Jelly Ham and Cheese does Dallas

So I took this ITR trip on a Saturday, just like I had with Florence and Milan…these trips worked out fabuolous for me bc they take care of everything and all I had to do was just be on the bus at the certain time..this time is was very early!!!

It only took us about 3 hours to cross over into the borders of Switzerland, and bc I was on a bus with about 50 other people they didnt make us get off and check our passports, so I was kinda sad that I didnt get mine stamped! boo-hoo!

On the way to Lugano, we did pass Lake Como (it was the lake that George Clooney found and loved during the making of Ocean’s 12, and he now has a villa in the mountains, but Lake Como was also in the movie)

While I was there, we went on a morning tour and saw some more chapels I will not bore you with that..bc actually I was getting bored myself…but I did find some neat pics of the city and of the moutains and the water…When we were leaving to go to a Chocolate factory, we saw a plane drop out paratroopers into the water and then small boats go and pick them up.  We also saw helicopters coming and using these buckets to get water from the lake and try to burn out a fire that was started, it was some sort of Military demonstration..

here are my pics: click on them to make them bigger

and here is my fav…this just goes to show you how much they try to be Americans!

So friends…as you all know, I have been living with Lauren Kearney here in Italy on an Army post…so technically I am an honorary Army Wife….except I am missing the Army hubby…well I have learned that there is a website that the men write on, telling us what they need and want…They can ask for certain things, and leave contact information… THIS IS HOW THEY GET THE NECESSITY’S THAT WE TAKE FOR GRANTIT AT THE LOCAL WALMART/ TARGET…

Here is just an example I found of someone asking for the smallest things, but yet it would make a huge difference for their everyday life:

Baby wipes would be appreciated, as well as snacks, beef jerky, canned soup, tuna packs, anything instant (coffee-just add water, hot chocolate)chips, crackers, cookies. Hot hands, hand warmers.

it is getting cold..very cold there, and Dan (Laurens hubby) has asked for some things…I am going to include the link to the web site, but you must find him by his last name…he has also written about him and his men, and he aslo has pictures so you can get an idea of what it is like out there for them…

http://www.anysoldier.com/WhereToSend/

(look up in alphabetical order CPT Daniel Kearney to the left hand side)

Also here are some other men (who I have been spending time with their wives here in Italy that also have links to this site)

CPT John Page ( he is company commander for Legion Company)

Michael P. Moad (he is a over a plattoon for Battle Company, the one that Dan is over)

CPT John Thyng (He is also another company commander to Fusion Company here from Italy)

OR please feel free to search this website and find anyone/plattoon/company to send too…I was just highlighting these men bc I know their wives so well, but there are so many people in need over there, and they are depending on US to send it to them. I am going to make it a personal goal for myself to keep up with this website and send a box each month! how hard is that to pick up a few items that THEY NEED, and mail them!

Thanks you all so much…I hope that you can help out a bit, I know the guys who are away from their families would def. appreciate any of these things….I am not trying to make you feel guilty, but Lauren, myself, and her ladies in her company helped pack about 50 boxes to send to the guys, and it felt so good to know that I was making a difference and sending some love and care packages to our guys who are fighting!!!! Thanks again, Gilly

A few weeks ago, Dan (who is company commander) had 3 more soldiers die in a one week time period.  It is so sad to hear that these young men, who are usually under the age of 25 are being killed.  I have heard some terrible war stories about these men who have passed away and to think of their families and spouses. It is just sad. So last Friday we went to another memorial like the one I have told you about earlier on my blog and none of these men had families there, but many of Dan’s wounded soldiers were there sitting in the front rows.  Of course they were upset seeing that the men they had to leave because they were injured are now being injured and they are dieing. And you know how I get upset about seeing men cry.

 Dan and his men are in a very scary area of Afganistan and because now I have met most of the wives of his men, it makes it hard to know that the loves of their lives are in such bad territory. Please keep them in your prayers.

here is a link that you can see of the memorial that shows on our tv as a tribute to the guys.

http://www.afneurope.net/Vicenza/Article.asp?PT=Vicenza+NEWS+YOU+CAN+USE&id=508790

Again, please continue to pray for all in our Military. Thanks

hey we are having technical difficulties at Laurens’ house with the internet so I havent been able to post anything recently. so I am still having a great time and getting to see great things, I just cant use this web site for some reason at her house. I am now at the library on post. so maybe it will either start working soon, or I may just have to set up camp in here to tell you all about our new adventures and some that will be happening pretty soon, Florence, Milan, Switzerland! coming to a blog near you…Have a great day…Gilly

just wanted you all to know that is has been confirmed that the "noises" I was hearing was indeed FIREWORKS and NOT BOMBS…. HA HA those silly Italians..!!!

ok again this will be the third time I have tried to write this story and to send it…so after this try I WILL NOT TRY AND TELL YOU THIS STORY!!!! ha ha

Ok let me start this story by telling you that I am currently living in an army military neighborhood. That means that Italian Guarda and Army guards are waiting at our entrance every minute of each day! They are armed with built proof vest and guns… Just to come onto "post" one must have a military ID or since I do not have an military ID, I had to get special approval to even  be here, and I therefore have to keep up with a piece of paper and my passport for each and every time I come onto post or go into the neighborhood.

Let’s paint a picture- the front of our neighborhood where the guards stay is surrounded by big huge orange concrete baracades that are set up in a sort of a maze that you have to drive around in order to get to the guards. The you have to show your ID and I have to show my Passport (which isnt a very good picture by the way) and then they allow you access to go thru. There are some guards that actually recognize me each time we come thru and make comments like "wow you ladies sure do come in and out alot", so I call those men my "Italian guard boy friends" 

When you are finally on post, we are surrounded by a big fence with barbed wire and razor wire, so I feel very safe inside. The Military Police are guarding us like hawks, so I know we are safe!

I feel safe until this story: So yesterday I was in the post office and I overheard some women talking about how they were going to celebrate Halloween early and how they were planning on attending a festival ( and in Italy everything has a festival, each town gets so excited about something and then they celebrate it…such as in one town near us, they have a festival for when the cows come home from being somewhere else..I dont get it, but they have arts and crafts, and a parade where the cows themselves walk thru the streets and the streets are lined with people taking pictures and such and we thought gold rush was crazy ha ha…well I saw pictures of the cows coming home and I dont really think I missed much!) sorry so back to the festival they were going to attend one.

so as I was just getting to sleep last night around 11 pm I keep being awoken by big bomb sounds….I am starting to get very worried and scared at the same time thinking, "the Italian guarda has let me down and we are going to die"….these bombs were going off and on, and then I was even thinking about waking up Lauren because I was scared, but then the phone rang. So not to be debbie downer but I really thought something was going down…and that someone was calling us to take cover or something…but again I dont know who I thought was going to do this…

So I have convienced myself that at the festival they got really excited and started celebrating with fireworks…Many fireworks…Fireworks for over 30 minutes with the grand finale being at 11:45 pm. I looked out the window but I didnt see anything. oh well I at lease convienced myself so I could get back to sleep!

 A side note: for any of you who are worried about my being here in Italy, I have never felt at the least bit a harm. I feel very safe that my personal Italian Guarda boyfriends are taking good care of me and Lauren and baby Danny! So do not worry about that…