🥱 It’s tomorrow. I’d better go to bed.

Town, boat, night…from the far bank.

Alcacer do Sal at night, taken from the far bank of the River Sado, with a boat in the foreground

🐰 Where do dust bunnies come from? My current thinking is from “thin air,” and that they are very prolific!

🗒️ Making lists for things I have to do in the next 24 hours before leaving.

Catching up.

Sunset from the beach at Comporta a few nights ago

Sunset over the Atlantic Ocean from the beach at Comporta Portugal

And Alcácer do Sal from over the River Sado yesterday evening,

Alcácer do Sal, Portugal, from over the River Sado. The river is so still that the town is reflected in the river.

And tonight.

Council building and Castle lit up at night in Alcácer do Sal

I have just had lunch and still haven’t been outside yet today. I got up late and just started doing odd jobs around the house. The grey sky outside wasn’t an encouragement to venture out, and I just didn’t think about doing so. I’ll head out before the day is over, but have appreciated the pace of the day so far.

🫠 Another ssslllooowww start to the day. Not often for me, but sometimes they just feel right…and nourishing.

🍺 Sitting outside on a mild February evening in Alcácer, enjoying listening to the sounds of the local crowd and relaxing after a busy week.

An American Buddhist monk, Ajhan Sumedho, once said,

“Suffering is wanting things other than they are.”

My suffering today is having to return something that I bought yesterday and is not working properly.

I hope that I can make myself understood.

😌 I’m having a sssllllooooowwww morning. Things to do, but I’m trying to recognize that one of them, hiding in the corner, is “take a rest.”

A micro Micro Meetup with @maique. The meetup was “micro” because it was short, 5 or 10 minutes, at the end of the day before we headed off for the evening. Still I am very pleased that we squeezed it in and made it happen. Thank you Maique, it was great to see you again.

Maique and me meeting near to his apartment in Lisbon

🍔 I needed that lunch. The jitters were setting in.

Happy Valentines Day from Alcácer do Sal.

Kathy Cooper on Valentines swing in Alcacer do Sal

LOVE sign by Alcacer do Sal river front cafes

After reading this post by Amit Gawande, I recognized in what Amit wrote an increasing truth for me when I am writing blog posts. If I catch myself using the general “you” or “we”, I stop myself and rephrase the post as “I…”. I’ve decided that I want to own for myself what I am talking about. As Amit says, does what I am writing hold true for me?

I went to bed last night feeling so good about what I had accomplished over the last few days. That was soon turned on its head as I woke up in the middle of the night feeling queasy.

My diagnosis is food poisoning. I can’t think what else it could be. I’ll spare sharing details here, though jumping out of bed multiple times to a cold bathroom did not help the experience. Apart from feeling a little weak and hungry (…and reticent about food), I have no symptoms this morning. Though I am moving slowly. Today’s plans have been laid to rest, or at least edited.

An evening walk along the River Sado in Alcácer do Sal.

River Sado and Alcacer do Sal at dusk

Bridge over the River Sado lit up with red lights

Foot bridge over the River Sado lit up at night

Alcácer do Sal by night from foot bridge over the River Sado

I’m was grateful today for a packet of Miso soup that my wife had slipped into my bag just before I set off for Europe a week and a half ago. It hit the right spot late in the afternoon as I took a break from a(nother) day of cleaning up, and moving boxes. I haven’t been far these last three days, but I am seeing some results from my efforts.

Open the windows and let some fresh air in, or keep them closed and keep the heating on? ~ One of life’s conundrums. 🤔

☀️ Blessings for the sun this morning. It might not be the warmest sun, but it is the sun in a blue sky.

🚗 I landed in Portugal last night. This morning I am heading out on roads that I know, from a previous visit, but don’t know. Always brings up anxiety in me. …Breathe…