Late November in Kentucky

Originally uploaded by The Rambling Rountrees

Well today is the last day of November and I’m still at home in Kentucky. Christina and Liam left to head back to Louisville on Wednesday afternoon, so I have been home alone with the cat, while Don is at work. I have spent quality time this week cooking, reading and shopping for the Holidays.

I have a rental car for the week, while Don’s car is in the autobody shop being repaired as a result of hitting  a deer on the way to work last week. The deer sustained mimimal damage while the CR-V sustained $6000 in damage…..sorry honey!

So today I drove to Lexington alone to do some more shopping and have lunch. I spent most of the morning in Joseph Beth Booksellers, one of my  favorite stores, then I perused Wild Oats and purchased some items for the kitchen, and some French Fleur de Sel Caramel’s….yummy!

It is difficult to imagine that Christmas is right around the corner, because the weather here has been great this week, in the 40′s-50′s instead of the 20′s in Maine. I believe we had a snowstorm yesterday that left us with a couple inches of snow. The holidays will be here soon and I wish that I was creative enough to handmake gifts for everyone on my list, but instead I’m at the retail shops like everyone else. One observation today at the Mall, was that almost every woman I saw shopping was carrying around a Coach purse……and looking to purchase other ones…..I saw one today that sells for $800, I guess I will stick to my Vera Bradley bag……hehehe!   Well off to the kitchen…Ciao!

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Home sweet home, Kentucky

Well here I am in Kentucky……my other home! Playing domestic goddess for the week. Lots of home cooking and other casa chores. Saturday I was picked up at the airport by my sister-in-law, while the men enjoyed a great football game between UK and Tennessee. So we embarked on some holiday shopping in Lexington then met up with them later that evening.

Sunday we went on a roadtrip to Knoxville to do some holiday shopping at Turkey Creek… We returned home late Sunday evening, then yesterday Christina and I enjoyed a low-keyed day at home with Liam. Liam is a 16 month old firecracker! He is a power house, never stopping other than to sleep. So he is wearing me ragged!! But fun at that.

So here I am at home in Kentucky for the week. I do feel a bit uneasy about leaving my mom after her accident, but she is in good hands. So I’m OK with that. Hopefully I’ll be able to finish my new book this week. “Eat, Pray and Love”. Well gotta run for now! Ciao…

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Il buon, il male ed il ugly!

Well another Monday is upon us! I wonder what this week wil have in store for us. Italy Adventure 2007 in only 61 days aways! The excitement and anticipation is now building…..gee I wonder why?

Life has a funny way of working out…sometimes when we least except it to. Ten years ago I met my husband to be…mi dolci! Nine years ago we became husband and wife as well as solemates and travel buddies together. Little did I know what was in store for me. I inherited three stepchildren Laura, Christina and Aaron….and am now a grandmother to two grandsons, Liam and Elijah….our world as we knew it changed quickly. Even though we still live and work apart for the time being, our lives are enriched by what we have. We have spent an incredible nine married years together, travelled together, talked more than any other married couples usually do….and my husband is my best friend!

The holidays are definitely difficult for us when we are not together, like yesterday. My heart longed for my honey, but we remained apart. I won’t see him til June, but I’d love to surprise him with a unexpected visit in May. Perhaps if the price is right I can surprise him. If not we will see each other in June at the Boston Airport! Sometimes I feel like we live to see each other again…and the time that passes in-between is just wasted time. I can’t help to feel that way occasionally. In June we will meet in Boston, go into the city for a few hours and return to the airport to board an evening flight to Italy. Before we know it we will be there and the trip will be over. I wish I could stall the time before it flies by! But I can’t…..so instead I wait for time to pass until we can be together again. Strange huh?

Anyway our window to the world is different than most…… we see the time we have together as a gift to live life to the fullest…someday things will be different and we will not have to look forward to the future….the future will be now instead of tomorrow! What does your view of the world look like through your window?

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A perfect day in Kentucky!

Well I have had a great week visiting with my hubby, stepdaughter Christina and my grandson Liam.  Today was nonetheless. We started out getting up and ready to head out on the town. We shopped all over town, had lunch and came home exhausted.  Liam is a real trooper. He loves to shop and like to listen to music and watch colors!  What a handsom little man he is growing into!  Of course I love to spoil him as well!…cant’t you tell.

Well, I hate to leave my other home in Kentucky….but we still have the weekend! Tomorrow we will head over to Louisville til Monday morning when I fly home at 6:30am.  Then back to reality….work and life.  Time does fly when I’m at home instead of work. But I can’t complain it has been a great week.

Tonight we are making homemade pizza for dinner…..lots of toppings on homemade crust. Yumm oh!  We have cooked home every night this week except for one. Grilled ribs, buffalo wings, pizza dip on bruschetta.  It has been great having Christina home with me this week. She indeed is a great daughter and a great little mom she has turned to be.  When I return home I’ll be anxious to see my new greatniece and Nichole.  I love having my babies in my life.  Even though I don’t have any bio-babies I have many other kids in my life….that I am grateful for.

Don and I went to dinner the other night at the Harbor View with Steve and Marcia our tavel buddies.  We indeed had a great meal and good planning conversations about our trip.  They are extremely excited to experience Italy for the first time with us as their private tour guides.  I anticipate that this trip will be a huge success…..for them as well as us! Ciao for now! 

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The Time Change

Has anyone besides me had a difficult week dealing with the time change? It seems as though, for what ever reason, I have had a very difficult time dealing with my missing hour of sleep. Iwake up feeling sluggish and go to bed even more tired….what’s up with that? I think I need some sun therapy! Some 70 degree temps and sunny days should brighten things up a bit…….hmmmmmmmmmm I wonder what the weather will be in Kentucky this weekend?

So here’s the scoop, I’ll get to spend the next week with my family. I will get lots of hug time with my grandson Liam. I’ll get to actually be able to be domestic partner for a week. I’ll get to cook for my beloved husband for a week. We don’t have any major plans for the week, except getting to together with our new travel friends and go over the itinerary I have planned for Italy 2007! I hope Steve and Marcia know what the are getting themselves into! hehehehe I am a task master by nature, when it comes to travel. I have out interary planned for the time we are in Italy. Florence, San Gimi, Venice, Bolzano, Lerici, Rimini, the Dolomites…sounds good so far! The only problem is….we won’t be able to rent our Smart Car this year….we have had to opt for something a bit larger…I think it is a Fiat…… zoom, zoom, zoom!

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The New Year Begins…..

Well it is back to work today following an extended period of time off. I misse4d a month of work and then was on vacation for a week. My hubby has gone home. Back to Weight Watchers on Monday…yikkkkes! Well I did loose 10 pounds while I was sick. Anyway you get the point…life goes on!

I hate the month of January….it stinks. Usually here it is the coldest month of the year. Bizarre month so far….not much snow and not very cold. Only 28 mores days til February…let the count down begin. Only five more months til June….yee ha!

I guess I’ll have to start looking at dates to go home to Kentucky for 10 days or so. Then look forward to our vacation in JUne. See ya later!

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BaCk In MaInE oNcE aGaIn

Here I am sitting at my desk, back to work as usual once again. I had a decent trip back yesterday. I arrive a few minutes late due to airport traffic leaving CVG airport. Don dropped me off at the terminal and said goodbye once again…..these words are always so hard to say….it seem’s like most of our time is spent saying hello and goodbye. that really sucks!

Anyway I had a great time except for Saturday nigth when I became violently ill during the night…not sure what is was but I hadn’t been feeling well all day Saturday, so I was not surprised when I got so sick. At least by the time my flight left I was feeling better. Much better today….except for work. My staff scheduled appoints for me every 15 minutes or so….so I’ve been extremely busy all day….vacation seems so far away already.

I had such a good visit with Don, Christian and Liam. We attended Christina’s Misery is Optional musical on Friday night in Louisville….boy do I have a talented daughter! Christina stood on stage and made me proud to be her “step” mother! SHe has indeed turned into a lovely woman and mother….her baby Liam is so sweet!

So anyway here I am…life must go on…and I’ll soon be back into the swing of my job to keep me occupied. It is Thanksgiving this week…another holiday without my honey….then there is “black friday”…shopping fest on Friday….can’t wait to find the bargins. Ciao for now!

Spaz in the living room…he’s camera shy!

Liam in his new PJ’s I bought for him!

I love to kiss his little face!!!!!

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Blogging from Kentucky part III

Well the week is just about over……the heart break begins. Leaving my husband in two days to go back to my other life.

MY heart breaks everytime I have to leave, I know we won’t live this way forever, but it gets more difficult. We have been living apart for almost 10 years! It has been a great week though…no complaints. We had a great visit with Christina and Liam, went to a movie, football game, shopping, another football game tomorros, shopping, and more shopping! I can shop anywhere…that is a strength of mine. If there is money to spend it on shopping, i’ll make the most of it. Liam got several new outfits, and I also diid some Christmas shopping! My favorite shopping day is the day after Thanksgiving….crazy huh? Every year I alwasy say that this will be the last year, but my mom looks forward to it…so we are set for next Friday morning…really early….up at 3:30am!

We leave later today for Louisville. Christina’s show is this evening and then the UK game is tomorrow at 1pm. Then we will be joining our new friends for dinner in Louisville! I leave on Sunday afternoon and home by 8pm. Back to work on Monday and then a short work week….at least that will ease the pain of leaving my “sweets/hubby” for another few weeks. Ciao for now! Here is my Liam at 3.5 months…he loves his Nonna Deedee.

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Blogging from Kentucky …part II

Here I am getting ready to say goodbye to Christina and Liam as they head back to Louisville today. It has been great having them here. Las tnight Nonna and Nonno got to baby sit Liam for the first time, while Christina went to a meeting. He is so cute and cuddly. I fed him like a champ and he was out like a light! He has been so good sleeping in a different home. The cat has had issues with him…he sorta hissess, and watches Liam very carefully. Liam is actually watching Molto Mario with me.

Yesterday Christina and I went out to lunch at Cracker Barrel and then went shopping at Goody’s and Super Wally World. WE have had a great time this week enjoying each other’s compnay and Liam. He’s growing like a weed. I’m sure he will grow so much beforeI will see him again…

Well when I arrived home Don had ordered two of the books on my wish list for me. “Vanilla Beans & Brodo and Bel Vino” by Isabella Dusi. I have been waiting to read these forever!!!! I’ll start as soon as I finish “The City of Falling Angels”. I love living the casa-lingua life while I’m here. Sleep in, do some housework, shop, cook dinner, watch movies.

I’m not sure what to cook for tonight’s dinner…..perhaps I’ll have to do some research online to find a new recipe. Or maybe my honey will take me out to dinner!!!

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Blogging from Kentucky

Good Day from Kentucky. Well being a house wife in Kentucky is a grea thing, Christina is home with me today, as well as Liam. They arrived last night around 7pm and Liam is getting SO big. He is so cuddly and loves to be held. So it was a busy night in the Rountree residence last night. hehehehe

This morning Christina and got up and played with Liam for a while, fed him, bathed him, and hit the road. We went out for lunch at Casa Grande and then went shopping for a new outfit for Christina’s show on Friday night. THen went to get the fixing’s to make a homemade lasagna for dinner tonight! Yum oh!

Who know’s what is in store tomorrow! Christina will have to go home on Weds. morning, but I have a chance to see her again at the show on Friday night. Time always seems to fly when I’m home in Kentucky. I guess I need not to check my work email, while I’m away…I’m very bad like that. Work always follows me. Ciao for now…I have to go stir the sauce!

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