Noury's Creative World…

I already had something working on for today’s posting, but my good friend Lucy sent me an email that contained a story of a young man named Kevin Schombert, a senior at his high school in Frederick County, Maryland.

He was named Homecoming King.  According to some of his school mates, he has the highest school spirits, participates in sports at his school and has a great positive attitude.  He has Downs Syndrome.

He comes home every day and says “Mom, today was the best day of my life, I think today is really going to be hard to top.”

You know, sometimes in my life I am going through some days that are not that hot.  I don’t mean weather hot.  I mean emotionally challenging.  Today was one of those days.  You know, some days are hotter than others.  Do not like to minimize the days when I am not that chipper.  They are part of my life, just as are the very exciting and joyful ones.

But, my incredible Creator knows exactly what to do and when to do it.  I turned on my computer to type my posting for Monday with an idea in mind, but decided to check my emails before.  There it was.  Thank you Lucy for being the vessel that the Almighty used to make me see the extremely fortunate and blessed that I am.

Also, thanks to you, Kevin, for being my angel for today and reaching out to someone you will never meet in person, but already has influenced my life.

The picture above is a small painting my lovely daughter made over fifteen years ago when she was going through her wanting to be a painter phase.  I have always kept it inside my Bible right on the page of Isaiah 41.

So…it was today, 6 November, 2011…a day to see the rays of sunshine high above the clouds.

Your Happy Contessa

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”  Isaiah 41, 10.

All of us love the idea of the weekend.  We look forward to it as something that will liberate us to do what we really love and just to chill.

It is as if we take a breather from life itself.  We feel excited, relaxed and look forward to doing so many things, even though if by Sunday night, we just did nothing much.

But then, we have Friday all over again to do and plan all over again.

Weekends make all of us happy.  We are in a better disposition and feel different also.  Mood is good, and I think it is like when you let a bird out of a cage.  That’s the feeling I am trying to describe to equate it to the thought of the weekend coming up.

I am starting my weekend tomorrow.  In Florida,  Friday is the first day of all yard sales, so it is like an extra day to find some treasures.  Even though I do not have a job outside of doing what I feel like doing, Mondays through Thursday night are about the same for me as they are for you, I mean, for those of you that have to dress up and go to an office or place of work.

I am looking forward to my weekend.  No French class on Saturday.  Teacher is in New York having fun I guess.

I wish all of you a lovely, fun, happy and relaxing weekend.  See you next Monday for the grinding of whatever it is in schedule for all of us.

So..it was today…3 November, 2011…a day to think about the coming weekend.

Your Happy Contessa

“Every man must find his own philosophy…his attitude toward life.”  Lin Yutang, Chinese writer and inventor.  10 October, 1895 – 26 March, 1976.

Today I had to run an errand “downtown,”  so I prep very well, with my blazer, my scarf and looking real fall weather like.  The high was supposed to be mid-seventies, so I thought, this is my chance to look real cool.

Well, as soon as I opened the door, it was like “welcome to the Florida Fall.”  But I refused to take any of the pieces of my cool looking outfit off, and just suffer.  I blasted the air conditioner unit and said “let’s roll, even if it kills me, I am not caving in, it is looking cool and never let them see you sweat.”  So there I went.  Found the perfect parking spot, far away from the office where I had the appointment, so that gave me an opportunity to really show off my “perfect Florida Fall outfit.”

Then, at the office, there were guys suited up to the T, you know, playing being high rollers, knower-all-of-nothing, etc., etc.  You get my drift.  Forget about the women.  Using language that sounded complicated maybe to themselves, but sounded like a bunch of daily crapola to me.  Lawyers’ office.  Up there in the scale of stress, competition, spending all their salaries on their fancy lunches, driving leased cars they cannot afford, and watching their investments going down the street to meet the occupiers of that famous street in New York City.  The games we play.

That’s when I thought…I remember when I was there.  In that make pretend world.  I am so glad I am here at this space in my journey, just having one person to impress, and that is…Moi!  I am easy-going on myself.  Except when a scarf and a blazer are the order of the day.

Where am I supposed to go with all of this little story?  Hmmmm….this one has left me on the left field with no wisdom…oh, yes, the moral of the story is…all of us need to play the games of life sooner or later and the better we are at it, the more funny it is when we look back.  Lots of stories for your children.  Embellishments permitted.

Hmmm…not too pleased with today’s posting, but it is what it is.

So…it was today…2 November, 2011…counting down to Thanksgiving, and then…

Your Happy Contessa

“I ask not for a larger garden, but for finer seeds.”  Russell Herma Cornwell, American minister, orator, philanthropist, lawyer and writer.  15 February, 1843 – 6 December, 1925.

Sometimes I feel overwhelmed with my floating list of things to do.  But this morning, I wrote down all things I would like to accomplish for November, but some of them I must do.

While the floating list was existing inside my cranium, I felt somewhat anxious, because on top of the regular stuff, the holidays are approaching at the speed of a bullet.  This is so suffocating.  So many things to do, and just thinking about going through security check at the airport makes a southern belle like me get all discombobulated.  I don’t need much happening in my life to feel that way.

I sat and wrote down all my duties for November, 2011.  For some unexplainable reason, I feel more in control.  I can add, I can cross out, edit, etc., etc.

Now all my little neurons can relax and enjoy the journey for this month.  In that way, I can save some space for the unexpected and surprising.  There’s a lot of that stuff floating around my fan.  I already posted to that.

I feel like the cowgirl ridding the burro and having somewhat control over the beast.  Productivity at 7:26 a.m. is unbearable, 100% right now.  Maybe I’ll peak at 8: a.m.

So…it was today…the first day of the eleventh month of the year 2011.   1/1/11.  How nice!

Your Happy Contessa

“Ay, Dios Mio”  Translation – Oh, My God.  Contessa’s favorite expression from the moment she gets up to the moment she goes back to bed.

By now you get it…raining all day.  All my ambitious plans went down the drain.  Lunch will be a lame soup made of celery, carrots, some leftover rice and leftover salmon.  Don’t know how that brew is going to taste, but today is spirits’ day.  I like to make my own holiday.  I call it the Good Spirits Day.  Do not believe in evil, so only good angels are allowed in my mind.

So…I have cereal, water, no raisins, no lettuce, and nothing else much.  But there is a lot of junk stuff in my pantry.  Just in case we have a hurricane.  In an emergency, junk is allowed.  At least that was my excuse for not throwing away the stuff.  Thanks God for my logic.

A lot of time in my hands.  Imagine.  Me being typo A, it is going to be a challenging day.  Oh, yes, the on-demand tai chi.  I can do that.  Need to.  Bones and muscles have been irritated due to my lack of walking and moving them around.  What gives!  Today we celebrate having muscles and bones.  Maybe after lunch.

Parles tu francais?  That too.  Can practice my French.  I better stop looking for things to do, or I will be too overwhelmed with the possibilities.  Keep it somewhat dull, as a French young man in Paris said to my lovely daughter and me, that he liked the gloomy days, so he can have time to get depressed and ponder about life and the universe.  We just looked at each other, and said, ooookey…

Maybe I should just enjoy the gloominess of the day and ponder on my life and the universe.  That sound very easy to do, but “know thyself.”  It won’t work with me.  Because that’s what I do every day.  Don’t need a gloomy day.

Well…my dear friends, it is going to be a long day.

So…it was today…31 October, 211…a day of pondering about the meaning of the universe and the rainy days.

Oh, oh..the sun came out…what a dilemma!  All the plans for a gloomy day need to be revised.  I am so tired…I’ll think about it tomorrow, after all, tomorrow is another day.

Your Happy Contessa

“We are all in this together, and now what?”  From Contessa’s arsenal of sayings.

Wow!  My lovely daughter called me earlier this afternoon to tell me that it was snowing in the Washington, D.C., and the Northern Virginia area.

Here in Central Florida, the temperature dropped early this afternoon little by little, and right now is probably low 70’s.  Yes, I know…I have it really good.  It depends, though…don’t ask me about my hair on humid, horribly humid days.  My hair and I have serious issues on behavioral inclinations.  It thinks it is supposed to be wild, unruly and all split ends showing at all times, and that’s when we differ.

Yes…I know, let’s go back to the weather’s conduct.  What’s going on?  We have really annoyed the heck out of Mama Nature.  And at the end, she rules!

There goes the train of 8:30 p.m.  Oh, yes, the weather and my hair.  This is so so lame, I cannot even take it myself.

The muses came by just a few minutes ago, and I thought I really had a good chance to sit down and type something meaningful about the weather, but the muses just waltzed in and waltzed out of my brain in one Florida second.  They, the Florida seconds, are really like lightning fast.

So now I am left with half of the story told.  You have to come up with the rest of the story by yourselves, because I am totally lost.  If you were one of the precious creatures that got some snow, go tell yourselves a little story and make yourselves happy.  If you are one the lovely creatures that is only getting rain, go ahead and make yourself happy thinking that Noah’s time is really gone so there’s no fear of another deluge.

I am in serious trouble.  Duke FB lost today.  At least it was to a friendly team.  Is there such a thing as a friendly opposing team?  I’d like to think so, right Lucy?  You have the winning smile, I have the sore loser grin.  All in good taste, though.  Even to be a loser, you must have class.  There’s an abundance of that somewhere in this condo.

So…it was today, October 29, 2011…Saturday night and a lot of books to read and magazines to look at.

Your Happy Contessa

“Dashing through the snow….”  What?  too early?

Each one of us has a favorite space in our home.  For some people, it is their bed, their sun room, their studio, their living room and so on.  Even for some of us, their nice and cozy bathroom.

As for me, this is my favorite space.  It is an old chair, probably twenty-five years old and it is the space I use to read my newspaper, because now it is darker early in the morning and the visitors I had, ie., froggies, forced me to find a new space other than my sunroom.

I love the texture of the fabric of the chair, how comfortable it is, especially for my back, and the lamp just gives me the right amount of light that I need.  Also, it makes me be at ease with everything.  It is also my pondering place where I go through my list of gratitude for the day.

In the evening, after I get ready to go to bed, I make my linden tea, get comfortable again and read something that will make me sleepy.  Such as a book about becoming a vegan, and why it is good for you.  Don’t know why, but that does the trick.  I get all sleepy and so relaxed that all I have to do is turn off the light and go to bed two steps away.

I need to reupholster this chair with fabric that will blend with the rest of the decor.  I have been planning on doing this for the past five years.  I guess I have all the time in the world.  Also, this space is maturing as I go along.  Some fresh flowers, and a small table will make it more utilitarian for my needs of wanting to have other things around.  Some place for my cup of tea and paper and pencil, just in case my former muses decide to pay a visit.  Ha!

I am sure you do have a space like this one in your own home.  It is my throne in my castle.  Sorry toilet, you are not.

So…it was today…27 October, 2011…a day of feeling good about my favorite space.

Make it a good and happy weekend.  See you next Monday!

Your Happy Contessa

“Our concern be peace of mind…keep unlovely things afar.”  Theocritus, Greek poet, flourished in 3rd Century BC.

Recently the stuff around my only fan is hitting it at incredible speed.  I am keeping calm, serene, and positive.

When I get up in the morning, I am already ducking and walking on four instead of two, so the stuff constantly hitting the fan, with no break whatsoever, just does not hit me so early, before I have my coffee.

Thanks God for the lovely and fun weekend.  I am even keeping far away from the phone, so the stuff does not try to make an entrance through the airwaves.  Stuff is really getting sophisticated.  The better the technology, the faster the crapola reaches us.

What can I do to make the stuff just reach a level of non-threatening alarm stage?  Turn off the fan, sorry…that is just not possible.  That fan has  life of its own.  It does not respond to any command.  And what about the stuff?  I am here very tranquil, not moving too much inside my condo, as not to generate new stuff.  But…it keeps on reaching the fan level and Bam!  Need to duck on a constant basis.

Probably you are wondering what’s going on.  With me, nada, it is with the others.  I am taking a leave from going out or answering the phone, until things go back to normal stuff and the fan being somewhat happy.

So…it was today…26 October, 2011…a day of evading the stuff coming out from the fan.

Your Happy Contessa

“When it is not one things, it is another.”  Contessa

Today is a big day for me…I am putting myself through a big test…cannot think of anything to write about…have written about my laundry, my meals, my birthday, my recycling bin, my hair, my lovely daughter, my friends, my karma, my moods, my toilets, wow!  Is there anything left to talk about?

Well, the universe is always providing.  Look around and there is always something to talk about.  Let’s see…after watching the world’s headlines news, I decided to write about a lemon.

This real lemon was in a little basket right around where I pick up my mail.  A nice person had picked some lemons from a tree around our gardens and put them there for the taking.  I think I am using it on my salad.  What kind of lemon do you think is going to be?  A good lemon, a bad lemon…one thing for sure, it is a real lemon.  I have a lot of pretend fruits and veggies throughout the condo, but real are the bananas, lettuce, carrots, onions, sweet potatoes, and only God knows where these arrived from.  Most of them are in the fridge, but my only and unique lemon came from right around the building.

Yes!!!! something from Florida…well, now that I think about it, I had an avocado recently and it was from Florida, USA.  Buy local…if you can.

I also  had a very nice surprise today while shopping at the big W box, there was an ornament that I liked, and when I turned the packaging around, guess what!  Made in USA.  I was so happy I almost kissed the employee in that department.

So going back to the lemon, I guess I am delighted in having such a down home fruit.  It is going to be useful, Vitamin C, and it will make my salad taste good.

I have passed the test!  Three hundred fifty-five words.  I do not know how you feel about this posting, but silence is golden.  Keep that in mind.  You can opine if you feel like it,  that will be lovely also.

So…it was today…25 October, 2011…a day that went to the lemon.

Your Happy Contessa

“Check those labels, made in the USA is good for all of us.”  Contessa

And here it is…a new love in my life.  The molecular dog.  I think it is so cute!

My lovely daughter and I were visiting this other side of town, new to me, and found a full array of very interesting shops, restaurants, a lovely park and a community center.  Went into the restaurant, which we figure is the meeting place for the real locals, had a delicious lunch.  The other side of town is really for the tourists,  which we shall call the main drag, and for me and other locals when we want to play tourists.

After our lunch, we walked around the area, and visited a shop, and got two foo dogs.  Foo dogs are ancient sacred dogs of Asia who guard Buddhist Temples.  They protect you against bad energy.  Need all the dogs we can get.  Then, continued with our curiosity for this area and went into the park.  There was a sculpture that from far away looked like the infamous mouse.  Then started to look like a doggie, and by the time I took a few pictures, we found a description of what this sculpture really is.  It is a molecular dog!

Click on it to make it larger and see the actual description of the sculpture.  In case you don’t feel like clicking, here’s the information.  It is a molecule of propane!  Propane is a three-carbon molecule that is commonly known as liquified petroleum gas.

We had a wonderful afternoon and learned some chemistry and how beautiful it can be.

So…it was today…24 October…a day to remember a wonderful last Saturday, October 22nd.

Your Happy Contessa

“Out of your vulnerabilities will come your strength.”  Sigmund Freud, Austrian neurologist who founded the discipline of psychoanalysis.  6 May, 1856 – 23 September, 1939.