Azoresgal~Life on an Island

Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year. Ralph Waldo Emerson

Do not regret growing older. It is a privilege denied to many. - Unknown.

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time.  ~John Lubbock What a perfect quote to describe summer, around our house we have been doing our best to enjoy it ! It goes by so quickly, so best to enjoy it with the most simple things, simple pleasures really ! I  look forward to this time of the year, to enjoy our backyard and the outdoors.When the days are long and hot,  and there is nothing like doing absolutely nothing at all. Lets face it, I enjoy sleeping in, and not having to have everyone on a schedule. I enjoy sleeping at night with the windows open, listening to the ocean, the frogs and the crickets. I enjoy the wonderful sea breeze that invades our house during the day. I enjoy sitting out at night, and lighting a bonfire, so the kids can roast marshmallows. I enjoy nice cold drinks. Swimming daytime or nightime. Our bountiful veg...

You are responsible, forever, for what you have tamed. You are responsible for your rose. - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

A mother holds her children’s hands for a while, but their hearts forever... Harvest -  Margarita Sikorskaia xo, Diana

“ There  is a  lovely warmness  about  feelings  of  nostalgia  as  though  in  one's head one  is  putting  on a  pair  of  comfy old slippers  and  curling up  in  front  of a  fire .”~William E. Geist

A man's age is something impressive, it sums up his life: maturity reached slowly and against many obstacles, illnesses cured, griefs and despairs overcome, and unconscious risks taken; maturity formed through so many desires, hopes, regrets, forgotten things, loves. A man's age represents a fine cargo of experiences and memories.                                                                                                         ~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Srº Manuel da Ad...

" quit your job buy a ticket get a tan fall in love never return"  xo,Diana

Way before, Ina, Martha, Nigella there was Julia. I believe she is the first TV chef, I ever watched. I kid you not, on Saturday morning....I loved to watch Julia, on the PBS channel. There was something charming, friendly about her....and she made everything seem simple, and easy to do. Today would have been her 100th birthday. Below is one of my favorite Julia Child quotes. They are ;) xo,Diana

Let us be silent, that we may hear the whispers of the gods. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson Yesterday, we went on an adventure, got in the car and drove up to Lagoa das Patas. It was oh so lovely up there.....so quiet....so silent...so peaceful. Dare I say it, heaven on earth. The island is gorgeous right now, very lush and green, and the road sides dabbled in white, pink, purple and blue as the hydrangeas are now in full bloom. After Lagoa das Patas, we headed over to Monte Brasil, for a picnic. Although I have visted both of these places, over and over again, it never cease to amaze me, how beautiful they are, and  how special the island is to me, sort of like falling in love all over again. As I posted these pictures today, it suddenly dawned on me...I have now been living here 15 years. I missed the date somehow... July 2nd 1997,  the offical day of my arrival, the start, of what has been a wonderful adventure, my life on an island. xo, ...

A mother's heart is a patchwork of love. ~Author Unknown xo, Diana

"theres no tragedy in life like the death of a child.Things never get back to the way they were." D. Eisenhower I could not sleep last night, I had a song stuck in my head, that kept playing over and over. As a mother my heart is heavy, our little island yesterday, woke up to some very sad news. A young boy had died, at the tender age of 13, suicide. Sweet child, what would lead you to such a decision. I know this child's mother, our pathes have crossed over the years. My husband worked with her for sometime years ago. I have hugged this mother once before, to comfort her, as she cried over the loss of a baby, somthing I knew all to well.  For months all we did was cry everytime we saw each other while we hugged. This time, I ache for her, as if somehow, I know that all the hugs in the world, will never mend her together, ever again. I pray , with time, she will, mend.  As I helped my children into their beds last night, with our usually hugs and kisses, I...

"I know the look of an apple that is roasting and sizzling on the hearth on a winter's evening, and I know the comfort that comes of eating it hot, along with some sugar and a drench of cream... I know how the nuts taken in conjunction with winter apples, cider, and doughnuts, make old people's tales and old jokes sound fresh and crisp and enchanting."  Mark Twain The perfect recipe for the apple season.  The contrast of  sweet soft fruit and  a crunchy crumble topping, make this a fall favorite. Much quicker to make than an apple pie. After one taste, I think, you will want to make it again. 6 apples, and a buttered dish thinly slice apples, and place in the dish half a bag of caramels ( Werthers Caramels, work just fine) unwrap, and layer on apples ( YOU CAN MAKE THIS WITHOUT THE CARAMELS TOO) in a bowl mix, flour, sugar, spices,oats,and butter layer on top of the apples (and caramels if using) bake @ 200º/375 fo...

Occasionally in life there are those moments of unutterable fulfillment which cannot be completely explained by those symbols called words. Their meaning can only be articulated by the inaudible language of the heart.~Martin Luther King Jr I had one of these moments, this weekend. My sweet friend Ilídia , organized a "tea" party, at her home this past Saturday. She invited several other "bloggers" so that we could all meet in "person". It was a fanastic afternoon, spent in the company of some remarkable women. It was a joy to personally meet,  Elvira , Manuela , Susana , Patrícia and PMT .  The afternoon somehow, flew by, and I believe we all left, with the feeling that, there was so much more to talk about, laugh and giggle about, and plenty more recipes to share. I do believe, that this was the first of many more "tea parties". My dear friends, I cannot thank you enough for your kindness, the fact that I write my blog in english, has in no...

Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain. ~Author Unknow xo,Diana

“Salt is born of the purest of parents: the sun and the sea.” - Pythagoras the start of every Alcatra....... like  my grandmother taught me..... xo,Diana

In summer, the song sings itself. -- William Carlos Williams xo,Diana

Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby. ~Langston Hughes

The history of our grandparents is remembered not with rose petals but in the laughter and tears of their children and their children's children.  It is into us that the lives of grandparents have gone.  It is in us that their history becomes a future.  ~Charles and Ann Morse my paternal grandmother I miss you very much, Diana

Peace - that was the other name for home.  ~Kathleen Norris I know that I was not born here, on the island, but I do know, that I have always felt that I belonged here, that it was where I was meant to be. This is where I choose to live, it is where I call home, and that gives me such a sense of peace. There is peace in the green of the pastures, the blue of the hydrangeas, the smell of the ocean breeze, the chirping of the birds, even in the cows grazing in the fields. There are people who spend their whole lives, searching for peace & happiness. How blessed I am to have found these things, so early on in my life. It is simple really "  Aqui eu sou feliz."