on gratitude

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving. I was mixing up a pumpkin pie cake that morning in the bowl above. I love that bowl. I set down the whisk to turn on the oven, and when I looked back at the bowl, happiness swept over me. I was grateful for the bowl, the colors inside of it, my dog laying on the floor, the sunlight filtering in through the curtain, The Splendid Table playing on the radio, the pumpkin-scented candle beside me, my daughter, landing soon at the airport.

Where does gratitude live? Maybe in the ordinary moments, when you notice every detail and catch yourself breathing slowly to memorize this second. Gratitude often seems as skittish as a feral cat, but the more I seek it, the more it elbows its way into my brain, crowding out the less-useful thoughts, like worry. This has surprised me. 

I'm finding the more I think about good things, the more good things seem to crop up. Not outlandish things, like winning the lottery or suddenly waking up with a skinny waist (let's get real, people),but small things, like beautiful golden leaves falling from a tree, a lush sunset, or the scent of baking bread. I try to stay alert to these minor wonders and to specifically ponder three of them each night as I fall asleep. I got this idea out of a book. Sounds corny, but it has altered my thinking profoundly, kind of like planting seeds which slowly take root and grow. Who knew gratitude was so powerful? The mysteries of life are endless. That's the best part. 

mad skills

Below is a shot of Venice, taken from St. Mark's square looking across the canal. Between the church, the Doges Palace and the Palazzo Ducale (the former royal residence), this area was my favorite in Venice, except for the Peggy Guggenheim Collection museum. 

The shot to the right below is Venice along the canal. Love that combo of colors. The one to the left is from Sorrento, Italy at La Sorgente, which is an olive and lemon farm where we did an olive oil tasting. That freshly-pressed olive oil is like liquid sunshine. The flavor is so intense and robust, nothing like the stuff I typically get in the grocery store. So, now, I have a new appreciation for olive oil, which borders on obsession. Not that I needed a new food to obsess over, what with my ice cream, Stilton cheese, coffee, cranberries and granola fascinations already keeping me busy. Where does one sign up to be a professional food appreciator? I've got mad skills in that department, which, sadly, seem to be the highlight of my skill set. 

Oh, oh, oh. I almost forgot. QG and I started watching Breaking Bad. Just as we are always a few steps behind on technology, we are late to the table on this show. The good part, though, is that we have lots of seasons to burn through in extended sessions of hunkering down in front of the TV for hours on end, which is my idea of a perfect life. Especially when combined with snacks and simultaneous crocheting. Enjoy your Thanksgiving! Don't forget to be a slacker and relax.

salubrious salutations

I've been thinking about words a lot lately, and one particular adjective never fails to usher cheer straight into my being. Salubrious. Try it. Say it slooowwly. Say it again. Nice, huh? 

Part of the joy of this word is its goofy, cockeyed sound, like a drunken sailor about to tumble over. This word is no prig. It is chill, yet attentive in its efforts to promote well being. It describes anything wholesome or restorative, like a big bowl of chicken soup, a vat of coffee, or a kind comment. 

When you find yourself feeling low, think of the word salubrious. Then treat yourself in a salubrious manner. Think hot baths, cheese and crackers, herbal tea, nature walks, whatever you like. Think boldly loving yourself exactly as you are, even if you're not as perfect as you'd planned on being. Who is? Who cares? Foibles are interesting. We are all just beginners practicing this life the best way we can. Namaste.

flotsam

Exciting news on the bargain-hunting front. Don't know about you, but I love to hear about other people's finds. Gives me a vicarious thrill, and inspires me oh so much. So, I share this to inspire you. Just doing my share to help humanity. 

Yesterday, I was driving past Goodwill and felt my car turning, of its own volition, into the parking lot, even though I've been trying to eschew collecting more junk of late, due to my severe de-cluttering efforts. I have a split personality: I want to be all sparse and Zen with nothing but a yoga mat and a rock to sleep on. On the other hand, stuff is so cute and comforting. Yesterday was not a Zen day, so I took a walk through Mecca once my car had taken me there. 

Found this heavenly leather jacket. Yes, I collect leather jackets, but only soft ones that fit perfectly. This one feels like butter, and is in perfect condition. I had to rescue it. For $19.99, it was pricey for Goodwill, but worth it. My precious! 

Also got this Italian silk/wool blend scarf for $1.59. And speaking of Italy, I'll have lots more pictures of that stunning place, and Spain as well, soon as I can work on them.


The shot at the top is my neighbors tree the other morning. I was walking Jamiewoo the wonder dog, and had to zoom back to the house to get my camera soon as I saw this glorious tree. The saturation on this photo has not been enhanced: these were the actual colors of tree and sky. I basically climbed into the tree as if it were a tent. Thrilling nature - gotta love it.

At bottom are the dried cranberries I made yesterday. The new method worked great, and it only took seven and a half hours. Yum.

i heart cranberries

Have you noticed how plump and vibrant cranberries are this year?  I had to make cranberry relish for a luncheon last week and in the process, I fell in love. They are delish and tart, and the color is so pretty. They've been on sale for a buck a bag this week at Aldi, so I decided to buy a ton and try to dehydrate them. The experiment did not work as planned, but I made a discovery or two anyhow.

I took 7 cups of berries, washed and dried them, then blanched them in a 2 cup water, 2 cup sugar mixture which was simmering temperature, but off of the heat element. This was my plan to make them a little sweet. Then I placed them spaced apart so as not to touch on the dehydrator racks. A few of the berries popped when blanching, but most were still intact. I estimated they would need 6 to 8 hours in the machine based on the time apples take, as the dehydrator instructions did not include cranberries in the time estimates.

Seven hours later, the berries barely looked any different. Ten hours later a little shrinking had occurred. I checked them every couple hours and the progress was glacial. Finally, at 22 hours, the berries were much smaller, but still very moist inside. I called it a day and gave up. A few of the berries did dry out, these were the ones that had popped, so I guess the skins of these babies really work to hold in the moisture.

So as not to waste the berries, I took out the dried ones and put the rest in a pot with a little water, red wine, ground cinnamon, minced crystallized ginger, sugar, and vanilla extract to simmer for about 45 minutes. I strained this through a colander to get the skins out, as they were tough after all they'd been through. I ended up with 1 and 1/3 cups of cranberry paste, and 1/3 cup of dried. The best part, though is the paste is heavenly. The flavor is soooo dense and fresh. I put a little on my morning yogurt with granola and it is a perfect marriage of flavors. It would also be great on ice cream, french toast, or any number of things.

Tomorrow I will try again with the berries. This time I'll slice them in half and use two parts sugar to one part water for the blanching liquid to see if I can get a tad more sweetness. Wish me luck!

mosaics, movies, and a TED talk

I hope you enjoyed your weekend. QG and I cleaned out both attics, did yoga, cooked, watched movies, ate out with friends, and went to Half price Books and Trader Joe's: a perfect weekend. Also, I did a cranberry experiment, which I'll tell you about tomorrow. I am deep into a cranberry obsession. It involves a mission.

For now, I want to share these two photos. They're from the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia in Ravena, Italy: a town famous for its mosaics. This particular site was, by far, my favorite of all of the mosaics there. It's the oldest (built it 417), best preserved and most visually arresting of the lot. I could not get enough of staring at the ceiling of this entryway (top picture). If QG had not dragged me out, I'd still be there. The picture at bottom is the southern lunette area. That was pretty incredible, too. Every bit of the ceiling in that place is covered in tiny mosaic tiles perfectly placed to shine most alluringly. So thrilling. I've added mosaic artist to the list of things I want to be one day.

We watched two great movies this weekend, both available on instant Netflix. The first, called Haute Cuisine, is  French film about Hortense Laborie, who spent two years as the personal chef for President Mitterrand of France in the late eighties. I love movies involving interesting people and luscious food: this covers both in spades. You don't want to miss it.

The second movie was Beauty is Embarrassing: The life and Times of Artist Wayne White. Again, a fascinating gem not to be missed. Wayne is so unpretentious and low key, you almost feel like you've gotten to become his friend by the end of the movie. Really. Wayne and I are tight now. You'll see what I mean. Mostly, though, I found his dedication to his art so inspiring.

I am always listening to TED talks, and I heard one lately that everyone should hear. It's called On Humanity by Chris Abani. Check it out. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll ponder it for days.

laundry line

This shot is from Dubrovnik. Isn't there something so lovely about laundry hanging on a line? This was in the middle of the village where tons of tourists gaze down from atop the wall above. Ordinary life happens in the middle of the commerce and showiness. How refreshing.

No matter how much I strive to get my act totally together or accomplish something "important.' I am just an ordinary, imperfect person who enjoys doing laundry and organizing closets, and who occasionally runs late, no matter how much I try not too. Enjoy this day with all of its flaws.

beauty seeps in

The thing about experiencing true beauty is that I feel like it brightens my insides in some mysterious way to become a part of me accessible in memory. I carry this picture around in my head. It is a spot in Tuscany outside of the Albergaccio Machiavelli restaurant, which is in the building where Machiavelli was exiled to, and from where he wrote The Prince. We ate in that place and had antipasto of local sausages, cheese, olive oil, tomatoes, and bread. Next was pasta, ravioli, wine and more wine. Then cheesecake. This was after a morning of wine tasting. Next, in Pisa we devoured gelato. I started that day in jeans that fit comfortably, but by nightfall those jeans could barely button. Lesson learned: when you go to Italy, bring elastic waist pants.

This shot is along the Grand Canal in Venice. There's something so enchanting about the water and those old buildings twisting all together in that space filled with slanted light.

This is in the park at Montjiuc in Barcelona. We wandered through this area at the end of our last full day in that city after walking for eight hours straight through museums and parks. I drank in this refreshing yet cozy green world and a speck of me is still there.

random vacation shots

I am still catching up on household stuff and deadlines, so will have lots more vacation photos soon. Sadly, I spent another hour and a half on the phone with AT&T yesterday straightening out the stuff the guy did on my previous two and a half hour call. He somehow charged me double last month. Oy. Why do these things happen to me? Anyhow, Shamika, the gal I talked to yesterday, was super-nice and I think we have everything straightened out now.

Here are a few random shots I worked on today. When I am travelling, I get obsessed with watching every sight and person I can see to look for interesting stuff, like this statue in Barcelona. Love that art. QG, apparently, found inspiration as well. What a ham!

Oh my Lordie, have you ever seen a smaller car? This was in Ravena, Italy. My buddy Pat beside the car is barely over five foot, so this thing is like a clown car for tiny folk.

It was interesting that in all of Italy and Spain, I rarely saw women pushing strollers, but lots of men were. I especially liked this dude because of his hot pink underpants. This cute older Asian couple were getting their Tai Chi flow on at the park on our last morning.

 Also, in Barcelona we saw loads of vibrant graffiti and hanging meat legs everywhere.

I'm sorry. I tried to resist taking this shot. I really did. But she kept walking in front of me and I had to watch the whole world rubberneck in her wake as I innocently tried to photograph the Gaudi buildings. I wondered if she might be one of the real housewives of New York, as the accent was def Big Apple.

beautiful strangers

QG and I had a cool experience in Dubrovnik, Coatia on Halloween day. After a two-hour jaunt atop the entire wall of this walled city peering out over low, frail railings to huge drop offs which could kill one were one to stubble walking across the narrow uneven cobblestone behind said inadequate railings, we flung ourselves back down the dozens of steps into the storybook-like city in search of refreshment. In other words: it was lunchtime and we had worked up an appetite. We asked a local shopkeeper where he typically lunched (always a good idea). and were directed to an obscure establishment called Konoba Pup on a random side street.


Oh my Lordie, talk about good eatin'. But I get ahead of myself. So we wander over to the restaurant and are frantically perusing the posted menu trying to figure out if we have enough kuna, the Croatian currency, to get lunch, as we are doubting if the place takes charge cards. It is a close call whether the kunas we have will feed us, and we are literally tallying up what we will order to see if we can eat there. My brow may have been furrowed in concentration. I'll admit that.

So this dude with long hair held back by a brown plastic headband exactly like the ones I used to wear in fifth grade ambles up to us, hands clasped behind his back, to inquire if he could help us. QG pipes up,"Aaahhh, we were wondering whether you accept charge cards."

The dude looks stern. He steps closer, within a few inches of QG's eyes, raising his right hand with a flourish. "Yes we do, but only if you abide by my rule."

We wait, open mouthed, for his next words, but he stops and stares at us, smiling. "What rule?" we say in unison.

"You must not be so serious. That is not good. You must relax, smile and enjoy. Life is too short to be stressed or worried. For now, you enjoy."

I could tell the dude was not being flippant or trite. He was a man on a mission. So we sat down to enjoy the meal of our lives. Every savory bite packed with flavor. I got the Dubrovnik style chicken, which included tender potatoes and a sauce laced with smoky pork and herbs. QG got a spicy chicken cacciatori which was heaven on a plate.

Throughout the meal, our buddy and server, who I think was actually the owner, chatted with us exposing his philosophy of enjoying life. I mean, this guy was truly trying to teach me something, I could feel his sense of urgency, and I was all ears, because I know I can be too serious and over-think things, even though I try not to. By the end of the meal, I asked if I could take his photo so I could always remember his philosophy. He reluctantly agreed, but only if it was of us both, so here is the shot.

After that, he revealed that he'd been in the Croatian war in the nineties, and it had changed him. When he finally got to return home from the fighting, he realized how precious life is and that that every moment is meant to be enjoyed while you can. This dude is a beautiful person. I truly will always remember him, and can honestly say that he has significantly impacted my life. Interesting how important beautiful strangers can be to one's life's course.

Bella Venice

QG and are finally back. We went to a bunch of places in Europe, and I hope to show you lots of them, but today is about Venice, Italy. Maybe you have been there. If not, I hope you get to go someday.

To tell the truth, I didn't think that much about Venice before we went. Canals, boats, whatever... I pictured myself wandering around in wading boots. It just goes to show how ignorant one can be, and by one, I mean me. Venice is magical, so beautiful with the light shimmering off the water, and the funky mix of ocher, salmon and mold-green like no other locale. I can't explain the mystique of this place, but I could happily wander the streets for at least a year, taking pictures and learning. You see, the Italians love to savor and enjoy each moment. Wine with every meal (except breakfast), gelato, coffee, and "piano, piano, piano," (meaning slowly) as one of our Italian tour guides said repeatedly throughout our day. Hmmm... wine, gelato, coffee, meandering. I could get used to that as a lifestyle. Tomorrow, I will tell you a story about Croatia.