ahhh... Italy in February...

is wonderful... Ok, Italy any month of the year is also wonderful.

I left the Grafenwohr area last Thursday night.. the temperature was 20*F and when our group arrived in Italy, early Friday morning, it was sunny and almost 50*F.

I tried.. but, I still didn't sleep on the way there.. I have never been able to sleep on any plane, bus, train, or any other form of public transportation.

We arrived early on Friday, dropped our luggage off in the hotel lobby (too early to check-in) and caught the train to Venice.

I hadn't been to northern Italy.. in ten years. My visit was long past due. Our tour group (a tour sponsored by the base's Morale Welfare and Recreation Department) was full of military members, their spouses or family members, and other civilians working for the US Government on either of the two Army military bases in my area.

We left the dark and dreay German snowy winter and arrived to beautiful blue skies, sunshine, much warmer temperatures, and no snow on the ground. It was also nice not having to wear gloves while we were there. Of course, I totally forgot to bring my sunglasses along.

Here are a few photos of one of my favorite cities in the world: VENICE

(click on photos for a larger view)
By the way, I'm not sure if you knew it or not.. but, cars are NOT ALLOWED in Venice.. you have to walk everywhere!!!





I took so many photos that my battery died on the way home. Check back often to see additional photos.

Since, the snow isn't leaving anytime soon... I'm running away from the snow...

If everything goes ok.. I'll be in Italy by Friday.. for a few days. I'm leaving on Thursday night.. riding a bus all night long.. (oh boy.. that should be a lot of fun- Try as I might, I don't sleep on public transportation) and we'll be in northern Italy early Friday morning.

Soon.. I'll be in just a NORMAL WINTER location.. and maybe some sunshine?? I can only hope, right?

I'll be going to some of the places that I used to visit and also very close to where I lived for 3 years before I moved from there ten years ago.

WHY you ask?

1. Too much snow here
2. It's my birthday on Monday the 15th (isn't it nice that others get to be
off work on my birthday this year too.. just trying to share my own
birthday in a way that will be appreciated by the most people.. I figure that
getting the day off from work.. is a good start, right?)
3. TOO MUCH SNOW.. I need some blue skies..

Update: IT started snowing again this morning about 6am.. and it has snowed all day long... ALL DAY.. fine mist snow.. = slick roads

Yep, it's still winter...

Last week, the weather forecast was for a blizzard! And, I did get almost 7 more inches of snow in one night. You know it's not a good sign.. when you open the front door and the winter snowman on the front porch.. looks COLD!

*I did feel so sorry for him.. that I brought him inside to get the snow off of him and to thaw him out.. I realize that he's just a cute little stuffed fabric snowman.. but, he just looked pitiful.


Local winter trees... pretty as long as you don't think about all the snow that you have to shovel.


The view out my living room windows.. about 20 inches or more of snow is on the ground. Nice wintery looking sunset.. rarely happens though- mostly it is just gray and dismal here.. but, I thought that this was a nice view of the pretty side of winter.... of course, enjoyed from the warm comfort of the inside of my house.


A brighter winter sunset.. taken maybe in December?

It's FRIDAY NIGHT, you just finished eating dinner with friends, you walk outside and notice that ONCE AGAIN IT IS SNOWING!!!

So, what do you do? You stop at the local grocery store to pick up a few essentials, of course..

So, what are the essentials that you should buy at the GERMAN GROCERY STORE.. to help you cope with ANOTHER WEEKEND of snow??





Greek honey yogurt, gummy bears, and some new sock yarn...

I know, I know.. some people buy: chips, toilet paper, and sodas for upcoming snowstorms.

Now, if I just had someone to shovel all the snow.. I'd be set.

I'd only want someone to shovel the snow for me PURELY for the reason that if someone else shoveled the snow.. it would give me more time to knit for others.. You believe that, right??

No more snow!!! NO MORE SNOW!!

Enough.. is enough.. It has snowed constantly for 3 days/nights. I'm pretty sure that if I could walk in my back yard.. that it would be about 20 inches or maybe even more?

I just know that I have an upstairs window that opens onto the sharply slanted roof.. and I did take my 12 inch long plastic ruler and stick it in the snow.. let's just say.. that not only did the blue plastic ruler disappear but.. my fingers also disappeared and the ruler still hadn't touched the terra cotta roof!

Can you find the hidden stairs? There are 12 of them leading to the below ground level patio area... under all of that snow.
The snow isn't as heavy at the bottom of the photo- because that area is protected by a roof overhang.. however, the snow at the balcony railing? That is how deep it really is.. and you'll notice that the snow is almost to the bottom of the patio chairs.

It seems like I forgot that I had a blog, right?

In a way.. I did. Life has been busy.. and it seems like I had nothing to write about, nothing exciting to share, and no photos to share.. (darn slow Internet here)... that made it difficult to share the photos that I did take.. however,

SOME GOOD NEWS.. I have been out and every weekend since Thanksgiving and now that I am winter break from teaching.. I do have a lot to share. So, look for upcoming updates in the near future.

Weather: SNOW on the ground

CLUES that IT might be time to stop the gift knitting...

I've been working off and on knitting some of my Christmas gifts. I only have one gift 100% completed... Here it is...

This was knitted out of a pretty royal blue mohair yarn.. for a nice elderly lady that I know in southern Oklahoma. I thought that it would keep her warm and be nice to not have to worry about the ends of her scarf coming undone while she was out doing errands or working in the yard.









Last night, I opened up one of my photo files on my computerand as I scanned the photos.... I noticed something very familiar... very, very familiar...

Yes, you are seeing that right.. it is the exact same scarf, in the exact same yarn, knitted in the exact same color.. and dare I admit it? Already knitted and gifted to the same person... YES, the same person.. that I had knitted and planned to gift this 2009 version to... sigh *At least, I noticed the duplication before I mailed the scarf to Oklahoma.


I do have just enough yarn left to knit some gloves or mittens. At least, I won't have to worry if the colors will match.. since, I know that the yarn is a perfect match to the scarf that she already has... :D


I mean.. it's bad enough to give the exact same purchased gift to someone...


.. but, honestly.. to KNIT THE EXACT SAME ITEM, OUT OF THE EXACT SAME YARN, IN THE EXACT SAME COLOR? and plan to give it to the exact same person???