Tuesday 21 October 2014

A storm of comments!

Hi there my lovely readers- as some of you may know that I've been struggling with the mystery of the 'vanishing comments' from my posts recently. A few friends pointed it out and it got me all worked up. So much so that I spent the last couple of days trying to fix the problem. Obviously, this meant that I haven't read anything enjoyable for most of the week!

'STOP this foolishness'- chastised the little voice inside my head.

 I paused.

And read a few lines from my go to book -'The Sage's Tao Te Ching' by William Martin.

Here are  a few lines I wrote when I realised that chasing comments was not the reason I started blogging in the first place. I was supposed be on a journey of self discovery!

EUREKA!

Today I'm in the mood for something simple.
I feel all churned up inside
and I don't know why.
There's nothing wrong with the
routine of life-
same  job
same  traffic jams
same 'what's for dinner' query
same time to set the alarm
same old
same old.

But
Simple
is what I crave-
from you my love
a simple cuddle-
without any agenda of where it might lead to.

a Simple meal
of daal and rice
with a simple
tadka
of cumin and ghee.

a Simple scene-
you and I
sitting side by side-
connecting
without words.

Serenity.
Soulful solitude-
is what I seek
today.

a Sabbatical
from the mundane
just for a short while.

Safe in your arms
my love
a simple hug
is all I crave
without any agenda of where it might lead to.

"Sit still and watch for a moment.
Perfection will be built
from all that is imperfect."
says 'The Sage's Tao Te Ching'

And today I
will
sit still
or perhaps
lie in
Shavasana
and simply
breathe in
and breathe out.

While my
soul
soaks up the warm sun of sense
and I get ready
to
live again
simply.

xxxxx

There...I feel refreshed already!

I don't know how the comment storm will play out. I hope I can keep the connection with you all via facebook or mail if I can't fix it because I love reading your comments. But for now, I'm going back to what I love to do with my time- read, write and share with you all:)

Let's continue this post with a few visuals.

Why? You ask.

Well, as my last post got too long, I took out the 'where we stayed in Siena' bit and today when I was pouring my feelings on the keyboard, I realised that the pictures I had fit perfectly with this post.

Strange are the ways of the Universe, but it all makes sense in the end.

Here are a few pictures of simplicity and serenity from our summer holiday. The place is called San Giovanni in Poggio. It's an agriturismo (or a farmhouse) in Monteroni D'Arbia, Siena.

A tripadvisor comment,  'if you've found this place, look no further as this is paradise.' compelled me to book and I loved every minute of our stay there. I'd like to write more about the place and its people sometime soon. But till then, here are some shots:

The view from the porch...






This is where I used to sit and sip my morning cuppa.

Imagine hearing a faint tinkling of bells as you take your first sip and with each sip the tinkling gets louder. By the time you've had a quarter of your drink, you can see small specks of white on the hill which gradually change into fluffy white clouds on legs by the time the last sip is slurped. Holding the dregs of my drink, I would watch the sheep being guided down the hill and the tinkling would melt into the silence of the hills.

Every morning it was the same- the bliss of solitude.


Art and light...





Rooms- simply decorated. Serene.



This window was in the bedroom closet... can you imagine how much longer it would take to get changed here?





We discovered this pergola while we were exploring the area around the farmhouse. How fabulous would it be to enjoy a meal here?


Here's the link to the property:

http://www.sangiovanniinpoggio.com/it_index.html

p.s. There are some lovely shots of the sheep on the hills on the link above:)


I'll end this post with a couple of lines from William Martin's ' The Sage's....',
"Let each inhalation bring you peace 
and each exhalation dispel your fears."

Enjoy a simply peaceful day everyone :) xx

10 comments:

  1. so beautiful arti!!! i love the rolling hills and your photos really captured the sunlight and magic! btw, did you learn some italian cooking there? =) xo

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Ananda. Although there were many options available to learn Italian cooking, I chose to focus on eating
      instead:) The food there is heavenly. xx

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  2. "Hazaron khwaishen aisi,
    Ke har khwaish pe dum nikale!
    Bahut nikale mere armaan,
    Phir bhi kum nikale!"

    Serene visuals & a simple wish list! Wow Simply loved it! Could relate to many things!!!
    My soul definitely got soaked with a lot of warmth & I hope I too live these kinda simple wish list!
    Cheers!

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    Replies
    1. Hi Vidya, I have goosebumps as I write this reply- how apt are those beautiful lines you quoted! Thank you for making my day:) The passing of time makes me see how connected we all are, no matter where in the world we live. xx

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  3. Arti, these photos (and your words!) are so beautiful... i've only been sitting here a few minutes and already, my heart feels at peace after seeing & reading this. Thank you. So happy you're in this world and that our paths crossed. xx ps: your photos made me want to plan a vacation there! Such natural beauty...

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for stopping by Pauline:) It's always such a pleasure to hear from you. You'll love the natural beauty of Siena and I hope your vacation plans bear fruit. xx

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  4. Loved it! Beautiful words and pictures.

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