Silent Gifts

Hello God!

Thank You for my liver. My happy liver smiles in return because of my attention. Could you touch your upper right quadrant of the abdomen, below the diaphragm? Your liver lives there. It is important for your life to have smiling liver.

As you know the liver has a wide range of functions, including detoxification of various metabolites, protein synthesis, and the production of biochemicals necessary for digestion. “There is currently no way to compensate for the absence of liver function” doctors say. But how often do you think about your liver when you eat, think, work? You probably have not paid much attention to it. I am happy, your liver is happy to change the thing. Whether you notice it or not, whether you thank it or not, your liver offers you support and life itself. The liver is a silent gift. Your whole body is a silent gift.

liver cells

I am happy to open for you “Science Is Beautiful”, a new book by Colin Salter. It is a compilation of images that show what the human body looks like under a microscope. With an artistic eye, the book showcases cells, microbes, and more.

Your green and happy liver you see now. This close-up shot of two liver cells shows all the organelles within the cells. The green things are the mitochondria, which produce energy for the cell.

serotonin crystals

Serotonin crystal looks like on a wings of butterfly.

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter found mainly in the digestive system. It does a lot for the body: It regulates mood, sleep, and appetite, helps with clotting, and aids the learning process.

melatonin crystals

Melatonin crystal is as a stars twinkling in the night sky.

Melatonin is a hormone made in the brain that helps you fall asleep. It’s often taken in pill form as well to give the body an extra push toward rest.

Maslow tells us “getting used to our blessings” is one of the most powerful “nonevil” evils. We are all blessed by our perfect bodies. It is time to consciously accept our silent gifts. Every time when I touch a gluten cake with sugar I think about smile of my liver. Thank you for being with me.

 

Vera Stracciatella!

Hello God!

Thank You for my cone of stracciatella I am licking now! As for me and it has deep roots from my childhood true Spring begins from a cone of ice-cream without a threat of laryngitis.

Vanilla ice cream with small, delicious shreds of dark chocolate – mmmm, it is mouthwatering. With this epitome of perfect taste I am happy to invite you in Bergamo, Northern Italy, where the door to the single place where you can try original taste of Stracciatella Gelato opens!

Stracciatella

Gelato is the Italian word for ice cream, derived from the Latin word “gelātus” (meaning frozen). What differentiates gelato from ice cream is its dense, yet super creamy texture. This is mainly the result of two things: gelato is churned so that very little air is incorporated, so it’s less fluffy than ice cream; two, gelato at the gelaterias is stored at a higher temperature than most ice cream, so even though its dense it doesn’t freeze solid – like many ice creams left too long in the freezer.

La Marianna

The story of Stracciatella Gelato begins here on Largo Colle aperto 2/4, Bergamo, in cafe “La Marianna”. Please, come in and seat at the table you like.

“La Marianna” is a strong family-run business, and in Italy it means that father has unlimited power to involve his children to help than to live by the business. Enrico Panattoni, the youngest son, was responsible for stirring eggs in the soup-like dish called “Stracciatella”. “Stracciare” means “to shred” or “to tear up” in Italian and, indeed, that is how the soup looks after stirring some beaten eggs with some cheese in a good chicken broth.

Gelateria

The soup was the main dish in the menu of “La Marianna” in 60’s. The cafe was mecca for “Stracciatella” soup. But Enrico Panattoni was sad – every customer wanted to eat only the soup.

“It seems I have to stir eggs for the end of my life” he thinks even not asking a new client what he or she would like to order. Enrico was sure all clients want to eat this damn soup!

Ice Cream House

It happened in April in 1961. A girl had changed everything! This girl in a silk vanilla color blouse and dark chocolate-brown skirt in soft cream suede ballerina shoes opened “La Marianna”s door and Miracle had smiled to Enrico! He floated in her eyes and he knew she would not order the soup. She would order something different. “I would like, mmm, I want, I will, ge-la-to. Yeas, I would like a cone of gelato” the girl made her choice.

“Tuk, tuk, tuk – I hear every beat of my heart” Enrico happily noticed. “My dream, my old dream is on the way to its realization. Today I am going to present my creation. This girl will try my Stracciatella Gelato!”

Spring Cream

After various and repeated experiments in tight secret from father, Enrico Panattoni created a particular gelato. His method of “drizzling in” melted chocolate creates the characteristic shreds – when melted chocolate hits the cold vanilla ice cream base it immediately hardens and breaks into small, brittle shreds – which are dispersed throughout the ice cream during the churning. The melted chocolate just remember the egg congeals into the boiling broth of the soup “Stracciatella”.

“You have to give a name to this delight and then … why not call it as one of the most popular dish of the restaurant “La Marianna”, “Stracciatella”?” happy Enrico had just prepared the cone of his creation to the girl.

Happy Cream

The girl was beautiful. April tender breeze was playing in her hairs and her lips had touched the cone of gelato – Enrico’s creation! Do you know what happened with the girl and Enrico? For romantic Italian boy the lips which tried his creation at the first time became the single lips he kissed every day in their happy marriage.

Enrico Panattoni held tightly the original recipe, which is still a family secret – no patent, no copyright, people arrive to “La Marianna” to try “Vera Stracciatella”!

Stracciatella Gelato prepared according to the original recipe here. That Stracciatella which is still produced with vertical machines (the famous Carpigiani L40 with tinned copper bell and wet brine) with simple ingredients such as fresh milk, egg yolks, sugar, cream, gelatin and alginate sodium as a stabilizer. Chocolate coverage today is the Lindt dark chocolate with 58% cocoa.

I strongly recommend to buy a cone of Stracciatella Gelato in the nearest gelateria. You will understand what I am telling here about. Thank You for your pleasure!

Happy gelato weekend!

April Fish!

Hello God!

Thank You for the 1st day of April. I invite you to celebrate today in charming French custom concerning this holiday.

AprilFish

The story goes that in 1564, King Charles IX of France passed the Edict of Roussillon, decreeing that henceforth the year would begin on January 1, instead of April 1. But some people failed to hear about the change and continued to celebrate the New Year on April 1. Therefore, people played pranks on them, making them April fools.

LoveApril

In France the fish is the primary symbol of April Fool’s Day. The association with fish is a bit enigmatic, but likely has its origin in the plentitude of young and easy-to-capture fish found in their rivers in April.

1erAvril

During that time, the 1st of April coincided with the end of Lent when the Church forbade Christians to eat meat. Fish was tolerated and was often used in the offering of gifts for the New Year.

1avril

Ha, ha, ha “April Fish!” I have tagged a paper fish on your back and we are happily laughing with French children and adults who are tricking each other in the same way.

HappyFishes

Undrinkable juice I have prepared by adding gelatine,

I caramelised an onions instead of an apples,

I added green colour in the pack of milk,

Today is April Fish Day! Let’s celebrate!

TenderApril

You know to see happy laughing eyes of my family and friends is the greatest happiness I can imagine and wish for myself and for you!

I invite you to share our today’s laughing by watching The Cat Concerto. Jerry is the Master of a pranks!

Happy April Fish/Fool’s Day!

Spring Waltz

Hello God!

Thank You for Spring. “The World is very old; but every Spring it grows young again…” We are all young and lucky to live and feel the Joy of Spring!

Let’s celebrate the season of new hope and of new beginning! I have chosen some dresses by the House of Dior, of course, because who has doubts in that Dior created Woman? We are going to whirl in a waltz by brilliant Johann Strauss in a beautiful dresses. And a happy Voice of Spring is really sweet and promising!

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The lark rises into the blue,
the mellow wind mildly blowing;
his lovely mild breath revives
and kisses the field, the meadow.

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Spring in all its splendour rises,
ah, all hardship is over,
sorrow becomes milder,
good expectations,
the belief in happiness returns;
sunshine, you warm us,
ah, all is laughing, oh,oh awakes!

May

A fountain of songs is rising,
who has been silent for too long;
from the brush sounds clear and light
the sweet voice again!

Green Silk Dress
Ah, gently the nightingale lets
stream the first notes,
so as not to disturb the queen;
hush, all you other singers!

Dior Cocktail

More powerful soon chimes her sweet voice.
Oh, soon, oh, oh soon!
Ah……..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skE6c2gdTZs

Spring Waltz is in air, dance it with me and enjoy the beating of our heart! I love your eyes with sparkling blue and green vibrations synchronised with the rhythm of the music. We are whirling in waltz…

Thank You for dance and inspiration and have a happy Spring!

Metamorphosis of Dr. Snail

Hello God!

Thank You for miraculous metamorphosis we are in every moment of our being. Today we have a wonderful possibility to observe a fascinating transformation of my friend Lilith Snail. Vivid pictures by Josees Cofet  animate my story.

The old botanical book

Lilith Snail is an intellectual woman. She is well educated. Two University diplomas and Doctor’s Degree in Biology prove that she is typically bluestocking. She spends her life in a libraries and laboratories. At this very moment she is writing an article about pollination for a serious scientific conference. Big intellectual boss is waiting for her thesis.

I tell you his secret – he likes Lilith but he thinks she is so far from any “likes” and “loves”. He frightens. And he is her boss. Big intellectual boss can not afford banal romance with Doctor in (what the horror!) a working place.

Pollination

She writes: “Pollination is the process by which pollen is transferred from the anther (male part) to the stigma (female part) of the plant, thereby enabling fertilization and reproduction. This takes place in the angiosperms, the flower bearing plants…” And tears are rolling down on her notebook. What does scientific society know about pollination? What does He know about the subject?

Love

“The Kiss is the Big Bang! We are all here because of the kiss” she is writing in the article. Her heart are ready to jump out from her chest but she wants, she desires Him to know about her feelings. “Oh, I am real bluestocking, I have completely forgot about Valentine’s Day! It is tomorrow! My article is Valentine’s card to him” she is in agitation. “It is diplomatic and intellectual way to open my heart. And it is absolutely safe, in every case I can say innocently “it is just a joke”. Thank you, Saint Valentinius, for this opportunity!” she is falling asleep in a happy dreams about their happy love.

Metamorphosis of a snail

Lilith is in bloom now. Their love story will begin tomorrow. Fascinating metamorphosis of Dr. Snail has happened.

You know I am going to send my Valentine’s card to my love. I do hope you are writing a poem on a heart-shaped card now. Saint Valentine promises the Metamorphosis to all of us.

By the the way, metamorphosis, in biology, striking change of form or structure in an individual after hatching or birth. We were born, we were born because of the Kiss! Do you remember?

Happy Valentine’s Day!

 

A Tiny Cup of Coffee

Hello God!

Thank You for my beige mood today. Warning up with a cup of latte I enjoy my winter blue in a dreams. The inviting aroma of coffee and cream tickles my nose and by the neural canals the most romantic memories are awaking in my brain and wrapping me up in a cozy blanket of Love.

I see in the “1902 Doll” by Robert Piguet endless tenderness and feel beauty of being alive. My latte is Beige, the doll is in Beige. And a love story is in the air.

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It has all begun with a tiny cup of coffee. Elisabeth is the piano teacher and between a lessons she loves to enjoy her coffee break in a cafe. “Oh, I can catch a happy dose of silence together with cinnamon aroma and creamy taste of my coffee here – my noisy pupils are so nice, but I need, I desperately need 5 minutes of rest” – we are unintentional listeners of a beautiful conversation.

“I am Robert, a writer. Could I join to you for sharing a happy dose of reflections and coffee? I will be silent, I promise” – she nodded and a smile touched her eye corners.

Picture 003

Robert and Elisabeth are sitting together on their regular table in absolute silence but clouds above their cups of coffee tell us about their hearts beating in Love unison. We see it and know it for sure…

She have found an envelope under the door when her last lesson ended tonight. “Dear Elisabeth! Due to our “silent minutes”, please, allow me to open my heart in this letter – I know, I know you can think that I am a coward but I do respect our silence dose, so to say you something in the minutes of our meetings is impossible for me. And you know I am a writer…” – a tears of happiness are rolling down her cheeks.

“There is no moment of my life when you are not a part of me; you hold my heart; you guard my soul; you guide my dreams so tenderly… And if my will might be done, and all I long for could come true, with perfect joy I would choose to share eternity only with you.” Robert writes in a hope.

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They sit in silence as usual with a tiny cups of coffee.  “Oh, what’s the sounds!” – the engagement ring is in her cup! “Yes, I do” – she’s whispering…

“Through all of our seasons this will be certain; this will be constant, shining and true: with the gift of your heart you gave my life meaning; and I’ll spend a lifetime cherishing you.”

The “Grande Valse brillante” in E♭ Major by Frédéric Chopin is the hymn to their Love!

Enjoy your cup of coffee and your true love will find you. I know, I promise. I am the piano teacher.

February Strings

Hello God!

Thank You for the treasure I am gifted for today and this possibility to share it. I have stumbled on the guitar. Oh, the Guitar! It is the most romantic musical instrument of my life. Oh, girl, do you remember the guy from the University who played the guitar and your heart was melting as a burning candle?..

This dazzling Pine Cone Stratocaster guitar was created by Fender senior master builder Yuriy Shishkov. 550 diamonds, blue hand-stained finish recreates appearance of the Fabergé Pine Cone Easter Egg. What’s the Masterpiece!

Brilliant Solo

In sweet nostalgia my heart is singing these words of a poem of unknown romantic guy:

His guitar glows,
Like endless flow,
Of glittering stars,
Late at night.

Stratocaster

Dance my heart,
In ecstasy,
Caress me,
With his melody divine,
My heart beats in tempo.

Pine-cone Stratocaster

A rapture love,
Of eternal bliss,
Seduce me,
For the night,
And take me deeper,
To the endless flow,
Of glittering stars.

The Guitar

We all are the soloists in the Universe’s rock band and our hearts sing in unison if we are on the right strings! February promises sweet love tones. Moonlight Sonata is for tonight.

Happy and sweet February!

 

Weatherhythmic Motet

Hello God!

Thank You for a snowstorm today. I am singing a cheerful motet with the wind and snow on my face. My cheeks are healthily pink and nose is red. I feel pulsation of Life in every snowflakes dancing around.

The Persistance of Play

Thinking about this post I have found a treasure. I have discovered a very talented and original artist Nathalie Miebach! Perhaps you have heard about her, but for me she is new and she is genius. I am very grateful for today’s snow storm because of this weather I have met so gifted person.

The Last Ride

In music, polyphony refers to a piece that has more than one voice, melody, or theme. Polyphony means “many voices” or “two or more independent melodic parts sounded together.” Motet is a polyphonic composition with more than one text sung simultaneously.

Gulf of Maine

Nathalie creates and sings her own motets. She translates scientific data poliphonically related to meteorology, astronomy and oceanography into woven sculptures and musical scores using the methodologies and processes of both science and art.

synergy

The different voices or melodies have relatively equivalent importance and explore a complementary theme. With two main independent voices she creates her sculptures – Nathalie attended astronomy classes at Harvard University and studied basket weaving with a local craft artist. Every element of her sculptures has a numerical logic based on historical data.

Fortuna Sandy Spins

The voices in a motet are rhythmically independent yet coordinated, the higher voices moving faster than the lower ones. My Weatherhythmical Motet are in 3 singing  voices – Bass, Alto, Soprano.

My feet are singing with the ice in low low Bass. The Earth is the contrabass.

My hands theme is in Alto. My body is its cello.

My eyelids are so high Soprano. Snowflakes play the violin of my eyes.

Three different voices are in perfect Harmony of the divine polyphonic vibrations of today’s snow storm. It is beautiful.

Thank you for singing with me the Motet. Together we are magical choir.

2014 Candies

Hello God!

Thank You for 2014 Candies we have enjoyed every days of our wonderful 2014 year! Traditionally every New Year begins from a big-big jar of candies under Christmas tree every chid and adult on our planet find. Let me open my own jar of candies and share it with you with my warmest New Year congratulations!

Roberto Bernardi visualises my jar of candies in a very beautiful way, please enjoy.

Happy Candies

My dear beautiful sister Linda has announced the 2014 Wrap-Up challenge: Present Your Gifts. I accepted the challenge and, you know, it was not an easy task for me.

Linda’s questions are simple but its deepness opens when I begin to think…

Sugar Lesson

Which lessons did you learn?

I think, I am good in learning a lessons, especially when I am expecting excellent mark, unfortunately.

My 2014 lesson was to learn not to expect a marks, any marks from people. Painful memories of a little school girl scared by her mother’s crying about “bad” marks are gone. “Am I good enough? Am I good mother, wife, sister, friend  and ect?” leads to deadly dangerous doubt “Am I good enough for living at all?”

My inner child desperately needs healing from a fear to disappoint somebody and this horror dependency from “bad” marks. Our healing path is going to be long, we will eat 2015 candies together.

Caramelle

How did you serve others?

Oh, you know, I live in a social environment where a worries, a troubles and an emotions about these troubles are important part of culture in my country. We are again in our usual economic “crisis”. “What are we going to do? How are we going to live?” my friend is exclaiming in Blackglama mink coat, the price of it equals an annual budget of a small African country. By the way mink coat is an important part of our culture too. “Ruble is unstable. Dollars and Euros are rising. Sanctions are unbearable!” – this kaleidoscope of complaints and false fears is in the air now.

I meet my people with my warmest smile and hug. Every forth family in my country has a dacha where vegetables and fruits, even meat, grow. The most people here have never seen and tried “French cheese” they are “suffered” by its absence. “French cheese” is in a wide sense, meaning gourmet delicacies.

I do hope I serve my people to see beautiful truth about changes, changing inside comes first. I wish I could turn their complaints in a precious energy for supporting each other.

TheJar

What blessings did you receive?

My personal blessings are deal with our crisis. The time to change my Lewis jeans with the North Face down coat uniform is coming. An ensemble of a maxi plaid linen skirt with a shearling lamb jacket in a folk style is going to play a hymn to my femininity in supporting my people’s loving hands.

Gifts

Did you receive any “gifts” in terms of powers or skills?

Sadly I accept some people are suffered by the crisis. My greatest gift 2014 has presented is in my power to help an orphans and an old people by clothing and food. Even kind smile has power to enlighten a crying child’s face. I love to see smiles in return when I help, and I have even to hide my tears of  happiness my heart expresses.

I have Power to keep my own family happy – sometimes a grey mood of our environment touches my darling people. Fire optimism and endless belief in a future happy changes are fundamental stones of my Power and main candies of 2015.

Future candies

Was there something you lost that turned out to be a blessing in disguise?

Yes, due to absence of gourmet delicacies I lost 19 lb. ha, ha, ha! Could I imagine myself so young, slim and beautiful a year ago? It is a joke about gourmet delicacies. I tell you my secret – my diet is sugar free! It was hard way with the severe wind of cake’s temptation and frosty breathing of yogurt mousse with strawberry sauce… Thank you, crisis, for forbidden French macaroons.

Happily overwhelmed by the choices in a sweet Universe candy shop I have chosen a dancing and singing candies for 2015. Hardly believe? Please meet the Sugarplum Fairy!

Thank You, 2014, for happy changes I am in progress. Thank you, Linda for the challenge! The next participant of  2014 Wrap-Up challenge: Present Your Gifts is Shelley.

Thank you, my dear readers and followers, for being in my life, for great inspiration you always so generously present, for this very, very happy moment we share together on New Year eve!

Happy, sweet, beautiful, fairy New 2015 Year!

 

Privet, Pushkin!

Hello God!

Thank You for Pushkin. He is my favourite poet since I am 3 y.o. A memories from childhood define a happiness as a feeling which influences on whole life.

As for me happiness is a December’s evening and my mother or grandmother is reading for me a fairy tale by Aleksandr Sergeevich Pushkin. I am sitting near a window and feeling the North breath of Ded Moroz. I am dancing as a ballerina with snowflakes and the words of fairy poetry by Pushkin are our rhythmic pulse of music of imagination…

Today I am reading Pushkin’s fairy tales for my daughter.

Hello Pushkin

Oh, do you recognise our old friend cat Vasya? Happy meeting has happened today and Vladimir Rumyantsev, the painter, has illustrated it.

In snow St. Petersburg along Neva embarkment Alexandr Pushkin is in hurry to his beloved Natasha with a thoughts about a new fairytale. “Privet, Pushkin!” he suddenly stopped and saw a small creature – a cat. “Mmm, sorry, I heard your voice?” Pushkin is puzzled. “And you think a cats can only myay-maya-meowing” Vasya frowned, and said, “I am special, I can read your thoughts – and what you are keeping in your mind now is actually not a fairytale“.

Pushkin and Vasya

“Could you help me, dear Vasya to create a good poem?” Alexandr asked, “instead I provide a plate of milk and my warm company for you”. “Mmmmyay I should think for a moment,” answered Vasya.

“Well, let’s go and write! Our happy duet is going to create” Pushkn and Vasya said in unison.

Pushkin and Vasya

“There’s a green oak by the bay,
on the oak a chain of gold:
a learned cat, night and day,
walks round on that chain of old:
to the right – it spins a song,
to the left – a tale of wrong.
Marvels there: the wood-sprite rides,
in the leaves a mermaid hides:
on deep paths of mystery
unknown creatures leave their spoor:
huts on hen’s legs you can see,
with no window and no door…”

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My daughter loves the story and we are inspired to create together this Christmas tree decoration.

Vasya continues to dictate:

“And I was there and I drank mead,
I saw the green oak by the sea,
I sat there while the learned cat
told its stories – here’s one that
I remember, and I’ll unfurl,
a story now for all the world…”

Please enjoy Vasya and Pushkin’s masterpiece.

Thank you, my reader, for your smile and light from your beautiful eyes because of you I am here.