2011 3/4 of the way done!

It's been a while since I've posted.
I returned from my Italian Adventure in October and spent last winter catching up with friends and family. Having spent two years so focused on school had left little time for the other important areas of my life.
Loved coming home to having Heather's family living here. Even if we were a bit crowded in the house for a couple of months, it was really great having the kids here.

I spent my vacation this year in Hawaii on Kaui. I'd never been to that island and loved the peaceful serenity of it. Both of my sisters couldn't make it as we had planned, so I ventured into the unknown on my own (I should get some kind of cool adventure nickname- Indiana Grandma~~ no, not that, but something cool). I loved the people the water and even the roosters roaming freely about the island.

I was also accepted to Pepperdine University in California. I will be receiving my Master's in Organizational Development from one of the schools that pioneered the field. Classes have started and I am really looking forward to the learning. There are three international practicums where we will be able to apply what we are learning. Costa Rica, China and France; can't wait to explore some more of this glorious world and the people in it.
Well, those are the highlights. I'll get back in the swing of posting again. Cheers and have an amazing day!

Victoria's Villa

The name that my co-workers have renamed Villa Basso to...Victoria's Villa.
I love coming home to this place of peace and quiet each night. It sits on a hillside overlooking olive groves and the Adriatic Sea. The town on the hill above is Mt. St. Angelo and is a beautiful little traditional Italian town. Families and friends stroll through the pedestrian streets, arm in arm and just visit and enjoy the evening before heading off to their evening meal. I love the atmosphere and sense of community and family that I experience,,,even as an outsider, I feel welcome and a part of it. I will miss this Villa and the small town that I have come to love.

Bman is now a married man!!

I can't believe he's married! Seems like just yesterday I was driving him to school and yelling at him to pick up his room.
It was a great family day. Heather and the kids were able to attend and Heather made sure that it was a great day for them by helping with many of the details.
Kelly and Brandon are made for each other and I believe will have a very happy marriage. I am so thankful that they have found each other.
I did not cry until we did the mother/son dance and he played "Wind beneath my wings." and told me I was his hero....I couldn't quite finish the dance.
I love you Bman!! Congratulations!

Mission Accomplished!

Well, I did it!! Graduated from College with my Bachelors!

Lots of evenings and weekends away from family, friends and my neglected yard in order for me to reach my goal, but I did it.

I could not have done it without the on-going support of several people.

Christi and Brenda who paved the way before me….the hours of conversation that Christi and I had about street smarts vs. book smarts and the differences and similarities.

My sister Kelly who supported me when I called to say I just couldn’t get together, or that I needed peace and quiet. She often called to check and see if I had done my homework.

I have to say I did not enjoy sitting at home most weekends, while family and friends enjoyed each other…but the work was so worth it in the end.

I don’t know how to thank Heather…my sounding board, my conscious and my constant encourager. I would call when I thought I had reached my limit and she would listen to me and then help support me in getting re-focused…thank you so much for being my cheerleader!

It was a tough journey, with 12-18 credits per term average...usually closer to 18...But it was worth every step of the way...

What's Next? - Probably an MBA with a focus on Organizational Development....maybe starting as soon as January...but at a little more reasonable pace. Feels so good have achieved another lifetime goal.

More to follow over the next few days on my life in Italy!

International Lunch...

It is just after 2 pm on a Saturday in Foggia, Italy. I have been doing a little homework, surfing the net, and resting most of the day. I just came back from the commerciale (grocery store). I was hungry for lunch and decided to make it with what I had.
A large Italian roll (I ate about 1/2 of it), sliced open and spread with our US Philly Cream Cheese, then a slice of freshly made chicken lunch meat. I had a side dish of fresh Gigante Green Olives dripping in olive oil and light spices. Washed it all down with a Corona. ... yep, the best of 3 countries, right there in front of me!

Eating in Italy is different from what I am used to. Breakfast is mainly fresh meats, cheeses and bread, with a various assortment of cakes and pastries. You can find fruit on a side table, but it's not one of the main selections. I asked every 2 or 3 days for some scrambled eggs and if I'm lucky they have cooked them thoroughly with no runny parts. Breakfast at the hotel is ok, but I am really glad I brought my instant organic oatmeal, and found some local fresh almonds to sprinkle on top.
I am also grateful for the coffee pot I purchased and have in my room. Enjoying the smell of fresh brewed Starbucks in my room in the morning is like a slice of home for me. (no, I can't buy Starbucks here, but a friend brought some back on his last trip to the US...YEAH for friends!)
The restaurants do not open until 7:30 or 8 pm for dinner. I kind of like that, except that I need to get up early in the morning. Nonetheless it is great to see families showing up to begin dinner about 9:30 or so when I am ready to leave for a good nights rest.
It's interesting too, that all dishes are served in succession. Antipasta (appetizers), then typcially a first and then second course (one is always some sort of pasta), then dessert. At the slow lunches it can be up to 5 or 6 courses. (Takes 3 hours as you can imagine)....The good thing for me is that it is an al carte approach and I don't have to order more than I want to eat. In the US we are used to the meat, starch and veggie all coming on the same plate...not necessarily the way it happens here. Sometimes there are meat and potatoes on the same plate, but I haven't seen pasta on the same plate with meat.
I am learning to pace myself or I would have gained a bit of weight by now. Fortunately my clothes are starting to get a little baggy...not much, but a little.....That is encouragement enough for me to continue to be aware of what I consume.
I love the fresh olives of every sort and am excited to bring some facoccia/pizza flour home for my friend Christi to try. I hear the flour makes all the difference. I will never be able to eat US pizza without wishing for an Ortalano Pizza from my favorite local restaurant.
Ciao' , time for homework...can't drop the ball after this long....

It's May already

I committed to updating my 2010 goals in January and haven't even posted anything since then. I'm in a unique place in my life. I have always had goals and achieved them as soon as I committed to them.
The latest of which is to live and work in a foreign country.
Italy was my first choice and that is what I have been afforded the opportunity to do, live and work in Italy for 6 months. I'm here in near Foggia, Italy until the end of September.

School update - I am just starting week 7 of my final 10 week term before graduation on June 19th. I cannot believe it is soooo close! Super excited to have a bit of a life and be able to explore Italy.

What's next? Not really sure....I've looked at graduate school, but it doesn't feel like the right time.
Go back into management (ok, besides this senior manager job I'm doing on a temp basis in Italy)...not sure it's the right time for that either.

For now I am going to focus on finishing up school, doing a great job while I'm here in Italy and let my next dream, vision and goals come to me as God deems it is time for me to hear them.

I'll begin to post some of my Italian observations, learnings and adventures as they happen; Look for Roma weekend, the ladies on the side of the country road, wines, driving Italian style, and dining experiences.
Ciao for now!

2009 comes to a slow and peaceful end

It's been a busy and rewarding year. As always about this time of year, I reflect on the past year and what's ahead of me, usually setting my new year's goals by my birthday on the 20th.
So, how did I do in 2009 against the goals I established?? Let's see........

* Practice BALANCE - Didn't really do all that well with this one, but tried really hard.
* Master Financial Abundance Principles - ok, about a 50% on this one, at least I'm no worse off !
* Keep Drinking my 'Wake Up Water" - Yep, most days!! yeah!
* Live every day to the fullest - YEAH! - Without a doubt !
* Move More, Get to the Gym - Didn't event get close here. (I think a total of 20 times)
* Get my children's book published - Did get some more info and worked on it a bit.
* Relax on a sunny warm beach for a week - Nope, but snuck in an extra day in Clearwater Beach, Florida. (happened have a great view! - the Ironman competition was in town that weekend--big sigh!)
XX Complete more than 1/2 of my Bachelor's Degree credits - Oh yeah! And beyond! only 24 credits to go (ok, now you know where my time was spent this year.)
So, out of all of these, I really focused on the degree and by not ensuring balance I over achieved in the school department and only 'kinda' reached some other ones.
When it comes to establishing my 2010 Goals I am going to keep that in mind and be a little more realistic with what I can achieve.
No, I will not be compromising on what I want ! However, as a grandmother and someone who will be turning 48 this year, I have realized how important it is to live a healthy & happy life. Health will be a core part of my focus for the year, physical, mental and spiritual.
Thanks to you my family and friends who have supported my crazy year of people living with me, business travel and mostly the time I've dedicated to school rather than time with you. I love you and am looking forward to taking a year off before grad school. Check back in a couple weeks as the magic Birthday week arrives and I finalize my 2010 goals.

Breathe, remember to breathe!!

As much as I love the learning I'm getting at school, I am struggling to keep up.
Work has kicked into high gear too...Mesa last week, this week I'm evaluating another group and how they are doing.
I feel a bit bad but am glad to be taking off from Friday thru Tues...(wink, wink)
Class at Mhurst Frid-Sund in Advanced Intercultural Communications....
I'm going to be able to stay at my good friend Chelle's house and study until the wee hours.

Then Sund - Tues hangin with Jackson and Abagayle at thier house.
Head home and go to work for a couple of days and then back to Oregon for another class...
Then a week off!!! Yeah!!
I fully intend to work on school work and rest as I near the end of this tough term on Dec 11th.
then back for more travel and work......
I'm planning a trip to a beach for my celebratory trip in June /July.....

Speaking of celebrations....my son-in-law is graduating on Dec 12th and I am so excited for him!! After 9 years of going to school, while working, he is going to be a Chiropractor. Heather and Brandon have made a lot of sacrifices to achieve their goal and I am so proud of both of them...
Keep Heather and Brandon in your thoughts as they start the interview process next week.
Time to crash....zzzzzz

Back at it....hmm what was my first Goal?

Balance - such an interesting word.
What does that look like for me? I've recently discovered that I juggle more than balance....While I tend to think that I am balancing the different areas of my life, the truth is that I am juggling several things at once and then take on more because "I can do it! No Problem!"
Really? Well I can and have done that for years, and years. The time has come to take a hard look at what I CAN take on and what I WANT to take on.
Somehow provide a better balance and free up the time and space to RELAX,,,,
I'm heading for a weekend class tomorrow after work and the title is "Health and Healing". I've been following Dr. Weil's '8 weeks to Optimum health' this last 3 weeks and am looking forward to what else I can do, or NOT do to support me in achieving my goals.
I have another Saturday class coming up on Life from the Inside Out...the books are; Cheryl Richardson's "Art of Extreme Self Care" and Rosenburg's "Nonviolent Communication".
The timing is right for me to really get the learning from these two courses and quit trying to
DO IT ALL........"I'm not Superwoman, ADJUST!" (smile)

Wow...and Transitions

Wow, I cannot believe that summer is gone already. This summer just flew by. I am amazed when I look a the calendar. Then just yesterday, driving to work there was a fog that covered half of the valley, it was confirmed -- fall has arrived. I am so grateful that I got the house painted today. Wahoo!!!!

We will be doing the trim work tomorrow.

And ignore the OOOLLLDDD deck to the right, going to be replaced in the spring to match the front deck above. But you get the idea...so much better than that light gray color (see blog post on transformations and dozers)

I started Fall term Thursday and I thought it would be a fairly light term due to the number of credits I am taking, but now I'm not so sure. With 8 text books to read and some weekends, and a large research project to do...I'm a bit concerned but know that I will pull it off.
I have got to remain balanced and only take one day and one project at a time or I will not be able to enjoy the journey....TTFN.

It's been a sad couple of weeks...

About 3 weeks ago my beloved grandmother, aka GG fell and broke her hip. I was in a weekend class in Oregon and my sister said she would be fine until I got back Sunday night and not to worry about her, just finish my class. While I couldn't stop worrying - I know GG would have said, "oh Vicky, just get your stuff done, and don't worry about me."...in her loving slightly impatient Germanish tone...so, I stayed.

By Monday it was determined that she would not be having surgery to correct the her broken leg, due to her strong objections and the high risk of losing her during surgery. So, on Monday, the hospital discharged her and we needed to move her to a full time care facility that day.....argh...and my sister and I drove all around checking out the best options and found a great spot for her Martha and Mary's in Poulsbo overlooking the water.

I slept next to her all night that night, in the recliner in her private room. She did not want to be left alone. She had been given just 2-4 weeks to live, based on her advanced lung disease.

I still had a little over a week of school left before semester break and needed to finish up a couple of papers, talk about a tough balance. It was really hard to focus.
My boss at work was very understanding and said, take as much time as you need "Family First". So I did.

I spent many hours with GG at Martha and Mary's reading the bible and even from a Danielle Steele novel. I gave her at least a couple of foot massages each time I went there. She fell asleep almost every time I did. We spent time talking about funny memories. She remembered when I hurt her thumb while I was in labor with Heather. And while Heather was crowning she went to look and said "Well, don't know if it's a boy or girl, but it's blonde!" Then when Heather came to visit her at Martha and Mary's, they both spent time joking and laughing. Her sense of humor never wained, and she was making jokes up until her last day with us, Sunday, September 6th,,,,just 13 days after we moved her there.
She was one of my best friends on the planet and I would often go to her for advise. I will miss her so much. I am thankful that she did not suffer. I am thankful that she went peacefully and that she is with our Father in Heaven.
We are holding two memorial services this weekend to honor her and celebrate her amazing life, and I'm going to take Monday to myself to get ready for my upcoming weeks and months---just as she would have expected me to do.

Break....much needed

So glad to be on break, after 6 months of writing PLA papers, I was able to finish my planned PLA essays. I received 27 credits and they have posted to my transcript for the summer term. So excited. Plus I took 12 credits, so it has 39 for this term....geez!!
I really needed the mental break from school and have scaled back to 13 credits this next term, so I can have a more balanced life until I graduate in June.
more later....

Numbers are NOT my thing.....

I was able to meet with my adviser on Friday to review my degree plan. While adding the number of credits left to go, I was still off by 4 credits each time I added it up, but he wasn't....so I am all set.
The good news is, after this summer term I will have 42 credits left to go! Wahoo! I had signed up for 19 this next term, but after his gentle nudging about stress levels, I decided to take it back to 16 credits. (I've been taking care of 18-21 each term already, so it will be a nice pace.)
I do have the opportunity to still test out of 2 of the classes,,,which I may do on my one month break from classes.
I cannot believe that I am only 3 terms away from graduating! Life is good!

I do plan to go on to my MBA right after this....my focus will be in Organizational Behavior. Guess I'll have to brush up on my numbers before I take the Stats class.
Ciao' for now.....

Dreams do come true....

I had just come away from a few days of camping on the Oregon Coast with my family. (Had a great time) I had a weekend class coming up and some homework to do and decided to take advantage of the University campus. One of my lifelong dreams has been to be a full time college student. I've pictured myself walking across campus in cutoffs and a backpack, on a sunny afternoon.

Well, on Thursday, August 6th, it hit me -- I am living my dream.
I hung out on campus all day, in my most comfortable worn jeans, picked a cozy spot at the library to hook up my laptop and did homework all day. At lunch, I sat in a great chair under a large shade tree just outside the library and ate the lunch I had packed that morning. I did a couple of walks around the main buildings, across the grass and realized that I was living what I had been dreaming about. (less the cutoffs!)

Someday perhaps I will live on a college campus for a short while, just for the experience of it...but for now I am happy and grateful that I am living one of my dreams.

hmmmmm...interesting perspectives

I attended a one day seminar on Servant Leadership, as a part of my degree plan. As I listened to my fellow classmates, I found it interesting to hear the capacity variance that they all discussed.
For example, one discussed how taking 6 credits, plus a PLA class (9) credits would have been too much so she had to drop PLA. Another talked about working full time and only being able to take 9 credits. The other extreme described was a student who works and took "an insane" amount of credits last term, 18......hmm...am I in that category? I started taking classes toward my BA last fall and have taken at least 18-21 credits each term. Perhaps I am, but I am enjoying the journey as well.
I did try to take some time this summer and only took 12 credits.
I guess I never realized how nuts this schedule is or how much of myself I am committing to reaching this important goal until I heard it from strangers today. But I still know that I'm on the right path and carrying the right load for now.

PS. >>>>Update on my goal - I did it! over half way to my degree!! Wahoo!
>>>>>>>> Update on other goal - Children's book - currently seeking an agent and am attending a Children's author bootcamp in October...

PSSS...one of my Profs is taking a group of students to Greece, Turkey etc...next spring and will be visiting the last known site of Mary and other biblical sites...I'm thinking I may need to go???

Time to crash...to awake to homework in the morning....I am loving being a college student,,,that in itself achieves one of my dreams.

Hangin' with my grandkids

Had a great weekend with Heather and the three kids. Jackson is becoming such a great young man. I can't believe he's 5 1/2 already...holy cow! Where did the time go? He is a great brother to his little sisters. They are lucky to have him. Just wait until they get to be teenagers...
Abagayle is still as cute as ever, and still loves the whole sit on my lap and do the cuddle thing...ahh,,,love the relaxing times with her.
Lorelei is going to be 1 in September, and she finally isn't shying away from me. She had so much fun getting into the drawer of plastic dishes, and playing with the flash cards.
We had an evening of Disney Scene it, Uncle Brandon and Jackson gave it a good attempt, but the girls beat them in the end.
Playing in the lake most of the day Saturday was just what we all needed. This home is a real blessing for me and being able to spend time with family in such a great space. Lorelei fell asleep in the shade of a big tree, while the rest of us played in the water. (Thanks Letitia for giving me a break from shading her when the sun moved around.)
Thanks for coming to visit Heather!

4th of July Party

We had a smaller party than normal this year, only about 30,
but it was great to see family and friends.
The kids are all getting so BIG , when did that happen?
I got a few vegetable plants in the ground on the 3rd. We'll see if they produce zucchini, watermelon and green beans. Oh yeah, and several herbs as well.
Great time was had by all and we are already done with clean up, which is going to make for a very nice day of rest and fun.

What I've learned lately

That god and family are most important to me.
That I am a great creative writer.
That I can accomplish goals I set.
That I am my mother's daughter in my generousity.
That I am smarter than I thought, and have much more to learn.
That I have great friends that support my dreams and pursuits.
Sometimes I just need to rest and take in the moment.

I am truly blessed.

On the move......

It's been a busy 3 days of moving...ready? Hold on.....

Moved my sister Kelly and her girls into there own home, stuff from my house and her old house. (Sister Susan is here from Montana for a couple of days to help get them settled.)
Moved my son into a bedroom downstairs.
Moved my home office into my room.
Moved Letitia into the 3rd bedroom.
Moved the family room around, back into a family room.

Then we had a great 4th Birthday party and family BBQ for my grand daughter on Saturday night in the middle of it all! Can you say FUN? Actually all moves went great ...
Whew...I think I'll go to work to rest up :>)))

Transformations and dozers.....

I started my Saturday morning at 6 am, with coffee, knowing that the backhoe/bulldozer would be here about 7:30 am. Sure enough, they showed up. Ken, his son and nephew...all ready to jump in and get to work!

The lady that built this home loved rhodies and roses, and all other sorts of large plants. After 35 years, the place needed some thinning out. I had 7 trees removed last year and two large ones about a month ago.
This is the stump to one of the trees at the back left of the house...the other was just as large. about 3 feet across the base. Although we didn't remove these stumps, Ken did remove the other 7 from the other areas.

My dream is to create a peaceful space, install my pond (that I bought several years ago), install my fountain (that I bought several years ago) and get my vegetable garden started. I miss my old one.

The back of the house...before....

As you can see I started cutting down the 10 foot tall Rhodie earlier, and the tall european alderberries.

and after,,,, ahh, plenty of space for a stone patio and ....with the pond in place, ready to install.

The mound of dirt behind the pond is where the top level pond will go, to run water into the other.

Kelly bought me a beautiful red japanese maple for mother's day which I am going to plant next to the pond, to divide the upper area and lower patio a bit....it will look great next to the pond.

The side yard, before.....

and now where the vegies will grow in the same space,,,with my fountain placed at the rear of the section, overlooking the garden.

I was able to save one unique rhodie and place it where I removed two small birch trees that morning. you can see it next to the purple rhodie, in the 'before' side yard photo,,,,I had to trim it back a bit...but I think it will make it.

It is a beautiful light peach color. this is near the back corner of the property and will fill in nicely when I get the back fence installed.

Yes, lots of work,,,Brandon, Kelly and her girls all helped haul brush, load the trailer, pick through and get out the roots....we crashed hard that night. Thank you!!!!!

Now that the space is cleared out, I'll start adding to my dream throughout the next year...stay tuned.....oh, and look for the house to be painted....I think I've settled on a medium tan color, the trex deck has a red tint,,,I'm going to invest in one of those paint programs to play with the color scheme....anyone up for a painting party??