in praise of sardines

OBERT

"Obert" means open in Catalan.

"Open" is an important word to me on so many levels right now. For now, let's stick to the most pertinent one in this context, that of my blog. "Open" means I'm going to once again start sharing my thoughts, experiences, words, photos, and perhaps the occasional recipe.

Soon.

I still have one very important thing to take care of that will keep me occupied for the rest of this week. Let's call this a pre-opening.

Sorry to be a tease. I felt the need to post something to let you know I'm still alive and well. Hope you enjoyed the quotes over the past week. They highlight aspects of the road I've been traveling this past summer... remind me next summer to go back to Spain instead!

The main reason I felt the need to write is this: I want to offer y'all my heartfelt gratitude for the support you have shown me over the past 3 months. IPOS readers rock! I have felt your love. And I've missed you.

So here's to the future! Which reminds me, some of my friends have come up with a motto for next year that I'm particularly fond of: CLEAN SLATE IN '08!

What does that spell?

Love After Love

The time will come
when, with elation
you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door, in your own mirror
and each will smile at the other's welcome,

and say, sit here, Eat.
You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine, Give bread. Give back you heart
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you

all your life, whom you ignored
for another, who knows you by heart.
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,

the photographs, the desperate notes,
peel your own image from the mirror.
Sit. Feast on your life.

— Derek Walcott

...T

"Forget safety.

Live where you fear to live.

Destroy your reputation.

Be notorious.

I have tried prudent planning long enough.

From now on, I'll be mad."

— Rumi

...R...

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage."

— Anaïs Nin

...E...

"Genuine fearlessness arises with the confidence that we will be able to gather the inner resources necessary to deal with any situation that comes our way."

— Matthieu Ricard

...B...

"Life is a good teacher and a good friend. Things are always in transition, if we could only realize it. Nothing ever sums itself up in the way that we like to dream about. The off-center, in-between state is an ideal situation, a situation in which we don't get caught, and in which we can open our hearts and minds beyond limit."

— Pema Chödrön (quote from When Things Fall Apart)

O...

"It may be that when we no longer know what to do
we have come to our real work,

and that when we no longer know which way to go
we have begun our real journey.

The mind that is not baffled is not employed.

The impeded stream is the one that sings."

— Wendell Berry