Saying Farewell to 2011 and hello to 2012

This year has been one of the best years of my life for lots of reasons. I know them so i am not going to bore you with the details. 

I have learn't some very important things that have changed my life and my whole outlook on life. 

I am ready for 2012 and i am embracing it with everything i have. 

My personal focus for the new year is to live consciously every day. 

Great things i have learnt this year that maybe you can try to incorporate into your New Years Resolutions and see if you feel the same changes i have ..... 

1. The only thing that matters is the present moment, the past is finished and the future does not exist. 

Treasure and feel the present moment.

The time is now... What else is there???? 

2. Use your mind to plan for the future only when it is necessary to make important decisions, once you have done it.. forget it! 

3. The food you eat has a huge impact on how you think, feel, move and sleep!

4. We can all have what we desire! 

5. You have the key to happiness already. You just can't feel it because your mind is making too much noise!

6. Every single person carries the seed of enlightenment within!

7. Don't get attached to any words!

8. Learn to disidentify with your mind, rise above thought!

9. 80 - 90% of peoples thinking is useless, repetitive and harmful!

10. Emotions are the bodies reaction to your mind! Emotion is a Latin word which means 'to disturb' 

11. Love, Joy, Peace & Happiness are natural states of being they are not emotions!

12.  Emotional pain is the main cause of physical and mental disease. 

13. The greater part of human unhappiness and emotional pain is unnecessary. It is self created and as long as the unobserved mind runs your life you will never be free! 

14. Whatever is happening in your life now, accept it as if you had chosen it. Always work with it not against it. Remember what we resent we attract! 

15. Create the life you want! 

Be the Buddha in 2012, be the "awakened One"

Questions to think about...

This year i have discovered more than ever my passion and interest in the mind, body and soul. 

I have researched and read lots of wonderful articles and books that have changed my whole being and everyday i am discovering and feeling the changes. 

I love these questions and i think they can instantly help us see clarity in things happening in our lives everyday.

I will post 20 questions this week and 20 in two weeks. 

What questions attract you the most and why???

1.How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?

2. Which is worse, failing or never trying?

3. If life is so short, why do we do so many things we don’t like and like so many things we don’t do?

4. What is the one thing you would most like to change about the world?

5. If happiness was the national currency, what kind of work would make you rich?

6. Are you doing what you believe in, or are you settling for what you are doing?

7. If the average human life span was 40 years, how would you live your life differently?

8. To what degree have you actually controlled the course your life has taken?

9. Are you more worried about doing things right, or doing the right things?

10. What is something you know you do differently than most people?

11. How come the things that make you happy don’t make everyone happy?

12. What is one thing you haven't done that you really want to do? What’s holding you back?

13. Are you holding onto something you need to let go of?

14. If you had to move to a state or country besides the one you currently live in, where would you move and why?

15. Why are you, you?

16. Have you been the kind of friend you want as a friend?

17. Which is worse, when a good friend moves away, or losing touch with a good friend who lives right near you?

18. What are you most grateful for?

19. Do you remember that time 5 years ago when you were extremely upset? Does it really matter now?

20. At what time in your recent past have you felt most passionate and alive?

La Befana

La Befana is an old women or as the italian children tell me a good witch, who delivers lollies, chocolates and small presents to children in Italy on the night of january 5th. 

If the children have been good all year they receive lollies and chocolates in their socks, if the children have been bad they receive lumps of coal. 

La Bafana is also a good Italian house keeper so she will sweep the floors before she leaves. 

La Befana symbolises the end of the Christmas and New Year season and it is a fresh start for the children, they now get a clean slate to start the new year being good. 

Currently in Piazza Navona, there is a big Christmas Market and there are lots of La Befana's for sale. 

I had to buy a La Befana as i have decided to start this tradition in my home. 

Any tradition that encourages the gift giving of chocolate and lollies i am going to strongly support. 

In my home La Befana is going to visit 24 year olds too.

Starting from this year, La Befana is a new tradition Matt and i are going to follow. 

La Befana vien di notte

con le scarpe tutte rotte

col vestito alla romana

viva,viva La Befana!

The English translation is:

The Befana comes by night,

with her shoes all tattered and torn,

she comes dressed in the Roman way

long life to the Befana!

Here is my La Befana 

Pranzo con Zia: Lunch with Zia

Yesterday Matt and i hired a car to go out of Rome to buy wood for our fire.

We decided to go close to Latina so we called Matt's Aunty to ask her if she would 

be home for us to come past for a coffee.

One hour and a half later we arrived at her house with a car full of wood. 

As soon as we walked into the house we could smell the amazing smells. 

Matt said to her was she cooking for her grandchildren and she said no for you and Belinda. 

We tried to tell her not to worry, however the words don't worry do not exist in an Italian household. 

Zia was cooking marinated chicken, pepperoni and bean mix and making home made gnocchi. 

We were sooo excited, there is nothing better than home made gnocchi. 

Of course we did not continue to argue, we just watched and helped when she would let us. 

For Zia the lunch was effortless and she would not have us coming into her house and leaving without rolling out the door. There is so much love put into the food of Italian people. They do not think of the work or cleaning involved in the process, they just want to see you enjoying the food and they want to hear the famous word that makes all the work and preparation worthwhile. 

BUONISSIMO!

London's Hyde Park

Hyde Park has never belonged to London - that it has always been , in spirit, a stretch of countryside; and that it links the Londons of all periods together most magically - by remaining forever unchanged at the heart of a ever-changing town.

We had a beautiful week end in London. My opinion on London has changed the second time round. 

I loved it. So many great spots in London, so much culture and diversity. It will be somewhere i go back too. Hyde Park was one of my favourite spots is London, we had the best time walking through the park early morning. It was freezing and the fog was thick. The autumn colours were bright and leaves were everywhere. I was sooo excited, stopping every two seconds  to take photos. Beautiful time of year in London. 

A beautiful day at Bracciano and Trevignano Romano

Today i did not have to work, so Matt and i decided to go to Bracciano and Trevignano two lake towns. 

We had a beautiful morning walking the cobblestone streets in Bracciano, eating Pizza, local cakes and sitting at the piazza overlooking the lake. 

We then continued our trip to Trevignano, what an amazingly relaxing afternoon. We walked along the path of the lake, all the trees were changing colour and some had even lost all their leaves. The light was beautiful and the temperature cool. We walked all around the town and then back along the lake. 

We found a beautiful jetty cafe on the lake and spent the evening drinking wine, on the lake watching the sun set. There was no noise of people or cars and the lake was still and clear. 

Peace filled the atmosphere and we were enjoying every moment. 

As the sun left us for the day and the cold weather approached, we decided to head back into Roma and have dinner out at a restaurant we have been waiting to try. 

The locals preparing for winter... 

I love the coloured tea towels... 

Local enjoying La dolce vita... i love the trees... 

Bracciano 

Trevignano Romano Lakeside 

Beautiful light.... 

Autumn trees... 

This statue makes me think of freedom and happiness.... 

Our spot... 

Audrey A Roma

I love Audrey Hepburn, everything about her is beautiful and down to earth. 

It has been 50 years since the filming of Roman Holiday in Rome so the city of Rome is celebrating with an Audrey Hepburn exhibition. 

The exhibition explores Audrey's 20 years of living in Rome, her fashion and photographs. 

I went to the exhibition on Sunday and it was great, there were lots of amazing unpublished photos of Audrey, a few of her personal clothing items were on display, a video of her 2nd wedding and a UNICEF aid video etc. 

I bought a book called 'Audrey A Roma', it has a lot about her Italian life and some beautiful photos.