HAPPY 2024! ABOVE ALL I WISH YOU LOVE!

 Happy 2024! I was thinking about New Year wishes for the last few days. I must admit that this year I didn't felt that sense of freshness followed by a surge of optimism that I usually feel on the first day of the New Year. However, I still enjoyed sending the New Year greetings and just the general spirit of the holiday. It's always nice to feel that holiday spirit in the air. Everyone wishing good things upon others. Some say it's not that deep, that it is something people do automatically, but I say that it can't really hurt. I mean, it's entirely up to you what you choose to do this time of year and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Celebrate the way you want to, or don't celebrate at all.

So, let me wish you (one again) all the best! To quote the legendary Dolly Parton (and let's not forget Whitney's interpretation) I wish you joy and happiness! But above I wish you love! Love is that hard to define thing that really makes a difference in our lives. It doesn't have to be romantic love, it can be love towards a friend or a family member. These days I just keep coming back to that line- But above I wish you love! Dolly was the one who wrote the lyrics for the iconic ' I will always love you' song and also the one who sang this song first. However, Houston's version is better known. Both versions are absolutely gorgeous and powerful interpretation of a truly beautiful song. There's a whole (really cool) story behind this song that you might or you might not know, but I won't get into that today. What I will say is that this line- but above all I wish you love- is something that is becoming my mantra these days.

Sure, we wish joy and happiness to others. What else to wish these days? But what is joy and happiness without love? There is no happiness without sadness, so sorrow without joy. They come and go in intervals. If you are blessed enough to have people you love in your love, you'll live to miss them- one way or another.  Where there is gain, there is also loss. What I'm trying to say is that I think it's OK to wish happiness and joy on this day. I'm not a fan of forced happiness or toxic positivity, but it doesn't hurt to focus on the positivity, especially if you are so inclined. If there should be a day for good wishes, the start of New Year year is a good day as any. The miseries of life are always there. We don't need to wish for them.

What is happiness? It can something as simple as saying hello to a random animal you see. Just the other day, my husband slowed down the car while we were passing by some goats, so I was able to blow them kisses. Goats were slightly amused. It made my day. It also amused me that my husband slowed down our car because he figured I might do something like that. I read somewhere that happiness is a by- product. It is something that happens on its own, not something we should chase. In life, we wish for happiness. We wish it upon others. It's normal and natural. However, we should also remember that life is not just about happiness and joy. It's far more complex than that. But love? Genuine love and affection, now that's a true blessing. 

WHAT I'VE BEEN UP TO?

I won't write about everything I've been up to lately because that would be too long, rather I'll share a few highlights. I'd say that my holidays were pretty peaceful. Considering how exhausted I've been feeling lately, they went pretty well! I spent time with my husband's family in Mostar and then we went to Split, spent two days with my family, came back to Mostar.  I still have a few days off and I'm grateful for that. 

REVISITING THE MOSTAR PEACE BELL TOWER

Out of the blue, a friend (a former colleague from island Hvar) texted me saying she'll in Mostar with her two boys and husband.  She wanted to meet up if I was free. I texted back off course, so my husband and I met them in Campanile café next to Franciscan church. We advised them to park next to the tennis centre because it's free (that's an insider tip intended for you too).  Franciscan church is a good place to meet up because it has this 105 meters tall bell tower so it's easy to find! IMAGES OF THE CHURCH AND BELL TOWER TAKEN LAST SUMMER

THE CHURCH AND THE MONASTERY OF SAINT PETER AND SAINT PAUL, MOSTAR
This church and monastery are actually quite new. This church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul is newly built because the old church dating back to the 19th century was completely destroyed in the war. It was rebuild in recent times and now it also includes a large monastery and a church tower.  The church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul can also boost with an impressive library that contains 40,000 volumes of old and vintage books. 

Perhaps you didn't know this, but Mostar has this really tall church tower. I've written about it a couple of time and I visited it twice. The first time was years ago, when I was showing it to a lovely Russian girl I met through conversation exchange site.  She really liked it and her being a teacher, we had a lot to talk about. I actually texted her for NYE and she remembered it. She asked me for photographs of the inside of the church. I'll save that for another post. As it happens, I was planning on showing the inside of the church (it's really amazing) to my Croatian friends, but the church was locked. Fortunately my husband remembered to inquire about the entrance to the church tower in the face. Another insider tip, if the tower looks closed and there's nobody charging the fee, just go to the café Campanile, the waiters can tell you what to do.

Anyhow, this was our second visit- the purpose was the same. To show the panorama to somebody visiting Mostar. Great thing about showing someone around is that you get to be a tourist in your own city and that's always great. This bell tower is definitely worth a visit. The fee is reasonable and there is an elevator. You still have to walk some stairs (about 70 of them if I remember correctly), but the elevator really takes you most of the time. Imagine climbing all the way to the time. This is much more effective and comfortable, I'm glad someone thought of installing an elevator. There are stutters on the windows as you climb the final few floors (I mean if we can call them stores or floors, you can see those windows on the photograph below and see what I mean). 

 Anyway, I really appreciate that as it reduces the anxiousness for the people who are afraid of heights. This way you can peep through the windows, but you're not fully exposed to the view while you're climbing. My friend told me it would have made her feel dizzy if that was the case. Once you get to the final floor there are big widows but you can stand in the middle of the space if you're not comfortable with heights.  Both my friend and her husband (who is a firefighter) are somewhat afraid of heights, but they felt comfortable enough during the visit. She first stayed in the middle and then wondered around once she got more comfortable with the height. The panorama is stunning. The heigh you're at when you get to the top is about 70 meters. That's quite high! Her boys really enjoyed it as you can imagine. 

I also had a nice talk with my friend, we did some catching up. She's has had a back surgery and is still experiencing chronic pain. But what can you do? Sometimes you just have to keep going, for yourself and others. We also talked about work.  If you're a teacher, consider finding and maintaining friendships with other teachers. Having someone who really gets you, could greatly improve your mental health. It's always important to have somebody you can talk to. 

VIEW FROM THE CHURCH TOWER

One more photograph of the view. If you want to see more images of this church, you need what you need to do- visit my old post. 

READING KUNDERA IN A MOSTAR PABLO'S CAFE

Some say that Pablo's restaurant in Mostar has the best espresso in the city. I agree with them. When we are in town, we often stop there for an espresso. Not that we don't dine there as well. We do, from time to time. I love their bruschetta and pasta options. Anyhow, when we were there lately, I noticed that they had some Kundera's books on the so I picked up one of them. It was a novel Joke. When I started reading I assumed it was a collection of stories. I read three of them while we were enjoying coffee and I quite enjoyed them. When I looked it up on wiki,  I realized it was a novel. This is what wiki says of the plot.  :

Like most of Kundera's novels, the book is divided into seven parts;^[1] the parts switch among the viewpoints of four characters. Ludvik Jahn has been expelled from school and the Communist Party for his irreverence. Jaroslav is an old friend with a cimbalom band which Ludvik had once played in. Helena Zemánková is a radio reporter going to interview Jaroslav, and the wife of Ludvik's old nemesis. Kostka is a Christian foil for Ludvik who spars with his life philosophy.

The novel opens with Ludvik back in his hometown in Moravia for the first time in years, startled to recognize the woman cutting his hair, though neither acknowledges the other. He reflects on the joke that changed his life in the early 1950s over the next several chapters of flashback. Ludvik was a dashing, witty, and popular student who, like most of his friends, supported the still-young Communist regime. During their summer break, a girl in his class wrote to him about "optimistic young people filled through and through with the healthy spirit" of Marxism; he replied caustically, "Optimism is the opium of mankind! A healthy spirit stinks of stupidity! Long live Trotsky!"

The girl, under pressure, shared the contents of the letter with others in the Party at school, who did not find it funny. Commissions were convened to investigate Ludvik, who remained defiant, culminating in a plenary session — led by his peer, Pavel Zemanek — in which he was unanimously expelled from the Party and from the college. At the wedding of his old friend Jaroslav, whom he had once encouraged to revive Moravian folk music under the Party banner, Ludvik found that his stance toward that revival had turned bitter.

I must really finished this novel. I stopped reading just when things got interesting. 

“I was not a hypocrite, with one real face and several false ones. I had several faces because I was young and didn't know who I was or wanted to be.”  Milan Kundera, The Joke

“Love is by definition an unmerited gift; being loved without meriting it is the very proof of real love. If a woman tells me: I love you because you're intelligent, because you're decent, because you buy me gifts, because you don't chase women, because you do the dishes, then I'm disappointed; such love seems a rather self-interested business. How much finer it is to hear: I'm crazy about you even though you're neither intelligent nor decent, even though you're a liar, an egotist, a bastard.”  Milan Kundera, Slowness

Now, we're leaving Mostar for a  another quick stop in Split city! Below is a photograph of me and my husband. I was too tired to wear any make up (plus I realized I don't have any), but I did wear this pretty red vintage dress. My sister-in-law's sister took these two shots. I quite like them!

MY SISTER-IN-LAW ALWAYS HAS AMAZING CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS

This is not our Christmas tree. These photographs were shot in my brother's apartment. My sister-in-law always does an amazing job decorating the home for Christmas. She always buys the most beautiful Christmas tree, too! Her sister is the same way and even makes and sells unique handmade Christmas ornaments. I might order some next year!

Those were my highlights. I don't have any specific blogging plans for the New Year. I plan to continue focusing on book reviews with a sprinkling of fashion and travel content. I might even start sharing my art again. I haven't stopped making art. I have had pretty regular commissions last year, almost as many as my full working hours permit.  

How are you doing? As always, thank you for your comments and visits. Take care.