Twas the Night Before her Birthday.......

So tomorrow is my birthday, now I will tell you I have an issue with even numbers. So like when I turned 26,28,32, I almost died... last year should have been a great birthday it was my favorite number doubled..... it was terrible....even the weather interceded. I had plans to have a glass of wine and visit with Tina, the wind blew it rained and the power went out. Sam was deployed..... I can't think of how many years it has been since I have had a great birthday. Don't worry I won't be doom and gloom...I mean half the problem is my birthday is in February which is like the worst month of the year....the winter is hanging on in a death grip the sun hides, the holiday's are over it seems like forever until spring comes. Fear not I usually turn lemons into lemonade:) I have had some great birthday's, shared some fabulous laughs with some wonderful friends.

I have a very very strict policy on regrets. I don't have any not one ! It is true come what may good or bad I just have no regrets. I did the best I could at whatever time with what I had and that I know so why dwell on it. I know strange coming from a girl who buries the names of people on paper in the backyard as an exercise to let go of things..... Yes, it is true . 

( insert laugh here) I know all of us conflicted piscians really....:) I may get angry but it is gone in a flash I don't hold grudges, forgive and forget.

This year as an even numbered birthday looms I have decided to reflect on jobs. Ok Strange I know but after all I have also set fire to names on paper in the back yard too......

When I was five, I was going to be a fashion designer married to a rock star.... I was however the organizer of "social gatherings " for the neighborhood.  ( older kids might tell you I was a bossy girl in pig tails telling all the bigger kids what games we were going to play)  seriously...... When I was 10 I was going to be a fashion designer in my spare time while I was a Nurse. ( I guess I was going to design the hospital scrubs.....all while touring with my rock star husband ) People it was the 80's cut me a break......I was a girl who danced and laughed and wore string barrettes and double neon colored belts with 4 pairs of socks in colors matching my wildly patterned outfits....which my Mother let me put together as practice for my fashion designing/nursing days.....I was excellent at art and got A's in reading and social studies. When I was 15, I was going to be in the peace corp, then become a famous Nurse who happened to be a bush pilot in Africa saving small children from disease. ( Notice I wised up by 15 and realized I needed to ditch the rock star husband)

As time went on I was going to be a Nurse with a plan to be a bush nurse in Africa ( piloting my own medicine plane) then work for the world health organization, and maybe the CDC then teach after retiring from that.... take my 3 kids around the world before becoming an ambassador to some country.

Now for those of you who know me well you know that life...as these things do... had other plans for me..... I am a goal girl.... I have to have a plan for these things..... other things hey fly by the seat of your pants .... When I listen to the song " Everybody Feel Free to wear Sunscreen" I have to laugh at the part where it says, so what if you don't know what you want now or at 40 ... " some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don't know what they want to do with their lives"

Wether I agree or not is up to the mood of the day..... I know what I want ... I just want about 10 jobs to somehow work as one and "be perfect" Now that is Heather 5,10,15,30......

I want to plan events, especially weddings.....I want to travel all around the world and write books on travel and children's books, I want to teach, I want to work as a forensic anthropologist, I want to be a nurse with a pilot's license, I want to be a stay at home mom, I want to work for the World Health Organization, or the CDC, I want to be an ambassador...... I think that despite my extra candle tomorrow that I could still be it all..... I might be 60 before I get my PhD. ( I have to get my PhD. before 60 it is my deadline :) I will run a marathon before I turn 40.... also a deadline.... I have taught before...... I might live to be 100 in which case I have time to get this list done..... I might live to be 50... in which case I need to get started..... either way....why not live with possibility and work for it????

My question to anyone reading this....What did you want to be at 5,10,15, 30, 35, 45 , 50......? What wild ideas did you have for jobs, what are your secret wishes" to be when you grow up?"   What will any of us be when we "grow up"?

 Tomorrow I am going to pretend I am 10 not because I don't want to be my age.... I just want to make the wish on my birthday candle really exciting !

Finding a way

I have been trying all day to find just the right words, to describe the mixture of emotions, in just the right poetic way. Some days words flow so easily off of my tongue and other days I struggle to find a way to condense the amount of thoughts to share. I am in a murky state right now and to relay the ups and downs of my days would be tedious and verbose.

I have friends who like me are in trails with 2 year olds. We are all living the terrible 2's right now. That fabulous point where we think if this "phase" last one more day we might just have to be committed. P & S have different emerging independence interest. Right now the joint effort of taking every toy they own out everyday is making me crazy, P's insistence on wearing a swimsuit and sandals everyday...despite the six inches of snow and freezing temperatures.  Don't worry he does this only at home. S insists on having her 2 cuddly blankets everywhere...despite my firm rule of no toys and no blankets at the table. But really talk to any mother of a 2 year old and you will hear the same stories. Trying to remember that we want our children to have independent thoughts is really the lesson we are all working on.

Jobs, Money, the economy... a hot topic we all worry discuss and deal with daily. I choose to be a military wife, I had my eyes open I knew what it meant. There are days however that I wonder what more will we bear. Many friends ask if I am tired of the deployments and TDY's if that life has grown thin. No that is part of the package deal. I can't believe how different the branches are. I am having more trouble being an Air Force wife/ family at an Army base. The phrase never mess with a Mom's kids....I can handle the ambiguity of military life, well actually our family is "comfortable" with that level of ambiguity. The moving the deployments, the unknown of a new base or a new duty. What becomes the issue is when on top of all of this ambiguity they pile uncertainty and road blocks. I have found the Army to have a state of total disorganization here, and the medical "assistance" for my son is appalling. Since last year May we have lived with we may move we may not..... and just when we arrived it was will they let us stay what are they doing.... and now it has moved to when are they sending us back and why did they put us in this mess and why did they force us to jeopardize our son's care.....

I was reading a friend's blog.... and she said when she moved overseas ( 20 years ago) she was glad that they didn't have blogging because hers would have been a dark place. It took her a long time to adjust. I sometimes feel like I can relate. I am a happy person who finds joy in so many things in so many places and positive thing in even the darkest places. But, I have to say it is a challenge to not be dark.

We are all struggling in some way. I have many blessing to count , things to be grateful for and things that are beautiful and worthy of praise. One of the things I always found so interesting about Anthropology, is that the more it seems we are different the more we are alike. It is one of the reasons I think Shakespeare is still relevant today, and still one of our classic reverend writers. Shakespeare understood people on an emotional level he understood that the same basic emotions are what bind us all together. We can all relate to the emotions depicted on some level either we have felt them or witnessed them... but we all understand them in a universal language that transcends time. Jane Austen knew this also she captured the human emotion the ties that bind.

When I feel bogged down by my own murky path I remember that each person I know is going through something. I have friends with two year olds, friends who worry about finding jobs, friends who have lost money and are worried, friends who have health issues for themselves or their family some struggle to find what someone needs. Friends who are working on dreams that seem far away. Friends who are happy, doing well in their marriage or doing poor, friends who worry about what their friends or family are going through. We are all in this together.  When we feel like retreat we need to reach out, we all need to know that we are here fighting together. Sometimes we get lost in the day to day and forget to call or write, but we are all thinking about each other in little ways everyday. To all of you I send my love and thanks. Through each other we find strength and inspiration whether it is a dark or sunny day even if we feel like the world is on fire. Please be sure to catch the blogs over on my "other blogs" section for more stories.

One last Look

Before I move onto other things from this week I will leave you with the last pictures of Salzburg. I mentioned we visited 3 of the churches, 

Outside of this church is the famous scene where Maria in The Sound of Music catches a cab and sings about having confidence in herself, however today there was a fabulous farmer's market selling beautiful flowers and produce.

H was fascinated by the artwork.  Like many cities here the churches date back hundreds of years making the history and the buildings quite interesting. 

The diversity  of the churches was very apparent although all of the churches are catholic churches. In the 1400's the city expelled the Jewish people, in the 1600"s they expelled the protosatants.... all of the churches in the old town area are Catholic and remain so today. 

 Some featured ornate work and the trademark iron work of the city.

 St. Peter's is said to house the body of the patron saint of the city. 

In St. Pete's courtyard in front of the church it is said that this was the birthplace of Salzburg.

 When the Roman's left the city there was a celtic settlement and then the missionaries came and the city was "founded".

This  church was built in 774, then renovated in 1694, and then during WWII sustained damage to the dome. The Dome was rebulit with historical accuracy and the front of the church is undergoing restoration currently. 

This was featured in the movie The sound of Music as the church where the Vontrap's were wed. 

 The front features elemental designs of real gold.

H liked the courtyard at this one the best, it had horse drawn carriages and a huge chess set, plus a view of the Alps. I loved the color of the church featured at the beginning. It was exciting to walk inside and see the beautiful marble work and paintings. Each was so unique, and had a different inspiration for the artist that formed the inside works. Before we left the sun came out and illuminated the roof tops, they glistened at sunset making the courtyards for each of the churches very picturesque.

Looking Up

Continuation on the hidden treasures around us it is time to look up. After the end of the week I had I am anxious to look up.

  So in a figurative move let's look up at the ceilings of Salzburg.

I am not usually one who likes pastel's but the detail and shading in this are so welcoming and inviting. 

 I really enjoyed the soft shades and ornamental details.

The Walls in Salzburg

A short post today, just like the doors I found right out there for all to see wall art. It may have a more formal name but, I call it wall art. Just as with the doors there are layers some are ancient some are more modern, they are all unique

This was one of my favorites... This glorious oval painting was tucked away on some obscure side street that was hidden. H was meandering down the narrow street exploring what might be around the corner when I looked up and saw this. the detail, the color and all for the side of a building tucked away in the city. I love the building that is on fire ( It feels like my life right now) Here is this being standing there all decked out. I am sure it has some historical story or meaning. for me I could just relate and yet despite the building on fire in this painting the whole picture is a beautiful work of art to sit and gaze upon. A thing of beauty buried among the narrow streets.

Door to the World

I am not obsessed with doors....well sometimes I can be. I just found that Salzburg was full of fascinating doorways.

 I actually didn't realize how many pictures of doors I took until I was sorting through the pictures. trust me I am only showing you a small amount. 

There are some wooden doors,

 some ancient doors, 

some gilded doors,

 and of course the Iron work doors.

 Salzburg is famous for it's iron work and all of it so ornate and breathtaking it simply captivates you.

 I didn't take a picture of every door in Salzburg either so don't worry about me yet. 

 I see them more as works of art than doors.

  Can you imagine if back in the states we all had interesting doors adorning our front walk ways.

 Either way enjoy, smile, laugh, or wonder.

Salzburg on Saturday

H and I took off for a delightful day in Austria. I found this great tour online through Ryanair and was so excited I could hardly wait.  Austria of course borders Germany we have heard the scenery is stunning. I have always wanted to go; my Dad went when I was younger to Vienna and came back with pictures of beautiful cathedrals. The tour company Radius tours, is based in Munich and offers a wide variety of tours in Munich and in the surrounding area. This particular tour leaves from the main train station in Munich and takes you via train into Salzburg. 

 Now driving from Stuttgart I could have driven there in 3 hours.....

 But then H would have missed the train ride and we would have missed the fabulous tour. 

Salzburg is known for many things....... The movie the sound of music was filmed here

 ( although it is not a popular movie here), the alps, and it is the birth place of Mozart. 

I also learned that the famous scientist Christian Doppler was born here as well, just across the street from Mozart's family home. 

The cathedrals are breathtaking, the alps refreshing, and the rivers very cold. This is a well that dates to the Roman times the water comes from a spring in the mountain above the city, follows and aqua duct down to the city, then from this "well" down to the river outside the city's walls. It is still in use today as you can see, and of course H thought this was very cool to watch.

The old town area is a fortress that has been around since the time of the Roman's and the stone walls of the Roman fortress still comprise the city's walls.

 To walk in a place this "ancient" it so fascinating. I have touched stones that Roman's have touched, walked where they walked. I love all of the historical sights. 

The old town area was a self contained area that was the city, during times when cities needed walls. Salzburg was one of the few cities to survive the 30 year war in the 1600's because it was so well fortified. Salzburg was also a unique city in that for a period of time it was it's own country. Ruled by Archbishops, the city was often under threat and so a fortress was built for the government and when the city government was threatened it would retreat to this fortress above the city until it was safe to return again. 

Just outside of Salzburg there are salt mines ( the German word for salt is salz ) In one of the city's many courtyards there is a store that specializes in Salzburg salt.....

 H found this treasure. H was fasinated that they could make "bricks" out of salt, lamps, food items,and bath items. We spent a good 20 minutes exploring this and how the salt could be lit up with candles or lamps. H also held lively conversation with the shopkeepers, who thought it was wonderful H found salt so exciting. It was H who suggested the picture of the lit salt wall for this post.

I was truly excited to see Mozart's birth place. 

I love the music, and to stand where Mozart stood, lived and worked; I was in awe. The house is a lovely shade of yellow and just looks welcoming.

 H and I are both big fans of classical music and H could hardly believe that the house was still there because in the imortal words of H " Mozart is really old, they kept his house all this time." H took the picture of me in front of Mozart's house. Mozart was born below the seal and above the words...just in case you wondered.

The city is Mozart proud to, this is where the famous chocolate comes from and there is a particular chocolate that can only be made and sold here in the city. Other types of Mozart chocolate are sold all over Europe. It is excellent chocolate, and coming from a non chocolate eater that is worth something. I have to admit even I love these. Every store no matter what they sell has the Mozart chocolate inside. There is also liquor, and perfume for the truly dedicated Mozart fan.

Salzburg's old town is laid out in an almost circular fashion. You walk through the old gates of the wall and into narrow round shaped streets that have this comforting vibe. There are these alleyways that are named for the various trades found on either end like an alley way for iron works or jewlery, artwork, clothing etc. There is even one for eggs, we walked this on the tour and later I failed to find my way back to stop in the stores. 

The eggs are all hand crafted and they are as beautiful as they look and each one so unique. It felt like spring in this tiny alley.

the Rathaus ( courthouse) has been in continuos use since it was built back in the 700's can you imagine in the 1600's it was renovated and again in the 1990's. From the outside it just looks like a "simple" building who would have thought it held so many stories.

 I wish those walls could talk the history it has seen ! Many of the buildings have designs and moldings around the windows and on the building. 

I will be posting more of Salzburg in the coming days. The doors, iron work, ceilings, and cathedrals. 

H wanted to visit the inside of every cathedral, so we did. We walked the streets of Salzburg soaking in years of history all layered upon each other like a convoluted story one can never really tire of. 

I really enjoyed seeing what interested H and I have to say there were a few surprises, but then our children always surprise us it is one of the joys of watching them grow. 

No detail was missed and some sites were visited two and three times to really see them as H would say.  The flower Heather ( known as Erica here and what I am named after) was everywhere and I had to smile.

A day in Salzburg is a good day indeed right down to the tiniest of detail.