A Passionate Life

Discovering the extraordinary in the ordinary

journal writing

To taste life twice – a journal writer’s reward

We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospection.

~  Anaïs Nin

journal writing
Journal writing each morning – the opportunity to enjoy a moment of stillness and to taste life twice

It rained overnight. Soaking rain. This morning the garden is showing its gratitude by unfurling leaves, stems reaching upright, flower buds suddenly  tumescent with the promise of life. The early morning sunlight is sparkling through the treetops and the grass is glistening. Everything seems revitalised and perky.  I walked around the garden earlier, feeling the coolness of the day brushing my face, the air calm. A state of quietude. Even the birdsong is muted. It smells fresh, cleansed of the dust stirred about by the ever-present winds of the past few days.

It’s been a scattered month. Like the dust that’s been swirling around, I feel stirred up and unsettled. I can’t believe that August has arrived already. We’ve been home from Italy for six weeks and the memories of that adventure have taken on sepia tones — the alchemy of the tastes, sounds, smells and sights which were so exhilarating, beginning to fade.Continue Reading

Something to look forward to

To be hopeful, to embrace one possibility after another — that is surely the basic instinct . . . Time to take this life for what it is!

                                             ~ Barbara Kingsolver

Piazza Ducale, Vigevano
The beautiful renaissance Piazza Ducale, Vigevano – Northern Italy in Lombardy

The first substantial rain a few days ago heralded the arrival of autumn in our patch of Australia. Much needed after our hot, dry summer. Autumn is my favourite season with its warm sunny days and cool nights, perfect for sleeping. And the ever-changing canvas of turning leaves is glorious on our walks. This year though, I’m leaving autumn behind and looking forward to experiencing spring in Italy.

My year had a slow beginning. January didn’t belong to me and some rocky moments had me limping through February. I’ve been out of step with life and this transition period has inched along with scant movement in the important areas of my life. The past few weeks have been busy with planning and finishing tasks associated with leaving—preparing the garden so that it’s easy for mum to maintain, plans for the princess dog, and the slow transition to a different working life inching forward in the midst of it all. It’s made me feel anxious rather than excited. There hasn’t been space in my mind to think about or look forward to our Italian adventure.

Until now.

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