Noury's Creative World…

Ok.  This is an update to let y’all know that I am not depressed right now.  The post below was the drama queen in me that came out to express herself.  Read with lots of sugar and honey in your intelligent minds.  Thank you!

Life is like a box of chocolate, someone said in a movie.  I would say, life is like playing a peek-a-boo game.  Now you see it, whatever that is, and now you don’t.

And I think it is better that way.  There’s only so much we are capable of handling before getting upset, stressed out, or plain with “la depre,” (depression in Spanish).  It sounds better, not so heavy.

The wells where my tears are produced are so dried, that even if I tried, only air will come out.  That’s funny.  Even I am laughing about it.  It is either laugh, or cry, and remember, no tear production on this face.  So, laughing is going to be.

But laugh about what.  That my brain is so fried right now, that I cannot think of anything to post about and this is something pretty laughable.  I am going to see up to where my imagination takes me and I am curious to see how many words I can type, saying much, much about really nothing.  Hang in there with me.  This is one of these days where anything goes and the light bulb refuses to light up my path.  One hundred ninety-seven words, oops, now two hundred.  It is getting much better.  Not for you, dear reader, but for me this is great.  Words are being produced in abundance.

This post is so important.  Hopefully it will make us realize that it is better to keep our mouths shut sometimes than open it and just let baloney out.  This is the case, my dear Watson.  Wow!  Two hundred and seventy words.  I think I am going to quit while I am ahead and still in a good mood.

Sorry I don’t have anything bright, witty, or earth-shaking to discuss today.  And to think that this is going to be my weekend posting.  My new-found readers are going to think that I am full of air.  Right now that is the case.  Hopefully the weekend will re-energize my neurons and some new muses may feel I deserve a chance for redemption.

So it was today…16 June, 2011…a day I wrote much about fluffy air just before turning the computer off.  Three hundred seventy-seven words.  More or less.

May you have a very happy and fulfilling weekend.  See you next Monday!

Your Happy Contessa

“When you are required to exhibit strength, it comes.”  Joseph Campbell, American mythologist, writer and lecturer.  26 March, 1904 – 30 October, 1987.

A studio.  Yes, that’s what I am considering right now.  Going from 1,500 sq ft to 512 sq ft.  My nerves are hitting the ceiling of my second floor.  I need to continue getting rid of so much stuff.

Most of my beloved books.  But my train of thought is if I were to,  you know…go to heaven right now (I don’t believe on the hot one down below), by the way, where in the world is hell?, my daughter will be donating all 99% of my books to the library, so why not to do it myself, and see the happiness on the librarians’ faces.  Good tax help come April 2012.  2012…earth as we know it is supposed to disintegrate according to the Mayan calendar.  Another posting.  So much to write about…so little time and brain limitation.  Mine.

These are some of the favors my local library will be receiving come tomorrow.  Good books.  But I have come to accept the fact that if I hold on to things, I am believing that there is no abundance in the universe.  And I know by experience that abundance and blessings are out there just for the asking.

Bags and bags of treasures…to keep recycling…just like life itself.  Nothing really belongs to us, we just borrow things and keep them moving along when we depart from the planet.

Today I am keeping it slightly short.  Back is complaining.  62 seasons of moving, stretching, bending, extending and having too much fun.  Pay now or later.  I am always paying it seems.  Thanks goodness for ibuprofen.  Have to be careful with that stuff.  Liver, especially at my 62 maracas is kind of sensitive and temperamental with any kind of medication or man-invented stuff.

Again, let me try to say auf wiedersehen…goodbye in German.  When you say it,  sounds prettier.

So it was today…15 June, 2011…a day of letting go to open the windows of heaven to receive new blessings.

Your Happy Contessa

“Learn to wish that everything should come to pass exactly as it does.”  Epictetus, Greek sage and philosopher.  AD 55 – AD 135.

This morning during our daily walk, Miss Raylene and I were talking about issues we are dealing in today’s world that made us revisit what we stood for during our “rebellious days.”

It made me ponder about what really do I stand for today.  Right now, I have taken a leave of absence, except for stressing in my community the utmost importance of helping your local public library.  I believe libraries are the foundation of a community.  No library, no enlightenment and almost non-existent progress with the social issues.  In conclusion, no progress in our lives.  Each individual is in a way a reflection of the community they live in.  We cannot continue living in the darkness and ignoring the issues affecting us and the rest of the world.

I remember this ocassion…the community where my husband and I had our business was not having a 4th of July celebration in 1997, due to budget constraints.  I decided that I was going to do something, because it was going to be my first Independence Day celebration as an American citizen.  To make the long story short, I went to the City Council to get approval for a small ceremony, on the steps of City Hall,  including the reading of the Declaration of Independence, which my beautiful daughter did,  and the singing of some patriotic songs.  To recap, it was a very successful celebration, even had the Fire Department show up with a beautiful truck with flags, we had a lady sing our National Anthem and all in all, my first Independence Day as an American Citizen was memorable for me and a few others.  Needless to say, from that day on, the community has not skipped an Independence Day celebration.  It is not what we say, it is what we do that speaks volumes louder.

I have been watching some videos related to social issues.  They make me feel sad that in a way, I am not a contributor right now to the progress of humanity in our search for a better world.  There must always be a continuous search to become a better group of people as a whole.  As Susan B. Anthony used to say during her battle to get women in the United States the privilege of casting a vote…”Failure is impossible.”

I need to find a cause to devote my time and my passion to help in the search to eliminate social injustice.  How am I going to do it?  I need to search and charge on.  Age must not be a determining factor in getting too comfortable and think that those duties of contributing  are just for younger generations.  Our problems are our problems.  They do not have gender, age or nationality.  We are in this together for better or better.  No space for negativity here.

So it was today…14 June, 2011…a day to ponder of becoming an active member of society once again.  The choices are endless.

Your Happy Contessa

“To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.  This is to have succeeded.”  Ralph Waldo Emerson, American essayist, lecturer and poet.  Led the Transcendentalist Movement of Mid-19th Century.  25 May, 1803 – 27 April, 1882.

You know how my mind works…or doesn’t work.  I was really desperate in trying to come up with something to write about.  So I thought, why not continue with my saga about moving, packing, patching holes on the wall, donating galore of books to the local library with a heavy heart.  I love my books!  Things are going pretty smooth, but no place to live as of right now.  The Creator in charge of the universe is in charge here.  I have totally placed my situation in his hands, but I better get my derriere going, or it is not going to happen.

Moving a-la-French?  I don’t know what made me think of that.  Just a flying thought and I was immediately pondering; do you think the people in France (chic ones may I say) have a different way of packing?  More sophisticated, prettier?  Sometimes I feel a tad in a hurry and feel like just taking everything, and I mean everything to the Salvation Army.  Going back to Vive la France.  Do they sing beautiful songs, put some flowers on the table while doing the tedious chore of wrapping and re-wrapping things.  Maybe some wine to chill the process.  I am still catching up from last year’s newspaper that I had saved, and find some articles somewhat interesting.  Looking back, some things make a lot of sense or now they look plain idiotic.

This is me burning the mid-afternoon oil, trying to think of something to communicate with y’all.  It is working, typing and typing things that show what an incredible and lazy imagination I possess.  Fingers just keep on moving and word counter is showing a decent number.  Have to keep the word counter somewhat happy.  It is getting harder and harder, because I am physically exhausted and the neurons do not, I repeat, refuse to multi-task and go on strike if I push them to do just that.

Did you notice the boxes, and how far I am from your view?  I took this picture on purpose just like that to show you the incredible sacrifice I make to get the presses rolling to produce this nano-blog.  351 words as of now, is not such a nano thing.

I will stop blabbing right now.  I think you are getting my drift by now.  Hopefully things will get better.  By the way, the lily at the beginning of the posting is a picture taken this morning during my walk from Miss Kim’s garden.

So it was today…13 June, 2011, a day to ponder how the French people manage their moving from one place to another and pushing my imagination to its limit.

Your Happy Contessa

“A bientot.”  See you soon in, what else, French.

Well…it may depend on how old you are, what your situation is and one or two additional variants.

For me today it was my two tool boxes.  Time to start filling holes on the wall, sanding the compound mix after it was totally dried, and then painting over the whole production piece.  Has to be left as if there was nothing hanging on that space.

Today I was the repair-holes and paint-it- surgeon.  Have to go with gusto and face whatever it is you are supposed to do.  Yesterday, a trip to the Salvation Army and donated a whole bunch of stuff.  Another Christmas tree.  Didn’t like it too much after I purchased it last December.  The car was packed to the ceiling and when I was approaching the building, around 25 miles from where I live, I realized I forgot my list of items to be donated. It was hot, no makeup, no me.  I just jumped in the car after loading it and planning to go on Monday, but on the spot I decided to just go right there.  Not such a good thing.  Thanks God for my sunglasses.  I pretended I even didn’t know myself.  That’s how bad I looked.  But mission accomplished.  We worked out something of a receipt so when I go back next week, I will take my old list and the nice lady, Joyce, will stamp it.

Stuff for this, stuff for that.  That’s what we are…something full of stuff.  In a way, sometimes we let stuff define us.  But whenever I get too attached to something, I just think about the tornado victims, and right there, I can very freely let things go.  The flip side of having too much stuff is that you become a slave of it.  It possesses you and suffocates you.  That’s how I feel sometimes, and I don’t have a lot of…stuff.

Now, if you allow me I have to go and pack my two daily boxes of…stuff, :), so I can get ready for the moving van.  When is that going to happen…I don’t know.

So it was today, 12 June, 2011…a day to pack unimportant stuff in the bigger scheme of my life.

Your Happy Contessa

“How many cares one loses when one decides not to be something but to be someone.”  Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, French fashion designer whose modernist approach to design made her an important figure in 20th Century fashion world.  19 August, 1883-10 January, 1971.

This was a sight from this morning’s walk.  From Miss Raylene’s garden.  A pot with assorted seasonal growings to delight the eyes of a passerby.

This is a white giant hibiscus that came back from being dormant last Winter to delight our morning walks.  So purely white.  Lovely.

And…I am moving…I am moving…to the condo that I just found out has been already rented.  Surprise!!  I am just chillin…what is one to do?  Homeless is not an option.  Thanks God for storage companies.  I can always ask the big mouse for lodging.  No, not a good idea.  Enough of the mouse.  Other alternatives will develop over the weekend.  Need to make things happen.  Who’s in control here, beside the Almighty?  Don’t have the foggiest idea.

Divine intervention!!!!  Just what I needed right now.  My angelic neighbors, Miss Kim, Miss Hannah and little Miss Loran are my saviors in moments of desperation.  Fresh vegetables from their own garden, and zucchini bread made by Miss Hannah, from a recipe on the internet from Miss Paula Deen.  I already had two pieces…feel like Mrs. Michelin.  Rolls are developing as I type in the middle of my body.  It is delicious.  She added some nuts.  Healthy and good for my mental state right now.

What am I going to do when I leave this part of my earthly journey?  I surely will miss them and so many other very significant people in my life…but have to keep on moving.  Gypsy blood, my mother told me.  It works for me.

This was not my typical posting.  This was a literal “sancocho.”  Meaning a mix of different things that showed up into my life today.  Sancocho is a Dominican thick-soup-mix with chicken, pork, plantains, yucca, and other tubers.  Garlic, salt, pepper, cilantro and other good stuff is all added in.  Usually while you have sancocho, someone is playing the guitar, and yes, a lot of Dominican Rum.  Don’t care for the rum, but it is part of the party spirit.

So it was today…a day of surprises, very good ones and delicious, others that I am still trying to figure out what’s their meaning, but all is good.

I will be back on Monday…hopefully with more interesting news on my move to the Sunshine State.

Your Happy Contessa

“It is what I have done with where I have been that should be of interest.”  Georgia O’Keeffe, American modern artist.  15 November, 1887 – 6 March, 1986.

This is so cool…it totally released all the stress that was trying to creep into my always balanced and happy life.

I was watching this afternoon a show on what else, happiness.  Even Harvard is now getting it.  And guess what, everybody has an opinion on happiness.  Some “experts”, and they really looked so serious when they were giving their opinion or definition about happiness, believe that happiness per se does not have to do with how much money you have, how big is your house, the branding of your car, how many car garages your estate has, etc., etc.

Happiness is a mind thing.   Duh!  Is that the way you spell it?  Well, let’s continue here and not get side tracked.  Ask a baby that cannot talk yet,  what happiness is.  Just looking at their glorious little happy face you will get a complete definition of the meaning of the word happiness.

Why is happiness so important?  It is even in our Declaration of Independence…”And the pursuit of happiness.”  I guess what makes it seem so important is that the word happy has a connotation of perfection, Nirvanism if you may, and just chillin through life.  But, there is always a but, as one of the “experts” on the panel stated that if we as individuals are not having lows in our lives, we are either psychopaths or dead.  Oh, my!  I think I will choose not to be happy all the time.  Do not like either one of those choices.

So in conclusion…as you may be noticing, the muses are still very far away, and the posting is taking place between packing, dealing with agents, buyer, and others in the entourage of my life;  this thing about happiness deserves many, many, many more postings.  Thanks God for the eternal sources of human beings not being perfect.  What do you think we would be talking, writing, reading about if we didn’t have challenges, problems, situations, or issues.  Different names, same scenarios.

Life is really good right at this moment.  I am not making a decision to go South yet to look for a place to live, it is pretty toasty right now (90’s), and all I have to be concerned about is what’s up for dinner.  Sweet potatoes, stir fry with ground turkey, lots of olive oil and some brocoli, carrots and snow peas.  I am a happy camper.  All out of a plastic bag, except the turkey, that one is out of a plastic container.

So it was today…8 June, 2011…another day of making progress in the classroom of my life.

Your Happy Contessa

“Is Happiness a Journey or a Destination?”  You decide

These three were going about their daily gossip when I was watching them from my kitchen.  “So…what’s the deal for today?  I don’t know yet.  Have you done your research on Google to find a house in that very hot State?  Have you started packing yet?  You are looking a bit frazzled today.  What’s up with you and your nervous nerves?  Girlfriend, get away from me.  You are getting me nervous.  Any worms yet?”

So it is another day in birds’ kingdom.  Finding their very delicious and fulfilling worms.  I wish for a moment that was all I had to worry about.  But NO!  I wanted to move, I wanted to be warmer in the winters and so on.

Here it is baby, hit the road and stop complaining.  I think I am going to join the above Thelmita and Louisita and fly away.  Let me see…first I think we’ll fly to Alaska, further North and cooler.  ??????  I am a creature of contradictions.  But that’s ok.  That makes me more interesting and fascinating…and a lot delusional.

Going back to the birds, that’s exactly what my life is right now, for the birds.  Calgon, take me away.  Wasn’t that the famous line?

 Ahhhhhh!  Lillies of the field.  Did you notice the dew?  This one is from Miss Raylene’s garden this morning.  They know the secret to peace, happiness and no stress at all.  There’s no way you can have stress and look so beautiful.  You should see me now.  No, you wouldn’t want to see the picture of desperation, depression, anxiety mini-attacks, not so good hair day, in general, not a good sight.  But tomorrow’s another day.  Bring back Scarlett, “I’ll think about it tomorrow.”  Didn’t I say that yesterday.  What day is it?

So it was today…7 June, 2011…a day of staring at Thelma, Louise and me.

Your Happy Contessa

“All is for the best in the best of all possible worlds.”  Voltaire, French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher.  21 November, 1694 – 30May, 1778

The neurons are really on vacation today.  Or maybe they are overwhelmed with so much we have to do.  Got a contract on the house…now the reality show goes on the road.

Where am I going to live, when to go to find a place, when to move, legal technicalities, no time to think cute or inspiring things to post about.

Ayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!  That’s what we howl in Spanish when we are hurting.  That’s my psych, my body, and my everything screaming to put my life on the “Pause” button.  Can we do that?  Is there an app for that, Lucy or Lindsay?

I have been trying to move back to Florida for so long now…and now that the occasion is arising pretty soon, I am like a brainless, motionless nano-being.  Boxes, tape, lists and more lists, take art down, fill in holes, paint…pack, donate, sell, tell every living soul that I have pestered for the past two years about my inability to tolerate the “cold” weather of North Carolina.  I sometimes don’t remember who I have told, emailed, or facebooked.  I am into verbalizing names now.  Brain, please stop the process of dummying myself down, so I can have an excuse to do nothing.

But these darlings have been patiently waiting for me for months.  It is pony-up time!  Where do I start?  Need to think about it…I’ll think about it tomorrow.  Fresher neurons, better attitude and…nada mas.  Nothing else.  I am really, really tired and hungry.

I need to warn you…postings are going to be a mixed bag of much about nothing, or much about much.  Makes sense?  In Spanish it does.  Thanks for putting up with me today.

So it was today…6 June, 2011…a day to get ready to get going to prepare to move to the Sunshine State.

Your Happy Contessa

“Don’t think, just do.”  Horace, Roman lyric poet, 8 December, 65 BC -27 November, 8 BC.

This past Saturday I attended a beautiful wedding ceremony at the Duke’s Chapel in Durham, North Carolina.

You know about weddings…everybody look so pretty or handsome, best behavior on the moment, all smiles, hello, and more hello.  The music was very touching, not a note out-of-place, instruments all sounded just harmonious, and then…here comes the bride.  She looked stunning…beautiful or should I say, gorgeous brunette, very bright red lipstick, and a dress that made her look as if she was floating in space.  Magical moments.

Then of course, you know my mind.  The vows time came and while the usual words were being hummed along, I made my own version of the traditional vows.  For richer…or much more wealthier, in health or hit the diet and look like now (assuming he really looks trim and proper),  to love and to appreciate, that is until our egos do us part.  Let’s be innovative here. Needless to say, vows are for both genders.   We have changed as a society, we change values, traditions, but when the push comes to shove, we are looking at the big elephant in the middle of the couple and pretend that the beautiful white (or any color goes in these days) dress and the tuxedo are all the requirements to make it.  Dream on!

I am not implying that in this lovely couple,  that is their case, certainly not.  But it made me ponder on how we like to live in a world of fantasies.  My mind is always wondering.  We’ll always prefer illusions to reality.

Took pictures of the inside of the chapel.  Just magnificent.  It reminded me on a much lower scale, about Notre Dame in France.  Unfortunately all the inside pictures were blurred.  except for these ones.  What a shame!

Left is the altar, majestic with its simplicity and right is part of the ceiling with architectural details so similar to Notre Dame in France.  I am learning to appreciate details about the places I am visiting that I was totally oblivious before.  The difference is in the details.  Just like life.  Details…and more details.

That’s me sitting on a bench dedicated by the Class of 1948.  The year I was born.  What a coincidence.  This is on the lawn in front of the beautiful Chapel.  Tried to look proper for an almost summer wedding.

Then later on we went to the reception.  Food, libation, music and toasts.  We must be careful who we choose to make toasts.  It is one of the most important days in the lives of a couple, so be selective.

We should celebrate our weddings on a daily basis and remember why we chose our spouse, what made them special and maybe, just maybe, marriages will have a higher percentage of survival in the jungle and battle of the egos.

I am very happy my beautiful daughter asked me to be her date.  I had a swell time.

So it was today…June 5, 2011, a day of bonding with my daughter and reliving nice memories of the beginning of a beautiful couple’s married life.

Your Happy Contessa

“Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails.”  1 Corinthians 13:4-8