“Saudade is a vague and constant desire for something that does not and probably cannot exist, for something other than the present.” – Aubrey Bell from his book In Portugal According to Wikipedia saudade “is a deep emotional state of nostalgic or profound melancholic longing for something or someone that one cares for and/or loves. […]
It is always busy when Michael is on the quinta, although this time I’ve managed to twist his arm on more than one occasion to take it slower than usual. The most important project for this visit was to build a front porch, and as I bought the steel beforehand, he could immediately start with […]
“It is not speed that matters, it’s persistence.”– Abhijit Naskar The past week was an exceptionally busy week on the quinta, and both Michael and I were exhausted yesterday. We told a friend on Saturday that no tool will be lifted on Sunday, as we were planning to make it a rest day, but nothing […]
“You can’t have the light without the shade.”– Stephen Fabes After a long, cold winter here in Portugal, I was quite excited when the days started to warm up and the landscape around me was transformed in froth of white flowers breaking over the slope of the neighbour’s land like a giant wave. Spanish broom […]
“. . . a relationship is a story you construct together and take up residence in . . .”– from A Field Guide to Getting Lost by Rebecca Solnit Relationships are an essential part of what it means to be human, and as Michael and I are learning how to live apart physically, we are […]
“Conquering any difficulty always gives one a secret joy, for it means pushing back a boundary-line and adding to one’s liberty.” – Henri Frederic Amiel The time, energy and effort it takes to learn something new can be so overwhelming or intimidating that we simply shy away from it, even when it is something we are […]
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