The Savoring No. 028 - Sans Clothing Saunas & My Favorite Travel Cardigan

"Do people actually like Aperol Spritz," she wondered gagging.

Last week I left off with us rounding the final bit of our climb to our hotel, The Cypriaherhof Resort, in the Dolomites. As we took one of the last turns I looked up to see a dog bounding down the lower portion of his driveway and straight in front of the car ahead of us.

I screamed, “NOOOOOOOO,” as the dog was whipped up into the air from the impact.

I covered my eyes and kept saying, “No, no, no,” as JJ came to a stop.

I removed my hands from my eyes to see the dog lying several feet away in the driveway. “Oh my GOD,” I cried.

As I reached for the handle to open my door, I noticed some movement. He slowly raised his head, then lowered it. My hand still on the handle, I didn’t move.

He raised his head, sat up on his front legs a bit and tried to stand. He sat back down.

We sat silent watching. Hoping, holding our breath.

He tried again and this time he was able to stand. He gingerly took a few steps forward, then sat back down. He did this a few times until he was able to start making his way up the drive.

The car in front of us, the one that hit the dog, had also stopped. They were walking towards us. By this time, JJ was in the driveway watching the dog make his climb. As he was nearing the top he turned and starting barking at us as he inched backwards up the rest of the drive.

JJ and the man who was driving the car that hit the dog followed him. They found the owner out back mowing and explained what had happened. The dog seemed fine at this point, though JJ urged him to have him looked at.

JJ and the driver of the other car made their way back down. We said our shaky goodbyes and parted ways.

“It’s lucky he was thrown into the air and not under the car,” JJ said as we drove away. Looking for the positive is how he copes. We drove the rest of the way in a shaky, dazed sort of state.

We arrived at our hotel ten minutes later, still unsettled. JJ pulled into the spot marked “guest check in” which was positioned tightly next to the already checked in guests who were outside enjoying the stunning day and views. Each table filled with peaceful patrons sipping their wine and Aperol Spritz and talking quietly.

We grabbed our luggage (carryon only when you travel with one JJ Mullen) and had started making our way one step closer to the peace and comfort found at the bottom of a glass of wine in the Italian Alps when JJ remembered he forgot the passports in the car.

I stood with the luggage while he walked back, opened the car door, reached in to grab them and leaned against the horn.

I couldn’t even look at the startled crowd of people on the patio. I stared straight ahead. Then one of those giggles, like when you were a kid in church, started to form in my body and tears started streaming down my face as I tried to hold the laughter in.

JJ was quickly beside me and we escaped into the lobby.

After a quick tour of the hotel, we grabbed our deck of cards and made our way out to the patio for some rummy, a drink and a much needed exhale.

The Dolomites were so special. The air, the views, the nature, the naked only co-ed sauna. You read that right. We were told at check-in that clothing was not permitted in the saunas. JJ ventured in, I did not.

I did enjoy sitting by the swimming pond doing some writing and watching a couple of 30 something gals, clearly unaware and quite tipsy, wander in and quickly out of the sausage fest of a sauna, red faced and in fits of giggles. (Apologies to my mother-in-law for that sausage fest reference.)

I put a collage together on Instagram of our time in the Dolomites. Five out of five stars. It was magical.

001. This “What a Thing”
I was turning the pages of Bella Grace this week and I came across this beautiful quote from

Donna Ashworth

.

If every single person who has liked you in your lifetime were to light up on a map, it would create the most glitteringly beautiful network you could imagine. Throw in strangers you’ve been kind to, the people you’ve made laugh, or inspired along the way, and that star-bright network of you would be an impressive sight to behold. You’re so much more than you think you are. You have done so much more than you realize. You’re trailing a bright pathway that you don’t even know about. What a thing. What a thing, indeed. ✨

002. These Babies
Remember when I shared the first part of our trip and the nest and eggs we came home to in our garden in my last Savoring?

Well our babies are growing up. I am so smitten.

003. This Fresh Fruit
Saturdays are for farmer’s markets. I go almost every week that I am in town. I like to eat and cook with what’s in season and I find that at the farmer’s market. AND I get to support local and sustainability, thus helping our planet.

Right now berries and fruit are in season and it is nature’s candy. Who needs chocolate when you can eat peaches that are sweeter than any chocolate you could ever eat?

I do. I mean no one wants to go without chocolate. That’s just ridiculous. But balance is important and these peaches are incredible.

004. These Flowers
On one of my walks this week with Otis, I saw these flowers growing against a fence and they stopped me in my tracks. The colors were so bright and inviting and the sky behind them the perfect backdrop.

005. This Cardigan
I have had this cardigan for several years. It’s sincerely the most versatile piece in my closet. I wear it by itself or over a tank or tee. I wear it with jeans and flip flops or with a nice dress. It literally goes with almost everything. Actually, everything. (I have it in white and I wear a medium.)

006. These Flip Flops
Comfort and style? Yes please. These flip flops (or slaps as JJ calls them) have thick cushiony soles and arch support and are my daily go-tos from May through September.

007. This Stylish Travel Hat
“Short hair is so easy”, says everyone who has never had short hair. I wake up most days looking like Snoopy’s bestie, Woodstock, if he drank too many shots of Jaegermeister the night before.

My morning hair and cowlick require some effort and on vacation I wanted to do as little of that as possible so I wanted a hat that I could wear on walks and also out to a nice lunch. I wasn’t sure if I would even wear it, but I splurged and dragged it all the way to Europe just in case. I wore it every single day. I lived in it. It was the perfect travel hat.

008. This Podcast Episode
I love a good glass of wine and an ice cold martini, rinse the glass with some good vermouth and shaken, up with three olives. I also love good information about what I am putting in my body and how much is too much. I wasn’t looking for this podcast but Spotify made sure I found it. Dr. Sarah Wakeman does a really good job of breaking it all down.

009. This Team
I have been a Pacers fan since as long as I can remember. In my early adult life, when I still lived in Indiana, we had season tickets and went to most home games. That’s a commitment.

I left in 97. The last time they made it to the finals was exactly 25 years ago in 2000. It has been a long drought and I admittedly have paid little attention since the early 200s as there wasn’t much to pay attention to. The last couple of years have become exciting again and I am back baby. Yes ‘Cers! LFG.

This is a photo of my oldest (he just turned 30) in his Pacers hat in 1995.

010. This Birthday Boy
Speaking of, I am savoring this handsome young man who was the first person to ever call me “mom”. I found purpose the day he was born. I have loved him since long before his first breath and I am so very grateful to be his mom, merm, mama. Happy 30th Birthday Keenan. I love you.

Please like, share and comment so I know you are out there reading and I’m inspired to keep working on hard on this weekly newsletter. If you like what I share, I want to keep sharing.