A Sweet, Happy Place...

When I go to bed at night,

I close my eyes and drift off

to my happy place.

which, as of late,

is Venice,

Italy.

I've dreamt of going there my entire life.

I guess I always imagined it as being the perfect place

to visit with the love of my life.

Then gain, I'm a sucker for romance.

Almost six months ago,

I was fortunate enough

to share two very special days

in Venice, Italy.

And for the record,

two days weren't nearly enough.

Our trip into Venice was truly breathtaking.

While coming into port,

we stood on the top deck of our cruise ship

to get the best possible view of this world class city.
To make the moment even more spectacular,

Our cruise ship, the Regent Seven Seas,

had classical music playing in the background.

As we got closer and closer

and Venice came into clear view,

I felt overwhelmed with an abundance of emotions.

I couldn't believe I was actually there.

For two whole days,

I was in heaven.

And walked around feeling like I was in a dream.

Our first stop off the ship was the famous

Harry's Bar.

{You can read about the history of Harry's Bar, here}

The pasta there was out-of-this-world.
Harry's Bar is also well-known

for the Bellini.
Currently, my favorite drink.

I could have had several.

It was a fine dining experience like no other.

We packed in as much as we possibly could

in the short time we had.

We walked these colorful corridors

stopping for...

Pizza.

Gelato.

Photos.

Italian made shoes.
Italian soccer jerseys.

Paper.

Murano Glass.

And a Gondola ride.

'Cause a trip to Venice, the City of Canals,

wouldn't be complete without one.

We toured through a maze of narrow streets

and over bridges

which is what makes

Venice such a unique and gorgeous city.

We walked

and walked...

and walked....

until our feet couldn't possibly take a step more.

And we shopped

and shopped....

and shopped....

until each of our hands

were so filled with bags,

we couldn't possibly fit another.

At which point,

we were FORCED, against our will,

to head back to the ship.

Where we dropped off our precious finds of the day.

However, when we did,

we literally collapsed from utter exhaustion.

Two hours later,

I woke up and found myself face down on the bed. Drooling.

I wiped the drool from my face.

Rubbed my blurry eyes,

and looked at the clock to find,

that luckily we'd woke-up just in time to head to St. Mark's Square

to listen to dueling orchestras play

at four very famous cafes around the Piazza San Marco.

BUT,

we were told

that because it was a full moon,

there'd be high tides.

And not only was there a full moon,

and high tides...

there was wind.

When you combine those 3 forces~

AMAZING things happen in Venice.

Like,

St. Mark's Square FLOODS!!

NO JOKE!!!

Funny thing is,

it only happens 100 times a year.

Guess what?

We just happened to be there for this phenomenon!!

Unfortunately, a flooded St. Mark's Square means...

there are NO dueling orchestras.

Instead, you take off your shoes,

roll up your pants,

and wade through this famous square to get to the other side.

We did end up finding a cafe across from the Doge's Palace

which was not affected by the rising waters.

with gorgeous live music playing.

It echoed throughout the plaza.

It was beyond romantic.

It stopped us in our tracks.

We stood there and listened.

And kissed.

I found myself completely mesmerized.

It was so beautiful,

I managed to totally forget how hungry I was.

Then again, we'd slept right through dinner.

Now it was almost 11 o'clock at night,

and we were famished.

So, when the song ended, we went hunting for

someplace to eat.

Someplace that was still open at that late hour.

We ended up stumbling across an adorable little cafe

right on the Grand Canal.

A cute Italian man came out and said,

"Everything on the menu is 8 Euros.

We will make you whatever you want."

Gary and I were sold.

It couldn't have been more perfect.

We walked in,

found ourselves a seat

and sat down outside~

Under the stars.

And a full moon.

It's bright reflection filled the canal.

We ordered pasta bolognese and a pizza with deli ham.

{Pizza in Italy has different toppings than the US}.

The food was delicious.

The ambiance, stunning.

The evening was unforgettable.

Finally at midnight,

we hopped aboard a water taxi and headed back to the ship so we could go to bed.

We were beat after spending 12 hours wandering around this fascinating place.

The following morning we woke up bright and early.

Ate breakfast on the top deck of the ship~

Which was overlooking

this picturesque city.

I bolted my food down.

Grabbed my camera, purse, Gary's hand

and walked all over Venice

one last time.

This time,

while sauntering through a little square, we

heard the most angelic orchestral music pouring out of

a church.

Gary and I looked at each other in utter amazement.

Once again were taken back.

Once again we stopped in our tracks.

And were drawn inside.

It happened to be a FREE exhibit at the Museum of Music~

Il Museo Della Musica.

It featured some of the most beautifully crafted violins in the ENTIRE world!

You see, if you didn't know already,

Violins have a history in Venice, Italy.

Here's a little Violin history for you...

The Museum of Music, is an exhibition dedicated to one of the artistic expressions which has enriched Italian culture. The making of stringed, wind, and plucked instruments has been a popular art in Italy since 1500 and many great instruments have been produced and admired over time. In fact, the violin was born in this part of the world.

Venice has been the source of numerous composers

and is strongly linked to one of the geniuses of Italian instrumental music,

Antonio Vivaldi who composed the Four Seasons.

And fortunately, we were lucky enough to accidentally stumble across this museum

our last day before heading home.

We gazed at each individual masterpiece in disbelief.

Each, absolute works of art.

As we did,

tears filled our eyes and streaked down our cheeks.

We were in heaven on Earth.

After our emotion-filled tour of the Museum of Music,

we did an audio tour of the Piazza San Marco

with Rick Steve's as our guide.

We sat ourselves down at the oldest cafe in the world,

The Florian.

Where we were served a light lunch

on a silver platter.

Literally.

We took a peaceful, quiet tour of St. Mark's Basilica.

And explored Doge's Palace~

Which was the most incredible~

Most amazing~

place I've been to in my WHOLE life.

The architecture,

statues,
art,

everything

unbelievable.

Jaw dropping.

{I had to pick my jaw up off the ground several times during this trip}.

Our tour of Venice, Italy

ended there.

At Doge's Palace.

We had to get back to the ship

to prepare for the

CA Technologies Award

Ceremony.

Then again,

that is why we were there.

Gary is a Senior Solutions Strategist for CA.

He had such a successful year, they awarded him with a trip to the

Mediterranean.

And Venice, Italy was our final stop.

This was a black-tie, evening gown event.
Awards were given.

A special dinner was held at

The Arsenal

in Venice to celebrate.

It was Carnivale Themed.

We even wore masks.

And enjoyed some fun entertainment.

When the night ended, we took one last water taxi ride back to our ship

where we packed our bags.

And placed them outside our door by

midnight.

The following morning we were to catch a bus to the

Venice Airport

and head back to US soil on a long flight home.

My last night on the ship, I didn't sleep.

I just tossed and turned all night.

I couldn't find my happy place.

Before I knew it,

the sun was shining through our curtains.

It was time to bid farewell to a place I'd

dreamt of my entire life.

As Gary and I got ready to go home that Friday morning,

I cried.

I looked out across our balcony at Venice

and thought about how thankful I was that we were given this opportunity of a lifetime.

To travel to parts of the world I never thought I'd have a chance to visit.

I was grateful for....

Each and every place I'd been.

Every place I'd seen.

Every feeling I'd felt.

And for the person who made it possible~

The love of my life.

We shared some pretty incredible moments together.

It was a trip I will cherish forever.

Now, each night as I lie down to go to bed,

I have no problem finding my happy place.

When I do,

I fall peacefully asleep.

And dream of

being back in
Italy.

Disneyland Halloween Trickery....& a Sweet Treat!

We tried to take the kids to Disneyland

this past weekend to see all the Halloween decorations and
go on a few rides.


Tried is the key word here.
Disneyland was a zoo.
Not an amusement park.
It was utter insanity.
Countless people had the same idea we did.
And amazingly we all converged on Disneyland at the exact same time.


We shuffled along.
through Adventure Land,
trying to make our way to Pirates of the Caribbean
and the Haunted House.
It took us 30 minutes just to navigate through
the crowd.

In that time,
I'm certain I rolled over
a half-dozen people's feet
with Megan's stroller.
Which made me feel horrible.
But how do you push a stroller
through a sea of people without
rolling over a few toes?

I have never seen so many frustrated
theme-park goers in one place at one time.
It went from the Happiest Place on Earth
to the Not-so-Happiest Place on Earth
in a flash.
And it definitely was NOT a Goulishly Good Time...


Having grown up in Southern California,
I've been to Disneyland
too many time to count.
And I have NEVER seen it like that!
It was baffling.
And far from magical.
At least this time around.

I think I can safely say
Disneyland was at full capacity.
Every line was hours long.
Even the handicap lines
{which we usually use},
extended for what seemed like miles.
Not worth the wait.
Not when you have season passes
and can pretty much go whenever you want.
I have to say,
I felt bad for those who were there on
vacation and don't have the luxury
of coming and going at their free-will.

Soooo....
we made the quickest exit possible.
And decided we'd
take a vacation day
from school soon.


With the hope that we can enjoy
all the Halloween festivities
on a future trip to Disneyland without
a million visitors there at the exact same time.
My fingers are crossed.


Instead of jumping on and off rides,
we sauntered through Downtown Disney.
And TREATED ourselves to a
little sweet dessert
at Haagan Daz.


I indulged and had a Brownies a la Mode Sundae
{which I shared with Megan}.
It was delicious.
And I don't want to know
how many calories it had.
And really if I'm being honest,
I don't care.
Not when it's one of my all time favorites.
And the perfect ending to an
entertaining evening together as a family.

Disneyland served up one thing over the weekend...
Halloween TRICKERY!
We thought we'd go and have a little Halloween fun,
instead to find it merely impossible.
Thankfully, there were no TRICKS at Haagan Daz.
Just a simply fabulous TREAT!

Trick or Treat!

Sweet~Stellar~Stunning California Sunset

Fall has arrived!!

At last.

It's my favorite time of year!

With it,

A little rain.

Lightening.

Thunder.

And some seriously

Sweet.

Stellar.

Stunning.

California style

SUNSETS.

Gorgeous.

Beyond breathtaking.

Funny thing is...

I shot these photos through the windshield

of my car while I was driving.

It was too amazing not to.

The sky was all shades of pink, orange, and blue.

The clouds floating around were large and puffy.

They were like mirrors reflecting the intense shades of the evening sky,

which looked like a canopy of heaven.

Thankfully, my camera lives in my purse so when I need it

it's at my immediate disposal.

Because you just never know what is going to catch your eye.

And this here

more than caught my eye.

However,

I wanted to stop my car right there in the middle of the street.

Stop traffic.

Stand in the road.

And have a little photo session

with this stunning sunset.

But I figured that wouldn't be too safe.

And drivers probably wouldn't appreciate me being in their way.

People in California have places to go.

And they always need to get there...

FAST.

So staying in my car,

reducing my speed,

and taking pictures through the windshield

was my best bet.

And safest.

And one I'm certain the drivers behind me appreciated.

Except for the fact I was going 10 MPH.

It was truly a

magnificent moment in my day.

It left me grateful to live in such

a beautiful place.

A place,

I absolutely love calling

Home.

Home Sweet Home....

My mother and father-in-law lived in this humble home for 46 amazing years. It's a treasure trove of memories. Wonderful. Sweet. Memories. My husband, his older brother and sister were each born and raised in this home on Garden Grove Avenue in Tarzana. It's also the very place where their darling Grandma Rose spent her final days on earth. Several grandchildren have joined the Bluemel Family and filled this home with their laughter and joy. I know my 3 children created some very fond memories in this home over the years. From celebrating their birthdays~ To hiding inside the GINORMOUS orange tree in the backyard. And eating blackberries straight off the blackberry bush. Finding cups filled with gold on St. Patty's Day And on Easter collecting colorful Easter eggs that had been dropped all over the yard by the Easter Bunny himself. Or how about my little Miss Katie helping her Nana cook our Thanksgiving Feast each year since she was 18 months old. It has been fun watching how much Katie has grown-- just by looking at photos of her sitting on the kitchen counter right next to her Nana baking pies, making homemade rolls, and all the fixings that make Thanksgiving such a favorite holiday. All the grandchildren treasure the evening walks they went on with their Nana around the neighborhood. To visit the "spooky bridge" and water fountain. There were many basketball games played on the driveway. Except, since Little Miss Megan was too small to join in an energetic game of basketball, she would go find her Gramps~ and he would willingly put on her favorite movie, Rudolf. Time and time again. Rudolf was played year 'round in the Bluemel home. The children had countless fun sleepovers at Nana & Gramps' house. They watched movies together. Read books and played games. Art was created. Blocks were stacked. And dominoes stretched from one end of the house to the other. And most importantly, everyone laughed together... often. We always had a good time when we visited. And we always looked forward to our weekend visits to the Valley. Because it was a home filled with love. Each person that entered the Bluemel Home on Garden Grove Avenue always felt welcome, cared for, and loved. Regardless if they were "family" or not. Nana & Gramps opened their home to many. The memories made in the Bluemel Home in Tarzana will last a lifetime. And we will forever miss this place we called "HOME" for so long. Today as I sit here writing this, my mother and father-in-law are unpacking boxes, organizing shelves, and setting up rooms. They're making a new home for themselves in a little town in Ohio, outside of Columbus. A new chapter in their lives has been opened. And an exciting adventure awaits them. Thankfully we live in an era of technology. Which will help us to stay close~despite the distance that separates us physically. We will blog. Facebook. Skype. Text. And talk on the phone~ A LOT! What would we do without these marvelous modern marvels? I guess we'd go back to sending postcards. handwritten letters. And photos through snail mail. This is just so much easier.

Sweet Buddy Dog....

This here is Buddy.

He's our 2 year old pure-bred German Shepherd.

Buddy is our protector.

He loves to play and run around at the park.

He loves playing catch with his favorite ball.

We are always amazed at just how fast he is

and what cool tricks he can do!

He is great at bringing us comfort when we are feeling down.

He enjoys laying around the house and hanging out with the family.

I never had a dog growing up. I always wanted one. Just like every other kid. Instead, my family had an adorable rabbit~named Lucky.

I loved Lucky.

She lived an unusually LONG life.

18 years to be exact. Pretty incredible, huh?!?

A couple years ago, Gary surprised our family with a sweet little fluffy white bunny. We named her Daisy. Unfortunately, before we brought Daisy home, we didn't do enough "bunny research".

So we had no idea that rabbits were such temperamental animals

{Okay, we should have known}.

Here's the bottom line...

Rabbits can't handle extreme heat since they are not good at regulating their body temperature.

I hate confessing this,

but Daisy ended up living a very short life.

The HOT Southern California summer heat did her in.

I figured since I had an outdoor rabbit growing up

and since she lived well beyond the norm~all rabbits would have the same Luck--just as my pet rabbit, Lucky did!

However, my thought process...

that rabbits are a piece of cake to care for, was wrong.

Horribly. Horribly wrong. So sorry Daisy. May you rest in peace.

Maybe we shouldn't buy pets from the store spontaneously anymore.

Lesson learned.

Shortly after Daisy's death, we went back to the pet store to find a new friend. A Daisy replacement, if you will.

While there looking around, I whispered into Gary's ear, "it'd probably be easier to care for a dog!"

We left the pet store that day empty handed.

The following weekend, we adopted Buddy.

He became a very welcome addition to our family one warm summer Sunday afternoon in July 2008.

Since adopting Buddy,

he has been to Boot Camp and is a very well-trained canine.

But, don't get me wrong!

He still has puppy/teenager type tendencies.

Regardless, we love him to pieces and enjoy having him around.

Buddy is truly a HUGE part of our family.

He completes us.

I will admit, before having Buddy, I was not much of a dog person.

I'm happy to say, I am now!

And I still love cute, fluffy bunnies.

I wonder if Buddy

would be able to handle having a Bunny around as a pet???

Hmmmm...??

That could be...

interesting.

A pure-bred German Shepherd and a little, fluffy bunny.

Running and hopping around together.

Cuddling together.

It could be quite cute.

Buddy is actually a very gentle dog.

And I think he'd be happy having a new

friend.

Sweet Summer Ending

Summer went by way too fast. We had tons of fun though.

And we spent as much time together as we possibly could.

What all did we do?

We went to bed late.

And slept in every day.

Visited many museums.

Watched magnificent movies.

Played with our favorite friends.

Made s'mores. And other delicious treats.

Swam like fish.

Watched entertaining shows at our local library.

We went to the zoo.

Rode wild rides at theme parks.

Spent precious time with family.

Stayed in hotels.

Watched stunning sunsets at the beach.

For our last hurrah,

we spent a week in San Francisco together as a family~which was priceless.

The kids were taken back by the massive bridges.

The sparkling ocean.

And especially by the fog which rolled in each night like dry ice flowing over a cauldron.

During our stay in San Francisco, it was quite cold for summer!

But a very welcome change from the scorching

Southern California heat we managed to escape.

We took many photos on our trip. I especially adore this snapshot of our family. A darling senior couple was nice enough to stop while they were taking a bike ride along the boardwalk and asked us if we wanted our picture taken. We handed our camera right over to them and it turned out perfect.

I love it. Everyone is actually looking at the camera, smiling and Megan is not sticking out her tongue~which is what she's usually doing. The girl is rarely serious for the camera. In fact, anytime one comes out and is pointed at Megan, it seems to be her "I'm going to be silly" cue. And I'm talking full-on, outta control silliness! Don't get me wrong, I love it. It's what makes us smile every single day. But sometimes it's nice to capture a family photo tongue free. And crazy silly free.

I love my family and love that we spent such a memorable summer together making fun memories. It was one of our best summers ever. There was never a dull moment. I don't think I ever heard the words "Mom, we're bored". Which had been my goal before summer ever started. Mission accomplished.

I can't wait for Summer 2011!

Until then it's...

Back to school.

Homework. Soccer. Piano.

And all the wonderful holidays I adore.