Amy Venezia

Me @ 3 years old:):)

 

The TEN things I LOVE on this FRIDAY!!!

 

1. The fact that it is National Tequila day!

 

 

2. Rumours East… it reminds me of a little place I went to in the South of France…just lovely.

 

 

3. Nathan Lee-Just heard this guy’s music for the first time yesterday- If you have not heard his music- you are missing a piece of your soul…

 

 

 

4. How my friends Kitty Kitty and Rosco are not afraid to suck the drip off of a wine bottleJ Well, maybe Rosco isn’tJ

 

 

5. Meeting someone new and instantly connecting with them.

 

 

6.That my good friend “Billy Bob” is on his way back here- I love me some Billy Bob…

 

 

7. The times when a Kitchen Deva possesses me and I whip up something so good someone should give me one of those “atta  girl” taps on the ass and call me chefJ

 

 

8. Hearing rain when it softly falls on leaves…there is nothing more peaceful- yet powerful than that sound.

 

 

9. Freedom

 

 

10. The words of Friedrich Nietzsche and Rumi… it is like they stick their finger in my soul and stir me until I am moved…

 

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!

 

 

My birthday was yesterday.

I had a party on Tuesday to celebrate life.

In the light of events both culturally and in my little Universe, I was feeling extra grateful for the little things.

The moments, on this birthday, were like single grains of sand to me. No matter how minute in size? I noticed them all.

 

Like snapshots in time.

 

Maybe that is part of getting older.

 

I sat and watched my friends, how very lovely they are. They are kind, generous, successful, strong and open hearted people.

 

Just noticing how something has changed in me.

 

Maybe change is not the word, since it feels more like a returning to something I already knew on some level, but was not consciously choosing.

 

I want to love people for the way I AM. Not for the way they are or I need them to be.

Read that again slowly…

 

To love a person for the way I AM,  not the way they are or I need them to be.

Someone says something hurtful? Or disappoints in any way? Someone judges me or isn’t there for me like I would want them to be? At this point in my life, what does that have to do with me?

To love a person the way I AM…not the way they are or I need them to be.

Because I AM loving. I want to give a person the benefit of the doubt. I want to be generous in 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th chances. I want to be tolerant of differences. I don’t want to hold anything against another person. To make them pay for a mistake they have made, I don’t want to remind someone of their “faults” or “flaws”.

I want to love.

I always have. It is my insecurities from past crushes and blows that have kept me from fully demonstrating this in my life.

But here, on my 35^th birthday, I find a pure form of this- unadulterated and real- in the form of gratitude.

 

On this birthday, out of all my years, I received more love than I could take in.

In observation? I believe the reason for this is I have been more generous than I have ever been at any point in my life.

 

I have been generous of time, my smile, a hug, understanding, listening, loyalty, forgiving and acknowledging a person.

 

Generous with love.

 

Life is good.

 

Life is beautiful.

No matter how many hardships have appeared on my horizon, they have not compared to the thrill of being out to “sea”- moving forward.

The journey…

Love is beautiful.

So on this birthday I am happy for the fact that my shade of view isn’t Jade…

No, I am not jaded.

Shocking with all I have experienced.

I wish the same for you, as you read this-

To remember life is good, life is beautiful, love is the only true constant- when you love someone from how YOU ARE, you will never find a shortage of it.

 

Celebrate life!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The TEN things I LOVE on this FRIDAY!!!

 

1.    When I am sitting at a large table at Starbucks writing this-this morning- on the phone with my best friend- and some woman comes up, oblivious that I am in the middle of a conversation, and asks (not very nicely) if I would be willing to move so her meeting can sit there- where I have been for one hour…first reaction? I am in the middle of writing and have been sitting here- where it is first come first serve-no way I am moving…2^nd reaction? I realize it is Friday and get up and do it with a smileJJ- Only good and giving things should happen on Friday!

 

2.    The feeling of Tequila going down the back of your throat and the warmth it brings to the depths of the soul-(courtesy of Crown Cherry).

 

3.    When someone tickles you and you laugh so hard you sound like a 5 year old little girl…even if you are a guyJ

 

4.    When I see people helping each other- even in the slightest of ways.

 

5.    The good mood I find most people in today since it is a three day weekend- or maybe it is the hot dogs…or ice cold beer…could be the fireworks.

 

6.    My BF’s family in Ocala- most loving and generous people – always greet you with a hug and a shot of tequila. Salt of the earth!!

 

7.    My life. Exactly where I am, right now. This moment of time when all my successes and failures I greet with a hug and kiss- like old friends- who have both equally been there for me to show me the way.

 

8.    This cute little dog I am sitting for someone- his name is Marvin Gaye- he always looks like he is smiling- which makes me smile every time I see him.

 

9.    When I feel- really feel- love in my heart towards a person- that warm feeling that spreads in my chest-and I can feel myself open- as if my heart is like a convertible that just slowly let its top downJ

 

10. YOU! I love you and thank youJ

 

HAPPY FRIDAY and HAPPY 4th!!!

 

 

What happens in Ocala – stays in Ocala.

 

But if these trees could speak…

 

Nothing like going home… back to your roots.

 

Although – my roots are in Orlando-

 

Ocala was a place I visited at least once a year growing up.

 

It has been many years since I have been back.

 

 My friend Crown Cherry and I rolled into town around 7 pm on Thursday night.

 

As soon as we crossed the state line into Florida I felt that familiar feeling that takes over when you are home… no matter if you have built your home somewhere else.

 

It is a combination of the little girl inside coming out of a groggy-adult induced coma-

 

To the adult inside sliding into a little girl induced comaJ

 

I have never met Crown Cherry’s family- but Crown Cherry is one of my closest friends and I knew that where ever she came from had to be just as good- souled(an amyv wordJ) as she is-

 

And I was right.

 

The night started with some Mexican food and tequila shots-

 

Any person(s) who offers a hug and tequila shot upon first meeting is stellar in my book.

 

It quickly became a tequila themed weekend.

 

Which left me with one question-

 

If you fall in the Ocala forest and there is no one there to hear you- did you really fall?

 

Crown Cherry’s sister- I will call her Lil’ Tequila- and her boyfriend- I will call him Harley- were generous and kind hosts- as well as really, really cool people.

 

Lil Tequila’s son was to be married that weekend- so we were there for the festivities.

 

There were lots of boys- and I call them boys because all though some of them were in the mid to late 20’s? They still had a boy-esque quality about them.

 

One thing about that area- a lot of the kids never leave the area- come up in money- and still live at home with their parents.

 

This combination makes the men seem like…well…boys.

 

I did learn that you may be able to take the boy out of Ocala- but you can’t take the Ocala out of the boy.

 

I learned this the night of the reception-

 

After tequila shots and scotch (I know… I paid for it)-

 

The reception was winding down and I was laughing with Crown Cherry and Harley-

 

At the fact that Harley- in order to keep me and Crown Cherry from being hit on all night- told all the guys that we were lesbian lovers-

Without making us aware of it.

 

I was wondering why they were all staring- was a bit perplexed and thinking to myself – “My God- it’s as if they have never seen a woman before…”-

 

When in actuality they were staring – probably waiting to see a little kiss between me and Crown Cherry.

 

So wrong… but Harley is like Happy Buddha- if you have ever seen that version of Buddha- he just makes you smile and happy.

 

I couldn’t really get mad at him- even though the rumor had spread like an Ocala Forest wildfire.

 

Anyway- I am laughing and look up and see a very cute guy standing there looking at me.

 

I hadn’t seen him up until that point- guess he had just arrived.

 

He didn’t have the Ocala essence to him-

 

Crown Cherry asked me if I found anyone cute there- I told her the one who just walked in- she said “I noticed him too.”

As we were walking into the bathroom Crown Cherry did what any best friend would do- purposely bumped into  him so when he turned around he looked straight at me- as she ran off to the restroom.

 

We started talking- he was older than I had thought- which is a good thing because- I am not sure how well cougars do in the Ocala Forest.

 

We hit it off easily- kind of felt like we had known each other.

How do I describe him?

Confident- bright- and really cute.

 

We all made our way outside to blow bubbles as the bride and groom made their way to the limo.

 

I made Harley clear up his little lie to the boys-

 

They looked confused and rightfully so since by then we were all well on our way to Drunkville (that is just outside of Ocala:).

Cute boy- which I will call Diamond Boy- asked me if we could have a drink-

 

I said sure and we left the reception- ended up going to pick up his three dogs- and head to his lake house.

 

We umm…. Checked out the lake.

 

On the way back to Harley and Lil’ Tequilas- I saw something that felt like I was in the middle of a low budget “Deliverance” type movie.

 

Diamond Boy and I are driving along- really the only people on the road- when we look ahead and see something slowly crawling across the highway-

 

Is it a dear? A bear?

 

No- it is a human being- on all fours- crawling across the highway.

 

We turned around and tried to help him- but he wouldn’t have it.

 

Disturbing…but it wouldn’t be an end to a weekend road trip without something crazy happening…

 

Anyway-

 

 I was tucked into my bed by 4 a.m. with a tequila influenced smile on my face.

 

I woke up the next day to everyone calling me “rock star”…

 

I guess that is better than Cougar.

 

There you have it- another Amy V weekend-

 

Crown Cherry- Lil’ Tequila- Harley and Diamond Boy… thank you for the Ocala experienceJ