Boston, Princesses, and Brave Heroines

“I believe that one can never leave home. I believe that one carries the shadows, the dreams, the fears and the dragons of home under one's skin, at the extreme corners of one's eyes and possibly in the gristle of the earlobe.”

                                                               (Maya Angelou- from her book: Letter to My Daughter)


My home coordinates lie in Boston.
History and the sea set the backdrop
that grew me up.
The sea fed me
as father brought home fresh catch from Boston's docks since fish was cheaper than meat
and lobster was called poor man's food back then. Fed me in other ways, too,
having more to do
with things mulled, decided, wanted
while watching its rhythms. A gentle teacher, a harsh
teacher, a strict teacher in immutable laws learned
through osmosis and frequent contact. History was repeated
each grade, at home, museums and trails toured
often, father and teachers as tour guides. Birthplace
of the Nation, central to all that came to be. Growing
up poor in Boston set one scenario absorbed early and uncensored at subliminal levels.
Moving later to an affluent area set another and stood in contrast
even to my child mind. The wrench of a ten year old moving from scores
of playmates in a housing project, the freedom of unlimited places to go, people to watch,
things to do. Suburbs look nicer but restrict playmates and places, set up
different expectations. On me. Quit being a scrapper, be a lady. Ladylike prescribed
by the catholic school I went to and the unmarried aunts with whom I lived. A starker
contrast to the Boston housing project is hard to imagine. I never judged the projects harsh,
simply my world. I felt at home. A world rich in colorful folks who knew
how to take care of themselves
and business. Fought for what they thought was right. Or to protect. Fought a lot. Taught
me to fight. I'm not talking figuratively here but physically. Real fights, vanquishing evil fights.
Or so it seemed. I had no time for fairy tale princesses in those days, before Brave,
even with red hair, freckles and Scottish ancestry. But Merida would have been my heroine,
my kind of gal - a wild, witches consulting, shooting arrows at enemies, all in, redefining,
no limits just because we're girls,
fully alive on her own terms kind of gal.





This is in response to Mary over at dVerse Poets who asked us to write about with a Disney theme way back on Saturday but which I missed. So I'm doing it for open link Tuesday since it really got me thinking.

Back Home

I arrived home with my Honey after a long diversion from Ohio to Boston through Toronto to Rome. It was difficult to sleep with images of superstorm Sandy vivid in my mind but, other than that, all is well. We arrived to temps in the low 70's and bright sun turning to a sky full of clouds catching sunset colors this evening. It feels so good to be home, in my own comfortable apartment, greeted warmly by my neighbors, checked up on by friends on the phone. Clothes are unpacked, the first load of wash is in, my Honey made a simple but delicious dinner, the photos are downloaded awaiting editing and we took time out to sip a drink together on the balcony watching the sunset. Ahh, life is good, I'm grateful. I pray for those without simple creature comforts tonight that they may know them again soon for they sustain us.

While I was gone, the bougainvillea flowered:

The coleus filled out:

This sky greeted us:

And turned into a Monet painting as the sun set:

The inconvenience of two days delay in our return home seems slight indeed.

Three Word Thursday

A friend's gift.

Returning Home

It's a particularly splendid day after the torrents of rain of the past few days. The flowers continue to flourish, the table invites a sit to take in the view and enjoy the warmth.

While I've been away the hot peppers matured from green to bright red and have already been shared with eager neighbors. The little ones from Thailand are extra zippy. The bigger Italian ones don't skimp on the heat, though, and are plumped out well. All are grown from seed this year and thrive in this southern exposure.

The air is fragrant with lavender as the flowers not picked die back and scatter grains of scent on the balcony near the table. A good book (I'm currently re-reading The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings trilogy), a cup of tea, Bocelli and Brightman singing in the background and a slant of sun under the awning complete the scene. Ahhh, it's good to be home.

And dusk falls.

Home for a Quick Touchdown

The view above at Crossroads is from the gazebo where our clients start every day with meditation. It's also where a good-bye ceremony is held for each client who successfully completes the program. Although I had no ceremony, I nonetheless went to the gazebo and said good-bye once again to Crossroads as my six week contract ended. I love this spot in this special place of healing and was pleased to be able to help out these clients who want to turn their lives around and are willing to do the hard work to accomplish this. I treasure the opportunity to serve them in this endeavor. How could I not? Hard work so worth doing.

And now I'm home for a brief recharge, a great friend gathering and quick change of clothes before heading out again but this time for FUN! Fun on vacation with my Honey, our daughter and the grands. Fun for almost a month, fun in Disney World, fun at the beach and fun with my sister-in-law and friend and various nieces and great nieces/nephews as well!

A little more about the gathering of friends that my honey had arranged for last evening. Five friends were unavailable but fifteen friends came to share pizza, conversation and comraderie. It was a splendid night and so very wonderful to have all our good friends together meeting one another, some for the first time, and giving me the chance to talk with them all at one time when my time here is limited because of vacation. What a great time I had! How grateful I am for the friends we have made here. I love my life, in part, because of them. Grazie Mille i miei amici!

Mountain Snow and Blooming Dogwoods

Ah, spring begins in my little corner of the world.

Home at Last

I thought I would jump right into blogging as soon as my hungry self could sit down at my mightily missed Mac and type away, but it didn't happen that way. It has taken time. Time to sit and relish being home after two months away. With my Honey after five weeks apart. To reclaim my space. In my beautiful, chosen surroundings. Unpack. Settle. Really be here. In my town, eating the local pizza, shopping the farmer's market, admiring the snow, now in the distance. Watching the dogwoods bloom.

Into the flow of contact with friends, sharing coffee and confidences. Back with our beloved language tutor, Marcello. After time in my favorite chair  in the morning sun by the french doors onto the balcony. After time to be around the books that matter to me. Is it possible to miss books? After time to read poetry with the luxury of so many books to chose from. To sit and think, sift through and take in the experiences of my time away.

After time to luxuriate in decorating magazines (my favorite magazines) picked up in the US, enjoy their seasonal spring color spreads and the endless clever, creative ways people express themselves through their home. After recognizing the signs of something brewing beneath my surface that needs attention, to be honored, to emerge in its own time.

Now, here I am, ready to write, share and, hopefully, gain clarity in the process.

What's Happening

The begonias are pert and sassy strutting their beauty along my balcony railing.

The hot peppers are flourishing as well growing long, full and spicy. Yet they hide. 

How many can you find?

I'm eating olives every day from my province of Abruzzo. I never knew olives could taste so fresh. They still carry stories of their tree life and they feed them to me.

The doors are always open now. The colors of new couch cushions' flowers make me smile. Six different coleus plants sit on every available surface with changing colors 

to surprise me and keep me alert.

I sleep on summer bright sheets that even brighten my dreams 

while the pillow from Antigua makes them hotter.

The days are fine enough to melt mountain snow that tries to hold on. A message?

What's happening in your little corner of the world?

Happy Earth Day

I was puttering on my balcony today, talking to my plants and herbs and re-potting a holly tree I gave my husband at his birthday request. She's a lovely lass. So many of the blogs I follow were lamenting the tardiness of Spring this year. So I want to share a glimpse of things to come, from my little corner of the earth. They make me happy and I hope tending them makes earth happy.

Rosemary made it through the winter and is bigger and more beautiful than ever. She's on tonight's roasted potatoes.

These open in the sun and close at night or when sun goes in. My neighbor loves that!

We're harvesting herbs daily. Dill on tomatoes with fresh mozzarella is my favorite. Mint, which made it through the winter well, goes in the sun tea. Celery is about to become soup stock.

The lavender made it through the winter as well and is thriving again. Hot peppers next to it then jasmine.

This is called rucola here and I put it on my sandwich or salad every day, also yummy on pizza.

Gardenia laden with buds before it blooms.

Holly, the lovely new family member, She'll fill up that corner nicely. Did you know holly can be male or female? Maybe I'll get her some company.

…Ah, to understand how to bloom: then would the heart be carried beyond all milder dangers, to be consoled in the great one.

Rilke

from: "How to Bloom"

What green things are you doing today?

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.