Me and GiGi

Here we are at our Casita in Salamanca, Spain. We do find it tiresome to do so much traveling but our court demands we spend time with them.

our new puppy

I love Kandinsky

This is what inspires me and sets my mind a twitter.
Abstraction, love it. A painting of his can set my mind off to a million places of peace and space. It creates space in my mind. It allows my cells to run free and frolic in chaos or sublime order. It just feels good to look at this painting.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/09/18/arts/design/20090918-kandinsky-audioss/index.html

An Adult Child Abuse Survivor's Guide to the Holidays - State of Grace

The amazing grace is at it again. She speaks my heart. The comments from all the people who have gone through and continue to go through abuse from family members is truly amazing.

An Adult Child Abuse Survivor's Guide to the Holidays - State of Grace

go to your happy place

For me that is some place close to nature. This was taken at the most beautiful water fall in Oregon.

Mamasan at Rest

Here is Mama in her final stop before she reaches that great food bowl in the sky. Her grave is so tiny.
Really miss you Mama.

Precious Mamasan

There is tiny Mommy so close to my heart! Miss you Mama & thanks for being in our lives. Now its just me & Duke.

Mamasan was the best dog in the world

We came home from our trip to find our most precious little Mama dead. She was in the house and it appeared as if she had not been there for too long. It was & is so very sad. She was only about 3 pounds but she filled a large part of our home with her love.

Mama was happy. She was just a happy content dog. Her needs were few and she loved everyone.

I took out our other dog for a sniff in the front of the house today and called Mama's name. I had forgotten she was gone. My other dog is having a very hard time with Mama being gone. He wont eat. He does a low little whine and looks around for her. They were best friends and he was little Mamas protector.

Mamasan was 12 years old. Yet she was so small and so playful, people always asked me if she was a puppy. The last time I saw Mama we had a fun little game of fetch. She did not like to fetch so what she did was stay on the sidelines and bark and run around while her buddy Duke did the fetching. Then she would yell at him if he got too close to her.

She loved to sleep on my lap and she would come running when I would say "sofa time". She was soft as a bunny.

In the video above Mama is eating a bone. She loved this! Mamasan only had about 5 teeth left so the fact she would work so diligently on a bone was really amazing. She would get every last scrap of meat off of it. Mama was the best bone picker and would have had no problem getting her share of food.

Mamasan and Food. No memorial for Mama would be complete without telling of her love of food. She never met a morsel she didn't like. Her favorites were: tea with honey & cream, meat of any kind, banana, yogurt, sweet potato, butter & cream. Mama was a great plate licker and had a huge tongue for her size. She was not afraid to belly up to the bar.

Mama was not afraid of anything. As tiny as she was she was just fearless. She was not aggressive in anyway, she was just not afraid to check things out. I used to look at her and think, she is so tiny, how can she feel so comfortable in this big world. She had just a sweet and special way about her that I will never forget. I miss her. She was my dog and I loved her.

Rest in Peace Sweet Little Mama, Rest in Peace.

The main lodge at Lake Arrowhead. We have been here for 5 Days! Amazing!

Baby & Boy

I think this is the first time my nephew has ever held a baby!

Beyond Cute!

This cute dog belongs to my sister and she is the best & cutest little lap dog. She is just darling! My chihuahua Duke has a big crush on her.

The New York Times > Arts > Image >

The golden Orb Spider has long been desired as an object for silk production. Now the spider is being used to make silk in a massive way. Will it too be used to death like the humble honey bee?

""And what became of the spiders, without whose very personal contributions the textile would not have been possible? While some died in its production, Mr. Godley and Mr. Peers said they set up a system in which the spiders being used were released daily, and detailed spreadsheets were kept to chart the number of spiders used, their yield and the casualty rate.""

Welcome to Michelle's Law - History and Background

This has now become federal law. It is too late for all those who went before, but at least it is now in place. As a mother who had a seriously ill college student this law was too late for us. My child did not die but the hardest part of the illness was dealing with the insurance people and the school. My child had to worry about keeping a full load so she could keep her insurance.
The passage of the Bill is too late for Michell but through her pain and suffering we will all benefit. We all owe her a great deal of gratitude.
God Bless You Michelle and may you rest in peace.

Welcome to Michelle's Law - History and Background

Cat Cafe in Japan

This is a cafe in Japan that has a bunch of cats that live in it and you pay to come in and eat and play with them. I like this idea but in America we have rules that no pets can be around food in a public place. The Cafe is called "Calico Cafe"
I used to have a calico cat and her name was Poppy. I love me some Poppy. She lived to about 15 years old then her kidneys gave out and she died a long sad death. I wish I had put her to "sleep" sooner but I kept her alive even though she was in pain because I loved her too much. When she died I vowed to not get anymore cats. I still had 2 more living cats and then they died too. I was heartbroken.
So now I am cat free and will not be getting anymore cats as I just get too attached to them. Also, they used to make my eyes itch!

My Mother

My mother was a beautiful Latin Lady. She was Spanish & Portuguese. Her father came from Salamunca, Spain. Her mother was born here but her parents came from the islands called The Azores that are a part of Portugal.
The Azores look very green & peaceful but perhaps for some they are too isolated. I do not know why her family from the Azores moved here. Was it to have a "better life"? I want to go visit The Azores.
The picture is from a private memorial....just me & her...that I had for her to mark the anniversary of her 30th year in Heaven. She is around 17 years old in this photo. In 28 years and 5 children later she would be dead.
Rest In Peace Dear Mother, you did a good job while here on earth. I love you & miss you.

Here I am again with the dogs. Once they are on top of you they put a spell on you so you cant get up. Then they double the spell so you fall asleep.

The simple life

How nice to have such a simple life that under a cushion is where you live.

Crash Landing

This tiny birdy flew from my bird feeder into the nearby window. I think I need to put something in the window to let them know it is there so this does not happen again.

TREE FROG

Tree frog that lives under cushions on my patio. I have to look before i sit.

Tea Baggers Screaming at Congressman Chris Murphy

The ugly face of the Radical Right. Tea Baggers you remind me of people that used to line the sidewalks when the little black kids were trying to get into the newly integrated schools. Just those same ugly angry irrational vein popping faces.
You guys are behind the times. Healthcare is a right. The time for reform is NOW!

At a Tiny New York Farm, Seeking Freedom From Addiction - NYTimes.com

I have had dreams about a place like this. A place where urbans could get free from addictions in a rural garden setting. Nature is the healer. Nature can do what no man can do. As these new farmers work with nature they will experience a life they never thought possible.
Nature can save your life.
PS make sure you watch the video.

At a Tiny New York Farm, Seeking Freedom From Addiction - NYTimes.com

For my sister

This vid is for my sister who crochets and makes funny little baby hats! This boy who explains how to make a hat is amazing!

Babies Are Love

see this ladies blog

Read this woman's blog about forgiveness. As I have been working on moving my life to a place of peace & plenty for the past 8 years I am in her mental space and do believe it is about self forgiveness. It is pointless to try and forgive someone. If you choose or choose not to have a person in your life it will depend on your level of self forgiveness not whether you forgive them or not.

Most likely I can never feel a real forgiveness for the life I was forced to live. But I can decide the level of forgiveness I give out and whether I want the person in my life or not. If I choose to have them in my life I better be clear on that. I better be clear on how I feel about them.

Perhaps it is more a feeling of neutral. If I can come to neutral then I can just see them for who they are and try to understand why they did what they did. That way forgiving them can happen or not but it is not critical. Maybe for me it is more important to understand than to forgive. I like to know what motivates people.

Forgive yourself. Just forgive yourself and start making the changes you need to make to be happy.

Anyhoo this lady says it way better than I can. It is this post that is so true and healing. If you go to her blog you can read it and for me I think I will bookmark it so I can read again and again.

BlogHer 09 - My Community Keynote Reading

you also watch her video.

smile like sunshine

Smiley

Does that look like something audrey hephurn would wear?

Now he really has to fight for his right to PARTY!!

Just way to many people getting cancer. All the best to you and a speedy recovery.

Recipes : Cultures for Health, Yogurt Starter, Buttermilk Starter, Kombucha, Dairy Kefir, Water Kefir, Sourdough Starters, Ginger Beer Plant, Supplies, Books, Tea

I have been thinking of adding some dairy back into my life and will start with some cultured products. Here is a website that sells cultures.

Recipes : Cultures for Health, Yogurt Starter, Buttermilk Starter, Kombucha, Dairy Kefir, Water Kefir, Sourdough Starters, Ginger Beer Plant, Supplies, Books, Tea

Forget the Trash Bag, Bring a Towel to the Dumpster Pools - NYTimes.com

Watch the video. What we need are more dumpster pools!

Forget the Trash Bag, Bring a Towel to the Dumpster Pools - NYTimes.com

Little Mama Is Hungry!

Olden Days

In those good old days of yore we used to do MUSIC!!!
Yep, that's grandma.

Between my legs by tru dillon

Looks like Ferris!

This movie "500 hundred days of sara" looks like a "Ferris Beulers Day off" contender. I will be seeing this movie. I love musicals and this looks like a fun & happy summer movie.

I need happy. 

Rose petals dried and still with a faint rose aroma.
I went to a rose garden in the mountains of Corralitos yesterday. It was a lovely old falling down place that used to be a garden center that carried roses of antique variety. It has now fallen into disrepair but it still retains a certain feeling of wistful beauty.
The only rose I rescued was a delicate yellow girl with scalloped edges.
I have just discovered that my cell phone allows me to post directly from my phone. That means I can take a picture on the spot and send it to my blog and it will magically appear here in a matter of seconds. Now that is magic of the highest order.
Most people just call that technology.

Me and my dogs in a place called bliss

This is me and my two dogs. We like to relax like this after a hard day of watching TV and eating yummy treats. Oh did I say Treats? My dogs love that word and will bark and dance upon hearing it. When these guys occupy you like this, you fall into a trance. You get very sleepy and you have to get help from others to bring you tea and toast and whatnot.
My dogs are old. My boy dog is 13 and the little one Mama, is 12. But for old geezers they get around just like puppies. In fact people ask me if Mama is a puppy and I have to tell them no she is not a puppy, she is just tiny.
We are happy together in our sofa world. When it is time for them to climb aboard I say to them "who wants sofa time?' and they usually do want sofa time, they want lots of sofa time. Sofa time is good.

And some people like to change the color of their hair and they are lucky it looks so good!

This baby will rule the world even if she is bald!

Matcha Tea Whisking

Yes we love the matcha and so good for the health of your teeth!

Furniture-Care Tips and more decorating ideas, organizing tips, and homekeeping and cleaning solutions on marthastewart.com

This is why I am a Martha Stewart fan and always have been. She shows you how to do take care of your things. She knows it all and if she does not know it she researches it and brings on experts to her show. She also keeps crafts alive. I just really think she is awesome.
I am going to buy the linseed oil and whatnot to clean some of my furniture that has never been taken care of properly. When in doubt check Martha out.

Furniture-Care Tips and more decorating ideas, organizing tips, and homekeeping and cleaning solutions on marthastewart.com

Summer Rituals - Tending Hives - Beekeepers Keep the Lid On - NYTimes.com

I really wanted a hive but we live in a home condo and my neighbors would not let me have a hive.
boo hoo


Summer Rituals - Tending Hives - Beekeepers Keep the Lid On - NYTimes.com

Mother Nature Father Time

I can add nothing to this...watch and laugh.

humans unite for dance

Humans: we come together for good or evil. It is entirely our choice.

Freedom and Release indeed!

What do you think? Do these look comfortable? I can just feel them getting all bunched up under my jeans!

Guest Column: Let’s Hear It for the Bees - Olivia Judson Blog - NYTimes.com

Twin Webs


I find this fascinating and want to make a clock as suggested in this article.

I have been eating very much chocolate & coffee and find that if I eat enough chocolate I do not get migraines from it. It is tough keeping up with the required dosage so I watch this to help me along.
Oh and yes I do take my canvas bag along......yes I really do.

SEEING IS BELIEVING

Dance - In China, Liu Yan Still Dances in Her Dreams - NYTimes.com

When I first watched the video of her dancing I thought it was in slow motion, but that is just how amazing she was. I know she will triumph over this and do something great!
Gosh she was so so so amazing!

Dance - In China, Liu Yan Still Dances in Her Dreams - NYTimes.com