Noury's Creative World…

Found this little essay I made October 2011 when I attended a Writer’s Workshop, as always, trying to improve my talents to please all of you even more.

The essay was titled “Me” and was, let me see how I can put it, was listened to by two English Professors, one from a highly rated as a top private small college of the south by U.S. News and World Report.  After I finished reading my masterpiece, he clapped, surprising the other lady professor from a community college.  I was shocked! The next lady doing her reading said that she was not sure she could measure up to mine.  What! I was elated beyond description.

We were supposed to describe a moment and include details so others could picture themselves as being there with me.  Here it goes.

“It is bright, sun filtering through the windows looking at my lush green outside garden.  Sitting on my sofa with a quilt over it for comfortable texture.  Computer on my lap, ugly-looking glasses on my face showing that I am making an attempt to produce an intelligent piece of work for my blog.

There is my favorite drink next to me, a glass of water and I am wearing socks because I am always cold, even though I am wearing shorts and a sleeveless shirt.

No makeup, hair all over the place and my eyesight staring at the wall.

There is a slight smile on my face because I am thinking… something gotta give, need to write something or else.”

Had to share.  Of course, the picture is a selfie taken a few minutes ago, while the heat is on and I am freezing in my apartment.  Glass of water is in the kitchen, because I couldn’t find a table to put it next to the chair.  But hopefully you catch the drift.

Well…another day of 2014 drifting by…

Your Happy Contessa

“There is nothing to writing.  All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”  Ernest Hemingway, American writer and journalist.  21 July, 1899 – 2 July 1961.

I took this picture shortly after takeoff last September when I made a trip to California for 48 hours.  The reason I picked this picture is that in life we never know what’s ahead of us, even for a few seconds.  We need to be prepared and embrace and work with whatever life has in storage for us.

2014 has a good ringing…at least for me.  I expect more of the fun, amazing things, blessings and all the goodies the Creator wants to continue to surprise me with.  I am sure there will be challenging stuff, but what the heck, life is all about surprises and more surprises.

2013 certainly was a memorable year for me and my family.  My darling daughter got married last July 6th.  Fairy tale wedding, but the most important thing was the way they looked at each other when she was walking down the aisle…I wish all couples would look at each other that same way for the rest of their lives.  It made my heart swell with love and joy for them.

That was the highlight of my year…there were other things fabulous and great…there are always fabulous and great things happening in my life.  My glass is always full to the top with excitement and happiness.  Of course, sometimes I have a little gray cloud hanging over my head, but I always push it aside or continue my life in spite of that little cloud.  As my mother used to say…”Not every day is a holiday.”

With that being said…I wish all of you, my wonderful worldwide audience, only the best in your lives and may God give you the strength, patience, peace and joy we all need and deserve.

Happy Contessa

“Celebrate what you want to see more of.”  Tom Peters, American writer on business management practices.  7 November, 1942 -.

I am on a loving roll…just finished watching the most silly, romantic and cute movie of them all.  I knew how the end was going to happen from the first minute, but don’t ask me why, I watched the whole thing.

I am in a very good place right now in my life.  Love everything and everyone around me and those far away from me.  Maybe because the Christmas Spirit came and knocked on my door one day last week…who knows.

If we could get everything we ever wanted, I wonder how our lives would be.  I concluded today that there is someone who knows better than I do, what is the best for me.  So I just carry on and enjoy the journey.

Christmas is about the intangible…what is in your heart to give and about you graciously receiving the warmth of an embrace, eyes that look at you and tell you a beautiful story, touches that even though silent, have a whole story of unconditional love.

What is love?  For me is something you feel and leaves you breathless for a moment, something that transports you to a place where everything is just breathtaking.  I cannot describe love, I know I can feel it.  And I am feeling love all around me.

With that little essay…I must bow down to the muses…maybe they are getting closer…the last time I heard from them, they were in the Florida Keys, because the rest of the U.S.A. is freezing their derriere at incredible temperatures.  Sorry guys, but here in Florida, things are pretty toasty and shiny.

That was not the way I envisioned the ending of this loving posting…but this is how it is ending.  My apologies.

Your Happy Contessa

“Warmth can always be found in the heart.”  Me

Don’t intend to promote any products here, but this perfume which I just love, love, comes from Jo Malone.  It was the perfume my daughter wore on her wedding day.  I loved it so much, just as the photographer and everyone else in the room, that I decided to get my own.  I just promise to my daughter, I will not wear it when I am in her town.

The lady at the counter did such a beautiful job with the packaging, that it made it feel more special.  So is everything else in life.  You put an extra little effort, and there you have it, something very special.  This perfume was on my Bucket List and today it has been crossed out.

This was one of the scenes at the shopping mall where I purchased my treasured perfume, and it was all very enticing for all of us there, to depart with our money.  I used that plastic rectangle three times while there.  All in the name of the holidays and of course, being happy.

It was a beautiful morning…good hair weather, with no humidity, and I am happy with my newly found treasures.  It doesn’t take much to make me happy.

Another day of sharing the wonderful opportunity of being an angel on earth having a human experience.

The muses must be somewhere close by.  They have been absent since July 2011.  I am sure you have noticed this.  The inspiration well has been dry for a while now, but we must carry on.

Thanks for reading…hopefully it will get better one of these days.

Happy Contessa

“The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched, they are felt with the heart.”  From The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, French writer, poet and pioneering aviator.  29 June 1900 – 31 July 1944.

This was not the original picture for this posting, but it will have to do for now.  My apologies.

When I receive this piece of mail from a very dear friend, my stress level reaches an all time high.  Hers is always the first season’s greetings card that I have received for as long as I can remember.

So, when I see this in my mail, that means again, that the stress has just begun.  I don’t even want to open it, because it means I have to get my derriere in high gear.

I think this dear friend sits down and on the Friday after Thanksgiving, she is just waiting for 12:01 am to release all of her cards.  I love her dearly and would love for her to get me going in a sort of another way, but life is just that, life.  I already have my two little Christmas trees all decked up and the condo looks like I am all ready and set to go.  Yeah…don’t I wish.  I really don’t want to go into the stores, but I know I have to…or a thought just occurred…maybe I don’t have to go at all, and wait and see reactions.  But knowing how my self-confidence level is always on a variant…I know I will go like the rest of us, and break down and use that plastic rectangle.

Caramba!  Something nice in Spanish…just a phrase to release some steam.  I wish I could go into space until January 2nd and meditate in a bubble all the time.  I will be so melted and peaced out when I return, that maybe no one will recognize me.  Probably all my wrinkles will be gone (Yes!), and my nerves will be non-existent.  Hey Santa, are you listening?

Until next time, I will share a view of my small Christmas vision.

Happy Contessa

“It’s that wonderful time of the year…”  Ding, dong, ding, dong.

Checking on my blog, noticed it was snowing!  So had to change theme of the main page in a big hurry…

This is my grand-doggie’s gift.  His name is Baxter Brown, who has his own page on Facebook.  He was number one on my list.  So easy to please and I know how excited he gets when he gets a little present.

There is no wisdom right now, or maybe yes…start getting your presents (or not) pretty soon, because there are only so many shopping days left, sort of to drain your wallet and your checking account.

Sorry, but for me, this is what the holidays have become, trying to give to people who need your present like they need a hole in their brain.

I am positive I am not alone on this.  What’s wrong with giving love, compassion, caring, and empathy all throughout the year, instead of buying something that probably the provenance is from….China and they do not need anyways.  With my utmost respect to the Chinese people.

There I am, and I thought I had nothing to say…oh yes…college football is keeping me on the edge of my seat.  Love it!

Promise next posting will be more profound and maybe entertaining.

Happy Contessa

“Sometimes silence better serves the purpose of trying to say anything at all.”  Me

This is what greets me when I come into my kingdom…some of my books, a picture of my lovely daughter and her husband, and a sense of gratitude because I made it back home safe and happy to be in this place, and at this time in my life.

I am such a fortunate woman…the good Lord has always been by my side, to guide, protect, and encourage me when I need it most.

I am in a priceless place in my life and my heart just swells with gratitude and happiness.

Life is ultra good!

Wish all of you my friends wherever you may be today…a very Happy Thanksgiving Day and may your journey continue to be one of joy, gratitude and happiness.  Of course there will be some bumps on the road of our lives, but those are minor things compared to the bigger picture.  It is all about the bigger picture.

Love,

Your Happy Contessa

While visiting with family in South Florida, we made a stop along the way back, and when I saw this sign, it reminded me that in our family of three we used to always say, “follow the signs, the signs are your friend.”  That was also what Milagros told me when we visited Paris, and we were at Charles de Gaulle Airport… just landed, and I was obviously anxious, because we did not know a soul in Paris, and our francais was comme ci comme ca (so so).

She said this immortal words to me “mami, let’s follow the signs, they are your friend.”  That’s what we did, even when we did have my Google-printed instructions to go to the places we went.  Of course, Milagros, being young and very confident, sometimes defied the instructions.  Me? melting inside with the fear of getting lost, but she aced it all the time, and that’s how we found some places we would have missed had we followed Mrs. Google’s instructions.

Life is full of signs…invisible signs, intuitive signs, on-your-face signs, very loud signs and little signs that are like a knock on your mind and heart.   I live trying to figure out what’s their meaning, and that’s when I get all tangled up.  My patience is very limited and I want to know things pronto and with meaning very well spelled out.

Life is bigger, stronger and smarter than I am, so usually after wrestling for a while with “my signs,” I usually let go.  Do I have a choice?  Of course not!

Well…just wanted to share with all of you my wonderful readers, that the universe is always talking to us, even if we decide to listen or not.  I am still learning to listen very quietly.  Sometimes is in a language I totally do not recognize.

Another day in my beautiful, mysterious, wonderful life.

Happy Contessa

“The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious…”  Albert Einstein, German theoretical physicist.  14 March, 1879 – 18 April, 1955.

One of the definitions of crush is…”short-lived infatuation.”  Yep, it happened already.  No longer infatuated…I have recovered my common sense, the peace and freedom of my mindset.  I feel like a new woman…again.

“We” were like two ships that crossed their paths in the middle of the night…and we sailed away from each other without knowing we almost touched our lives.  Sounds poetic, and yes, there’s poetry in romance.

But…it’s over!  I am feeling  totally recovered…no more butterflies in my stomach.  That’s a good thing.  I am leaving the romantic stuff at the moment to the characters in my soap operas, and watch all the drama from far away.  Do not need or want unnecessary drama in my wonderful life.

To all the fans of my humble blog, I am sorry that the news is not that exciting, like the news of my infatuation with Mr. Wonderful…but all things always come to an end…even the good and exciting stuff in life.

Having said all of that…I saw this morning on my way to the supermarket, the cutest guy on earth.  From my car window.  And that’s the way it will stay.  What?  I did not say I will stop looking and entertaining another little crush.  It is fun and it keeps my neurons trying to figure out what’s going on with my mind.  Love this!

Well…another day in my ever exciting life of… to crush or not to crush.  🙂

Your Happy Contessa

“Learning to live is learning to let go.”  Sogyal Rinpoche, a Tibetan Dzogchen lama.  Author of  “Tibetan Book of Living and Dying.”  Born in 1947.

My life…fall is here…needed to change the decor…light up the fireplace…wait a moment…I don’t have a fireplace.  Maybe it is in my far, far distant future…like when I go to visit heaven and come back as the most beautiful baby girl ever!  Yes, girls have more fun.

What about the title?  Yes, I must confess, I have fallen deeply in love.  Not telling who the lucky guy is.  He does not have the foggiest idea what’s going on.  Neither do I.  Am I infatuated?  Who knows.  This have never happened to me before.  I always had the guys eating out of my hand…but no…this little guy came and I am letting my saliva out of my mouth without any control whatsoever.  Man…this is very hard for me to have to confess all of this.  But…who do I tell?  My friends…don’t think so.  They would not believe that the self-confident, arrogant and so “my life is perfect as it is” has fallen for a difficult to describe guy.  C’est la vie!

There it is…I have managed to spill the beans without a warning whatsoever.  But…I must admit, I feel lighter, butterflies in my stomach every time I think of …him…boy, this is getting harder as it goes.  Love is a beautiful and wonderful thing.

Now, the question that I have…knowing myself…how long is this going to last?  I am very impatient and I must admit, I love, love, and again, love my life as it is.  There’s no room, or space to accommodate anybody else in my wonderful life.  So…by deduction and logic, which by the way, I love logic…this is on the way out already.  It felt good while I was typing it…but as one of my favorite phrases goes…next!  Thing in my agenda, I should have added.

I had fun typing this…hope you had a good laugh…I surely did!

Your Happy Contessa

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow.”  Saint Isidore of Seville, Born in Cartagena, Spain.    c 560 – 4 April, 636.