This and that

Poetry

A childish hurt that understands no reason.
The adult mind tries to explain.
Yet the pain goes down so deep.
Ceaselessly affects my whole day. 


It's not like through-out, I'm thinking 'darüber'.
Mulling over this and that. 
There are a'plenty things that need doing.
But under every activity is this feeling bad.


The child in me is young and stubborn. 
It should by now have learnt more wisdom. 
If an understanding is not possible,
at least an acceptance is in want. 


Adult me is trying hard.
'Mit Zeit kommt Rat'
One of my favourite sayings. 


Let's see what today brings forward. 
When comes acceptance
When the pain goes away…

Questions galore

Blog, books

First there was Darwin and the Barnacle.

Then came Alexander von Humboldt and his defining of Nature itself.

And now there is this. The questions that remain.

An old book, first published in1982.The questions it’s asking are making me go hummm…
So enjoyable and light a read, I’m actually thinking it’ll finish too fast!

Of Lemons and such

Blog, books

Book number 1 for 2023 and what a great book to start the new year with! Easy to read, informative and sunny! The ‘sunny’ being very welcome during an exceptionally dark and grey winter. While the title specified Italy, the book journeyed across the world. China, India, Persia and across the Atlantic to the USA. It read like a thriller taking about the origins and functioning’s of the Mafia and as a travel-guide when describing the beauty of southern Italy.

Who would have thought the history of citrus fruit in Italy to be so quite so entertaining. Not me for sure, when I chanced upon it in the quaint ‘Shakespeare and Company’ book store in Vienna last Autumn. The book store is a welcome presence with it’s hundreds of books in English. Finally a place where even a committed non-fiction, non-latest-thriller reader like me can find a choice of reads.

I’m feeling quite proud of having picked up a steady pace of reading again after many years of not reading much. The target this year is 40 books.

Now open to recommendations for books on other fruit 🙂

The wonder of wander

Poetry

Wander in English
Wandern in Deutsch
The wonder of both
As the sun shines outside.
 
Away from the chores
The ties of to-do.
Away from the sounds
Of the day, of tv and phone.
 
Into a forest 
On a hilly path
Walk into birdsong
Fragrance all around.

No fixed destination.
No real timeframe. 
The day is all ours,
no matter how long it takes.
 
Look up as you wander,
at the trees above. 
Green they were yesterday 
Now gold and rust. 
 
Zum wandern wir gehen
Alle zusammen 
I don't know the grammar 
behind all my German 🙂

Maybe we’ll see someone. 
Someone we know.
Also out for a walk 
in the fields and the woods. 
 
There could even be deer.
In a riverside meadow, 
out for a chew.
Or rabbits popping out to say hello! 
 
Wandern and wander 
Always in wonder
of this beautiful world
It's the best thing to do.

GR #4

Blog, today

Today’s little entry is more amused and surprised than happy or profound but it made me smile so here goes…

Standing waiting at the local laundry service, while the lady before me handed in a huge pile of blankets and rugs and jackets and shirts. It took quite sometime.

Then she turned towards me to apologise and as I said nevermind and smiled, she exclaimed “you have such beautiful teeth!” No one has ever complimented me on my teeth before. I had to laugh and then spent the rest of the time waiting, trying to get a glimpse of her teeth but I couldn’t.

😁😁😁😁

GR #3

Blog, today

I’m in Nürnberg for a few days. The city of the famous Christmas Market. Known to me, till a short while ago, only as a name in the title of a famous movie.

But neither of these two facts make for my good reality of today.

What makes me smile is a small incidence at breakfast in my hotel. As I sat there, a gentleman walked in with a cane and glasses. I first looked up as he explained to the ladies serving that he couldn’t see well and if they could guide him.

One of the women immediately said “of course, please take my arm. I will help you serve.” She took him to the buffet, told him what was there and served him. Then gently walked him to a comfortable table.

Isn’t that a simple act but ever so nice?

Good reality #2

Blog, today

Today was a travel day. Sitting besides me on the train was a young mother-daughter pair. The daughter was sweet but more beautiful still was the mother. Her attention to the little girl, teaching behavior that was friendly and polite.

Kids like this will ensure a bright tomorrow.

The Good Realities

Blog, today

Today evening I went to meet a friend of mine. A lady, I admire and respect a great deal and have long conversations with, over just about everything. As we sat talking about current grim realities, things that have really been playing on my mind, (news of war and turmoil, the chance of a power blackout for which our homes are unprepared for, doubling-tripling-quadrupling prices that are leaving many families quite stranded with winter already here, a sense of doom, etc., etc.), she came up with a powerfully inspiring idea that I’m putting into reality here.

A journal of a ‘good’ realities.
One happy thing that actually happened in my life today.

Why is it so easy to not acknowledge the good realities, to not make more of happy things that happen to us?

Maybe because happiness is our natural state of being. And so it’s taken for granted. Letting unhappy worries crowd our minds.

Well, for me her idea of this record of happiness is a big uplifter. The happy thing that happened to me today. And I’m going to try and keep a daily record.
If you like it too, join me … it’s literally the more the merrier!