The Best Part of My Day.

Originally published elsewhere on the dates indicated

So I read this great article by Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love, and it came at a time when I really needed it. Feeling low, feeling tired. She speaks of being able to have a small space of peace no matter where you are, no matter what time of the day. And she also talks about sharing the "best part of your day" every day. Instead of journaling when you're down (which I do, often) why not record the best moments, however tiny they might be. I'm going to do that.

Thursday, September 27, 2007
The best part of my day today was spent sitting in Cafe Roma in Bloomfield, with my husband. We shared a bottle of Cabernet, and ate huge plates of homemade pasta, bread with olive oil, and tiramisu. This restaurant is owned by a true Sicilian, and his grandmother makes everything from scratch in the kitchen. When I tasted my husband's tagliatelle with lamb ragu, I was transported to Florence. My own rigatoni with roasted red and yellow peppers with artichokes was simply incredible. What a combination. It was like summer on a plate. Not only did we share a slab of tiramisu that tasted like a cloud of espresso and chocolate, we bought another to take home. I left sighing and singing.

Friday, September 28, 2007
Work was hellish today, with Reunion approaching next weekend everybody is in a frenetic insane frame of mind. So my favorite part of the day was enjoying half a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. It was crisp, cold, tasted of apples and pears, and went down smooth. I needed that.

Saturday, September 29, 2007
After eating lunch with some old teacher friends at Bravos, I spent the afternoon doing something I hadn't done in at least two years - shopping! With a real budget to use! And I'm finally skinny, so I spent the entire afternoon trying on clothes and the planets must be in alignment because everything looked great on me. Yes! Usually I try on one or two things and then run out of the store, dashing home because of my agoraphobia, lack of money, the fact I can't find anything that fits, or all of the above.

But today was different. I tried on a huge armload and everything looked great. I bought SKIRTS of all things (I never do this) and even a dress! Wheeeee! I enjoy being a girl.

Sunday, September 30, 2007
I've already had the best part of today. This morning, 7:30am, I'm walking my doggie friend Lois around the park. It's so foggy that the trees peep out and look like skeletons. It's eerie but cool at the same time. It's so quiet. She's panting lightly, and all I hear is the soft crunch of my shoes on the path. And the roar of lions. You see this park is above the Pittsburgh zoo and sometimes in the early morning you can hear the lions roar. This morning was one of those mornings. I was transfixed. I thought to myself that this is what it must sound like on the sahara in Africa as the sun rises. It was magical.