Archive for the ‘flowers’ Category
Dreaming About the Meaning of Life
I had a different post planned for today (come back tomorrow for more Sicilian adventures–sneak preview in my Flickr set!), but this morning I woke up after having a most interesting exchange with a random bearded man in un sogno–a dream.
In italiano.
We were in a souvenir store, and he was near the back listening to my conversation with the woman clerk about what I’m doing in Calabria.
He walked towards us, rubbing his hands together, turned to me, and said:
Cara signorina, mi dice, tra un Papa e un povero,
chi passa la vita migliore?
[Dear miss, tell me, between a Pope and a poor man,
who lives the better life?]
I paused, looked up to my left then into his dark eyes, and responded:
Caro Signore, questa non è la domanda.
La domanda è . . . chi ha apprezzato la vita di più?
[Dear sir, that’s not the question.
The question is . . . who has appreciated life more?]
When I told P about my dream and he said simply, “Hai risposto giusto.”
You answered correctly.
With all of this churning through my head, I took off for my morning walk with the pooches, and guarda!
The first margherita of the season:
Life is good.
Have a fabulous week my peeps.
Buona Festa della Donna: Happy International Women’s Day!
* Have you joined The Ultimate Blog Party? See my welcome post here! *
Today is March 8, a day to celebrate women around the world (except, ironically, in the United States where the whole thing started).
For more on how International Women’s Day is celebrated in Italy, read my post from last year: Love Thursday: Celebrating Women.
I couldn’t let the day pass without giving my fellow women some mimosa, the international symbol of the day. As I wrote last year, the mimosa around here blooms too early to still be around for La Festa della Donna, but this year, P thought ahead.
He brought me some mimosa for Valentine’s Day, climbing to the top of the tree (as told to me by witnesses) for what he insisted were the best, and now these are actually hanging to dry:
Yes, because I’m so classy, I displayed them in an old Brasilena bottle on the fireplace.
And why yes, that *is* a vase just behind them. I’m classy *and* a bit ironic apparently. And a lot paesana.
But don’t they just look at home in the bottle?
Happy International Women’s Day fellow women!
almond blossoms mean never having to say you’re sorry (sort of)
My grandparents were bickerers.
Together, they were one of those couples that couldn’t have a normal conversation about anything without snipping, snapping, growling, or worse. I’m sure you know one of these couples. Maybe you’re even in one.
Sure there was love between them, but their expression of that love left a lot to be desired for me personally. Worked for them, apparently, so more power to them.
I decided early on, though, that I didn’t want to have that sort of relationship (does anyone really *want* that?) but we all have to accept that arguing (sometimes in “outdoor voices”) is a part of life, especially in close personal relationships.
But it’s how we deal with those arguments that matters.
P and I are going on three years together and for us, it’s a continual learning process, and I hope it always stays that way. We’re both becoming better at not taking out bad moods on the other and with talking through our true feelings–those feelings underlying what *seems* to be the problem but really has nothing to do with much of anything.
But we’re not perfect. And thank goodness for the first almond blossoms of the season when one of us is less perfect than the other.
Just so you know, though, P *does* bring me the first almond blossoms of the season even when things are peachy keen. See here.
Difficult times always create opportunities for you
to experience more love in your life.
~ Barbara de Angelis
Happy Love Thursday,
and may you pass all of your relationship tests with flying colors.
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[tags] love, amore, love thursday, almond blossoms, blossoms, almonds, mandorla, flowers, barbara de angelis[/tags]
Finding Fall in Southern Italy
I grew up in the mountains of Pennsylvania, so finding fall was as easy as walking out the front door anytime after late September (and sometimes even before). From the unmistakable chill in the air to the red, orange, yellow, and brown leaves hanging onto the trees for as long as they could keep their grip, fall always found me.
Here in southern Italy, it’s not so easy. Yes, our temps get cooler and some trees even manage to lose their leaves, but you have to pay attention. You have to really look; blink and you’ll miss it. Fall can easily pass you by–and that would be tragic for me as it’s my favorite season.
Fall here, though, isn’t all about things dying as there’s a lot of new growth too. I mentioned the citrus fruits the other day, but there are also some flowers who are just making their appearance as well.
So while I miss fall from back home, I have an all new fall to appreciate here. I found her yesterday.
And she sure is pretty.
Today I’m thankful for: Please see above photos.
Nespole – Loquat Blossoms in Calabria
While walking with the pooches yesterday morning, I came face to bark with a tree that had seemingly blossomed overnight. I certainly didn’t remember it so full of life the day before. Where was I looking?
I don’t know about the day before, but now I see a truly gorgeous tree with lovely thick, strong, furry leaves and sweet-smelling, bellissimi blossoms:
Anyone know or care to guess what kind of tree bears such blossoms?I *know* some of you know.
Today I’m thankful for:
Citrus season! It’s starting now and by Christmas, we’ll be inundated with lemons, oranges, and clementines. And I love me some clementines.
Isn’t Mother Nature wonderful that she gives us these sweet, juicy, bursting-with-color treats smack dab in the dead of winter?
Genius.
Michelle Kaminsky is an American attorney-turned-freelance writer who lived in her family's ancestral village in Calabria, Italy for 15 years. This blog is now archived.
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