"She spends most of her time alone..."

Apart from being absolutely charming, positive, uplifting and fairytale-like, the movie "Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain" has the most amazing soundtrack ever, you must agree. "Comptine d'un autre été: L’après-midi" is my favorite track. Although it's quite melancholic, it is very appealing, like a gentle summer breeze. It translates to "Nursery Rhyme of Another Summer: The Afternoon". Oh, and it sounds delightful in English, as well. Well, here's the video which caught my attention on youtube. It got me at : "She spends most of her time alone...". I was mesmerized by its sadness, enigma and warmth. There's really no need to mention the amount of respect I have for this peace of music, its creator and

artist's virtuosity. Enjoy!

Drawn to the Moon

Ever since I've read Anais Nin's book " A spy in the house of love" many years ago, I've been slightly mesmerized with an idea of moon-baths. I was never a big fan of sun-bathing, although I have a great appreciation for a warm, sunny day at the beach. Nothing beats gazing at the full moon on a clear star-filled night sky, swimming in the sea while the moonlight is being reflected on it. Afterwards, you lay on the still warm sand with moon-rays caressing and illuminating your body. It's such a wonderful experience, different, unusual.
There is something mystical about the full moon, something dark and beautiful.It is linked to crazy behavior and lunatics, to the occult and esoteric, but for me it represents abundance of creative energy, sensuality, emotions, unconscious mind, beautiful dreams, nocturnal life...

Here is my favorite excerpt from the above mentioned book which I often read and enjoy, over and over again... on full moons:

Tonight she remembered the moon-baths, as if this had marked the beginning of her life instead of the parents, school, birthplace. As if they had determined the course of her life rather the inheritance or imitation of the parents. In the moon-baths perhaps, lay the secret motivation of her acts.
At sixteen Sabina took moon-baths, first of all, because everyone else took sun-baths, and second, she admitted, because she had been told it was dangerous. The effect of moon-baths was unknown, but it was intimated that it might be the opposite of the sun's effect.
The first she exposed herself she was frightened. What would the consequence be? There were many taboos against gazing at the moon, many old legends about the evil effects of falling asleep in moonlight. She knew that the insane found the full moon acutely disturbing, that some of them regressed to animal habits of howling at the moon. She knew that in astrology the moon ruled the night life of the unconscious, invisible to consciousness.
But then she had always preferred the night to the day.
Moonlight fell directly over her bed in the summer. She lay naked in it for hours before falling asleep, wondering what its rays would do to her skin, her hair, her eyes, and then deeper to her feelings.
By this ritual it seemed to her that skin acquired a different glow, a night glow, an artificial luminousness which showed the fullest effulgence only at night, in artificial light. People noticed it and asked her what was happening. Some suggested she was using drugs.
It accentuated her love of mystery. She meditated on this planet which kept a half to itself in darkness. She felt related to it because it was the planet of lovers.
.
.
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In watching the moon she acquired the certainty of the expansion of time by depth of emotion, range and infinite multiplicity of experience.
It was this flame which begun to burn in her, in her eyes and skin, like a secret fever, and her mother looked at her in anger and said: 'You look like a consumptive.' The flame of accelerated living by fever glowed in her and drew people to her as the lights of night life drew passers-by out of the darkness of empty streets.

" Whereas the Sun gives us our spirit, it's the Moon which gives us our soul."

(images from pinterest and pricerunner. Excerpt from the book "A spy in the house of love" by Anais Nin, Penguin, quote from Jamie Walker)

Things you can do when you are healthy

I've neglected my little blog, mostly because I've been more concentrated on working on the other one which is in my mother tongue. Anyway, I've been down with the terrible stomach flu these last 6 days and I must admit that it has been awful, but it made me think. I can't remember the last time I was this sick. It really puts some things in different perspective. I miss my everyday life and all these things that I usually complain about. I mean, I miss it all! Everything seems so wonderfully luxurious and fun now that I am weak, in pain, feeling dizzy and nauseous: cleaning the house, changing diapers, throwing out the garbage. I really, really wish I am well enough to even do all of these things! I haven't been eating nor drinking for days. Yes, it sound a bit silly, but somehow I've become more aware of how wonderful my daily routine really is. I miss:

~ cooking and baking.~

~ going out to shop for fresh bread, milk and fruit.~

~ going to the beach, swimming and taking pictures of the sunset.~

~ eating watermelon.~

~ fixing my hair and putting on my perfume.~

~ having my morning coffee.~

~ kissing my hubby.~

~ drinking a glass of cold water.~

~ reading blogs and being at awe of how wonderfully creative some people are.~

~ having friends over for dinner.~

~ taking the kids out for strawberry sorbet.~

I really hope I will feel better tomorrow. All those simple things I took for granted are waiting for me. I even promised myself that I will try not to complain as much as I do and that I will show a bit more patience towards my children. My little stomach flu made me think about all those people who struggle with serious illnesses and diseases- things far more difficult and painful than what I am going through right now. I am blessed and truly thankful.

(photo from pinterest)