5 LITTLE THINGS IN NOVEMBER
I have always felt such joy for the smallest things in life, for those everyday moments or feelings that cause the most beautiful sensations. But I haven’t been doing that recently, and this has contributed to the fading of my enthusiasm. They say that acknowledging the existence of a problem is the first step, so I guess my second step is to write a blog post about all the things that have and are giving me all those little moments of happiness, to remind myself and maybe you too, that there are many little moments of joy around us, we just need to be a little more aware of them.
Here are my five little things:
EARLY MORNINGS
I have not always been a morning bird. Until a few years ago I used to struggle to get up early in the morning and on weekends I would stay in bed until late in the morning. Since I started deliberately getting up early in the morning, including Saturdays and Sundays (and on holidays), I have developed such a solid habit that I now have this awful guilt that over comes me if I sleep in past 7am! But since I got into this habit I no longer struggle with waking up feeling exhausted, even if I haven't had the best nights sleep, I've stopped snoozing my alarm and I usually get up as soon as it wakes me up.
I am aware that winter can feel like a downside as the days get shorter, tiredness increases and the idea of staying warm in bed always seems tempting. But why indeed not leave the idleness and rest to the evening and devote the morning and its beautiful atmosphere to our increased productivity?
Even just admiring the pink sunrise bathed in silence, dew covered grass and fluffy cloud, instils in me a charge of beauty and energy that prepares me to face even the hardest of days.
COUNTRY WALKS
The crisp November air is a blessing. When the weather is good, I love to go for a walk in the countryside to breath some fresh air. Whether in the countryside around my home in Florence or in the nature parks of Lombardy, I love to dedicate myself to those rare moments with all my being, because they make me reflect on many things and at the same time are a form of prayer to give thanks and to find myself again.
I look at the vines and the mist that covers them. Harvest time is drawing to a close and the vines are left to their own devices once again, shrouded in an almost ghostly silence.
READ A BOOK BY THE FIRE
Unfortunately, I do not have a stove or a fireplace in my house in Milan. But luckily when I have the pleasure of visiting with my boyfriend and his family in their country house, there is a beautiful, warm fireplace in the tavern downstairs waiting for us.
I don't think the pleasure of having a real fireplace in the house will ever wear off. When I am in my house in Florence, most late afternoons I curl up on the sofa, under a comfortable woollen bed, pick up my book and read for hours. Later, after dinner, I curl up again by the fireplace and watch TV with my family. That is all I need for a perfect, relaxing evening.
MAKE A COZY AUTUMNY SOUP
Nourishing the soul with a warm, nutritious dish is always a good way to cheer ourselves up. In autumn I love making soups and purées, rich and colourful with seasonal vegetables. Especially at this time of year soups such as pumpkin, sweet potato and tumeric, carrot and cannellini soup, and my beloved minestrone are never missing from my table at least three times a week. To prevent the flu, I also eat ramen in broth with fermented miso paste at least once a week. It has become one of my comfort foods of the season.
I admit that in autumn I am quite enveloped in laziness and feel that there is no need for a change in the kitchen, so I tend to stick to the usual preparations and take the opportunity to once again prepare the recipes that I consider my great autumn classics.
FRIENDSHIP
I was never the girl with a solid group of friends that flowed through school, university and into adult life. Instead I found my people and continue to find my people at differing stages throughout my life. Being able to maintain long-lasting relationships is not a given, because times themselves are changes. I know that sometimes I can be my own worst enemy, shutting myself in a bubble, due to my introverted and sometimes lonely character. But I am a 'social loner' and I’ve I acknowledged that. I learned to be more open to new friendships, navigating with a wiser head on my shoulders. Because it’s never too late to make new friends.
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