Un poco más

Such a beautiful song from the incomparable Lila Downs!  Still wired from her concert last night at House of Blues--thanks to free tickets from Facebook contest!  She sang this last night and this version does not compare to hearing it live backed by her beautiful band. What a voice!!!   BTW, got to chat with her husband a bit before the show!  My friend thought I knew him but he just happened to walk by me and say hello and I called his name Paul and that's how it started! ;-)

I first heard of her when she performed in the movie Frida and then sang Burn it Blue at the Academy Awards back in 2003.

Learning....

Learning hard this year!

Spirituality

Zen Moments ‏@Zen_Moments  9h9 hours ago

Being spiritual has nothing to do with what you believe and everything to do with your state of consciousness. ~ Eckhart Tolle

Septembro

Finally September got here & sayonara to August-The month I loathe the most. Still I know it will be several more weeks before we even begin to feel first effects of fall here in H town but feeling invigorated again knowing that summer is almost over!  

Alan O'Day -1977- Undercover Angel

For Ken.  R.I.P.  I shall miss your yearly phone calls on my birthday.  Heavy heart on this Sunday.  I remember this song well back in the summer of 1977 and the weekend treks to Astroworld to watch the fireworks.  ;-) 53 is too damn young.

Integrity

For Corinne whose visit I enjoyed this weekend. When we were roomies I was the messy one but you taught me that it was ok to not fit in a box or stay between the lines. That integrity was something to not take for granted or play around with and that loyalty was of utmost importance. Through the ups and downs of our friendship & lives and the miles in between Texas & New York we've remained friends for almost 30 years and I treasure your loyalty. Safe travels home Chica. Take care of you. 

Life exams

Making Sense

On this 1st day of August -a month I loathe because of the heat, long hours at work & what seems like a never-ending summer!! 

Maná - Vivir sin aire [En vivo]

Great concert Tuesday night by the Mexican rock group -Maná at Toyota Center.  So much pride in the band from Mexico and you can bet there was a kick ass song and words about Donald Trump!  Y chinga tu madre puto Trump porque "Somos Mas" cabron!!!



Video above of course was sung Tuesday night and one of my favorites from the band and is dedicated to MJ--for this too shall pass but I can understand your heartbreak and wanting to break free.  Many times, I've wished the same ...



... poder vivir sin aire, (live without air),

... poder vivir sin agua,  (live without water)

... me encantaria querete poco menos, (wish I could want you less)

... poder vivir sin ti, (live without you)

... pero no puedo, siento que murero (but I can't, because I would die)

... estoy hogano sin tu amor (I'm choking without your love)

... como quiseria calmar mi afflicion (I wish I could calm my affliction)

... me encantaria parar mi corazon (I wish I could stop my heart)



y como siempre sigue el Drama y Luz!

Jesse Cook - Havana

Appropriate title song as yesterday it was announced that the U.S. & Cuba have agreed to open the embassy in Havana, Cuba!  Happy to hear this as my travel posse is making plans to possibly visit Cuba in December.  Hoping that everything falls into place as this would be such an exciting adventure!!

It is so ordered

A joyous day in American history! Happy for friends & family & their fight for equality!  #Lovewins

Entre Dos Aguas

Above video is a beautiful tribute song by Tomatito playing the song titled above.



Last day of the month and all I can say is good riddance as the storms and rain were such a heartache to so many who lost lives and valuables by way of the loss of homes and/or cars.  Thankfully, all I lost was sleep especially last Monday night when the big storm hit.  It was said that in May alone- we got enough rain to fill the entire state of Texas with 8 inches of water!   The first week of June looks to be filled with less rain water but it also marks the start of Hurricane season and while I don't live in a flood zone I'm not taking any chances and I went ahead and bought flood insurance!



Now that May is ending and summer begins with the start of June (IMO) so begins the onslaught of the heat, humidity, mosquitos and the endless noise of the cicadas of which I heard already night before last.  UGH!!!  I loathe that sound!!!  What I'd give to escape summer here in Texas and take flight up north somewhere.  So, time for my usual hibernation of retreating indoors. Well at least the next two weeks or so will be busy watching basketball and hockey playoffs!

Islands in the Stream

I

Stopped by Willow Waterhole in the early evening yesterday & I fully believe that flood waters from yesterday's storms were held at bay thanks these new retention ponds at the back end of my neighborhood. Felt great to take in a walk at the waterhole & there was such a nice breeze and as you can see walk was cut short as the two bridges were impassable-more like islands in the stream.

Me either!

Do You Really Wanna Know?!

Never watched the show but I did like the theme song and Fox Mulder was a fox indeed and I always wanted to join the FBI and yes, inquiring minds really wanna know! ;-)

Simple Minds - Don't you Forget About Me (The Breakfast Club)

Dear Mr. Vernon:

We accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was we did wrong, but we think you're crazy to make us write an essay telling you who we think we are. You see us as you want to see us... In the simplest terms and the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain... ...and an athlete... ...and a basket case... ...a princess... ...and a criminal.

Does that answer your question? Sincerely yours, the Breakfast Club

I was a BIG fan of the movie, The Breakfast Club and can't believe it's been 30 years since it came out. The directing was genius and the acting was brilliant.  This song became the anthem of a generation and definitely a cry out song in the 80's and even now some 30 years later.  I could listen to song endlessly and watch the movie over and over.  If you've never seen the movie -by all means reach out and rent it!!

Four/IV/Quadri

Ok, so there are five of us that make our newly formed women's group that we call the Chino-Latino Posse.  We are new travel buds and this was our first get-together after our European trip last month. We're already making plans for next series of trips that could include India, and Cuba just to name a few places.  I am so happy to have met these four special women who are educated, talented and beautiful with such diverse backgrounds.  One from Chile, one from China and two from Mexico. Except for Yan we are educators with a zest for exploring and experiencing various cultures from around the globe.  

I always did like the number four and even more so now.  Some things about that magic number that I found on Wiki...

• Four is the sacred number of the Zia, an indigenous tribe located in the U.S. State of New Mexico.
• in Buddhism there are 
• Four Noble Truths
• Dukkha – The Noble Truth of Suffering
• Samudaya – The Noble Truth of the Cause of Suffering
• Nirodha – The Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering
• Magga – The Noble Truth of the Path leading to the Cessation of Suffering

There are four great elements that have special meaning to me and it exists in my backyard  and there are four corners of white concrete blocks that pay homage to the four elements of earth, fire, water, air as well as the four cardinal directions of east, south, west and north.

Four primary elements[edit]

In canonical texts, the four Great Elements refer to elements that are both "external" (that is, outside the body, such as a river) and "internal" (that is, of the body, such as blood). These elements are described as follows:

• Earth element (pruṭhavī-dhātu)
  Earth element represents the quality of solidity or attractive forces. 

• Water (or liquid) element (āpa-dhātu)
  Water element represents the quality of Liquidity or relative motion.

• Fire element (teja-dhātu)
  Fire element represents the quality of heat or energy. 

• Air (or wind) element (vāyu-dhātu)
  Air element represents the quality of expansion or repulsive forces. 

Thus, it is no wonder that I feel a special bond for my four friends.  Of special note there are...

Fifth and sixth elements[edit]

In addition to the above four elements of underived matter, two other elements are occasionally found in the Pali Canon:^[11]

• Space element (ākāsa-dhātu)

• Consciousness element (viññāṇa-dhātu)

 The fifth element is also important as in the photo linked above in the text- my sis Kym (twin sisters of different mothers) is pictured as she joined our possee last month while traveling to Holland and Germany! Thus four became six and our consciousness element was enlightened.  I am forever grateful for the light they each give.  

Turning the page!

Buddha's Flower - 4 My Sister

Title appropriately borrowed from song by Ottmar Liebert



So on day two in Holland, I met up with my fanmenco sis Kym.    We trekked by train and bus to get to Keukenhof where this photo was taken by some Asian sisters who asked that we take their photo for them.  I wonder where they were from?  Our boots were made for walking and after Keukenhof we hopped a train and spent the afternoon in Utrecht.

Needless to say my trip had come full circle in that meeting up with Kym was the intent of my return to Europe.  Kym and I go way back and Ottmar Liebert is the reason we became friends back in 2004 and we met up in Seattle in Spring 2006 for an Ottmar Liebert concert. She's been to Houston twice and so I promised a trip to Holland as I had been looking for a reason to return to Europe.  Last summer a co-worker and I began talking about traveling to Europe in summer 2015 but summer is peak travel season and thus Spring become the next option.  Also, our travel group quickly grew to five--the more the merrier!  Originally, I only wanted to travel through Holland and Germany for a ten day trip but we got such a bargain money wise for our trip and all the planning beforehand came to fruition in our seven days of travel.   I convinced Kym to join us in traveling to Cologne, Germany and six of us gals laughing, drinking and sightseeing not to mention partaking in the wonderful food was such a blast.  Blessed to have such great friends/sisters near and far and thankful such wonderful memories from our trip.

Netherlands - Dan Fogelberg

I was totally obsessed with Dan Fogelberg way back when!  He was just so dreamy with his poetic music and such a talent!  I didn't know that the album title is a play on Nederland, Colorado, the location of one of the studios used to record the album. Nederland is the Dutchname for the country known in English as the Netherlands.  Seems like everything is coming up Netherlands these days! ;-)