all the greens unite! *

in these photos you can't see a bunch of green grapes that had been hand-picked just before, because we ate them. this is from a few days ago, a time spent with friends on the beach, playing - mere minutes before a scrumptious souvlaki feast. the greens are a pick of each person and all are from the same garden. i love them, and the greens. a good reminder of the last days of the season.

* brought to you from 'the sweet land of  olives, figs and grapes'

idle at heart

apologies for disappearing, it's been sort of hectic here with both good and not-so-good things happening consecutively. i feel like life is unfolding with more evident signs each day (signs to what? err, don't know? i'm just watching them) or maybe it's just me being more sensitive; either way i'm finding myself looking forward more to a well deserved break - which i've started counting down to quite a while ago. wouldn't it be groovy if we all could take breaks freely whenever our bodies (or minds) demanded? ok, i'm not going to go into this 'modern slave' idea but i've got a hint i might be one. grrr... what would be the cure to this situation?

1- go watch leaving las vegas (by the legendary mike figgis) and get an idea/inspiration -and courage if you're crazy enough- about burning all your worldly belongings for a new start. ok, not a good one (although an excellent movie) the rest is quite grim, we don't want that.

2- go read the newspaper inside and out, this will help you attain a new perspective about your insignificant needs; the globe's warming is a bit of a problem it seems and the world needs more peace apparently. forget about your worries (can you?).

don't know, i think i'll just go sit on that colourful promotion item i was sent by dhl the other day for a while (it's a beach/hunting/camping chair thingy and looks horrendous in an office environment) and worry about those extra few kilos i need to lose before my holiday starts.

so, here's an easy and light (and irrelevant, obviously) post i had prepared- what i could manage in the midst of all that's going on- a post about a product i love from L'erbolario di Lodi. it became quickly one of my favourite brands, introduced to me by my sister. they make natural beauty products and this body cream is amazing, both fresh and spicy, just the way i like. and i will be taking it with me to my 'summer break'. photographed in a hurry, but with love. enjoy your midweek.

hello, july

things to take note from the week-end: there's been action in the kitchen, i've prepared a simple summer menu for friends. there was summer purslane, it's one of my favourites and the way it mixes with garlic and yogurt is truly delicious. there's been progress on my matrushka cross-stitch and there's been the very colourful gay pride march in downtown which i've managed to document all. now, time to get mentally prepared for monday, have a good one.

learn from the children

a week-end filled with lessons learnt from children. it always amazes me to see how much they're in touch with their bodies and needs; feelings are expressed immediately with pure honesty, no censorship and the fact that they never, ever stay angry or miserable for a long time, wonderful. not to mention the fact that they look exceptionally sweet right after they wake up in the morning. there were multiple scooter, tricycle and four-wheel-drive rides in the garden with two little ones holding to each other, really cute. the sea was intoxicating and refreshing, the sand was soft and silky and the food was fresh and summery. but i missed my cat and my home (i'll not say a word about missing the city and the morning crowd and the soggy lettuces). let's all have a good week.

days of burnt orange

'days of burnt orange' is how i call these days... or rather how they start off as mornings and grow into early evenings. i call them that because each day, i see the early morning light in my living room and instantly visualise a round, hot swirling ball. in colour burnt orange. i'm happy it's summer. i'm not so happy i'm not somewhere where i can forget about shoes or hair brushes. summer for me is always about counting down to holidays and to off-days and this summer is no exception. i need showers taken in open air, moments spent sitting and doing nothing and i am counting down to these.

images below from last summer (from the time when moments were actually spent sitting doing nothing, staring at a big rock, touching and feeling  nature, diving into nature, floating on nature and sleeping on nature). i know there's a pattern here. do you also feel summer living is easy as the song suggests? because it certainly feels that way to me; light and lazy and versatile. maybe it's just me.

(photo credit: my lovely friend zahira)

summer time

a sudden, powerful and short lived rain left me soaking wet in the late hours of last night. it made everything around smell summery and earthy and it was actually enjoyable to walk through it; getting wet, but not cold. today though, it's as bright as an early june morning can be. it's early summer so  the unsettling weather is still welcomed as a reminder of change and flux; before we fall into the laze and ease of the of the steady, golden summer heat. waking up from day dreaming and just being in the moment is a challenge though. just watching and accepting.

i saw this on the net and wanted to share it. clever idea eh? love their slogan: it's better at the beach, i agree. here are some snaps from last night and early this morning.

 

a celebration

i quit smoking one year ago. one year and two days ago to the exact. and i feel it deserves a celebration. nothing of a fancy, party sort of celebration but a quiet, low key, inner celebration, one that draws oneself to think what it means with more awareness;  i'm not going to lie and say 'oh, i forgot about the whole thing all together and wouldn't go back to it in the world'. i'm not going to, because that's not how i feel about smoking. i feel every now and then the strong urge to light one, but the beauty of it is that, i don't . so i am celebrating it. quietly. well done me.

the week-end has passed with ease and we've made a smooth entry into the mid-summer temperatures here. it's been hot and i can't complain, it's proper summer. i have sat on the grass in a park,  ate vegan food, got stuck with a boring radio channel on t.v. for the last three hours (with fishes swimming around in the background) because i can't figure out the telly control. hope the week will be good to me.