thankful thursday #182

There are some good folks in my life, even some who live less than ten miles from me, who I don't get to see very often. Or rather, I don't make time to see them very often.

Tonight I got to catch up with one of those dears, and I'm so grateful for it! She is wise and smart, a great listener, authentic, and naturally encourages conversation with depth and consideration.

So appreciative of her friendship, even though our time together seems never enough.

Think of these treasured people and how they enrich your life, no matter how often you see them. Go on, be grateful!

right about now (the one where italy feels like a dream)

Since I've been home from Italy, there are these wonderful scenes and sites, and characters and conversations, from those two weeks that are tucked away in the back of my mind, and that, in a way, feel like a dream.

They are real, those memories, but now that I have slipped successfully back into my routine, I feel them fighting against my normal, to keep their "real" status.

So, while my real vacation is feeling like an imaginary one, here are some highlights to share from my back-home normal, dusted with some Italy memories, right about now.

loving: being back in my kitchen. I certainly did not miss my home-cooked meals while I was away, but I did miss weaving my way around my own kitchen, making something from scratch.

reading: The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty. The title sounds pretty scandalous, but so far, it's just a mysterious set of unrelated stories that haven't found themselves at a climactic intersection yet. It's a welcomed easy read, following The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult. (I'm embarrassed to say how long it took me to finish that one.)

excited about: the fact that I'm not the only thirty-something to sleep -- and travel 'round the world -- with my baby blankets.

We are kindred in many ways, not the least of which is the matching holes in our blankets.

missing: these gals.

And the places we visited. Can you even get over that glorious blue water?

trying to: be a good roommate. I haven't been one in a very long time, so it's been a healthy challenge to live in consideration of someone else, even if only for a short-term season.

enjoying: some news that one of the nicest people I know became reconciled with his former wife in a divine remarriage ceremony this past weekend. Mercy, I love watching the Lord do his restoration work this side of heaven.

wearing: red Toms.

The green ones I packed on a whim surprised me and served me well on those long cobblestone streets, but they were officially retired upon my return. Literally went straight from the suitcase into the trash can. So gross.

waiting on: the perfect occasion to serve the greatest cheese board ever to be presented in my home. These cheeses from Italy are dying to be shared, but I just can't reconcile their sacredness with my desire to eat it all by myself. I am greedy with cheese; what can I say?

planning: a trip to the hometown for several reasons, not the least of which is to attend a concert of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, featuring Joshua Bell on violin. Do you know him? So talented.

singing: along to a few tunes by Sarah Reeves. I don't know a thing about her, but I'm digging on her acoustic arrangements of "Take Me to the King," "Sovereign," and "Holy Spirit/Set a Fire." They're so grounding.

needing: to organize all these Italy photos. My stars, we have thousands between the eight of us! This photo book is going to be a doozy, but how can I leave out a shot like this?

learning: calligraphy. I took my first lesson last night. There is something very cathartic about free flowing ink on paper.

listening: to the report that Serena Williams lost in the French Open. I'm not sad about it.

wishing: I was energized by running. I'm slowly getting back into a rhythm, but the getting there is so exhausting.

praying for: some movement. A spark. Sometimes it's nice to feel a shift from the same-old everyday affairs.

dreaming of: that crazy trip to Italy! But it really happened.

These are the goings on in my world, and a few of my favorite Italy highlights, right about now. What's happening in yours?

quinoa and i are getting along

One of my goals for 2014 was to branch out and experiment in the kitchen with quinoa.

I've made a couple of yummy salads since then, including this one, and once or twice, subbed quinoa for couscous or orzo. Its versatility is winning me over.

And then this recipe caught my eye this past weekend, and it is the jam. Shrimp, cucumbers, lemon, and a splash of fresh herbs make it bright and cheery, and it stores like a champ in the fridge for weekday lunches or light summer dinners.

Roasted Shrimp & Quinoa
Serves 4-6 as an entree, 6-8 as a side

1 c. uncooked quinoa
2 c. chicken broth
1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
extra virgin olive oil, divided
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 c. lemon juice, freshly squeezed
5 scallions, both green and white parts, chopped
1/2 red onion, diced
1/2 c. fresh dill, chopped
1/2 c. fresh parsley, chopped
1 cucumber, unpeeled, chopped
1 c. feta cheese, crumbled

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.


2. Cook quinoa according to package directions (I use the chicken broth in place of water), and allow to cool.


3. Rinse shrimp and pat dry. Spread shrimp onto a baking sheet, drizzle with about 2-3 Tbsp. olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Be sure shrimp is in a single layer on the baking sheet, and roast for 5 minutes.


4. While shrimp roasts, whisk together the lemon juice, 3 Tbsp. olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.


5. When the shrimp is finished and cooled, add it to the quinoa. Stir in the scallions, red onion, dill, parsley, cucumber and feta cheese.


6. Pour the lemon dressing over the mixture and toss to combine.


7. Store in an airtight container for at least one hour before serving, but it's better if it sits overnight.


8. Before serving, drizzle with a little bit of olive oil and taste for seasoning.

As a side note, I think this would be extra-special and summer-y if the shrimp were grilled.

Happy summer!

thankful thursday #181

Sometimes it's nice to just be a fan.

Grateful this week for the chance to be incognito, hanging at the ballpark listening to country music between innings, and smelling hot dogs and roasted peanuts.

Enjoy the Memorial Day weekend, friends, and don't forget to go on and be grateful!

thankful thursday #180, the traveling edition

While I was two weeks gallivanting across Italy, it was easy to feel grateful.

Complimentary breakfasts we ate each day at our hotels

Every sip of house wine

Each stroke of paint of the Sistine Chapel

Trains, planes and automobiles that traveled on time, every single time

The fresh picked tomatoes on every Insalata Caprese

Able bodies that walked so many miles

Friendly hosts and natives who engaged with us

The mild weather

My incredible, fun, eccentric travel buddies

Easy, that gratitude.

And now to be home, it's still flowing.

Supportive colleagues that afforded me time away

The mental break from work

The return to my own bed

The photos and journals we have to help us remember and relive

My parents who ran airport shuttle for us

My parents who returned my car to me cleaned, waxed (glory!) and fully fueled

My friend who retrieved my mail and looked after my house

Our town being spared the raging southern, spring storms

Minimal jetlag

For these things and so many more, my heart is grateful.

Whether you've traveled just from work and back, or across the world, I hope your heart is thankful this week. Go on, be grateful!

italy day fifteen

After one last (important) purchase at the airport at dark-thirty this morning ...

... (that would be cheese) ...

... we boarded the first of our three flights home ...

... landed safely in the U.S. of A (with all of our luggage, mercifully) ...

... and just like that, two weeks in Italy is over.

It's been the trip of a lifetime, and I expect I will not stop talking about it for quite awhile. I'll share some highlights here eventually, but for now, buona notte!

italy day fourteen

For our last full day in Italy, we ventured out again for a day trip to Sorrento, Positano, and Pompeii.

Here we are overlooking Positano:

In the third grade, I had a reading assignment about Pompeii, so to see it in person was fascinating:

And before we left this morning, we said a sad goodbye to our bed and breakfast owner Umberto, who has taken great care of us here.

It's an early morning for us tomorrow, heading back to the homeland!

italy day thirteen

We spent today in Capri.

There really aren't any words. It's gorgeous.

I hopped on this row boat ...

... to ride through the Blue Grotto.

It took all of five minutes, but it was striking!

We did a little shopping next, and fell in love with this sweet family. The ladies in orange are third- and fourth- generation owners of their store that opened in 1919.

And then this happened:

Paulo made me some shoes.

Fit them to my very own size.

Today is a winner!

italy day twelve

We woke up at the crack of dawn this morning to attend the Papal Audience at St. Peter's Square. It didn't officially start until 10:00, but we got there around 7:45 to get a seat (the things we do over here!).

The crowd was crazy.

That place hosts up to 80,000 people. Crazy, I tell ya.

But we got a seat, and we were pretty happy about it. Here we are with our golden tickets.

And we warmed that seat for two solid hours until Pope Francis arrived.

It was a neat experience!

italy day eleven

I can not say no to these things. Can. Not.

So I didn't.

And they didn't make us wear the helmets, so the geek factor was reduced.

A little.

But I rode a Segway in Rome. That is all.

italy day ten

Today was all about seeing Rome from a different perspective. A high one.

Here I am at the the very tip top of the Victor Emmanuel Monument:

Glory to God, we took the elevator to this one.

This view from the top of St. Peter's Basilica, though ...

That one was 300 some-odd stairs. Narrow ones.

But we survived. (We were at the top of that dome, people!)

Rome is pretty fabulous from the top!

italy day nine

The Colesseum, Rome.

It is so surreal to be here, where Caesar walked. Incredible.

We explored all day (sans the afternoon siesta period, of course) and stopped to throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain.

We snapped this one later in the evening:

And finished our day with one of my favorite meals so far:

Everything tastes better in Italy!

italy day eight

We visited the Duomo again today, but this time saw it from a lower perspective.

I was kind of happy to not be ascending this stairwell again:

And we may have shopped for a Florentine leather product or two.

(These were some of the options; we didn't buy them all!)

And we topped off our last day in Florence with a very fine meal.

Tomorrow, all roads lead to Rome.

italy day seven

Today was the Day of Wine, if there ever was one. Four wineries, eleven varieties of vino, a gazillion baskets of fresh baked bread, a three-course family lunch, four passionate vineyard owners, and one lively sommelier made for a very busy day.

Here is Donatella, our tour guide, and all of us at the very last stop:

And this is Paula, who hosted us in her family's 1000-year old home for a home-cooked meal:

A beautiful day in the Tuscan countryside!

italy day six

We walked all over Florence today, and among other things, visited the School of Leather. After World War II, the Francisan friars of Santa Croce invited two leather artisan families to begin this school, with the goal of training young orphans of the war in a practical trade that would give them an opportunity to earn a living. Today, highly skilled leather craftsmen continue to be employed there and mentor young students in their craft.

Today is a holiday here, so unfortunately we were not able to observe the student lab areas, or the artisans in action, but I did snap this shot of one craftsman embossing a customer's initials on his purchase.

We walked nearly 5 miles by 4:00, so we came back to the hotel for a little rest. And when I say "rest," I mean "snack."

Cheers!