– Autumn glory in Ravello at the Hotel Parsifal

It has been hard to know what to write. Tomorrow will be three weeks that my husband has been sick, and every day I hope he will be feeling better. We’re thankful that it’s nothing extremely serious and we’re anticipating a full recovery. It has just been very tough and very slow. On the days when I have had the chance to even think about writing something here–between trips to the farmacia, waiting for doctor visits, taking care of my husband and desperately trying to keep up with work–it has seemed dishonest to write without any regard to what is actually going on my life.

While I can’t look at these autumn photos I’ve taken recently without remembering what I was doing and the worries or hopes of that particular day, when I do look at them they also remind me that in the midst of everything there has been time to see the beauty around me. That’s one of the reasons I take photos. I suppose, in a sense, it’s one form of mindfulness. Refusing to get caught up so much that I’m not brought to a standstill to admire the rich colors of the autumn leaves, a pile of crates filled to the brim with grapes from the harvest or the early morning glow of the sunshine on deep red vines. And so I share some of these mindful moments and their beauty. Yes, they definitely do help.

– Time for the vendemmia on the Amalfi Coast

– Autumn hues in Scala

– Crunch crunch crunch …

– Early morning sunshine on deep red grape vines

– Last days of help from my trusty old friend before it gets too cold