Sweet Summer: Great Books, New York City, and Cupcakes

photo credit: fanpop.com 

One of my favorite parts of summer is tackling my summer reading list. I don't mean the  list of required reading for school that teachers sent home every year, but a list that I keep all year long when I'm too busy with assignments and work to read. I keep a list in my phone, and a written list, to keep track of books that I come across and want to read when I have the time to really enjoy them. I  have to give credit to my past teachers in elementary and high school who sent reading lists home for the summer. I'm not going to say that I didn't dread those lists, but having that required reading every summer has made reading a natural part of the season for me. I definitely can now appreciate being able to choose which books to add to my list.  I tend to read a few books at a time; for some reason I have always liked to alternate books depending on what mood I'm in. Even when I was a little kid, I remember checking out a stack of picture books from the library each week, knowing I would want to read more than one. Here is a list of the books I'm currently reading (and one I just finished.) :

 1.    Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky

         I picked up this book from the library and was fascinated by the story behind the writing of the book itself. It was written by a French Jewish woman during the worst years of World War II. The book describes the  experiences of Parisian Jews living under Nazi occupied territory. The author wrote the book while hiding with her own family from the Nazis . The most incredible story is that even though she was sadly taken to a concentration camp, the author's children remained in hiding and carried their mother's manuscript with them for years. The book remained unpublished for sixty four years.

2.    Paris, My Sweet: A Year in the City of Light ( and Dark Chocolate) by Amy Thomas

     On a much lighter note, I just finished reading this sweet novel about a starry eyed young professional who scores a job at Louis Vuitton, and moves to Paris for a year. She writes about her experiences indulging in the city's fabulous pastries and chocolates, and also writes about her love for her hometown, New York City. Each chapter is named after an iconic dessert ( Cupcakes, Macarons, etc.) and at the end she includes her favorite places to enjoy that pastry in New York and Paris. I had fun making notes on which places to check out when  I visit  New York in a few weeks. Which brings me to my next books...

3. The Little Black Book  of New York and National Geographic's Traveler:  New York

            I know these aren't really novels, but I have kind of made a hobby out of planning for my New York trip. I went to New York once before and instantly fell in love with the city. We were there for a week, and before I knew it I was getting back on the plane home, left with an entire list of things that we didn't do. So I have been planning ( maybe a little too much) on how we can do the most things, and basically have the most fun without wasting time on looking up directions, or just figuring out what to do. I can't tell you how many times we just stopped, all looking at each other asking "What are we going to do today?" The city is so exciting, but the options are overwhelming. I can sit with my travel books, map of the boroughs, and my laptop open for hours at a time just looking over different places to go while we are there. 

Its 8:30pm and I'm beginning to hear the wind and thunder outside my window- signs of a classic summer  thunderstorm, aka perfect reading weather. Look for my post soon about my New York trip- I plan to post about all the bakeries and coffee shops we visit, and I've got a pretty long list, so we'll see how many places I can cross off! 

The Hobgoblin of Little Minds

So. It's come to this. It's 11 pm central, and I'm sitting in my family house on the floor of the upstairs playroom, straddling a magnificent pint of Ben and Jerry’s Half Baked ice cream between my sprawling, and might I say slightly prickly legs. I've accomplished a steaming pot of nothing today, and my usual energy is simply draining away like the color out of Alexander McQueen's fall 2012 collection. Unlike the collection however, my mood does not contain interruptions of beautiful scarlet organza, brilliant bursts of feathers, or a creamy, deliciously sensual manipulation of fabric that only the most fabulous of fashionistas could accomplish. No. My mood is none of that. my mood is utter blah. All-time Low. And I'm not talking about the band here folk's (  http://www.alltimelowband.com ) Needless to say my current levels of apathy and general laziness have been shocking. It's only the beginning of summer and already, I seem to have run out of gas. Two weeks ago, I could have blamed this foul, unseemly mood on the general lack of sleep and stress related with undergoing my first finals week of college. Two  MONTHS ago, I could have attributed it to the utter suckiness of undergoing my first real experience in heartache. Now?? With a trip to Ireland at the end of the week, and a trip to the big apple the in three weeks, I have absolutely no time or reason to be lazy!! So why this? why now??

11:45 pm central time.

My Half Baked is half gone. But, between chowing down on the gobs of chocolate chip cookie dough, I managed to sort through what I believe are the quintessential causes of my utterly gassed out mood.

1) Between working hours at my new job (which I seem to be totally lost at) in an effort to ensure that I'm not totally broke after all my summer adventures, I seem to be driving myself crazy

2) My current obsession with physical fitness and ThinkThin protein bars takes a lot of energy and will power to keep up with!(although I'm doing pretty good! Only two weeks out of college, and several stubborn pounds down! obviously the caf food was NOT doing it for me)

After a few more spoonfuls, and several more minutes of quiet deliberation, I finally muster up the energy to put down my now 3/4ths done pint of ice cream and actually DEAL WITH MY PROBLEMS. shock. As an aspiring medical student, I decide to rely on my powers of self-diagnosis. Ultimate Prescription? Change of scenery. Wasn’t it Emerson who said “consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds"? After doing nearly the same thing and seeing the same people every day for the past 9 months at University, I have absolutely no idea how to spend my newfound summer free time. I need to break away from consistency. I want change, and spontaneity. I want to kiss this small town life goodbye for the next three months. I want--no--need a vacation! Ireland on Friday can't come soon enough :-) Until then, i'll settle for a cold shower and some sleep. Work in the morning, and my little friend Consistency will have to stick around a while longer.

--Pearl

Il dolce far niente

My day started at 5 am. I rushed to work, classes, lunch with friends, and to a meeting- all in the pouring rain. Finally, I decided to stop by a coffee shop downtown for a much needed pick me up. Everyone that knows me well is aware of my slight ( ok total) addiction to coffee. So when I find great coffee I get really, really excited. So I walked in, ordered a latte and went up  to the mezzanine level of the shop. I have to mention that my town has very few coffee shops, and hardly any that aren't chains. This shop is definitely the closest thing I have to the cozy, hole in the wall cafes that I frequented while visiting New York City. The upstairs level has such a unique atmosphere- the ceiling has exposed pipes, giving off a rustic feel, and shelves line the walls with books. The room is kind of dark, with  cozy armchairs, and cute lamps to brighten up dark corners in the room. There is even a collection of old- fashioned kerosine lamps displayed on  top of the shelves. While I sat and took in the cozy atmosphere, the friendly barista brought me my latte in a ceramic mug- not a to go cup! I don't know why, but somehow coffee is much more enjoyable in a real cup, despite how convenient those paper to go cups are. Maybe it's because with a real cup, you have to sit and enjoy the coffee- savor its aroma, smooth layer of foam, and flavor. With go cups, you have the tendency to gulp down the coffee, ignoring the taste, waiting for that jolt of caffeine to kick in and help you go about your to do list. I think most of us tend to live life in the " to go cup" way- speeding through the day, trying to accomplish as much as possible, without stopping to savor the moment. While I don't think we all need an "  Eat, Pray,Love" experience to learn how to slow down, I think we can find small ways to be more present in our days. It only takes people like your neighborhood coffee shop barista, or a still moment in a hectic day, to help you realize that it's the simple things that count. These  moments of release, escape,  and inspiration are the ones we cherish. The moments that we look back on  and can smile about. So, here's to finding the sweetness in doing nothing- " il dolce far niente" as the Italians say, and finding many more ways to savor the moment with those we are closest to.

              --Mercey

In the corporate workplace, there is no time for idle behavior. A new job at a local hospital has taught me this lesson soundly, (although not very sweetly). Time equals money, and money equals power. Purchasing power, social power, and the infinite ability to influence. That, my friends, is unfortunately, the defining standard in industrial America. Waste time, and things don’t get done which equals a very unhappy little socialite (like myself) not getting paid. And it's true what they say: a hungry girl, is an angry girl. A quick look at recent unemployment statistics, in comparison to the depression and violence rates will attest to the fact that people are usually happier when there is greater output in the workplace ( which means greater input in their pockets <3 )But why is that so?  How is it that the happiness of a nation has somehow become hinged to our professional productivity? When did the "on to the next task" attitude replace the "stop and smell the flowers" mantra that used to be touted so fervently? The inbred necessity to assign a purpose to every action has tainted life's most basic comforts both in, and out of the workplace. Reader, when was the last time that you thought to yourself: I do not need to act; to create; I can just sit in the sun and enjoy the utter stillness of doing nothing. The Italian people ( in my opinion, some of the most intelligent in the world, obviously) are so sold on the importance of finding pleasure in idleness, that they have actually set aside a phrase dedicated to the fabulous idea: "il dolce far niente" --the sweetness of doing nothing. The idea itself is pure brilliance: immersing oneself in the enjoyment of doing things without purpose. Spending time in happiness instead of constantly pursuing it. Granted, a purpose-driven life is commendable, and ambitions are important; but is leading a life dictated by goals and deadlines any way to live at all? When life moves so fast, is there any time left to enjoy it?  So, our dear reader, this is a blog dedicated to you, and me. we, and us. and exploring the beautiful conundrum that is--il dolce far niente: the sweetness of doing absolutely nothing.

--Pearl