by Krista | Feb 28, 2013 | Bits 'n' Bobs
“All mountain landscapes hold stories:
the ones we read,
the ones we dream,
and the ones we create.”
Michael Kennedy
I have loved mountains since I was little girl growing up near the Rocky Mountains in Canada. I love their rugged, soaring beauty, their slightly terrifying wildness that compels you to look but maybe not touch.
I’ve never had a desire to actually climb them. The thought of dizzying heights and scraggly trails wending along sheer rock faces brings me no pleasure whatsoever. But I dearly love looking at them.
And driving between them.
My friend Margo took me for a drive through the Italian Alps near Vogogna one gorgeous Autumn afternoon.
We were both exhausted from months of hard work on various projects, and it was pure bliss to close our laptops, shut our notebooks and head out into sunshine and crisp mountain air.
Our road took us along icy mountain streams, perfectly clear as they tumbled over rocks and under bridges.
We meandered through pretty little villages marked by gorgeous stone buildings and cows wearing gigantic bells around their necks.
We got out to explore a wonderful old church with murals on the outside of the building. I’d never seen anything like that before. It made me feel good somehow to know that the builders of this church shared its beauty with anyone who looked at it, not just those who entered its doors.
Just below the church sprawled a cemetery with truly exquisite views of the towering mountains. I found the weathered stone crosses so beautiful.
I liked this home built next to the church, topped with staggered terraces festooned with flowers, vines, and fruit trees. What a wonderful escape from the world on spring and summer days.
The stone seats below must be so warm in the glow of a late afternoon sun. I’d love sitting there with dear friends, sharing a bottle of wine and visiting contentedly as the sun set.
Eventually we abandoned our happy meanderings and headed higher up into the Alps.
The views that awaited us were stunning.
Click here to see what we saw from the top of the Alps above Domodossola.
What are your feelings about mountains?
by Krista | Feb 26, 2013 | Bits 'n' Bobs
It seems there’s never a dull moment in Australia. Only weeks after we dried out from the last Queensland floods, we’re being hit again with bucketing rain, fierce winds, and more flooding. Roads that just reopened are back under water.
Thankfully things aren’t as severe as last month, but it’s still raining and the winds have picked up. We’re keeping a close eye on storm reports and watching the river levels in town and making sure we have plenty of candles and batteries for torches in case the power goes off for more than a few minutes at a time.
In the meantime, I am LOVING these cozy days at home.
Today I edited photos for various projects, secured three more writing assignments, then I pulled on Bear’s coat and hat and headed out into the rain.
Slipping and sliding in the mud, splashing through the puddles, I got all the animals fed, taking time to ooh and aah over our nine new baby Muscovy ducklings. They are the cutest little things, born right in the midst of a storm, looking like lemon yellow puffballs in a sea of mud.
Then I puttered in my garden, pulling plants past their prime for the goats to nibble on, collecting tiny cherry tomatoes, purple bush beans, and marking that gorgeous silverbeet for dinner tomorrow night.
It was so good to get outside in the fresh air, feel the misty rain on my face, and smell the loamy earth.
I’ve been making lots of hearty fare to keep us warm and nourished on these stormy days. Loaves of cranberry coconut bread for French Toast and olive pesto bread to go with Garlicky White Bean Soup.
Remember the White Bean Roasted Red Pepper Dip I made a while ago? Well, I followed through on my idea of turning it into a soup, adding more chicken stock, a whole lot more garlic, and a cup of artichoke hearts. It turned out even better than I anticipated and was so creamy Bear thought for sure it was made with potatoes instead of beans. We loved it, especially with toasted and buttered slices of Olive Pesto Bread.
What’s the weather like in your part of the world?
Garlicky White Bean Soup with Artichokes and Red Bell Pepper
Ingredients:
4 cups cooked white beans (about 3 cans, drained)
1 can artichoke hearts drained and rinsed
6 roasted, marinated red bell peppers (capsicum)
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh rosemary or thyme, chopped
3 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Combine all ingredients in blender or food processor. Puree until smooth.
- When ready to serve, pour into saucepan and heat over medium-high heat until bubbling.
by Krista | Feb 25, 2013 | Bits 'n' Bobs
“I wandered everywhere,
through cities and countries wide.
And everywhere I went,
the world was on my side.”
Roman Payne
One of my favorite things about traveling is time to wander.
Time to actually live out those delicious words: amble, mosey, and stroll.
The back streets of Capri are perfect for such happy perambulations, for they are quiet and shady, far from the clogged alleyways and sun-beaten avenues of the main shopping districts.
I love the painted tiles that adorn the house numbers, perky flowers spilling down white-washed walls, and worn steps that lead to the prettiest doorways.
The bottles of limoncello lined up so cheerily making me think of long summer days under the trees sipping icy glasses of this sweet nectar.
Of course I’m smitten by the doorways, especially ones that are curved and painted luscious colors. But I also sigh happily at the blue and white tiles adorning footpaths and window casings alike. They bright such coolness to an island so often roasted by sunlight.
Where are your favorite places to go wandering?
by Krista | Feb 21, 2013 | Bits 'n' Bobs
Today is a tucked up in bed day, for pain is giving me a bit of a beating. I’m learning to rest in it and muddle through it and find ways to thrive in it, but then there are other moments:
“Sometimes,
before you make any plans or resolutions,
before you declare your heroic intent to persevere,
you just have to cry.”
Jaclyn Dolamore
I love that quote. It makes me smile and not feel bad for having a bit of a crumply time. I will be heroic, I will persevere, I will make good plans and stalwart resolutions, I will be creative and give way to belly laughs and make delicious things to eat, but not yet.
First I will rest and know it’s quite alright to be weepy and achy and have quite enough of sad, bad things happening in my life and the lives of people I love.
“Being happy isn’t having everything in your life be perfect.
Maybe it’s about stringing together all the little things.”
Ann Brashares
Over the past week I’ve started taking pictures with my phone of “all the little things.” The small, insignificant happinesses that dot my life even on bad days. Here are some of them:
Going out for breakfast with Bear and having good talks over a hazelnut latte and toasted ham and cheese croissant.
Cheerful wool socks that keep me warm on this week of stormy, stormy days.
Soft, sleepy light filtering through the window on a rainy afternoon.
A gorgeous faux turquoise necklace dripping with stones: $4 at the thrift store.
Handmade medieval Finnish shoes from Bear.
Bear and I holding hands while we drive to town to run errands.
Homemade chocolate chip cookies by candlelight as a storm rages outside.
Stringing them all together gives me such a lovely feeling of warmth and belonging.
What little happy things would you string together from your life this week?
by Krista | Feb 18, 2013 | Bits 'n' Bobs
“I believe the nicest and sweetest days
are not those on which anything very splendid
or wonderful or exciting happens
but just those that bring simple little pleasures,
following one another softly,
like pearls slipping off a string.”
L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Avonlea
It’s a simple pleasures sort of day.
The skies are stormy, the wind wild, and it is a day for flickering candles, well-thumbed books, and homey sorts of projects.
So in between work assignments and hot cups of something, I’m stealing quiet moments to read a few pages or write in my journal or knit.
My friends Ann and Marie are teaching me to knit – bless them. They can do it with eyes closed, their fingers flying through familiar stitches and motions, whipping out sumptuous cowls and the prettiest mittens you ever did see. I have dreams of being able to do such things myself and they’ve gamely agreed to help me along.
So we started this weekend, and all was going well until our dog Solar sneaked up on the porch when we weren’t looking, grabbed my yarn and bolted. Ayiyi! By the time Bear found my yarn it was a tangled mess of knots, dog slobber, sticks, dirt, and broken bits of leaves. Good heavens!
I thought there was no way to redeem it, but Bear sat on the veranda with me for ages and we got every last bit of that mess unraveled and rewound. (That man is a luv, I tell ya!) Now I have no excuse not to practice.
My favorite food of late has been a White Bean Roasted Red Pepper Dip that I’ve been eating by the spoonful. It’s so easy to make yet packed with flavor and all sorts of healthy things.
White beans are filled with antioxidants and are a good source of fiber, protein and magnesium. Red Bell Peppers (organic) also contain fiber, plus potassium and vitamins C and A. I add a lot of garlic to this dip too, and that makes it even healthier.
Next time I’m going to add chicken broth and some caramelized onions to turn it into a creamy soup.
What is your favorite healthy, simple food?
White Bean Roasted Red Pepper Dip
Ingredients:
3 cups of white beans, cooked (2 cans drained and rinsed white beans)
2 organic red bell peppers, roasted, skinned and chopped (1 cup marinated roasted red bell peppers, drained)
3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/4-1/2 cup chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Dump all ingredients into food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Add more chicken broth if necessary.
- Serve with vegetable sticks, crackers, or spoon it up.
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