joyful gratitude

Chestnut delight

/ cultivatingjoy / Leave a comment

IMG_3916

JOYFUL GRATITUDE #50

Around here the days are undeniably getting shorter and hibernation season is around the corner. Luckily there are a few autumnal foods to cheer up the dark evenings, like pumpkin (prepared in many different forms – pasta, risotto, soup, pizza…) and a recent discovery that totally hit the spot: chestnuts.

They’re really easy to prepare. We just soak them in water for a couple of hours, dry them with a cloth and cut a slit lengthwise in the round side of the shell. They can then be popped in the pre-heated oven for about 25 minutes at 240°C. We regularly sneak a peek in the oven to check when they are ready (the shell opens up a little more, showing off the lovely flesh). Then we take them out of the oven, wrap them in a clean cloth for 10mn while they cool. Done!

Then the cloth can be unwrapped to reveal its warm treasures.  It’s such a simple pleasure to chat while we carefully pull the chestnuts from their shell and chew on the sweet, floury texture. Delicious!! I could make this a daily ritual:)

Hidden treat

/ cultivatingjoy / Leave a comment

IMG_1328

JOYFUL GRATITUDE #49

I am grateful for the wonderful surprise that Paolo prepared one night this week while I was sound asleep.

I woke up as usual in the morning and while preparing breakfast I vaguely noticed strange details in the kitchen, like the fact that there were lots more dishes drying that I had washed the night before. But I just continued with my morning routine, until I was tipped off by the remains of a lime in the fridge, which had been grated for its zest… That triggered me and I started to look (excitedly!) around the kitchen. Sure enough I found a beautiful apple and pear cake hidden in the oven!

Paolo is a master at this recipe, the cake was absolutely delicious, full of fruit and slightly caramelised. The perfect way to start the day:) Merci!!!

Constructive teamwork

/ cultivatingjoy / Leave a comment

IMG_1139
JOYFUL GRATITUDE #48

As the leaves are transforming into amazing colours, I’m trying to consciously enjoy these lovely weeks of autumn and the mild weather despite being very engrossed in work. It has just been a really intense and fun week, with colleagues visiting from all over the world for meetings, sharing information and learning from each other.

I already mentionned it a while back, but it bears repeating, I feel really grateful to the many colleagues from different countries and departments that I have the pleasure of working with for great team spirit and helpful feedback. I love how we are growing and improving together (not to mention the incredible enthusiasm for costume parties! 😉

Fresh air

/ cultivatingjoy / Leave a comment

 

IMG_3875

JOYFUL GRATITUDE #47

There is nothing like a leisurely bike ride on a windy Sunday morning to feel fresh and relaxed. The sky couldn’t seem to make up its mind whether to stay cloudy or let the sun come out but at least it wasn’t raining.

It was wonderful to have time to stop and observe.  For a while I watched a bunch of white sails from small boats leaving the harbour, shooting across the water, sometimes nearly horizontal from the force of the gale.  And on the way home I was lucky to come across these lovely plants swaying in the wind and shimmering beautifully in the sun light. So gorgeous!

IMG_3885

 

 

A healing massage

/ cultivatingjoy / Leave a comment

IMG_3796

JOYFUL GRATITUDE #46

A few mornings ago, while waiting for the coffee to be ready, I pulled an angel card out of my tiny deck for a little guidance on how to approach the day. It read the word ‘HEALING’.

Shortly after I started deeply craving a massage. I heard my body saying it would love a session to get all the knots out of my tense upper back, neck and shoulders, and release the muscles of my legs and arms. I realised I hadn’t enjoyed a massage since April when I was in Thailand and indulged in hour long massages every second day.

So I promptly made an appointment and let the masseuse do her magic on my body. It was bliss!  Afterwards I treated myself to a pastel de nata and a cup of tea in a lovely local portuguese café. The pastry was so perfectly crisp and the filling amazingly delicious. It was perfect, just the healing I needed:)

Off to a new destination

/ cultivatingjoy / Leave a comment

IMG_1098.JPG

JOYFUL GRATITUDE #45

This weekend Paolo and I are heading to Prague ! It’s the first time I go there so I’m really excited to have 3 days to explore the city.  We will go to watching tennis (the first ever edition of the Laver Cup) and spend the rest of the time soaking in the atmosphere, discovering wonderful places and hopefully eating lovely cakes 😉

Fairy tale house

/ cultivatingjoy / Leave a comment

20170914_194901

JOYFUL GRATITUDE #44

I love cycling slowly along the outskirts of Vondelpark and looking at all the beautiful houses with their high windows and amazing details.

This house in particular seems like it belongs in a book of fairy tales.  I like to imagine that behind these walls are winding staircases, secret doorways and hidden passages leading from one room to another. The perfect backdrop for fantastic stories about things like fabulous elves, helpful magicians, self-sufficient siblings who run the show, lovelorn princes and sloths who can talk…

Staying dry

/ cultivatingjoy / Leave a comment

IMG_1315

JOYFUL GRATITUDE #43

Today it has been pouring with rain in Amsterdam, sometimes monsoon-like and so noisy it made me stop and watch as it beat down on the windows, sometimes more of a lazy drizzle.

In any case, I am very grateful that today I happened to be working from home and didn’t need to venture out into the world and get soaked:)

Quiet morning off

/ cultivatingjoy / 1 Comment

20170901_102854

JOYFUL GRATITUDE #42

Every second week I have the Friday off from work. I enjoy those Fridays even more than regular weekend days because I feel like I have this precious time for myself while the world around me is working.

Spending those mornings in one of my favorite cafés without needing to rush anywhere is bliss. I love watching the baristas at work, taking the time to reflect on the past week in my journal, observing other customers (I confess I also really like eavesdropping and hearing the most unexpected conversations)… I am grateful for these pockets of quiet time off to recharge my batteries.

Relaxing walk

/ cultivatingjoy / Leave a comment

IMG_3454JOYFUL GRATITUDE #41

The great thing about working from home once in a while, is that on those days I don’t need to cycle back through the bustling city and instead as soon as I finish work I can take a relaxing walk around the neighbourhood to get some fresh air.

I’m grateful for a lovely stroll with Paolo, along our usual route (a.k.a. la via Fannigena) that is bathed in sunlight in the early evening.  As we walk and chat, we have our tiny habits like stopping to look if there are any treasures in the free little library, people-watching and checking on the tiny fruit garden by the canal. It’s always such a nice way to reconnect after a busy day:)