I finally found my way back (was it the fog or was life just getting too busy? or something else? OR many things as the reason for my absence?)

Sorry, for my absence.   For awhile... I couldn't use my computer.   Wacky stuff was going on... beyond my 'computer fixing' skills.   My computer was frozen when I finally got it to working.  It was frustrating.  I just left it turned off.   I was finally able to get some help from my 'wonderful' landlord's son.   Who just happens to work with computers for his job.   Then, the school world got busy... 'report card' time... meetings, life, and getting so tired that you wake up tired... makes one not have time to do a blog.   Lately, I've been waking up at 4:00am- 4:30am... I try for 4:00am- but, I just hit the snooze button too many times at 4:00am.  I am trying to go to work early to do things that need to be done there.   At home, I try to clear out many of my possessions now that my knee is better and I can manage to do so.   I have also had to drive to the nearest other military base (where I used to live 1997-2000) on Saturdays.  I've driven there 2 or 3 times so far.  I have to go back one more time.   It is an hour and half away.   One way.   Why did I have to go back so many times?   I'm going to the wrought iron man who made my table base and 4 wrought iron chairs many years ago when I lived there.   The first time, I had brought some images that I had printed off of the Internet to show him what I wanted (he speaks NO English).   I want something to put my cookbooks on-- and maybe some of the heavy Polish Pottery baking dishes on the bottom shelves?   The first time, we got things taken care of... 'to a degree'... but, I had to go back the following Saturday... to take the final width measurement and one of my tiles with me so that he could make the tile rack in the back to fit 'what I should have in storage' my hand painted tiles of Gaeta, Italy.  That is where I lived when I lived down south at the beginning of the Amalfi Coast.  I had this place paint our little area's coast line view (we looked like a dragon laying down in the water)... I paid for it- but, I didn't discover this little shop until a week before I moved and the guy needed 2 weeks to complete the project.   Someone was supposed to mail it to me-- but, I'm not sure that that 'ever' happened.   Many of my things are still in storage in the states.   BUT, just in case.. I wanted to have the 'tile rack' added to the back of the wrought iron bookcase.   I guess that if I don't have this scenic hand painted scene... that 'oh my' ... I might have to travel to the southern coast of Italy to get another one made?   Here's what my current 'baker's rack' with the hand-painted tiles of:  Positano    looks like on my baker's rack.   I had this baker's rack made for me when I lived in Gaeta.   A guy near Naples made this baker's rack for me.   My new one will be more like a book case (but, I wanted the tile rack added and no marble- it's more expensive and makes it heavier) but 'in' the same style as the baker's rack.  I finally decided on 4 shelves instead of 5.   So, it won't be as tall... but, it will be OK.  I had to be able to haul it home w/ my Jeep.   Ignore the mess... It was photo time 'no' time to clean things up beforehand.  TO the right are my recycle trash cans- so, be glad that they aren't showing in the photo!   That's Italian green marble for the shelves.  I love the color of it.   I don't mind the marble on shelves-- but, marble stains easily and I wouldn't want it on the counters... Pretending I could afford marble counters, that is. This was the view from the train station from the top of the hill the first time that I saw this town along the coast.  It was beautiful.   They also are famous for hand-painted ceramics.   Some of the things in the photo are from there... and/or from other regions of Italy. I loop my aprons along one of the hoops on the side.  It works out perfect.