#158 Things to share over coffee: April 2025

Pope Francis, Billy Connolly and a good looking online bohemian poet.

Hello friend,

I'm so happy to be back with the newsletter this week.

April has been a weird month. The Easter holidays and the Festa della Liberazione celebrate World War II's end in Europe. Both are massive national holidays in Italy, so things have been weird.

The first of May is also the festa del lavoratore, May Day, dedicated to all workers recalling the battles fought for labourers' rights and continuing to discuss fostering workers into the future. This is another springtime holiday that Sicilians usually use as an excuse to have long barbecues that end in massive food and alcohol comas.

Sometimes, I dislike being on holiday because it disturbs my routine. I prefer a regular working day where I can structure my time and dedicate certain parts of the day to certain things. For example, I know in the morning, I have to get in my journaling, reading and a little bit of writing, then I usually take a break and get some exercise, whether that be going outside for a long walk or doing a workout inside then I typically have time to go out and run some errands perhaps do some food shopping think about making lunch.

I usually prepare lunch for my husband and my son. We eat together, and in the afternoon, I have my ESL classes, where I teach my students. The evening is spent relaxing, helping my son study, or even reading and writing a little more.

When my son is home on holiday, I'm easily distracted from my exercise and work routine. Then, I don't have to work in the afternoon, so I get distracted by other things. We're often invited to other people's places to eat, which throws my diet out the window.

I hate the laziness of a holiday; it throws everything off-kilter. I have a good routine that balances my self-care with creativity, work, and the slower-paced life in small-town Sicily.

There is something good for the soul when you can take the time to prepare lunch for your family. I have a good butcher, baker, and grocer within walking distance. Once a week, the local fishmonger drives by in his little refrigerated van filled with fresh fish if I feel like making seafood.

Some of the sweet wild asparagus we’ve been feasting on. There is also another variety that is bitter.

My husband is a skilled forager, so he often provides me with seasonal vegetables that sprout randomly from the fertile Sicilian countryside, depending on the season. This month, we've been feasting on wild asparagus. Occasionally, he brings some chicory plants; in the autumn, it might be a question of mushrooms.

We also take the time to plant things in our vegetable garden. Our broad beans have started up, and preparations for the summer are underway, with tomatoes, eggplant, capsicum, basil, cucumbers, and zucchini either already sown or ready to be.

There is something wholesome and rejuvenating about eating fresh, seasonal, and hand-made food every day. It's a little pleasure that I relish every day. Sure, sometimes I am a little stressed about what I can make, and often, I run out of ideas and feel like I'm repeating myself. Still, a trip to the grocery store or an expected gift of a bag of ingredients my husband or a friend provided will inspire me.

Yes, occasionally, they will share if there is an abundance in a friend's or relative's garden or countryside animals. Often, I get half a dozen eggs, some fresh ricotta, and occasionally a bottle of cow's milk, a head of lettuce, or some fennel.

Needless to say, I'm looking forward to getting back into my routine.

Here are some things I've been enjoying in April. It's a bit of a short list because someone's routine has been broken this past month.😉

As I’ve been desperately trying to cling to my exercise regime to be a healthier version of myself, I’ve been getting back into listening to audiobooks.

This month, I’ve been alternating between two very different autobiographies as I’ve fallen in love with the memoir genre again. I used to read a lot of biographies and memoirs when I was a kid but then grew out of the habit, but I do occasionally dip back in when I read a good review or someone I admire publishes a memoir.

After Pope Francis's death, I fell into a rabbit hole, reading about papal history, how the conclave works, and the political manoeuvring in the background. I read that Pope Francis wrote a few books, including his autobiography. He is the first Pope to have written a memoir.

Pope Francis Hope's autobiography was initially intended to be published after his death, but it was published this year in honour of the special holy year celebrations.

It is a unique historical document incorporating Pope Francis’s distinctive voice, family, and personal history. It tells the story of his life and encapsulates his approach to faith, hope, and religiosity.

Hope: This autobiography feels like an intimate conversation with Francis. He shows how his life and experiences have shaped his perspective, and he, in turn, gives us a recipe for hope, joy, and gratitude that we, too, can follow.

It is a shame that he doesn’t narrate the English version I am listening to; an Italian version narrated by the Pope would have been phenomenal. Unfortunately, he did not even narrate the Italian version of his audiobook; Edoardo Siravo did this.

Jorge Mario Bergoglio was an exceptional religious leader, a born evangelist, storyteller and defender of love, hope and happiness.

In stark contrast, I’ve been listening to Scottish comics Billy Connolly's Windswept and Interesting. Pope Francis and Billy Connolly are from two very different worlds. Yet, they have the same love for humour, storytelling, and truth.

Billy Connolly’s narration echoes the energy of his stand-up routines. His Scottish accent gives his memoir a down-to-earth quality that is beautifully refreshing. He tries to keep his narration light and energetic, but it can be a little stilted sometimes, which is only normal. He cannot have the freedom of his adlib performance style in an audiobook, but he’s done a fantastic job.

His rebellious attitude to life and his search for freedom, laughter and lightheartedness come from his difficult childhood. He tries to gloss over his trauma a little bit by being honest and not dwelling too much on the events of his homelife but by hearing the stories of his abuse at the hands of some of his family members and the corporal punishment during his time at strict catholic schools are pretty extreme.

But Billie's stories and ability to find the positive in every situation give us a deep appreciation of his journey as a creative artist and comedian. Listening to this memoir, you feel like you can freely speak back to him on a first-name basis because he is not filled with the usual pretentiousness that famously successful actors and comedians fall victim to.

Billy Connolly's Windswept and Interesting is a memoir filled with great heart, passion, and lightheartedness. Now that Connolly has retired from his professional life due to his Parkinson's disease diagnosis, he shares a few life lessons he has gathered on his journey and experience while making us laugh. And I love him for it.

I encourage you to buy one of Trev Cimenski’s poetry volumes, even if you don’t like poetry, it will convert you.

This month, I have also been rereading online American poet Trev Cimenski. His Instagram account, of_a_hound, is filled with videos of his equally quirky and fascinating poetic voice.

Cimenski’s two pocket-sized poetry collections are usually in my pocket. I’m constantly rereading Some What Small (2023) and Orangutan Teeth (2022) to remind me how poetry can be a source of inspiration, emotion and storytelling.

I like the idea of publishing a slim writing volume filled with sketches and writing like Trev Cimenski. His small volumes are like little pieces of art, intimate, fascinating and eternal. His poetry is like a fresh perspective on life. His online videos share his writing, struggles with writer's block, imposter syndrome and his unique lifestyle as a bohemian writer, model and traveller. I’m sure many of his followers secretly love him as he is pretty good-looking. It's a little superficial, but I’m sure this contributes to his popularity.

But for me, the most important thing is how Trev Cimenski has been able to grow an audience and readership online. His charisma, charm, and personality are what make his content so popular. It’s great to see how poetry can be appreciated by a wider audience. It's very inspiring indeed.

That’s all I have on my mind for now.

Thanks for reading along.

Stay well, be kind to everyone, including yourself, and we’ll speak again soon.

Rochelle

Sometimes, I talk about Sicily.

Other times, I talk about whatever is on my mind.

My writing is always about lightning, the mental load, and sharing my thoughts.

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