Our plan for the morning was to visit the small town of Monreale which sits perched on a cliff top above the city of Palermo. Getting to Monreale is quite easy as AMAT Bus 389 departs from Piazza Independenza taking just 20 minutes to the hilltop town.

The hilltop town of Monreale, Sicily

When travelling on Italian buses it’s necessary to purchase tickets in advance as it is not permitted to buy these from the driver. All Palermo bus tickets cost €1.40 each and can be purchased from tobacconists or newsagents. We were also planning to travel somewhere by bus the following day so we bought 8 bus tickets to save time later as these are undated and just need validating as you board the bus. Bus services are infrequent on this line, being approximately every 75 minutes so plan ahead to avoid wasted time waiting at each end.

The…

“There are two ways of spreading light. To be the candle, or the mirror that reflects it.”– Edith Wharton, novelist, playwright, first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Literature .

I always thought of my friend Miriam of Out an’ About as an inspiring ray of light. She takes you on adventures highlighting stunning Australian landcapes while sharing a piece of her caring soul. Her journeys of gratitude, love, and family, leave you cherishing every moment. I’ll never forget how just a few years ago, during sad moments of family loss, her warmth, wisdom, and love still shined through all the darkness. She inspires people to be the best they can be. Visit Out an’ About. Bask in the glow of one of the Inspiring Women of WordPress.

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We now return to our regularly scheduled programming…..love.

the promise of your dawn

we made love on a beach

The only legend I could think of was that of a unicorn. Also there is the saying, that if you can be a unicorn, be a unicorn.

Happy Monday!

Just a quick vase from me today, and a straight copy of a posy I gave to a friend a few days ago: a spent hydrangea head and 3 sprigs of Persicaria ‘Red Dragon’, the green, red and pink markings of the persicaria picking out the different shades of the hydrangea. Made on my weekly ‘Grannie Day’, the grandchildren were having their afternoon nap in the room where most of my vases are stored, so my choice was limited. This heavy turquoise glass vase is a fairly new acquisition from the charity shop at our local waste disposal site but I am sure it will be used often – I love both its weight and shape.

If you have a few minutes to pick some blooms or other plant material from your garden and plonk them in a vase or jam jar, then please share the result with us by…

By letting our children lead us to their own special places we can rediscover the joy and wonder of nature.

Richard Louv

#Nonet: Healing Magic
Take the first step into the unknown
A space beyond comprehension
Absorbed in wonder and joy
Celestial beings freely
Drifting in the wind
Mystify souls
Near heaven
Inspire
Awe

Enya’s celtic music makes me feel wonderful, at peace, and incredibly happy. Her music seems to fit the theme of my poem today! All of her music feels unworldly and heavenly. She is my angel here on Earth whose healing music helps me study, go to bed, calm down, breathe. 🙂 I’ll probably mention her some more in the future challenges because she has impacted my life in a big way.

In response to:

• Helene Vaillant: What do you see?
• Colleen Chesebro: Tanka Tuesday
• FOWC with Fandango: Free

“A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.”

Marcus Garvey

A solitary beauty grows
in lovely fields where the wind blows
Everrerd tree provides some shade
for the wild children who played

Enveloped by the scarlet rows…

Brown branches sometimes house the crows
Love given during fated throes
from the precious red leaves that swayed

Sacred deep roots…

Donning the color of a rose
Nature’s kind nurse naturally knows
Fostering healing in swift aid
when our weak well being is frayed
and bring us back up from our lows

Sacred deep roots…

Navegando por mis ensueños
llego a este río azulado
de aguas cristalinas
y pececillos plateados.
Brotan aquí recuerdos
de besos enamorados,
amapolas por mejillas,
con la estela de amores adolescentes
en tu fondo olvidados.

Caudal manso en ocasiones eres,
otras…
con tus afluentes bravos la tierra hieres.
Y saltando las vertientes
refrescas con tu espuma fresca
en las gargantas crecientes,
grabando formas en las piedras, trabajando siluetas como brillantes pendientes.

Sigue tu curso sin brújula
y, cuando el sol se vea púrpura
traza curvas en los mapas,
no sin antes escalar por las montañas hasta sus cúpulas.

Dibuja bellos paisajes
regando flores y arbustos
y, si te topas con naranjos y perales, moja sus frutos para que se hagan dulces y robustos.

Rozando el musgo que te abraza,
perfumas con aromas de tierra húmeda en tus pasos.
Las zarzas con sus espinas lames
sedientas en tus orillas al raso, acariciando…