Violeta Altmann

Author: Violeta

  • Holding back

    Holding back

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    by

    Violeta
    in , ,

    I have enjoyed the present,the gift of time,the fragrance and the taste of the ProvenceWith butter croissants and ice cream and cheeses We have had a lovely reset and I felt happyI rested my mind while my legs got tired exploring Even my kids who were so well behaved on this tripnoted that I was…

  • Mundane Provence

    Mundane Provence

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    by

    Violeta
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    Waking up to a quiet house,Every room full, but still asleep.I step slowly into the sun drenched kitchen,And I make coffee. Legs stretched on the kitchen day bedI sip the coffee and look towards the cypress trees shivering with joyBirds singing, bees dancing.This must be heaven. Women on a retreatHappy. Radiating. This lineup in Provencecould…

  • Reset in Provence

    Reset in Provence

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    by

    Violeta
    in ,

    Postponed joy. Delayed gratificationeventually embracing adventureAnd making buttery memoriesAnd savoring blasting contagious laughter. Livia, the ever generous hostWaiting for us with everything preparedAnticipating every detailAnd spoiling us with stories and croissants There is an intuitive dance in the kitchenWomen, mothers, serving each otherNone waiting to be served. And there is a feast of gratitudeand an…

  • Teenagers learning to cook and cheap labor

    Teenagers learning to cook and cheap labor

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    by

    Violeta
    in ,

    Four years ago we contracted a house interior finishes crew. They had some experience and covered a lot of skills in interior finishes. But they also had a diverse pool of people, some just starting, some needing a lot of hand holding, some having to redo the work and pulling tiles of the wall is…

  • Planning to go but willing to stay

    Planning to go but willing to stay

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    by

    Violeta
    in ,

    I have renewed energy as I gain some clarity about my timeline in this volunteering project. I have been intensely stretched and on one hand I loved the community. But on the other hand I have felt out of my league against my will. So many times I felt close to panic attack due to…

  • Ioana

    Ioana

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    Violeta
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    I regard you with envy and admiration.A decision that was fraught over.Not easy. But necessary.Closing a chapter. Making a clean cut.I appreciate your declared availabilityBut it’s not necessary.I worry for that phrase. The open door.Hopefully we won’t abuse it.Maybe you’ve tested the waters of absence,letting us go. Slowly over time.We’ll make do.I want to bless…

  • Be yourself

    Be yourself

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    Violeta
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    We try to do what’s right but not from within, not from our deep and slow earned wisdom but by being bombarded with new ideas and gentle parenting misunderstood. Oh, you can feel from a mile away a parent who feels in control of their own lives and emotions. Who glide with confidence. Who ooze…

  • Worry about adulthood

    Worry about adulthood

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    Violeta
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    “You know what keeps me up at night?” Jackie is on spring vacation and more chatty at home, more open, settled, and fun to be around. Even though she has a great social context at school, it puts her on edge often. Navigating social drama takes up so much of our kid’s energy. There is…

  • Easter with family

    Easter with family

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    by

    Violeta
    in

    We cleaned the terrace and I brought the round table in, to extend the large dining room table so it could fit us all together. Conrad cooked paprikas and baked corn bread. There was an abundance of food. I baked pocket cheesecakes and everyone was happy to enjoy a slow Sunday together.  Recently I had…

  • What hurt most

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    by

    Violeta
    in ,

    During my burnoutWas the clear awareness of how ungenerous I becameWith my attentionWith my timeIf I felt that everyone wanted a piece of meI would curl my fingers around the meager resources of sanity and silenceAnd I wound dread any interruption. What hurt most was my greed for restI was not generous anymoreAnd I felt…

  • Words have power

    Words have power

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    Violeta
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    I remembered, I felt how powerful a positive word spoken clearly in my mind can be.When have I stopped doing that? Why? I have lived in a fog. Dense. Sticky with sadness, tiredness. Then after clearing the film of silence off the topI could breath againAnd hearI listened to barely whispered questionsAnd received an answer.Not…

  • Nu vreau

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    by

    Violeta
    in

    M-am auto condiționat să fac ce e bine. Să fac ce trebuie. Am găsit un echilibru delicat în a face bine pe termen lung, pentru mine și cei din jur. Dar în ultimii ani mi-am tot șters limitele, am trecut peste ce e rezonabil, și am sperat ca Domnul va completa din abundență. Dar probabil…