The Sunday Scoop
🌟 Welcome to the FREE Sunday edition of Life Intelligence, brought to you for the last time from Malta.🌐
It's been fun while it lasted. Perhaps, a little more than expected. I love seeing this place light up for Christmas. In the last week or so, they've managed to deck out every street and every tree on all the main roads. Cathedrals and monuments sparkle in their festive glory. And Christmas markets entice the crowds with cheer and yummy smells. There were even fireworks on Friday over the bay, adding to Valletta's skyline magic. You'll see the pictures at the end of this post.
It's always fun finding unexpected treasures when traveling. For this trip, the thing I never thought I'd get excited about was door knocks and knobs. Go figure! Malta knows how to make doors interesting, exciting, and inviting. I never thought I'd say this, but it's true. Every one of these doors made me want to know what's behind it. What type of people would have door knobs like these. I want to know! Interestingly, the native Maltese people stand at around 5 feet tall. So, these door knocks and knobs would be about eye level. (Check them out HERE)
I want to return to Malta and maybe learn how to make pastizzi. I haven't walked all the shores yet, and there are thousands of restaurants I could still try. I missed the only day the Royal British Garden was open because I didn't know it was a monthly event. But as Robert Frost says,
"Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back."
The Maltese and the Moon
Once upon a time, in a quiet village nestled by the sea, there lived a tiny Maltese dog named Luna. She had a snowy white coat that shimmered in the moonlight, earning her the name from villagers who swore she was a gift from the night sky itself.
Luna was no ordinary dog. While other dogs chased squirrels or barked at shadows, Luna had a peculiar habit: every evening, she would sit by the shore, staring up at the moon with wide, longing eyes. The villagers whispered about her strange fascination. Some said she was enchanted, others that she had been born under a rare celestial event. But no one knew the truth—not even Luna.
One night, the moon, moved by the tiny dog's unwavering devotion, decided to speak. Its voice was soft and soothing, like the waves lapping against the sand.
"Luna," the moon said, "why do you stare at me every night?"
Luna tilted her head, her small heart beating fast. "You are so beautiful, so far away," she replied. "I want to know you, to touch you, to understand why I feel drawn to your light."
The moon chuckled gently. "Ah, little one, you remind me of the tides—always reaching for something just out of grasp. But tell me, why do you wish to come closer to me when your world is so full of wonders?"
Luna paused, her fluffy tail wagging thoughtfully. "Perhaps because I feel small," she admitted. "Here on the ground, I am just a little dog. But when I look at you, I feel like I could be part of something bigger."
The moon considered this. "Luna, it is true you are small, but so is a star in the vastness of the universe. Yet its light can guide travelers and inspire dreams. Do not underestimate the power of being small. Your devotion lights the hearts of those who see you sit by the shore."
Luna’s ears perked up. "You think I make a difference?"
"More than you know," the moon said. "Your longing inspires stories, your presence brings smiles. You do not need to touch the sky to shine. Keep looking up, and let your light—no matter how small—guide others."
From that night on, Luna still sat by the shore, her eyes on the moon, but her heart felt lighter. She no longer needed to reach the sky, for she realized she already had her own way of bringing light into the world.
And so, the Maltese and the moon continued their nightly ritual, a reminder to everyone that even the smallest creatures can have the biggest impact simply by being true to themselves.
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Cheers, Valentina.
New YouTube videos… just one this week:
🌺 Weekly intention prompt for you
“This week, I will pay attention to what I consume—not just food, but information, media, and conversations—and reflect on how these inputs shape my inner world.”
🌺Here's your shareable TIP of the day. Share it!
As promised, here’s a link with pictures from Christmas Malta including this thing Maltese people do inside their windows. I’ve never seen that before. Also, Lulu and I went to the island of Gozo.