I first started reading Roddy Doyle’s books as a young adult. I can’t remember if my sister, Sharyn ,recommended on of them, or if the movie The Commitments came out and I became an instant fan of his. Either way, his writing along with other authors such as Frank McCourt, Maeve Binchy, and Edna O’Brian had me long to visit Ireland.
After a good many decades I made it here. That is where I am as I write this in a hotel in beautiful Killarney Town. Today as we drove around the Ring of Kerry seeing spectacular views on one of the few clear and sunny days, my breath was taken away again and again. Even tonight, I was able to enjoy my first Irish sunset. Previous nights the clouds obscured any variation in color. Gray was the prominent hue throughout.
So, rather than tell you about this trip, which has been delightful throughout, I am sharing some pictures from my phone wielding photo app.
Thanks for taking the time to see a snippet of what I saw.
Self-Care Tips: Enjoy reading or listening to a Roddy Doyle novel. Funny & moving. Find a version of “Danny Boy” that you favor. Here is one blog with a number of versions: http://21essays.blogspot.com/2013/01/ten-great-recordings-of-danny-boy.html Think of books, music, and art that have influenced choices you’ve made in your life. It could be travel, recipes, occupations, friends, or anything else. Always important to see how the arts affirm us and change us.
This weekend I walked in the steaming heat enjoying Summer Streets while traversing Park Avenue without cars. I will miss the next two Saturdays, so it was a pleasant reprieve to have more than enough room while walking among pedestrians, runners, and cyclists. I am going away. Initially I packed for a hot summer, but according to the lower temperatures in Dublin I was ill prepared. Following my lovely and tiring walk, I unpacked and repacked for a ten-day trip to Ireland. Instead of tank tops and sandals I’m bringing sweaters and socks.
I am very excited. Reading Edna O’Brian and Roddy Doyle, starting in high school, have instilled in me a love of Ireland, though I’ve never step foot on the Island. It was my college friend, Shawn Wilson’s idea. We had been trying to get together for years. We both have busy professional lives with very different schedules. Shawn threw out the idea and the trip was planned within a day. Not only did we agree on the one week that was good for both of us, but she found an amazing local tour that appealed to both of us. Since I am usually the planner in my family, it was an extra luxury to have my friend take care of the details.
We’ll meet up in Dublin and go from there, probably taking too many pictures. In the meantime, I have a few off-the-beaten-path pictures of New York City, pre-vacation.
Self-Care Tips:
Hugs. If you know a good hugger exchange a great hug. If you are on your own, wrap your arms around yourself for a self-loving embrace.
Seek out something unusual for you. Read an article from another point of view. Look up an unfamiliar country and find out about its culture, foods, landscape and customs.
Enjoy in-season fruits and vegetables. The peaches are divine. The strawberries and blueberries are at their peak. And summer squash is sweet and versatile.
How could it be that the weather in New York City is better than the weather here in Los Angeles? This is my second trip in the last few years and it’s also the second time when it’s too chilly to enjoy the “always” good weather of L.A. As the day goes on the sun warms the streets, not to a perfectly mid-70s day, but at least the temperature rises to the high 60s.
I booked a hotel with a pool, but I don’t know if the heated water will keep me warm in the early hours of the morning. It would be great to swim as the sun rises. I imagine I’ll wake up early since it’s three hours later in New York, and I have yet to adjust to West Coast time.
As it turns out the pool is properly heated and my solo swim at 7 am was long and luxurious. No one came to the pool, and I was able to have an under-water meditation in motion. A great way to start my day.
I will be attending a wedding, one that I’m very much looking forward to. I already had a chance to catch up and laugh with friends, and tonight I can continue with that. There’s something so special about meeting up with friends when it feels as if no time at all has gone by, even if our hair is greyer and our joints are creakier.
I had to shorten this trip to get ready for my book launch on June 4th. I’m glad I came, but there are endless list of things to get done to try to make this book a success. Though, it’s already a success if I consider all that I’ve learned in the process. Not always easy or fun, but lessons well learned, nevertheless. I’m happy to enjoy this short break with friends, and I’ll be happy to be home to race against the clock in accomplishing all the lies ahead.
Self-Care Tips:
Keep a book, hard cover or paperback by your bed for nighttime reading. There’s nothing like holding a solid book in hand and allowing the written word to woo you to sleep.
Slow down. We tend to make mistakes when we rush. I know this from a multitude of personal experiences. When we slow down our focus tends to sharpen, and we can accomplish the same amount because we don’t have to go back to fix our mistakes.
Challenge your taste buds. Try a new cuisine. Or try something familiar with spices and herbs you don’t usually eat. There are many ways to spice up our lives, this suggestion is meant to literally spice up your life.
Having lived as long as I have, visiting friends and family sometimes means travel. Following our amazing time in Mexico City we took a drive to the Teotihuacán Pyramids, which were magnificent. It’s a pre-historic Mayan city. To walk in the same steps as those who resided there thousands of years ago is a powerful experience. From there we traveled on to San Miguel de Allende, a lovely small city with an artistic soul.
It was there I enjoyed a reunion with Annie, a friend for almost forty years. It had been decades wince we saw each other. What a joy to share our memories while catching up with life now. She, like many expats, has made San Miguel her home.
Year after year Travel and Leisure names San Miguel de Allende one of the best places to retire. Though stunning, warm, and inviting, the cobblestones alone, not to mention the hilly landscape, are a deterrent as a retirement destination for me. Even so, it is easy to see the happiness of so many retired individuals.
While in San Miguel, thanks to Annie, we had a wonderful time sitting on porches and balconies, catching up while city life passed by. She created an amazing trip for us. We saw markets, architecture, historical churches, art galleries, resorts, and flora and fauna. We were all exhausted with the wealth of activities. The food and drinks were delicious, and laugher was our soundtrack.
I am so grateful for my wonderful friends, near and far. It makes for a rich life, indeed.
Self-Care Tips:
Reconnect with friends, especially those with whom you can laugh. It’s always a joy when laughter is shared in our relationships.
As the weather gets warmer, sit outside to people watch, read a book, or just enjoy the scenery.
Rub your hands together until the palms are warm, then place them on tired eyes, on your heart or belly. It can be a self-soothing act.
Mexico City, Week Seventeen in the No Longer New Abnormal
Mexico City, what a vast and varied metropolis. The weather is perfect, cool mornings and warm afternoons with the sun shining. Though our time here is short, and I won’t have a chance to visit more than two museums, the Anthropology Museum and the Frida Kahlo house. Two spectacular museums from very different eras. I got lost in a large park yesterday enjoying the sculptures and the paths leading me out about a mile from my destination. There’s something so fun about losing my way and finding new people and places to enjoy.
The fruits and vegetables have been fresh and delicious. In fact most of the food here has been prepared with a love and pride of centuries of tradition. Each neighborhood feels distinct, and each block can vary within any given neighborhood. It is a spectacle for my eyes.
It also happens to be one of the most hospitable cities I’ve visited. Going on vacation, especially when it’s been delayed, and being treated so well only adds to the specialness of this time away. Though we still have much to see before we leave, I’m grateful to be here, so close to home yet worlds away.
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Self-Care Tips:
If and when you get lost, try to look for something unexpected that can add a bright note as you find your way back to where you want to be.
Be adventurous. You don’t have to go away to stretch yourself by trying something new, whether it’s a new spice or a different genre of music than you usually listen to.
Find the humor. It seems so many are having a hard time of it these days. Any small amount of levity can lift up our spirits.
I made a trip to DC this weekend. I was going to visit family, see a musical, get to the National Portrait Gallery and enjoy the cherry blossoms. I was able to enjoy time with my family and see a most wonderful show at Arena Stage Theater. Bu it turns out the Cherry Blossoms were premature this year due to the warmer winter months. I thought I was early enough but that was not the case. I saw trees with waning petals, the best in Takoma Park, MD. But the city failed to provide me with the simple joy of full flowered trees wherever I went.
My first sighting was while on a speeding train due south. It looked promising on the bank of a river. Once in the city limits, I got to my hotel room and ran out to ensure the best viewing possible. Instead, they mostly alluded me. I was able to spot a few here and there. I walked the length of the mall to see what I could find. There was one cropping which was filled with a crowd, mostly posing under and close to the trees. Apparently a lot of people were visiting the capitol for the love of cherry blossoms.
Though the cherry blossoms were disappointing for the most part, it turned into a game and each time I saw a flowering tree I got excited. A made-up game, similar to those I played as a child. The real thrill was seeing my in-laws who I haven’t seen in years. They had changed and at the same time were very much the same in a comforting way that comes from familiarity. Their garden is the product of love. Their home, filled with beautiful artwork, was good to see again after too much time had passed. Then, last evening was a true gift. The Unknown Soldier, a stunning musical with beautifully woven threads composed by Michael Friedman, is a rich, nuanced show with an outstanding cast. Though I didn’t see it when it premiered in New York City at Playwright’s Horizon, it was wonderful to enjoy in in DC.
Outside the theater as light raindrops suddenly and unexpectedly arrived, an errant cherry blossom landed in my hair. My weekend was complete.
Self-Care Tips:
Create a game for yourself this Spring of finding and naming flowers as you go about your activities.
When you have an unfulfilled expectation, try to balance disappointment with discovery of hidden gifts. It’s important you don’t deny your feelings. But equally important that your disappointment doesn’t obscure something agreeable.
If you’ve been meaning to call, write or visit someone, reach out. We more often regret what we haven’t done rather than the actions we take.
It was a quiet day. Not the reading a book while sipping tea on a rainy-day type of quiet. It was quiet because I wasn’t plugged into a device. The TV was not on. The quiet came from not connecting my phone to my earbuds to listen to a book, a podcast or music. It’s even quiet now as I’m writing this. Lucy, who is asleep next to me isn’t even snoring. She must be enjoying the quiet, too.
It’s rare that I’m not listening or talking when walking. While walking in the rain there were few pedestrians, keeping the sound low even on city streets. Since my days are full of sounds, both cacophonous and melodic, I took note when I realized I had not continued listening to my book. Currently it’s the bold, beautiful Lessons for Survival, written and read by Emily Raboteau. She cares so deeply about our planet and our neglected populations, and her passion is contagious. Nor had I chosen between the two albums I’ve been enjoying, Natalie Douglas’s new “Back to the Garden,” as well as Rhiannon Giddens most recent “You’re the One.” I went to both concerts and listening to their most recent music with their gorgeous voices has been joyful.
Nonetheless, it was not the day for that. I think I needed the quiet. There was a peacefulness in the quiet. A rare experience of peace with so much going on in the world that is anything but peaceful. In the city, as vibrant as it is, would rarely be describe as peaceful or quiet. I think that is what made it so special. Sometimes an unplanned divergence from our routines can be a very special gift.
Self-Care Tips:
Switch up your routine. You may find reading or viewing something different teaches you something you didn’t know about yourself or others.
If you prefer the quiet, listen to music to open up new neuropathways. If you are usually listening to something or have the TV on in the background, turn them off to experience something different. Notice what you feel in the quiet.
Get to know the music of Rhiannon Giddens. It’s so varied. Or listen to the award-winning Natalie Douglas. Her voice is golden. Both have a range of styles.
There is a distinct feeling of “hygge’” a Danish word for contentment that comes from comfort and an easy friendliness, that perfectly describes the vibe we encountered in Copenhagen. Last week we had taken advantage of an Icelandair special to visit Copenhagen. I have always wanted to go to Nordic countries, but they seemed so remote. This deal with a stopover in Iceland was exactly what I needed to bridge the gap from a dream to a reality.
Throughout the years I’ve read food and travel blogs about Denmark and Copenhagen. And Copenhagen did not disappoint. The food was excellent. It’s so much fun to visit the outdoor markets, the covered markets, the cafes, the bakeries, and the restaurants. And, like New York, Copenhagen is a great walking city. Every chance I had I walked for miles, getting lost, finding myself in unknown neighborhoods or parks where there was always something new I encountered.
Our very first day in Copenhagen, jetlagged and hungry, we set off for a foodhall. The closest good one, we were told, was only one stop away on the “S” train. We dutifully walked the 15 minutes to the train station, bought our four-day pass for public transportation. The machine preferred European credit cards, so another ten minutes were spent trying to obtain our cards, but we prevailed. Next, we set off to find the S train, only to see that there were multiple tracks. We were flummoxed.
Luckily, a passerby helped us out and though we ended up on the Subway, we eventually found our way to the market. She was the first of many who embodied the hygge vibe. She was friendly, considered our request, and offered the best way she knew to get there. Even though we stopped others who had not known the directions we needed, all were kind, pausing from their morning commute to listen fully to our request. And, though it was our first hour in the city, there were many interactions that reflected the hygge mentality.
Right before we left for vacation, I had read a post that was critical of those who share their vacations on social media. She, the poster, saw it as bragging. It’s possible my posts can be perceived that way. Though not my intention, I do understand that traveling is a luxury, and it’s not always accessible to all. And, yet I love traveling and it’s an aspect of my life that always feels enriching. However, I did wonder if it was appropriate to share my travels.
After considering her post, I decided to share my experience. Travel means a lot to me. It gives me joy. Not only do I get a great deal out of traveling, the least of which was learning more about hygge on this trip, but I do bring back what I learn and do my best to apply it to my everyday life. I’m happy to be home. There is a hygge in sleeping in my comfortable bed, though I do miss the feather beds on our mattresses in Copenhagen. I am grateful to apply a new type of ease to my daily activities. There’s a good reason Denmark is the second happiest country in the world. I hope to visit Finland at some point, as that was rated number one. I look forward to seeing what I can learn on that trip.
Self-Care Tips:
If you listen to or read someone who has a very strong opinion, see if it applies to you. What they say is reflective of their point of view. So often we shut down our expressive selves because someone else says it’s not okay. Do your best to be okay with your choices and live your life fully as you, while not purposely hurting yourself or other. And understand not everyone will be okay with your choices, only you have to be okay with them.
Apply “Hygge” to your life. Find ways that bring ease and comfort. It’s simple but not always easy to take the path of least resistance.
Create a savings account for a specific goal or dream. For instance, I have a separate travel account. Even if your budget is small, set aside a dollar a week, less if that’s what’s needed. It can make the goal seem more real. There are many no fee apps and banks that allow for this type of account. Or you can use a specific change jar for a goal. This is great at any age.
It’s Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. The year is 5784. Back in 5734, in my teens, I worried about my clothes. Was I going to wear my new wool dress, or was the warm September day going to deem it irrelevant? I knew it was going to be a long day of prayer followed by a huge family meal. I went to Synagogue, but I did not feel at home in the dressy world of the fancy Schul. I felt more at home in the down-to-earth synagogue of my friends. But members paid dues, and there was no seat for me in their sanctuary.
Over the years I’ve moved away from observing in a house of worship. It can be a deeply meaningful experience for many, but I prefer to pray and meditate in private. Nonetheless, I do wish my Jewish friends & family, friends or family of other beliefs, acquaintances, and readers, a year filled with freedom from suffering. I wish you peace. I hope you enjoy a sweet New Year.
Self-Care Tips:
Enjoy the sweetness of honey to remind you of the sweetness in life. Tradition has us dipping slices of apple in honey, but feel free to create your own sweet reminder.
Try releasing something that’s been hard to let go of. It can be an item, or it can be an attitude. This will create new space for some peace of mind.
What does freedom from suffering look like to you? Like me, does that mean inserting more kindness and forgiveness for myself and others? Or does it mean taking an action that will allow for more ease? Don’t suffer in making a choice, just choose the best course for you and see if it relieves suffering.
When I was growing up summer was always book ended by the academic year’s completion in June and a new school year following Labor Day. In between were hot days at camp, or at home in the backyard under the sprinkler, with regular trips to Hidden Lake or the Haddontown Swim Club for substantial wet reprieve from the beating sun.
Here we are at this 2023 summer’s finale on this Labor Day weekend. The air is cooler as if a declaration that summer is at its end. In my teen and preteen years I would have been working at my father’s shoe store ringing up saddle shoes for the cheerleaders, parochial oxfords for local children attending Catholic schools, and Buster Browns for the public elementary school crowd.
There was anticipation in the air. We went to Korvettes or Grants to load up on school supplies, including Lego-sized sharpeners for our number 2 pencils. Figuring out what to wear on the first day was a pressing matter after first grade. Oh, how I loved my plaid wool skirt, with red fringe and a large gold-plated safety pin as an adornment. It was worn with a Danskin ribbed turtleneck, and red tights that never stayed up, causing me to waddle home at the end of that first day. I didn’t care. I loved that 60s fashion trend.
Now in my 60s, I appreciate those memories, and miss the clear delineation of seasons as signified by the school year. Time now is not marked by classes and tests. The year is of my making. Though I appreciate the freedom that allows, I do wax nostalgic for the endless summers and the structure of school in session.
AsI let go of this summer and welcome Autumn in all its glory, I hope you, too, can enjoy sweet memories while relishing the transformative Fall season.
Self-Care Tips:
Give yourself a break. If you have a “should” for this weekend or week, pause to see if it must get done, or whether you can put the “should” on pause and do something restful and/or fun instead.
Learn a new word, and when possible, use it. I can recommend “WordDaily.com. However, there are a good number of vocabulary apps and sites. This week featured the word “Disembogue,” meaning a river or stream flowing into the sea or a larger river.
Delete unwanted or unused app or apps from your phone. Or you can unsubscribe from mailing-lists you find annoying. Letting go of the junk emails, and ignored apps can feel like a reset.
janetzinn 