that we can acknowledge our mistakes and try to do better in the future. We are human, we make mistakes, and when we own up to them, and atone; our souls are made lighter.I could see the relief in his entire being. It was palpable. He let his fear go. It swooshed out of him in a great breath and he grew brighter.It was then, I thought, that his fear had been set free. I'm sure there will be other things he will fear in his life, but he now understands the feeling of peace that comes with it's release.
We all have fears. It's in acknowledging them they loose their power. Don't worry my little darling...Everything is going to be all right. xo
A Week By The Sea - Lyrics 5591/Justin Furstenfeld - Blue October
Precise like a metronome, to the boneSo calm, you're a week below the seaI'm blessed like a leprechaun finding your goldTwo cheers for the low that you take up to highThey come crashing like a winter warm rainSo soft you could tremble on all of my soulChorus:Cause yeah, you show me to the open part of my soulCause yeah, you show me to the open part of my soulCause yeah, you show me to the open part of my soulSoul, my soulSo I'll rise when you ask me to, and follow throughI'll climb to the highest point blankI'll crawl just to get to you, you are my homeAnd only time will be the judge of this romantic trialWhen I'll kiss away your worries of meJust smile and believe that you live in my soulChorus:Cause yeah, you show me to the open part of my soulCause yeah, you show me to the open part of my soulCause yeah, you show me to the open part of my soulI said you show me to the open part of my soulImpressed by the who you are, shooting starBest-dressed by the fall, you are treeTwo steps to the intimate part of my soulYou show meYou show me to...my soulShow me toYou show me to***I love this song. It's not been officially released but I've got a demo of it from the band. You can Google and find videos of Justin Furstenfeld performing it. It's got a really cool electronica sort of beat.Check out Blue October online at blueoctober.com
Busy Life
Since my husband deployed last October, the "busy" in my life has grown exponentially - and not the normal playing "two roles" busy, but busy with volunteer activities, meetups, kids things, and I've been faithfully working on my fitness. All in all apart from the expected mishaps that only seem to happen when one's husband deploys [key word for sewage spewing from your pipes] and the part where my husband is deployed things have been pretty great here. I'm still in love with Italy but as I've lived here nearly a year I am beginning to miss some of the conveniences that we have in the U.S. that just aren't part of the culture here.This last week I've been fighting this sinus thing I've aptly named the "Aviano Funk" and so today I am at last taking a full day to rest which involved me not leaving my house for anything apart from dropping off and collecting my boys from their school bus stop. Watching old movies and working on giving my blog a makeover I've wanted to do for some time.I am absolutely pleased with the results. I initially was veering toward using fonts that mimicked a typewriter but found it to be too distracting and since the overall look I'm going for is plain and simple I settled on what you see before you. It's probably the happiest I've ever been with a theme for my blog in years.Yay!It's hard to believe our first winter here is nearly over. We've had a lot of rain which I wasn't expecting and to my surprise absolutely adore. If I remember correctly in the last month we've only had a few days where we saw the sun. It's beginning to get annoying but I just think about how glorious and green our Spring will be.
Zombie Regret - The What Ifs & Should Haves
I came across this quote on tumblr or pinterest the other day and thought it was cool so I saved it, expecting to add it to my "cool quotes" file or something... Fast forward to today and I'm scanning through my downloads looking for something completely different when I happened upon this quote. I sat and stared at it a few moments and just knew I had to "make" something with it; because upon seeing it again it was clear, the universe was speaking to me. I printed this bad boy out and added it to this little frame.While I put this all together I thought about a conversation I had not ten minutes prior to my re-discovery of this quote . It happened with an old acquaintance on Facebook and she'd mentioned something she had always wanted to do. I remember her telling me about it and said as much, but though I encouraged her to "give it a go", even in baby steps, she kept making excuses. I felt rather disheartened because I know she could do this thing she wants to do and, I imagine, be wonderful at it.
I really hope she does, do what she always wanted to do. I really, really, really do. Otherwise I fear the zombies known as "what if" and should have" may eat her brains.
I hung my little creation on my inspiration board to remind me that regret is far worse than a zombie apocalypse.
The WHAT-IF's & the SHOULD HAVE's will eat your brain" ~ John O'Callaghan
2013 A Review in Pictures Flipagram
In 2013 I welcomed my husband home after 751 days. Eight months later I kissed him goodbye for what should be 190 days. I kissed him... A lot. Said good bye to family and friends in Miami, fulfilled a life long dream of living in Europe. In Italy I've made some good friends who feel like family, climbed a mountain (sort of), read a ton of books. Wrote some stuff, including a letter to Juliette (and felt her up). I became a soccer mom, sent my baby to Kindergarten, drank a bunch of wine, and even more coffee and tea, and ate way too much gelato. My Gram gives the best hugs and slobbery kisses and I miss them. Oh and I still heart Mr. Darcy!I made this using the Flipagram app and the song is "Sway" by Blue October