tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45551711322591270712024-02-13T13:40:39.934-05:00Sylvia's Simple LifeA lifestyle blog about simple living - seizing the day, savouring the present moment and finding more joy in life's simple pleasures Sylviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12720458372836569224noreply@blogger.comBlogger185125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4555171132259127071.post-64554433855747454182024-01-24T15:01:00.002-05:002024-01-24T16:24:00.433-05:00State Hall of the Austrian National Library <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjES8qdLSarmh8_T7A3tQPiT-09SInMLeb6-Xn8b1s0jX5g9Te4x0dknpchG07nsltSZec32Qa8psCMIlkSgEel6yU3q1hp9mq5tgHCL0Opzkf50YzazYRH4o_ycloU4U2DeSyQJnXKYddoR79GM8ct7t6NiPG7u0i93v4ZmD5cTb_K81tm9ypVscEs6HGE/s2048/Ausrtian%20Natinal%20Libray_DSC3049.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjES8qdLSarmh8_T7A3tQPiT-09SInMLeb6-Xn8b1s0jX5g9Te4x0dknpchG07nsltSZec32Qa8psCMIlkSgEel6yU3q1hp9mq5tgHCL0Opzkf50YzazYRH4o_ycloU4U2DeSyQJnXKYddoR79GM8ct7t6NiPG7u0i93v4ZmD5cTb_K81tm9ypVscEs6HGE/s16000/Ausrtian%20Natinal%20Libray_DSC3049.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><b><span style="font-family: georgia;">A</span></b><span style="font-family: arial;">fter the clerk checks your ticket and opens a massive door for you to enter, enchantment unfolds. You know you are in a special, breathtakingly beautiful place. And you are not alone. Your gasp of astonishment harmonizes with the collective one of all who traverses the threshold. The next moment, an expansive “library room,” stretching nearly 80 meters, rises 20 meters above your head, slowly unveiling its grandeur. Soft, dignified light embraces colossal, ornate wooden bookcases guarded by giant mobile ladders. Marble columns topped with gilded artistry hold this baroque jewel that is crowned at its centre by a magnificent dome and numerous frescos around. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The books in this library aren’t the sole protagonists; approximately 16 statues and 12 busts of the Austro-Spanish Habsburg family, carved in marble stand around the room. Emperor Charles VI’s “Hercules Musarum” statue is prominently positioned beneath the dome, surrounded by four magnificent celestial and terrestrial Venetian globes. It is a journey back to the glory of the Habsburg, who were passionate collectors of books and manuscripts. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The Prunksaal, the central structure of the old imperial library (State Hall in English), resides at the heart of the city as part of Vienna’s Imperial Palace. In 1723, Emperor Charles VI commissioned architect Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach, famous for his work on Schonbrunn Palace, to construct the Court Library. This collaboration led to the creation of one of the world’s most beautiful library rooms and Europe’s largest Baroque Library house. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">As a passionate admirer of books and art, I effortlessly lost myself in a magical realm of words, knowledge, culture, artistry and aesthetics. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I could easily spend an hour only gazing at the incredibly detailed ceiling paintings of the apotheosis of the Emperor by court painter Daniel Gran. He worked four years on them. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">I could marvel for hours at the 128 historic bookshelves and cabinets, containing 200,000 leather-bound tomes, which I could only imagine, encompass ancient philosophy, history, mythology, manuscripts, musical scores, atlases, and maps—a treasure trove of European intellectual heritage and culture. While these fragile and precious books can’t be read on-site, glass display cabinets showcase rarities from the library collection and artifacts linked to the ongoing exhibition in the Prunksaal. The hall is thoughtfully divided into 'war' and 'peace' sides, echoing the original arrangement of the books, as depicted in the wall frescoes.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Indeed, the visit might be a quick run-through since it is just one elongated room. I chose not to rush through. Even though I stepped into the library late in the day, I took the time to savour all the splendour this place has to offer right until a voice reminded all the visitors that it was time to bid farewell. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Amidst the vast knowledge within this magnificent hall, an awestruck silence is demanded.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The library’s solemn atmosphere creates both a sense of privilege and connection. As I sat on the chair in genuine admiration, it was just me, my camera and the rich history of human enlightenment. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">The people in the hall suddenly disappeared as I quieted down in the middle of centuries-old words and ideas that have been navigating the world, serving as "gates to the future."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Who would dare disrupt the peace of these books, mastery and timeless beauty?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: x-small; letter-spacing: 0.5px;">(click on each image to see it in detail) </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKePeYwfQ4Jij6UL1bfWiwyBqyzNlzdrWxEL1bhbKbpw5xGE1Zm4jg229S58YBBUeUEre7oCng5eYeXXLIGOgSERQNXo-w2Hu0Bkb_MpezAUgvA7_Lc0QRHdJfSwyfwZtmQNP8k-f-gBv9a-lSpT__i1qWEY-9tryb23sOHEPrG86Qsz9iXX6MjfxiNkU-/s2048/_DSC3032-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKePeYwfQ4Jij6UL1bfWiwyBqyzNlzdrWxEL1bhbKbpw5xGE1Zm4jg229S58YBBUeUEre7oCng5eYeXXLIGOgSERQNXo-w2Hu0Bkb_MpezAUgvA7_Lc0QRHdJfSwyfwZtmQNP8k-f-gBv9a-lSpT__i1qWEY-9tryb23sOHEPrG86Qsz9iXX6MjfxiNkU-/s16000/_DSC3032-Edit.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRvs1CmyiL2uJHLJz0cLkTR5re6ag0XZ1ISLKEd3zjDRrOQQ830YXn9PftvzaJ5n_hK4Kwrz2p8VAxEhYZGBncl5Q1AQjX6uu1oTnVnXQtFieDGHpAqIXh2xwibeC3yUnSME152gPjqeQiv2FnrTevcuatKknqOfNNesAnbalWQNyJLEtqphfoxF8Z11UO/s2048/_DSC3039-Edit-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRvs1CmyiL2uJHLJz0cLkTR5re6ag0XZ1ISLKEd3zjDRrOQQ830YXn9PftvzaJ5n_hK4Kwrz2p8VAxEhYZGBncl5Q1AQjX6uu1oTnVnXQtFieDGHpAqIXh2xwibeC3yUnSME152gPjqeQiv2FnrTevcuatKknqOfNNesAnbalWQNyJLEtqphfoxF8Z11UO/s16000/_DSC3039-Edit-Edit.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;">When in Vienna, I highly recommend spending time in The Austrian National Library. </div><div style="text-align: center;">If you have already been, please share your experience in the comment section. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOp7cJTPedKThSkYpFYpbCqWF0YVC5dsXdEqouwPOzRFMz2pYzZzu4K3FW6ZLlHN3eJ30A9pKf3nMaBjQwtmhXwdgT3GA9hP758XvdJoMgSbL3TimY_F1GrivVgQVkXlIfaznwFJI6h4WAy4HX-0MZLt8BnKcTlAJc1mU2m6d72hzW3eOwVR2Kz77apClz/s367/vintage-baroque-victorian-frame-border-floral-ornament-leaf-scroll-engraved-retro-flower-pattern-decorative-design-tattoo-black-and-white-japanese-filigree-calligraphic-vector-heraldic-swirl-400-242614421.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="174" data-original-width="367" height="60" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOp7cJTPedKThSkYpFYpbCqWF0YVC5dsXdEqouwPOzRFMz2pYzZzu4K3FW6ZLlHN3eJ30A9pKf3nMaBjQwtmhXwdgT3GA9hP758XvdJoMgSbL3TimY_F1GrivVgQVkXlIfaznwFJI6h4WAy4HX-0MZLt8BnKcTlAJc1mU2m6d72hzW3eOwVR2Kz77apClz/w127-h60/vintage-baroque-victorian-frame-border-floral-ornament-leaf-scroll-engraved-retro-flower-pattern-decorative-design-tattoo-black-and-white-japanese-filigree-calligraphic-vector-heraldic-swirl-400-242614421.jpg" width="127" /></a></div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">STATE HALL OF THE AUSTRIAN NATIONAL LIBRARY</span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><u><i><span style="font-family: times;">Address:</span></i></u></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Josefsplatz 1</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">1010 Vienna </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><u><i><span style="font-family: times;">Website:</span></i></u></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.onb.ac.at/en/museums/state-hall" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: georgia;">https://www.onb.ac.at/en/museums/state-hall</span></a><br /></div><div><br /></div>Sylviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12720458372836569224noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4555171132259127071.post-78809820087767494462020-11-06T16:46:00.002-05:002024-01-20T13:48:49.589-05:00 Still Life<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6QxqkTroKjudiVdO05xaxudZf1RM4myr6ZwZVguXcZ1HNRvdcQgeCK_U_X-CTGbCocAnFdBoIwJNu9iowX_04dh4alDb1cP-tICluSwgmRyqb8USXJh4Ei5CpgT-AXfEkfpKl7r5JltaO/s2048/Autumn_Still+Life.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6QxqkTroKjudiVdO05xaxudZf1RM4myr6ZwZVguXcZ1HNRvdcQgeCK_U_X-CTGbCocAnFdBoIwJNu9iowX_04dh4alDb1cP-tICluSwgmRyqb8USXJh4Ei5CpgT-AXfEkfpKl7r5JltaO/s16000/Autumn_Still+Life.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>I Worried <br /><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>I worried a lot. Will the garden grow, will the rivers </i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>flow in the right direction, will the earth turn </i><i>as it was taught, and if not how shall I correct it?</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Was I right, was I wrong, will I be forgiven, </i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>can I do better? </i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Will I ever be able to sing, even the sparrows can do it and I am, well, hopeless. </i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Is my eyesight fading or am I just imaging it, am I going to get rheumatism, lockjaw, dementia?</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Finally I saw that worrying had come to </i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>nothing.</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>And gave it up. And took my old body</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>and went out into the morning,</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>and sang. </i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"> ~ </span></i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Mary Oliver</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It is unusually difficult for me to write in these increasingly complex and uncertain times we are all living in. My thoughts are messy. Emotions are messy. The truth is messy. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">I worry. I worry about my health, the safety of those I love, am I a good enough mom, friend, wife, daughter, citizen... Am I able to keep my ego in check? How is the world facing the challenges most of which we humans have created by ourselves? I worry about the flawed human reasoning and the growing lack of basic critical thinking. What kind of Earth will our children inherit? </div><div style="text-align: justify;">But then, I breathe out. Breathing out is calming. It encourages peace and insight. It helps me pay attention to my surrounding, reminding me that even in troubling times, there is beauty, kindness and joy in the world. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I step outside and a tapestry of beautiful autumnal leaves hugs my walking feet. I walk forward with each footfall placing distance between me and the world of news stream, social media and phone calls. The seasons are changing. And the more I contemplate the changes, the more I grow appreciative of all the autumnal wisdom and generosity that pour unrestrictedly through me. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Light.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Darkness.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">A balance. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Letting go.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Fleeting nature of all things...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Autumn tucks acorns in my pockets and faded hydrangeas in my arms. Autumn blows a fresh breeze in my eyes and puts a pumpkin-carved-like smile on my face. Autumn fills my kitchen with the smell of baked pears and my heart with a desire to create. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">The calming power of the natural world makes me tune in to my senses, slow down and pause. I am fully in this moment. The clutter of my mind begins to withdraw. The negative inner conversations switch off. There is nothing but the sounds of the season, the bounty of autumn, the simple beauty of small things, the whisper of simple everyday rituals, the comfort of home, the awakening of hope...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I am at home. I arrange a foraged bouquet in a vase, cook pumpkin soup and take a long warm bath. I light a candle, turn up the music, drift away in the calmness of dolche far niente to find my own <i>STILL </i>in the chaos of life. I am breathing out. </div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><p style="text-align: justify;"><span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ5DpTveNbCKhJLPTnm4yE6DwcFHnBojAmyg4jklkuEkY0Hy4KqD6BeYnQ2tEf470iSC9KXoEzlPDwd0HT8KOUcf2KgXHblq9RWpGs3PGZC3dQ8d24IqyGAa2QH9gqoePrmb0j5u4p0qgy/s2048/Autumn_Still+Life-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1363" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ5DpTveNbCKhJLPTnm4yE6DwcFHnBojAmyg4jklkuEkY0Hy4KqD6BeYnQ2tEf470iSC9KXoEzlPDwd0HT8KOUcf2KgXHblq9RWpGs3PGZC3dQ8d24IqyGAa2QH9gqoePrmb0j5u4p0qgy/s16000/Autumn_Still+Life-1.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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<i>"Autumn suits you perfectly,"</i> a friend of mine wrote to me the other day when she saw photos from my everyday walks into the woods. Since the beginning of the season, I can't get enough of the simple beauty that surrounds me wherever I go – from the gorgeous golden colours of the leaves to the perfectly shaped, raised from seeds, ready to be picked squashes in the garden. The seasons change so effortlessly, without prompting, that if I am not paying close attention, I might overlook all the wisdom the Earth is offering to me each and every moment. </div>
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I believe no other season teaches us so many profound lessons about life than fall does. And as I approach into a deeper season in my own life, I believe Autumn is my season. </div>
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Knowing that each season is a journey of change and personal growth in preparation for another season in life, I feel that now I am right here where I would like to be, willingly trusting and appreciating the experience of the moment, letting life be life. </div>
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I love the autumnal gentleness in the air, those misty rainy days when I can sit at home and watch the pearls of raindrops caught on golden leaves shining like crystals on the poetic light, unafraid of falling. A book in my hands. A blanket over my feet. An aroma of sage and butternut puree from the kitchen. A feeling of being warm, comforted, calm and sheltered. There is real beauty in ordinary life, in taking the living slowly and making space for the change.
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In a wonderful essay, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/20/opinion/aging-marriage-autumn.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #ea9999;" target="_blank">The Beauty Of the Ordinary</a><span style="color: #ea9999;">, </span>Pico Iyer reminds us of the autumn's special, golden lesson – "<i>to</i> <i>cherish everything because it cannot last</i>". "<i>Autumn days,</i>" he writes, "<i>are reminders of how much we cannot afford to take for granted, and how much there is to celebrate right now</i>."</div>
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The older I get, the more I am in tune with this wise, golden, ordinary Autumn. </div>
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I am completely open to the enduring lessons of the falling leaf. To learn humility and resilience from its ending. To cultivate an attitude of respect and gratitude. To see the magic in the little things. To stay whimsical and ordinary at the same time... </div>
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In nature's timeless forms, I contemplate that nothing lasts forever and perhaps, the art of life lies in its ephemerality. </div>
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I find that liberating. </div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Squash, Sage & Gorgonzola Tart</span></div>
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<i>Ingredients:</i><br />
<br />
<u>pie dough</u><br />
heaping 3/4 cup all-purpose flour<br />
pinch of salt and pepper<br />
5 tbsp. cold butter, cut into pieces<br />
ice water<br />
•(you can use your favourite pie crust recipe)<br />
<br />
<u>filling</u><br />
250 g butternut squash puree (homemade); 1 butternut squash<br />
2 tsp oil oil<br />
1 generous cup heavy cream<br />
175 or more Gorgonzola cheese<br />
2 eggs and 1 egg yolk<br />
sage<br />
salt and pepper<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Directions: </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
Cut the butternut squash in half, crosswise through the stem, scoop out the seeds and strings. Place cut-side up on a baking sheet, brush the butternut squash with olive oil and bake for 30-40 minutes until browned and very soft. When cool, discard the skin and mash the squash in a bowl.<br />
<br />
Lightly grease a 9-inch/22-cm tart pan.<br />
In a bowl, whisk together flour, salt and pepper. Add the butter and using a pastry blender process until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add ice water just enough to bring the dough together. Turn out onto a floured counter and roll out the dough about 3 inches/8 cm larger than the pan. Carefully lift the dough into the pan and press to fit. Roll the rolling pin over the pan to neaten the edges and remove the excess dough. Fit a piece of parchment paper into the tart shell, fill with pie weights or dried beans, and let chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375<span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">°</span></span>F.<br />
<span style="color: #0c0c0c; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px;"><br /></span>
Bake the pastry shell with the weights for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, then remove the weights and paper. Return to the oven for about 5 minutes.<br />
<br />
Mix the mashed squash and half the cream, season with salt, pepper and sage and spread in the pastry shell. Slice the cheese and spread it on top. Whisk the remaining cream with the eggs and the egg yolk and pour the mixture into the tart pan, making sure it settles evenly. Arrange sage leaves in a circle on the surface and bake for about 30 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes in the pan before serving. <br />
<br />
ENJOY! <br />
<br />
<br />Sylviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12720458372836569224noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4555171132259127071.post-82743240602948712262019-03-21T16:41:00.004-04:002023-06-20T12:06:08.340-04:00A Roma Con Amore<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Rome is L O V E.</div>
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Not just because of the fact that if you <i>spell</i> the Italian word for Rome, "Roma" backwards, you will find "Amor" – meaning Love, but rather because of the fact that Rome is sure to cast <i>a spell</i> on you the minute you take your first steps on the city's winding cobblestone alleys. Gathering energy from ruins and relics of its past, from the splendor of its art, churches, and culture along with the glory of its cuisine and coffee, Rome possesses this powerful force in the Universe to make you look at it with the <i>glistening eyes of a lover</i>, eventually winning your <i>love</i> forever. </div>
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I know that one man's Rome is not necessarily another's. </div>
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My Rome is the one shining in the rising sun. If I am eager enough to get up early in the morning, it will reward me with the warm embrace of empty bridges, fragrant bakeries, and fresh laundries. I love to walk until my feet kill me and I can go no further. Lost somewhere among the maze-like cobblestones, I will then relax over the best espresso in the world in a café standing elbow-to-elbow with locals. I will then resume. Because in Rome, there is always a door of a newly discovered church to open with who-knows-what exquisite art or architecture within. There is always a little trattoria with the most delicious creamy pasta <i>cacio e pepe </i>to enjoy on a red checkered tablecloth. Or a gelateria with who-knows-what kind of dreamy flavorful ice cream to try. Or a fresh food market with seasonal produce and happy vendors, unveiling a true cultural experience of the Italian way of life... This city begs to be uncovered at every corner with happy accidents of <i>everyday simple beauty. </i></div>
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My Rome is the one that possesses the most beautiful old walls coated with every stunning <i>shade of ochre, rust, and terracotta.</i> From the hues of the ancient gold, through the earth tones of the clay pots, to the color of the dark coffee crema, Roman buildings are a visual feast for an artistic eye. In fact, following the legacy of Early Rome and the characteristics of past creative work, the regulation of the city of Rome limits the variety of colors building owners can use to paint the facades of the city. </div>
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My Rome breathes with the pulse of <i>the Vatican </i>right in the center of its heart. This independent city-state offers some of the most memorable experiences possible. Overflowing with world-class Renaissance and Baroque masterpieces as well as grandiose architectural achievements, the Vatican can easily overwhelm if one lets it. If you show up at St. Peter's Square first thing in the morning with your tickets bought in advance, you will meet your tour guide, who will help you skip the long queue as you will have a rare chance to walk in the museum's corridors without the need of batling slow-moving crowds along the way. You will then be mesmerized inside of the <i>Sistine Chaple</i> by the breathtaking ceiling with the <i>Creation of Adam</i> and <i>The Last Judgment</i> by Michelangelo. Contemplating every single detail of it, you will have touched the untouchable, the absolute, the eternal... </div>
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When you enter the magnificent St. Peter's Basilica and turn on the right-hand side, you will find yourself breathless in front of one of the world's most famous sculptures, carved and sighed by the 24-year-old genius, Michelangelo Buonarroti. <i>Pietà</i> depicts Mother Mary, holding Jesus' lifeless body on her lap. Observing all the beautiful lines, the expressions of the faces, the softly-falling light, you cannot help but feel the greatest human suffering alongside the greatest human <i>love</i>. You are in awe, your heart is filled with tender and astonishment as you shrink to a tiny mote of dust, insignificant to the Universe. </div>
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My Rome is <i>Bernini</i>! </div>
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The Eternal City is a showroom of his remarkable sculptures, paintings, and architectural projects. He was a child prodigy. His dramatic and stormy genius is evident from the design of St. Peter's Square and the spectacular baldachin canopy over the altar of St. Peter's Basilica, through my favorite fountain, <i>Fountain of the Four River</i> in my favorite <i>Piazza Navona</i>, to his unforgettable, outstanding marble sculptures. Bernini is the one who can give life to a single piece of marble, turning the stone into real flesh and emotion. I will never forget the first time I laid my eyes on one of Bernini's most brilliant pieces of art, masterfully displayed at Borghese Gallery (one can get close enough to study it from different points of view), <i>The Rape of Proserpina</i>. According to Roman mythology, she was an ancient Roman goddess and was kidnapped and taken to the underworld by God Pluto, who had fallen madly in <i>love</i> with her. It took my breath away and I could not take my eyes from the stunning lifelike details, especially Pluto's fingers sunk into Proserpina's thigh... Bernini was only 23 years old...</div>
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The second most impressive thing to me about Bernini are the two simple pieces of carved marble on the floor to the right-hand side of the main altar of the beautiful <i>Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore </i>which are apparently his tomb. Not a grandiose monument, not an ornated sarcophagus with wreaths and sculptures with lavish elements – one can definitely miss it if he or she is not looking for it. After Bernini died in his home in Rome, he was buried with little public fanfare, in the simple, unadorned Bernini family vault, together with his parents. Food for thought, isn't it? </div>
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My Rome is an <i>art gallery</i> where with every turn of my head, I can immerse in "work of art". Layers of history and amazing examples of Rome's greatness and effortless elegance (which Romans live and breath in) are looking at me with readiness to tell their secrets and share their <i>love</i> for life. </div>
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My Rome is a <i>Dolce Vita</i> textbook. </div>
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Forget the extravagance of modern life. Embrace the apparent contradictions of the capital city. Ignore the desire to visit everywhere and see everything. Wander the streets with no destination. Just sit and breath in every surprising discovery, in each bite of your Margherita and sip of fresh water from the "nasoni' drinking fountains, in every technique of the artist's paintbrush and every 'ciao' and 'prego', in every Vespa zooming around you... (OK, I know the Italians talk fast and drive even faster, yet among the many forms of arts, they also master the art of slow living).</div>
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If you simply try to spend your days in slowness, appreciating magnificent beauty and enjoying simple pleasures, Rome would <i>love </i>you for that. </div>
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"Every moment deserves <i><span>amore</span></i>", I was told by the charming waiter while he was pouring wine in my glass. </div>
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Sì! I allow myself to be seduced by places...</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(click on each image to see it in detail) </span></div>
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<i>Recommendations: </i><br />
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<i><i>S T A Y</i>:</i></div>
<span style="text-align: justify;">For a real authentic experience and a chance to sample what life as a local is, stay in an apartment whenever you can. I highly recommend the studio which we had the pleasure to live in. Located in an ochre-colored historical building on a quiet street between Piazza Navona and Castel Sant' Angelo, this tastefully decorated place was everything we needed it. Crossing my favorite square in Rome early in the morning or late in the evening was a celebration for me because Piazza Navona is a romantic movie by itself, especially after dark.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #f4cccc;"><a href="https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/17987213?s=51" rel="nofollow">View On Airbnb</a><a href="https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/17987213?s=51" rel="nofollow">Nel cuore di Roma Hospitium S.Celso </a></span><br />
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<i>E A T:</i></div>
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I believe it is almost impossible to eat badly in Rome. Get lost in the little streets around the Pantheon, Campo de' Fiori, or the mandatory Trastevere and you will find a place to eat like a local. Just do not skip my favorites:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.tripadvisor.it/Restaurant_Review-g187791-d6216305-Reviews-Prosciutteria_Cantina_Dei_Papi_Trevi-Rome_Lazio.html"><span style="color: #f4cccc;">Prosciutteria Cantina Dei Papi, Roma</span></a><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.ristorantesantaluciaroma.it/" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: white;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #f4cccc;">Santa Lucia</span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #ea9999;"><br /></span></div>
<i style="text-align: justify;"><i>E X P L O R E:</i></i><br />
<u style="text-align: justify;">Art galleries:</u><i></i><br />
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<span><a href="http://galleriaborghese.beniculturali.it/it" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #f4cccc;">Galleria Borghese</span> </a><b style="color: #ea9999;"> </b></span>is a definite must for every art lover. You are surrounded by a remarkable group of paintings and sculptures collected by Cardinal Borghese. He undoubtedly knew how to pick artists – Raphael, Titian, Caravaggio, Botticelli, Bellini, Rubens and, of course, Bernini to name a few. Booking in advance is mandatory and only those with pre-paid tickets will be let in the mansion. Feeling dazed by the astonishing pieces of art, rest in the beautiful Borghese Gardens and perhaps have a picnic.</div>
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<span style="color: #f4cccc;"><a href="http://www.doriapamphilj.it/roma/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Palazzo Doria Pamphili</a></span><span style="color: #f4cccc; font-weight: bold;"> </span>is a private gallery of the Pamphili family and has some exquisite masterpieces, paintings, sculptures, and furniture. But it is even more special because of the beautiful chapel and the rococo design of a stunning hall of mirrors, brought from Venice – smaller than that in Versailles, but equally beautiful, in my opinion.</div>
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<u>Churches:</u></div>
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Pop into whatever churches you pass by. More often than not they exemplify high aesthetic standards – artistically, architecturally and historically.</div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Maria_della_Pace" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Santa Maria della Pace</a></span> is a beautiful tiny church off Piazza Navona. Here you can see Raphael's fresco Sibyls (1514) influenced by Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling, according to historians (my first photo).</div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999;"><a href="https://santignazio.gesuiti.it/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Saint Ignatius</a> </span>is a seemingly hidden away church, not too far from the Pantheon. Inside of the beautiful building, you will be surprised by the stunning stretched-across the ceiling fresco of Andrea Pozzo celebrating the work of Saint Ignatius and the Society of Jesus. What is striking about the work is that it creates an illusionary dome using the forced perspective, 3D effect. History says that funds to build a dome were lacking, hence Pozzo was hired to paint the optical illusion.</div>
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<u>Museums: </u></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999;"><a href="https://www.chiostrodelbramante.it/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chiostro del Bramante</a> </span>is a cultural center, a museum, spread on a Renaissance architecture which was originally a monastery complex. It is located right beside the Basilica Santa Maria della Pace and Raphael's fresco Sibyls is visible from a specially adapted window in the so-called Sibyls room. It is a space for exhibitions, concerts, and learning programs. Sit for a coffee at the Bistro-Cafeteria and buy a book from the bookshop.</div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999;"><a href="http://castelsantangelo.beniculturali.it/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Castel Sant' Angelo </a><b style="font-style: italic;"> </b></span>is a must for various reasons. Walking across Ponte Saint's Angelo where you can pause and admire Bernini's stunning design of marble angel statues, you can reach this special castle which offers stories about the Eternal City that other monuments may not give. Visit later in the afternoon and climb to the upper terrace of the remarkable architecture for a gorgeous view of Rome under a beautiful sunset. This large terrace is, in fact, the one from which Puccini's heroine jump to her death in his opera Tosca. Have an espresso at the bar with a fantastic view of Vatican City while waiting until 10:30pm to visit Passetto di Borgo. It is a passageway that runs 2,600 feet from St. Peter's Basilica to the Castel and several popes have used it as an emergency escape route. To walk through the old corridor at night is quite an experience.<br />
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<i>T O U R S:</i></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999;"><a href="https://theromanguy.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Roman Guy </a></span></div>
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I highly recommend this small company's Privileged Entrance Vaticana Tour. If you are lucky, you would be led by Raffaela. Born and raised in Rome, she is a proud Roman gal with a great personality and a pocket full of known and unknown stories about her favorite place in the world.</div>
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In the heart of Adams Morgan, one of the most diverse, eclectic and full of unique history neighborhoods of Washington, DC, stands a century-old and concrete-heavy building that had recently been transformed into one of the best hotels in the US capital. Who could have thought that a Neoclassical church, sitting empty for 25 years, could be so perfect for a hotel? And not just a hotel, but rather a space for the creative community to use, free of charge.<br />
These days, the wonderful arches and soaring ceilings, the spiky chandelier made of the church organ's pipes, the beautifully-arrayed windows, the dynamic lobby with long communal tables and the podcast network studio make this space a model of originality and thoughtful design with an artistic sense of detail. Unlike the welcoming common area which stimulates interaction and socializing, the rooms are carefully designed to create a sense of home and calm; each has been furnished with vintage furniture, beautiful light-fittings, books and curated local artwork by Washington-area artists, of which 90 percent are women. In our room, I particularly enjoyed a black and white photograph of the First Ladies chatting and drinking wine at a social event. <br />
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"I am going to give you the best available room right now," promised the friendly young man at the reception. And he didn't disappoint.<br />
And when there was low water pressure on our floor, he compensated us with a free breakfast at one of their restaurants led by award-winning chefs. I can still hear the manager of the hotel saying to us, " It is not a problem. I will take care of everything!"<br />
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To those of you, who worship elegant design, delicious food and coffee, and beautiful music, and especially to those who support thoughtful business practices rooted in communities and creativity, I encourage you to plan a stay at <a href="https://www.thelinehotel.com/dc/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The LINE DC</a> when you visit Washington, DC next time. There are too many reasons to fall in love with the place, I promise.<br />
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<b>The LINE DC</b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">1770 Euclid Street NW, Washington, DC 20009</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">/This is not a paid ad and all opinions are my own/ </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>Sylviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12720458372836569224noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4555171132259127071.post-18290678156188494502018-04-25T18:08:00.000-04:002019-10-21T19:18:15.951-04:00Washington DC, Pretty In Spring Blossoms<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As I was marching through the 3rd floor of the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery to the 20th-Century Americans to see the Amy Sherald painting of Michele Obama, a lovely young lady, wearing an embroidered kimono-like costume, slowly approached me with the question, <i>"May I give you the gift of song?"</i>. Usually, I don't like stopping at people offering me products or asking me to participate in something, but this time everything seemed different – I was in a gallery, I heard the words <i>gift</i> and <i>song</i> and in my mind they sounded so beautiful and romantic that without much thinking, not knowing what to expect, I replied "Yes! I would love to have the gift of song."<br />
Next, the pretty lady, obviously a singer, invited me with a slow but sure gesture to follow her to the Great Hall of the gallery and sit on the chair positioned in the middle of one side of the space. She moved about 7 feet away from me, turned around to face me, looked straight into my eyes, took a deep breath and following the short piano introduction, began to sing. Her wonderful soprano voice like a sea wave approaching a sandy shore filled the entire hall. She was singing in German, which I don't understand, but it didn't matter to me because the lyrical, slow-moving melody, familiar to me, had quickly reached my sitting body and wrapped it in a warm, long, caring hug.<br />
I have always had this 'strange' relationship with <a href="https://silviya-simplelife.blogspot.ca/2012/11/for-love-of-music.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">music,</a> when very often classical pieces and few songs, with their melodic, harmonic modulations, play with my body by sending tingles down my spine, bringing a lump to my throat and making my eyes brim with tears. I can't explain this game. I know, it doesn't have anything to do with personal memories and association with events. It is uncontrollable and at times can be very uncomfortable. It just happens and it was going to happen again, I was sure.<br />
However, this time I didn't let it go to that extent. In other words, I somehow managed not to cry despite the sensations. I was fully present and completely aware of my emotions and my surrounding. I didn't think, so I didn't judge, but I <i>FELT</i>. In a matter of the song's first line, the melody, the light, the singer, the energy of the gallery, the air in the hall, the breathing of others, every fibre of my being merged into an unbounded eternity. Every single thing became one with the totality of the experience. I was seeing only the singer but was sensing the whole universe. There was no space or time anymore. I was there, but I was also in another dimension. One that I believe is called <i>ONENESS – </i>known within the heart and felt in the soul. It was special. It was moving. And intimate. And unforgettable. And powerful. And blissful... And so many other wonderful and unexplainable things, all at once.<br />
It was the gift of a song.<br />
It was the gift of Art.<br />
<i>It was Washington in the S P R I N G.</i><br />
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I later learned that in honour of its 50th Anniversary, the National Portrait Gallery during April (from April 5 to 29) is presenting "IDENTITY" series, SONIC BLOSSOM – a critically acclaimed participatory performance artwork by New York- and Paris-based artist Lee Mingwei, in which the audience becomes part of and engages in the creative process. It is about triggering and representing relationships, connections, trust, and willingness to share an experience with strangers at a specific place, a specific time. When Lee was a child, his mother would play lieder by Franz Schubert at a low volume teaching him how to be still and quiet to be able to hear the music. Later, when he took care of her while she was recovering from heart surgery, he played Schubert's lieder for her and they both found great beauty and comfort in his music. This is the first time Lee's work is presented in Washington, DC during the Cherry Blossom season (and without any planning, just with the power of life's everyday magic, I happened to be there).<br />
I am extremely grateful to singer Molly Pinson Simoneau for choosing me on the opening day of the performance and giving me the most beautiful in my opinion Schubert's lied as a precious, unforgettable gift.<br />
You can read more about Sonic Blossom <a href="https://npg.si.edu/blog/lee-mingwei-on-music-and-sonic-blossom" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="https://georgetowner.com/articles/2018/04/25/lee-mingweis-sonic-blossom-national-portrait-gallery-photos/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a><br />
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Sylviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12720458372836569224noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4555171132259127071.post-81767065201751635522018-04-03T18:06:00.000-04:002019-02-28T13:38:08.943-05:00Step into Springtime <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>"Now in the spring I kneel, I put my face into the packets of violets, the dampness, the freshness, the sense of ever-ness. Something is wrong, I know it if I don't keep my attention on eternity. May I be the tiniest nail in the house of the universe, tiny but useful. May I stay forever in the stream. May I took down upon the windflower and the bull thistle and coreopsis with the greatest respect... </i></div>
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<i>Teach children. We don't matter so much, but the children do. Show them daisies and the pale hepatica. Teach them the taste of sassafras and wintergreen. The lives of the blue sailors, mallow, sunbursts, the moccasin flowers. And the frisky ones – inkberry, lamb's-quarters, blueberries. And the aromatic ones – rosemary, oregano. Give them peppermint to put in their pockets as they go to school. Give them the fields and the woods and the possibility of the world salvaged from the lords of profit. Stand them in the stream, head them upstream, rejoice as they learn to love this green space they live in, its sticks and leaves and then the silent, beautiful blossoms." </i></div>
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<i>Attention is the beginning of devotion."</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">Mary Oliver, Upstream </span></div>
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Spring is on its way...</div>
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I am happy and ready to cross a threshold from a world of dull brown and stiff grey to the loveliness of soft greens, joyous yellows and deep blues that herald the fresh new season.</div>
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Everything smells</div>
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like endless hope and anticipation,</div>
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like childhood memories,</div>
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like morning dew and wet soil,</div>
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like awakening...</div>
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I finally feel at home in my own skin; at home on the face of the earth...</div>
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I feel this pleasant lightness and new clearness that make it easier for me to breathe and actually see.</div>
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Like a miniature imperfect blossom, my soul is arising from hibernation, furtively opening itself once again to the universal love of the world. Loving the world requires attention. Because – paying attention is the only thing that guarantees insight; the only thing that can heal the heart; the only thing that makes us see life's simple, yet amazing gifts.</div>
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Wishing you a splendid springtime. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: x-small;">Botanical eggs, my son and I colored for Easter with yellow onion skin, blueberries, turmeric, and blossoms. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake recipe (with a few changes) from </span><a href="https://www.livewellbakeoften.com/lemon-blueberry-bundt-cake/" rel="nofollow" style="font-size: small;" target="_blank">Live Well Bake Often </a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>Sylviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12720458372836569224noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4555171132259127071.post-79593100990796849162018-03-16T20:02:00.001-04:002019-03-09T22:18:01.929-05:00Sugar Shack at Sugar Beach<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHBayL-Mp0A5PUslrdtwQ_OosjSQUiNCZrRErm5erEadE2KgSitq_cTOcW8cD2I0Btu6LXQOx53nbuqbhILQgW3GX_B2e5RgZnJESa0EYDADswGXNWzeiEK2iDziUhnCDCGPT4RVYxLjg9/s1600/Shugar_Shack_2018+017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHBayL-Mp0A5PUslrdtwQ_OosjSQUiNCZrRErm5erEadE2KgSitq_cTOcW8cD2I0Btu6LXQOx53nbuqbhILQgW3GX_B2e5RgZnJESa0EYDADswGXNWzeiEK2iDziUhnCDCGPT4RVYxLjg9/s1600/Shugar_Shack_2018+017.jpg" /></a>
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The best thing about March in Canada is that it's Maple Season. It is that sticky time of the year again when sugar shacks open their doors for all of us to see <a href="http://silviya-simplelife.blogspot.ca/2013/03/the-simple-pleasure-of-maple-syrup.html" target="_blank">how maple sap is tapped from trees and then boiled down to the purest, golden, maple syrup. </a> We can also enjoy simple sugar shack food from pancakes, sausages and baked beans cooked in a wood-fired oven to the most important one of all, the quintessential Canadian sweet – Maple Taffy. On snow. </div>
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For all of you who are not familiar with this dessert, it is basically a sugar candy that is made by boiling maple sap poured over fresh snow and rolled onto a stick. Sounds exciting, doesn't it? </div>
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Traditionally, sugar shacks are found in the country, amidst the sugar bush. However, there are winter festivals during the maple season that create an urban sugar shack experience for big city dwellers. </div>
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This past weekend, Toronto's waterfront got a big dose of sticky sweetness from the 3rd annual Sugar Shack TO. Yes, you read that correctly – maple syrup at Sugar Shack at Sugar Beach at Toronto's waterfront.<br />
How much more sugar-sweet can it get? </div>
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Torontonians were melting away the winter blues while celebrating all things maple<br />
with </div>
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live music, </div>
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traditional sugar shack treats,</div>
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organic food, </div>
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hot mulled cider,</div>
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ice carving sculptures,</div>
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maple sugaring demonstrations, </div>
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and much more.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQW7AAqhVuq4MZZxNLEb_HIWFTmCsBzHWn5UF9vMxsxjFHRlIcp14469gdvcz_GU4sihJ8ItOg9_aORe8dGWwuH16lOjmwqUad-zo7jBB_zO-ejQd0oHoZHx_CzTMyjqee25LM7O8WAxSi/s1600/how-to-make-maple-taffy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1554" data-original-width="888" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQW7AAqhVuq4MZZxNLEb_HIWFTmCsBzHWn5UF9vMxsxjFHRlIcp14469gdvcz_GU4sihJ8ItOg9_aORe8dGWwuH16lOjmwqUad-zo7jBB_zO-ejQd0oHoZHx_CzTMyjqee25LM7O8WAxSi/s1600/how-to-make-maple-taffy.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Design by Alexandra Tanner</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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For those living in the city, I highly suggest putting the <a href="http://www.sugarshackto.ca/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sugar Shack TO</a> Festival on your calendar for March next year.</div>
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If you are willing to get out of the city, there are many operating Sugar Shacks and Maple Syrup Festivals around the Greater Toronto Area for you and your kids to enjoy as well:<br />
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<b><i>Maple Syrup Festival</i></b> at <a href="http://www.brontecreek.org/index.php/the-park/featured-events/maple-festival.html" target="_blank">Bronte Creek Park</a><br />
1219 Burloak Drive<br />
Oakville, Ontario<br />
L6M 4J7<br />
905-827-6911<br />
<br />
<b><i>Maple Town</i></b> at <a href="http://www.conservationhalton.ca/event-details?eventID=37" target="_blank">Conservation Halton</a><br />
2259 Milburough Line<br />
Campbellville, Ontario<br />
L0P 1B0<br />
905-336-1158<br />
<br />
<b><i>Sweet Water Season</i></b> at <a href="http://www.conservationhalton.ca/event-details?eventID=63" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Crawford Lake</a><br />
3115 Conservation Road,<br />
Milton, Ontario<br />
L9T 2X3<br />
<br />
<b><i>Maple Syrup Festival</i></b> at <a href="http://www.hortontreefarms.com/maple_syrup.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Horton Tree Farms</a><br />
14844 Warden Avenue<br />
Stouffville, Ontario<br />
L4A 4M8<br />
905-888-1738<br />
<br />
<b><i>Maple Sugar Festival</i></b> at <a href="https://www.brooksfarms.com/maplesugarfestival" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Brooks Farms</a><br />
122 Ashworth Road,<br />
Mount Albert<br />
L0G 1M0<br />
905-473-3246<br />
<br />
<i><b>Maple Syrup Festival</b></i> at <a href="https://westfieldheritage.ca/events/maple-syrup-festival-19/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Westfield Heritage Village</a><br />
1049 Kirkwall Road,<br />
Rockton, Ontario<br />
L0R 1X0<br />
519-621-8851<br />
<br />
<b><i>Sugarbush Maple Syrup Festival</i></b> at <a href="https://maplesyrupfest.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Toronto and Area Conservation</a><br />
March 10 – April 8, 2018, various locations<br />
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Sylviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12720458372836569224noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4555171132259127071.post-28203259271642487612018-02-04T17:31:00.000-05:002019-02-22T15:35:27.575-05:00The Real Life <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<u><b>N E W Y E A R ' S E V E </b></u></div>
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After a wonderful Christmas loaded with quiet times, good food, old movies, and thoughtful gifts, my family welcomed the new year surrounded by friends and the frigid beauty of one of the most awe-inspiring sights in the country, Niagara Falls. On the last day of 2017, bundling up in layers of sweaters, we bravely walked along the ice-coated Horseshoes Falls while the temperatures were quickly dipping well below freezing. Nothing could ever compare to the fairy tale scene of pristine white snow enveloping everything in a fragile blanket, long crystal icicles hanging like stalactites on rocks and railings, and the colorless flow of rushing water descending swiftly into the river in a magical thick cloud of mist...</div>
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<a href="https://silviya-simplelife.blogspot.ca/2016/03/wisdom-of-falling-water.html" target="_blank">What a marvel it was! </a>What an uplifting and hopeful celebration of the crossover from the old year to the new one we had!<br />
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<b><u>J A N U A R Y </u></b><br />
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And then came January with its agonizing unhurried pace. It was throwing bad news – one after another – into the lightless, cold first days of 2018. Little ups and huge downs – the new year has been a scary roller coaster. I have experienced some of the most terrifying and debilitating hours of my life when my beating heart was ripped from my seemingly soulless body and my anxious mind felt lost and deserted like a ghost town... There were mornings stuffed with pessimism, anger, and resentment. Layers of inner pain and uncertainty, so uncomfortable, challenging and deep, paralyzed the core of my being. You thought you had already grown wise, strong and fearless, but when it came to the well being of loved ones, life took you by surprise and threw you unprepared, emotionally raw and unarmored into the rough wave of the latest ferocious storm (or at least it was the way it seemed at the beginning).</div>
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<b><u>T H E R E A L I T Y</u></b>
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And then the basic truth has begun to appear from within. L i f e i s h a r d. Life is not always fair. Life involves a certain amount of hardship and suffering. Life does not always work the way we would like it to and often we have no control over many things that happen to us. However, when hard times hit, we have an important choice to make – either let the situation define us, let it destroy us or let it strengthen us. What I know for sure is that one of the main differences between those who live their lives to their fullest potential and those who let life happen to them can be found in their choice of how to handle adversity: whether they allow themselves to be crushed, to give up, and to feel sorry for themselves or choose acceptance, face the fear, look for a source of strength within them (it is always there), and turn the negative experience into a positive one as a means of transformation and growth. </div>
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If there is one single lesson I would like our son to learn from his parents, it would be in the words of the wise Eppie Ledere, better known by the pen name Ann Lander; something I read years ago, wrote it down on paper and hung it on the refrigerator for encouragement and a clear-eyed perspective: </div>
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<b><i>"If I were asked to give </i><i>what I consider the single most useful bit of advice for all humanity</i><i> it would be this: </i><i>Expect trouble as an inevitable part of life and when it comes, </i><i>hold your head high, </i><i>look it squarely in the eye, </i><i>and say, </i><i>"I will be bigger than you. You cannot defeat me."</i></b> </div>
(Later I found that she also said: "I would rather have my column on a thousand refrigerator doors than win a Pulitzer." Isn't it the most refreshing perspective on success?!)<br />
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<b><u>T R A N S F O R M A T I O N</u></b></div>
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Once we accept the fact that life can be "wild, hard and sweet" as well as "wild, hard and cruel', we begin to grow by recognizing that every difficulty is also an opportunity and a learning experience. It is then that we dig down and discover what we are made of. It is then that we find a means to transform negative events into positive ones, wounds into wisdom. In her book "Broken Open", Elizabeth Lesser is convinced that "<b><i>Suffering and crisis transform us, humble us, and bring out what matters most to us."</i></b></div>
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And just like that, my word for 2018 came to me. During a month of convoluted and unstructured thoughts on a new year, a challenging month with snow and lots of cold (figuratively and literally), this word has been coming back to me.</div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">Transformation. </span></i></div>
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It does not matter what kind of experience we have had, it is of no consequence. What kind of transformation the experience brings is what matters in life. We cannot destroy anything, dissolve it, or make it disappear. We can only transform it.</div>
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Resistance into Acceptance. </div>
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Negative thoughts into Positive Affirmations.</div>
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Worries into Present Moments. </div>
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Pain into Inner Search. </div>
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Fear into Actions. </div>
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Tension into Listening. </div>
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Overgeneralized Statements into Concrete Statements. </div>
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Emotional Reasoning into Rational Responses.<br />
Prejudice into Knowledge.<br />
Complaining into Gratitude.<br />
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<i><b>"I used to see a butterfly in my mind's eye every time I hear the word transformation,"</b> </i>wrote Cheryl Strayed in her book "Brave Enough". I did it too, Cheryl. I did it, too. <i style="font-weight: bold;">"But life has schooled me", </i>she continued<i>.<b> "Transformation isn't a butterfly.</b></i><b> </b><i><b>It's the thing before you get to be a pretty bug flying away. It's huddling in the dark cocoon and then pushing your way out. It's the messy work of making sense of your fortunes and misfortunes, desires and doubts, hang-ups and sorrows, actions and accidents, mistakes and successes, so you can go on and become the person you must next become."</b> </i></div>
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<b><u>F L O W</u></b><br />
I asked myself out loud:<br />
Sylvia, will you be broken down and defeated, or broken open and transformed? <br />
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<u><b>F E B R U A R Y</b></u><br />
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I found my body the other day on one of the swings in the empty park. I was pushing it hard forwards and backwards through the winter air. The old snow was glistering while the timid sun was trying to rip the clouds off. Pumping my legs, I was gaining height and the world was spinning around me...<br />
Forward – breathing in. Back – breathing out. I leaned my head back and then I remembered how fortunate I was to be breathing... what a richness to my life my family and friends were... how strong my faith in the goodness of life was...<br />
This shall pass.<br />
Everything passes.<br />
Life is hard, but life is also g l o r i o u s. Sometimes we feel that we are barely pulling ourselves forward through a dark tiny tunnel and the light at the end seems unreachable. Nevertheless, we do come out the other side drained, yet transformed to better daughters, better sons, better mothers, better partners, better friends, better Humans... and before we know it, we will have slid over this rough wave and we will ride again onto the next one.<br />
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">(Chestnut Bundt Cake with Chocolate Chunks, recipe by the inspiring Mimi Thorisson of <a href="http://mimithorisson.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Manger</a>)</span></i><br />
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Sylviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12720458372836569224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4555171132259127071.post-63454029281952170332017-11-25T16:46:00.000-05:002019-02-22T15:08:47.265-05:00Autumn Impressions <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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November has presented itself this year as the most talented and impressive painter among the months, slowly drawing canvases of cloudy skies, wet leaves, and smoky fogs. While perfectly capturing Earth's treasures, November has displayed the most sophisticated color palette of deep brown and rich yellow, blended into old glory burgundy, with a mix of orange and green in between... I am in love with its artistic work and I spend every day diving into its exquisite exhibit of beauty, nature's brilliance, and sublime ordinariness. I learn from it, I drink with it, I breathe and grow in it...</div>
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I spread my eyes among the undressed trees, put my face into the gentle, fresh wind and feel... </div>
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I chase the light – soft, plush and golden, play hide-and-seek with the tired from the summer sun and let it penetrate all the chambers of my heart... </div>
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I rejoice in the solitude with autumn. I pulse with Earth's unhurried rhythm of grace and gain patience. This season offers me a refuge from the eventful summer and the bubbly mind. Humility emerges from its raw beauty. The world isn't such a broken place, blurring meaning, values and human dignity after all. Life is full of goodness and the good sinks into me as I sink into it. My small, separate self loosens and dissolves into what surrounds me. </div>
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Autumn makes me settle into my home, my simple needs and disorderly dailiness. It teaches me how to observe with passion, savor my thoughts and live life in the slow lane... </div>
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I am whole and full of gratitude. </div>
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I taste like a pear tart.</div>
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I smell like happiness.</div>
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<i>Thanks to a lovely supporter who sent me a heartwarming email, I reopened <a href="https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/SylviaSimpleLife" target="_blank">SylviaSimpleLife Etsy Shop </a>with a limited quantity of original greeting cards featuring my simple photographs and my Holiday creations. The images are carefully selected in order to convey a message of a simple, handmade Christmas and a truly meaningful season. Baking cookies, making wreaths, wrapping a gift, decorating the home – it should be a celebration of its own. Spread some handwritten cheer this season with a gift of time and thought with these humble greeting cards.</i></div>
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<i>Shop the collection here</i></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/SylviaSimpleLife">https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/SylviaSimpleLife</a></div>
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Thank you to all of you for your kindness and endless support! </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Sharing with <a href="https://thecharmofhome.blogspot.ca/2017/11/home-sweet-home-348.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Home Sweet Home </a></span></div>
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Sylviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12720458372836569224noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4555171132259127071.post-57213667035525574162017-08-21T19:50:00.000-04:002019-09-18T15:21:51.046-04:00Celebrating August<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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August has a magic of its own... the last full month of summer – the most-awaited, full of hope and plans, and the fastest one of all that slips through time and space like sand through fingers. </div>
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Like a sweet dream, you don't want to end, August brings forgotten wishes, alluring destinations, open doors and hearts exposed to ease, sea waves, hot nights, lemonade and love... </div>
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But August's eternity only lasts 31 days and is just one more reason to <i>celebrate the season </i>instead of wondering where the summer went. </div>
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There's still time for </div>
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lying on a beach and reading poetry,</div>
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camping on the lake and having a bonfire,</div>
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hosting a backyard barbecue,</div>
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climbing mountains, </div>
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picnicking,</div>
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travelling to places you always wanted to see,</div>
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taking a road trip,</div>
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gardening,</div>
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drinking coffee on the porch,</div>
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heading to an outdoor concert, </div>
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meeting with a dear friend you haven't seen for years...</div>
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There are herbs to be grown and jams to be cooked.</div>
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There are sunrises to be seen and shooting star wishes to be made.</div>
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<i>There are raspberries to be picked, a lemonade to be made and a teacake to be shared.</i></div>
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I am sitting here at the table in my late grandparents' garden enjoying this memorable summer day and thinking that if August had a colour, it would be the hue of an apricot.</div>
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If it had a taste, it would be the sweetness of a ripe peach. </div>
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If August was a feeling, it would be nostalgia.<br />
But above all, August for me right now is everything I ever wanted and everything I ever lost, wrapped together in a perfect bundle by my deep sense of gratitude.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>How do you celebrate August?</b></span><br />
<br />
Tell me about it in the comments below for a chance to win a copy of <a href="https://stampington.com/field-guide-to-everyday-magic" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Field Guide To Everyday Magic</a>, a sister publication of Bella Grace Magazine filled entirely with worksheet-style prompts, inspirational photographs, and quotes. The contest giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. International participants will be eligible to receive the free digital edition of Bella Grace! Leave your comment below by September 10th for a chance to win! <br />
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Please, check the wonderful articles of all the invited writers who are part of the exciting <a href="http://bellagracemagazine.com/blog/field-guide-to-everyday-magic-blog-hop/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bella Grace Blog Hop</a><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">THE GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED! </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: 15px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: 15px;">Congratulations to </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: 15px;">ROSE COUEY</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: 15px;"> from Secondhand Girl for winning a copy of this beautiful publication. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Thank you very much to everyone for writing such thoughtful and heartfelt comments. I hope your August was splendid! </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "droid sans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></span></span></span>Sylviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12720458372836569224noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4555171132259127071.post-84434949508461486732017-07-12T17:07:00.004-04:002019-02-22T16:11:41.333-05:00A Portrait of CHICAGO <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When the GPS navigation voice made us turn on Washington Street because our hotel would be on the right, I realized we were right in the heart of the city. While the valet waited for us to take our luggage from the car which we stopped almost chaotically in the middle of the busy street, I listened to the street musicians jazzing under the iconic green Marshall Field's Clock. Inside of an unassuming perfectly preserved Historic Building – typical office corridors with mahogany doors and trim, multicoloured marble walls, ceilings and floors, and an original ornate open elevator grill – a friendly smile from hotel receptionist welcomed us to the Loop. From the window of our tiny, but comfortable room, I was able to see the illuminating sign of the Historic Chicago Theatre in the bustling Theatre District. I felt that our weekend trip to the Windy City, the Working City, the Second City, the White City, whatever name you pick from the numerous nicknames given throughout the years, was going to be fabulous. And partially because it was the beginning of June and every local we met affirmed us that there was nothing like summer in Chicago – boats would be on the lake, festivals and concerts in the park and locals on the beach soaking up the short months of sunshine. </div>
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I thought a lot of how to describe this wonderful, self-made, industrious American town that had surprisingly impressed me with its hospitality, unpretentiousness (perhaps realness), bold spirit and most of all its remarkable ART. What was that single word that defines it, that identifies the life that was happening there, that establishes Chicago like a place nowhere else among the metropolises of North America? And the word that came up first and most often to my mind was <i>LIVEABLE</i>. It is an adjective, of course, but derived from a verb and as a visitor, I think it captures the vibes pretty well. <br />
Chicago is a LIVEable city, a working city, and as one English Professor once said "an underdog city and a good place for an underdog to live". Frankly, I felt that sensation from the first minute I put my feet on Washington Street, sort of inexplicably, but tangibly. Against my dislike to compare one city to another or one country to another, Chicago seemed to me more liveable than the city of New York, one of my all-time favourite cities in the world, and more real than Miami, for example.<br />
Despite all the beautiful signature clocks registering the time, Chicago happened rather slowly... like the gently moving Chicago River in the middle of downtown. Chicago happened less ostentatiously, but not less convincingly for a huge, yet life-sized city... like the great waters of Lake Michigan which is as big as a sea, but it is still a lovely lake. Even the iconic 'L' trains passing over the river seemed to move slower than any other trains in the world and I mean it as a compliment.<br />
Chicago is a city of details. You might not get the big picture at first, but if you look up and look closely you will see the spectacular details that are everywhere and make the picture unforgettable. The wealth of innovative architecture rebuilt in record speed after the destruction of the Great Chicago Fire in 1871 and the museum collections as well as the outdoor public art (created by Miro, Picasso, Moor, Chagall and other prominent modern artists) is impressive and inspirational for every art lover.<br />
Chicago also gives an impression of a city that stays true to itself, to its roots, to its communities, to its waterways. Diverse. Creative. Dichotomous. Strangely attractive. Modest.<br />
Livable...<br />
And I believe it will always be there waiting for my return with a glass of Rosé and a romantic Riverwalk view of the boats going by under the movable bridges...<br />
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<i><br /></i>
<i>Recommendations: </i><br />
<br />
<u><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">STAY</span></u><br />
<i><u><a href="https://www.staypineapple.com/the-loop-chicago" rel="nofollow">The Alise Chicago</a></u></i><br />
Housed in a landmark 1895 skyscraper, designed by the widely known architect Daniel Burnham, this elegant hotel is a short walk away from Michigan Avenue, Millennium Park and all the major cultural institutions in the Loop. Personable and polished service. Pricey valet parking. <br />
<br />
<u><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">EAT </span></u><br />
<i><a href="http://www.giordanos.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><u>Giordano's </u> </a></i><br />
Located in the heart of downtown, this cozy, a "Cheers"-like type restaurant, opened in 1974 by two Italian brothers immigrated to Chicago from a small town near Torino, serves the best, fresh from the oven, steaming hot, picture-perfect <i>stuffed deep-dish pizza</i>; the recipe is the same as the recipe of their Mama Giordano's double-crust, cheese stuffed pie which she used to serve on special occasions.<br />
What a wonderful story it is, isn't it? <i> </i> <br />
<i><u><br /></u></i>
<i><u><a href="http://www.portillos.com/our-story/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Portillo's</a></u></i><br />
For a <i>Chicago-style hot dog</i>: an all-beef frankfurter on a perfectly steamed poppy seed bun, topped with yellow mustard, chopped onion, relish, a dill pickle spear, sliced tomato, sport peppers and a sprinkle of celery salt. Actually, where you go to try it seems to me less important than how you eat it – Do not put ketchup on a Chicago dog! <br />
<br />
<i><u><a href="http://www.tonipatisserie.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Toni Patisserie and Cafe </a></u></i><br />
Located in the <i>Pittsfield Building</i>, one of Chicago's finest 1920-era beautiful skyscrapers on Washington St, right off Michigan Avenue, it is a good choice for a French-style lunch with delicious macarons and pastries for a dessert.<br />
Do not forget to wander into the lobby of Pittsfield and take delight in its gorgeous interior and coffered ceiling. <br />
<br />
<i><u><a href="http://www.citywinery.com/chicago/riverwalk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">City Winery on The Riverwalk</a></u></i><br />
With its wonderful location, nestled next to the water, this is a place for true relaxation on a summer evening with a glass of Rosé while people-watching. It offers Mediterranean-style dishes.<br />
<br />
<i><u><a href="http://3artsclubcafe.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">3 Arts Club Cafe</a></u></i><br />
<i>One of the highlights during our trip!</i><br />
Located north of downtown in the<i> Gold Coast Historic District</i>, this place is really special. I suggest to take a walk and explore the charming, affluent neighbourhood. The restaurant inhabits a five-floor landmark building of 1914 which used to house young women studying music, drama and the visual art from where it has obtained the name Three Arts Club. Restored by Restoration Hardware, the Grand Courtyard with its historic fountain, window ceiling, gorgeous chandeliers and Heritage olive trees is nothing less than spectacular.<br />
<br />
<u><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">EXPLORE</span></u><br />
<i><u><a href="https://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/millennium_park.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Millenium Park</a></u></i><br />
A place for art, music, architecture and landscape design, this big public park features:<br />
<i><u>Jay Pritzker Pavilion,</u></i> designed by Frank Gehry for outdoor concerts;<br />
<i><u>Cloud Gate or The Bean</u></i>, one of the largest sculptures in the world made from highly polished stainless steel plates by British artist Anish Kapoor that provides a distorted mirror of the city skyline;<br />
<u><i>Crown Fountain</i>,</u> an interactive video fountain inspired by the people of Chicago, whose faces appear via an LED display on the 50-foot-tall glass block towers. Truly impressive! <br />
<u><i>Lure Garden</i>,</u> a leader in the cutting-edge design and responsible gardening, the garden pays homage to the city's motto "Urbs in Horto", City in a Garden;<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><u><a href="http://www.aviewoncities.com/chicago/buckinghamfountain.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Buckingham Memorial Fountain</a></u></i><br />
One of the largest in the world, this beautiful fountain is located in Grand Park close to The Bean and produces a major twenty-minute water display every hour; at sunset, it is accompanied by music and colourful lights.<br />
<br />
<i><u><a href="http://www.willistower.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Willis (formerly Sears) Tower</a></u></i><br />
The Chicago's tallest building, once the tallest building in the world, with its glass Skydeck, puts you 1,353 feet over the city simply to experience the amazing 360 view spanning up to four states.<br />
<br />
<i><u><a href="https://www.architecture.org/experience-caf/tours/detail/chicago-architecture-foundation-river-cruise-aboard-chicagos-first-lady-cruises/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Architectural Boat Tour</a></u></i><br />
A fantastic way to explore the architectural history of Chicago along with all three branches of the Chicago River.<br />
<br />
<i><u><a href="https://www.chicagoriverwalk.us/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chicago Riverwalk</a></u></i><br />
Stroll the scenic 1.25-mile pedestrian stretch on the Chicago River full of restaurants, places to just sit, public art exhibitions and boat rentals. <br />
<br />
<i><u><a href="http://www.thechicagotheatre.com/about/general-info.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Theatre District </a></u></i><br />
Chicago owns a well established live theatre scene and many, many theatres in downtown. The famous <i>Chicago Theatre</i> opened in 1921 is probably the most recognizable landmark of the city with its massive, vertical sign. It offers a variety of performances as well as a behind the scenes tour. The very popular musical Hamilton can be seen at <i>The PrivateBank Theatre</i> through January 2018 <br />
<br />
<i><u><a href="https://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/chicago_culturalcenter-architectureandhistory.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chicago Cultural Centre </a></u></i><br />
A beaux art-style building that hosts a variety of free performances, events and exhibitions. Here you can see the spectacular world's largest stained glass <i>Tiffany Dome</i>. <br />
<br />
<i><u><a href="https://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/chicago_s_publicartthepicassountitledsculpture.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Chicago Picasso </a></u></i><br />
Perhaps the most iconic piece of public art, located at Daley Plaza, the untitled Picasso sculpture celebrates its 50th anniversary this year and you can even climb on it if you feel like doing so.<br />
<i><u><br /></u></i><i><u><a href="http://sewardjohnsonatelier.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Abraham Lincoln "Return Visit" Sculpture </a></u></i><br />
A 25-foot-tall interesting bronze installation created by 86-year-old artist Seward Johnson, who also designed the well known big Marilyn Monroe statue, is located at Pioneer Court on Michigan Avenue until the end of the year. It depicts Abraham Lincoln handing a copy of the Gettysburg Address to a modern-day man, with Lincoln gesturing to the window where he stayed the night before delivering the "all men are created equal" speech. <br />
<br />
<i><u><a href="https://navypier.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Navy Pier</a></u></i><br />
It is a 3,000-foot-long pier that reaches across Lake Michigan and is full of restaurants, theatres, boat amusements, live performances and attractions. There is a tall Ferris wheel, called Centennial Wheel, offering an amazing view of Chicago and Lake Michigan. Fireworks in the summer – Wednesday and Saturday nights. <br />
<i><a href="http://www.artic.edu/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><br /></a></i><i><a href="http://www.artic.edu/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> <u>Art Institution of Chicago</u></a></i><br />
<i>My favourite personal experience! I could easily spend my entire day contemplating all the masterpieces on the walls. </i><br />
The second largest museum in the country, the gallery is voted the best museum in the world for 2016 by TripAdvisor, based on an analysis of travellers' reviews. But even if it is not, the Art Institution of Chicago sure felt like a world-class art museum with its 300,000 pieces of art and the largest collection of Impressionist art outside of Paris. It is like time travel with so much to see and so little time (especially if you are not a local). Do not forget to take a coffee break at one of the fine cafés in the museum. I enjoyed every bit of my visit there and can't wait to go back and explore more.<br />
<br />
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Sylviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12720458372836569224noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4555171132259127071.post-51125549442328803032017-05-22T13:49:00.002-04:002019-02-22T16:06:09.771-05:00Spring, Tulips & Chocolate Cake <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I blinked... and it was May again, pouring its aliveness over me...<br />
I've been watching the group of yellow and red tulips in the corner of the back yard. And boy, they loooove the sunshine. Every morning when the warm spring sun touches their petals, they bring their bountiful colors to the world, <span style="color: #444444;"><i>fully open</i> </span>to the light until the evening twilight makes them calm down and relax in peace and fulfillment. I've been watching the white and pink tulips in the pitcher playing with the warmth in the room, making the known-like-the back-of-my-hand space cheer up. Could it really be spring without tulips?<br />
I've been crossing the streets of the city witnessing the awakening of the apple trees, the magnificent display of the magnolia's fragrant blossoms followed by the dancing lilacs in the wind...<br />
And I have been soaking it all up...<br />
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Passing through the ordinary dailiness, you think your life is pretty normal, but you can't miss a little spring bulb blooming inside of your body filling it up with unexpected energy. You can't miss the sense of change penetrating the air with hope, promises, and newness. Someone once said that "when the beautiful spring comes and nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to<span style="color: #444444;"> <i>revive</i></span><b> </b>also."<br />
I found this to be true.<br />
But! What I also noticed is that we don't talk about the <span style="color: #444444;"><i>human soul</i></span> very much anymore. We spend time writing emails, messages with emojis, posts on social media, and long resumes with our achievements and expertise abilities, but sharing with others our <span style="color: #444444;"><i>true </i></span>soul is something more of us has forgotten how to do.<br />
In each person, we meet, dwells an inner life; however, we mostly see their outer flower – the blue eyes and the small nose, the title or perhaps political beliefs, the shyness or the brimming confidence. But by peeling the petals, within that flower resides the human soul. One that is timeless, that is Self, that is "a unique event in the history of the universe", that is what a person is and what he or she will always be. Inside every corolla is an ache to be heard.<br />
But how many of us today show a <span style="color: #444444;">genuine</span> interest in others? How many of us today have the time to listen to a stranger or even a friend trying to communicate something deep, something coming from his heart, something he believes in, or troubles him or fills him with joy? How many of us are listeners with no attachments to views, absolute knowledge and prejudices avoiding assumptions and judgments?<br />
There is so much noise out there every day – iPhones, iPods, podcasts, newsfeed, headlines, headphones – we can barely hear the voice of our own soul much less to find room for another voice. How many of us are comfortable with taking down the walls, opening up and sharing our souls as vulnerable, strong, appalled or joyous as they might be?<br />
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I recently found a new favorite quote <i><span style="color: #444444;">"I hate small talk"</span></i>, someone unknown wrote. <i><span style="color: #444444;">"I wanna talk about atoms, death, aliens, sex, magic, intellect, the meaning of life, faraway galaxies, the lies you've told, your flaws, your favorite scents, your childhood, what keeps you up at night, your insecurity and fears...</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="color: #444444;">I like people with depth, who speak emotion, a twisted mind. </span></i><i><span style="color: #444444;">I don't want to know "what's up." </span> </i></div>
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Today, that is me.<br />
I've had my own share of preoccupation with my thoughts, opinions, and knowledge so that I was ignorant or easily irritated by someone trying to fill my space with unneeded information and emotions. Not any longer. I can see the treasure trove of wisdom, experiences and unique perspective that everyone is longing to express in one way or another. I want to talk about the soul. I am ready to <span style="color: #444444;"><i>listen</i>.</span> I want your soul to touch my soul... while we talk. I know that your Self will extend a hand to my Self to find my true voice by listening to the voice of my soul. I know this would be the most honest way to craft the most authentic version of myself. I am not taking the human connection for granted; in fact, I believe that sharing our soul with others reveals true humanity and beauty in being connected. Words and actions that emerge from our soul can bring love, compassion, and kindness – the only cure for our broken world. We just have to open ourselves the same way the tulips in the spring open to the sun. <br />
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"We live in succession, in division, in parts, in particles. </div>
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Meanwhile within man is the soul of the whole; </div>
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the wise silence; </div>
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the universal beauty, to which every part and particle is equally related; </div>
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the eternal One. </div>
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And this deep power in which we exist, </div>
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and whose beatitude is all accessible to us, </div>
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is not only self-sufficing and perfect in every hour, </div>
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but the act of seeing and the thing seen, </div>
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the seer and the spectacle, the subject and the object, </div>
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are one. </div>
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We see the world piece by piece, </div>
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as the sun, the moon, the animal, the tree; </div>
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but the whole, of which these are the shining parts, </div>
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is the soul." </div>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Ralph Waldo Emerson, "The Over-Soul", 1841</span></i></span><br />
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I baked this moist, creamy and rich in flavor Triple-Chocolate Buttermilk Pound Cake from a recipe from <a href="http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/triple-chocolate-buttermilk-pound-cake" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Southern Living Magazine</a> – a keeper for every chocolate lover.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Sharing with</span> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.frenchcountrycottage.net/2017/05/feathered-nest-friday_25.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Feathered Nest Friday</a> / <a href="http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.ca/2017/05/home-sweet-home-324.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Home Sweet Home</a> / <a href="http://staceyembracingchange.com/2017/05/25/creative-inspirations-linky-party-and-features-39/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Creative Inspirations</a></span><br />
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Sylviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12720458372836569224noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4555171132259127071.post-79470003989260541892017-04-16T17:02:00.000-04:002019-02-22T15:30:20.520-05:00Toronto Children's Chorus Concert <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Grant us Thy peace, Almighty Lord, O Source of every blessing!</i></div>
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<i>We cannot keep Thy saving Word unless Thy peace possessing.</i></div>
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<i>Thy peace O give by which we live.</i></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Verleih uns Frieden Felix Mendelssohn, text by Martin Luther German composer, professor, priest </span><br />
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Early April Saturday afternoon, the warm, sunny weather heralded the long-awaited beginning of spring and the atmosphere inside of the venerable church was much the same. A man was tuning the grand piano while guests were gathering to hear Toronto Children's Chorus' seasonal concert called "Reflections". The sunbeams piercing through the stained glass windows filled up the Rosedale church with divine light and calmness. Sitting in anticipation, one immediately felt the spirit within himself and the hope that was in the air. And here they came. The excited faces of those beautiful young singers of one of the finest treble choirs in the world, ready to blend their voices in their challenging repertoire of songs of hope and peace. Songs we would all celebrate the arrival of spring with. </div>
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From the first traditional Inuit song <i>Arctic Lights</i> telling the story of a lost hunter, (by throat singing, dancing, and drumming) through George Frederick Handel's love song between Radomisto and his wife Zenobia and Debussy's <i>Nuit d'Etoiles </i>to the opening number of the musical Chicago <i>All That Jazz</i>,<i> </i>these talented children demonstrated excellent vocal techniques, discipline and passion about the choral art. The choir also uplifted us, the audience, with songs by Canadian composer Jeff Enns, Wehi Whanaus of New Zealand and Romanian-born Hungarian Levente Gyongyosi. Conducted by the Artistic Director Elise Bradley and the Associate Conductor Matthew Otto, the children were accompanied by guest musicians from the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.<br />
While I listened with delight how these kids poured out their hearts in perfect harmony, I reflected on the fact that the confused and divided world we live in right now perhaps is missing exactly that – humans – being in harmony, with nature, with each other, with themselves. More of the things that we all desperately need nowadays can absolutely be found in music. Peace, comfort, spirituality, humans connection – that is what music gives to people. And no doubt, that choral music has been one of the supreme examples of that. When one person sings, he or she expresses the human soul in the song. However, being part of a group and singing together with others requires not only skills in singing, but personal characteristics such as responsibility, dedication, cooperation, and effective teamwork.<br />
I recognized the importance of music this Saturday afternoon once again. I saw the proof of the incredible benefits that music education brings to kids' lives. Rhythm, harmony, melody, modulation, tone quality cannot be learnt without structure and standards. They must be skillfully taught by knowledgeable, dedicated pedagogists. Children thrive on the gentle and joyous discipline of music and rhythm. Their self-awareness and confidence rise as they understand what it means to be a contributing member of your group, family, community.<br />
This joyous spring concert with the name "Reflections" made me think of the fact that there is no better promoter of peace, beauty, and harmony than music. And music indeed has the power to save the world as many prominent musicians and wise minds thought so. Perhaps not just music itself but rather these young people, our offspring, who through music and music education are becoming happy, smart, grateful, emotionally healthy and competent citizens of our planet, ready to make the world a better place. In the words of philosopher Confucius, who apparently was also an astounding musician "When music and courtesy are better understood and appreciated, there will be no war."<br />
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The next concert of these young choral ambassadors, who have been representing Toronto and Canada all over the world, is on May 6, 2017, at the Toronto Centre for the Arts. If you have a chance, please, go and give your support to them and their passionate teachers. <br />
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To learn more about Toronto Children's Chorus, visit their website <a href="https://www.torontochildrenschorus.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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If you are a parent, guardian, or a relative who wants your child to become a part of such an internationally recognized organization, TCC spring audition registration is open for the 40th anniversary season. They are generous enough to offer a free audition for the readers of Sylvia's Simple Life – simply follow the link <a href="https://www.torontochildrenschorus.com/audition-registration-booking-form/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Register your child for a FREE audition to the Toronto Children's Chorus</a> and use the coupon code "SSLTCC" for an audition on either Saturday, May 13 or Saturday, May 27. Limited free auditions are available. </div>
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P. S. To all of you who celebrate Easter, I wish you a joyous and meaningful celebration of life, love, healing, and peace.<br />
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<br />Sylviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12720458372836569224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4555171132259127071.post-1689359429697406562017-02-25T19:24:00.000-05:002019-02-22T15:33:38.558-05:00In Pursuit of Mindfulness <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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While I type on the computer right now, each click under my fingers harmonizes with the staccato of the raindrops hitting the window. It makes me stop and pay attention to the rain. There is artistry in water falling from the sky. I have always considered rain to be a healer, like music. I notice how my breath is pattering softly with every "musical note" that the innocent droplets are extracting from the air. It is a duet. It is a conversation between myself and the universe. It is a connection. The quiet of being one with the rain makes me sing. Deep inside of me. The moment seems like an instant from a piano concert. The joy of listening to the rain, of reveling in the winter light, of looking at the white tulips, of sipping hot coffee, of relishing in the safety of the dailiness is tap dancing in my heart. I am here appreciating the world around me. My awareness erases the worrisome thoughts and stillness pours through my reality. <br />
At this moment, I understand: just like that, the beauty of the present moment is unfolding in front of my eyes and all my senses are detecting what is going on inside and outside myself. This powerful energy of mindfulness makes me fully alive, fully present to touch the good, the bad, the ugly, the boring, the unpleasant, the habitual, the beautiful, the blissful for my nourishment and my healing. I do not want to live a happy life. I want to live a mindful life. Because mindfulness gives birth to happiness. In fact, happiness is not found in external things at all, but it is a power we hold within ourselves. And if I have to choose a theme word for 2017 (which I barely do), <i><b>MINDFULNESS</b> </i>it is. <br />
So how do I do mindfulness? How to become skillful with my awareness in present time? How to stay HERE and now so I encounter life in the most truthful way? <br />
Thich Nhat Hanh, the master of mindfulness, whose books I've read several times, makes it sound simple and possible. "The practice of mindfulness", he says, "requires only that whatever you do, you do with your whole being." "When you pour tea", he continues, "the act of pouring the tea into the cup can become an act of meditation if you pour with mindfulness. Don't think about the past. Don't think about the future. Don't think about what you're going to do next. Focus entirely on the act of pouring the tea. Everyone knows how to pour tea, everyone knows how to drink tea, but not everyone pours tea mindfully and drinks tea mindfully... When you hold the hand of a child, or when you walk, or when you hug your partner, invest one hundred percent of yourself in the act of hugging." Always go home to your body. Your true home is in the here and the now. <br />
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Being fully in each moment and connecting to peace in the midst of chaos and uncertainty is harder than it sounds, especially in a world which constantly demands your time and attention. I have been trying to practice mindfulness for years, but I am human. Some days, some months, some years are better than others. This year, I am promising myself to invest more in training my attention as I begin simply to:<br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #ea9999;"><u>CARE <b>MORE </b>ABOUT </u> </span> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><u>CARE <b>LESS </b>ABOUT </u></span></div>
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<i style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">my breath my thoughts</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> my smile my wrinkles</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> listening talking </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">giving taking</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">the lessons the failures</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">books news on FB feed </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">letting go attachments </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">other people's story know-it-all expert</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">making art conflicts</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">exploring traveling</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">experiences material possessions</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">my spiritual growth changing others </span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">confronting my fears my comfort zone </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">the glass half full the glass full empty</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">speaking my truth consequences</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">critical thinking conformism </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">the dance the how </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">my photography comparison </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> the rain getting wet</span></i><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></i><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">nature and its silence my smartphone </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">people objects </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">being doing</span></i></div>
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Have you been practising mindfulness? Share with me how? Let's breathe, smile and be aware of the present moment, with purpose and without judgment, shall we?<br />
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<br />Sylviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12720458372836569224noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4555171132259127071.post-42377440183489006102016-12-22T16:43:00.001-05:002017-12-10T13:34:18.786-05:00The Most Wonderful Time<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikI7HuDeV1AU2u_98q-6wXKgImzY87THIAcObrUuEOmpeTaQD9NhczMM841OP9Ff3AzxEXgDswK9eKq8YD1W2zh4_SqUazudQFP_D_Ez77JIxAWLxqV4wWQoojVFjjmEQ7WX0kfb_qxUP3/s1600/simple_Christmas+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikI7HuDeV1AU2u_98q-6wXKgImzY87THIAcObrUuEOmpeTaQD9NhczMM841OP9Ff3AzxEXgDswK9eKq8YD1W2zh4_SqUazudQFP_D_Ez77JIxAWLxqV4wWQoojVFjjmEQ7WX0kfb_qxUP3/s1600/simple_Christmas+%25282%2529.jpg" /></a>
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<b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">O</span></b>nly three sleeps until Christmas! I love this time of year – the snow, the lights, the smell of baking, the Christmas tree, my birthday, the Christmas movies, the music... </div>
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While the voice of Andy Williams affirms on the radio that this is the most wonderful time of the year, my news feed on my phone is full of images of frightened children trying to escape from bombs, bodies of humans lying crushed on the ground in a Christmas market, a man shooting another man in a house of ART... The world is breaking my heart. This is the most wonderful and the most vulnerable time of the year right here. I cannot help but think of the millions and millions of people going through assorted suffering, despair and injustice as I sit comfortably, in my warm, decorated home, writing blissfully away. Sadness and joy are equally feeding my soul. And a strange sense of irresponsibility slowly nests into my consciousness if I choose to only share the wonderful side of my simple Christmas and overlook the news of sorrows in the world. I know this world of ours has never been perfect or sensible. But we, people, still make it increasingly divisive. We are easily destroying a healthy morality system and code of conduct that shows us how to separate right from wrong. We carelessly ignore the proven connection of the butterfly effect, that even the smallest of occurrences, such as the flutter of a butterfly's wings, can ultimately cause a typhoon halfway around the world. We, people, still perform activities that are tremendously destructive toward nature and humanity.....<br />
How to find holiness in the messiness of this confusing world? How to survive my tears through the heartbreaking agony of parents whose children are killed before their eyes? How to sustain belief in ideals and human progress when civic values, freedom and rights are threatened? How to deal with my anger and hopelessness?<br />
The more I think about it, the more I am convinced that the only possible answer to all these questions has been given to me and repeated time after time, after time, in one form or another:<br />
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<i>"And thought I have the gift of prophecy and understanding all mysteries and all knowledge,</i><br />
<i>and thought I have all faith so that I could remove mountains and have not love,</i><br />
<i>I am nothing.</i><br />
<i>And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor,</i><br />
<i>and though I give my body to be burned and have not love,</i><br />
<i>it profith me nothing.</i><br />
<i>Love suffereth long and is kind.</i><br />
<i>Love envieth not.</i><br />
<i>Love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doeth not behave itself unseemly,</i><br />
<i>Seeketh not her own.</i><br />
<i>Is not easily provoked.</i><br />
<i>Thinketh no evil.</i><br />
<i>Rejoiceth not in inequity, but rejoiceth in the truth.</i><br />
<i>Beareth all things.</i><br />
<i>Believeth all things.</i><br />
<i>Hopeth all things.</i><br />
<i>Endureth all things.</i><br />
<i>Love never fails.</i><br />
<i>When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child. But when I became a man, I put away childish things. But now abideth faith, hope, love... these three. But the greatest of these is LOVE."</i><br />
<i> </i><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><i> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">1 Corinthians 13 </span></i><br />
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I know, the world does not need my opinion on everything. But the world, I believe, desperately needs my genuine empathy. My hope. My grace. My generosity. My acceptance. The world needs from me to do my job and to do it with passion. The world needs my contribution and accountability. My benevolence. My gratitude. My open heart. My love. Most of all, the world needs my awareness and peaceful mind. No one can say it better than Etty Hillesum, the young Holocaust victim: <span style="font-family: inherit;">"Living and dying, sorrow and joy, the blisters on my feet and the jasmine behind the house, the persecution, the unspeakable horrors – it is all as one in me, and I accept it all as one whole and begin to grasp it better of only for myself, without being able to explain to anyone else how it all hangs together... Ultimately, we have just one moral duty: to reclaim larger areas of peace in ourselves, more and more peace, and reflect it toward others. And more peace there is in us, the more peace there will be in our troubled world."</span><br />
I wish we can each find a little more of that peace this Christmas, this most wonderful time of the year. I hope we can each find ways to connect with our better selfs and each other this Christmas, this wonderful time of the year. Whatever sadness, anger, or confusion reside in our souls, I hope we transform it together into openness, strength and determination to create a safer, tolerant and peaceful world. I hope, we can each slow down this Christmas, do less and feel more, practice compassion to all living beings and practice gratitude for all the things we have – a roof, heat, water, clothes, comfort food, lights, lovable people, healthy bodies, pets in our feet, a glass of hot wine in our hands, a blanket, a couch, a good book...<br />
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<b style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"> Merry Christmas!</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Fruitcake Rum Balls</span><br />
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<i>Ingredients:</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
1 1/2 cups ground almonds<br />
6 tbsp icing sugar<br />
1 cup vanilla wafer cookie crumbs (Mr.Christie's Nilla vanilla wafers)<br />
2/4 cup chopped dried or glacé cherries<br />
1/3 cup chopped candied fruits (pineapple, mango)<br />
60 gr. marzipan, torn in small pieces<br />
2/4 cup dark rum<br />
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<i>Directions:</i><br />
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In a small bowl, mix 2 tbsp of the ground almonds with icing sugar. Set aside.<br />
In a separate bowl, stir together remaining ground almonds, the cookie crumbs, cherries, mixed candied fruits and marzipan. Stir in rum; press into dough. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; refrigerate until firm enough to roll out, about 15 minutes. <br />
Roll by rounding 1 tsp into balls. Arrange on waxed baking sheet; refrigerate until firm. Roll balls in icing sugar mixture.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Sharing with </span> <a href="http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.ca/2016/12/home-sweet-home-302.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Home Sweet Home </a></div>
Sylviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12720458372836569224noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4555171132259127071.post-28671904847792072142016-11-05T17:43:00.002-04:002019-02-22T21:21:30.609-05:00This Fearless November <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: justify;">I was driving on the highway singing out loud (one of my all-time favorite things to do) along with the powerful voice of Dinah Washington </span><i style="text-align: justify;">"Today you're young, too soon you're old. But while a voice within me cries, I know heaven will answer my call and this bitter earth, oh, may not be so bitter after all"</i><span style="text-align: justify;">. Shortly I got stuck in traffic and a bumper sticker on the car in front of mine caught my eyes. Never let your fear decide your fate. I read the words once, twice... three times. Never let your fear decide your fate. The entire world squeezed into the word "fear" and my mind was somehow instinctively going through all the moments of fear I had experienced these past months. For the longest time in my life, I had felt muddled by uncertainty and loss. I had easily let all of it prevent me from finding joy, seeing love, creating beauty. However, I had never lost faith in the goodness of life and I had never lost faith in the wisdom of the universe. I know how sometimes it is hard to follow your heart, but there is nothing worse than to let your fear decide your life. There is nothing more saddening than to vote out of fear, not traveling out of fear, not trying new things out of fear, not being yourself out of fear... There is hardly anything more dramatic than allowing fear to control your fate. I understand very well this kind of suffering from experience. And almost every time when I sense how I am using my mind to enforce my fear, I remember that summer evening when my father (who generally left to a great degree the parenting decisions to my mother who was a teacher) made my 8-year-old self go to the upper storey of my grandparents' house through the outdoor stairs, </span><b style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">in the dark</span></b><span style="text-align: justify;">. I was crying and trembling, going back and forth, "No, I can't!", Yes! You CAN!", until I collected myself, marched up the old stone staircase, opened the door, lit the light and saw that there was no such thing as monsters... or weird men waiting for me, and my fear of darkness was perhaps a result of my imagination. My grandma used to tell this story – brutal to her opinion – with a judgmental tone in her voice. But soon after it, I realized the lesson my father wanted me to know – confronting your fears will demystify them, allowing them to be conquered. Or to use the words on the bumper sticker – face your fear and never let it decide your fate. Yes, fear is a natural part of our lives and prevents us from dangerous situations. But it is really heartbreaking when fear keeps people from achieving their full potential, especially from living a mindful life. And it is then when we lose faith in life and faith in ourselves and become fearful of what might come next.</span></div>
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What I also learned over the course of the months of this past summer is that the sooner I accept that life is uncontrollable, the quicker I am released from many of my fears. The ugly truth is that much of life is out of my hands and that is nothing to be afraid of. I cannot always know how things will turn out. I only know that I will always try my best. Therefore, it is imperative to let things unfold naturally and to find a way to be okay with that. Very often, due to the wisdom of the universe, events unfold even better than I expect. Besides, when I am obsessed with the outcome, I miss what is happening <i>right now</i>. Living in a profusion of security and predictability can create an attachment that prevents us, humans, from being awake and aware. Part of the joy of life is the surprises that pop up now and then when we exit our comfort zone.<br />
"There are very few monsters who warrant the fear we have of them", writes the French author Andre Gide. "Don't let your fears control you and cause you to miss life's many pleasures". And life, indeed, is full of many pleasures – simple and comforting – like the smell of roasted butternut squash with maple syrup, brown sugar, and pecans;<br />
like the beauty of a perfectly shaped light-orange pumpkin that evokes memories of love and kind living;<br />
like a steaming bowl of homemade, warm, creamy squash and sweet potato soup that is nothing but a culinary extended hand, a tissue, a hug, a heart... And they might heal what frightens you right now.<br />
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Do you let your fear decide your fate? Do you let your fear stop you from experience life's many pleasures? How do you overcome your fear? <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"> Roasted Squash, Sweet Potato & Garlic Soup</span> </div>
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<i>Ingredients: </i><br />
<br />
1 sweet potato<br />
1 acorn squash<br />
3 shallots<br />
2 tbsp olive oil<br />
3-4 garlic cloves<br />
3 3/4 cups chicken stock<br />
1/2 cup (approximately) light cream<br />
salt and pepper<br />
nutmeg (optional)<br />
snipped chives to garnish<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Directions: </i><br />
<br />
Preheat the oven to 375F.<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Peel the squash, cut it in half and remove the seeds. Cut into 1 1/4- inch cubes. Peel and cut the sweet potato into cubes as well. Place the squash, potato, sliced shallots and garlic cloves on a shallow roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil and toss well. Roast in the preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes, until the squash and potato are tender, turning once with a spatula. </div>
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When ready, put the vegetables in a saucepan. Add the stock and a pinch of salt. Bring just to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, stirring until the veggies are very tender. Remove the pan from the heat and cool slightly, then process the soup using a handheld mixer (or in a blender or food processor) until smooth. </div>
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Return to the pan and stir in the cream. Season gently to taste with salt, pepper, and nutmeg (optional), and simmer for about 5 more minutes. </div>
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Ladle into warmed serving bowls, garnish with pepper and snipped chives, and serve. </div>
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Enjoy! </div>
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Sylviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12720458372836569224noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4555171132259127071.post-59749735982550081782016-10-05T20:34:00.000-04:002019-02-22T21:28:36.447-05:00Plum Jam<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There is nothing more invigorating than a walk in a crisp October Sunday morning after autumnal rain when the air is soaked with the smell of wet walnut leaves, freshly ground coffee, baked apples with cinnamon, a lovely fabric softener from a laundry... This amalgam of exciting fragrances of the neighborhood's simplicity conjoins perfectly with the highly saturated palettes of golden yellows soon to become fiery reds, with a mix of orange in between and a brown edge... The previously dusty sidewalks are covered with a new glossy coat of cleanness and small mirrored puddles in which you can see your reflection. The sun is so gentle, you close your eyes – you breathe in light and breathe out ease... </div>
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Each season brings its own mood and I love how Autumn makes me feel. I have been waiting for this depressing and sad summer of mine to finally come to an end. For so long I wanted to somehow be on the other side of my life, back to normalcy. After numerous situations in which I came up against a brick wall and the loss of my beloved grandmother, my emotional composure was challenged and I failed to maintain a positive self-image. I put so much energy into the unproductive "why me" thinking that I wanted so badly to run from this miserable person I had become. I've always known that there are never easy paths in life and our days have always started and ended with uncertainty. What appeared surprisingly difficult to me this time, was my lack of ability to let go of old illusions of control and to embrace life as it is; to accept grieving as a fundamental process of life. It felt strange and disappointing to be almost halfway through my life and still trying to figure basic things out. I struggled to accept the reality, which according to every member of my family wasn't as bad as I thought. I needed to go back to some of my favorite books, authors, artists, and thinkers to find the courage to overcome fears and gain wisdom, to stop the fight within me, let things go and begin practicing acceptance. And somehow I knew for certainty that the change in seasons will bring a transformation not only in nature but in my lost self as well, because changes – welcomed or forced as well as the unbearable goodbyes have always been an important component of human evolution; we might never learn the true measure of our own strength if we haven't been pushed out of our comfort zone.<br />
Slowly, with the warm colours of the landscape, with the return to the routine, the freshness of the rain, the abundance of the harvest, my pain, my fear and my worry have been replaced by open eyes able to notice again, a mind focused more on the present, a heart grateful for what I have rather than what I want, and arms widespread for the simple joys in my world... and the more I have been taking notice of what brings me joy, the more joy I have been finding in my everyday life (like cooking in the kitchen again and making this rich and flavourful oven-baked plum jam from locally grown Danson plums using my mom's recipe).</div>
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And perhaps the wisdom I have been searching for these past months hasn't been hidden only in the books, but rather in my ability to trust my own true nature and let life carry me through my darkest times and my glory... </div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">Plum Jam</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(makes 2 jars of 300ml)</span></div>
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<i>Ingredients:</i><br />
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1 kg. Danson plums<br />
0.5 kg. sugar<br />
1 tbsp. lemon juice<br />
1/3 cup water<br />
1/2 tsp. cinnamon<br />
vanilla bean<br />
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<i style="text-align: justify;">Directions: </i><br />
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Wash, pit and cut the plums in half. Spread them in a baking dish. Add sugar on it and stir. Cover the dish and leave it for about 5-10 hours. Plums should absorb the sugar and release their juice. Add water, vanilla, and cinnamon. Stir well. </div>
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Preheat oven to 300C. Bake until bubbles appear and plums texture gets dense – about an hour and a half, depends on how ripe the fruits are. Add 1 tbsp. of freshly squeezed lemon juice and bake for a few more minutes.<br />
Pour jam into sterilized glass jars. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: x-small;">Sharing with </span><a href="http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.ca/2016/10/home-sweet-home-292.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Home Sweet Home </a><br />
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<br />Sylviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12720458372836569224noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4555171132259127071.post-35065868918344261882016-10-01T19:52:00.000-04:002019-02-22T21:30:59.515-05:00Cultivate... community <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: justify;"> <i> "Pull up a chair. Take a taste. Come join us. Life is so endlessly delicious." </i></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;"> – Ruth Reichl</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">One of the most beautiful season in Ontario is here and the best way to welcome Autumn is to celebrate our connection to the generous earth and nature at its best. Harvest festivals and fall fairs are organized in big and small cities around the province giving people opportunities to share values of supporting local produces, local art culture and food education. Why is <i><b>the local</b></i> important? Besides learning where our food comes from, keeping in touch with the seasons and improving our health, by buying locally grown food we strengthen our community by investing our food dollars close to home. Did you know that every dollar you spend on food grown or harvested in Ontario or made from Ontario ingredients, contributes 300% more to the local economy than if you bought an import? Or that every dollar you spend on VQA wine, for example, instead of imported wine has 11 times the economic impact in Ontario?<span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/about/local_food_rpt.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">(Ontario Local Food Report)</a>.</span> So, when last week I was invited to take part in a three-day food and drink festival held in the heart of downtown Port Hope, about an hour east of Toronto, I was excited. After all, who doesn't want to spend a Sunday eating freshly prepared local food, drinking craft beer (not me, but my husband) and fair trade coffee, listening to local bands, cooking with chefs, tasting winning pies from a pie-baking competition, drawing at the community coloring book and sticking fingers in a pink cloud of cotton candy made with organic sugar...</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Lots of really nice things are happening at <a href="http://www.cultivatefestival.ca/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #d5a6bd;">Cultivate: A Festival of Food and Drink</span></a> and if you have a chance, go and participate next year. Go and celebrate a wonderful community that gathers to connect to Ontario's harvest season, to great local food, to local producers, knowledgeable chefs and to each other. A community that is aware of the importance of the farm-to-fork movement and food literacy. A community that knows that what we eat and how we eat it can change the world... Yes, it can! </span></div>
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Do you have a favorite Fall event? </div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;"> </span>Sylviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12720458372836569224noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4555171132259127071.post-57849949387269092432016-08-31T18:01:00.000-04:002019-02-22T16:30:00.781-05:00Lavender Fields Forever<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">I</span></b>n a never-ending summer day, put me in a lavender field, especially one that has a yellow door in the middle and I will become Alice – curious, carefree, venturing to drink the bottle, eat the cake, shrink like a telescope and walk through the door in the hope of a fantastic adventure... Put me in a lavender field and the world becomes a sweet tale.<br />
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Lavender, brimming with its simple fragrance and pretty purple hue that so many of us love, is, in my opinion, one of the most enchanting herbs. Thanks to the people of <a href="https://pinesol.ca/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pine-Sol</a> and <a href="http://terrebleu.ca/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Terre Bleu Lavender Farm</a>, who hosted a lovely event about the fragrant industry, this August I've been given a chance of walking through the last flowers of the large fields of lavender. If you wandered onto this resplendent property, you might never know you were just outside of a big hectic city; instead, you would rather feel the charming countryside atmosphere of Provence or Tuscany. However, Terre Bleu is the most beautiful organic working family farm in Ontario that grows eight varieties of lavender under the northern climate and produces a range of handmade products – essential oil, soaps, macarons... Certainly, the best place to learn about flavors and fragrances. The best place to enjoy al fresco lunch full of savor and style from the salmon with sorrel sauce, to the lemon tart, lavender ice cream and of course, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sylviasimplelifephotography/posts/931222050356430" target="_blank">lavender lemonade</a>. I also explored the distillery where 200 pounds of fresh lavender is broken down to make 500ml of pure essential oil. I met the honeybees that pollinate the lavender plants from which the pure premium lavender honey is extracted. I crossed an enchanting forest only to discover a yellow bench awaiting to hug me... I uncovered myself in the near-finished oil painting of an artist who was working surrounded by sunflowers somewhere in a distance almost unnoticed. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I was slowly going back to my happy place, one that I have been struggling to find this entire summer. I was gently invited to stop, breath and smell... <strike>the roses </strike>the lavender... the world...the life... </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I was Alice, "in a Wonderland I lie, Dreaming as the days go by, Dreaming as the summer die." </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
And most importantly, I went through the yellow door in the middle of the purple sea assured by the words of the owners' 10-year-old daughter that "when I walk through the door, my worries are behind me, my joys are ahead." </div>
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I believed that little girl. </div>
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August just melted as a purple lavender ice cream. A new season is coming and I am excited. I hope for peacefulness, simple pleasures, sweet tales and happy places for all of us. Our worries behind us, our joys are ahead.<br />
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Sylviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12720458372836569224noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4555171132259127071.post-25436760799359645342016-07-15T17:29:00.004-04:002019-02-22T21:36:33.084-05:00Linden Tree<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">T</span></b>his summer has been a strange one so far – disappointments and unexpected turns have been jumping over celebrations and good moments. Bad news and joyous vibes have been competing for the Olympic title of my life... Due to an unexpected turn of events, our plans for traveling to Europe are being put on hold for an undefined period of time. The unknown is what has been occupying these summer months... and frankly, it has all been mind-numbing. I had felt the discomfort of the unknown many times before, but I thought I had worked really hard to eliminate it and to stay open to uncertainty. Obviously, not hard enough. Somehow, it has hung over me and darkened my thoughts. My mental space has been stocked with worries, yet hopes and prayers for the universe to guide me find wisdom and insights. I've known deep down within me that everything will resolve the way it is supposed to, but the wait! The wait is what has been draining my energy, my focus and my otherwise optimistic, patient self. I wanted for a time to hurry and to go fast and yet when I celebrated my precious son's 18th birthday, I wished for time to stop and wait and go slow...<br />
I was brimming with all that confusion and fragility when in one moment, it just clicked. A great hardship is never desirable, but that doesn't mean that we can't make use of it; it can provide an extraordinary lesson capable of making us aware of the shallowness of our daily concerns, of the overwhelming pressure of the crazy world we are living in, and above all, of what truly matters in our human progression towards individual inner freedom. At this moment, I promised myself to manage my attention, not my time. To trust the path, to learn from it and to put my faith in action as I tune into what makes me happy, what completely absorbs me and puts me back in my creative center – photography and writing.<br />
Next, I was browsed in a favorite bookshop of mine, the place of comfort and escape in need of a lift. A little orange book quietly caught my attention. I always trust my instincts when it comes to picking books. As I began to flip through the pages, I read:<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 11.0pt;">"<i>Welcome</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; orphans: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><i><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> You have now become an official member of the Wander
Society. </span></i><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; orphans: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><i><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 11.0pt;">...Society wants us to live a planned existence, following paths
that have been traveled by others. Tried and true. The known, the expected, the
controlled, the safe.</span></i><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; orphans: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><i><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> The path of the wanderer is not this!</span></i><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; orphans: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><i><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> The path of the wanderer is an experiment with the unknown.
To be idle, to play, to daydream. </span></i><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; orphans: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><i><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 11.0pt;">...Wandering is not about a specific place or destination, getting
from one place to another, or movement as a means to an end.</span></i><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><i><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> Instead, it's about letting the soul and mind roam.</span></i><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; orphans: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><i><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 11.0pt;">...The wanderer can observe, be present, pay attention, and be
open to the unknown – all while remaining still. Entering into a wandering
mindset involves partaking in the wandering rituals, turning off technology,
breathing deeply, using the senses, tuning in.</span></i><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; orphans: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><i><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 11.0pt;">...Life is an experiment. To wander is to seek
the unexpected.</span></i><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; orphans: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><i><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> Does the act of doing something without purpose
challenge you a little?</span></i><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; orphans: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">
<i><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> Good."</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: black; font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; orphans: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">
A wave of excitement went through my body. A current of happiness rushed from my heart. I knew the universe conspired to help me go through the suffering of my mind and be myself again. All I needed to do was to be aware that this precious life will not last forever and that it is essential to make the best possible use of it. I needed one more time to sincerely examine what counts in life for me and simplify my activities, my inner voice and my expectations. </div>
I read <a href="http://www.penguin.com/book/the-wander-society-by-keri-smith/9780143108368" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the book</a> in a day and found myself on my daily walk (wandering) with Charlie, this time unplanned, letting him lead me.<br />
Re-charged with curiosity. Exhaling deeply. With ready eyes. Grateful to feel alive.<br />
I made an amazing discovery that day – the streets were blanketed with blooming linden trees and the world was smelling like one. I came home with arms full of branches. I picked the flowers and made myself a tea. I baked a lemon cake glazed with the tea. The aroma filled the air around me. With every sip of the soothing infusion, I felt the presence of my grandma serving me the tea every time I had a fever as a child. I remember her telling me about the magical effect this flower has on healing our bodies. In almost every major hospital in Europe, there were long lines leading to the entrance doors, planted to supply the hospital with linen flowers for infusion that was given to sick patients and soldiers waiting for medical care. I realized, once again, that everything in life is a source of information, that everything in the natural world can be healing, once you stop taking it for granted and let it reveal its magic to you. The only honest way for me to survive this strange summer is to do what my soul thrives on, to participate with my mind in the direct experience of everyday life and to look at the ordinary in a whole new light. I have everything I need "to create a bond with the unknown wilderness I am about to enter into even though it might scare me a little." <br />
I have become a wanderer.<br />
I have arrived.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 11pt;"> The Wanderers are
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Thank you, dear friends, for reading. I hope you are having a nice and simple summer. My heart is heavy with the world right now, but despite the unbearable pain, I refuse to be afraid. I still believe in the goodness of humanity and that people are fundamentally loving and good.<br />
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Sylviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12720458372836569224noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4555171132259127071.post-13639904430476105732016-06-27T20:23:00.002-04:002019-02-22T21:19:13.005-05:00Prom Photo Session <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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They are young. They are beautiful, smart and funny. Their wings are ready to open. They are excited to fly to new heights, build a new nest, connect with new knowledge, embrace greater accountability, face new love... They are considered, ambitious, open, playful and inclusive. They are confident and full of energy. They do not consume extra effort on something they can achieve with a simple click; love the modern inventions that make life easier. They are contemporary and traditional at the same time. They appreciate their families and value the differences of opinions despite often being critical. They know their goals and try to reach them creatively. They make mistakes, but they aren't hampered as much when it comes to thinking about why not to do things.<br />
They are the leaders of tomorrow. </div>
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That is how I see our children – the high school graduates – thanks to my son, his friends, his school, my friends, their children, and their schools. And when a couple of weeks ago I was invited for a pre-prom photo shoot, I accepted the job with confidence and assurance that I could successfully convey in the photographs all I love about our young people and their world. And when I gave the photos to them, my only wish was that whatever they do next, I hope they never stop learning, growing, exploring and challenging themselves to be their best and that they never give up all their independent thoughts and their dreams and their passions. I hope no hate, difficulties, and setbacks crush their wings and prevent them from taking the stand for the good of the whole. I believe in their courage to rise above the false sense (in adults) of superiority and entitlement as well as in their capability to "make for themselves, for their sake and for ours, extraordinary lives". </div>
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You can see more photos from the session on <a href="http://www.sylviasimplelife.com/" target="_blank">http://www.sylviasimplelife.com</a></div>
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Thank you all for your continued support. I wish you a beautiful summer.</div>
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Sylviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12720458372836569224noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4555171132259127071.post-7432401318269562302016-04-05T00:12:00.003-04:002019-02-22T21:43:43.975-05:00 Pecan Pie – A Taste of the South <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Pecan Pie</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 29.3333px;"> </span>is a uniquely American dessert and apparently a holiday menu without it is a sin, especially in the Southern States where the pie is a staple. Some claim that French immigrants to New Orleans created the pecan pie after the Native Americans introduced them to pecans. Who knows? One thing is for certain, the pecan trees are native to the South and fresh pecans, as well as pecan pies, pecan pralines, and various other pecan delights, are widely popular in the region. As you might guess, I made a solid effort to try all these sweet handmade southern treats as we were passing through Louisiana on our road trip from Toronto to New Orleans this March. However, the most memorable experience to me in terms of classic southern desserts would be the slice of that freshly-baked nutty pie perfection I ate on the front porch of Oak Alley Plantation Restaurant after exploring the historic site that lined the banks of the Mississippi River. It also turned out that of all plantations that dot the landscape along Louisiana's famous River Road, one that stands out for its relationships to pecans is nonother, but Oak Alley. One of the slaves at the plantation, the gifted, first-name-only gardener from New Orleans, Antoine, was the first person to successfully create the first pecan variety with a thin shell that could be cracked barehanded. Antoine's improved pecan was named 'centennial' as an honor for winning the Best Pecan Award at the Philadelphia Exposition in 1876. </div>
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We came back home with tins full of Louisiana's favorite nut and books full of wonderful collections of great southern recipes. And I thought that Easter weekend would be the perfect time to bake this simple and delicious pie, this symbol of the Southern heritage, the one that is really loaded with nuts, has a little hint of Praline pecan liqueur and creates such an earthy taste in your mouth which as the author wrote "makes you close your eyes and wish you might live forever in the witness of that rich moment."</div>
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<b style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;">Southern Pecan Pie </span></b><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><b><br /></b></span> <span style="background-color: white;"><i>Ingredients: </i></span><br />
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<u>For the Crust:</u><br />
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour<br />
1 1/2 tsp. sugar<br />
1/2 tsp. salt<br />
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks<br />
1/4 cup ice cold water<br />
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<u>Filling:</u><br />
6 tbsp. (about 90 ml) unsalted butter<br />
1 cup brown sugar<br />
3/4 cup dark corn syrup<br />
3 large eggs<br />
1/2 tsp. sea salt<br />
2 cups chopped pecans (plus extras pecan halves to line the top)<br />
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar<br />
1 or 2 tbsp. Pralin Pecan Liqueur or bourbon (optional)<br />
1 tsp. vanilla extract<br />
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<i>Directions:</i><br />
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To make the pie dough, combine in a large bowl flour, sugar, and salt. Rub in the butter using your fingertips until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add enough cold water and stir with a spatula to mix to a firm dough. Use your hands to knead the dough together and pack it into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour. </div>
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On a floured surface flatten dough ball with rolling pin. Roll out into a circle that is one inch larger than the pie dish. Place pie shell into a dish, fold overhang edge of pie crust and crimp decoratively. Prick the bottom with a fork and refrigerate until solid. </div>
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Preheat oven to 400<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "tahoma" , "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; letter-spacing: 1px; line-height: 14.5px; text-align: justify;">°</span>F. Place the pie dish on a cooking sheet and line with a sheet of oiled foil. Fill with pie weights or beans. Baked in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Carefully remove foil and beans and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Let cool a little before filling. </div>
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Reduce oven temperature to 350<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "tahoma" , "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; letter-spacing: 1px; line-height: 14.5px;">°</span>F.</div>
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To make pie filling, place butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and salt in a saucepan and stir gently until melted. Remove from the heat and stir in pecans, cider vinegar, vanilla, liqueur. Set the mixture aside to cool a little, about 5 minutes and then whisk in one egg at a time until combined. Pour into the pie shell and bake for 35-40 minutes. If needed, during the last 10 minutes of baking, cover the pie with foil to prevent the top from getting too hard. The pie is done when the crust browns and the center is slightly firm to touch but still has some jiggle to it. </div>
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Let cool before slicing and serve. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(Recipe adapted from "At My Grandmother's Table Heartwarming Stories and Cherished Recipe from the South", a book by Faye Porter.) </span></div>
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Do you like pecan pie?<br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">Sharing at</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: xx-small;"> <a href="http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.ca/2016/04/home-sweet-home-266.html?m=0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Home Sweet Home </a></span><br />
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Sylviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12720458372836569224noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4555171132259127071.post-5876088675936966952016-03-30T22:11:00.000-04:002019-02-22T16:38:46.513-05:00New Orleans and its Magic<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Yug1YfxpPKvQrvv79FEkgZfpMhREJ_38jSb60_vc0wMulTmUupPVoloPGLw7g91RHCDXqlr4fU8cStlQQeAHReRRpQhLGYSW9HcEz9rrD9v_Ry_ipEB-kWsc0q1JGBkNYypLpeNggSTm/s1600/New_Orleans+%252832%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Yug1YfxpPKvQrvv79FEkgZfpMhREJ_38jSb60_vc0wMulTmUupPVoloPGLw7g91RHCDXqlr4fU8cStlQQeAHReRRpQhLGYSW9HcEz9rrD9v_Ry_ipEB-kWsc0q1JGBkNYypLpeNggSTm/s1600/New_Orleans+%252832%2529.jpg" /></a>
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<i>An unassuming tiny funky room... </i><br />
Old peeling walls, engraved with moments of yesterdays. Soft poetic light perforates the diamond cuts on the closed window shutters. Vintage fans move the stuffy air in spirals. Unmatching kitchen chairs, a Steinway upright piano and a set of drums are waiting patiently for the show to start. Instantly smitten by the atmosphere of noble decadence, I am standing in the middle of this dusty dark chamber full of humans, strolling my eyes along the painted portraits of musicians long gone. All we, jazz lovers I guess, are diving in anticipation after waiting an hour in the line down St. Peter Street – few are aware of what will happen in a moment, the other few have only a slight idea of it.<br />
And here they come! Welcomed by the roaring audience, six men of different ages wearing white shirts and black suits, holding instruments, waving and smiling, sit on the chairs in the most comfortable poses. The first words that come from the drummer Joe Lastie with the same raspy voice of Louis Armstrong let me know – they are HOME. I know I will be blown away. I know this is where I am supposed to be in this mythic city. It feels like a church and before I even take a breath, I hear myself singing along with my son, my man, the young boy beside me, the women in front of me, the elderly man standing up despite his lucky spot on the bench, all blending with the band "Lord, Lord, Lord, You Sure Been Good To Me..."<br />
I find myself in the scene of a movie, the one that I had watched as a child not really understanding what it is all about but remembering the images of a hazy bar with a small stage, cool jazz musicians singing and joking, people around the tables smiling, smoking, dancing, drinking... There are no tables here in Preservation Hall, no glasses with drinks, not even seats, except some rough wooden benches and cushions on the floor. There are people. And, there is MUSIC. Only Music. The most spirited traditional jazz music that slowly works its way under my skin and inhabits my soul for good. The most amazing sounds of the trumpet, clarinet, piano, contrabass, trombone and drums that create vibrations and harmony to make me feel the sound of my own heart. The most conversational, spontaneous piece of music that helps me explore every note and every feeling emerging within me. Music that tells stories and holds history. Music of grace and beauty, resilience and soul. Music that inspires. Music that expresses the rhythm of human life.<br />
I have never felt this close to New Orleans. Neither eating the delicious Cajun food nor wandering all day long through the streets of French Quarter have brought me to the irrepressible spirit of the city as these amazing musicians have just done it. With my first footstep here, I sensed uniqueness, freedom, energy (and smell) bubbling up from everywhere like in only a few other cities in the world. I felt the existence of something truly magical. And until this concert at Preservation Hall, I wasn't sure what it is. But the more I think of NOLA, the more I am convinced that everything starts with the MUSIC. It is music. The honest, enduring melodies, overflowing with joy, pain, survival, hope, and history. This integral cultural part of the place, big and deep like the mighty Mississippi River that connects people and celebrates life in a way you will see nowhere else. New Orleans, after all, gave the world that jazz, that distinctive musical style which has been as different, complex and intriguing as the city itself. And even the horrible Katrina couldn't wash away the music. Because music and the city exist as a single living organism that breaths with you everywhere you go, every corner you turn. It follows you not for the reason of entertaining you, but rather to give you a chance to experience it in a way that you almost can't describe but will never forget. Because live music here is not an event, it is a beating heart.<br />
"Sacred, hallowed ground", these are the words Tom Waits chose to describe Preservation Hall with while recording here.<br />
Sacred, hallowed ground, indeed!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(take a virtual tour <a href="http://preservationhall.com/hall/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>Recommendations</i></span><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">:</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><i>Explore</i></span></div>
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<ul>
<li>Take a <b><i><span style="color: #741b47;"><a href="http://www.neworleansonline.com/tools/neighborhoodguide/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">City Sightseeing Tour</a></span></i></b> in a minibus or bicycle to become acquainted with all neighborhoods of the Crescent City – from the historic French Quarter and the devastated by Hurricane Katrina Ninth Ward with its rebuilding project "Musician's Village", through City Park and Tremé to Garden District and Waterhouse District. The trip includes a visit to the <a href="http://morningcallcoffeestand.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i><b>Morning Call Coffee Stand</b></i></a> for a coffee and, of course, beignets. Try their mini muffulettas. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Explore the streets of the captivating <span style="color: #741b47;"><a href="http://www.neworleansonline.com/neworleans/fq/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b><i>French Quarter</i></b>.</a> </span>Get a glimpse behind the wrought-iron gates and courtyard doors at the Galier House, Hermann-Grima House, Hotel Provincial, St. Philip or Soniat House Hotels. Note the 1823 apothecary shop at Chartres, home of the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Relax and enjoy the vibes and the historic architecture of <b><i><span style="color: #741b47;"><a href="http://www.neworleansonline.com/directory/location.php?locationID=1342" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jackson Square</a></span>.</i> </b>Overlooking the Mississippi River, it is the heart of the French Quarter. Musicians, painters, sketch artists, mimes, tarot-card readers and magicians perform day and night. Some of the best music can be heard right here. Enter the beautiful <b><span style="color: #741b47;"><i><a href="http://www.stlouiscathedral.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">St. Louis Cathedral.</a></i> </span></b></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Ride New Orleans's iconic <b><i><a href="http://www.neworleansonline.com/tools/transportation/gettingaround/streetcars.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">St. Charles Streetcar Line</a>. </i></b>It is the oldest continuously operating streetcar line in the world, as it has been operation since 1835. Purchase a Jazzy pass and ride this historic olive green streetcar as much as you like. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Walk the sidewalks of the elegant <b><i><a href="http://www.neworleansonline.com/tools/neighborhoodguide/uptown.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Garden District</a> </i></b>– a neighborhood composed of some of the United-States's best preserved historic Southern mansions. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Visit <a href="http://www.saveourcemeteries.org/lafayette-cemetery-no-1/" rel="nofollow" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Lafayette Cemetery No.1</a>,<i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i>one of the city's unique cemeteries. Stroll through the ancient maze of above-ground tombs and learn the fascinating history of burial practices in New Orleans. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Wonder into America's oldest continually operating public market, the historic <span style="color: #741b47;"><i><b><a href="http://www.frenchmarket.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">French Market</a>.</b></i> </span>It had its origin even before the city was established in 1718. Eat, drink, stroll and shop this riverside area for a lovely authentic experience. It is open 7 days a week, 365 days a year. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Cross the Mississippi River with <span style="color: #741b47;"><b><i><a href="http://nolaferries.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Algiers Ferry</a></i></b></span> to catch a wonderful view of the New Orleans coastline and city. </li>
</ul>
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<span style="color: #666666; line-height: 16px;"><i><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">Music</span></i></span></div>
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<ul>
<li>Just outside the French Quarter lies a two-block street called<span style="color: #a64d79;"><i><a href="http://frenchmenstreetlive.com/category/music-clubs/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> <b>Frenchmen Street</b></a><b> </b></i></span>home to some of the city's most interesting music clubs. Go there and find talented musicians playing soul, R&B, funk, and jazz. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Attend a session of authentic New Orleans jazz at<b> </b><i><b><a href="http://preservationhall.com/hall/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Preservation Hall</a>. </b></i>These fine musicians only jam evenings from 8, 9 and 10. Line up early or buy a ticket through the website to reserve your seat. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Stop at the<span style="color: #741b47;"> <b><i><a href="http://www.neworleansmusicallegends.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">New Orleans Musical Legends Park</a></i></b></span>, where statues in the courtyard honor the city's great musicians. The park is free and the music is played all day and night. </li>
</ul>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><i>Eat </i></span><br />
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<ul>
<li><span style="color: #741b47;"><b><i><a href="http://www.cafedumonde.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Original Beignets</a></i></b> </span>and <i><b><a href="http://www.cafedumonde.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Café au lait</a></b></i> served at<i> Café du Monde</i> since 1862, seven days a week, 24 hours a day.</li>
<li><b><i><span style="color: #741b47;"><a href="http://www.neworleansonline.com/directory/location.php?locationID=106" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Original Muffuletta</a></span></i></b> from <i>Central Grocery Company.</i></li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.mothersrestaurant.net/index.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Po' Boy</a> </b>and<b> </b><a href="http://www.mothersrestaurant.net/index.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i><b>Jambalaya</b></i> </a>from <i>Mother's.</i></li>
<li><i><b><span style="color: #741b47;"><a href="http://www.gumboshop.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gumbo</a></span></b> </i>at the <i>Gumbo Shop.</i></li>
<li><a href="http://www.frenchmarketrestaurant.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i><b>Boiled Crawfish by the Boat</b></i></a> at the outside balcony of <i>French Market Restaurant and Bar in The French Quarter since 1803</i>, a great view of the Joan of Arc monument on Decatur Street.</li>
<li><i><b><a href="http://www.felixs.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Oysters</a> </b></i>at <i>J's Seafood Dock</i> and<i> Felix's Oyster Bar.</i></li>
<li><a href="http://www.leahspralines.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i><b>Creole Pralines</b></i></a> from <i>Leah's Pralines.</i></li>
<li><b><span style="color: #741b47;"><i><a href="http://www.courtoftwosisters.com/jazz-brunch.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jazz Brunch</a></i></span></b> Buffet at <i>the Court of Two Sisters Restaurant</i> – wonderful, high-class Creole dining experience from seasonal seafood, pâtes, jambalaya, turtle soup and duck à l'orange to Mardi Gras King Cake, Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce and Vanilla Lemon Cake.</li>
<li><b><span style="color: #741b47;"><i><a href="http://alwayssmokin.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">BBQ</a></i></span></b> at <i>The Joint</i>, <i>Bywater</i> – where the locals eat.</li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><i>Shop</i></span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="color: #741b47;"><b><a href="http://www.neworleansonline.com/tools/streets/royalstreet.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Royal</a></b> </span>Street </li>
<li><b><span style="color: #741b47;"><a href="https://www.magazinestreet.com/business-categories/antiques-furniture/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Magazine </a></span></b>Street </li>
<li><b><span style="color: #741b47;"><a href="http://frenchmenartmarket.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Frenchmen Art Marker </a></span></b></li>
<li><b><span style="color: #741b47;"><a href="http://faulknerhousebooks.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Faulkner House Books</a> </span></b>– used to be Faulkner's home, it is a book lover's paradise. Do not skip it! </li>
</ul>
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I hope you enjoy my reflection on New Orleans. Share your favorite NOLA experience with me in the comment section. </div>
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Sharing with <a href="http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.ca/2016/03/home-sweet-home-265.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Home Sweet Home</a></div>
Sylviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12720458372836569224noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4555171132259127071.post-52581229892353304122016-03-03T15:43:00.000-05:002018-01-12T11:55:10.431-05:00Wisdom of The Falling Water<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">M</span></b>arching through the solid rock tunnels behind the Falls, I see the faces of princess Diana and Marilyn Monroe smiling at me from the photos exposed on the walls. The notion of sharing the same experience not only with my beloved family, but also with many of the world's influencers carries a strange sense of timelessness. At the end of the tunnel, I find myself unbelievably close to the very foot of Niagara, standing in awe (once again) from the vastness and the intensity of the winter scene.<br />
I have seen Niagara Falls numerous times. Each time I am embraced by its majesty, I feel a deep connection with the raw essence of Nature's creative force. It is the same as meeting a dear old friend who I haven't seen for a while, but every time we both reunite, there is joy, happiness, healing conversations and flows of energies. This friend of mine is loyal, fearless and full of universal knowledge. </div>
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Witnessing how one-fifth of the world's fresh water is crashing before my eyes into a white soft foam, I am reminded of the grand scheme of things in which I am a teeney tiny bubble in a planet-sized cup of milk. The voice of the falls, muted by cold, whispers into my ears beautiful Morrie Schwarts's story about the little wave being afraid of vanishing into nothing by crashing against the shore only until it learned the truth from another wave saying to him, "You're not a wave, you're part of the ocean." And I feel my soul expanding and myself rising high above the raging torrent into the <i>oneness</i> of all things. My difficulties, problems and limitations, that felt like boulders a minute ago, become tiny pretty pebbles, washed out by the cascade, no longer insurmountable. All the barriers I often build between me and the world are being gently destroyed with every next bundle of deep green water. Love is rushing up into the vastness of my own heart and I know in a way I never understood before that nothing in life is important enough that is worth closing over. My openness makes the whole world of discovery open up to me.<br />
Surrounded by the chilling silky mist from the continuous movement of the water, I can't help but think that the power of the world really works in a circle. Those who argue that life doesn't move in a straight line – upwards and downwards, but rather in a cycle with no beginning or an end to it, seem to be quite right to me. Life is a great wheel, a sacred circle with no frame. From the sky, earth and stars, through the whirling wind and the transforming water, to the beauty of changing seasons, the development of the world happens in a spiral. My life is a circle, and so is the life of all living things – the infinite circle of unity, eternity, sun and moon, mind and body, breathing in and breathing out... And perhaps the whole purpose to this life cycle is to allow us to experience our growth, to expand our spirituality while travelling to ourselves and arriving to where we started. It is not an easy path, but obviously, this circular eternal journey of being "<i>part of the ocean</i>" is the only one given to us all.<i> </i>None can summarize it better than the words of Joseph Campbell "<i>The goal of life is to make your heartbeat match the beat of the universe, to match your nature with Nature.</i>"<br />
They named this vantage point from where I am feasting my eyes, Journey Behind The Falls. And I get it. But I will call it, Journey Beyond the Falls. Because by marvelling at this colorless white breathtaking beauty, I am able to delve down beneath the surface of my own life in a search of something deeper, meaningful and inspiring. Tuning my senses to this cosmic connection, I am contemplating the thousands of years of wisdom that flows through the rushing water into my veins straight to my mind.<br />
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">Stay open</span><br />
<i>Do never close your heart so that you never block the flow of the infinite energy within you. </i><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Be present</span></span><br />
<i>Always feel excited about the experience of the moment, no matter what it is. See things as for the first time. This is the only way of falling in love with the world and everything in it. This is the only way to feel alive. </i><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Go places that are bigger than you are</span></span></span><br />
<i>Contemplate the big picture and reconnect yourself in the harmony with the Universe. See yourself as an integral part of nature. Learn from it. Grow. </i><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">Find your passion by knowing what really matters to you</span><br />
<i>Know the things you do best and do it fearlessly with grace.</i><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">Stop taking each day for granted</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> </span></span><br />
<i>Pay attention – every moment is an unique opportunity to grow and improve yourself.</i><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Go slow and stop pushing</span></span><br />
<i>"Do not just do something. Sit there." It is only through stillness that you can reflect clearly and deeply. </i><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">Continue to strive toward beauty, authenticity and compassion.</span><br />
<i>You will eventually be able to overwhelm selfish concerns and reach a greater understanding of who you really are – what better and honest way is there to serve humanity. </i><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">Spread love and gratitude around you with the same intensity as this natural force moves the water.</span><br />
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I am leaving my old friend with a heart wide open and a promise of coming back soon. As comfortable as we might seem to be living, we often have to be reminded of the need to broaden our horizons, to keep growing by looking for ways to create a nourishing life. We all need a new magnitude of our individual Journey Beyond the Falls.<br />
Thank you to <a href="http://www.niagaraparks.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Niagara Parks</a> for doing a great job in giving us an opportunity to see, taste, touch, hear and feel this magnificent gift from nature to mankind. To find information about <a href="http://www.niagaraparks.com/niagara-falls-attractions/journey-behind-the-falls.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Journey Behind the Falls</a> you can visit the website <a href="http://www.niagaraparks.com/niagara-falls-attractions/journey-behind-the-falls.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here. </a><br />
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Sylviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12720458372836569224noreply@blogger.com4