good company...

Ok, it is official... we are in the most depressing time of the year and, though there are some discrepancies about the exact date of the most depressing day of the year (statistics on suicides taken into account...) I think you would agree with me that precision has little importance on this... Here we are, Christmas holidays long gone, days still dark and cold, next break feels like a century ahead and, if you don't believe in Valentine, there is no reason for celebration in the horizon! On top of all that, the sales are almost over and, though some of us got lucky enough to snatch those Miu Miu patent leather moccasins with 50% off, the truth is that there is nothing left to ease our pain...


So there is no reason to deny it, the "blues" are here and we need to do something to feel better... My idea was simple: invite a few friends over on a Saturday night, prepare a simple Mediterranean assortment of food to share, have a laugh and drown our misery in good wine :) It turned out to be far better than I had expected as we really had a lovely time talking about our travel experiences and far away places, we were all relaxed and enjoyed the food, including an amazing octopus salad prepared by one of my friends, and I got offered so many bottles of champagne and so much cheese (both of great quality, mind you) I can have at least two more champagne and cheese parties!


Bottom line is that, if you can't make it on your own to feel better and fight depression... ask some help from your friends! Chances are everybody feels more or less the same so, get together, have a glass of wine (or two or three for that matter, provided you are not driving afterwards...) and fight the "blues" as a group! Good company always helps and is perhaps the only thing which helps in these depressing times... except for heavy medication... but you don't want that, right?!


Do I really need to say that good company is better than shoes?... nah.... you already know that ;)

white sand under my feet...

...was better than shoes!!!

I am a fortunate person who got to spend the first day of the year on the beach, by a sea the colour of turquoise, under the warm sun while drinking piña colada and reading, finally, "The lost symbol"! I could not have asked for anything more, I had a week of absolute bliss while carrying a smile on my face which reached from one ear to the other! Everything was perfect, everything was better than I had hoped for and I came back full of wonderful memories, wish to go back and... 2 kilos extra! Yep, those tortilla chips with guacamole came back here with me...

I was determined to do something different for the Xmas holidays this year, escape the winter and go spend this time somewhere far where I could enjoy the sun and the sea. I did it and am glad I did! One week of holidays which restored my tired body and mind. Beach in the morning, naps in the afternoon, eating, drinking, dancing, shooting pool, reading... paradise could not be much different than this!! I would have loved to have stayed more but, truth be told, I am not really complaining because even to be able to be there for a week was a dream come true!

Everything was beautiful but the best thing was the sand! Seriously!! So fine and white and not hot at all though under the hot sun, and so peacefully looking and clean and comfy under the soles of my feet... like caressing them with every step...   I have always loved walking on the beach, having the water cool off my feet and enjoy the view of this line between the sand and the sea... But this time it was 10 times better than anything I have experienced before... definitely better than shoes...

PS. Happy New Year to all of you and your loved ones!

Christmas at home...

It is 00:22 at Christmas... I'm sitting by the Christmas tree as I'm writing this... arrived home just a while ago after having had dinner with good friends... the food, the wine, their one-year-old sweetheart with her amazing smile and her first steps around the living room, everything was perfect! Better than I could ever imagine! When I decided to stay here alone for Christmas, moths ago and mostly because I have been so tired I could not bear the thought of traveling this time of the year, I had not hoped for more than just having some time for myself, time off work for staying at  home... had hoped for hours of knitting... hours of laying on the sofa...

Turns out, I must have done something good in my life because the Universe is paying me back with far more than I had hoped for! Today's dinner, tomorrow's lunch, yes, we are having turkey, how much more traditional could we be, another invitation for the second day of Christmas, friends who have become family, smiles and toasts and wine and great food and warm hearts (so what if the snow outside is still making things difficult...) and presents and children and Christmas trees and joy, so much joy and simplicity one could not have wanted for anything more! I'm home... and it's Christmas... and it is better than shoes!

I wish I could be with all the people I love today... it is not possible, such is life and the choices made that this wish will not come true this year...  perhaps the next... One thing is certain... I am having a wonderful time and I have not felt lonely not for a moment! Feels good spending Christmas at home, feels right... So I will wish to all my loved ones Merry Christmas, remind them that my home is theirs whenever the wind brings them this way and hope that, these holidays, they all have as good a time as I'm having! And better!!

PS. Merry Christmas to all of you and your loved ones!