An Unexpected Lunch Outing

 

“There is a difference between dining and eating. Dining is an art. When you eat to get most out of your meal, to please the palate, just as well as to satiate the appetite, that, my friend, is dining.”
― Yuan Mei

Hey, Lovelies.
We had to travel to Brisbane early yesterday, just over an hour’s drive from our little treehouse on the hill here on the Sunshine Coast. There were people to see, and jobs to do, and some of that was stressful.

When we had ticked off all the jobs, we found ourselves at James Street in Fortitude Valley, so we wandered around the shops, and reminisced about the fun we had here when we were locals. Then we headed to New Farm, the next suburb over – a place I lived when I was younger, and where I kept a post office box for almost thirty years. Back in the day, when we lived between Brisbane and our farm in the Byron Shire, we would regularly drive in to the Post Office to check the mail early, before 7am, and we would usually stop for a morning coffee next door at the New Farm Deli, which is a Brisbane institution. It was one of my favourite places to eat breakfast or lunch, to write or to catch up with friends, and to stock my basket with good cheeses, olives and other Italian delicacies.

Yesterday the sun was shining and I wasn’t too unwell, so we headed to New Farm Deli, grabbed an outside table, and Ben and I enjoyed a delicious unplanned lunch, followed by a trip inside to the deli to buy a few delectable goodies. We also caught up with Vince Anello, who owns and operates the deli with his family. It was good to see him and catch up on all his news. Don’t you love those kinds of places where the regulars become community?

It felt joyful and unexpectedly exhilarating to be doing normal people things – eating, drinking, laughing, sharing, and connecting. It was balm for my soul.

In many ways it has been an unexpectedly good week. At the encouragement of a girlfriend I backtracked on my decision to not finish and submit my 140 000 word manuscript, which had a Tuesday midnight deadline. She reminded me I only needed to submit the first 50 pages, a synopsis and a few other things, so on Monday afternoon I decided to go all in, worked furiously until nine that night, got to my desk at five am the next morning, and wrote like fury all the next day to get it all done. So, yesterday’s lunch was also a chance to celebrate that. When I was writing I was outrageously happy, being at my desk banging away on my keyboard. Being so intensely engrossed in my story, I barely had time to feel sick. Doing what you love is powerful medicine.

If you’re ever in Brisbane, I highly recommend New Farm Deli. You’re sure to find a treat or two, and the coffee is sublime.

Love, hugs and gratitude, Nicole xx

PS – Ben had a seasonal special of slow cooked lamb shank with mash and vegetables, and I ate my favourite – Vince’s Spaghetti Marinara – followed by shared Cannoli. Yum!