Dolce Amore: The Art of Loving Your Life Like an Italian by Barbara Conelli

Italy is a country that lives and breathes love in all its forms. There's no other nation in the world that would feel the joy of life more deeply and genuinely, that would celebrate the gift of human existence more vividly and exuberantly. Italians love to live, and they love enjoying life with all their senses.

What's the magic formula? Well, let me tell you this: Life in Italy is not easier than in other parts of the world. Italians do not have less problems and more money than you. Just like you, they have family issues, nasty bosses and occasional bad hair days. The only difference is that they choose to see life through different (very Italian) eyes.

Italian life is firmly anchored in everyday rituals, habits and little pleasures that Italians rely on. No matter what happened this morning, tonight there will be aperitivo with coworkers, a delicious home-made dinner, a glass of exquisite wine, a chat and latest gossip with friends on the piazza. In the morning, the sun will rise again, the sky will be blue and you'll hit the beach to show off your sun-kissed skin and brand new bikini. Life's good, and it's getting better and better.

I often wonder why it's so much easier for us to focus on what's wrong with your life, rather than on what works right now and in what ways life has blessed you. We struggle, we strive, we plan, we organize, we control, we rush, we worry, we stress. We focus on keeping up with the Joneses and we put off happiness by telling ourselves we'll be happy when ___ (we earn a certain amount of money, sell a certain number of books, buy a bigger car and our dream house, find the perfect guy . . . Just fill in the blank.)

Slaves to our own conditions and criteria, we miss the precious moments that fill our days, the moments that we take for granted. The moments that Italians accept, embrace, acknowledge and appreciate because they know better. They understand life is nothing but a series of little, seemingly insignificant flashes that, when put together, create a magical string of love, awe, zest, delight, sweetness and gusto.

I love my life in an Italian way, and I know I've been blessed with all the riches that truly matters. People who love me; a body that walks, runs, jumps and breathes; the freedom to do whatever I want and be whoever I desire to be; friends to laugh with; pets to play with; the beauty of nature; the smell of espresso before I take the first sip; the bliss of chocolate melting in my mouth; fresh, crisp sheets; a perfectly sharpened pencil; a glass of wine when watching the sunset; the desire to learn and know more; the wisdom of the written word; the miracle of emotions; the perfection of the present moment.

I could go on and on, and the list would be endless—and I'm sure yours would be too. The eternal secret of dolce amore, the key to loving your life no matter what, is right here, within your grasp. Just take a deep breath and look around. Your life is here and now, you just need to open your eyes, see it, feel it, and love it. As a wise man said, the past is history, the future is mystery, the present is a gift. I'm sure this happy camper was Italian.

Barbara Conelli’s second book, Chique Secrets of Dolce Amore, was released on April 23, 2012 by Flagrans Press. Her essay above is a part of a very special event on The Muffin—The Art of Loving Your Life tour. Visit the participating blogs listed below to share your thoughts and enter to win a signed copy of Chique Secrets of Dolce Amore.

Barbara Conelli is an internationally published bestselling author, seasoned travel writer specializing in Italy, and Chiquenist on the mission to bring Fantastic Fearless Feminine Fun into women's lives. In her charming, delightful and humorous Chique Books filled with Italian passion, Barb invites women to explore Italy from the comfort of their home with elegance, grace and style, encouraging them to live their own Dolce Vita no matter where they are in the world.

Her latest book, Chique Secrets of Dolce Amore offers an intimate view into the unpredictable and extravagant city of Milan, its glamorous feminine secrets, the everyday magic of its dreamy streets, the passionate romance of its elegant hideaways, and the sweet Italian art of delightfully falling in love with your life wherever you go.

Special Tour Price: Pick up a Kindle edition of Chique Secrets of Dolce Amore for just .99!
Please enjoy a preview!



Find out more about Barbara Conelli by visiting her website http://www.barbaraconelli.com/ and her radio show, http://www.blogtalkradio.com/barbaraconelli

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8 comments Barbara Conelli, blanket tour, Chique Secrets of Dolce Amore, Dolce Amore The Art of Loving Your Life Like an Italian, mass-blogging event

Welcome to the November Blanket Tour

Today is the first day of November. Before we know it Thanksgiving will be here, a day to celebrate family. We at WOW-Women on Writing are celebrating family all month long with a WOW Blanket Tour. Each day a different blogger will be posting their thoughts about family. We have a few dates left, if you’d like your blog to be a part of this month’s Blanket Tour contact Jodi at jodi@wow-womenonwriting.com . Today we’ll hear from our featured blogger Chynna Laird author of Not Just Spirited: A Mom’s Sensational Journey with Sensory Processing Disorder.

Chynna Laird started as a loving mom of four who knew there wa

s something more to her daughter’s behavior than just being “spirited”. Eventually her daughter’s condition found a name: Sensory Processing Disorder. Chynna found herself thrust into the position of becoming an expert on SPD. First, to help her daughter and second to educate the public. Chynna has penned three books about the topic: I'm Not Weird, a children’s picture book; At-Home Strategies for Managing Sensory Processing Disorder: A Guide for Parents, a resource book about SPD; and Not Just Spirited: A Mom’s Sensational Journey with Sensory Processing Disorder, a memoir of her family’s experience.

Each time you post a comment at one of the blogs on this tour you enter to win a copy of Chynna’s book!

The list of blogs participating follows Chynna’s post.

Job Well Done

by

Chynna Laird

I remember watching Oprah a while back for one of her Angel shows—you know, where she helps make people’s dreams come true? She helped this one single mom of three kids who was jobless and almost homeless find a job, got her a furnished house, bought them all new clothes and a new car. Before introducing the woman Oprah said, “I believe parenting is the toughest job in the world. Imagine how much more difficult it would be to have immeasurable hurdles to get over on top of the regular parenting stuff. It seems so unfair. But there are many parents going above and beyond the job of regular parenting—no matter how high their hurdles—a

nd they should be commended for that.”

The significance of Oprah’s words didn’t hit me until I had my own children. Being a parent is the hardest job in the world. You are completely responsible for the well being of another life—that’s a lot of responsibility and, also, a little scary. And when your child has higher needs, it can be even more overwhelming. Depending on the severity of your child’s needs you’re not only worrying about the basic needs of food, shelter, clothing and nurturing but also therapy, nutrition, assessments, diagnoses, different sorts of professionals to organize treatments with plus coverage for all of that.

We aren’t just worrying about whether we can get our kid that Hanna Montanna backpack she wants so much but more if we remembered to put the medication she needs in her school bag or which aide needs to work with her today at home or school or biting our nails in anticipation of when the phone will ring next with another test result, assessment report or the school needing our help. We are more than ‘just caregivers’ we are protectors, teachers, ambulance drivers, pharmacists, counselors, advocates and we do it all on very little sleep or concern for our own needs. The job is hard, long, unappreciated, under paid, emotionally draining and frustrating…but you know what? It can also be the most rewarding experience.

We appreciate all the little things in life because those little things can often be very difficult for our kids. We applaud the things that most others take for granted, like being able to swallow a bite of food or picking up a toy or uttering a single word or even just making eye contact. We get to see the world from different perspectives and learn that there are many different ways of doing a single task. We learn to have tremendous patience as something that may take me two seconds to do may take my child 10 minutes and that’s okay because he’s trying! And

we learn to appreciate life so much more because we know that it can be much more difficult for our kids or, more devastating, shorter than we’d like it to be.

Yes, our jobs can be frustrating, overwhelming and extremely emotional some days but I know I wouldn’t trade my job title for the world. Now we don’t all have Oprah knocking on our door offering to buy us a new house or a car. But she’s right about one thing: These parents do often go above and beyond the duty of ‘regular’ parenting and should be praised for their never-ending, tireless efforts.

And it is to those caregivers I say, “Thank you. Job well done!

Check out what writers have to say about parents, children, and everything in between. We hope you find information, inspiration and a few chuckles. And remember, we’re still looking for a few good bloggers for this month’s Blanket Tour!

Nov. 1 – The Muffin

Nov. 2 – Mom Blog

Nov. 3 – Read These Books and Use Them

Nov. 4 – Meryl’s Notes

Nov. 5 – At My Breast

Nov. 6 – Sheila’s Serendipity

Nov. 7 – Reflections with Coffee

Nov. 8 – No Thanks I’ll Work for Myself

Nov. 9 – Susan’s Thoughts and Ramblings

Nov. 10 – Musings from the Slushpile

Nov. 11 – House of Burning Bras

Nov. 12 – A Writing Passage

Nov. 13 – Mom-e-centric

Nov. 14 – Words by Webb

Nov. 15 - Words from the Heart

Nov. 16 – Comeback Woman

Nov. 17 – Writing in the Buff

Nov. 18 – Big Red Says...

Nov. 19 – Inky Fresh Press

Nov. 20 - PM Poet Writer

Nov. 21 – Beverly’s Bookshelf

Nov. 22 – My Thoughts On…

Nov. 23 – Born 2 Be Mom

Nov. 24 – Slightly Hyperbolic

Nov. 25 – The Globe and the Arts

Nov. 26 – Schuylkill Matters

Nov. 27 – Laura + the Voices

Nov. 28

Nov. 29 – Tanya Valentine

Nov. 30 – Inspired by Real Life

To learn more about WOW Blog Tours contact Jodi at jodi@wow-womenonwriting.com

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1 comment blanket tour, blog, memoir

Blanket Tour for Diana Raab

Tomorrow begins National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a month of education that began in 1985. We at WOW-Women on Writing hope you, and the women you love, are well educated about a disease that affects one in eight women over their lifetime. You can find info at the U.S. National Institute of Health but you can also learn about breast cancer from the experiences of others. Thirty one writers have agreed to write about breast cancer on various blogs this month as part of our first Blanket Tour.

This month’s WOW Blanket Tour promotes Diana M. Raab’s book Healing with Words: A Writer’s Cancer Journey. Diana’s latest book reflects her experiences battling breast cancer at age 47 and then multiple myeloma, a type of bone marrow cancer, when she was 52. The book is part practical advice(she is a nurse, after all) and part inspiration, which takes the form of poems, journal entries, and friendly thoughts. To show readers the effect of healing writing, Diana also includes blank sections and writing prompts so the reader can contribute their own thoughts and writings. Diana describes her daily journal writing as “a daily vitamin-healing, detoxifying and essential for optimal health.”

We’ll be kicking off this month’s WOW Blanket Tour with a word from Diana Raab. Each time you post a comment at one of the blogs on this tour you enter to win a copy of Diana’s book. The list of blogs participating follows Diana’s poems.

To My Daughters

by Diana M. Raab, MFA, RN

You were the first I thought of
when diagnosed with what
strikes one in eight women.

It was too soon to leave you,
but I thought it a good sign
that none of us were born

under its pestilent zodiac.
I stared at the stars and wished upon
each one that you¹d never wake up

as I did this morning to one real breast
and one fake one; but that the memories
you carry will be only sweet ones,

and then I remembered you had your
early traumas of being born too soon,
and losing a beloved grandpa too young

and then I had this urge to show you
the scars on the same breast
you cuddled as babies, but then wondered

why you¹d want to see my imperfections
and perhaps your destiny.
I caved in and showed you anyway,

hoping you¹d learn to be careful, as
if it really mattered, because your grandpa
used to say when your time¹s up, it¹s up.

May he always watch over you.



The Blues

by Diana M. Raab, MFA, RN

You may think I
like the music or
the rhythm of the band,
but of what I speak
is the sadness which
engulfs my heart today
and the one of my lover¹s
who prays for my recovery,
as the world around me
lurks in gloomy isolation.

A dizzying sense of blackness
churns around me. I see
no wonders created here. My
tears rise like the cream
in a glass of brew or a cup of cappuccino
which opens my eyelids each morning when
I really don¹t want to wake up and face
another day of loneliness free from answers.

I hunt for a place to turn, blinded
by my pain, begging for a tomorrow
free from aches gnawing at my nerves, and
pinching my ventricles tight like a girdle
to a throbbing broken heart.
It¹s time to die.
There¹s no other choice.

Check out what writers have to say about breasts, cancer, surviving and a slew of other related topics. We hope you find information, inspiration and the occasional chuckle.

Oct. 1 – No Thanks, I’ll Work for Myself

Oct. 2 – Colloquium

Oct. 3 – My Thoughts On…

Oct. 4 – Meryl’s Notes

Oct. 5 – Mom Blog

Oct. 6 – The Eclectic Writer

Oct. 7 – Mother-Daughter Book Club

Oct. 8 – Caring for Our Blessings

Oct. 9 – The Write Time

Oct. 10 – Beverly’s Bookshelf

Oct. 11 – The Gift Blog

Oct. 12 – Musings by Lynn

Oct. 13 – Kristie Lorette

Oct. 14 – Four Rooms

Oct. 15 - Jacquelyn Mitchard

Oct. 16 – The Writing Vein

Oct. 17 – Writing in the Buff

Oct. 18 – Read These Books and Use Them

Oct. 19 – My Happily Ever After Again

Oct. 20 - Phantom Paragrapher

Oct. 21 – Words from the Heart

Oct. 22 – Readin’n Writin’

Oct. 23 – Life Unedited

Oct. 24 – Stephanie Barko, Literary Publicist

Oct. 25 – Adventure Salon

Oct. 26 – Zee Monodee Author’s Corner

Oct. 27 – Mom-e-centric

Oct. 28 - Words by Webb

Oct. 29 – Musings from the Slushpile

Oct. 30 - Swimming in Lines of Haiku

Oct. 31 – I’ll Have What She’s Having

Does our WOW Blanket Tour sound fun? The next one begins Nov. 1 with Chynna Laird, her book Not Just Spirited: A Mom’s Sensational Journey with Sensory Processing Disorder, and the topic of parenting (especially parenting children with special needs). For more information contact Jodi at jodi@wow-womenonwriting.com !

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10 comments 31 days of blogging, blanket tour, breast cancer awareness, Diana Raab, Healing with Words

Join the Blanket Tour

Robyn and I were having so much fun juggling our traditional WOW Blog Tours that we decided to add something new to the mix. Or maybe we’re just a bit crazy! Anyway the new addition is the WOW Blanket Tour. And we want you! I’ve cleaned out my inbox—an amazing feat I must say. So I’m expecting a ton of emails from everyone telling me they want to be a part of the WOW Blanket Tour next month. Here are the details!

So what's a blanket tour?

A blanket tour is a month long party of mentions about one of our WOW
authors on your blogs. WOW gives you a topic to write a post about and a
short paragraph about our featured author and their book to include at the
end on your post.

Who's the author?

The author is Diana Raab who just released Healing with Words: A Writer's
Cancer Journey. You can learn more about Diana's book at her website
or her Muffin interview.

What's the topic?

Diana is a survivor of two bouts with cancer and, since October is Breast
Cancer Awareness Month, the topic is breast cancer. You can write anything:
a personal story, health tips, your fears, a post about books concerning
breast cancer, foundations that focus on breast cancer, even about how much
you love(or hate) the color pink. Heck, if you just want to write about how
much you love your girls we'd love to read it!

Will there be presents?

Of course! We wouldn't throw a party without presents. When your readers
comment on your blanket tour post they're eligible for a book giveaway. We
also have a book giveaway just for our blanket tour bloggers.

When does it start?

We're kicking it off on the Muffin on October 1 with a post from Diana and a
link to all our participating blogs.

How do I sign up?

Just send me an email to jodi@wow-womenonwriting.com with the subject line
"Blanket Tour/Diana". I need your name, blog address and three dates in
October that work for you. We're going on a first come-first served basis so
if you want a special date sign up ASAP. Then I'll let you know what date
we've scheduled you for and send you some images you can use and the paragraph we
need included either as an introduction or at the close of your post.

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Leave a Comment blanket tour, blog tour, breast cancer, Diana Raab