Posts in Sense of Place
Ognissanti

I'm not ready for immersion but the feeling of these damp steps beneath me will become a perennial part of my being. I lift heavy hands to mouth thinking only about breaking suddenly into from veganism to vegetarianism. I taste nothing new. The sensation of being relinquished and forgotten here, deep in the fall, will stay with me for years. 

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The Long Haul

We had a rough start and after the first year it could have dissolved into history. But I chose Italy again and again. Not because she was beautiful or romantic but because she asked a lot of me. It took a long time, many years, before I trusted that she wanted me. It took time to see that her demands were forcing me to build a framework for a new home.

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The Best of Siena is Pretto: Food for a Better World

Inside Pretto, pages of poetic discourse warm the atmosphere of this very unlikely positioned refuge of hospitality. But the power of this ethical and mouthwatering eatery is greater than how well it stands out against its harsh backdrop. Pretto is, in itself, a hub of wellbeing. It was born of a desire to sustain the pure and honest work of local farmers and artisans who, in turn, sustain the integrity of the land out of gratitude for what the land gives. 

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Traveling Inward

There are physical places that extract my inner juice with little effort. Call them sacred places. And then, there are spaces that challenge me to be present. The challenge to be present is the opportunity we are faced with when we pull away from the world and look inward, leaving only our breath as a guide. I learn as write this how perfect it is that for me, that challenging place is the place where I come from…

 

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Nine

At 9-years-old you are loving yet fierce. You are fun and wild! Your thoughts are deep and complex. You imagine without borders, speak courageously, and ask questions that challenge everyone around you. You are accepting of others and of life. Is this possible at nine? Yes, you are amazing.

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