Martannasmimi’s Weblog


Now, this is winter….
January 15, 2009, 8:13 pm
Filed under: Uncategorized

YouTube – St John Honeymoon Beach   

This is a favorite of mine.   It is one of the most beautiful  beaches that John &  I  visit in late February.

At times we have been the only ones there for hours

I have never seen more then 10 people at this beach.

True paradise.

 St. John Island USVI…just a 10 minute walk thru a bit of jungle along the wild donkey path (they’re friendly) from where we stay…

Enjoy ……



Christmas…Estonia…home… whew!
January 15, 2009, 7:47 pm
Filed under: Uncategorized

img_0863It’s been so long since I have written on this blog. For months my life has been in a state of constant motion and this is the first week that I have had a clear moment to put fingers to keyboard. My 2009 resolution is to say “no”. I will not Chair the House Tour  for 1800 of the nicest folks. I will spend some time centering myself  and re-directing my energy inward. For years Christmas has been a huge blur,  this year it seems as if it barely exsisted.  This years Christmas tree was possibly the most beautiful one we have ever had…yet I barely looked at it.  I prepared Christmas dinner for 25 and as much as it is always crazy,  there is a quiet  joy in knowing that I was once again able to assemble all of these family members under one roof  for 6 hours.  After the clean up  I spent the next day feeling like I had been in a car wreck,  yet this is no accident ..I do this on purpose. I wonder what the future will bring. I wonder if Justin Epp and girls will be here for Christmas 2009.  Our family will grow …and I have the only family within  my own family that is so fragmented…How will that effect my future, our future. The thought of being the appendage…to my own  family is a bit weird for me.. I always thought that my kids who were raised with the Italian mantra of  “family first” would always be near.. It is quite a foreign (no pun) concept for members of our family to be left alone and apart from one another.  I guess that lifestyle must have genetically descended from my husbands family.  Who never talk and never gather unless there is a crises of some kind. I guess  I have this what should I do with the rest of my life issue going…a late mid life crises “what do I do when I grow up?

I am grown up..so now what do I do?

OMG this was supposed to be about holidays and Estonia and I descended down this personal path of discontent.

How was Estonia…???

I braved the flight especially the one on the plane/school bus from Helsinki to Tallinn,  to be there for my Marta’s 5 th birthday. She wasn’t told I was coming because I felt that it would be difficult to keep her from counting every moment and that if something happened she would be so disappointed.  She was told that her father was picking up a gift (on 12/29) at the airport from Mimi.  She checked in by cell twice to make sure that the “gift ” was in the car and on it’s way. When we arrived  (lets not include Justin’s near death car, in this story) she was told that her present was at the front door..

When she opened the door her mouth dropped,  her eyes opened so wide and she said in amazment  ” Mimi…it’s Mimi,   is it really you” (as if I was a hologram)  “yes it is  I said “why are you here ? ” ( I said for your birthday!! …This was followed by lots of hugging and jumping,   it went on for minutes that I will cherish for the rest of my life.  Little Anna was happy as well and threw up her arms to be picked up…Oh what a moment of pure joy it was…and yes for all you  parents she did ask me where her present was. It was good that although they lost one of my bags they managed lose the one with the clothes… but not the presents from my family.

Epp and Justin live very differently from me but I thoroughly enjoyed my time with them …they were so warm and accommodating and tried so hard to make my stay with them a happy one.  I enjoyed meeting Helen Riinu’s mom and Marta’s good friend Riinu and her little brother Partel and Maarts (sp) their father. The spa day was fun and interesting but I cannot seem to enjoy the winter view from the warm spa …you need to have been raised to appreciate winter …and I am not a big fan of winter. It was good to see family Elo, Simona, Epp’s Dad, stepmother and brothers…Ave-Liss my Estonian daughter… Randi, who is so warm and always makes me feel so welcome as does Helina, Maarja and their family …the Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken and sweet Helen with the beautiful hair.    What a nice family you all are.

The days went by so quickly and Marta spent her nights with me,  sometimes waking up in the middle of the night to hug tight and touch my face and say “I love you Mimi” as if to make sure I was truly there.  My 10 days was quickly over,  although Marta kept telling me I still had 3 more days.. It all came to an end at the airport with hugs and tears…for Marta & me.  I guess we are very much the Drama Queen & Princess  that her parents say we are…but I when you’re Italian,  and you have very deep feelings, and are able to express them,  it might appear to some …to be a bit dramatic. I hope one day little Annabella will be able to express her feelings in a bigway …….then we can be all be very dramatic “Italian princesses “ together forever….

I miss you my babies….