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I guess my recent book has made more of an impact on me that I realised because when I started thinking about today’s poem this one pop right up in my mind.

It’s by Mary Oliver (again… but I’m not apologising), from the collection called “Why I wake early”.

“Mindful”  by Mary Oliver

Every day
      I see or hear
            something
                  that more or less

kills me
      with delight,
            that leaves me
                  like a needle

in the haystack
      of light.
            It was what I was born for —
                  to look, to listen,

to lose myself
      inside this soft world —
            to instruct myself
                  over and over

in joy,
      and acclamation.
            Nor am I talking
                  about the exceptional,

the fearful, the dreadful,
      the very extravagant —
            but of the ordinary,
                  the common, the very drab,

the daily presentations.
      Oh, good scholar,
            I say to myself,
                  how can you help

but grow wise
      with such teachings
            as these —
                  the untrimmable light

of the world,
      the ocean’s shine,
            the prayers that are made
                  out of grass?

 

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Continuing with the A to Z / year of reading theme we move onto letter ‘C’.

I’ve had this book by my bed for a few years, this edition was published in 2009 and was the 10th Anniversary of the original.

No idea what possessed me to buy it.  Not my usual choice of books, I’m more of a fiction person generally, but I’ve also always been fascinated by the Dalai Lama, by his history and his religion and his spirituality.

I don’t know why I’m surprised by I have to say I really enjoyed this book.  Howard Cutler is an American psychiatric who knows the Dalai Lama well and through a series of long conversations we are given practical advices and are shown little nuggets of wisdom on how to achieve happiness, how to overcome anger and negative thoughts.

It’s not one of those ridiculous ‘how to achieve eternal inner peace in ten easy steps, whilst having it all and running a marathon and without smudging your mascara’ kind of thing, not at all.  Being happy, living meaningful, fulfilling, happy lives, takes great efforts it’s the message… but it’s possible.

Which, I guess, is all we need to know.

 

On that note, I’m trying to conquer my current small (actually quite big) mountain… the post holiday laundry mountain… I know my inner peace will be definitively improved by the effort.

It’s the little things, people.  The little things.

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You’re all probably fed up with picture of snow and blue skies… so how about some hotel stationery?  I don’t write as many letters as I used to… it feels weird (and a little silly) to write about your life to someone that already knows about it because they ‘follow’ you on social media… I mean… no?

But I do LOVE stationery.  Love it.  And I’m a total sucker for stationery from hotels… the printed address… the thick paper…   It reminds me of old movies, I don’t know why and matching coats and hats, gloves and handbags and shopping that was delivered to your door in boxes.  Long old cars and cocktail  hour.

When I turned sixteen my big present was a big set of letter writing paper with my name printed in red at the top of the A4 sheet.  Glossy red, slightly raised… Thick thick paper… with a water mark …  I felt so sophisticated and grown up.

Anyway, I may or may not have sneaked some of the above in my suitcase… That’s for me to know and for you to guess…

What else?

Oh yes…

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One thing I had never seen before is tea capsules.  There is a Nespresso machine in the room (love Nespresso, we’ve had our machine for ten years at home, thanks to my parents who were early converter to the thing)… but tea?  I tried the green tea and was very pleasantly surprised.  It tasted really good.

Apologies to the purists out there.

Anyway we stayed in a very lovely hotel this year, super friendly and attentive staff, gorgeous food (too nice) and our room was huge!

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(post skiing action shot)

The lobby/lounge area is full of wonderful painting of Mount Cervino (or Matterhorn if you prefer) and big comfortable sofas…

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… and wooden statues… and cupboards full of old china on display…

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C’mon… how cute is that?

 

Sadly though we’ve come to the end of our fabulous week, which it’s very depressing and none of us is ready for real life … a part from my waist line that is, I swear to you that my ski pants couldn’t have taken any more …

So it is with feelings of great gloom and woe and despair and desolation… that I’m going to give you one last mountain photo…

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… just because… I had to.

 

(we stayed at the hotel L’Hermitage, in Cervinia, a great family ran hotel)

 

 

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Today.

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There are certain days that you hope will imprint in the mind of your children.  Days that you hope will be memories that lasts forever.

Days, you hope, they will recount to their own children … magical  days, days when times stands still, where the sun was at his shiniest, the sky at his bluest. Days when what you do is exactly what you’re supposed to be doing, in that moment, with these people, not a thought for tomorrow.  Not home, not homework or school or work or chores.

Just now.  Right now.  In this moment.

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Today was one of those days.

And I’m thankful.

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More of the same… but being above the clouds is always magical…

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… and nobody’s complaining.

 

I’m however eating way too much and I’m already thinking about the remedial process once I get home.

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oh boy.  It’s going to be hard… but who can resist ‘polenta with deer stew and fresh berries’?

Not me obviously.

And nother thing I can’t do…

this:

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It’s impossible I tell you.

(Or maybe it’s too much polenta…)

 

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“The wings of the mountains”  (Arthur Guiterman)

Before there were clouds in the heavens,
Before there were summers and springs,
Afar in the fathomless ages
The mountains, the mountains had wings.
For, first of the works of creation
Are they of the towering crests,
And great was their grandeur and glory,
And greater the pride in their breasts.

They soared to the starry pavilions;
Prodigious in power and girth,
They darkened the world with their shadows.
Yea, truly, unstable was Earth!
For madly they challenged each other,
Till, rising in menacing flight,
They sundered the peace of the ages;
In battle they measured their might.

 Then, rolling together, the ranges
In thunderous conflict were hurled;
The crags of the helmeted summits
Were scattered abroad through the world;
Till He that created the mountains,
Who stayeth the sea with His hand,
Dissevered the wings from their shoulders
And rooted the hills where they stand.

 So, marshaled in order of battle
The rolling sierras are seen;
But calm are the helmeted summits,
And calm are the valleys between.
The snows of the æons have softened
The pride of the towering crests,
And sunk are the passionate fires
That burned in the cavernous breasts.

 And still in the quiet of the evening
The clouds of the heavens enfold
The bulk of the great, shraggy shoulders
In ivory, crimson, and gold;
For these are the wings of the mountains,
Though clouds to the vision of men,
And thus, by the mercy of Heaven,
They come to the mountains again.

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Today the weather was unbelievably beautiful.  The big mountain in the photo is the Italian side THE Toblerone mountain.  Mount Cervino from here, Matterhorn on the Swiss side.

The boys had ski lessons in the morning so Mr M and and headed all the way to the top of Plateau Rosa (3480m… yes I did feel a tad light headed, but it didn’t last long).

The wind was very strong but the view… oh the view…

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After another gorgeous lunch  – mushroom risotto for me –

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we left Mr M in the capable hands of Ivan the ski instructor for an off-piste lesson, and me and the boys ‘caught some groomers’.  Well I did, they seemed to think that skiing/snowboarding outside the groomed and well marked areas is where it’s at.  Me? I’m not so sure.

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Yeah, that’s my gang… for the ten seconds I managed to keep them still… sigh…

 

It was fun.  A lot of fun.

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… Volare… oh oh… cantare… oh oh oh..nel blue dipinto di blue… felice di stare lassù’…

Ok it might not mean a thing to you but that song pops in my head every time the plane breaks through the clouds and that deep deep blue welcomes you and promise you adventures.

I’m typing this from our hotel room, whilst the boys in the next room are already quieting because of the mad early start this morning.

Not too much ‘banter’ tonight.  (Don’t tell them I wrote banter.  It’s in my ‘words not to be used by a mother’ list).

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Teenagers eh?

One day they’ll thank me for taking so many photos of them… or maybe not.

We arrived under a gentle snowfall which made everything perfect:

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Let’s move on to lunch, which was delicious.  I had mini lasagne with deer ragu’ … perfection in a plate.

(Hilariously the predictive text keeps wanting to change ragu’ to rage… )

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… and a delicious cappuccino… perfect temperature (not scolding like they serve it in England) and no chocolate powder.  AND let’s not ignore the crochet doily!

 

Yes, I think I’ll like it here.

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I have a headache and I know why.

It’s because we’re off skiing tonight and I need to make sure that 4 people have the right number of pants and socks and teeshirts.  That they have a pjs just in case the hotel is evacuated in the middle of the night (I kid you not, it’s the only reason that works with my feral children who refuse to sleep in pjs).  That they have their toothbrushes and fleeces and warm clothes because IT’S GOING TO BE COLD AND NO I’M NOT EXAGGERATING ….

And cables/charges/ipads/books.

And shoes.  YES snow boots are necessary and NO I’M NOT EXAGGERATING IT WILL BE COLD.

Gloves AND woolly hats. Even if you don’t want to wear them, just bring them to make me happy and so that I can tell you I TOLD YOU SO when we get there and you’ll wear them.

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I also possibly have a headache because the day we get back we’re hosting some dear friends from Spain for two nights so sheets need to be clean and ready and food needs to be prepared and in the freezer.

And all the plants watered.

And instructions written for the house sitter.  But the printer is not working (why oh why…) and so I’m kind of stuck.

Aaaarrghhhh my head.

Yes, the check in is done.  The hotel is confirmed AND the parking.

The taxi will be waiting for us at the other end.

I need to find “UNO” and “Monopoly Deals”.

And my headphones.

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My reading is packed.  And my mascara.

I have knitting (I decided to bring socks because I haven’t knit a pair in ages and they are the perfect travelling project).

I have also a little cheeky sashiko piece for the plane.  Just in case.  It’s only a short flight and I’ll probably sleep… but you never know.  Better be prepared.

(I always sleep on planes.  Can’t help it)

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I’ve just remembered I need to empty the drier… and do one more dishwasher run…

 

Will I make it through today?

 

I can do it   I can do it   I can do it   I can do it….