I’m having trouble sleeping tonight. Probably because I took a nap today, we made love, we made a nice dinner, we talked about Italy a lot and I’m just not tired enough. I came out here to write, but not much to write about. No great shakes on my mind. Just not real tired, though I had a bloody Mary earlier tonight. I think maybe we should go sit in the hot tub. I’ll go wake Dan and ask him.

It’s about 1:15 in the morning. Dan was awake so I didn’t have to wake him. We put on our bathing suits and got a towel and went over to the pool and hot tub, about 500 ft away. There was no one else there. The hot tub was hot. The max temperature for a hot tub here can be 104° and I’m sure it was every bit of that. Dan turned it on and we sat in there until our fingers shriveled. Stars twinkled above and palm fronds swayed with the little breeze that was blowing. The night was probably around 80°.

When we got too hot we went into the pool. We swam some then just sat and talked some. The pool was cooler, and very refreshing. We stayed about another half hour, and came back around 2:30. Now we’re eating eggplant rolatini from the Italian Market, and going back to bed. Hopefully my Ambien will kick in and I’ll sleep.

Just some early morning ruminations before I go back to bed. Love and light.

I’m going to learn Italian! I downloaded a Learn Italian app which I found online. It said that the app has been used by more than 50 million people. Thinking that’s a pretty good reference! Anyway, now I have about a year to learn Italian before I go!

Yes….I’m planning a trip to Italy next spring. I’ve been dying to go there for years. I don’t have any specifics yet, but Dan is kind of excited about the idea. Ever since I saw Eat Pray Love I’ve wanted to go there, where pleasure is a way of life, to enjoy the “sweetness of doing nothing” in the words of Liz Gilbert’s friend, Luca Spaghetti. And then, “Under the Tuscan Sun”…..also made me want to go even more.

I am kind of thinking of Rome, Florence and Venice. Maybe 2 weeks. Maybe on a rail pass, and sign up for a tour for the really big places, especially in Rome. With a rail pass we could get off wherever we wanted to. I’ve always been planning on going to Italy when I retired, and how much more fun would it be to go with someone I loved?

I’ve talked to my sis and she and her hubby might join us for part of the trip. I’m pretty excited now that the idea is starting to take actual form, and isn’t just a dream I had. Just thinking of riding the train through Tuscany…How cool would that be? Idk. It may end up totally different than I think, but however it ends up, it will be a dream fulfilled.

Wow, how life changes. Love and light, to everyone.

What was it that so easily

Let my heart and yours

Melt together?

Dancing to the same silent rhythm,

Hearing the same silent music

We were new

But we were old.

A connection fired

And lit the universe between us

Erasing the space that held us apart.

Waiting ended in that flash

Time and space dwindled

To become the imperceptible

Breath on the silver wind.

The answer to the question

Known only to the star showers

That twinkled on our skin

As life forever changed.

By Deborah E. Dayen

Picture from The Witness Within via Google Images

Yesterday, Dan and I had lunch with my sister and brother-in-law, and my nephew and his wife. They stopped here on the way to the airport, and we ate at our favorite restaurant. My sis and I had our favorite sandwich, which was just declared by the Tampa newspaper as one of the 10 best sandwiches in this area, the fried green tomato BLT.

I can tell you, it’s very deserving of an award. I have a thing for fried green tomatoes. They are, I guess, a southern thing because I never saw them on a menu up north. But they are always served with a siracha mayo and they are sooooo frigging good. If I don’t feel like getting the sandwich at this restaurant, I will order a side of them. They also make an omlette using them.

After the lunch they all left. I was so happy not to be alone when they left, because I would have been crying like a baby. My nephew and his wife went home, but my sis and her hubby left today for their other home in VA, and won’t be back until October. They are trying to sell that house, and I hope they do soon because it will mean they will be here a lot more. I will so miss them. It’s been so much fun to hang out with her, just to live close to my family for the first time in my life. And it’s very cool the way they have embraced Dan into the family.

I am, however, their walk-through person for the insurance for the house, which means I need to go over there once every couple weeks and walk through, flush the toilets, make sure all is well with the house. They were thanking me profusely and I said, “Are you kidding? I get to come over here, use the house, the pool, go to the beach, if I’ll just flush the toilets and check on the place?” They even have a car they want me to start up when I’m there. It’s an offer I can hardly refuse, lol.  They actually were giving Dan instructions, knowing he’d be with me. That’s kinda cool.

Also a little strange, because we have only been together for a couple months. But it’s so easy, and we get along so well, and we are both committed in a very casual way to each other, that it just seems kind of normal. We talk about it occasionally, just to make sure we’re on the same page with it. We are. And because we are, we are starting to reach out a little farther into the future than just the next open mic night, lol. Nothing set yet, but ideas are floating around, about traveling. I think we’d have fun together. I’m not speaking for him, but I’m pretty sure he agrees.

Life is always changing, finally for the better. Love and light, all.

This morning I got a notice that there will be a new 21 Day Meditation with Oprah and Deepak Chopra starting on July 17. It’s called “Desire and Destiny”. I have done all of their 21 day meditations, I think. They are free and you can register for them at this link: https://chopracentermeditation.com/experience.

You will receive a link to a new meditation every day for 21 days. They take you on a journey, a progression. I have never not gotten something out of it. The meditation is about 20 minutes of your day. They offer a journal feature on the site too, if you want to journal some private thoughts. They open with Oprah talking for a few minutes, and then Deepak guides you into a meditation. I find his voice very soothing for meditation.

Just thought I’d spread the word.

My sis and brother-in-law with my nephew and his wife will be here around noon to go to lunch, on the way to take my nephew and wife to the airport to go home. I am looking forward to hearing how the rest of their visit was over on the island. We’re going to one of our favorite places, Stella’s, in Gulfort down by the beach.

On a totally unrelated topic, I was thinking about how some people work so hard at getting others to feel sorry for them. Then they use that sympathy, to build their own egos, to play upon it as an excuse for bad behavior. For thoughtless words and deeds. They say “I’m sorry” but never clarify that. Sorry for what? Sorry you offended me? Or sorry for the actual deed? What good is sorry, when it doesnt specify? And what good is Sorry, when you just repeat it every time you are thoughtless and self-centered?

I remember when my ex accused my son of something horrendous, and kept us up all night, and caused me to finally file for divorce. I told him he owed us an apology. He said, “OK, I’m sorry I was tired last night.” (Read drunk and crazy.) I said, “Tired is not what you did wrong.”

I’m sorry should signify change. If you are truly sorry, then you acknowledge the wrong you’ve done to people, and change it. I know people who use their horrendous childhood as an excuse to keep behaving badly. “I’m sorry and you should forgive me I was abused as a child.” Well, as an adult, a grown-up, it’s a person’s responsibility to deal with whatever hand they were given, and learn to at least be decent to others.

I saw this happen recently, where what happened to someone 60 years ago was used as an excuse to cover up a thoughtless, inappropriate comment. It is one of my pet peeves, I suppose because I have heard it so many times from both men I was involved with before I found the wonderful man I’m with now. One of the many differences between this awesome man, Dan, and these guys? Dan does not want and would never make me pay for the things he’s lived through.

So just some random thoughts today. I hope some of my readers try the 21 day meditation.

Love and light.

I have a new follower, Prohibition 2020, who has written a very insightful blog about addiction. It’s not the typical thoughts you see about helping the addicted, nor on the causes. It is very interesting, and thoughtful, so I’m reblogging it. Love and light.

This morning, I’m grateful. Just grateful for the wonder of life at my door. Thinking I need to make a gratitude list.

The sun shines.

The rain comes.

The flowers bloom.

My family will be here soon.

My love will touch me.

My friends are nearby, and some far away.

My friends are a blessing.

I have food in my refrigerator and my pantry.

I have coffee in my cup.

I have an adorable bright yellow bungalow that I love.

I have a good car.

I am safe.

I am happy.

I am healthy.

I know there’s more. These are just running through my head this morning. Be grateful for all your blessings. There’s always something, even if it’s just your breath. I am grateful for that too.

Love and light.