Fantasy Friday - ONE OF MOMMY'S FAVORITE MEMORIES

Well, today I was looking for a theme of how I was feeling...something, fancy that goes with Friday....oh yeah, Fantasy Friday....(silly I know).

I am always looking for pictures of where I am from in PA or pictures that represent part of what makes me complete as a person.

I've mentioned in the past that I had a rough time growing up with my mom's illness. Once I was old enough to get my license I started to really see that the beauty was more than just in the woods surrounding my neighborhood, that it was across on the other mountain - or down that road, up that big hill, over into the farms. It just kept expanding as I started getting more adventurous.

In one of those adventures, in the summertime, I found the place in the above picture. The part of PA I'm from is full of beauty like this with waterfalls, wonderful lush forests, gorges and swimming tubs.

The more that I would get stressed with my situation at home, ironically the more water was calming or would pull me. I would spend hours just deep in thought at this particular gorge. The picture doesn't do it justice. Picture being down there, on the rock closest to that and now close your eyes and feel the cold splash or the mist and water and listen to that roaring sound of the water. A few people closest to me were lucky enough to visit it with me, before the city had for safety's sake closed off the area. The dangerous height and irresponsibility of teenagers left it a dangerous mix. I did my own share of "escaping" while down there and even diving into it...although from a 5 foot cliff, not even near the height some kids dived from. Although I did read that they have made it safer in the summertime now. I have to get back to visit.

My fantasizing today isn't about my escaping then and the fact that I swam in it. I'm not bragging. I brag about Matthew. hehe

My fantasy today is in the beauty and sound of that gorge, that when I can't make it in again this weekend for my niece's Holy Communion due to weather and other issues including financial, this picture is a place I can escape to in my mind even for one minute.

That Thank God I at least have my fantasy to keep me going and for me it's more than a fantasy, it's called a MEMORY.

In the my late teens-early 20's, in the summer time, I sat in that gorge. If you look in the picture to where those two rocks come together, to where it starts the actual waterfall. I sat in that water rushing over the edge, like one big, calming, wonderful, healing, natural, scenic hug with the water hitting me like jets in a hot tub. This is only one of many of Mommy's scenic memories in life, that I like to remember now and then....it's good for the soul.

On a good note, Matthew and I will be going down next week sometime for a whole week. Mommy's mother day present to myself.

Best Of Two Heritages - ITALIAN AND IRISH

Well, Mommy got her night out!!! Yeah!! Thanks to my good friend "TwinsMom".

We had a good time at the show. Cheryl Wheeler is so funny and her voice and guitar sound is so similar to Mary Chapin Carpenter who I love.

Before we went out, I visited with my friends mother in law for awhile and it was funny because on St. Patrick's Day, I found out she grew up in the North End of Boston. Little Italy. We talked about canoli's, ricotta pies and the just the wonderfulness of the Italian culture. I let her know I'm half Italian, half Irish, my maiden name means friend in Italian. This morning I emailed her my Grandmother P's recipe handed down to me from my cousin for what my grandmother called Easter Pizza.

The recipe was for 5 pies because she had 8 children and when the whole family got together during the holidays 5 pies was nothing. The recipe filling calls for 10 eggs, 3 lbs muenster cheese and 1 1/2 lb of ricotta:-) Talk about high cholesterol. The crust called for 8 more eggs!! LOL

It was so nice to meet someone who knew what that recipe meant to me. Someone who appreciates her heritage and the good food that comes with it!

One of the blogs that I love to read, that I just found the other night is about a nice Sicilian girl who moved from NJ to CA. She has a wonderful way of expressing her true self and her sense of humor is something too! We have alot of similarities in that she misses her hometown and appreciates little thing like the food in the area she is from. I miss my hot dogs with chili, fries with gravy and my mountains, not to mention my familia and also lost my mom in the last year. Visit her at http://www.acharmedlife.typepad.com/

Well, I told myself I was going to get us out today now that it is sunny, still only 25 degrees though! ugh!

I just wanted to mention though that the first thing Matthew said to me when he woke up this morning was, Mommy (smiling) I missed you!! Did you have fun with your band? LOL I reminded him that Mommy went to see another girl sing and that I wish it was Mommy and her band. It was so cute because he thinks when my father goes out when we are visiting him in PA, that he is playing with his band. (He can just be going out for coffee) And now he is thinking that with Mommy, yeah!!!!

I also wanted to mention that now that St. Patty's Day is over, I can also be proud to be ITALIAN!!!! OK....DAD!!! I know how my proud Italian father must have felt yesterday reading about Ireland, he wants us to go to Italy before we go back to Ireland.