Love is… Unknown.

Posted on February 11, 2015 by avsweb

Love is happy, love is sad

Love is strange, love is lame

Love is great, love is rare

Love is wonder, love is hate

Love is demand, love is canned

Love is incredible, love is trouble

Love is nice, love is bad

Love is caring, love is daring

Love is well, love is sick

Love is fresh, love is stale

Love is seeing, love is blind

Love is hot, love is cold

Love is smart, love is stupid

Love is sharing, love is selfish

Love is playing, love is bashful

love is grand, love is bland

Love is sexy, love is crazy

Love is glam, love is bland

Love is real, love is fake

Love is found, love is gone

Love is close, love is distant

Love is… Unknown…

25 Things I’ve Learned From Marrying An Italian

Posted on February 9, 2015 by avsweb

This post reminds me of my family. Hopefully, some of you share the same experiences.
This post is a reblog from a great writer: http://johannagallo.com/

Delightfully Chaotic

As 2014 comes to a close, I sit here smiling to myself as I think about all of the new things I’ve “learned” thanks to my year here in Italy. It’s a lovely country and so are the people, so bare in mind that these are just meant to be fun things I’ve experienced personally with my husband (who’s from southern Italy), his family and friends here, or stories I’ve heard from other expat friends. There are certainly some generalizations, but it’s only meant to be taken lightheartedly and provide a bit of laughter and insight to my oh-so-fabulous life here in Italy! 🙂

1. Cold-drafts are the devil. No really, air-conditioning will kill you, or if you’re lucky, just leave you paralyzed. In no other part of the world is cold air as deadly as it is in Italy. The slightest mention of a headache will cause them…

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Liebster Award

Posted on February 2, 2015 by avsweb

Thank you to https://fimnorawestcaw.wordpress.com/ for nominating me for the “Liebster Award.” I was very surprised to be nominated. I have just started blogging on a regular basis, since December 30, 2014. Everyone should check out Femnora’s blog. The title to her blog is Quantum Hermit.

Her writing is beautiful, as she tells her stories through words and music. Fimnora has helped me out, trying to understand wordpress a little better. Thank you again, Fimnora for thinking of me. I accept this award with pride.

Here is a list of Femnora’s questions:

1. What song defines who you are, and would you share a YouTube link for it?

“Happy” by Pharrell Williams

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2E5RSJhDHI

2. Which of your owns posts is your favorite, and why?

“Can you smell the apple crisp?” This is my favorite post, because it reminds me of my Grandmother.

3. What is your most favorite quote from a movie? What is the movie?

“Some of us will never ever find true love. Take, for instance…me. And I’m pretty sure that guy right there. And that lady with the sideburns. And basically everybody at table nine.”

Adam Sandler from, “The Wedding Singer.”

4. If you could time travel, where would you go, and why?

I would travel to Antioch, Ca., date August 16, 2003. So, I could be with my son Mark, before he died. Hopefully, to change the situation, so he would be here today. He would of been 30 years old this June. He passed away at age 18.

5. What is one moment you can remember which changed your life?

Working on my first movie as a costume designer and going into Warner Bros Studio to pick out wardrobe.

6. Who would you want to play you in a movie about your life?

Drew Barrymore

7. What is your favorite genre of fiction?

Modern Fairy Tales

8. Who or what encouraged you to become a writer?

I was encouraged by my dreams. I have a movie theater inside my head. Sounds funny, huh… When I go to sleep I have vivid dreams, not just one dream, but double block buster features. I told myself, it’s time to write… Just write it out.

Also, my dear friend Josh Gilbert is a brilliant writer. He would send me emails, that would make my jaw drop. He has such a way with words, that I can only inspire to write like him. My mother has also been a big encouragement.

9. What book have you read more than once?

“Tithe” by Holly Black. It’s a modern fairy tale.

10. What other art form are you most interested in?

Film Editing.

11. What prompt for blogging would you like to offer to Blogging U?

What makes you happy?

**The Liebster Award rules for this round are**

1. Thank the person who nominated you by tagging their original post to yours.

2. Answer 11 questions.

3. Nominate other bloggers who deserve this award.

4. Ask them 11 questions.

5. Put these rules in your post.

6.Inform the bloggers you have nominated.

Here are my 11 nominations:

1) https://deletingstress.wordpress.com/

2) https://idahobluebird50.wordpress.com/

3) https://humboldtbayhome.wordpress.com/

4) http://thetjblog.com/

5) https://sounjawalters2.wordpress.com/about/

6) https://ninangillustration.wordpress.com/

7). http://margaretsmiller.com/

8) http://samsnortherngirl.wordpress.com/

9) https://zikaolofin.wordpress.com/

10) http://bethcasey1961.com/

11) https://gabriellajonaityte.wordpress.com/

Here are my 11 questions:

1) Who is your favorite painter or artist?

2) If you could live any where in the world, where would it be? And why?

3) How old where you, when you had your first crush?

4) Who is your favorite tv or movie star?

5) What was the first car you ever drove?

6) Why do you blog?

7) Do you want your blogging to take you to other writing avenues?

8) How many languages do you speak?

9) What is your favorite animal?

10) Do you believe in ghost, spirits or vampires? If so, why?

11) If someone gave you a box, what do you wish would be inside of it?

One more drop…

Posted on January 25, 2015 by avsweb

There was a man from Italy, who danced so elegantly.

One more drop of wine, he was sure his wife wouldn’t mind.

One drop led to another, until he finally knocked over the bread and butter.

Looking aghast, he promised he would not have another glass.

Tip toeing to his room, he knocked over the broom.

As the broom fell down, his wife looked at him with a frown.

She snapped get to bed, before you get a knock on the head…

The wind blows…

Posted on January 23, 2015 by avsweb

The wind blows with all its might…

Trees swaying and bending, oh so tight

The cry of birds screeching with sorrow

Not knowing if they will have a home tomorrow…

Land of Nowhere…

Posted on January 23, 2015 by avsweb

The water rushed with vigor down the hill. The animals had already left the valley. The Indians grabbed their children and horses. Not all of them succeed, in leaving their homes. The ones that did survive we’re heading off to a land of nowhere… They weren’t sure, where their next home would be. The memories of their loved ones taken away, where too much for some to bear. The children’s eyes filled with fright, as their mothers held them with all their might.

Can you smell the apple crisp?

Posted on January 22, 2015 by avsweb

My family loves to cook, bake and eat. In my family we have carnivores, vegetarian, vegans and raw foodies. Holidays are always so fun, the food planning that’s a different story. Oh… I almost forgot, there are also people in my family, with gluten sensitivity and lactose intolerant. Even though everyone has their own way of eating, we try to make everyone happy. When my family eats, they celebrate.

We have excellent cooks and bakers in our family. My father use to own Italian restaurants. We always try to outdo one another, trying to see whose food taste the best. My grandmother used to make Panettone. It’s a soft bread, with raisins. She would make large ones as big as a pizza pan. She was the best baker in the family. Through the years we still like to carry on tradition, of making favorite dishes, that are loved ones use to make.

A favorite dish of mine, was my grandmothers apple crisp. When I make apple crisp, like my grandmother did, it reminds me of her. The smell of the cinnamon and apples, baking in the oven, brings on a comforting feeling of being with my grandmother. Even though my grandmother is no longer here, the day I make apple crisp, it feels like she is right by my side.

Do you have fond memories, of cooking with your family?

Let’s make today, a Great day!

Posted on January 18, 2015 by avsweb

Good morning and good evening, depending on where you live. Let’s make today a great one! Not so easy, huh… Well, if you woke up today that’s great! I have some bad days, at times more bad, then good. When I open my eyes in the morning, that’s one great thing. If I am able to see the outside, go for a walk, see the birds and the trees, that’s another great thing.

So, if your day is not going the way you want it too… Look around there might be some other things that you can appreciate. So let’s make today a Great one. 🙂

Sleep… Zzzzzz.

Posted on January 14, 2015 by avsweb

That wonderful word: Sleep. Getting some Z’s, as some call it. You know, the moment you start yawning and your eyelids start drooping. You try to get in a comfortable position, but can’t seem to find it. So, you turn over and over and over and over. Well, that’s not going to work. So, you get up to get a drink of water and check the thermostat, wondering if it’s too hot or cold in the house.

You get back to bed and adjust your pillow and blanket, hoping that will help, in getting you to sleep. So, you finally get comfortable. “Hip, Hip, Hoorah!” Finally! After a few minutes, you start to feel like you have to go to the bathroom. You think, no way am I getting up, I will just sleep it off or get up later. About half hour later, your still awake. What a surprise. Here you go again, getting up out of bed.

You hurry back to bed, thinking I can do this… You pull your covers up, get your pillow nice and comfy and close your eyes. Piece of cake. All of a sudden you hear a sound. What the heck! Someone has turned the tv on. The volume is loud enough to shake the walls. You yell, can you please turn down the tv! As you try to go back to sleep, you can still hear the tv. You try your best to drown out all noises.

Two hours later, you’re looking at the clock… Your still awake! You toss and turn, then you turn over your pillow. You close your eyes, while thinking of what mom use to say, about counting sheep. Hey, what have you got to lose…

Here goes… 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9…… Zzzzzzzzzz

For more information on sleeping, click on link:

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep

Leave the pen. Take the cannoli.

Posted on January 14, 2015 by avsweb

I was born in San Francisco, California. These days when I travel to the city, I take the Amtrak train. Below are beautiful sketches, from a fellow blogger. I thought I would share this with you…

petescully

Late last month, on the weekend before Christmas, I took a day in San Francisco, just to get out of Davis for a little while and sketch things on ground that slopes a bit. I didn’t have much of a plan beyond “go to the Ferry Building, have a cannoli, draw loads”. So I did. Here’s my sketch from the early morning Amtrak train, above. It’s not cheap, traveling the Amtrak, but it’s a lovely journey and you get free wifi.

So I got to the San Francisco Ferry Building, where they have the Saturday Farmer’s Market. I like getting here on a Saturday, and finding the little stall inside that sells Italian cannoli filled with chocolate, and sugary messy lemon-filled ‘bombolini’, little doughnuts. After cleaning my face I went outside to draw a panorama, which took about an hour and a quarter. Those sugary treats made me work…

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