A Cottage by the Sea
  • Home
  • On My Mind
  • Quotes
  • New Beginnings
  • Secrets of an Old Woman
  • A Solitary Traveler
  • Compassionate Reading
  • About me
  • About me and my blog
  • Comfort food
  • Books
  • Suggested reading
  • Poems

Early morning walk in Florence

9/28/2022

1 Comment

 
PictureFrom my apartment window.
Last day in Florence, worthy of an early morning walk. 6:32 AM to 7:15.

1 Comment

Suppers at the Uffizi

9/27/2022

2 Comments

 
Picture
 I tell people that I go to Florence to walk around with God. That is what I do, but not all the time. Sometimes, in fact very often, I think about food and what and where I will eat. Even that can be prayerful. It’s all about intention, which brings me to the three meals in which Jesus participated: The wedding at Cana, the Last Supper, and the Supper at Emmaus. I love when I come across paintings of these meals with Jesus. Once I started looking for such scenes, the began started appearing. Today two appeared at the Uffizi. Little gems. Enjoy!

Luca Signorelli’s Last Supper (circa 1510) is part of a panel that depict the supper and what followed.
Picture
Then there is the Supper at Emmaus (circa 1560-65) by a less  well-know artist, Simone Peterzano.
2 Comments

Living into answers

9/25/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
I’m at my favorite writing cafe—the one with the art work  of Santo Spirito on the wall. I’ve showed it before! There are about seven sitting areas in this little room where families,  friends and single people come and go. Today an old man came with his dog. As he sat down, the plate with his croissant slipped from his hand, fell to the floor and broke. Not missing a beat, he pick it all up, enjoyed the croissant, his gave his dog a loving pat, cleared the table, as is the custom here, and took the broken plate to the bar. 
    I am in awe of his ease and enjoyment of the moment:
 And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?
    I’m reminded of what Ranier Marie Rilkie tells us:​

Have patience with everything  
unresolved in your heart
and try to love the questions  themselves. 
The point is, to live everything.
Live the questions now.


    I don’t know my question, but this man has helped me live into the answer. One of the reasons I travel solo is for these opportunities to live the questions.


0 Comments

Another pilgrimage to the Convent of San Marco

9/22/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
This morning I made my usual pilgrimage to the Convent of San Marco where the most beautiful Fra Angelico paintings (newly restored) are displayed, and where one can walk along the corridors of the monk’s cells. The time in history is fifteen century Renaissance Florence.

If you have been following my blog for a few years you’ve seen these pictures of Fra Angelico’s frescoes before—perhaps many times. I can’t resist making this one of my first stops upon arriving in the city, and I can’t help but take the same pictures each time, even though I have the same scenes archived from times before.
It is silent here, but life is present; a man is sitting with his aging mom; pigeons are scouring the ground; an attendance is picking up paper and keeping the place tidy.
Ah, but now I hear a siren; a boy and his mom are examining the book boxes place along path; they have sat on a nearby bench to read a story.
0 Comments

It's back to normal in Florence

9/21/2022

1 Comment

 
Picture
Since I was here in March, much is back to normal in Florence: no masking up; no showing vaccine cards; easier entry to churches and museums; tourists and natives are walking the city with joy and ease. 
    And there are some changes, too. Prices on food and drink have gone up—a cappuccino by 10 cents a cup. Of course the euro has moved in my favorite. One euro now equals one dollar, not $1.20. I figure it all equals out; I’m happy to help the economy. 
    But one thing hasn’t changed: I’m grateful to be here, to walk around with joy.

1 Comment

Sono arrivato!

9/20/2022

0 Comments

 
0 Comments

Florence, here I come!

9/16/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
Here I am, three days before my flight to Rome. I have an overnight flight, which means that in four days I’ll be on an hour and a half train ride through Tuscany to Florence. When I step out of the Santa Maria Novella train station and walk by the Church of Santa Maria Novella, I’ll have a ten minute walk to my apartment overlooking the Church of Santa Maria dei Fiori, which we locals call Il Duomo. 
    I’ve taken so many pictures of all these sights. Do I need to bring my camera? Except for a change of season, or a photos of years ago, no one will be able to tell when I snapped what I post. But I will take my camera (it’s also my phone) and I will snap and post. 
    We all know that an important part of a trip is the anticipation. So anticipate with me as I share previous pictures. ​

0 Comments

Memories of St. Giles

9/12/2022

1 Comment

 
PictureWith my niece Kristin in front of St. Giles in June 2015.
I watched the service for the Queen at St. Giles Cathedral today. The scene was familiar, well somewhat, because I’ve walked the Royal Mile many times, and have attended at least three Sunday services at St. Giles. I can picture where the Royal Family sat, where the choir was located, and the placement of the casket. That circle you may have noticed in the center was where I stood to receive communion, maybe in June 2015. 
    I hope those who watched, regardless of their faith, heard the message expressing the way the Queen did her best to reign—be honest, loving, and fair to all people.

1 Comment

Universal love

9/7/2022

2 Comments

 
Picture
​Since my last post, less than a week ago, life has continued to happen. My older sister became a year older; my niece celebrated a wedding anniversary; teeming rain eliminated any possibility of a walk; my husband and I voted in the Massachusetts democratic primary; and I’ve finally found a good novel to read. 
   Clearly no third-world problems to be solve here! However, a ONE-WORLD problem going on. I woke up in the middle of the night upset about all the lying whirling about in the world, lying that is undemocratic, unreligious and inhuman. ALL religions have the message of love at their core. Why can’t we get together on that?

2 Comments

Seasonal book ends

9/1/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
What is so rare as a day in June? I know, I know, it’s September, but those two months are always bookends to my summer books.
    This book end to summer brings memories of school days. As a child I stood at the end of the driveway with my older sister, waiting for the school bus. Each of us in a new dress—no pants back then! Fast forward to my days teaching kindergarten. The kindergarten bus took about as much planning and energy as did all that went on in the classroom and on the playground. 
    My book ends are still holding up my summer books, with, I note, more non-fiction this year. From my window I can watch the school bus stop and then drive on; but my thoughts don’t travel to school. I  relax and get on with the day, the month, autumn. Today: visit my 102 year old friend, Ruth. This month: off to Florence. Autumn: church activities, family visits, and maybe I’ll get back to reading fiction.

0 Comments
    Contact me: [email protected]

    Categories

    All
    3rs
    3Ss
    3S's
    Aging
    Andre Dubus Iii
    Ann Patchett
    Anticipation
    Art
    Assisi
    Barbara Kingsolver
    Being Alone
    Beyond Words
    Boo
    Books
    Cantice Of The Sun
    Celebrations
    Choices
    Christmas
    Churches
    Community
    Cor
    Cottage By The Sea
    Cottage Day
    Courage
    Curiosity
    Dad
    Dalai Lama
    Death And Dying
    Depression
    Desiderata
    Dietrich Bonhoeffer
    Donald Hall
    Dostoyevsky
    Dr Alex Tang
    Edinburgh
    Eleanor Lerman
    Elizabeth Strout
    Emily Dickinson
    Environment
    Esther De Waal
    Faith
    Field Trip
    Florence
    Fo
    Follow Your Bliss
    Food
    Friendship
    Frugal
    Gifts
    Giving And Receiving
    Gratitude
    Health
    Heart
    Hermits
    Hope
    Humility
    Impermanence
    Independent And Close
    Inspire & Affirm & Encourage
    Introvert
    Iona
    Ireland
    Italy
    James Hollis
    Jane Austen
    Jan Sutch Pickard
    Joan Chittister
    John Dear
    John Masefield
    Joseph Campbell
    Judgments
    Katherine Paterson
    Knitting
    Li
    Lonely
    Longing
    Love
    Luke Russert
    Marsha Sinetar
    Mary Oliver
    Max Ehrmann
    Meaning
    Memories
    Mom
    Moving
    Museums
    My Day
    Nature
    Nina Sankovitch
    Now
    Oliver Herford
    Pamela Dalton
    Pandemic
    Paris
    Passion
    Paulo Coelho
    Peace
    Philip Koch
    Place
    Play
    Prayer
    Present Moment
    Quiet
    Rachel Carlson
    Radical Compassion
    Read
    Reading
    Resolutions
    Restlessness
    Retirement
    Retreat
    Richard Rohr
    Rilkie
    Rita Golden Gelman
    Robert Kull
    Rome
    Routines
    Rumi
    Sankovitch
    Scotland
    Seen In A Draper's Shop
    Service
    Silence
    Sim
    Simplicity
    Skye
    Sol
    Soli
    Solitude
    Soul Work
    Space
    St Catherine Of Siena
    St. Francis
    Stress
    Susan Gain
    Tenzin Palmo
    Thanksgiving
    The Uncommon Reader
    Thomas Keating
    Thomas Merton
    Three Sieves
    Time
    Travel
    Tru
    Viktor E. Frankl
    Walking
    Wonder
    Writi
    Writing

    Archives

    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010

Proudly powered by Weebly