FOO FOO

Word of the day: Foo Foo
Music: Shaman by Santana
Mood: Tired

I'm listening to some great music by Santana and sitting here dancing in my chair. One of the songs it titled, "Foo Foo". Not sure what that means but I found it comical.

BTW, tired because of long two weeks in preparation for my parents 50th Wedding Anniversary. Some things are starting to fall into place but other things are not but they are little things that can be fixed. I just need to pace myself in the next two weeks and keep my fingers crossed that everything falls into place and the day turns out magical. In some ways, I'm looking forward to a new year but in other ways I'm not as I usually take time to detox my body from the bad & ugly of the old in order to renew my spirit for the new. I need to make some time and squeeze that in. How I wish I could be here in Santa Fe and just sit in the utter stillness of such beauty.

Nanita Nana

Christmas '06 - Presepe 16,
originally uploaded by *Checco*.

~~~~~~~~~

*A la Nanita Nana -- This is a traditional Spanish Carol

--a 'nana,' or lullaby--to the Christ child...

A la nanita nana, nanita ea, nanita ea,
Mi Jesús tiene sueño, bendito sea, bendito sea.
(repeat)
Fuentecilla que corres clara y sonora,
Ruiseñor q'en la selva cantando lloras,
Callad mientras la cuna se balancea.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

A la nanita nana, nanita ea, nanita ea,
My Jesus is sleeping, come and behold Him, come and behold Him.
(repeat)
Little brook everflowing, rushing and ringing,
Nightingale in the forest, calling and singing,
Hush now, while the cradle softly sways.

...one of the most beautiful songs I've heard sung by Tish Hinojosa.

*Lyrics/translation found here.

Ode to the Morning Star

Seasons Greetings to you and yours.

Morning Glory

No lyrics to post today...just the title from the song I'm listening to by the guitarist Ottmar Liebert and taken from the CD, "Poets & Angels". If you don't have this in your catalog treat yourself or a friend and bask in the richness of Music 4 the Holidays and more can be found here and here. BTW, I chose morning glory as it's just after midnight on Tuesday and oh so thankful that I get to sleep in this morning as the previous morn I was up @ 5:30 and awaken by another kind of morning glory--rain! Unfortunately, I had to get up and drive in it but I was thankful to have three co-pilots and the day trip was worth it. ;-)

The Great Indoors

Check your pulse it's proof that you're not listening to,

The call your life's been issuing you

The rhythm of a line of idle days

Scared of a world outside you should go explore

Pull all the shades and wander the great indoors

Lamplight makes the shadows play

And posters take the walls away

The T.V. is your window pane

The view won't let you down

So put your faith in a late night show

I bet you didn't even know

Depends on how far out you go

The channel numbers change

Scared of a world outside you should go explore

Pull all the shades and wander the great indoors

Though lately I can't blame you

I have seen some of your world

And sometimes wish your room had room for two

So go unlock the door

And find what you are here for

Leave the great indoors

Check your pulse it's proof that you're not listening to

The call your life's been issuing you and

The rhythm of a line of idle days.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lyrics by John Mayer

Sometimes, I get caught up in my indoor world that I tend to miss the call that life is issuing me.

In Repair

Too many shadows in my room

Too many hours in this midnight

Too many corners in my mind

So much to do to set my heart right

Oh it's taking so long I could be wrong,

I could be ready

Oh, but if I take my heart's advice

I should assume it's still unsteady

I am in repair, I am in repair

Stood on the corner (of my balcony) for a while

To wait for the wind to blow down on me

Hoping it takes with it my old ways

And brings some brand new look upon me...

And now I'm walking in a park

All of the birds they dance below me

Maybe when things turn green again

It will be good to say you know me.

Oh I'm never really ready,

I'm never really ready I'm in repair,

I'm not together but I'm getting there....

```````````````````

Lyrics by John Mayer, Continuum

Suerte

originally uploaded by ggtem.

Word of the day: Suerte
Music: Suerte, Shakira
Mood: Content

Suerte can mean fate, lot or luck in Spanish. Tener mala suerte can mean to have bad luck. So either you have suerte or mala suerte. I had a moment of mala suerte on Friday evening when I dropped my phone in water. Afterwards, it was working but then became worse and didn't. This morning suerte has it working...somewhat! Still, $50 bucks later and thanks to insurance I am getting a new phone on Tuesday. I almost went a whole year without anything major happening to my phone!

Anyways, the above photo is not mine, it belongs to my niece Erika. I opened a Flickr account for her yesterday and she's hooked! She reminds me of myself at her age in that, I bought an inexpensive camera back then and was always taking photos. She's also got brains and beauty. Yes, suerte is on her side! Here's to continued suerte!

Psss...content mood is because I finished a major project for my parents 50th Wedding Anniversary. We made over #200 decorations for the table AND they came out beautiful! I am so happy to have that behind me. I finally got some sleep last night as the past few nights I had been staying up late and going to bed late but last I was in bed by 9:00 and finally got over 8 hours sleep! Suerte! :-)

My Winter Rose 06

I just love this plant! I'm not sure who gave it to me or how long I've had it but it's such a beauty to have and see her beautiful blooms. It's been a busy month so far and only promises to get busier with the holidays approaching. I'm making preparations for my parent's 50th Wedding Anniversary next month and thus will be pretty scarce around here in the coming weeks ahead, but one does have to take time to smell the roses...especially the winter rose! AND, music by Ottmar Liebert-of which Winter Rose is in high rotation on iTunes. Give it a listen and treat yourself!

Stop this Train

No I'm not color blind

I know the world is black and white

I try to keep an open mind

I just can't sleep on this tonight

Stop this train

I want to get off

and go home again

I can't take the speed it's moving in

I know I can't

But honestly will someone stop this train

Don't know how else to say it,

don't want to see my parents go

One generation's length away

From fighting life out on my own

Come on stop this train

So scared of getting older

I'm only good at being young

So I play the numbers game

to find away to say that life has just begun

Had a talk with my old man

Said "help me understand"

He said "turn 68

you'll renegotiate"

"Don't stop this train

Dont' for a minute change the place you're in

and don't think I couldn't ever understand

I tried my hand

John, honestly we'll never stop this train"

Once in a while, when it's good

It'll feel like it should

And they're all still around

And you're still safe and sound

And you don't miss a thing

Till you cry when you're driving away in the dark.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lyrics by John Mayer and appropriate for me given that today is December 1st. With only one month left till the end of this year, feeling like John and wanting to get off the train. And as my parents 50th Wedding approches next year...and as they age in years...I don't want to see them go. Yes, I can fight life on my own even but there's a difference in living and living well. As 2006 comes to an end, here's to a safe and sound 2007 and another year of living well.

Gravity

Word of the Day: Gravity
Music: Gravity, John Mayer

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gravity, is working against me
And Gravity, wants to bring me down
Oh, I've never known what makes this man
With all the love that this heart can stand
Dream of ways to throw it all away
Whoa, Gravity is working against me
And Gravity, it wants to bring me down
Oh, twice as much aint twice as good
And can't sustain like one half could
It's wanting more that's gonna set me to my knees
Now how can that be...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yes, I feel like gravity is working against me

in more ways than one...especially on my physical body! :-(

Too much drooping and sagging!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Side note: John Mayer's music has been in high rotation these days! Digging the music and lyrics. Lyrics remind me of Mary Chapin-Carpenter.

Blonde Bond....

is the bomb!

Happy Thanksgiving

Pecan pie,
mj*laflaca.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PS - from a very nice email I just opened...not mine but MJ's:

Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire.
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don't know something,
for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations,
because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge,
because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes.
They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you're tired and weary,
because it means you've made a difference.

It's easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who
are also thankful for the setbacks.

Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles,
and they can become your blessings.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today, I am thankful for the gift of life,

family, friends, and loved near ones are far.

Cumpleanos

Wishing a very
Happy Birthday
to my dear dad
who today is a
very young 75!
Dad, I love you!
Baking a cake to go
with that ice cream for you!

Rays...

of light...birthday light & love for my nephew Greg who today turned 20! Where has time gone? I remember all too well when he was born. The first born grandchild into the family and we were all crying tears of joy. His tiny little hands and feet seemed so fragile back then. It was a celebratory mood indeed! I had gone out the night before his birth to celebrate with a friend who been accepted into medical school. After two bottles of champayne we finally got home after 2:30 a.m. and climbed up the stairs all too happy to be able to sleep in and sleep off the alcohol. Just as I was getting ready to turn off the light and crawl under the covers the phone rings and it was my brother. He and his wife were at the hospital--a week early! It feels just like yesterday.

Sundrenched

~~~~~~~~~~~

...another weekend is here! Thank goodness! We finally go some rain this evening which brought cooler temps and just in time as today's high reached near 87! :-(

WHY?

WHY, WHY, WHY....

...can't it be Friday?!
...do pens not write when they still have ink?! Anyone know how to get a pen to start writing again?!
...are Christmas decorations already up?! Halloween was just yesterday!
...do store receipts have to be 12 inches long? Don't they know we need to conserve our resources?
...do the four seasons have to arrive in the same week here in Houston?! Temps have been between 86, 76, 66 and tomorrow night down to 40 but back up to 80 on Sunday! UGH! :-(
...do we change time? I think it's backwards...seems to me it should get darker in the summertime--less burning sun and in winter seems more appropriate to have the sun out longer to warm the days. DUH!

Cat in the Hat

From an email I got today. Enjoy. 

Bad Boy

I SHALL SEEK AND FIND YOU..

I SHALL TAKE YOU TO BED

AND HAVE MY WAY WITH YOU.

I WILL MAKE YOU ACHE, SHAKE

AND SWEAT UNTIL YOU MOAN AND GROAN.

I WILL MAKE YOU BEG FOR MERCY...

BEG FOR ME TO STOP.
I WILL EXHAUST YOU TO THE POINT

THAT YOU WILL BE RELIEVED WHEN

I'M FINISHED WITH YOU.AND YOU WILL BE WEAK FOR DAYS...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~

ALL MY LOVE ,THE FLU

Now get your mind out of the gutter....

And get ready for the flu season!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This bad boy already came my way

last month and I was all too

happy to have him leave my bedside!

Spirit

Music: Bella, Santana

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
...with a vibrant spirit,
happy heart,
and a passionate soul.
Maya Angelou
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Birthday wishes from
Mario.

Taking time today to give thanks for the gift
of life, love, family, and friendship.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BTW, 47 is the new 35! ;-)

Zima-fied

ZIMA

&

TGIF

McDreamy vs. McSteamy

A wonderful commentary about my

one of my favorite shows

Grey's Anatomy

and with names like

McDreamy & McSteamy

how you could resist!?

Seriously, it's the women

in this show that make

it stick!

Teacher's Day

I was reminded at work that today is

Confucius' birthday (9/28),

celebrated as Teacher's Day in Taiwan.

Here is a link for background information about this day

including the teaching philosophy of Confucius.

"Happy Teacher's Day to everyone who teaches

with passion, dedication, and joy!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Link provided by

J. C. Hsu, Ph. D.Dept Chair -

Psychology/Sociology/Anthropology

Class of 9/11

In Memoriam

~~~~~~~

West Point 9/11 Grad killed in Combat...

The academy's Class of 2005 is called the "Class of 9/11"

because the 2001 terrorist attacks occurred

just weeks into the students' freshman years.

~~~~~~~~~

Last night, I watch the new television series, "Heroes"

and while it grabbed my attention it certainly

did not bring a tear to my eye when reading

about this Hero: Emily Perez.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Here's another story about another hero:

Merideth Howard

Willie Nelson

Willie Nelson's public statement regarding

being caught with a bag of Marijuana earlier this week:
"It's a good thing I had a bag of Marijuana

instead of a bag of spinach.

I'd be dead by now!"

.....gotta love Willie!

The man is older than heck but still kicking!

OMLE....

Happy Hump Day!

I just love him!
He's so cute! ;-)

Happy Hump Day!

Song of the Wind

Music: Song of the Wind, Santana
Mood: Thinking


Daily Libra Forecast...

Quickie: Let go of your expectations today ... accept the rate at which things are moving.

Overview: Are you subconsciously trying to fulfill someone else's expectations? You need to drop their script and figure out whom you are, what you want to do and how you want to live. It's time to be bold.

Hmm! How do the stars know?! Sometimes they can be so wrong and sometimes they can be so right!


Numbers: 25 is to 48 plus 25 and what would be 73

Wine Truck

You know you really have a problem
when you've been hit by the...

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^
...WINE TRUCK.......... '"
___. _..._..._______====___... ] -
"(@)'(@)"" "''"**(@)(@)*****''(@)


WHEN GIRLS DRINK TOO MUCH............

1. WE HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHERE OUR PURSE IS.
2. WE BELIEVE THAT DANCING WITH OUR ARMS OVERHEAD AND WIGGLING OUR BUTT WHILE YELLING "WOO-HOO!" IS TRULY THE SEXIEST DANCE MOVE AROUND.
3. WE'VE SUDDENLY DECIDED THAT WE WANT TO KICK SOMEONE'S ASS AND HONESTLY BELIEVE WE COULD DO IT TOO.
4. IN OUR LAST TRIP TO PEE, WE REALIZE THAT WE NOW LOOK MORE LIKE A HOMELESS HOOKER THAN THE GODDESS WE WERE JUST FOUR HOURS AGO
5. WE START CRYING AND TELLING EVERYONE WE SEE THAT WE LOVE THEM SOOOOO MUCH.
6. WE GET EXTREMELY EXCITED AND JUMP UP AND DOWN EVERY TIME A NEW SONG PLAY'S BECAUSE "OH MY GOD! I LOVE THIS SONG!"
7. WE'VE FOUND A DEEPER/SPIRITUAL SIDE TO THE GEEK SITTING NEXT TO US.
8. WE'VE SUDDENLY TAKEN UP SMOKING AND BECOME REALLY GOOD AT IT.
9. WE YELL AT THE BARTENDER, WHO WE BELIEVE CHEATED US BY GIVING US JUST LEMONADE, BUT THAT'S JUST BECAUSE WE CAN NO LONGER TASTE THE GIN.
10. WE THINK WE ARE IN BED, BUT OUR PILLOW FEELS STRANGELY LIKE THE KITCHEN FLOOR (or the mop?)
11. WE FAIL TO NOTICE THAT THE TOILET LID'S DOWN WHEN WE SIT ON IT.
12. WE TAKE OUR SHOES OFF BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IT'S THEIR FAULT THAT WE'RE HAVING PROBLEMS WALKING STRAIGHT.

...yes, on a few occassions I've been hit by the same truck. Numbers 1, 5, 6, & 7 hit close to home!

Solemn

Solemn,
originally uploaded by nieve44.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Last week, I came across Junniper's Blog-"Five Years Later" and it got me thinking about that solemn day. In some ways, it feels like eons ago and in some ways it feels just like yesterday. I was watching "The Today Show" as I do every weekday morning and heard them break live to show photos of the towers. At that moment, I just thought another airplane accident had happened. There was a caller on the phone talking to the two hosts while they were showing live photos of the Tower 1 when I heard her say, "Oh my God, another plane hit" and you could actually see the object hitting the tower. The moment the towers collaspsed my knees began to shake so bad that I sat down on the edge of my bed. At that moment, I really believed the world was coming to an end! I immediately began thinking of my friends in New York and Jane (my current roomate) who was flying in from the West Coast. After a few tense hours and several calls, all were fine-thank goodness.

However, I worried about one special friend (former roomate)-Corinne for you see she is a Medical Examiner in NYC. She, like the rest in her field had the grim task of dealing with the aftermath. Her family was worried about her for she had been working non-stop for several days but Corinne being the professional that she is persevered.

Monday, will be a difficult day for all Americans but persevere we must. Each of us will have our own solemn way of remembering 9/11. I plan on stopping by a church and lighting a candle followed by prayers for faith, hope, love and peace.

BTW, ironically two weeks ago-Corinne's husband was shipped out to Germany as he is a reservist in the U.S. Army. My thanks to him and all those who have sacraficed by serving our country since that September day.

Numbers/Continuum...

...Continuum of numbers

9.5.2006

90

76

70

150

9

50

6

1.13.2007

4

47

35

1

1023

4029

4049

~~~~~~~~~~

Unfortunately, these were just a few of the numbers

that were running through my head last nite

in the midst of a stifling 90 degrees inside our apartment!

Over the weekend, the A/C went out but thankfully its fixed

and now I"m happy to say that 76 is the new 70

AND, I don't have to hear a fan blowing miserably hot wind.

Anyways, during my tossing and turning numbers

once again rolled in my head.

Finally, it's the 9th month--one of my favorite

as it heralds the end of summer and this evening

the north wind sure felt good on my skin.

One fifty is the new me--in about 6 months--I hope,

but not before 47 crosses my path next month,

YIKES--but hey 47 is the new 35!

Fifty is golden and a jubilee to celebrate on 1.13.2007

with just 4 months of pre-planning.

1 is the amazing new CD by Ottmar Liebert that kept me

calm when I thought I was lost this past weekend

in a drive through the countryside.

Thanks Mario for sharing your copy

and can't wait till I get mine!

The last three numbers are personal and so we'll just keep it at that--

besides if I tell you then I'd have to.....

Goodnight America

Aug 30th 2006,
originally uploaded by Padrone.

I'm standing at a traffic light somewhere in West LA

Waiting for the sign to change then I'll be on my way

The noise, the heat, the crush of cars

Just drives me up my nerve

And someone yells and blasts their horn

And pins me to the curb...

And I'm driving into Houston on a rain slick Texas road

Land so flat and skies so dark, I say a prayer to float

Should all at once the San Jacinto surge beyond its banks...

I'm a stranger here, no one you would know

I'm from somewhere else, but isn't everybody though

Don't know where I'll be when the sun comes up

Until then sweet dreams, and goodnight America

~~~~~~~~
...and goodnight August moon

I thank you for your nightly beauty

and the winks from above.

I look forward to the change in seasons

and the beauty of your Fall harvest moons.

~~~~~~

Song lyrics by Mary Chapin Carpenter

and yes, she actually did write about Houston

and when it rains the San Jacinto River

is known to surge beyond it banks in a matter of minutes!

Ciao to the month of August--my least favorite

as the heat here can be so brutal. Thankfully, the

winds from the south will be slowly replaced by the North winds.

Thanks to Padrone for his wonderful photo.

Between Here and Gone

Up above me,
Wayward angels,
A blur of wings and grace.
One for courage,
One for safety,
One for "just in case"

Tonight, the moon came out, it was nearly full.
Way down here on earth, I could feel it's pull...
is it the weight of gravity or just the lure of life

I thought a light went out, but now the candle shines.
I thought my tears wouldn't stop, then I dried my eyes.
And after all of this, the truth that holds me here,
Is that this emptiness is something not to fear.
Yeah, I'll keep wondering how we know where we belong,
After all the journeys made, and the journeys yet to come.
When I feel like giving up instead of going on,
Somewhere in between here and gone.

Lyrics by Mary Chapin Carpenter
and in memoriam of lives lost from Hurricane Katrina
and for those souls still living and trying to rebuild their lives in the aftermath of that terrible storm.

Linked photo by Lindac928

Hallmark Cards

...For when you care enough to send the very best!

~~~~~~~~~~

Heard your wife left you!

How upset you must be!

But don't fret about it! She moved in with me!

~~~~~~~~~

Looking back over the years that we've been together,

I can't help but wonder... "What the hell was I thinking?"

~~~~~~~~~

Congratulations on your wedding day!

Too bad no one likes your husband!

~~~~~~~~~~

How could two people as beautiful as you--

Have such an ugly baby?

~~~~~~~~~~

I've always wanted to have someone to hold, someone to love.

After having met you . I've changed my mind!

~~~~~~~~~~

I must admit, you brought Religion into my life.

I never believed in Hell until I met you!

~~~~~~~~~~

As the days go by, I think of how lucky I am...

That you're not here to ruin it for me!

~~~~~~~~~~

Congratulations on your promotion.

Before you go... Would you like to take this knife out of my back?

You'll probably need it again!

~~~~~~~~~~

Happy birthday! You look great for your age.

Almost Lifelike!

~~~~~~~~~~

When we were together, you always said you'd die for me.

Now that we've broken up,

I think it's time you kept your promise!

~~~~~~~~~~

Passion & Moleskines

One of my favorite websites to visit occasionally is Moleskinerie and just last week a contest was set into place and a question was asked, "What's your passion?" and here was my response:

MUSIC!

Music is my passion!

Music is a universal language

and one that can bring people together.

I attended an Ottmar Liebert concert last month

and not only was I charged by his music,

I was charged by the people in attendance.

People from all walks of life..old and young!

I have an ecclectic CD collection from Vivaldi to U2

to Mary Chapin-Carpenter to Shakira to Rahim AlHaj.

Music is all around me…at work, at home, at play and in the car.

I cannot imagine life without music!

My moleskine is full of song lyrics

and notes about future songs to listen to

and/or download on my iPod or to buy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Needless to say, I didn't win the contest but I really enjoyed reading all the posts about what each person's passion was. If you have some time be sure to check out the responses. My favorite was by Amy (3rd post) and as it turned out she won the contest. I'd be interested to hear about what your passion is as well.

Anniversarius

Word of the Day: Anniversarius (Latin)

Music: August Moon, Ottmar Liebert

Anniversarius

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The word for year and to turn meaning-

(re)turning yearly...is a day that commemorates

and/or celebrates a past event that occurred

on the same day of the year as the

initial event.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Special thanks as always to Boris who

was first to comment on my blog and

an even bigger "Thank You" to all others

who have commented in the past two years.

Nuevo Mexico (Part 1)

Nuevo Mexico(Luz)
Originally uploaded by mRio.

This had been about my third trip to New Mexcio and regretably each visit has been very short and this past trip/vacation was only about a 48 hour stay! Much too short! :-( However, we (Mario & I) packed a lot into our trip.

Friday morning 8/6, we flew into Albuquerque and rented a car for the drive up to Santa Fe, and Mario was my co-pilot providing me with directions the old fashioned way--map reading! NO GPS here! Instead it was an MPS! ;-)

We spend the early afternoon at the usual tourist locale in Santa Fe--the Plaza Square. The weather couldn't have been better! Cool, crisp, blue skies with intermittant clouds, rain and temps in the low 70's! AHHHH!!! No heat and humidity! We were both in heaven. We found a great little cafe to enjoy a wonderful cup of Cafe Amaretto and it just happened that our server was from Texas and wearing a UT cap. He was all to happy to chat with a fellow Texan. I would've loved to go back for another cup of coffee the day after and the day after that and so forth! As we walked the Plaza we accidently found the Santa Fe School of Cooking of which our fellow fanmenco Kym had always talked about. The aroama from that stairway was to die for and how I would've loved to take a walk through the school. Next time! So c'mon Kym, we'll be waiting for you to join us!

Maria's New Mexican Restaurant (voted Best in Santa Fe--11 years in a row) was our next stop for a late lunch! What a lunch and the restaurant boasts of the "Great Margarita List" with over 100 Margaritas to choose from! Decisions, decisions! I decided to try the Pomengranate Margarita, which is made with 100% fresh pomengranate juice and Cuervo Gold tequila which is blended to smooth perfection and frozen! As Kym would say, WOW! Maria's Margarita list, stated it was one of the healthiest margaritas to drink--so how could I resist! BTW, I conveniently brought the list home with me as a souvenir and will tuck it away in my LE box. If I lived in Santa Fe, I would be sure to go back every week and try a different margarita! Thanks for the recommendation, Ottmar!

Time Flies

.

Yes, Mario time does fly! It seems like just yesterday we took our whirlwind trip to New Mexico! A 48 hour whirlwind trip to be exact!

I'm still trying to recuperate and catch up with my sleep! Getting back to work today was a bit of a drag! I so wanted to be back in New Mexico! Thanks for posting such a wondeful picture. I will blog more about the trip in the next day or two.

Numbers....

97

.23

1.618

13-3-2-21-1-1-8-5

71

34

6

114

14

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Numbers! So many numbers! They rules our lives! If we let them! Wikipedia states that: A number is a mathematical concept used to describe and assess quantity. Yes, that ever popular subject of Math rules our lives every day! Still, I cannot convey enough to my students that Math is part of every day life!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Anyway, what do the numbers above mean for me!? Well, one is the amount of money I have left in my main checking account--I don't get paid till Monday! :-( I have another checking account for rainy days but it's not raining today and I've been depleting that account too much of late too! One number is the temperature of what it feels like outside at this very hour that I am typing and we're not even at the peak of afternoon hours as it's only 11:30 that I am typing this. One number is the number to my office of which I will be spending quite a bit of time in the upcoming month. This past Thursday, I didn't get off work till after 9:00 p.m. A few of the other numbers are related to the current book that I am reading. Anyone care to guess what book that is?! Hint--Phi! Yes, I"m late reading it but better late than never!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Finally, one of the above is the number of days left until I take a quick trip to New Mexico--of which I cannot wait for. It will be a very quick trip but I plan to enjoy every minute of it! It will be a Fanmencotastic time! Now back to the other thing that rules my life--CLEANING! I love Wikipedia! BTW, what numbers rule your life?!

Ogre Achiever

Ogre Achiever
Originally uploaded by nieve44.

Believe in Yourself!
Pass it on!

Obviously not my photo but coming home from work today, I saw a billboard that had a picture of Shrek with the above words on the billboard! I was laughing the rest of the way home! I'm thinking I might print this out and hang it in my office to motivate some of my students as well as share a little laughter. :-)

I just learned that the billboard is courtesy of "The Foundation for a Better Life". Check out the billboard here! They have some awesome billboards! Thanks, MJ.

Peace on Earth

Listen, children, to a story

That was written long ago,

'Bout a kingdom on a mountain

And the valley-folk below.

On the mountain was a treasure

Buried deep beneath the stone,

And the valley-people swore

They'd have it for their very own.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

So the people of the valley

Sent a message up the hill,

Asking for the buried treasure,

Tons of gold for which they'd kill.

Came an answer from the kingdom,

"With our brothers we will share

All the secrets of our mountain,

All the riches buried there."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now the valley cried with anger,

"Mount your horses! Draw your swords!"

And they killed the mountain-people,

So they won their just reward.

Now they stood beside the treasure,

On the mountain, dark and red.

Turned the stone and looked beneath it...

"Peace on Earth" was all it said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Go ahead and hate your neighbor,

Go ahead and cheat a friend.

Do it in the name of Heaven,

You can justify it in the end.

but there won't be any trumpets blowing

'Come the judgement day,

On the bloody morning after....One tin soldier rides away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was listening to this song on the way home from work this afternoon. Can anyone name the movie it comes from? I came home and searched the internet for the lyrics and found this story by John Luke which can be found here....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

....The song was written during the anti-war movement of the late 60's. Also going on at that time was the Six Day War of 1967 in Israel. The "Kingdom on a mountain" is none other than The Temple Mount in Jerusalem. It sits on Mt. Moriah. The people of the valley are the Muslim or Palestinian people who live in the Kidron Valley adjacent to Mt. Moriah. The Stone with the treasure underneath it is the stone that the Muslims claim Mohammed ascended and the Jews claim was the base in The Holy of Holies. The treasure underneath "the stone" which is up to 120ft.under the Temple mount is where the supposed hidden treasure of the Jewish treasury was. The Templars of the early 1000 a.d. were said to have found this treasure. The song closely discusses details of "The Crusades". The people of the Valley who did not want to share was none other than the leader of the Muslims, Saladin the Turkish leader who had restricted visitation of other religions to Jerusalem which in turn intitiated the crusades. Saladin(the Muslims) did regain the Temple Mount. So, the song's message is that we fight wars and shed blood for greed in the name of our God's but God just wants "Peace on Earth" as was written on the stone when it was turned over. The One Tin Soldier riding away just says that masses die in war on both sides and only one or a few are left. It sarcastically says go ahead and do evil but you will not escape your deeds on Judgment Day.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Ironically, while riding home and listening to the song, I thought about the battles occuring overseas in the Middle East & SE Asia and the killing for today's gold (land, oil, religion, etc...) and then I come home and find the story above. How many bloody mornings after can we as humans endure and inflict on one another in the name of Heaven before there can be "Peace on Earth"? And now, comes word that Israeli children have been writing words of praise on the bombs that are being dropped in Lebanon. Just sickening!

Ant(s)

Word of the Day:

Ant(s)

````````````

Wikipedia states that: As of 2006,

there are 11,880 known ant species,

most of which reside in hot climates

and that Ants have colonized almost every

landmass on Earth.

....including my bathroom shower!

`````````````````````````

I've been trying to figure out where the heck they are coming in from and I've yet to pinpoint the point of entry! UGH! :-( The temperature s outside have been hovering in the mid 90's and when you factor in the humidity that spikes up the temps to over 100 and with no rain! Thus, the ants have decided to come marching inside! They seem to be everywhere...at the office, bathrooms and kitchens! Any suggestions for how to get rid of them!?

...Update! I found the culprit and reason for the ants which were sugar ants who appeared because I started using a sugar scrub from Bath & Body Works. I pulled the scrub jar from the shower and POOF...ants are gone! I also found their point of entry and exit! I still want to keep using my sugar scrub and thus have Windex and cinnamon readily available. If need be, I will mix the boric acid too! Matt...still looking to get some Avon Skin So Soft! Thanks for all the suggestions!

Life planning

Daily Libra Forecast:

Quickie: You've done excellent planning, so enjoy watching everything run like clockwork.
Overview: Are your goals, plans and dreams the same now as they were five years ago? Hopefully the answer is no -- life is far too rich and interesting to stay in the same spot. It's time to redefine your ambitions.

My thoughts: Don't know what the quickie is all about...me plan!? The overview is interesting though. Life is far too rich but sure would help if I felt the same richness in my pocketbook!

Jubilee

Jubilee
Originally uploaded by nieve44.

I can tell by the way you're walking
That you don't want company
So I'll let you alone and I'll let you walk on
And in your own good time you'll be
Back where the sun can find you
Under the wise wishing tree
And with all of them made we'll lie under the shade and call it a jubilee

And I can tell by the way you're talking
That the past isnt letting you go
There's only so long you can take it all on
And then the wrong's gotta be on its own
And when you're ready to leave it behind you
You'll look back and all that you'll see
Is the wreckage and rust that you left in the dust
On your way to the jubilee

And I can tell by the way you're listening
That you're still expecting to hear
Your name being called like a summons to all
Who have failed to account for their doubts and their fears
They can't add up to much without you
And so if it were just up to me
I'd take hold of your hand, saying come hear the band
Play your song at the jubilee

And I can tell by the way you're searching
For something you can't even name
That you haven't been able to come to the table
Simply glad that you came
When you feel like this try to imagine
That we're all like frail boats on the sea
Just scanning the night for that great guiding light
Announcing the jubilee

And I can tell by the way you're standing
With your eyes filling with tears
That it's habit alone keeps you turning for home
Even though your home is right here
Where the people who love you are gathered
Under the wise wishing tree
May we all be considered then straight on delivered
Down to the jubilee
Because the people who love you are waiting
And they'll wait just as long as need be
When we look back and say those were halcyon days
We're talking about jubilee.

Music & words by the great Mary Chapin-Carpenter and her words have been hitting really close to home these days. I've been drifting of late and it's easier to do when you're on vacation but as vacation comes to an end, I want to hear my name being called like a summons and listen to the band playing.

Piles....

Music: The Longest Night, Ottmar Liebert

Mood: Frustrated!

Word of the Day...

PILE(s)

yes, piles...

as in piles of laundry

piles of magazines and books to read

piles of CD's to sort and play

piles of bills to pay

piles of paper

a pile of dirt

a pile of trash

piles of shoes

a pile of this and that

a pile in that corner and this corner

piles in my closet

I'm beginning to loathe piles!!

___________________________

I'm on vacation this week and one of the things on my list of things to do is to sort through all my piles of crap! I should be out having fun on vacation! I could be reading a book or I could be watching a movie but no, all the piles need to be sorted as they are stacking up higher and higher and controlling my life! UGH! Enough venting and playing on the computer...time to get back to my piles! I'm curious for any passerby...

What's in your pile? Oh well, at the least the music is good! Nothing like Holiday music to while away the hours in the heat of summer!

___________________________

...Progress-in the hour since I've typed this...I got rid of one pile! Well, most of it!! I did move some of it to my other piles but the night is still young! :-)

Delivered!

ready and waiting
Originally uploaded by ochazuke.

A very special thank you to Yumiko for the wonderful gift. I shall treasure it and tomorrow, I am going to buy a frame for this to hang in my office! Fanmenco fans are the best!

Happy Furry Friday

Is anybody there!?
Originally uploaded by nieve44.

...and even better-

Vacation

YEAH!!!!!

Winter Blue

Today is the 25th day

of the 6th month

of the year 2006

and 6 months from today another

Winter Blue will be upon us.

Thanks Ottmar for your beautiful music

which is welcomed anytime of the year

especially when in hibernation from the

heat of summer.

GOAAAAAAAAAL

Word of the day: Goal
Music: Twilight in Galisteo, Ottmar Liebert

********

Goal

With the frenzy of World Cup Soccer

and the NHL Stanley Cup Finals

of which I've been hooked on TV watching

the drama unfold, today's word seemed appropiate!

********

Actually, today's word of the day should be RAIN!

Houston recieved almost 10 inches of rain

in less than 10 hours. Thankfully, our side of town fared better

than others but still I feel for those who had water

in their homes and autos. The good news was that

I got a day off work as most workplaces were closed. :-)

Hibernation

Underwater lullaby
Originally uploaded by nieve44.

Word of the day: Hibernation
Mood: Cranky...it's too hot outside!

If I could, I'd like to hibernate for the whole summer under the cool, refreshing blue waters of la la land! Of course, it would help if I could swim! The dog days of summer are here and it seems as though there is no end in sight!

Of note, I brewed some tea yesterday and made a refreshing mix of Hibiscus & Green tea and poured it over ice! I couldn't get enough of it and I finished the whole batch of it by day's end!

RIP Angel

RIP Angel
Originally uploaded by nieve44.

The above pic is not my photo but I borrowed it from Yahoo photos. The little blue & white parakeet reminds me of my little one-Angel that died yesterday. She...rather he had been sick and finally passed on. He was rather a mean budgie but still I will miss him. I still have the other parakeet-Cutie who is getting a new friend this evening as a friend is letting me have one of his female budgies!

060606

Today is Tuesday

the sixth day

of the sixth month

of the sixth year

of the 21st century.

Nice symmetry.

~~~~~~~~

I'm being a copycat here and

borrowing words from Ottmar Liebert's blog.

I had intended on saying something similar

but he took the words right out of my mouth. ;-)

Bread

Word of the Day: Bread
Music: Baby, I'm a Want You, by Bread

During the past few days I've been eating so much bread of late and especially while in NYC where I partaked in some wonderful pizza, bagels, and baked bread. Actually, I started before vacation as the Culinary Department where I work was selling some scrumptious Raisin bread. Since I was leaving town, I ended up freezing the slices which I have now been enjoying with my morning coffee or tea.

Ironically, while in NYC we went to the Virgin Megastore and I came across a classic CD by the 70's rock band: Bread. The CD was a steal @ $8. I have been playing it nonstop since I got back. The music is timeless!

Regretably, by the end of the week my partaking of bread will come almost to a halt as too much bread adds too much unwanted rolls. :-(

Traveling

052906_19071.jpg
Originally uploaded by nieve44.

In the past two months, I've done more traveling than I have in the past year! First, there was Seattle in April to see Ottmar Liebert and just got back from NYC. Tomorrow, I'm off to a quick trip to Corpus Christi. I've enjoyed my travels but it's always nice to come back home to family, friends and loved ones. Visiting NYC was great...
especially with pictures like this!

Lady Liberty

New York City
Originally uploaded by nieve44.

Off to the Big Apple for a few days.

Catch you when I return.

Will upload photos during the next

four days via Flickr.

Our Shining Star

Grad 1
Originally uploaded by nieve44.

Class of 2006 and my nephew Greg

marking another family milestone.

He was our Shining Star tonight!

Tears of joy were freeflowing this evening.

Red White & Blue

Red White & Blue
Originally uploaded by nieve44.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend.

Please take time to remember that

SOME gave All!

Waves

Seattle Bay Waters
Originally uploaded by nieve44.

Word of the day: Waves
Mood: Floating
Music: Amarantine, Enya

**********

****************

...but now I know that our world is no more permanent than a wave rising on the ocean. Whatever our struggles and triumphs, however we may suffer them, all too soon they bleed into a wash, just like watery ink on paper.

Just finished reading, "Memoirs of a Geisha" and the above quote was taken from the last paragraph of the book. Can't wait to see the movie now! Now off to write on my moleskine...but think I'll use a pencil! ;-)

Taurus x 2

Today is my brother's (Arnold) birthday, and on Tuesday is my sister-in-law (Theresa)! Feliz Cumpleanos to both of them. Achived picture from their wedding some 20+ years ago. BTW, my brother is a twin but regretably the other twin died at birth. My brother barely weighted 2 pounds and was only given 24 hours to live. Thankfully, he pulled through! I can just imagine how different life would've been with two twin brothers! Happy birthday to you too Armando!

Starfish

Starfish in Kenya
Originally uploaded by nairb1.

While walking along a beach,
A man saw someone in the distance
Leaning down, picking something up,
And throwing it into the ocean.

As he came closer, he saw thousands of starfish the tide had thrown onto the beach.
Unable to return to the ocean during low tide, The starfish were dying.

He observed a young man picking up the
Starfish one by one
And throwing them back into the water.

After watching the seemingly futile effort,
The observer said, “There must be thousands of
Starfish on this beach. It would be impossible for
You to get to all of them. There are simply too many.
You can’t possibly save enough to make a difference.”

The young man smiled as he continued to pick up
Another starfish and toss it back into the ocean.

“It made a difference to that one,” he replied.

author unknown

In honor of Graduation Ceremonies tomorrow -Saturday, May 13, 2006. I am honored to be participating and seeing those starfish that we as educators tossed back into the sea. I will be wearing my starfish pin on my graduation regalia.

Photo by: Nairb

5

borrowed from Felicia:

5 things...

In my fridge
Soy milk
Dos Equis
Girl Scout Cookies (thin mints)
boiled eggs
yogurt

In my closet
junk and more junk
my new keens
sketchers
fan
my old walkman

In my purse
palm pilot
cell phone
lotion (my adiction)
gum
my favorite pen

In my car
CD's
Buddha
parking tag
umbrella
towel (4 Chulo to sit on)

In my office
photos of course
minature zen garden
water fountain
candy (4 my soul)
computer speakers (music always playing)

Humidity

Word of the day:
Mood: UGH!

HUMIDITY

I've come to hate this word

and all it brings to long, hot summers here

in H town!

Fanmencas

Fanmencas
Originally uploaded by nieve44.

Music: This Spring release 10,000 Butterflies
Mood: Fabulous

I normally don't like photos of myself but this was too nice not to share. Taken in Seattle on a beautiful, sunny & bright Saturday aboard a ferry returning from Bainbridge Island. Kym is my dear fellow fanmenca and my thanks to her for sharing this wonderful photo with me. Kudos to Mario for the wonderful pic! Fond memories of a wonderful vacation.

Dreaming

Dreaming
Originally uploaded by nieve44.

Back from my wonderful trip to Seattle! I had a great time visiting the Emerald city! We had wondeful weather...4 straight days without rain! Of course seeing Ottmar perform was the highlight as well as meeting up with fellow fanmencos. I'll be blogging and uploading pictures about this trip for a few more days!

Fanmenco gathering

Fanmenco gathering
Originally uploaded by borya.

I'm off to Seattle on Thursday for a little

Fanmenco gathering. Catch you when I get back.

Photo courtesey of Boris.

Happy Easter...

Happy Easter...
Originally uploaded by nieve44.

from Erika & Martin

& the Easter Bunny...

aka my nephew/Greg!

Yes, he was a bunny for hire!

I never knew such talent

existed in our family! :-)

Dog vs Cat

A dog's diary:
7 am - Oh boy! A walk! My favorite!
8 am - Oh boy! Dog food! My favorite!
9 am - Oh boy! The kids! My favorite!
Noon - Oh boy! The yard! My favorite!
2 pm - Oh boy! A car ride! My favorite!
3 pm - Oh boy! The kids! My favorite!
4 pm - Oh boy! Playing ball! My favorite!
6 pm - Oh boy! Welcome home Mom! My favorite!
7 pm - Oh boy! Welcome home Dad! My favorite!
8 pm - Oh boy! Dog food! My favorite!
9 pm - Oh boy! Tummy rubs on the couch! My favorite!
11 pm - Oh boy! Sleeping in my people's bed! My favorite!

A cat's diary:
Day 183 of my captivity. My captors continued to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while I am forced to eat dry cereal. The only thing that keeps me going is the hope of escape, and the mild satisfaction I get from clawing the furniture. Tomorrow I may eat another house plant. Today my attempt to kill my captors by weaving around their feet while they were walking almost succeeded - must try this at the top of the stairs. In an attempt to disgust and repulse these vile oppressors, I once again induced myself to vomit on their favorite chair - must try this on their bed. Decapitated a mouse and brought them the headless body in an attempt to make them aware of what I am capable of, and to try to strike fear in their hearts. They only cooed and condescended about what a good little cat I was. Hmmm, not working according to plan. There was some sort of gathering of their accomplices. I was placed in solitary throughout the event. However, I could hear the noise and smell the food. More important, I overheard that my confinement was due to my powers of inducing "allergies." Must learn what this is and how to use it to my advantage. I am convinced the other captives are flunkies and maybe snitches. The dog is routinely released and seems more than happy to return. He is obviously a half-wit. The bird, on the other hand, has got to be an informant and speaks with them regularly. I am certain he reports my every move. Due to his current placement in the metal room, his safety is assured. But I can wait; it is only a matter of time.