It's July 1st, Canada Day, Ramona and I are back home in Cobble Hill, the fire is crackling…yes, that's right, we lit the woodstove tonight because it is so damn chilly and damp on the BC West Coast. The last days of our holiday are rapidly coming to a close. Getting back to Reality sucks. The HST went into effect today. There might be an 'eco-depot' built around the corner from our house, meaning more noise and traffic. My car overheated on the highway with at least two coolant hoses spewing radiator fluid. There were more bills than cheques in the mail. But we learned something on our holiday in Italy. If we make sure we have just a few things in our life every day, our lives will be so much richer that 'reality' won't seem so bad.
So here, in no particular order, are Ten Things To Have In Your Life Every Day:
1. Good food. We're not talking caviar and foie gras. Just wholesome, non-processed food from a reliable source, prepared with care and love. Tonight we had a Cowichan Bay Farm chicken smoke-roasted along with a salad of fresh greens from our garden.
2. Wine. There are lots of studies out there about how wine, especially red wine, is good for you. In moderation, of course. Support your local winery if it makes a good product, but remember, it's what you like, not what someone tells you you should like.
3. Coffee. Coffee is a way of life in many countries. It's too bad we take the worst the world of coffee has to offer and shove it into paper or foam cups and pretend it tastes good. Take up your coffee a notch and drink locally roasted, fair trade stuff whenever you can. Take the time to drink it at home, or at a good coffee bar that's not trying to rush you out. Use real coffee cups, not cardboard. Keep it out of your car.
4. Art. This can be any number of things, including your kid's best efforts you stick on the fridge. A favourite photo, your carefully chosen calendar, furniture or public art. Just make sure you choose something to appreciate every day.
5. Fashion. Think about what you wear. Put on a splash of cologne or a dab of perfume. Nice underwear helps, even if no one but you sees it. You don't have to buy designer, but buy quality.
6. Books. I firmly believe if more people in this world read more books, it would be a better place. More knowledge = more understanding.
7. Dolci. Italian for sweets. Not a huge honking dessert or giant sized gelato, just a tiny taste of something nice. A single high quality chocolate, a one inch square of your favourite cake. That's all you need.
8. Friends and family. A phone call, an email, a 'like' on Facebook. No one should be alone.
9. Music. Music does make the world go 'round. It's such a fantastic mode of human expression. Listen to a favourite song, hum a tune (don't let it become an earworm). Sometimes I just pull out a harmonica and wail on it to make it sound something like music, since I don't actually play an instrument.
10. Love. Love for someone or something just makes you feel good. Tell someone you love them. Every day. We saw such amazing displays of love for children in Italy. Big kisses and hugs all round, making a child feel loved is so important. I love the fact that my niece and nephew, even though they are all 'grown up' now, still hug me whenever I see them.
Honorable mentions: Afternoon Naps. It was good for us when we were kids, why not as adults? Especially in the middle of really hot summer afternoons….if they ever get here. Walks. After dinner, around your neighbourhood. In Italy they call it the passegiata, when everyone is out walking and saying hello and chatting.
Okay, that's our advice for life….hope you enjoy it and try to live it, at least a little bit. I know we are looking forward to trying…
Love this post Don – very wise words. It’s all about living a ‘slow life.’ Mille grazie.
Wow Don I felt like I really got to know you in this post. Thank you for reminding me about the essentials.