salisbury, north carolina...

...wish you were here.
my grandparents are unique, fabulous, irreplacable and impossible to describe. i am sitting in the sunroom of my grandparents house in salisbury, north carolina. they moved into this charming little garden home a few years ago, leaving a home they had lived in for decades...a house that had breathed with memories and a soul. the sunroom contains my babaloo's desk. it is cluttered, "messy", and full of stuff. my 91-year-old italian grandfather is constantly busy. his mind has yet to slow down and he is always working on something. he has written countless letters to congressman and various other important people...believing quite simply that you must say something when you disagree. he tells us all the time not to follow the herd because, "the view never changes and you step in a lot of droppings"... he is vivacious and an inspiration to my life. he calls me his "favorite teacher" and it is a name that makes me weepy...i wish i could share him with all of you...i wish we had video of him to watch hour upon hour just so we could have him all the time, even when we are in alabama. his sense of humor is legendary and i am thrilled to hear that i have inherited his wit and grin. quite simply, i love him.
there is a cut-out window in the sunroom that leads to the kitchen. the kitchen is my mama b's domain...mama b. is the yin to babaloo's yang...she is quiet, mild-mannered, and neat. her kitchen is the example of "a place for everything and everything in its place". mama b. is always moving and seldom "quiet" (even when she's not talking). her eyes speak volumes--something i am pleased to have inherited--and she is known to have silenced even the loudest of bianchi children with a simple look--another thing i am blessed to have inherited, my goodnight (her maiden name) glare + my bianchi death stare = effortless classroom management--not a simple task...just listen to us during a family get together. mama b is the strength and glue of our family. babaloo once said she is an "iron fist inside a velvet glove"...i hope to be like her in every way. she has made a home that everyone longs to come back to, she raised four wonderful children, she has been in a loving and passionate marriage for 63 years and has not lost her sense of humor, she is soft-spoken but has a lot to say & people listen, she is mild-mannered but not weak in any way...she is the epitome of a lady. she is gorgeous without trying, even at 85 she has a svelt figure and a lovely complexion. she is a wonderful cook and hums and sways while she hugs you--something i have been told i do also, i hadn't noticed--her hugs are worth a 12-hour drive including 3-4 hours of traffic.
here's the bottom line...i wish i was able to describe the atmosphere in this little garden home in salisbury, north carolina...it is one that we never want to leave. i wish i could accurately and completely illustrate my grandparents, our family time, and this feeling of contentment so that you could really get the feel for it. i wish this could last forever. i wish i was less aware that endless time is not guaranteed. i wish they were closer so we could take advantage of every ounce of love and grandparent time. i wish i had eaten less. (talk about emotial stew!)
lest i forget to share the other essential aspect to this domestic bliss...my parents (the one and only-s) and sister are here as well. my parents ("emil" & "ann" when we're here) are people you have to meet to appreciate. no description does them justice. they are loving, supportive, strong, pushy, emotional at times, and hard-working. being with my parents makes me a better version of myself. i always said a weekend at home was the cure for anything & during college it proved to be just that numerous times...especially with roomate issues and homework stress. they make me laugh, they let me cry, they feed me, the care for me, and they expect me to do my best. my sister is right there in the mix of all this. yes, we squabble...in fact, sometimes we yell, however, that does not subtract from how much we love eachother & care. she is spontaneous, creative, kooky, funny, smart, and contradictory. we are different and yet we are the same. i can't tell if she looks up to me or scoffs at me...i want to be an example for her and have lived my life to be the best example i can be. i long to be her strength when she needs it and i hope to be her "friend" for real someday. someone she calls to talk to and wants to hear from...we're on our way and i can see it coming...sooner than later. for that i am truly thankful. i love my sister and i still feel like i'm not quite cool enough for her. i want her to be safe all the time. to make good choices. to hang out with quality people. she doesn't always do all of these things...frustrating? yep. but that's what makes her my sister. she has to learn from her own mistakes and she marches to the beat of her own drummer. i pray that she will change her lifestyle or at least her friends...blake (my sensible future-hubby) reminds me that she is young and in college...not to mention an art major. to put it plainly, if anything ever happened to her, i sincerely worry how i (or any of us) would make it through. i love her...a LOT.
is it healthy to be scared of how much you love somebody? if not, i am in real trouble. i love my family, my fiance, my friends...i love them so much it hurts sometimes. i take my relationships seriously. i "love hard" in the words of my horace...hopefully, that's a good thing.

enough of the jenny bianchi schmaltz & reflection...whoa! back to the cocoon of family before a day of driving...again making me an anxious worrier. bleck....
love to all!
me