Thursday, June 24, 2010

Now entering the cherry phase.

After, 2010

Rinse. Eat. Repeat.

Oh, and one more thing. One of my favorite memories...

I am at a nude beach in Italy, but only brave enough to go topless. I'm sitting on an outcropping, my feet dangling in some shallow water. I'm reading a thick paperback copy of Jane Austen's Persuasion. A handsome Italian man (nude) walks up to me and presents a handful of cherries. Cherry? he says. I smile hesitantly, wondering uh oh--what's next? and take a cherry. He smiles and moves on along the beach, contentedly. I eat my cherry and continue reading.

39 comments:

  1. Is it only me or.....

    -every time I visit your beautiful place here, you change the color of your font. Yesterday I noticed this calming blue and a watermelon red/pink, thought about that color combo all day...so unique.

    Today with your lovely "eaten" cherries there is the grey and red.
    I don't know if it is intentional...but I truly love it.
    Have a wonderful weekend...and have fun eating cherries.

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  2. Camilla, Oh no, you are too fast. I hadn't finished my post. You missed the cherry memory. It's not only you. Yes, I am always changing my font colors. It's just a little something I enjoy doing. Thanks for reading and noticing the little things.

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  3. One of your favourite memories is now one of my favourite stories.

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  4. Awesome photo. Now where'd those cherries go? Standing by . . .

    And, ugh, is it really cold at home? We're coming back tomorrow and I'm not ready for summer to be over!

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  5. Minx ;)

    I had a bag of cherries today with my lunch. Cubicle style I ate cherry and then spit out pit. It was very VERY. No one else sits in their cubicle spitting out pits (where I work, anyway). I am in a league of my own ;)

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  6. One of my favorite memories, that returns every cherry season. is my first day in Capri being served a big bowl of cherries covered in ice.

    Sweet. Dessert and memory.

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  7. love cherries, love dreaming of italy, love the thought of naked men walking on the beach with nothing better to do than share sweet things with lovely women. great photo -- great memory. and clearly delicious cherries!

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  8. yum....you are braver than me. i've never done that on a beach.

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  9. That is a lovely memory. Cherries are my favorite fruit.

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  10. Ahh what a perfect memory! Those are my favorites, the people wandering around, just spreading goodness. Oh, and I sat in the sun with a similar bowl of cherries today. Mmm! I love the cherry phase.

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  11. How nice to have this association with cherries! Enjoy...

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  12. "Rinse. Eat. Repeat." Ah, words to live by, especially in summer. Enjoy all those cherries and other stone fruit splendors.

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  13. *smiling*
    That is just lovely.


    I love the fact that he walks away...maybe because that is unexpected...but also of course the offering of cherries- so kind.

    so simple.
    Bellissima!

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  14. this story + photo are such a great way to start my friday. thanks, sweets.

    :)

    xo Alison

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  15. :) the photo with the memory go SO well together...
    happy weekend to you!

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  16. Oh, the cherry phase is one of my favorites. We usually go up to the orchards near Hood River every summer to buy a big bucket full. Lovely post, Denise.

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  17. that story is so very cute, i love it. lately i have realized how wonderful cherries are - although i spent most of my life eating them fresh, i am realizing now how totally wonderful they are to cook with.

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  18. Ha! I love it. The photograph and the memory. Happy, happy Sunday and every day, Denise!

    xoox,
    -maria

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  19. damn, girl!
    that's a good story :)
    thanks for sharing!
    hope you enjoyed your audrey fest...:)

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  20. love your story!!!

    and beautiful photo :)

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  21. That's an arthouse memory for sure, rather than a general release mainstream one.

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  22. Your photo made me smile and now I'll never think of cherries the same way. Beautifully told and an absolutely beautiful photo.

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  23. such a good story. i have a bag that matches your placemats. :) hope you are enjoying summer, denise.

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  24. hahahhaha cheeky story, love it!

    mmmm cherries! so, so good. :)

    hope you are having a lovely week!

    xoxo,

    Bonnie

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  25. I'm sitting here eating cherries as I read this! Wonderful, wonderful story.

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  26. Mmmm cherries - with their wee stones eating one is a tiny ritual which in itself is part of what makes them so nice. Love your Italian beach story. An awkward moment followed by relaxation (or relief) and simple kindness....

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  27. ps: I'm gonna have to keep an eye on your font colour!

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  28. Hi Denise--I actually read this post a couple of days ago and not only has it made me smile---great story, but later, it triggered a memory. I was in Italy, south of Livorno I think, walking along a beach feeling all mopey and inward (bad relationship crap) when a young topless woman came up to me and pressed a delicate periwinkle shell into my hands, smiled and ran off!

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  29. Shae, I keep buying them and the Rinse-Eat-Repeat ritual keeps continuing. I'll get to something more inventive at some point, I think.

    Tracy, Yes, I liked that too--Minx. Ha! I'm in your league. I've been going through the same process with my cherries. Their just so good this way.

    Flwrjane, All of the best memories must be in Italy.

    Lucy, I recently (re)watched Roman Holiday and it is inspiring more thoughts of Italy. I think it is time to get on a plane.

    Char, Maybe this summer?

    Annje, Thanks! As you can see, cherries make me pretty happy too.

    Tumbleweed Woman, Those people spreading goodness, asking nothing in return. They are the best.

    Janis, Yes, it is nice. I enjoy being taken (emotionally) to Italy each cherry season.

    Gracia, Thank you. I absolutely will and I hope you will too.

    Camilla, It was so memorable. Believe me, his walking away was very unexpected. The men I met during that trip (I should tell you about Roberto Martini the taxi driver sometime) did not enjoy giving up easily. This man wasn't like the rest. He was quite a refreshing treat.

    and flowers pick themselves, Oh, good. I'm glad.

    Lisa, Thanks. I took so many pretty cherry photographs and then preferred this one, the one without any cherries. Sometimes things work out that way.

    Julia, Thanks.

    Jessica, Now that sounds fun. I've never been to a cherry orchard.

    Rachel, I keep thinking I'll try and bake something or make a jam, but they are too good just rinsed and plain. They are never around long enough to take part in a recipe.

    Maria, Thanks! Happy day to you too. xx

    abby, I hadn't seen Roman Holiday in so long. It was fun.

    Elisabelle, Thank you.

    Mise, I quite enjoyed your comment. A wonderful critique! I wish I'd known you while I was in graduate school.

    Vanessa, Thank you. I wouldn't be surprised if you were baking something wonderful with cherries this very moment.

    Shari, I'm sure your bag is very handy. These mats are quite durable. Summer is moving along nicely. All I need is a table for two overlooking a lake and I'll be set.

    Bonnie, Thanks! So far, so good.

    nicole, I'm glad : )

    alexandria, I just ate some more. Each time I go to the market they call my name...

    Annie, Simple kindness, it's a beautiful thing. I'm glad to know you'll be watching my color changes. I was starting to think they were just something I did to entertain myself.

    nancy, Love that story! There must be something about removing clothing at the beach that makes people feel empathetic and kind. Did you save the shell? I guess it doesn't matter, right? The memory is all you need.

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  30. I wish I had a story as quirky and charming as that - I would tell it all the time if I did! I love your pictures because it's unique. Everyone loves the aesthetic of a bowl full of cherries, but I'd never thought to ponder the beauty of an empty bowl and a bowl of pits.

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  31. hah! that is such a great story!

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  32. Stacy, Thank you. I wouldn't have thought of this image either. No planning, it just happened.

    lavienouveau, Thanks. Being there was even better : )

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