Seniors Seniors Seniors!!!

I gave away a Senior photoshoot at the Gala and over heard a cute little asian lady say, "why would a senior want a picture?" She was talking to her friend, which explained it wasn't an old person, it was a Senior from High School. I got a kick out of that.

Here are a few of my latest coolest kids on the block for 2009...

Oh to only be 18 again....

I'm wearing cowboy boots today and feel great!

Ciao Ya'll.

Pasadena to Doha???

Who would have thought that this little girl from Pasadena Texas that used to dig for crawdeds in the ditches would end up living in the Middle East listening to Muslim prayer calls 5 times a day? I did not plan this! When I was a little girl all I dreamed about was having the nicest husband in the entire world, and a pretty wedding dress.

After that, it was all destiny. I do remember thinking about I would be 40 in the year 2000 and wondering where I would be and how many kids I would have and it all seemed eons away, I was probably ten then.


HELLO 2009!!!

I have been doing a little soul searching lately, realizing there is so much you can live without, and a few simple things that truly make me really happy...

I can live without more than half of my worldly possessions, familiar places, a home to call my own, almost all of my family, and most of my friends. It is not easy but I am doing it. It is a somewhat simpler life here, there are days I am relieved by not having so much to do and so many choices daily, and other days I just want a home again filled with my family, friends and things. Ashlynn thinks I'm BI-POLAR!!! Imagine that!

I adore Trapp candles lit during the day (but you can't buy them here), the touch of my husband, chocolate, giant trees, Ashlynn saying "Thanks Mom" in the morning for her breakfast even if is just cereal, an email from one of my kids or an old friend and freshly planted flowers. All of which are very simple pleasures. All of which are some of the really important things to me. Notice I didn't say fancy cars, money or diamonds.

I crave a great picnic. I love a homemade tuna fish sandwich with Jalapenos outside anywhere in the world that has sunshine and a view and a good friend or two. Not a 5 star hotel restaurant in some exotic location. A good picnic in Doha is hard to come by. The weather is cooler now so be looking for picnic shots in the near future.

I have been trying to find things I am thankful for and keep those grateful thoughts constantly in my head, it is not easy to do here in Doha, especially while missing my three children or driving. In a split instant I become a RAVING LUNATIC CUSSING PHYSCO MENOPAUSAL MOM WITH SUPER HUMAN POWERS DRIVING A 3 TON TANK!!!. BEWARE all white Land Cruisers on AL WAAB Drive! DO NOT JACK WITH ME! Oh my blood pressure is rising just typing these words. It is time for a vacation and I just returned from one.

OK, calm down, back to the simple things in life...
Therapy, Gratitude Therapy... Keeping my mind off all the bad stuff. Traffic being way up on the list.

The expat world is hard at times although it seems so extravagant from the other side. My friend just put her son on a plane back to the states and she knows she won't see him for 6 months. Too many of us can feel her pain. Although I wouldn't trade the experiences we have had to have stayed in Pasadena Texas for 30 years. The world is bigger now. I am the same Sherry Cogbill, but I am a brighter person for the knowledge that I have gained from living in different cultures. And I think I have shared my adventures with some people that genuinely were interested and learned right along with me.

I am not saying my friends who never left Pasadena Texas are any different, I still love them all the same. I just received my South Houston High School 1979 - 30 year reunion invite. THIRTY years! SHeesh... I still feel 18 on occasion, with the 48 yr old body and face. I can't go, it is in September. You know how all the women go sike themselves up on crash diets to try and look like they did 30 years before, maybe I should try that just for fun...

On days when you are dwelling on the past, or negative thoughts which we all get caught up with now and then and can't shake, when you are searching for good things to do or think about, I have a suggestion.

Sit down and write a list of 5 things every morning that you are thankful for in a pretty book. Keep this special book near you. Most days my gratitude journal is of the mundane yet simple pleasures like lit smelly candles, and a baby's smile. It awakens your soul to realize it is not all about the fame, fortune, new dress, popularity, social status, car you drive, Prada handbag, or house you have or even where you live.
It forces you to recognise and be happy with what you've got!

It reminds us to keep the simple good stuff close to our heart.
Therapy ~ Gratitude Therapy!

Lauper Wine Label Project

One of my most wonderful memories of living in Switzerland is everything about a precious lady named Cecile' Lauper and handsome husband Andre'. They are Swiss farmers and about the nicest people on earth.

You see, I am a country girl and living near a farm, vineyards and fields of crops was right up my alley. Although I have never lived on a farm, I have always loved the farm life since I was a child as looked at from the outside peeking in. It is slightly sick but I like the smell of cow dunk. I was raised a city girl I guess, but my soul is screaming tractors, cows, pigs, hay, & manure! (I know what your thinking, yes, I am already full of shit. Whatever....)

Over the years we have helped them cut the grapes during the harvest in late September several times, but mainly just for the pictures. One year Chris helped Cecile' make Paella in the wine yards for the Portuguese harvesters and we have brought many many guests to her pig farm and vineyards. I love this place...

She used to deliver me fresh eggs to my house in Chancy...

I have even put a picture from her fields on a Benvenuto Magazine cover in Milan.

One morning along with Andre' dad, I witnessed a cow being born in the field, and they named her Sherry. I even bought her a real Swiss cow bell with her name on it, but later it was given back to me, I think they ate her.

The Laupers are amazing, they work harder than any one I know. They grow and produce about 8 different kinds of wine. They have recently planted new grapes and in the near future are going to produce a sparkling wine but they can not call it Champagne.

It is like a Fairytale world.

The Lauper Chateau, Chalet, Villa or whatever you want to call it, was built about 400 years ago. It is fabulous. I have photographed this house for over 10 years inside and out. Even did a sexy calander for Andre' for their anniversary but won't show those images...

Here is the evolution of the wine label as it stands today... Plenty room for changes and improvements, we have a year before it is available to drink. It just so happened to be snowing while I was there this year. Kinda nice touch for a celebration type wine.
The name of the grape is Clairette, But we need a name...

Any ideas?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Welcome back to Patrizi's Earth... We have had a terrific time in Europe this Holiday Season. The highlights were not the gifts we received, places we went, desserts we ate but the friendships and family time.

Ashlynn's 17th Birthday - Orvieto Italy. One of my favorite places on the planet.

Christmas Day after mass with families La Fratta, and Loevy's in Montefeggetsi... Needless to say we filled up the tiny Italian church.

Being together was the greatest feeling of all. Now I'm starting to understand my Mother more and more everyday. There is no greater feeling on Earth than your children all surrounding you. Not even baby cows and black Lindt Swiss chocolate balls are better.

Our first lunch together in Rome - Paninis YUM!

Although other than my four kids, the people we were with all season were not actually blood relatives, the incredible friendships we have together is bound by wonderful strong ties that over time has become more like family, and sometimes even better. The pictures of our Holiday sprinkled on this post is all about faces, real people, true friendship, and love of family.


Although we all truly missed our real families, especially those no longer with us but we made the best of our times together.

New Years Eve in the Chalet, La Clusaz France... Snowing outside.

It is time to get busy in 2009... My New Years Resolution is.... hummmmm. Well, I haven't made one. Of course it is to be a better person, read more, call my Mother more often, exercise daily, go to church even if it is at the crack on Friday morning, eat less chocolate (dang, did I say that?), work harder, continue to learn, gripe less, give more of myself to others, smile, suck in my stomach, don't be a physco Mom, be nice to the Arabic drivers, WHOA, HOLD ON, NOW WAIT A MINUTE, Maybe not the last one....

LIFE IS GOOD!

In general I am hoping 2009 will bring wonderful things to everyone I know.

OK gotta go, Going to the gym with a business card and a book, eating a granola bar and praying on the way holding my breath with my belly button sucked to my back, and smiling.... and I'm in a good mood....

Happy 2009....

Sher

Soon to be a family again...

I would like to get all sentimental, discuss the true meaning of Christmas, how blessed we are and have a amazing moving blog entry mentioning all my loved ones... But I can't think... I am so excited, anxious and can not concentrate right now to even write one cleaver sentence. I leave tonight for Italy to meet my other kids. We will all be a complete family again in less than 24 hours. YEA!!!

My bags are packed, presents wrapped with pillow cases cut in half, tied with pretty lightweight ribbon and a cute dated ornament dangles from each one. I hope you all paid attention to that, it is one of the smartest ideas on the entire planet. They should write a article in Hints from Heloise about this. It is environmentally suave, GREEN... Reusable, takes 5 minutes to wrap 20 gifts, all good. Make them whimsical or fancy... Just wished I would have thought about it when the kids were young, instead Chris and I would lock ourselves in my room for undetermined amount of hours with sore backs, rolls and rolls of paper, (coordinating of course), untwisting that paper ribbon or those stupid K-mart bows. How wasteful. Try this and you will love me forever... Plus it is real cute under the tree. Looks like Santa just dropped in.

We have planned every last detail. All I need now is a seat on the plane and a nice sip of wine on Qatar Airways, which is by far the best airline in the world.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We hope and pray that all of you reading this have a blessed holiday with those you love... Enjoy each moment, listen to the music, taste the peppermint bark, embrace the giggles, read the bible story, go to church, lite a candle in honor of someone that is no longer with us, give to the needy, eat an oyster, make that weird stuff called eggnog, what is eggnog anyway? Just have a wonderful few weeks.


As for me, I will be laughing with my 4 beautiful almost grown children and my heart will be full.



I wish for you a full heart too.

This is the Amir waving goodbye to me as I fly away...

We can't get there fast enough...

See ya next year -
CIAO!!!