Holy Moments ...

My 'holy moment' breakfast was almost holy this morning ... 

I have my ground coffee, and my little espresso machine is making me so happy.

I had a bagel, as introduced to me by Kim back when I lived with her and Andy in Farnham, and apricot jam (I can't find peach in NZ), and good butter ... 

I have this little $29nz speaker that improves the sound quality of Jack Savoretti, Coldplay, Paolo Nutini and the rest of my playlist on my laptop.

The kitchen door is open because it's Saturday, and the blokes removing abestos at the school next door are at their homes. 

The sun is intense already, the sky is blue, and I have nothing and nowhere I have to do or be. 

This is where I've been reading in the evenings. Trying not to drink red wine but, you know ... sometimes :-)

Dancing In The Street ...

I loved photographing these guys.

So happy after their marriage …

I gifted them a cd full of the photographs I took of them.

Days like these ...

7.30am, and I roared up to the supermarket. Dad had run out of tomatoes, and he absolutely requires them, on toast, as part of his morning routine.

Mmmm, the supermarket doesn't open until 8am.

I wandered along to the main street cafe I used, pre-coffee machine and sat there a while, reading.

I was the 3rd one in those supermarket doors this morning ... 

I’m listening to Jack's latest song, and really liking it..

The foto: I was talking to Dad, in the lounge, after a rainsoaked Sunday and noticed the sun glistening outside on the flowers. I had to, at least, attempt capturing something of the beauty …

Mark. Dad's Cat

Slowly, slowly, I’ve been winning this timid boy cat over …

Tonight, he was sitting there in the sun, on the couch. I saw the photograph of him, about the same time he saw me quietly lift the camera.

I had a split second, maybe 2, then he was gone.

I have since had to apologise to Mark, profusely …

A Smaller, Quieter Life ...

My days here, are so different from those beautiful days back in Genova.

I miss the bars, and the lovely people who worked there, making the best coffe in the world.

I miss the noise of the city, and the quiet of the medieval centre.

I miss the musicians, and the everyday presence of ancient places. I miss passing by people whose faces look like faces painted in 400 year old paintings. I miss good pasta and sauce, pizza and walking. 

I miss the Genovese.

BUT, I am learning to love hanging my laundry out on Dad's old clothes line, in the garden that smells of roses and all the other flowers he has there. And it makes me so happy to climb into my bed when thesheets smell of fresh air & sunshine. 

I love the sound of the birds ... one of the only sounds as I hung out my laundry at 7am this morning.

I was always passionate about driving ... about wandering, and so I am happy to be driving again. Even if I enjoyed the kilometres I walked on Genovese footpaths, and the buses and trains. And I'm not sure how to avoid weight gain, other than via that boring path called self-discipline.

Reading. I have just finished 3 books, one after another. Reading late into the night, just as I did as a child.

My espresso machine is making me happy, I just need to go find 'the' coffee. 

I love 32 celsius days (yesterday) and sitting here in the kitchen, back door open to the garden, and working. 

Mmmhmmm, I called the plumber today. The bathroom tap is broken and it has leaked for days now. 
Another thing to love, after a life lived in Europe, I phoned the plumber at 8.50am and he said, 'Okay, I'm doing a job just round the road, I'll come to you after it'. It was the same with the washing machine repair guy. That's quite marvelous really :-)

Here I am, just trying to find my balance again, in this smaller, quieter life that I'm living. 
Buona giornata ...

Foto: these chairs, were just there, in this ancient ruin in Genova. I had my photograph taken in one, and couldn't resist the beauty of this still-life moment, Genovese-style.