I "Heart" Blogging:)

Ninety blog followers and counting on Blogger; 51 followers on Facebook's Networked Blogs:)

Every time a new follower appears, I experience a childlike excitement.

It's like opening a gift whenever a new face shows up, and it's inspiring to dialogue with those who leave comments.

Who has come by? from where? We are now connected through my stories and comments and their thoughts and reflections on what I've shared.

It's been a year and a half since I set up my blog. At the time, I had no idea where the blog journey would lead me.

It’s been an amazing ride so far. I have shared stories from my youth with my children that were new to them. Followers I will never meet have commented on my blog from Greece, Australia, NYC, Indiana, Canada and elsewhere.
 
At local events people tell me they have shared my blog with their friends and relatives, and each time I am thrilled and grateful.

Blogging expands my world in delightful ways. I'm often surprised that the writing speaks to such a diverse group of men and women, ages and beliefs.

I always wanted to write a memoir to share my life experiences and the wisdom from them, but a book seemed so daunting. Blogging moves me one step closer to that dream.

A new world has opened with readers from all walks of life. My blog was featured on blogher.com twice and is ranked on the three Top 50 lists on Facebook’s Networked Blogs. http://apps.facebook.com/blognetworks/searchpage.php?tag=personal+stories.  And there are more followers on other blog sites, such as blogcatalog.com.

Each follower is part of my blogging life, and it makes me smile when they show up or share their thoughts.

But the most important discovery from blogging is the joy I feel every time I write.

My creative process springs from ideas that emerge in the car, the bathtub, anywhere, to finding images to enhance and complete the story, and finally to publishing it. I feel euphoric when I see it published and more so when someone "likes" it.

For me, blogging is the ultimate way to connect and share with those I know and many I will only meet in the virtual world. It gives me a natural "high"every single time. I am following my bliss.

Heart by pitabox987
Diversity 6 by bsk

Copyright © Erana Leiken, 2010-2011 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

A Perfect Day in Tuscany

Every now and then, I experience a perfect day...where everything seems just right. I had such a glorious day last September in the magical city of Lucca, northern Tuscany, Italy.

Lucca dates back to 180 BC as a Roman colony. Today it is a charming, hillside town fortified with double thick, massive red-brick walls built from 1504-1645 that provided centuries of protection and defense to its citizens from invaders who sought the wealth of the thriving silk merchant families.

Lucca managed to keep the marauders at bay and then had the good fortune to be protected and ruled by Elisa, Napoleon's sister, so its beauty was enhanced and its history preserved.

Even now there are portals with massive gates for entering the town where pedestrians, mopeds and small cars wind their way around shops, cafes, open markets, piazzas, and gelato stands in the gentle bustle of the town.

Today the walls, wide enough to be a two lane road, tower above the city as a 3-mile park circling the city that offers views of the medieval look-out towers and exquisitely landscaped gardens of the villas it rings and embraces. Outside the wall lie the newer city and the countryside abundant with olives and grapes.

The top of the walls are like a park where families stroll with their children, lovers walk hand-in-hand, cyclists stop for a picnic lunch, and runners jog under the shade trees.

A garden show and exhibit hug the wall's banks where local flowers and plants are artfully displayed to the pleasure of passersby.

My perfect Lucca day started with a stop at a small grocer's inside the walled community where Gina, my traveling companion and guide from http://villavita.net/, and I select the ingredients for a fresh sandwich plus fruit and cheese for our bike ride and picnic atop the wall.

Next we rent our bikes at the foot of the wall and begin our climb onto the multi-story high walls and ramparts to enjoy the ambiance and the magnificent vista on our bike ride. The weather is just right, sunny, comfortable and clear, so we can see for miles.

We could have been in Central Park with people leisurely enjoying the day on the promenade along the tree-lined wall. Midway we pause at a grassy spot to eat our delicious lunch of prosciutto, tomatoes, pecorino (sheep-milk cheese) and fresh, juicy peaches.

Gina shares a legendary story of the great jazz musician Stan Getz being incarcerated for a month for smoking pot. The locals sat outside the jail and listened to him play from his cell every night as if they were at a concert.

After our relaxing ride, we enter Lucca through one of its portals and stop at a famous cafe where Puccini and other creative artists of his day sipped their coffee.

We wander through the city's narrow lanes, still intact in their ancient Roman street plan, to the piazza where a bronze of Puccini, legs crossed, sits and looks out at the square.

Children climb on top of his lap while adoring parents take their photos with the composer.

The shops nearby display the latest fashions of stylized, supple leather and haute couture from Milan and Rome's finest designers.

For dinner we decide to eat at a small cafe that was recommended by Elizabeth Gilbert in her book, Eat, Pray, Love; like her, we had the risotto with wild mushrooms and a fine red wine.

The most magical part of the day was yet to come. We went to the cathedral, where Puccini was once the organist, to hear aspiring opera students, accompanied by a grand piano, sing Puccini's famous arias.

A small audience, seated in folding chairs, listens in rapt appreciation. The night is balmy and the music enchanting. Some of us are moved to tears.

It was the perfect ending to a perfect day in Tuscany. Bellissimo!

Copyright © Erana Leiken, 2010 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

http://villavita.net/workshops/creative-travel-writing-workshop/


Lucca, Italy photo by laurab
 
toscana2 photo by Gabriella Pataky

Erana in Wonderland

Sometimes my mind is in a hurry and races along like the White Rabbit eager to get to the next new idea.

The mind is a wonderful thing. It takes us anywhere, anytime and lets us frolic through ideas, memories, fantasies, reflections.

My mind loves to play. It can also overwork and sometimes refuses to shut up like the Mad Hatter.

When I daydream, my mind flits from thought to thought as if I were a busy bee pausing at each mind flower to sample its nectar.

As my mind wanders, it discovers, it lingers, and it bolts. Some thoughts enter and leave right away. “Hmm, that’s interesting.” “Don’t go there…you know what happens there.” Others are obsessive and won’t let go. “Why did he do that? When will I ever learn?”

My mind takes me places where I laugh, cry, and get mad.

I have states of mind that can spiral me into fear, dread, and anger or joy and contentment. My mind conjures up faces, conversations, replays and even re-records events as they happened and as I wish they had happened. “Why didn’t I say.”

My mind acts like a child: “Go ahead, try it. Have fun!” Like an adult: “Are you crazy? Do you know what will happen if you do that?”Like the Queen of Hearts, my mind becomes tyrannical as it imagines “off with my head.”

Sometimes I over think, analyze to the nth degree, and put myself in a riddle like the Cheshire Cat. Sometimes I misconstrue, think it’s one thing when it’s not that at all.

Mind tricks and mind games can be misleading and create doubt and distrust. I have to catch myself from going into dark alleys and trying to avoid trouble I’m creating.

I’ve tried mind control. “Stop thinking about it.” Sometimes it works. Other times the mind has a will of its own and refuses to be corralled. It mostly wants to be untethered and act on its own accord.

It’s interesting and often delightful to let it wander, play with ideas as if they were friends, and explore new thoughts.

When I let my mind be free, I often discover creative ways of seeing things. It helps me problem solve and reframe situations and issues.

I am mind “full,” too much at times, and even capricious. When I let it rest, it takes time out for awhile during meditation, a sort of spa for the mind to get refreshed and start anew.

During meditation, I need to protect my mind from reality, the lists, tasks, chores of everyday life. We both need a break.

The rewards for taking a mind break often lead me to inspiration and creative breakthroughs. Today I took a mind break.

Illustration by Peter Sheaf Hersey Newell

Alice in Wonderland by DGBurns

Wonderland by A-D Passion

Copyright © Erana Leiken, 2010 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Guest Villa Vita blog: Ciao for Now, Il Borgo

Sharing the Beauty of Travel in Italy and Beyond

by Gina Ruggiero, Villa Vita Blog

I am sitting on the plane en route back to the U.S. after another absolutely wonderful stay in Tuscany thinking to myself “how can I be so lucky”?

I believe a large part of my good fortune can be accredited to learning about Il Borgo Villa di Bossi Pucci. Since I first entered through the grand gates last year, I (and everyone I bring here) have been treated with such good care.

The apartments are simple and elegantly furnished with full living rooms and breakfast kitchens. Each building is restored to reveal its original typical Tuscan architecture.

The views from the terraces in the 2 bedroom villas are stunning. I must admit I spent a great deal of time here admiring it all during my stay.

The fog rolling down into the valley in the morning, the late afternoon cloud burst and thunderstorms, and the sunset (after 9 PM in June) turning the valley to a gold and green paradise is as much a part of the holiday as is the trips to all the charming hill towns and restaurants.

The owner of the estate is a former CEO of Hilton International and American Express which helps to explain the top notch service and quality accommodations. Daily management of the property is under the capable hands of Alessandro Guerrieri. He, his wife Julia and their two sons all live on the estate.

On a quiet afternoon in the summer, you can catch a glimpse of the boys playing soccer in one of the many grassy fields surrounding the estate.

On special occasions, the large central courtyard plays host to classical concerts with local musicians and other such venues.

The pool boasts the same fantastic views as the 2 bedroom villas with Poppiano Castle to the left and Montespertoli in the direct distance just past the vineyards and olive groves.

Walking paths and quiet country roads lead in all directions from here taking you further into a Tuscan dream.

The landscaping is abound with rosemary and roses, terra cotta pots brimming with blossoms and of course, olive trees and cypress.

There is a little ancient chapel on property tucked away in a small wooded area just past the pool. It was very common for larger estates to all have their own chapel centuries ago.

Just below the pool, a grassy pathway leads to the small town of Montagnana. Here there is the general store, (alimentari) a wonderful pizzeria, un ristorante, café, hair salon, gas station, post office, and real estate office.

I could not resist taking a look at the few homes and apartments for sale, after all, this is a slice of paradise. Many of the apartments in Il Borgo are for sale as well if you are like me and would like this to be a more permanent holiday.

In the meantime, staying at Il Borgo and participating in the Lessons of Tuscany program is the next best way to experience all the splendors of Tuscany.

Join us in September for a creative writing workshop, "Postcards from Italy," taught by Erana Leiken, and capture Tuscany with your pen and your heart.

http://villavita.net/workshops_adventures.htm

http://www.villavita.net/experience.htm

Testimonials from Our Travelers
http://myvillavita.com/travelers/

Still Learning My ABC's

I found some notes I started in 2009 when I jotted down letters of the alphabet and then freewrote words that came to mind from them.

Looking at them now, I see that my word play was really a litmus test for my perceptions about life.

The words  I created from each initial alphabet letter told me how I was doing and my perspective.

I never finished the whole alphabet and I created them randomly, not sequentially. They may not be tea leaves, but they are indicators of where my "head" is and a good barometer for how I am seeing things at this stage of  life.

The alphabet seeds brought forth new thoughts from my interior garden and showed me how my awareness has shifted over the past few years in spite of job changes, health concerns and the old insecurities that used to run my life.

So I am still learning from my ABC's. They are a rorschach, an inkblot for my life now, freely expressed and good to see on the page.

L for laughter, life, light

A for angels, attitude, advance

J   for joy, journey, jubiliation

F  for freedom, forward, fun

E  for energy, enlightenment, enhance

G  for good, grace, gratitude

C  for courage, change, choice

P  for positive, powerful, productive

As I writer, I could complete the alphabet and the words they prompt, but I choose to let the inspiration speak for itself and for me.

They occurred spontaneously and will remain as they showed up in my consciousness. They are welcome at a more contented time in my life:)

Copyright © Erana Leiken, 2010 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Photo of magnet letters by guil

First 100 Days of Blogging

For almost two years I told everyone (and myself) I would start a blog. I saved articles and bought books about blogging, but it seemed too big a commitment to take on. 

So last fall, I took the plunge and signed up for an intensive online class that pushed me into learning new technology, dusting off old stories and creating new ones to have at least 10 posts ready to go within two weeks. The weekly requirements were time consuming and tiring with a steep learning curve, but I prevailed.

I had much to learn to reach a comfort level with basic blogging tools. I’m still learning. Though the technology was a hurdle to overcome for a non-techie, I had no idea where the blog journey would lead me.

Initially, another new blogger from the class and I encouraged and supported each other. I tested the waters by adding my blog to directories and introducing it to online writers’ groups. I emailed friends and family asking them to take a look and come by regularly if they liked what they saw.

It’s been an amazing ride so far. I have shared stories from my youth with my children they never knew. People I will never meet have commented on my blog from Greece, Australia, NYC, Indiana, Canada and elsewhere. At local functions others tell me they have shared my blog with their friends and relatives, and of course I am thrilled.

I took more steps to reach more readers by sharing my blog on Facebook and LinkedIn with a network of friends, relatives and colleagues whom I’ve rediscovered from college and former jobs as well as new friends and friends of friends.

Though I teach Internet marketing at a college nearby, I am now experiencing the new personal connections that can come from anywhere. As a professional marketer, for years I helped companies find and keep new customers via the Net, but my personal circle consisted of known friends whom I shared emails with to stay in touch and pass along jokes.

Blogging expanded my world to so many more people. I’m surprised and delighted that the writing speaks to such a diverse group of men and women, ages and beliefs. I always wanted to write a memoir to share my life experiences and the wisdom I’ve earned through them, but the book seemed so daunting.

After my first 100 days of blogging, a new world has opened up to me. My blog is ranked on three top lists on Facebook’s Networked Blogs. http://apps.facebook.com/blognetworks/searchpage.php?tag=personal+stories

One of my posts, Following My Bliss http://justdoingmythingcom.blogspot.com/2009/10/following-my-bliss.html was recently included in the Independent Writers of SoCAL’s newsletter.

But the most important discovery of blogging is the joy I feel every time I write. The creative process from ideas that emerge, that can show up in the car, the bathtub, anywhere, to finding images to enhance and complete the story, and finally to publish it is an ongoing act of discovery every time. I can tell and publish my stories in real time and have them ready for browsers and followers anytime, anywhere.

For me, blogging is the ultimate way to connect and share with those I know and many I will never meet. It is an act of love every time.

Copyright © Erana Leiken, 2010 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Photo by Zanetta Hardy

Following My Bliss

For me creative writing is awakening. I feel fully alive. I lose self-consciousness and become conscious. Writing feeds my soul and completes me. It connects my heart and mind and opens me to self-exploration recreated into words. It exalts my spirit and the real me sings out.

Creative writing puts me in touch, makes me aware, and connects all my parts. It makes me feel whole and free…a watershed release from deep inside. It’s joyous and fulfilling.

It gives my life force a voice that speaks my inner truth.

Because most of my writing is for business, writing creatively is a rare luxury, stolen moments to tell my stories. I’ve waited to tell my stories, until I could take the risk, until my children were independent, until I believed in my work, until others affirmed it.

The stories have been gestating far too long, and I feel as if I’m going to burst soon. They seem so insistent, demanding to be told. I am “very pregnant” with them. They’ve been waiting for their time to live and refuse to wait any longer.

I’ve seen the effect my stories have on others from my Writing from Life classes, at a public reading in Woodstock where the audience was brought to tears, and at a Writer’s Studio memoir workshop in New York City. I’ve learned that my stories are not just for me.

They need to be told and shared. Through them, I experienced the power to connect to many. They’re universal stories of family, relationships, sorrow, and healing.

I’ve been told for years, “You should write a book.” And so the time has come to nurture my self-expression and transform my experiences into my memoir of blog stories.

Copyright © Erana Leiken, 2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
 
Photo by asafesh