Favorite parka + wild boar salami + happy moments

Ben and I stroll through the farmer’s market – he shows me yellow carrots, purple tomatoes, huge bell peppers from Sicily, zucchini shaped like balls, and red onions the size of small pumpkins.
We try fresh apple cider and sweet mangoes, and buy small red apples and beets in different colors. 
We haul the way-too-heavy bags home, chatting and wondering about the incredibly creative diversity of fruit and vegetables.

I sit on some stone steps in the middle of the city, eating a sandwich that I bought at a small stall: two slices of rye bread enveloping wafer-thin organically raised pork, straight from the grill, and coleslaw.  
The sun shines through the fall-colored leaves, I close my eyes and inhale the wonderfully mild air.

Ben and I watch a program by an English comedy star on YouTube.

We’ve been doing this for a few days, only a few minutes every day – half of it we barely understand, but we still think it’s all absolutely hilarious.

The husband suggests to go and buy wild boar salami from a specialty booth at the market.
I say no (wild boar salami?! What the heck?!).
He suggests to at least try it.

I say no.  
He asks how much it is: the small piece is 11,-€, I say no again. We try the salami nevertheless, I simply cannot believe how delicious it is.
How could I ever live without wild boar salami?
The husband can count himself lucky that I persevered.


Jil and I are in a traffic jam and arrive late at an event – everyone looks in our direction when we barge in and, laughing and whispering, cause some disturbance, but above all spread good humor in an until then rather formal crowd.
I have a hair appointment, and would like to marry the stylist in an instant and take her home with me.


The husband, Jil and I are seated under a huge umbrella at Vapiano’s, eating pasta, talking about our adventures and dreams, at the same time texting with Noelle, who is in the States right now, and above all goofing around the entire time.


I mix the season’s last Italian plums with blackberries, raspberries and small, sweet grapes from the farmer’s market to make a fall-inspired fruit salad, and brew a big pot of black tea for everyone.


The husband and I stroll through a flea market and find antlers (IT’S BECAUSE WE DON’T HAVE ANY ANTLERS YET, THAT’S WHY!) and a small table for Jil’s kitchen.
Upon returning home I decide that I’d rather keep the table for myself – the child subsequently wants to leave for Berlin straight away.
By foot.
Carrying the table.

I cozy up on the couch with a book, lighting candles everywhere, while Jil goes partying.

And the men go swimming.

I’m not going to say that I might have nibbled here and there while reading – but nothing is left of the wild boar salami the next day.

(it’s only fair, really, since I insisted on buying it in the first place.)

(And all of the above happened in the course of one single day!)

Why I wrote it down for you?

Because every single moment I thought: ”This moment is the most beautiful and most intense moment of my life. The world’s most beautiful moment. The greatest pleasure possible.” 

I admit, on the surface it looks like it’s all too often connected to food (and yes, I am very often hungry!), but that’s not it: 

I want to much rather inspire to experience this extreme pleasure – totally independent of the current situation, time, location or company.

I think a lot of people simply “check off” the daily chores – and take time for pleasure only when they are in Paris, for example.

Or on the week-end.

Or when the children are older.

Or: vacations, finally!

I, however, think every place and every moment is so incredibly beautiful – whether it is London or Stuttgart, whether I’m alone or with somebody, whether I’m out or sitting at my dining room table.

It also does not depend on (wild boar) salami or my fellow human beings.

I am just so happy inside of me, and at the same time not at all willing   

a) to put myself under any time pressure, or

b) to do things while having a different agenda going on in my head – in other words being consciously present wherever I am, or

c) to feel in any way bored, depressed, sad, melancholy or frustrated.

I think I am simply worth more than that!

And nobody can make me, if I don’t want to, right?

Hey, I could write another inspirational post, I swear… 

My new parka also provides pure pleasure – it is completely fur-lined and features a nice, roomy hood.

(To appease animal rights’ activists: no animal had to die for the production of this fur, since only products that are used in the food industry were used for it. It was made from “leftovers”, so to speak – and is technically no different to a pair of leather gloves, etc.)

This parka is the perfect mix of casual and super warm!

It was love at first sight for Jil (“because the Berlin winters are so cold!”), which means that soon I won’t have neither parka NOR table. 

Parka: HERE

Big Tine K. home vase: HERE

(both at Villa Smilla)

Ankle boots: Boss

Leather pants: Hallhuber

Fur pillows: home-made

Tine K. home pillows: La Maison

Love,
Joanna


p.s. If you, too, want to have a laugh: Eddie Izzard is simply the best!



This post was translated by Ginnell Studio.