Loving Amelia in Malta

How do I Love Thee, Elizabeth Barrett Browning

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints,--I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life!--and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

Marsaxlokk Our Favorite Local Fishing Villiage

Amelia holds the colorful sarongs to her cheek at the local fishing village market called Marsaxlokk. This is a wonderful place to go to eat at night. You can get a table literally on the sea overlooking the fishing boats. While you eat the stray cats come to greet you, Amelia and I are cat people and don't mind the little visitors.

Popular food in Malta a typical Lunch

Hard Salami and Cheddar
on Maltese Bread. I never eat white bread or salami, but this was so yummy I changed my diet and eat Maltese style.

Figs and Pastizzi
Cheese filled and Pea filled pastry.
This is like a flaky filo doe. I am going to try this at home with filo pastry and ricotta cheese.

Our Lunch at Violets and Alberts home.

prosciutto and melon
baby greens with balsamic vinaigrette
the balsamic is a thick style for glazing
It is about $8 at Kroger but so worth it!

We also had a baked ziti that was delicious.

Lunch on a Sunday at Violets and Albert's Home

Orange trees

I am enjoying
this beautiful garden. Vino in the pool.

Our Friends Home and Bed and Breakfast

Albert and Violets home. It is so beautiful! Ta' Bertu.
Go to the link to see their daughter Chiara's Bed an Breakfast.
http://www.theburrowmalta.com/

Pretty Bay in Birzebbugia, Not a Tourist Beach

Beautiful Blues

All of my Malta Photos Were Taken by Me!

I used the Canon Power Shot A1000IS
This is my 3rd digital point & shoot and by far this is the BEST!
The Price was only $130.
Low light shots indoors & out work really well.


I will be adding photos from Malta daily, I have 100's. So it is taking time & becoming an obsession!
Stay tuned for our friends B&B, Fishing village, beach, Valletta & more!!!

Freshly Picked Figs, So Good!

Their field filled with fig trees, olive trees, pomegranate trees, orange trees and Veggies.

Grandma & Nanu's Garden in Malta

There are so many beautiful nooks to this garden. Amelia & I in the Veggie garden by the sage. The Iron gate to a court yard that my bedroom opens up to, and our daily dining.

The Prickly Pear Plant, You Really Eat Them!

Prickly Pears grow wild. Grandma teaches Amelia about this local fruit.
You pick them with gloves, soften them in water & peel the skins.
They come in different colors & have many seeds and you eat them.
They can be made into a jam, and are not too sweet.

Malta Video: Amelia garden tour Take 2

MaltaVideo: Amelia tours the garden : Take I

Grandma & Nanu's Garden in Malta

That red is gorgeous!
The path in the side garden.
The pear tree.

Grandma & Nanu's Garden in Malta

Grape Vine, Nectarine Tree

Grandma & Nanu's Garden in Malta

Scent of Sage, Nectarine Tree, Aloe

Letters to My Husband

Dear John,

Thank you for knowing me better then I know myself. I know you think I am tough and I don't hear what you are trying to tell me, but I do. It is just difficult to hear sometimes, you make me look at myself and it is kind of painful. Even with all your stress and working so hard you manage to focus on me and give me what I need to feel good again. I wish I could help you like you help me. But somehow I know you don't mind because you know you are so good at seeing everyone's life and what they need to do to get on track. That really is your gift and I am grateful for it. You are brilliant and I love you!

I am doing 6 miles tomorrow and taking care of myself all because you helped me see what was right.
Love always.
Kath~

Yoga is a Journey

Grow Yoga Wings was something I created in about 2003. It is my web domain name and logo and I am working on re purposing it and transferring it to a blog site. I have some ideas of the direction I want to take it but am always open to suggestions. www.growyogawings.com

I think everyone that try's yoga can feel the intensity in the simplest of postures. They realize early on that yoga is a discipline and goes beyond the physical practice. There is something very special about working really hard to achieve certain postures, and challenging yourself to do them in every yoga practice. You feel your own spirit build inside you when you push yourself and take yourself to places you never even thought possible. It's funny what happens to us when we decide to join a class and we watch the instructor move effortlessly and we courageously copy everything they do! It is a good thing to push ourselves to our limits, it gives us something to shoot for and a wonderful sense of pride.

I took a class today at CYCO, Kristen was the instructor and boy is she strong. I was so inspired by her. I was also amazed at how much flexibility and strength I have lost sitting behind a desk these last two yrs. I am really looking forward to the climb back. So if you are frustrated with your yoga or Pilates practice and think you will never have balance or you will never be able to roll up with out momentum, I am here to tell you, that just isn't true. You must practice and become disciplined and it will happen for you.

Come visit me at Carrboro Yoga Studio (CYCO) on Tuesdays at 8am for a Pilates class designed for all levels, with special care for the new Pilates students. My class begins on Septembr 15th. The 1st class is FREE! I am now taking clients at CYCO from 7am to 1pm by appointment only. Contact me if you are interested in Private Yoga, Pilates or Personal Training. http://www.mycyco.com

Letters to Amelia

Dear Amelia,

YourMama is speechless when it comes to you. I have no words just raw emotion and know that you have made me a much happier person. Everyday you say amazing things and your brain is learning the world around you so fast! You had your first lesson in Science today and told me that you are made of these tiny little things and trees are made of the same stuff you are, and the whole universe is made of these things. You were so excited about this new idea that you could not wait to share it with me. Thank you for always wanting to tell me about your day. I am always here to listen.

I love you.
Mama

My Husband

John is from England, a beautiful man with a lovely accent. It never gets old. He has lived in Hong Kong then the US & has been abroad for over 16 years! We have never been to England together, other then passing through an airport. One day he promises we will go and have a beer in a beer garden, get a cabob from the cabob truck and go to the chippy. Until then we try to find the best Indian food & Tai food we can in Durham North Carolina.

Photo's by Cindy Giovagnoli, owner of Cuppaphotography.com
Shoot Location: Sarah P. Duke Gardens, Durham NC

My Family Rocks!

There is balance in the number 3.

I met Duncan Wong in Philadelphia while he taught about 30 Philly yoga instructors Yogic Arts. He was so amazing to watch! We were all star struck but he brought us all back to earth by embracing us all as his friends for that week. The intensive Yoga workshop was 6am for about 2 hours for a whole week. I will never forget that week. I was so high to be in the presence of a total master yogi, but so low because my brother at age 37 took his own life that same week. I was determined to do the whole week despite the raw emotions I felt. I spoke to Duncan and he was so real and compassionate and told he too lost his brother and was devastated. It felt so good for him to share that with me and made me feel that I was doing the right thing by continuing on with my life and immersing myself into yoga, something I am very passionate about. Duncan is the most talented Yogi I have ever encountered. He is truly mind blowing! I felt like a giddy teenager around him because quite frankly he is a total hottie! While I was in down ward facing dog he mirrored me and our finger tips were touching! Because there were so many people it was pretty close quarters, but we all loved it because it changed the energy and made it incredibly intense and exciting! I have video of him from that day September 2004, but need to find it. In the meantime check out my You Tube links at the bottom of my blog. You will see that he is so beautiful and his intensity and focus is unmatched! www.yogicarts.com

My friend Kim Hunter and I lived on Watkins street together in South Philadelphia. She is an artist and loved mixed media and was trying to find her voice as an artist when we first became friends. I have always been so inspired by Kim. She had such a great desire to do what she loved and it served as a constant reminder to me that I should adopt her philosophy. She continues to do her art and I continue to have a career in wellness as a yoga/Pilates instructor & PT. I have always loved photography and was devoted to manual film photography for many years. I have converted to digital 6 yrs ago and love the control and instant satisfaction it gives me. I have a Canon Power Shot point & shoot & it is excellent. My next purchase will be a Canon Digital SLR. I really want to explore mixed media digital art and I am so excited to finally get some tools to do that.I love art & could look at it all day. I guess you can say I am a wanna be artist and I am trying to find my voice as an artist now at age 40. You can go to Kim's site to check out her work at www.rhumblines.net. Her art looks so cool on dining room and living room walls that are richly painted in vibrant and earthy colors.

I don't usually go on month long vacations off to the Mediterranean. I feel really lucky this summer to have this opportunity to rest. My husband John is Maltese & English. His father convinced his mother to retire to Malta ( 2hrs south of Sicily) over 10 yrs ago. Leaving rainy England wasn't difficult I've been told. So now we have a wonderful place to visit. The photo is of Amelia age 4. This is our local beach down the road from Amelia's grandparents home. The water is so clear and blue, Amelia is amazed that she can see her hands, and thinks Jersey pales in comparison. Jersey still feels great to me. We leave for Malta tomorrow and I still can't believe this is my life at the moment. Here is to a month of no stress & nothing to do, just be with family and enjoy life.

Amelia shields the sun from her eyes

I love this photo. Taking beach photos is my all time favorite thing to do. I have always loved taking photos and creating meaningful memories. I get so much joy out of it and when other people are moved by the photographs it is so satisfying to me. I love photographing her because she makes everything look so natural, even shielding the sun looks cool.