Bleeding Espresso

It’s disturbingly easy for me to fall into a rut and take for granted that what I’m doing is working so long as is it’s not *not* working.

During those times, I like plenty of quiet time to just think.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been examining my writing career and where I want it to go. I’ve realized that I’ve let some goals slip away while focusing simply on making a living.

Through my quiet time, I’ve been re-energized and re-inspired to pursue things that I had kind of forgotten even existed . . . like completing the novel I started a few years ago, or even the other one I started in November with NaNoWriMo, or goodness didn’t I start yet another nearly 10 years ago?

My personal way of organization has a lot to do with lists. When I’m making them, it means I’m in a good place.

I’m happy to report that lately I’ve been making lists and crossing things off like crazy–and I’ve finally realized that something rather interesting happens when I look at a list with lines through many of the items:

I feel like accomplishing even more.

I know it’s good for me to stop and recharge like this every now and again, to refocus and realign my priorities with my actions, but sometimes I forget. I get caught up in the daily grind and end up rather uninspired, unprepared to push myself and take risks. And I don’t like that.

I much prefer feeling ready to take on the big, bad world.

What do you do when you need to recharge?

P.S. Be sure to check out Judith’s Unraised Doughnuts at Think on It!
for this week’s La Buona Cucina Americana recipe.

P.P.S. Click on the photos to see them larger (advised!) and no, this is not one of Stella’s puppies, but he is a cutie, no?

Buon weekend!

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2. sunday scribblings: inspiration
3. about
4. love thursday: when dogs become sisters
5. secrets to my success

If you’ve been around here for a while, you may already know the lovely Wanderlust Scarlett of From the Shores of Introspect and Retrospect.

Scarlett is one of my most favorite people on these Interwebs and indeed in the world even though we haven’t met in person yet. *Yet*, I stress, because I have no doubt that some day we will laugh and talk and sing and be silly and probably cry (sappy broads that we are) together in person.

I feel like we’ve known each other forever when really it’s been a year or less. We have lots in common such as our loves of writing, cloudspotting, Earl Grey tea, and photography (her photos grace this post) but there’s also something far deeper and rather inexplicable between us.

It really, truly feels like I’m hearing from an old friend whenever a message from Scarlett arrives, and I would guess that many of her blog readers feel the same. Scarlett has a special way of reaching through her blog and touching hearts and souls with posts full of imagination, love, fabulous fiction, kitchen mishaps, and much more.

Smart, funny, witty, sassy, inspiring, talented, and all around beautiful, that’s our Scarlett and these are her words (with the help of her Shameless Lion Viaggiatore), perfect for this Love Thursday:

—————–

The Rhythm of the Heart

Close your eyes and listen . . . when it’s quiet. The rush of blood from your heart will fill your ears and mind.

It’s the rhythm of life flowing in a river through you.

Close your eyes and look . . . deep into your heart.

You will find the rhythm of your soul, flowing from your heart like a river, washing over every moment of your life, over everyone and everything you touch.

What is your rhythm?

Is it a steady, constant rhythm . . . like a beating drum?
Is it strong and passionate, filled with extremes . . . love, hate, jealousy, perfection?
Is it gentle? Warm? Like the caress of sunbeams on bare skin, or a caring hand?
Is it rough and driven . . .
Is it filled with anger and disappointment?
Is it always searching, always hungry?
Patient, overflowing with grace
Sad with currents of longing
Quiet, hidden and deep
Bubbling and dancing over the places in life that try to block your path
Or forceful, crashing with power. . . until you reach the end?

What rhythm flows through you, touches others and changes their rhythms, even a little?

I have said, in the past, that everything we do, everything we say, think and feel has a ripple effect that touches the lives of others, and those ripples continue into so many other people and into the future of more lives, in more ways than can be imagined . . .

But I was looking at it in such a small way.

It is not a ripple.

It is a wave much bigger and more powerful than we can conceive, and it never ends.

Search your heart, look deeply and find the rhythms that drive your life. Consider the way those rhythms will touch everyone you ever meet, and remember that those rhythms, having come from you, will come back to you in many ways.

It is the Golden Rule of the Heart . . . you will get whatever it is that you give.

Let everything that comes from you, that flows from your soul and your heart be the best that can be given, always. In every way, every moment . . . you will join the chorus of rhythms that flows around you constantly, the rhythms of life, of the heart.

You are the conductor . . .

Make the rush of your soul’s rhythm fill your whole being, spill out into the wide world and wash over it in a wave that makes this a better place for your having been here, having added to it the very best that can be within you.

Play on, rhythm of the heart, play on.

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5. 12 christmas memories: part V

We’re gonna have woast wabbit! We’re gonna have woast wabbit!

Yes, I say this every time we make this dish, and sadly, it’s completely lost on P. So you *must* appreciate it. You do, don’t you?

Today’s What’s Cooking Wednesday recipe is fresh off the “Bizarre Foods” discussion on Friday because yes, I do realize that eating rabbit may be out of the ordinary for some of you. It wasn’t the norm for me either before I came here, although my (Italian) great-grandfather apparently made a delicious rabbit ragù for the family in America.

P’s father used to raise rabbits for food, and now since P is continuing the tradition, it’s quite common to find rabbit on our dinner table.

If you’re curious, no, I have absolutely nothing to do with raising them–we’d likely end up with a lot of pet rabbits if that were the case. And the time P asked me to help, ahem, prepare the rabbit for cooking? He quickly let me off the hook when tears welled up in my eyes at the sight of the poor thing–no longer alive, but still difficult to see.

Yes, I know you may find that hypocritical, but that’s me. I have to say that I do admire P’s compassion and caring in bringing up the rabbits though. I know that sentiment may be nonsensical to vegans, vegetarians, and others, and quite honestly, it’s hard for me to really wrap my head around as well, but it’s true.

He is quite gentle and humane with them and even gives them names; he just grew up knowing them as food, and that’s what they are for us. We definitely save money on meat purchases and at least we know that these are organically raised and treated well.

Such is life in Calabria–full of contradictions and peculiarities but never, ever, boring.

Now on to the recipe, which is based on Coniglio (o pollo) al forno con patate–that “o pollo” means you can also use this recipe for chicken.

Roasted Rabbit & Potatoes
(serves 2 as main course, more as part of larger dinner)

• 3 pieces of rabbit (2 thighs and a shoulder will do)
• 4 large potatoes, cut into chunks
• 3 cloves of garlic, cut into chunks to be inserted into rabbit pieces
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• a few sprigs of rosemary
• thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• salt
• peperoncino

1. Turn on oven and set to 200°C (390°F).

2. In a small bowl, mix together olive oil, salt, peperoncino, and some rosemary. Let sit for about 10 minutes.

3. Wash the pieces of rabbits, and without drying, put them in baking dish.

4. Wash the potatoes, peel and cut them into chunks, and add them to baking dish; sprinkle them with salt and thyme.

5. Score rabbit so that you have places to insert garlic and some sprigs of rosemary. Brush oil mixture liberally onto rabbit pieces and then break up the bay leaves on top of the rabbit.

At this point, it should look something like this:

6. Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and place in oven.

7. Let cook for about a half hour. Remove from oven. Turn rabbit and toss potatoes. If the dish is dry on the bottom add some olive oil and/or water.

8. Cook for another 20 minutes or so, being sure that potatoes and rabbit are fully cooked before serving.

9. Let sit a few minutes before serving, but still serve hot.

Buon appetito!

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Last Tuesday we visited the weekly market in my village, and now it’s time for a little bargaining lesson.

First you should know that market prices are already lower than in the local stores–but that doesn’t mean you can’t get even better deals.

My first few Tuesdays here, I sat at the corner of the piazza and just watched the old women at work. I figured it was the best way to learn–from the pros.

I’ve often read that touching produce in Italy is a no-no, but apparently no one has told these women.

Or, more likely, the vendors are just too afraid to scold despite their tough exteriors.

Concetta (below) is one of the young old women. She’s in her early 80s, but gets around as well as anyone including me. She always smiles wide and says “Ciao Bella” while stroking the side of my face.

The first time I met her she invited me into her house and showed me photos of her entire family, including children and grandchildren spread throughout Italy, Europe, and South America as well as her husband who has passed on.

Concetta doesn’t live alone though; she lives (in sin!) with her male companion, a widower. By not getting married, she explained to me, she can still collect her deceased husband’s pensions (one from Italy and one from Switzerland). Furba, eh?

Come Tuesday morning, though, Concetta is all business. Her laughlines are well-hidden behind a poker face that truly draws fear in Pasquale, the meat truck guy.

I’ve seen her slap the hand of Totò, the man selling fruit and vegetables from the back of his Ape (AH-peh) when he tried to retrieve a carciofo from her hand.

I’ve also seen her throw up her hands in disgust and stomp away as Turi, the man with the best broccoli (I’m told) yelled after her shouting many numbers.

[The secret is to walk away; if they follow, they really want to sell.]

Concetta knows what she wants and she knows how to get it. She never leaves the market empty-handed, and always with a smile on her face.

Another successful morning for her, and another lesson in village life for me.

So, have you bargained at the market?

Related posts:

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It’s Palermonday again!

Two weeks ago, we visited Italy’s largest opera house, Teatro Massimo, and last week we were at La Fontana della Vergogna, or the Fountain of Shame.

Well, just around the corner from gorgeous Piazza Pretoria is Quattro Canti, or the Four Corners, marking the intersection of Corso Vittorio Emanuele and Via Maqueda–the old heart of Palermo:

The four buildings of Quattro Canti each have three levels of Giulio Lasso-designed Baroque sculptures.

The themes are the Four Seasons, Spanish kings, and patron saints of Palermo’s original four quarters.

There are also gorgeous Baroque fountains at ground level.

It is said that the sculptures used to be pearly white, but city smog and pollution have given them a grey, um, patina. Still gorgeous though, aren’t they?

Make sure you come back next week for the next installment of Palermondays because believe me, everywhere you look in Palermo, there seems to be yet another amazing, sculpted masterpiece.

They just don’t make buildings like this anymore, do they?

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