Captain Ben Marler

When I went through some of my mothers photos, I found these two.  The man used to be my dad’s best friend, Harvey and his wife.  They both passed on when I was about 8 years old.  He was like a grandfather to me.  I know my dad looked up to him as a father, since there was a bit of age difference between the two.  Evidently at one point in time Harvey may have worked or known a Captain Ben Marler.  If you recognize either person in these photos, please let me know! 

Death in the family

I returned to Italy last week after spending 2 weeks in my hometown of Sioux Falls, South Dakota due to my mother passing away.
It was bright and early, like 6ish, on a Saturday morning.  My husband had gotten up early and discovered a South Dakota phone number on the caller id and immediately woke me up by telling me something is probably wrong with my mom.  Looked at the phone, Sioux Falls phone number.  I called, sure enough was the nursing home my mom had been living at for the last few years.  She had been admitted into the intensive care unit.  When I called the hospital fortunately the kidney doctor just happened to be there.  The doctor said that my mother’s kidneys were only functioning at 20% and probably be put on dialysis.  I gave my consent since my mother was suffering from confusion due to all of the impurities running through her system.  The doctor was not too confident of my mom’s outlook.  Sunday, the next day, talked to the cardiologist.  My mom’s aorta valve was hardening and becoming narrow, therefore limiting the amount of blood that her heart was able to pump out.  Considering everything, also the fact my mom was diabetic, there was nothing the doctors could do.  No surgery, medications, procedures.  My mom was given a matter of days, two weeks tops.  They kept her on dialysis until I was able to make it Stateside that Wednesday night.
When I arrived I immediately went to the hospital to see her.  She was awake, alert and immediately recognized me.  She knew I was there and was glad to see her only child made it over before passing away.  Thursday she pretty much slept the entire day.  I had a meeting with some doctors that morning and told me that it was up to me if I wanted to keep her on dialysis, oxygen and medications to stabilize her heart rate which were just stabilizing her and giving her “time” or to remove everything and let nature take its course.  I chose the latter.  She knew I was there by her bedside, she was suffering, why prolong it?
So on Friday machines and medications were gradually removed and my mom was free of anything “artificial”.  She was awake and talking a majority of the day.  How much she understood of what was going on, one will never know.  She knew I was there, recognized two of my friends that came to visit and also the bishop of the church she attended.
When I left the hospital Friday evening, after spending almost 12 hours there, she was eating a cheeseburger, her last meal on this earth.  She asked to have the television turned on.  She fell asleep watching TV, never to wake up.
Saturday morning I arrived at about 8:30am to find her deeply asleep with the television still on.  My mom’s GP’s intern was so sweet and came in to visit at about 10:30 and stayed for about half an hour, on her day off.  That really touched me, the intern coming in on her day off to see how things were going.  How my mom and I were doing.  A few minutes after she left I went outside to smoke then send an email to my husband to keep him updated on the situation.  I was gone for maybe fifteen minutes.  When I returned I found my mother had passed away.
She was diagnosed around 1992 with diabetes, had a gastric bypass in October 2001 to lose weight.  Unfortunately her health went downhill after her diagnosis with diabetes.  After a long struggle, she is now at peace and in no pain. 

Personal Interest Poll

When did you start using a computer? For how long have you been able to use a computer? What computer applications do you use the most? How long have you been “online”. And last but not least, your country of residence. Post your responses in the comments section.

I’m doing this survey out of curiosity, after noticing the slight differences in computer usage between Italy and the USA.

Morimondo

Yes I admit I have neglected this blog. My original intention “years ago” when I started this blog was to blog about my life here in Italy as an Expat originally from the midwest of the United States. Well, after over seven and a half years of living in Italy, I’m still here and I feel that there is not much to blog about anymore. No I am not totally abandoning this blog, but posts will not be very frequent. I’ve already done the posts about my ordeals of obtaining my permit to stay and eventual Italian citizenship. Bureaucratic nightmares that I do not wish to relive. One thing that I haven’t mentioned and I am thankful that I obtained Italian citizenship when I did is that shortly after I officially become an Italian citizen the Italian post office has taken over trying to help the Questure (police) in handling the paperwork for the permit to stays. This has turned into a bureaucratic mess and have heard there is a backlog of literally thousands of applications and people receiving expired permit to stays.

Last Sunday we did have a little “outing”, the first time in a long while. We visited a small village called Morimondo which is about 20 kilometers (roughly 12 miles) southwest of Milan. There is a nice abbey that dates back to 1182.

How to Pick Where to Travel in Europe

There are many wonderful, and very diverse, places to visit in Europe and it’s often difficult to decide where to travel. There are also many transportation options ranging from European River Cruises to inland bus tours so it’s helpful to first decide what mode of transportation would be right for you based on where you want to go. For example, if the Greek Isles are a must-see, then an ocean cruise is your best bet; however, if you prefer major cosmopolitan cities, train travel might be a better choice. Another factor in determining your European itinerary is the type of trip you want to take. If you want romance, then France is an obvious choice; if you are looking for history, Italy has fascinating ancient ruins; and if you want to focus on music, perhaps Austria should be on your list. Once you have determined what you want to see and how you are going to travel, it’s easier to pick your destinations.
For many, London is the perfect gateway to the rest of Europe. London is a cosmopolitan city but with amazing history and there is a lot to see, from the Tower of London (where the crown jewels of the royal family are kept) to the London Eye, the modern Ferris wheel that rises 100 meters above the city, providing an extraordinary view. You can visit the graves of British rulers and great writers like Elizabeth I and Geoffrey Chaucer in historical Westminster Abbey but you can also see the latest Broadway play in London’s theater district.
From London, you can easily travel to anyplace on the continent via plane, train or boat. Paris is often on people’s list of places they want to visit in Europe and the Chunnel takes travelers under the English Channel and into the heart of the city. Besides the Louvre, where you can see the Mona Lisa, The Musee D’Orsay houses a collection of famous classic impressionist paintings. You can see many of the famous sights of Paris while cruising along the Seine including the Eiffel Tower and the Cathedral of Notre Dame…and if you take this tour at night, you will see why Paris is often called the most romantic city in the world!
In addition to London and Paris, many people count Rome as a must-see city in Europe. No other city in the world compares with Rome. St. Peter’s Cathedral in Vatican City is the center of Catholicism; inside its walls, are masterpieces like Michelangelo’s painted ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Also, you can see the ruins of the ancient Roman civilization; the Coliseum in particular is an astounding remnant of the classic Roman age and the juxtaposition of its ruins with the modern city that is thriving around them is fascinating.
Just these three cities alone would make an amazing European trip and there are so many more cities, towns and villages to see. History, romance, music, art, architecture…no matter what you are looking for, you are sure to find it in Europe!