Il Bel Far Niente

Il Bel Far Niente

In Italian: The Beauty of Doing Nothing

In My Life: Nearly Impossible

In Eat Pray Love, Elizabeth Gilbert talks about the Italian culture's ability to be able to truly enjoy the art of doing nothing. But in our culture...not so much. Email, Texting, Facebook, Twitter, Television. Oh wait, gotta do the laundry, dishes need to be done. We are so full of distractions that we aren't able to just turn off and do nothing.

I have to say, I am probably first in line when it comes to these distractions taking over every ounce of what is left of my time after work and school.

And school...oh man school. With my last fall semester about to start on Monday, I feel myself teetering between excitement and full blown panic attacks. I love school, and I love learning, but the fear of being able to keep up with school as well as everything else in my life is all consuming. I feel like I am about to take a huge breath, jump into a lake, and hold my breath under water for the next 10 months.

And that is scary. Really scary. I'm not a fan of being underwater in the first place...so comparing it to that feeling...well you get the point.

Anyway, I am proposing to make a promise to myself that I WILL come up for air sometimes. Not that I will try, not that I will do my best, but that I WILL give myself some breaks this year. Considering that my weekends seem to somehow already be pretty much booked through November, this will prove somewhat difficult. But, I need to do it. I need to carve out a couple of hours each week to practice Il Bel Far Niente.

Wish me luck?

Countdowns and Books

Countdowns:

12 days until I start my last year of college

30 days until we leave for the Monterey Jazz Festival!

129 days until Christmas :) - yes, I'm counting
AND


63 days until I have the following books read:

• Harry Potter 4 re-reading and almost done
• Harry Potter 5 to re-read
• Harry Potter 6 to re-read
• Harry Potter 7 to re-read
• Eat Pray Love - already started

All of that on top of the at least 10 books I am going to be reading for my english senior seminar and british literature classes this semester...

Think I'm crazy I can do it?

It's a lofty goal, but I wanted to re-read all of the Harry Potter books before the 7th movie - 1st half - comes out November 19th, and I also wanted to see if Eat Pray Love lives up to all of the hype. :)


PLUS, I wanted to make sure that I am reading books for myself this school year. Because at the end of last year I realized right before the wedding that the only book I had read for myself in the previous 10 months was Dan Brown's "The Lost Symbol" - in October. Sad. Truly SAD.

To keep this goal, I must avoid all Barnes and Nobles, Bookstores, and the bookstore aisle in Costco. These tend to sidetrack me from what I am currently reading, and this is how I ended up with the un-read "bookshelf" which now spans SEVERAL shelves of our bookcases. See, I find a great book, and I really do intend to read it....but then inevitably I get busy and there the book goes to wait on the shelf.

So sorry Books. I will get to you someday... And I promise to TRY not to bring you home friends anytime soon...

Farmer's Market and Yoga

While most days I am simply focusing a lot of my energy into looking forward to the big changes coming for Chris and I, as well as for my family in these upcoming 10 months...this blog is supposed to focus on the NOW.

So here's what I'm loving right now:


Sunday Farmers Market – 8th and W - the biggest and best one in Sacramento.  We never used to be able to go because Chris has been having to work so much...but now we've been going first thing in the morning when it opens and then I've been able to drive him to work. There's nothing like a sunday morning, grabbing some coffee and  spending $20 on a couple bags of super fresh, super yummy produce for the week's meals.

Vegetarian Times Magazine – Along the same vein, that produce has been put to good use with wonderfully good vegetarian recipes from this magazine. I'm going to have to give in and just subscribe. Even Chris, being the die-hard meat eater that he is, has liked everything I've made out of here.

Starting Fusion Yoga $25 - 2 week Trial This Week - Fusion yoga is a new studio over on Fair Oaks Blvd that I've been talking about going to for a long time. Like BEFORE my wedding – long time. And I am finally going to do it! I figure 2 weeks of yoga to relax before my stressful last year of college starts has to be a good idea right?

School Supply Shopping! - Yes, I am that much of a nerd. But 15 cent notebooks at Target?! As well as packs of pencils and pens for only $1! It's a perpetual organizer and writer's dream. Fall always tends to be a time for reorganizing, and what better way to organize my school, piano student and internship stuff than with super cheap school supplies! :) Insert your laughing at me here. If you know me well, then you know my excitement is warranted.


NOT Loving – My first ever Root Canal today... :-( Wish me Luck!