Joints on my mind

     I’ve been putting off this blog post. I’ve debated about whether to share the information in this space for several reasons. It isn’t as full of the joie de vivre of our travels and cultural experiences,  and I feel like my only way to truly capture what is happening is to lay my soul a little bare. Sometimes that can be scary because often, when something is wrong it is easier for me to bottle it in. At the same time, I know that this experience is as every bit of a part of our lives here as all of the fun and exciting things that we are getting to do.

     My joints are hurting. Not in the way that Matt and I laugh about that we are getting old or ruminating over an old injury that gets a little achy when it rains. Really, really hurting. Screaming. Almost all of them. I had hoped the climate of Sicily would give me some relief from the intermittent flare ups of joint pain and stiffness I have been experiencing for the past two years. For a few months, it was sweet relief and then a little over a month ago, I woke up with the familiar stiffness and soreness that I had felt stateside and it began getting progressively worse. So bad that the pain burning in my knees and ankles made it hard to use our steps and even lifting a half gallon of milk made me cry out because of the pain in my fingers and wrists.

     At my last rheumatologist appointment before we left Virginia, the doctor suggested that we monitor the situation, chart my flare ups and that I continue to use prescription NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) to help quell my discomfort.  He advised me that if there was any change that I should see someone here to reevaluate my lab work and other tests. Once the results were in, I was disheartened to learn that several of the tests that had once been negative are now positive and pointing toward a definite rheumatological disease. In my heart, I knew this was inevitable, but it still hurt to hear. However, as my very pragmatic husband pointed out, it just means that now we are closer to a diagnosis and treatment instead of just trying to alleviate symptoms. Though it may seem harsh to some, I found a lot of comfort in his assertion (and I think it’s one of the reasons we are good for each other).

     Even though I try to concentrate on that, I wouldn’t be truthful if I didn’t say that I have felt a lot of worry and frustration. Worry about being diagnosed with a degenerative illness that can be tricky to treat and will last a lifetime. Worry that I won’t be able to be the wife and mother that I want to be to Matt and Christopher. Worry that my life is beginning to change in a way that I won’t be able to do some of the things I love to do, even things that seem small like handwriting notes. Worry that new people I meet and the wonderful friends that I am just getting to know will know me as someone ill and unable rather than my active and energetic self that I know is there under the hurt and fatigue. And then there are some worries that I can’t even bring myself to verbalize but occasionally loom in the recesses of my mind.

      For the most part, I am able to push the worry aside and focus on all of the positives. Matt and Christopher have both been wonderful at accommodating me these past few weeks and making sure I am comfortable and not pushing myself too hard.  My new friends here have been a blessing by checking in on me, offering assistance and prayers. My new primary physician seems to be doing all that she can to figure out what is going on and get me proper treatment.  There have been major advances in the treatment of autoimmune and rheumatological diseases since I worked at the Arthritis Foundation several years ago and the prognoses are much better than they have ever been.  

     Another way that I have been comforted is by seeking God’s words and wisdom. One night last week, when my almost every part of me was hurting too much to sleep, I went through my Bible and started marking some of the verses that I found particularly meaningful and comforting. A couple of days later, when my fingers were feeling more nimble, I copied them down so that they were easy accessible any time that I am feeling discouraged. I’ve been praying longer in the mornings and evenings, asking God to help me cope and not to worry and thanking him for the days that I do feel better and am able to resume my normal pace of life. My communes of prayer are one of the reasons I decided to write this post. God gave me this body, and as my friend Virginia once pointed out, he gave me the exact body that He wanted me to have. Right now, I might not understand why my joints have to hurt, but I know that He has a plan for me.

     The other night, as I tearfully searched through scripture, several of the verses spoke very directly to me. I felt a charge through the words of 1 Corinthians 6:19-20: “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” I’ve read this passage plenty of times in my life, but now it has never seemed more pertinent. So glorify God in your body. I need to glorify God, even with my hurting and inflamed body. Though I am still working through the how in my mind and praying that I am led to an answer, I know that this is what I need to do. I’ve found a lot of strength in that.

     Thank you friends and family for reading this, it has taken a lot off of my mind. xoxo

10 Reasons I Can't Wait to Get to Salzburg

With some lovely ladies at the 2003 Christkindlmarkt

     Nothing, not even my creaky joints (more on that later), can quell my enthusiasm for our week-long trip to Munich and Salzburg. We depart Saturday morning, and for about the past week I have been planning, planning, planning everything that I want to see, do and hear with Matt and Christopher. I can't wait to show them this nook of the world that I hold so dear to my heart. I've probably talked their ears off with some of my experiences and my wishlist for the coming week. In no particular order, here are some of the things I can't wait to do with them:

1. Portrait of Jesus in the Dom - There is a large, beautiful painting of Jesus in the nave of the Salzburger Dom that captivates me. When I am standing in front of it, I feel such peace and presence. When I felt stressed or troubled during my two semesters in Salzburg, I often went here to find solace.

2. Augustiner - Second to Haus Wartenburg, I probably spent more time here than anyplace else in Salzburg. Studying, reading, writing, people watching or socializing, the cavernous rooms filled with wooden tables and benches are so familiar to me that I can close my eyes and smell them and hear the dull roar of Austrians of all ages laughing, eating and drinking.

3. Wandering up and down Getriedgasse - The ironwork signs and cobblestone streets make this one of my favorite places to people watch and window shop. Plus I love ducking into passageways and finding previously undiscovered shops and cafes. I'm hoping the organ grinder with the monkey and the lady selling handmade marionettes are both still there.

4. Coffee and sweets at a cafe - There is something eternally lovely about sitting down in an immaculately decorated cafe, ordering a coffee and some delectable sweet such as Sacher Torte or Mozart's Mistress and spending a leisurely hour or two reflecting on your day. Our hotel offers afternoon "Kaffee und Kuchen," but I also plan to visit my old haunts of Cafe Tomaselli and Cafe Nimetz (where my friends Iris and Sarah and I once made dinner of dessert).

5. Schnitzel with noodles - And warm apfelstrudel, kasekrainer, pretzelbrot, Mozartkugel, tafelspitz, spaetzle, gluhwein, all kinds of wursts and crusty rolls. Did I mention I love Austrian cuisine? YUM! And Doner Kebab, because that is an institution unto itself :).

6. The Orangerie at Schloss Mirabell - I found this little jewel by accident, but its the perfect place to warm up if the weather is a bit nippy after strolling through the gardens. The glass room contains exotic plants, iron benches and a water fountain where small turtles swim and lounge on rocks. If only all of us could have such a room attached to our house. 

7.  The Glockenspiel and other bells of Salzburg - One of the other sensory delights of Salzburg is its glockenspiel and bells of the surrounding churches, convents and monasteries. The surrounding hills may be alive with it, but the town is also full of the sound of music. I love to hear the different tones of the bells and occasionally catch a peek at them swinging in their towers. 

8. Christkindlmarkt - I'm delighted that our visit will coincide with the beginning of the Advent season. Salzburg at this time of year is incredible. The market is full of vendors selling Austrian street food, warm spiced wine and traditional Austrian crafts. Street musicians form impromptu holiday concerts. You can run into a gentle St. Nicholas or wild and wooly Krampus just walking down the street. 

9. Crossing the Salzach - The view either direction is beautiful. From the Old Town side, you can see the elegant Hotel Sacher, Mozart's Home and the rising Kapuzinerberg. From the New Town, the view is breathtaking: the spires and domes of the churches, the Baroque facades of the buildings and above it all, the Festung Hohensalzburg.

10. Gruss Gott - I can't wait to hear my first greeting of "Gruss Gott!" once we land in Munich. How pleasant is it that a phrase that translates roughly as "may God greet you" is the default greeting in Bavaria and Austria? I've been teaching Christopher to use it and can't wait to hear his little voice chirp it back to someone during our trip. 

Making a Meal

Goliath, 22 lbs. of moist, flavorful 2011 deliciousness

 

     Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of the year. We have so much to be thankful for, and even though I try to acknowledge that every day, it is really nice to celebrate our blessings on a larger scale with food and family. I think my love of Thanksgiving is also intrinsically tied to the food of the season and its preparation. I used to love to wake up on Thanksgiving morning with the smell of celery and onions sauteing in butter while my mom readied the turkey for the oven. Warm is the memory of watching my mom and grandmother work in the kitchen, and how secretly pleased (as a sulky teenager) I was the year I first worked side-by-side with my mom when she deemed that it was time I learned to make the Thanksgiving meal.

     I remember running back and forth with messages and ingredients between my mom and aunt in the upstairs and downstairs kitchens, sometimes realizing the pertinence of the saying "Don't shoot the messenger." When a kitchen got a little too hot, or a cook a little too harried, someone was sure to shout "will someone open the wine?!" - a family joke so old that the original incident is lost in the annals of our history. There are Thanksgiving memories that make me laugh like the first year I was hostess and my mom and I had to perform an almost obstetrical procedure to remove the giblet bag from an already roasting turkey. Or the time my Uncle Colin and I tried to convince my brother to play a practical joke with the turkey, but he was too wary of the potential consequences from my mom to comply. There are also the memories that bring a twinge of poignancy, like watching my grandmother stand at the sink washing cranberries for her family-famous cranberry salad the night before her last Thanksgiving with us. 

     A few of my Thanksgivings have not been at home. The first was during my sophmore semester abroad in Austria when we introduced the holiday to our Austrian hosts and one of my fellow students helped the house chef make a spectacular meal. Then, several years later I watched my mom commandeer that same professional kitchen instructing her students in the finer arts of potato peeling, pumpkin scooping and dough rolling. She pulled off a Thanksgiving meal for almost fifty Americans and Austrians with the same ease that she had made our dinner at home. And then there was my first married Thanksgiving, a potluck in Okinawa with a fun crowd of new friends. We had toddlers tied to chairs (as highchairs were scarce in Japan and almost every mama carried a strap for that purpose) and our friend Alan tried to convince me to toss a bowl of dressing "out in the alley for the dogs" so that I could take home some of their mashed potato leftovers. 

     This year, we will be having a quiet meal at home followed by phone calls and video chats with our family in the States. As a tribute to my love of the holiday and its food, I'm still going all out with the meal. I've spent the past few days delightfully poring over my old copies of Thanksgiving magazines and flipping through some family recipes to plan the menu. As I write, there is a pie in the oven and I have a colorful apron tied neatly around my waist. I might have to call my mom later for some instruction on the cranberry salad, but I will definitely remember to remove the giblets before I put our little bird in the oven tomorrow morning. I hope wherever you are, and however you are celebrating that you have a happy and wonderful Thanksgiving!

The Langford's Thanksgiving Menu

Roasted Dry-Brined Turkey

Herbed Dressing

Whipped Potatoes with Giblet Gravy

Green Bean Casserole

Cranberry Salad

Sweet Rolls

Maple Pumpkin Pie

Nutella Swirled Pumpkin Pie    

Seeing Sicily: Agrigento

 Valli dei Templi, Agrigento

     For our second Sicilian day trip, we traveled to Agrigento on the southern coast of the island. Near the modern city lies the Valley of the Temples, ruins of seven Doric temples that were built around the 6th and 5th century BC in the ancient city of Akgras. The temples' location is now a beautiful, well maintained park that was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997.   

        We had another cool but sunny day to explore the park which was perfect because we walked almost two miles to view the temples throughout the valley. Although it was the most deconstructed temple, the Temple of Zeus was our favorite because we were so impressed by the massive size of its foundational footprint. According to scholars, it was the largest Doric temple ever built and featured 7.5 m high Atlases alternating with columns across its facade. We were able to see the fragments of two of the gigantic statues amongst the ruins and a third is assembled and on display in a nearby archaeological museum. 

Temple of Juno (Hera)

 

Catacombs

 

Matt and Christopher stand at the edge of the ridge overlooking the southern Sicilian countryside.

 

Temple of Concordia

 

Temple of Herakles

 

Pieced together statue of Atlas at the site of the Temple of Zeus. Try to imagine a man laying down with his elbows bent up by his head.

 

Temple of the Dioscuri (Castor and Pollux) with the Sanctuary of Demeter and Persephone in the background.

Seeing Sicily: Taormina

View of the Mediterranean with mainland Italy at the far right.

     One of the features of life at Sigonella are occasional 96s, four-day weekends that many use as an opportunity for travel around Europe. There is a definite excitement in hearing others talk about plans for jetting off to Barcelona, hiking in the Alps or relaxing on a Mediterranean beach. Our first two 96s were used to take the ferry to Malta and during part of our Adriatic cruise. For the Veterans Day long weekend, we decided to stay a little closer to home and do some day trips in Sicily. The weather here has cooled down considerably in the past few weeks and the sunshine has been joined by breezes that have made being outdoors quite pleasant and perfect for exploring our immediate environs.

     Our first day we spent exploring Taormina on the northeast coast of the island. Taormina has a reputation as the glittering jewel of the Sicilian coast and resort destination of many of the literary and film jet set of the 20th century. Richard Burton allegedly wooed Elizabeth Taylor here (though which time I don't know ;)) and writers Tennessee Williams, Truman Capote and D.H. Lawrence all spent time writing and relaxing at villas and cafes on the mountaintop. One of the first books I read from the Sigonella library's Sicily section was the colorful autobiography of Daphne Phelps, a British writer that inherited and maintained the villa Casa Cuseni during World War II. 

     We were not disappointed. In a short word, Taormina is absolutely beautiful. The town is situated on a mountaintop with sweeping views of the brilliant blue ocean on one side and the surrounding mountains, including Etna, on the other. The streets are lined with outdoor cafe tables on the cobblestone and iron balconies laden with bright flowers and shuttered doors overhead. Although the streets are crowded with tourists in the summer months, we found we had the town almost to ourselves which was perfect for leisurely wandering down the Corso Umberto and through several piazzas.

      It might have just been the elevation, but the atmosphere felt light and lofty and it was easy to see why members of the cafe set found Taormina so pleasant. There was a serenity to the silence of the almost abandoned streets in the afternoon that one could see becoming equally as desirable, but no less relaxing, in the vibrancy and pulse of a more populated nightlife. Taormina is certainly unhurried and easy, a stark contrast to the rush and grit of Catania below. As we sat in a cafe taking in this ambience and the incredible vistas of mountain and sea, I could only think "I want to come here again!"

A gorgeous view of Mt. Etna

Ruins of the Greek Theater. Long before the advent of the Taormina Film Festival, theater goers were able attend plays by Sophocles, Aeschylus and Euripides.

Cafe Wunderbar. Situated in a wide piazza at the top of the Corso Umberto, this is where Christopher enjoyed his post-stroll "sketti and yalato" (spaghetti and gelato). When they were getting along, Tennessee Williams and Truman Capote used to grace the wicker chairs and yellow clothed tables.

Images of Venice

Gondolas along the Grand Canal. We took a vaporetto (water taxi) almost the entire length of the famous waterway. We were able to see the facades of palazzos featuring various architectural styles from Byzantine to Necoclassic as well as many types of watercraft including traditional gondolas, delivery barges and private boats.
 

View of St. Mark's Basilica (left) and the Doge's Palace (right). Both buildings are examples of the wealth and power of Venice as a city state.

Piazza San Marco, "The Drawing Room of Europe"

"I stood in Venice, on the Bridge of Sighs;
A palace and a prison on each hand." - Lord Byron
Ponte dei Sospiri (The Bridge of Sighs) connects the Doge's Palace and the New Prison of Venice. According to legend, the view from the barred windows was the last look at the city convicts would glimpse before being led to imprisonment or execution. 

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St. Mark's Clocktower in the Piazza San Marco was built during the Renaissance. Two figures, one old and one young to symbolize the passage of time, ring the bell at the top. Further down, a winged lion symbolizes the city of Venice and a copper statue of mother and child is flanked by two blue panels that show the time. The round clock face features the symbols of the zodiac and was recently restored in 2006.

Palazzo Venier Dei Leoni - Peggy's House