The week from this last Christmas to New Year’s Eve my husband and I spent in a summer hiking and winter skiing resort – The Bohinj valley. Since there was no snow, we were hiking. At the elevation of 4986 feet (1520 m) I felt that I was returning to the mountains. In 3 hours I had conquered 2821 feet (860 m) of elevation. It was just like the old days, before 2008. Before the horrible spontaneous miscarriage with inflammation of the uterus, which had led to tiredness and frequent colds. I had had to stop ascending the mountains. My husband and I had started circling the Bohinj lake, which is an...

The magic wand of winter Will let snow fall splinter by splinter. Let them be splinters of health and happiness, Tinkling snow-flakes of adventure readiness. Let some of them turn into coins of gold, And the others fall into cookies mold. So the holidays smell of elation, And the coming year becomes a merry God’s creation. Take care, Helena Smole, author of: – a fantasy novel with romance Vivvy and Izzy the Dwarf: A series about relationships – Balancing the Beast, a book offering a bright view of schizoaffective disorder ˗ bipolar or manic-depressive type ...

This year’s summer holidays did not go just as my husband and I had planned them. He usually takes a two-week leave and we spend five days at the beach. Then we stay at home for the weekend and prepare for another five days of camping in the mountains. It started according to our plan. The first three days we spent swimming in the sea and resting in a shade, reading books and solving crossword puzzles. The water was warm enough, so we could take long swims, really enjoying the salty playground. I am a slow swimmer, thus my husband was kind enough to do a dead man’s float now and then, so I...

Vogel is a mountain above Bohinj Lake, accessible by cable car. It is a ski resort in winter and a mountain walking paradise in summer. My husband ascended it on foot from the lake up, while I took the cable car. I used to walk up mountains like this, but the last couple of years I have been having problems with too low blood pressure. I would probably need a flask of coffee to conquer 2,952 feet of altitude, so I decided to go up by cable car instead. I let my hill walking height of 984 feet be the norm, for which I only require to drink one strong coffee before I set off. I enjoyed the vistas of...

I am sure you have come across the Tibetan Buddhist tradition called Sand Mandala. Buddhist monks spend several weeks to build mandalas from colored sand. Usually a team of monks work on the same mandala, for the picture entails great detail. And when they are finished, they sweep their work away. The sand is collected in a jar which is then wrapped in silk and transported to a river. This symbolizes the ephemerality of life and the world. I am also positive that you will share with me the feeling, when right after having vacuum-cleaned and wiped the floor in the whole flat you notice a brand new...