July 22, 2009
Wednesday am in Spoleto, Italy: A Typical Umbrian Serenades morning.
The fresh air this morning was positively heavenly. Clean and sunny and calm. I’m just taking a moment to celebrate this wonderful gift. Is there anything more holy than breathing?
It’s just closing in on 10 am, Spoleto time, which I think I will now just call ST or Saint Time. We’ve been up a few hours going through what has become the morning routine. It goes something like this.
Conie’s blackberry alarm goes off. Julie jumps out of her skin then plops back down. Conie just rolls and turns it off. More sleeping. WE repeat this 5 minutes later and this time I get up. Sometime between 7 and 8 am ST we make our way down to the hotel restaurant for breakfast. Umbrian Serenades always monopolizes one of the large tables. Sleepily the members of the group wander in, grab a cup of coffee and find their spot. Breakfast is consistently the same…cheese, bologna, croissant, sweet breads, cantaloupe, yogurt, and granola. Not long after we get there the swarm of “gymgnats” arrive. They move as one to the buffet and sit as one at the tables. IT is important not to try and get food when they are there. Fortunately for us, they do not stay long, ever. These are a group of 30 or so national gymnasts competing for spots on the Olympic team.
Also on the menu at breakfast is laughter and talking about the feast of food and friends we have had the night before. This particular morning Alison coined the term “gymgnats” and I think it will stick. Up til now, we’ve just been calling them the swarm. They bring to mind images of the Borg, if you are a Star Trek fan. After breakfast the choir wanders away to practice for the 3 hours until lunch break. The companions or non-choir members of the group often gather on the “sun porch” for more coffee and catching up on their computing. There are 5 of us. Sometimes we are called the “non-singers” which is a mis-nomre since we can all sing. We just didn’t try out for the choir. The lesson is a good one as it brings up memories when I have labeled people non-something…always a bad idea for including people is to name them non-something.
Anyway, this is how I wish mornings always could be. Laughter, celebrations, and pondering the day with friends as crazy as I am. These are the ingredients for peaceful life. Hmmm. Maybe the world just needs to take better care of breakfast. Mabye then, this would be a more peaceful planet.
Wishing you all joy and peace this fine July day and everyday.
Love you and like you world,
jules
No comments:
Post a Comment