Friday, August 15, 2014

.:trekking adventure:.

Today here is a holiday: ferragosto... Actually, nobody has any idea why it is a holiday... All they know is that you can get to wave the summer goodbye by eating together with your friends and enjoying some time "al fresco"...

That is what we set out to do this morning, when we found the most uninviting weather... A summer storm, in the middle of the mountains... Yeah, thumbs up mother nature! Fortunately, one of the friends in the group had a house nearby, the only drawback was that only jeep and suvs could make it through the road... Uhum, minor drawback, considering we could go fishing in the plain where we should have lunch together... Problem is: it was pouring! A fifteen minute walk through pebbles and mud with a backpack and a two-year old is not very advisable... Oh, did I tell you we were in the mountain? Like 800m up and above... Not like Recoaro, still you wouldn't want to try rumbling down the slope... ;)

So, off she went by car... Once we were done eating there was sun... I mean a hot-heart-warming-burn-your-face-kind of sun... ^^ so we went from 12° in the morning to 32° in the afternoon... Anyone feeling like it cannot possibly be the same day as one hour ago? We did... She was ecstactic playing with two parrots and a chow-chow, running around with other kids and attempting to climb up the fence to see the mountain slope (sure, minor heart attack for me here)...

We had a great time, no photos because nobody wants her daughter to go wandering around in the wild jumping off cliffs to get a closer look at the waterfall or the "cute little stream of water, mummy!!!"

On our way back I am glad to report that she made it down back to our car all by herself (running and jumping against my better judgement, still kind of difficult to keep pace with a backpack holding you back...) and me? So happy to know we go go treeking without me having to carry her all the way, sure, better try up the hill before going long distances though... Just to be sure... ^^

Monday, August 11, 2014

.:you can take a girl out of the big city:.

... but you can't take the big city out of the girl...

*discalimer: the photos are in the end of the post, if you want to skip the reading it has nothing to do with them... 

don't get me wrong, I love living in a small town, it has its perks... everything is close at hand, every body knows each other, which means the chances of your kids getting lost is almost zero... you get to enjoy the authentic flavour of the earth (not the earth itself, but things growing in it, but you sure got that)

but then again, that is the life they know... because people who live in a province will most often than not be - how should I put it? - provincial... daaaa... groundbreaking, yeah? they will get involved in their neighbours' life like it were their own, and they won't even notice when they are doing it...

need examples?
exp. 1 - in the bus (yes, THE bus because there is only one line that comes into the neighbourhood where I live, and it makes its appearance every 55 minutes)

Random neighbour (meaning the old lady lives in the neighbourhood, NOT near my house, mind you) - Hey, Vanessa! What are you doing going around? Don't you have to prepare lunch?

Me (shocked) - yeah, but you see, I'm around. So if you feel like inviting me over for lunch that would be great!

RN - oh, well, I see. Nice seeing you.

Me (sweet smile) - yeah, always a pleasure.

exp. 2 - retelling of the previous event at the in-laws.

MIL - But you could have told her what you were doing.

Me - uhum. I COULD have, but didn't feel like doing it. It is my life so I guess I can decide whom I want to share it with, don't you think so?

MIL not so happy about it, but hey, she must have remembered I gave her a cute granddaughter, so she decided not to push it...

exp. 3 - while preparing to go on holidays I notice we are running out of condoms, not a good thing, so I head to the drugstore (yes, THE drugstore because, guess what?, there is ONE in  the neighbourhood and as it is run by a family they close for the holidays... charming, isn't it?)
I grab what I need and wait in line...

the pharmacist - Oh, I see you are not trying for the second one. Why not?

what I felt like saying: "not really. This is for my wallet, just in case, because I didn't want to get pregnant and birth a child with brown eyes having in mind both my husband and I have blue eyes, how weird would that be, huh? actually, if I had to grade it, it would be almost as weird as this conversation."

what I really said: that's just how it is, but I'm sure that if I get pregnant you will be kind enough to tell me, you seem to be ahead of the news around here... *twink, twink, smile, smile*

sometimes my mouth just gets loose and goes off by itself, it usually unleashes hell, sorry about it, but why can't people just take care of their lives and be happy about it?!?

I'm even more sorry about my daughter being a teenager in this godforsaken small town... life should be hard for them... When the time comes, I need to remember to get her the condoms so that she won't get assaulted by the nosy provincial people...

.:now, for the photos, 3 months of summer:.

cousins playing

First day of school
a sunny day (or the garden before I killed it) 
every indian needs a sidekick for reading marathons
dancing with camilla
Let's ride!
Going to school
my tomboy

watching the cat (or giving her mother a heart attack)
biking to school

new found love for the swings
what do you need to do the shopping? oh, right, your tiara!