Just Like That November Is Gone

Well November has been a complete blur. We started off the month with a wonderful vacation to London & Paris. The day after we got back my grandmother was rushed to the hospital, 10 days later she was gone. The family camped out in the hospital awaiting the inevitable, holding strong together. We watched her TV shows, told stories, and played games. Hopefully she was comforted by the normal commotion that surrounds our family. It is said that hearing is the last sense to go, and with that being that the case at least those last several days were filled with the normal sounds of our family. Everything was so unexpected which made it really hard, but at least her suffering was minimal. And as sad as loss is, I believe that it is harder to watch a slow deterioration take place. We were just so relieved that her suffering is over and that we have so many memories to hold on to.

With all that happened we missed the holiday with the bf’s family. Luckily there is no shortage of food with my mom’s family. We certainly ate well on our nine day vacation. Then there is the unhealthy eating of hospital food and take out for another 11 days. I think we’ve had three home cooked meals in total this month, including Thanksgiving. I actually had to go out and buy jeans that had “room in them” as the bf cautiously asked. Unhealthy eating and no exercise do not make a good combination. It does make for a little insulation as the cold weather approaches. Yet, I'm not looking for any extra insulation. I'm so ungrateful. So it is back to the gym this week along with looking for that holiday spirit…

I hope all had a good holiday!

European Vacation

We'll start with London. We arrived at our hotel and were pleasantly surprised. We had a 1 bedroom suite. It was a nice hotel located in Notting Hill, which was a lot like being in Newport with the little cafes and shops just next door. We took advantage of the tube and buses. It was so easy to get around. After checking in and cleaning up, we set off armed with a map and a basic agenda. We went on the London Eye, saw Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral, the changing of the guards, the crown jewels, the Tower of London, London Bridge, the British Museum (the Rosetta Stone), Big Ben. We admired the architecture, the history of it all. We ate some great food - Moroccan & Indian. We had an ale at a pub. We caught a show, Monty Python's Spamalot with Tim Curry. Our short trip in London was over before we knew it... Sunday morning we boarded the Eurostar bound for Paris.

We were in complete awe in Paris. The building were amazying. Not that I didn't really know before, but the trip just proved it even more. I am definitely more of a history person than an art person. Don't get me wrong, I can appreciate art and I found it absolutely amazing to see the works from Rodin, DaVinci and more... But I can breeze through a museum and be happy... Now looking at the building and touring the palaces left me in complete awe. We did the abridged tour at the Louvre, the DaVinci Code tour. It was really neat and it led you past the more famous pieces. We saw the Mona Lisa, Madona on the Rocks, Winged Victory and more. We started off our trip atop the Eiffel Tower. The view was amazing. We tried to fit in most things on day two... We started off at the Louvre continued on to Notre Dame and finished the day with a walk on the Champs D'Elysee ending at the Arc de Triomphe. Our last full day we decided to head out to Versailles. Oh mon dieu! That is all that I can say. After that we hit Hotel des Invalides. Then the trip was over before we knew it...

It was a whirlwind vacation, over before we know it. Three days in each city was not long enough. As we walked along we kept saying, "next time we visit..." Visiting Europe was a dream come true for me, and to do it with him made it even better. I cannot wait until next time. I'll post all of the pictures on Flickr.

Always Catching Up

I still have to do a Europe post, which will actually be next. My entries are sporadic anyhow, but there has been a family emergency which has taken up all of our time since we've returned. This is putting all things on hold. My grandmother had a small stroke before we left on our trip. We talked to her from London and all sounded good. However things took a turn for the worst. The stroke ended up being caused by a bigger problem. We know the outcome and it is now a waiting game. All the weight is falling on my father's shoulders. He is the one with the final say. He knows what to do though, he & my grandmother talked about her wishes often over the last few years. It's just making that decision because once you say it, it is done.

So things are tense and quiet around here. My off time from work is spent at the hospital. Luckily I have a great family and we are all there together. Through it all the boyfriend has been right there. He's making sure the little things don't get missed.

I'll post about Europe next, but after that I'm not sure when I'll have more down time again. So until then, take care...