I'm having a break. I've been filling in papers with figures, percentages, final marks all afternoon. Figures, figures, figures...This school-year is finishing and my mental energies too. I need some fresh air. I'm at the back of my flat, in the big -better to say long - balcony, I'm sitting on a bench with my laptop on my knees and a very looong coffee next to me (not really Italian, I know). Above you can see the view I've got in front of me. Few days ago I showed the view from the small balcony at the front of the house to you. Do you remember? This is my native town and the town I still live and work in: Subiaco, 72 km from Rome. Not a big one, only about 9,000 inhabitants, but not so bad for someone who loves peace and tranquillity like me.
As I was telling you, school is finishing: this morning I had my last lessons with this year classes. Three of them, 57 of my students, will be at university next year. From June 25th they will start doing their school - leaving exams and I will be there with them as an internal teacher. It'll be hard for all of us since we will be at school till mid-July. Do you know what? I'm quite sad thinking of what I've been doing this afternoon: all my work and my students' efforts had to be summed up in numbers ... figures...I've always hated numbers, I've always thought words were better. Not only because I'm not a genius at Maths, but because I'm sure they are not ...enough, they are not fit to convey the sense, the meaning, the aim of all our efforts, mine and theirs. Well...it's just a sensation...maybe I'm only sad or melancholic as always when at the end of something.
I need some music. A cheerful song possibly. Let's see ... this will help me. 3 minutes , then soon back to my boring number-writing task! WONDERFUL!!! (It's the title of the song)
Growing up with my lovely, wise grandmother I learnt to appreciate small little things and do you know what? It helps a lot to face life. For example, usually people plan great things for their weekends and long for the end of the working week. I usually hate Saturdays because mine are very often frantic: the housework & the ironing I have very little time to do during the week are there waiting for me! But today I managed to spare some time for me and that's a big conquest. It was only 5.45 p.m., my sons were going out for a pizza with friends, and I had, unexpectedly, some free time! Too early to cook dinner for two, my husband and I. So I sat on my small balcony in the fresh air and just watched the view surrounding me and listened to some music.
This is the view...
And this is the music ...
These two little things already made me happy and relaxed. So I decided to read a little. And I did it for about an hour. I'm reading a novel by Charlotte Bronte , SHIRLEY. I like it but I'm not keeping the pace I would like to 'cause I've been very busy these days. School is going to end, lots of final reposts to write and final tests to mark. But not today.
Then I cooked a quick simple supper for two, we ate salad and meat, cherries, and drank some good wine and now... he is finishing watching a movie (don't know which one) in the living room and I ... again... I'm trying to enjoy the little pleasures life can give... blogging is one of them, why not?
I've found two new blogs I like and in one of them THE BOOK GOBBLER there was a nice tag:
Try to recall in 15 minutes 15 books which will always stick with you. Do it in no more than 15 minutes. Nice isn't it?
I'm glad I was tagged by you, lunarossa. I didn't know about tagging, either, so your "invitation" came to me rather unexpectedly these days. But it was a nice surprise and I think it is a pleasant way to know people in the Net. I'm terribly busy at the moment so I did everything in the bits of spare time I've had today.
As a "young" blogger I don't have many friends online so I hope the few I'm going to tag will respond.
Here are my answers and the new questions.
What are your current obsessions? Do I have to be truthful? Please, may I tell you a white lie? Don’t know, something like … My current obsession is losing weight (I should do it, at least 4 kilos!), to get an appointment with a plastic surgeon (not interested at all!) or avoiding mirrors (I’ve always been distracted by the many things to do,I always forget to look at myself in the mirror even while putting on make-up!) ??? No? You want the truth? I’ll confess, then. RICHARD ARMITAGE. A lovely, charming, good – looking obsession! Since I saw him last summer in 2004 BBC “NORTH AND SOUTH”(one of my DVDs) , I have looked for, got and seen anything he has done so far ( Sparkhouse, Robin Hood, The Golden Hour, The Impressionists, Between the sheets, The Vicar of Dibley Christmas Special, any interview or clip I found on line, etc.,) . This handsome northern British actor has unexpectedly turned me into a … fan. I’ve never been a fan of anyone, neither when I was a teenager! I’ve heard there is an “Armitage Army” on line, but I’ve resisted the temptation to enlist … due to my convinced pacifist faith. Will I have the strength to go on resisting? Well, but, of course, what I appreciate most in him are his undoubted acting skills!
What’s for dinner tonight? Fish & chips, for my boys (husband and sons); salad and salmon for me. It doesn’t sound typically Italian, does it? But they love fish and chips and we usually eat fish on Friday evenings. Then, I always say “I’ve ‘landed’ in Italy by mistake”
What’s the last thing you bought? Small additions to my collections , just arrived today from Amazon by mail : 1. Audio-book The Witchfinders from Robin Hood read by …. Richard Armitage 2. Book Jane Austen, Sanditon 3. Book R. L. Stevenson , The Suicide Club
What are you currently listening to? Coldplay, The Script; my favourite song at the moment is Malika Ayane, “Come foglie”(“Like leaves”)
What are your favourite holiday spots? For a relaxing, defatiguing holiday I prefer Sardinia, Puglia, Calabria … any beautiful seaside resort in Italy. Then I love London, of course, but not to relax!
What are you reading now?
Lots of tests, essays, reports by my students. But also the last pages of Deirdre Le Faye, THE WORLD OF JANE AUSTEN. Hope to finish it soon. It’s quite a bit it ihas been in my bag or on my bedside table!
Use 4 words to describe yourself I hate describing myself. (They are 4, aren’t they)
What is your guilty pleasure? When I’m exhausted, to leave my husband do the washing –up after dinner and go to bed very early. Turn the lights off, put on one of my favourite DVDs and relax. (What a selfish woman!)
What is your favourite film? I love costume drama, have a look at my blog and you’ll see it is true! My favourite one is NORTH AND SOUTH (BBC 2004) based on Elizabeth Gaskell novel and not only because my favourite actor stars in it. It IS one of the best adaptations of a classic I’ve ever seen. Have you seen it? Give it a try! (IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, HAVE A LOOK AT MY POST ABOUT IT. HERE)
What part of your body do you hate? (this is the question I replaced, well, I changed it a bit) My hands, I’ve always hated them and tried to hide them ( but where!?!). Perhaps this is why I always notice other people’s hands, especially if they are beautiful.
What is your dream in the drawer? (This is my new question) I don’t know if you say it in English. I just literally translated from Italian. Anyhow, my dream is to run a small beautiful old-fashioned bookshop but I am sure I couldn’t live on it. Have you seen the film “You’ve got mail” with Tom Hanks and … Meg Ryan.Was it she?
What do you fear the most? To go crazy, to lose the control of my mind and my body (degenerative deseases).
What’s on your bedside table? Some of my favourite books, some DVDs, a notebook with quotations I like to write down, pens and pencils.
What’s the best thing you ate or drank recently? A good red wine and a tasty Italian dinner I had the last time my husband and I had dinner out, just last April. At the restaurant, the two of us, sons on a school trip , both at the same time though in different places… Perhaps it wasn’t the wine or the dinner I liked so much…
What would you like to be when you grow up? A kind old lady with very few regrets, lots of good memories and … still interested in life.
NOW THE MOST DIFFICULT PART OF THIS PLEASANT ACTIVITY...
The "rules" are as follows. Respond and rework. Answer questions on your own blog. Replace one question. Add one question. Tag 8 people.
I'm tagging :
1. ELVIRA at FLORES Y PALABRAS (you can do it in spanish in your blog)
2. MARIANNA alias HANDBAGLADY (in Italian of course!)
Dear Ladies, apologies if you've been tagged before and if you don't feel like doing it or you don't have the time, dont' worry I won't be offended ( Sorry Antonella : I copied it from your post!)
