Today has been one of those totally spontaneous days. I finished all my deposition-related work at 1:30 a.m. last night. Then early today, Mabel and I went out for our usual morning walk. We returned home at 4 p.m. The sun is out. Temperatures are now in the low 50s; cold, but the recent bitter cold has passed. Another day or two purportedly will begin the rainy season. When we left the house for our walk, I had no intention to be gone all day.
The warmth of the sun, the physical and mental exhaustion from a recent heavy workload now complete, the freedom of not having to be anywhere at any particular time, the movement of the body, the feeling of almost spring in the air, Mabel and I just kept going where our feet led us Forrest Gump-style. On our way, we bumped into one person after another -- some friends and acquaintances and others complete strangers -- and engaged in conversations and laughs with all we encountered. We enjoyed lunch, Lebanese food, with one of my friends.
Late afternoon we returned home, and I had a wonderful feeling of satisfaction, joy, and peace. Mabel too. She looks so content on her bed right now. After a short time to recover from the bliss, I headed out with another friend to participate in an evening of Bhajan and Kirtan, a kind of devotional music, chanting and mantra in Sanskrit, and meditation. Mabel stayed behind, content and sleepy.
Such simple pleasures. Really, just an ordinary day. I had no expectations, no demands, no worries, and therefore, I was able to just absorb and appreciate how lovely and special something so simple can be. My brother believes "simple" also can mean "elegant." Now I understand what he means.
I have no pictures to share of this glorious day because I was so unencumbered that I did not carry my camera, not even my purse. Good thing my friend bought lunch!
Showing posts with label pleasure. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pleasure. Show all posts
11 June 2011
Satisfying Heart, Soul, and Belly in Florence, Italy
You know that sharing my experience and knowledge of Italy in general and Florence in particular is something I love to do, if you have been reading my blog. Every now and then, though, I am embarrassed or disappointed when my sharing does not go off so swell. You know those times when you take your friends or family to a favorite restaurant, but it turns out to be an off night and the service is less than usual and you know your guests are unhappy or even displeased. Perhaps the waiter forgets to place the order of someone's pasta dish, or the food comes out one plate at a time and lukewarm. That type of thing happens, of course; so I become a bit reluctant to share my beloved favorite places. We all do.
The other evening I passed a woman on the street whom I overheard asking in English to her husband, "Should we just ask someone?" I spoke up, as I usually do, and offered my assistance. The woman was delighted and receptive. They wanted to have a good meal, and I sent them to one of my all-time favorite restaurants in Florence. And off they went. I hoped my recommendation would prove just the place they sought...
This morning while Mabel and I were on our morning walk, that woman was standing at the base of Ponte Vecchio on the Oltrarno side staring at me. I didn't recognize her. She spoke up, "You are the woman who sent us to the restaurant for dinner, aren't you?"
Uncertain whether her experience was good or bad, I responded with hesitation, "Most likely. Where did I send you, and how was the food?"
Sweet pleasures
For the love of cappuccino
This morning while Mabel and I were on our morning walk, that woman was standing at the base of Ponte Vecchio on the Oltrarno side staring at me. I didn't recognize her. She spoke up, "You are the woman who sent us to the restaurant for dinner, aren't you?"
Uncertain whether her experience was good or bad, I responded with hesitation, "Most likely. Where did I send you, and how was the food?"
The girls at OSP
She replied that throughout their dinner, she told her family that she wanted to find me and kiss me. The family loved their food, the service, the locale, and the piazza. And they loved that they were the only American family there, or so they believed.
Osteria Santo Spirito
Osteria Santo Spirito is one I happened upon in 2003, my first time in Italy. I was attracted because of the energy and atmosphere, and, all these years later, I keep coming back because the food is that good. It is simple, not fancy, elegant, nor expensive. The food is authentic and, oh, so delicious, though many tourists now know about it. (I am certain the fact that I direct nearly every tourist there that asks me for a dinner recommendation and each friend I take there ends up adopting the trattoria as their own adds to the number of tourists that eat there.)
Amy with risotto zucchini
As we were talking, the rest of her clan showed up - they are a family of 8 from Minnesota - and she told her family, "I found her; I found her. This is the woman that told us where to have dinner two nights ago."
Chitarra
A young girl about 9 years old asked her mother if she had kissed me yet. And the little girl told me she loved her spaghettata (spaghetti meal). I inquired which pasta dish she ordered and realized it was the chitarra (guitar). I explained to her the reason that particular homemade spaghetti is called chitarra is because, when the fresh pasta is being made, it resembles the strings of a guitar as it comes out of the pasta machine. She immediately grasped the connection, and her face lit up having that little bit of new information to take home with her. They all piped in, speaking at the same time, saying they needed me for other recommendations the last two days and wished they had had my phone number.
Mango, fragola, lampone gelato?
Local gelato supporters
Today is their last day in Florence. They asked me about gelato. I volunteered a lesson on the real stuff (gelato, that is) and sent them in the direction of Cantina del Gelato.
Getting coned
The ultimate compliment for me is the genuine feedback I receive and happiness I witness in others as a result of sharing my passion and experience. It's so simple and pleasurable that it makes me want to sing.
02 April 2011
I Came, I Saw, I Conquered
Currently in Los Angeles with many important things to do, today I accomplished an important task of another type: outlet mall shopping. Many of my friends know I have been fiending for the outlet mall, one of a few places I miss in Italy. I am not the average petite Italian size, which makes clothes shopping in Italy a bit of a challenge for me. I was in need of some new clothes.
Jennifer, my oldest girlfriend in the world -- we have been friends since we both were 5, and we have been through a lot together -- and I went to the outlet mall together. We had a blast shopping, reminiscing, sharing stories of what we have been through and what we go through separately and together, helping each other make decisions with blatant honesty as to which clothing fits well and which makes our butts look too big. It is such a joy to spend an entire day with someone so close and who knows the other person so well. Not only was it fun for the two of us, we also definitely brightened the day for many salesclerks, who became a large part of our fun and who had fun along with us two crazy girls.
Look how cute we are in the dressing room in matching sailor outfits. Yes, we each bought our Bobbsey Twin outfits ... only to be worn in two different countries.
With our playful personalities and charm, we were fortunate to have salesclerks who were delighted to play along with us, with all our bantering and teasing. The salesclerks parked themselves in the Esprit store fitting room with us encouraging and enticing more of our goofy fun.
--Josslyn, Camarillo Outlet Mall, California, USA
Jennifer, my oldest girlfriend in the world -- we have been friends since we both were 5, and we have been through a lot together -- and I went to the outlet mall together. We had a blast shopping, reminiscing, sharing stories of what we have been through and what we go through separately and together, helping each other make decisions with blatant honesty as to which clothing fits well and which makes our butts look too big. It is such a joy to spend an entire day with someone so close and who knows the other person so well. Not only was it fun for the two of us, we also definitely brightened the day for many salesclerks, who became a large part of our fun and who had fun along with us two crazy girls.
Look how cute we are in the dressing room in matching sailor outfits. Yes, we each bought our Bobbsey Twin outfits ... only to be worn in two different countries.
With our playful personalities and charm, we were fortunate to have salesclerks who were delighted to play along with us, with all our bantering and teasing. The salesclerks parked themselves in the Esprit store fitting room with us encouraging and enticing more of our goofy fun.
Following his brief war with Pharnaces II of Pontus in 47 BC, Julius Caesar claimed, "Veni, Vidi, Vici." Today, April 1, I came, I saw, I conquered. Caesar's war, whatever. My conquering was a blast!
--Josslyn, Camarillo Outlet Mall, California, USA
30 January 2011
Buona Domenica / Good Sunday
Good Sunday is a greeting said to one another in Italy. Often it is said at the end of a workweek to someone you will unlikely see again until after the weekend has passed. Sunday is the only day of the week addressed in this manner.
Buona domenica. (Days of the week and months in Italian are lower case.) Today, this particular Sunday, is perfect in my little world, a day overflowing with simple pleasures and gratitude. A light rain began late last night and has yet to cease. I am not complaining because I love the rain, and I know before long the heat and humidity will arrive and most likely, too, my lamenting at how I feel like a wilted flower.
Mabel, freshly bathed and with fur fluffier and softer than silk or satin, and I went out this morning for a long walk along the Lungarno. We visited with some of our usual morning contacts. Later I had a few conversations about our plans for the upcoming week. I enjoyed a gentle restorative yoga practice. A bit of homework as well as a bit of work for pay were done in the morning hours. My home is clean and orderly.
Like every other day, I have my list of "Things To Do." I have more work to do, but it is a manageable amount. Many days I am easily distracted and boondoggle the day away in spite of my intentions. And when a day like today comes along where everything is perfectly aligned and I can do whatever I choose without obligations and deadlines looming over my head, often I am too tired, the choices too many, and I become paralyzed, in a sense, as to what is it I really want to do with this "free day" because it is only one day, and there are so many things I could do ... and what happens? I end up doing something unplanned, not even desirable, and fritter away the time. In Los Angeles, I cried for days like today. My life was stressful in corporate America. Even in Italy it can be a struggle to have a day like today.
Not today! I am enjoying a well-balanced, quiet, soul-nurturing day in my home. Sweet Mabel is nearby. She keeps her eyes on me at all times. She makes no demands; she just lets me know she needs and loves me. Loving her is the easiest thing in the world. I feel comfy and cozy inside and out. Comfortable clothes wrap my body. Recently, I have experienced some small mental/emotional/perhaps even spiritual shifts and feel great. Various things need my attention, but there are no major projects that need to be accomplished today. I took a break from my work to come downstairs and read about women that are creative and the space in which they create. Inspirational, instrumental music plays in the background. Periodically, I look up from what I am doing, make eye contact with Mabel, and watch the rain.
Creating a great day, for me, begins with adequate and restful sleep. Since I was a child, I found it difficult to end my days, and the morning is my favorite time of day. Needless to say, I rarely get enough sleep. Last night I had a solid six and a half hours of sleep and woke up feeling like a new person.
Today I am enjoying each and every minute, consciously making the choice of what I want to be doing, free of guilt and anxiety. I feel love and loved and completely at peace and at ease in my own skin. There is no where else I would rather be and no one else I would rather be with in this moment. Today is perfect just the way it is.
My personal experience of this particular Sunday may not sound like much to get excited about, and it may even sound as if I am having a lazy day. But for me, this is what life is about, the simple pleasures, gratitude, love, self-acceptance, conscious choices. Instead of "doing," today is about just simply "being."
To you, I bid a "Buona domenica!"
Buona domenica. (Days of the week and months in Italian are lower case.) Today, this particular Sunday, is perfect in my little world, a day overflowing with simple pleasures and gratitude. A light rain began late last night and has yet to cease. I am not complaining because I love the rain, and I know before long the heat and humidity will arrive and most likely, too, my lamenting at how I feel like a wilted flower.
Mabel, freshly bathed and with fur fluffier and softer than silk or satin, and I went out this morning for a long walk along the Lungarno. We visited with some of our usual morning contacts. Later I had a few conversations about our plans for the upcoming week. I enjoyed a gentle restorative yoga practice. A bit of homework as well as a bit of work for pay were done in the morning hours. My home is clean and orderly.
Like every other day, I have my list of "Things To Do." I have more work to do, but it is a manageable amount. Many days I am easily distracted and boondoggle the day away in spite of my intentions. And when a day like today comes along where everything is perfectly aligned and I can do whatever I choose without obligations and deadlines looming over my head, often I am too tired, the choices too many, and I become paralyzed, in a sense, as to what is it I really want to do with this "free day" because it is only one day, and there are so many things I could do ... and what happens? I end up doing something unplanned, not even desirable, and fritter away the time. In Los Angeles, I cried for days like today. My life was stressful in corporate America. Even in Italy it can be a struggle to have a day like today.
Not today! I am enjoying a well-balanced, quiet, soul-nurturing day in my home. Sweet Mabel is nearby. She keeps her eyes on me at all times. She makes no demands; she just lets me know she needs and loves me. Loving her is the easiest thing in the world. I feel comfy and cozy inside and out. Comfortable clothes wrap my body. Recently, I have experienced some small mental/emotional/perhaps even spiritual shifts and feel great. Various things need my attention, but there are no major projects that need to be accomplished today. I took a break from my work to come downstairs and read about women that are creative and the space in which they create. Inspirational, instrumental music plays in the background. Periodically, I look up from what I am doing, make eye contact with Mabel, and watch the rain.
Creating a great day, for me, begins with adequate and restful sleep. Since I was a child, I found it difficult to end my days, and the morning is my favorite time of day. Needless to say, I rarely get enough sleep. Last night I had a solid six and a half hours of sleep and woke up feeling like a new person.
Today I am enjoying each and every minute, consciously making the choice of what I want to be doing, free of guilt and anxiety. I feel love and loved and completely at peace and at ease in my own skin. There is no where else I would rather be and no one else I would rather be with in this moment. Today is perfect just the way it is.
My personal experience of this particular Sunday may not sound like much to get excited about, and it may even sound as if I am having a lazy day. But for me, this is what life is about, the simple pleasures, gratitude, love, self-acceptance, conscious choices. Instead of "doing," today is about just simply "being."
To you, I bid a "Buona domenica!"
30 October 2010
Getting Close
Here's the thing.
I am a freak for geometry, not in the sense of mathematics -- I did not get beyond pre-algebra -- but in the sense of shapes, patterns, forms, lines, and angles. I love the abstract quality of getting in close to something and seeing its beauty from a different perspective.
When it comes to technology, I am a bit challenged. I have this camera that frustrates me. It has been decided and proven that in the case of my current camera and photography, it is not only the operator that is defective but the camera itself. So it is not completely my fault that my pictures are often not sharp or crystal clear. That being said, the macro feature seems to be working well. And I am pleased with the results of this beautiful little flower.
In the grass grows in abundance these beautiful flowers that are smaller than an inch (< 2.5 cm) in size.
To many, these wildflowers are considered weeds. Weeds are usually thought of as a plant growing in a place not intended or desired therefore having little value. I value these weeds and consider them flowers.
Considering that the flower is so tiny in size and I photographed only a portion of the flower, I like what I see up close.
Simple pleasure.
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