A Country You Carry in Your Pocket

A country you carry in your pocket,

stays there as forgotten as pocket lint

but filters your perceptions, marks you plain when 

you walk through the world, it's not only you,

your country is in your pocket, carried lightly

or heavy in its heft, gravid as you meet others

with other countries in their pockets.

Posted too late for Mama Zen's Flash Fiction 55 over in the Garden so here it is for Kerry's Open Link instead. Inspired by Brian at the dVerse Poets Pub who shared the first line in one of his posts. It got me thinking of my experiences living in Italy and traveling around Europe.

The Luncheon

I went to a luncheon given by my friends Marcello and Roberto with my Honey and our next door neighbors and first friends in Italy, Emily and Enzo. I share two photos so you can smile as we did, be delighted as we were.  Roberto fashioned ladybugs from cherry tomatoes and olive pieces for the appetizer course and dolphins from bananas and grapes for the fruit course; our appetites were sparked by the symmetrical beauty of the food and our surprised delight at a friend's efforts on our behalf.

It gives you a sense of why I love living here. Imagine this thoughtful, delightful, creative touch to a simple luncheon with friends? Add in the conversation, the day temperate enough to be enjoyed outdoors and the sheer good will of building relationships across language and cultural boundaries and it defines more than anything else "la dolce vita" for me. Sweet indeed.

Don Giovanni and Opening Night for the Opera

Kierkegaard wrote that Mozart's Don Giovanni is "a work without blemish, of uninterrupted perfection." Flaubert called Don Giovanni, along with Hamlet and the sea, "the three finest things God ever made."

Tchaikovsky always held Don Giovanni in the greatest awe and regarded Mozart as his musical god.

Last night was the opening night for the Opera House, Teatro Alla Scala in Milan and they performed Mozart's masterpiece, Don Giovanni. The orchestra was under the direction of Daniel Barenboim and I was there! In a wonderful program whereby the opera is filmed up close and personal and screened in theaters all over Italy, I was able to attend, see everything, from the stunning, sumptuous theater, the people coming in in all their beautiful finery, for example the President and the Prime Minister, the orchestra warming up and then the start of the opera with the gorgeous overture. We had incomparable seats for a fraction of the cost and close to home. What a great idea. 

The quality of the music, singing and performances were astonishing, breathtaking. I located this aria, "Lá ci darem la mano" on You Tube, between Don Giovanni (an arrogant sexually promiscuous nobleman) and one of his many conquests to give you a flavor. He's trying to tempt her and it starts: "There we'll join hands and you'll say yes". They showed subtitles in Italian so it was easier to follow the dialogue and arias. They also had interviews with the director and conductor about their vision and the opera itself at intermission. It was an incredible evening.

To top it off, my friend and neighbor, who loves opera, came with us, as did our tutor and his friend. Afterwards, rather than go out for pizza, which was the first proposal, we all went back to our tutor's house for a late but delicious dinner whipped up by his friend. It was the better way to end such a full evening- in the presence of friends, sharing good food and wine, savoring the shared experience. A perfect evening.

London With a Friend

I've been caught up in the whirlwind of traveling and visiting in London (and Windsor) for the first time. And all of that with a long-time friend.  What a grand time we've had. Even though I've lived in Italy for 2 1/2 years and traveled a good deal around Europe, somehow I've not been to London up to now. That's changed as of this last week. The chance to travel here with my husband and meet up with my dear friend, Mary, was too good to pass up.

It started in Windsor in a hotel directly across the street from Windsor Castle. We looked at it from our room. So day one I toured this magnificent place.

The weather was clear and fine and gave me the opportunity to get some great photos of Windsor Castle, which serves as the weekend home to the Queen or her family members, and houses priceless treasures.

The grounds are lush and beautifully kept but my favorite display (no photos allowed inside) was Queen Mary's Doll House. To see all the castle rooms reproduced in such miniature but accurate detail was delightful. I enjoy doll houses anyway so I spent a long time there just amazed at the workmanship.

London was next on my itinerary and we stayed in a hotel by Kensington Gardens and Kensington Palace, past home of Princess Margaret and Princess Diana and future home of her son, Prince William and his new bride, Kate Middleton.

The huge park and gardens were lovely and contained this magnificent tree that I named the tree of life.

Kensington Palace is in the process of a transformation but had an exibit in the meanwhile entitled "Enchanted Palace" consisting of a clever hunt through the shadowy world of the enchanted palace for the names of the seven princesses who have lived at the palace. It included an interactive visitor experience, fanciful pieces of information and displays for each of the princesses, a booklet to write their names, guides galore to give more details about their lives and a prize at the end if you got them all right. Made for a fun afternoon followed by an elegant high tea at the Orangery.

The excitement of a great city of London at night with Christmas coming was everywhere evident. I got some Christmas shopping for the grands done and loved every minute. I can't wait to see their faces when they open their special treats.

Of course, I did some old fashioned sight seeing. How could I not after hearing about and seeing in pictures these iconographic images. I'll just include a couple of night images that I thought came out well.

London theaters had so many choices for shows but not all were both available and affordable. One that was both, was the award winning "Jersey Boys". You have to see this show if you were an adolescent in the 60's. You'll sing along to every song- I sure did. Fabulous songs and a great true-life story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons makes for a incredible musical.

The National Gallery had a photography exhibit on modern actresses and influential women that was stunning but certainly one of the most endearing aspects of this trip was the time with my friend since 1989, Mary. We had time to talk and be together, time to catch up and tell our current stories, time to share and just enjoy each other again. She's a gem and reminded me of the song we sang in Girl Scouts: "Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold". You're pure gold, Mary. I'm so fortunate to call you friend.

Wordless Wednesday in Paris

Sights on day one:

Traveling around Europe with my Honey is one of the things I like best about retirement. 

What's delighting you?

My Top Twenty from Two Years in Italy

Two years ago I moved to Italy with my Honey. My life has changed in both subtle and dramatic ways as a result. It has been a grand adventure.

The top 20 things I've learned:

1. Making friends is the glue that holds life together and international friends are fun.

2. To think globally rather than nationally is not just a good idea, it's vital.

3. Italy challenges me in every way possible. If I don't understand, I need to dig deeper. Still don't understand, dig deeper still. Give up my preconceptions - see in a new way. Learn a new language to make understanding possible.

4. Learning a new language for the first time in my 60's is difficult. Finding a good teacher makes it possible. Finding a kind and encouraging one is golden. Thank you, Marcello.

5. Clothes can be dried outside without a clothes dryer and smell better, too.

6. Fresh, locally grown food tastes better, costs less and is better for me and the planet.

7. Bidets are great sinks for 4 year olds.

8. Growing basil, rosemary, hot peppers, celery, chive, mint, parsley, oregano and arugula on my balcony tastes better, saves money and is better for me and the planet.

9. Growing lavender helps the beleaguered honey bees, smells good and gives me fresh potpourri.

10. Natural rising is one of life's great pleasures.

11. Discovering more about my natural rhythms and having more relaxed time makes for better sex in my 60's. Afternoon delights are just that.

12. Good neighbors are a gift of pure grace.

13. Italy delights me in every way possible- the people, the food, the national parks, the sea and mountains, Rome, Venice, Assisi, Florence, Sienna, Sardinia, the sweep of history, the ancient architecture, the amazing art and so much more...

14. Locally grown wines from our region of Abruzzo - Montepulciano (red) and Trebiano (white), are delicious.

15. Fresh, local olive oil is surely a gift from the goddess.

16. A good woman's club is a great way to integrate into an area.

17. Having easy access to Europe for travel to Ireland, France, Germany, Switzerland, and The Netherlands (so far) is a wonderful way to expand my mind, deepen my understanding, and bond me to fellow travelers on this journey of ours.

18. Exposing grandchildren to all this expands their world and minds as well.

19. Running three times a week keeps me healthy and lets me eat more of this uniquely scrumptious food while maintaining my weight.

20. Blogging keeps me more aware of the blessings I have. It forces me to put this journey into words and share it. For the responses I have received and the relationships I have developed, I am truly grateful.

Johnny Be Good

Last night I went to a little local pub called, of all things, Johnny Be Good, in Silvi Marina, the community next to us here in Italy.  Z Z King was the group appearing, singing the blues with all their hearts and inviting their friends up onto the stage to jam with them. It was wall to wall people, the crowd loved this group and the music was great, hand clapping, toe tapping fun.

But what I noticed more that anything else was just the sheer physicality of the folks there. Italians are such physical people. People come in, hug, kiss each other on both cheeks, look each other in the eye, stand and talk for awhile, stroke each others hair or face or back while talking. This is men greeting men, women greeting women, men greeting women, women greeting men, old greeting young, young greeting old. When they part, the kissing starts again and the lingering, the taking time to separate as if they're reluctant. Good-byes stretch out.

Because it was my first time there and I knew only one other person besides my husband, I had a chance to really observe for the evening, in between foot stomping and cheering for the musicians. As an American, the cultural difference was startling.  It seemed such an elemental way to contact one another, to connect with one another. I saw their pleasure in each others company and their freedom to express it. This is a good way to live. A way of simple pleasures.

And then, when it was time to leave, my friend, who hadn't seen us since the summer, invited my husband and me to walk with him to his apartment a short distance away so he could give us some of his favorite cheese and some pasta sauce his mother had just made. He hugged us, kissed us on both cheeks, talked of events coming up where we might meet, told us how his wife and son were, took a long time to say good-bye, seemed like he was reluctant to have us leave. I felt special. I have a lot to learn and I like this way of learning.

What are you learning these days?

International Women's Day

This came to me today from the International Association of Women Runners which connects women runners throughout the world. I'm a member and thought it contained some interesting facts about women runners: Hi Mary , International Women's Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the economic, social and political achievements of women. Women now account for the majority of runners and 53% of road race finishers. Female participation at all levels of running continues to grow.  Women's races continue to proliferate, many selling out in advance. Female charity runners are making a difference both for the non-profit organizations they support, as well as the running industry as a whole. We would like to acknowledge all women on International Women's Day.  Have an especially great run today. Regards and Happy Running,     Good for us! Any other runners out there?  I belong to an International Women's Club here. We're from the USA, UK, Canada, New Zealand, The Netherlands, and Scotland. It's a diverse, fascinating group that I really enjoy. We had our biweekly meeting today and went to lunch rather than just coffee to celebrate. I had a great time gabbing and catching up after my time away. It's good to be back. Happy International Women's Day!

Back Home

After three months on the road consulting at Crossroads in Antigua, visiting my daughter and her family in Trinidad, running a half marathon in Florida and, finally, touring this last week in Rome, I'm home. It feels good even though the weather is unseasonably cold (40's - 50's in the day). Being away puts home in an important perspective.

I had a good time away. I like winter in the Caribbean and Florida. I liked helping Crossroads further improve the world class services they offer, I liked training and running with my daughter for the half marathon for breast cancer treatment and research. I liked talking and playing scrabble with her. I liked the luxury of time in the every day life of my grands to play and talk with them. The days in Florida gave me precious time with nieces, great nieces and nephews, my sister-in-law and ten extra days with my daughter and the grands, as well as a chance to plan our yearly family gathering next summer.

My Honey was with me for about one month of the three giving me two months without him to think, write and have more individual alone time than I've had in our 37 years together. I liked it. It was time to mine riches. More about that later.

And I like being home now. I appreciate both my home and my Honey more deeply. I want to be here. With him. I like my life as we have created it. In this place. I don't yet know all the reasons I'm here, but I'm confident I will in the right time. At the end of my travels, I have a sense of peace and serenity that  sustains me. I'm grateful for this unexpected and altogether lovely gift.

Views From Antigua

My favorite church in Antigua, old, still used and lovingly kept.

English Harbour where I lived for 2 1/2 years. It has an historic Georgian Dock Yard and many visiting boats in the winter, currently including the Maltese Falcon, the world's largest sail boat. In juxta position to the above church, it's an intriguing, sleek, futuristic looking thing.

The little cottage at Crossroads where I've been staying for the last 5 1/2 weeks and for 3 1/2 more days (but whose counting?) until I go to Trinidad wherein waits my husband, daughter, son-in-law and the grands. Oh joy, oh bliss! Let the holidays begin.

Sharing the Caribbean Life

A funny thing happened to me on the way to the gym last evening:

And from this morning before my run under the not so funny but kind of cute category, otherwise known as the reason you shake out shoes in the Caribbean before putting them on:

We're Not In Italy Now!

Remember when I described my long runs on Sundays in Italy on the wide walking path by the beach alongside the Adriatic? And it goes for miles, flat and paved and lovely? Well, there's no such thing in Antigua, by a long shot. So long runs, like my nine mile run this morning, get cobbled together any which way to cover the distance.

The good news was I got to run with my friend, Cassandra, who's great company and knows the roads well. The route? A combination of paved main road (but no sidewalks), dirt side roads (but it rained last night), semi-paved (don't ask!) side roads, and even a golf course for our final mile. Good thing it was Sunday and early (we started at 5:30), so not much traffic. Also, good thing it was cloudy and a passing shower cooled us , since the run took longer than we expected because of the treacherous terrain.

But somehow the effort and the obstacles faded when towards the end of the run, a full double rainbow appeared, bright and beautiful. It was the brightest and longest lasting rainbow either of us had ever seen. It was a moment of grace that lifted us up. All we talked about from that moment was how good we felt, how energized, how blessed.

And, driving back, I had a good laugh at who I shared the road with:

And later, I'm going to this beach for a swim:

I agree, I have nothing to complain about!

Crossroads

I'm here at Crossroads in Antigua consulting to the nursing and wellness staff for six weeks. I get to do work that I love with people I admire and like. I'm grateful.

Crosssroads' program is 4 or 6 weeks and includes detox from alcohol and drugs and rehab. It's an effective and wonderful program founded by Eric Clapton for those who, like him, struggle with addiction. His message, recovery is possible, treatment works. If you or a loved one is looking for a way out of the chaos that addiciton brings, give me, Mary, or our admissions coordinator, Adrienne, a call. Really. 1-268-562-0035. It's all confidential.

Some photos of our beautiful setting:


Where I'm staying.

Bouganvillea everywhere, pink, peach, purple, in full bloom.



Half Moon Bay beach where I swam today.

It's a healing environment.

Our Granddaughters' Future

I was watching my granddaughter and her new best friend in Italy play with her brother's squirt guns. They squirted each other for a few shots but quickly turned to squirting the flowers and plants on the balcony, squirting the ground in pretty patterns, squirting the windows in earnest, even asking for paper towels so they could clean the windows!  They used his skateboard to taxi their bubbles and their dolls back and forth before laying on them like a surfboard and scooting around with their hands. The girls have enjoyed themselves and their activities for days now. We had the music going in the car one day when we were outside and caught them laughing and dancing in a free-spirited dance to Shakira's "Waka Waka"!

It brought up the discussion once again about the nature vs. nurture question re: girls and boys and me noting the differences once again if not coming to firm conclusions about their source. I remember having these discussions with my friends when my daughter was growing up and here they are again with my grandchildren. These sweet little girls in front of me making their innocent choices and being happy in the process if not genetically driven.

This got serendipitously linked to the post a few days ago from Patti at "PattiKen and The Muses" entitled The Choice. It's a heartbreaking, horrific, true story that is bound up in fundamentalism, fear of women and punitive, restrictive and lethal approaches to those who disagree or make alternative choices, usually women, but, in this case, a man also. I realize the inherent complexities of these issues and the lack of understanding I might have as an outsider but her message got heightened by my granddaughter and her friend- girls now, future women. What can we do to ensure their future choices, their right to make decisions and have them respected by the society they live in, their right to develop their abilities and express themselves in their unique personal way.

How can we together make sure this is the society we create for all our granddaughters, the only one we allow for all our granddaughters?

We, The People

My friend, Ruth, over in Rumi Days and Sychronizing, wrote a thoughtful post today called: "It's a Puzzle." It got me to thinking about her observation that America is broken, needing reassembling into a whole again like a puzzle.

I've been living abroad in Italy for 1 year now and have started to see things from a different perspective and see our brokeness as a bigger phenomenon. We, the people, still see ourselves as separate pieces, whether states or parties in America or countries or religions world-wide, and that our job is to strengthen our separate pieces.

Surely our common good is instead furthered by our coming together. That the myth of borders in only that. That the way we become whole is to join together, not allow ourselves to be defined as separate. That the future, not just of America, but of all the world, is made secure when we, the people, find ways to unite, break down our barriers, treat one another with loving kindness and become whole. We, the people, do this one compassionate act at a time. So, let's do this together!

To all Americans, wherever you are, from my little corner of the world,

have a truly happy Fourth of July.

Travel

Well, here I am in Germany. I'm visiting friends from Maine who used to live in Dusseldorf and are hired back each year to sing with the opera here. Since I live in Italy now, I flew over to see them, the city and attend the opera as well. The weather, which is dicey usually according to the locals, has been spectacular. I've walked all over, had time with old friends and met new friends and just in general had a great time. My morning walks or runs are by the Rhine River. The Old City is closed to traffic, pedestrian friendly and lovely. I've met ex-pats from the states or the UK who have lived here for years. I'm reminded of my experience in Italy with the unique combination of locals, ex-pats from all over and all manner of combinations of couples, countries and languages. It's stimulating, expanding and so interesting. The advantage of international living. This is my first time online since last Tuesday, though. So, I'm just touching base and will be back home on Monday to get back into the swing of blogs and contact with other internetties! See you then.

Traditional Irish Blessing - E-Water

Traditional Irish Blessing - E-Water
I received this in an email from a friend and it made me savor the memories of Ireland. I've traveled to some of the places pictured and I have the music on my ipod. It's a lovely blessing and a counter point to yesterdays post. Beauty surrounds us whether it's goddess made or person made. Either is capable of moving us to tears if we let it into our heart. Both make us glad we showed up and paid attention. Both inspire us to do that more.
I send this in the gratitude of the Thanksgiving season.

(click on the title within this box to view)

Paris

Really- where do I start? It's Paris and this was my first visit. LouCeel has a wordless Wednesday and maybe the photos alone will do it, but just a few words, please! 1. The Musée du Louvre, 2. Musée d'Orsay, 3. Aphrodite, 4. The Winged Victory of Samothrace, 5. The Mona Lisa. All in one beautiful place? Paris, sigh...

Ireland

Ireland- land of my ancestors, land of the people I look like, land of my husband's ancestors, land where my daughter spent a semester abroad, land of my deep, deep roots and where I feel at home on a cellular level. Even the weather cooperated with all 12 days sunny or fair except 1/2 day.
Some highlights: County Clare: a visit to John's great aunt Eileen who is a treasure trove of information about the family. She's in her 80's, sharp as a tack and full of stories with all the particulars about John's genealogy on the Kelly half of the Warren/Kelly grandparents. Next time- bring the recorder!

A visit to a pub in Doolan where we heard traditional Irish music played by locals and drop in visitors to this famous site of great trad music. And an opportunity to see up close and personal our favorite fiddler, Martin Hayes, who takes traditional tunes and fiddling to a whole new level. We love this music and live is even better!

Watched Zoe, John's cousin, Aiden's, daughter, launch her singing- at- weddings career with her friend accompanying on the violin. Her voice is a tiny taste of heaven.
Saw Aiden's other daughter, Dawn, who's almost finished her studies and is in love with her new profession of midwife. It's such a joy to hear the stories of someone who loves what they're doing, whatever the profession. Met her son, Noah, for the first time and got reminded of how much sheer fun a 3 year old can be!

Drove around with Aiden and his newly retired wife, Geraldine, (we swapped beginning impressions of this life phase) and took in again the unspoiled beauty of this county Clare. Photo is Lissycasey, County Clare.

County Cork: Good friends, Tom and Ann, are just fun to be with. We laugh a lot. Ann is also newly retired and we started our conversations about what this phase is all about for us and how we'll discover more of what it can be. How rich to have friends with whom to talk about this, friends on this journey. Did our mothers ever ask these questions?

Traveled to Kilarney and Kinsale, 2 jewels of West Cork. Kilarney is altogether lovely! We took time to walk a park and castle grounds, take a boat trip on the largest of its lakes, visit the renovated central church, eat, see an ancient waterfalls, and stand at the point overlooking the lakes named for the Queen's ladies who also liked this spot. A delicious day that by no means took in all there was to see and, so, set the agenda for our next visit. And Kinsale is a picturesque historical village that is charming in itself and set in this gorgeous coastal spot that kept us oohing and aahing the whole day. And to find a sunny place to sit outside a pub overlooking the town at the end of a beautiful walk was perfect!

Because I'm learning another language, I was very aware of how rich English, as spoken by the Irish, is. And is it just me or are Irish drivers relaxed and polite? They also queue up in lines in such order. I knew I was home when I went to my flight to Rome and the Italians rushed en mass for the front of the line. Boundary tapes were removed and everyone jostled forward. Okay, that's the spirit!

Made me shake my head and smile but I did have to wonder (again) about this whole St Francis calling us here rather than to Ireland. Do saints make mistakes? I've had glimmers of a call to craft a new role for grandmothers as respected elders in our culture so we can bring our wisdom to the issues of the day. Now wouldn't that just be easier in a country whose language I speak? I'm just asking. Hmmmm.

Travels

I'm in Ireland seeing family and friends and more of this lovely country. But I don't have consistent access to high speed internet. I'll post when I return. Travels put things into a whole different and wider context. It's good!