Photos from Friuli Venezia Giulia - Italy & north-west Slovenia

Over the years quite few readers commented that they enjoy photos from my blog. So it is high time that I post some of them.

I've just returned from Italy from a short business trip. I am attaching few photos from Friuli Venezia Giulia (this is extreme north-east of Italy).

The chickpea soup with potatoes and parmiggiano reggiano was delicious. And so was tiramisu!

The last photo: Slovenia, when entering back home.

I love going to different places. But most of all I love coming home to our home sweet home.

Autumn colours

In case you were wondering how do autumn colours look like in my country :)

Back from a short holiday

During the darkest years of infertility I never thought I could be able to enjoy moments with other people's kids. 

I've just returned from a short holiday (2 days / 1 night) with my mum and three kids (aged from 7 to 10).  I booked for us a hotel with a beautiful thermal swimming pool, we all enjoyed swimming so much!

The photo above: we also visited the oldest town in our country, more info:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ptuj 

I am so happy that the darkest years of infertility are over so I can enjoy moments with my nieces and my cousin's children.

Small acts of kindness

I am attaching a photo of the other lake that we visited with our visitors last week. It is an alpine lake in the north-west  of our country.

I wasn't sure whether my bloggie friend will mention her travelling so I didn't write who visited me. Now I can :)

I was deeply touched when reading her latest post:
https://www.elaineok.com/stand-der-dinge/

Dear Elaine - thank you for your kind words! I loved how you beautifully put my thoughts and hopes into words: "Ihr Ziel ist es, in ihrem Leben kleine Taten der Freundlichkeit zu hinterlassen bei den Menschen, deren Weg sie kreuzt."

The translation would be:
"Her goal is to leave small acts of kindness in her life with the people whose way she crosses." 

Exactly! 

****
Elaine and me were talking about how important a bit older bloggers were for us. Reading their blogs was comforting for us in the darkest days of our infertility since it gave us hope that there is possibility of living happily again. We both agreed that Mali was a motherly figure to both of us. We discussed that a word motherly is very strong. We hoped that it wouldn't hurt Mali. I am writing these lines just so that Mali knows that we where talking about her when walking around one of the  alpine lakes (the other that is less touristy) on the other part of the world. And that she knows that she has been a very important person in lives of many.  

****

After driving Elaine and her husband to Ljubljana where they spent last few days of their travelling and saying goodbye to them I went to work.. One of my colleagues was explaining about her awesome weekend. She rented a big house at the seaside with her friends. So there were 10 couples with the total of 24 children aged between 1 and 10. She explained excitedly: "ALL of us have childen aproximately the same age."  

I thought that probably not ALL of her friends have children. That probably there were some friends who were lost and excluded  - just because they don't have children and don't fit into their circle any more. 

After that I was even more thankful for having my bloggie friends, my penfriends and all the bloggie/penfriends whom I met in person and now consider simply as friends.

Wishing you all a lovely weekend.

Making a difference

Few years ago I got a kind email from a reader who lives 700 kilometers away from me. The part of the email that touched me the most was this one:

"One of the things that help me is your blog (and other blogs). It makes me feel less alone in my struggles. That's why I want to thank you for writing about infertility. It does make a difference. For me and many other women, I am sure."

When you write a blog on something so very personal as infertility it is just wonderful if someone writes you something kind. And tells you her (or his) reasons for reading the blog.

***
The photo above was taken at our most beautiful alpine lake this weekend. I went there with my husband, my penfriend (with whom we exchanged many emails since her first email) and her husband.

The infertility has taken a lot from me. But it has also given me so much - like these new friends. We invited them in our home and they stayed with us for couple of days. It was just lovely to see our new home full of life.

The visitors have already left but I am very sure we will meet again.

I am back

There have been so many thoughts in my mind lately but none of them was connected with childlessness.

The cancer operation left a bad scar on my face. I accepted it quite well. Whenever I look into the mirror I am just grateful that it didn't happen to me when I was 20.

What is harder to accept is the pain that came back. It is connected also with heat that makes the wound swollen and painful. 

In the last three months I never thought how awesome it would be to have children of my own. But I did think like million times how awesome would it be to be healthy again.

Cutie

On the photo above: me & my youngest niece (aged 3 weeks) on our couch. How lovely it was to welcome a new baby to our family.... without the sadness that accompanied the arrival of other children.

I see that as a proof of recovery after many dark years of the infertility.