Noury's Creative World…

When one of the most important thoughts of my day is “I need to clean the toilets,” all I can say is wow!  Do I have real problems.  I have three toilets in my little house.  Why the heck do I have so many of them?  Some people in the world don’t have any.  A little hole in the ground does the job.  But I live in a civilized society, so I need three toilets.  How many derrieres do I have?  A disappearing one!

This made me think this morning that…I need to get a life with less toilets.  Need to occupy my mind with other things.  Not important things, but things of significance.  That’s the difference.  I blog (really, it is a lot of babbling), try to eat healthy, clean my house, and clean it again.  And, oh yes, clean the toilets!  So much vacuuming is pulling the carpet away from the walls.  The dust recycles itself inside the house I don’t know how many times;  I also watch college basketball.  Sadly, season is coming to an end today.  I take lots of pictures to share with y’all, color my hair, read a lot, watch my Spanish soaps (leave those alone), etc., etc.

All in all I am busy most of the time, but I feel a need for something more.  Busy does not mean to me being accomplished.  Maybe that’s my problem.  I like to dig deeper and deeper, and one of these days, I am going to dig so deep, that there will be no way back.  Just kidding.  Maybe I’ll find some diamonds.  But I don’t like diamonds, I like pearls.  Well, I’ll go dig in the ocean.  Where is this going?  

I am in a quest to find something to do that will allow me to be so profoundly immersed on whatever it is that I’ll be doing, that toilets will not even enter my list of important things to do.  Just on the things to do list, very low on the list.  Perspective here is good.

As you can tell, this is a conundrum.  I am in the middle of it.  What should I do?  No one can tell me that.  I need to figure that out for myself.  My priorities are just that, mine.  You have your own set to take care of.

In the meantime, I will continue blabbing, taking pictures to share with you and to ponder on what mission I will be on to next with the different routes that I am taking in my journey.  I am searching and looking forward to what surprises may be in storage for me to discover. 

I am a woman with a mission.

Let’s talk about nature for a few seconds now.  You know that I have been showing you beautiful sights of nature, unmatchable to anything else.  Well, last night our neighborhood had some high winds and lots of rain.  It was really bad, but I was so taken with my allergies that I could have cared less if I ended up in Kansas to visit Dorothy and Toto.  But not so Miss Raylene’s beautiful garden. 

This is what happened to her beautiful pear tree.  Around 4:30 am she heard a loud bam,  and this is what she found this morning.  The big branch landed at about less than an inch of her beautiful new car.  Nature is beautiful, but it can be very destructive at the same time also.  I guess just like the rest of us.  Miss Raylene and her car are doing well, thank you very much.

So it was today, Tuesday, April 5th, 2011…another day to be grateful for.

Your Happy Contessa

“Entre Ser o no ser…yo soy.”  “Between to be or not to be…I am.”  From one of my soaps.

There’s a humongous debate taking place in my shrinking brain right now.  Should I eat my lunch (I am salivating like the Pavlovian dogs with no bell around), or just go ahead and start the posting to be published on Tuesday.  The big problema is that it was just now that I decided what the subject matter was going to be.  That’s a quote more or less from Winston S. Churchill. 

Never, never give up, even if the challenge in front of you is bigger than the planet, figuratively speaking.  The reason behind all of this is that in this morning’s paper (yes, Monday was a lucky day for me, I got my paper) in the Sports Section I found out that the Women’s Basketball team from Notre Dame(#2) beat the team of the #1 University of Connecticut (Uconn).  I was flabbergasted!  I had  taken it for granted that Uconn or Tennessee was going to win the National Championship.  Surprise, surprise.  Texas A&M #2, beat University of Tennessee #1, last Saturday I believe.   Life is full of surprises.  That’s why whenever we are confronted with anything that we think it is too big for us to resolve, remember Winston S. Churchill, but most of all the teams of Notre Dame and Texas A&M.  National Championship will be Tuesday night on Espn, in case you decide to watch this very interesting game.  Today Butler plays UConn for the Men’s National Championship.  May the best team win.

But the most important thing to remember is to never, never give up on your dreams, on your life, on your family, friends, and anything else you consider worthwhile.

Now that I have that incredible news off my chest, I will take you on my walkabout with Miss Raylene this morning and the beautiful sights we encounter during this spring season.  It is just magnificent. 

These two are cherry blossoms and a close-up.  They look like soft-pink cotton balls.  If you ever have a chance to see them in Washington, D.C. please make that one of your goals in life.  It is worth it.  It is like being in dreamland.

An azalea bush on the left and a bleeding heart on the right.  I had never seen one before.  If you look really close the little flower is in the shape of a heart, and has a section at the bottom that looks like a tear.  Simply beautiful!

Don’t you love tulips.  They are so beautiful.  Come to think of it, all of nature is spectacular in its own right.  From the very simple to the most elaborate.  Just stunning.  This is the season to admire nature in all its splendor.

Take some time to go around your neighborhood and be charmed with so much beauty.

So it was today…April 4th, 2011…another beautiful day on this side of paradise…

Your Happy Contessa

“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.”  Winston S. Churchill

This morning, Sunday, April 3rd, 2011 made me ponder on something I read long ago, about Ivan Pavlov.  This Russian doctor was conducting an experiment about training dogs to respond automatically to the ringing of a bell to indicate that the dogs automatically started salivating prior to eating their food.  Through the stimulus of the ringing of the bell, he had them to the point that every time he rang a bell, they would start salivating, even if they were hungry or not.  

Let’s tie the experiment to my case.  Today, Sunday April 3rd, I am reading the March 31st, Thursday’s newspaper.  Why is that?  I have been having problems with the delivery of my newspaper.  Last Monday the paper was delivered around 4:00 pm.  So Thursday paper came around 11:00 am, when I was leaving for my outing with Miss Raylene to go to Raleigh.  I read Friday and Saturday’s papers keeping Thursday intact, for an emergency case.  And it happened today, Sunday.

I think I have been conditioned throughout all my years to accept things without getting too excited,  but it is actually happening now.  When I call to report that my newspaper is late, I am not that upset, which made me think this morning that, wow!  Life has taken an interesting turn.

Even my breakfast turned out pretty meager this morning.  The plantain was not that big, and look at the results.  Pretty slim breakfast.  But I accepted the fact, ate it with my more bitter than usual coffee and went about my chores.  As they say in french, c’est la vie!

I am surprised sometimes at my reaction to some situations.  I don’t seem to get too excited about things that would have me blowing my lid some years ago.  Do you think I have adopted the Pavlovian conditioning system as a way of life?  When things don’t turn out the way they are supposed to, I just go chillin.  It is good for some things, but not so good for others.  I need to recheck my neurons to see what’s going on up there.  Even though,  this passive resistance to things is very calming and soothing.  But reading Thursday’s paper on Sunday…I don’t know.  But I love the comics.  I also learned that the winter Arctic ice coverage tied for lowest ever recorded.  Not so good for the Polar Bears.  I am not the only one with problems it seems.

Now, don’t think I am in limbo land.  I keep up every so often during the day with the cable channels to check if we still exist as a planet.  You never know what’s going on, when I am oblivious to everything while dancing to burn calories.

 I bought this mango last Saturday.  I am using it today in my salad for lunch.  I love mangoes.

This is my mango in its different stages.  Peeling, cutting and then taking whatever is left on the big seed and using my teeth to extract all the juices and pulp still left.  Make sure you have dental floss handy.  Lots of pulp, but it is sooo good!!  There you have my second mango experience this year.  First one was poached mango.  It was ok. 

After all,  things are not that bad in my little castle.  No newspaper as of yet.  When and if I get it, I will save it for next Sunday.  🙂 

So it was another Sunday in …Happyville, and waiting patiently for the next shoe to drop.

Your Happy Contessa

Happiness is a journey–not a destination.  Enjoy your journey every day.

Remember, I always write this post the day before.  Today, April 1st, 2011, hurrah!  I am still here to see another April’s Fool Day!!  Good or bad, I don’t know yet.  I am in very good spirits.  Didn’t go to walk today, too cold and too much stuff to give me the perfect allergy attack.

So I decided to burn some calories and put on my indian music, salsa, and merengue, and there I went. 

I really love all my different kinds of music, but here I was dancing to an indian song titled Kajra Re by Alisha Chinai, I just love that song.  I spent about one hour give and take trying to burn all those calories that have been insulting my skinny jeans for a while now.

Here’s another shot of the same dance, another stance.  Ahhhh!!!!!

Here I am singing along the music, which makes me run out of breath faster.  There was a moment that my legs started shaking and I prayed to the Almighty to let me finish the dance without having to dial 911.  Have to train my 62+ year old-heart to be tough.  One of these days, it will put me through the test, but until then, dancing, singing and having fun is part of my beautiful life.

So it was today, a great day to have fun and burn some calories too…  I love my life!!

Hey, make it a very happy weekend…as always, and I’ll see you Monday.

Your Happy Contessa

Wardrobe courtesy of my own closet.  The photos were taken from a self-made video.  My little Flip camcorder is awesome!  If the entertainment doesn’t come to me, I create my own entertainment.

Today, March 31st, 2011 I have a monkey on my back.  The animal would just not let me put my thoughts in order.  I really don’t know how to properly channel all ideas for today’s post in both halves of my brain.  I am in a fog.

 Isn’t that a pretty picture and good for you too!  That was taken at my favorite hang out place, you should know by now, Whole Foods.  Yes, Miss Raylene invited me to go along with her to Raleigh and after some sightseeing we had a nourishing and good tasting lunch.  I love that place!

 

My goodness!  Nature is just having a ball delighting us all with its magnificent display of colors, textures and sights.  This is that time of the year to just look all that is around you and confirm in your heart that there is something so incredible above us all that can put together such a spectacular display.

This are some of the sights in some of the Old Raleigh neighborhoods.  Images and words do not make any justice to the beauty of all of these at all.

My cheap, chic camera was not fast enough to get as many pictures as I wanted and shooting from a moving car I think these are just great.  You get an idea of the beauty of this area.

After we left those neighborhoods, Miss Raylene took us back home through some “blue roads.”   There is a lot of those in our area and everywhere in North Carolina.

We were in rural area, and waved at Betsy the cow, Billy the goat and Frisky the bull.  All of them were co-existing together and as you can see, some of them were just resting taking a break from taking it easy.  On the right is a little farm-house.  This area is so picturesque!

I am exhausted.  After so many happy birthdays, too much sometimes can wear you out.  Too much of a good thing.  Or maybe is the rain, cold weather and being nice and warm inside my little castle.  Nap Time anyone?

Thank you Miss Raylene for the drive-about.  I had a swell time.

So it was today, a rainy, cold, but wonderful full of incredible visuals and great company day…

Your Happy Contessa

“No one’s happiness but my own is in my power to achieve or to destroy.”  Ayn Rand

This picture I chose because what kind of picture do you use related to your own death?  Get it?  I love this painting!  It is probably the way it is going to be in whatever place it is that I’ll be going…whenever…

Wednesday, March 30th, 2011…Raining, didn’t get the newspaper…some good news on the phone, some not so good news on the phone…Duke Women’s BB team lost last night, but… still there is heat in my castle, I am breathing through the two little holes on my face (my nose), and had a good laugh with Miss Raylene, because…

I was telling her about my worries that when I die I don’t want to leave a mess for my daughter to clean up.  I meant, my papers in order, you know, all financials taken care of, and so on and so on.  Then she said “it doesn’t matter what you do, when you die, you always leave a mess.”  “Dying is messy.”  I cracked with the best laughter I have had in a long, long time.  She is absolutely right!  Dying is messy.  Just thinking about it makes me laugh in spite of some other crapola that crept into my life around midmorning.

What am I to do with stuff that shows up at my door uninvited.  Well, I decided to watch  the Paris movie that I bought yesterday and ignore everything else floating around me,  because I thought that watching pretty Paris will make me forget the issues.  Oh my!  The movie is about ten love stories, but all of them are depressing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Had to put the control on Stop.  Couldn’t deal with my issues, and the issues of the depressing Parisians at the same time.  Time to go to sleep already?

Sorry closet is a bit…messy…

Had my lunch (salad).  Depression affects me up to a certain point.  Skinny jeans are more important than any depression that may contemplate to attack my psych.  That’s the way it is around here.  Only one square of chocolate today.  Have gained two pounds recently because the weather have not allowed Miss Raylene and this schlepping body of mine to do any walk.  Life gets so complicated sometimes. 

But as I have some other times said  “Bring it on, baby”  Me and my skinny jeans can take it, even if the zipper doesn’t close at the moment.  Oh, yes, can close it by laying down on the bed, then I become totally flat and zipper goes up.

As you can tell, even in my somewhat darker moments, there is always something to laugh about…even when I think about dying and the mess I may leave behind.  Let somebody else do the cleaning.  Sorry Milagros, I’ll try not to be too messy.

So it was today…hoping for a brighter and sunny day tomorrow.   Need to get out of this house!

Your Happy Contessa

When we were babies, we lived our fantasies pronto, at the moment we scream, there is someone changing the diaper, providing some food, or picking us up to make us happy, thereby, realizing our fantasies.  Of course, our fantasies when we were that young were limited to our limited imagination.

Last night I was watching “Bridget Jones Diary” for the, 20th? oh, I don’t know how many times I have watched that movie.  I even came upstairs right after the movie was finished to go to iTunes and get the song at the end of the movie, “Someone like you.”  Somehow, when I played the song again, it didn’t have the same effect as when I was watching the movie.  Bingo!  This morning I realized that I was not looking at Colin Firth when I was listening to the song on iTunes.  I have to admit it, I have a crush on Colin.  Or is it that the scene at the end of the movie reminds me of how wonderful it feels to be so in love…like I was when I met Ron.

So later this morning I had to go to my rectangular box-looking-store.   Sometimes I go twice a week, or more, to get some supplies and stuff.  On the way to the store, there is a movie store that is going out of business.  I thought, maybe they may have something I may be interested in.  Really, I was thinking Colin Firth, Colin Firth….

Lucky me.  They didn’t have the first Bridget Jones movie, but they had the second one, with of course, my wonder boy.  Only $3.99!

All of this brings me to an interesting observation.  I think that it doesn’t matter if you are married, single, widow(er), or whatever, all of us have lots and lots of fantasies.  Some are about food, drinking, having fun, and sometimes, as such is my case, someone just to sigh!  Wouldn’t it have been lovely if I could have had a dinner date with this Colin when I was in my late twenties.  Not now, mind you.  He wouldn’t be interested in having a date with his grandmother.  Think not.

This girlfriend of mine (my other parallel universe twin) has fantasies, to become a singer, dancer, entrepreneur, live part-time in Florida and Paris and visit India, of course.  She has accomplished some of those, but has quite a few to go.  Such as having a date with Colin…in the afterlife, maybe…what a mess.  Previous husbands there, and other admirers, after thinking about it, no meeting with anyone in the thereafter…

I think our lives become the size of our fantasies.  Big fantasies, big goals and an exciting life, no fantasies, are you still among the living?

This business of fantasies is not exclusive to women, because I have asked a few men about whom they have a crush on and they always mention someone, usually an entertainer.  It is healthy, good and exciting to have fantasies.  Without dreams, the humdrum of life is just that…another day.

Of course, needless to say, as with everything else in life…moderation, my friends…moderation.  Otherwise it becomes a disease or an obssession.  Not good.

You can tell I am missing my muses.  Maybe they are residing in their fantasy land.  Tough for me.

So it was today, March 29th, 2011…another dreamy cold day, but very sunny…

Your Happy Contessa

P.S.  Remember Mr. Einstein…Imagination is so much better than knowledge.

I have come to the conclusion that happiness is a state of mind.  Now you have it, now you don’t.  It is better if you have more of “now you have it” moments than the alternative.

Just now while thinking about what I should write for my next posting, I had a surge of happy energy.  Just felt it.  Don’t even remember what was behind the surge.  Not a hot flash.  Way over that, except when I am sleeping and my brain gets a sudden message that there are too many covers on top of me and I am next to being suffocated.  Then this heat wave wakes me up and the cool down mode is on.  Then…back to the saddle again with all my covers.  On and off and so on.  The fringe benefits of having had too many happy birthdays.

Back to the title of the posting.  Just being able to have virtual friends that I have never met, and those that I personally know, gives me a sense of feeling as an accomplished human being.  It is funny, that the things that don’t have any materialistic value or are intangible, can give you such a happy feeling.  It is true.  That’s a good thing because we are not, I repeat, we are not taking any of it with us in our final journey.  You know I am talking about stuff.

I am always grateful for the incredible goodness and blessings I have had, have right now, and will have in my future.

I also think that the feeling of sudden joy I had is due in part because I just printed my taxes, even though I have to pay, at least I am grateful that the printer was working, because some days it gets very temperamental, just like the owner, that I had enough paper to print on, that I had electricity to make it all work, and because in spite of being cold and rainy outside, I am able to be content and warm in my little castle.  Now I need to move on to cleaning the bathroom.  Oh, oh, that happy feeling just left the building.  Maybe the bathroom can wait another day, week?  I’ll ponder on that one.  The bathroom, come to think of it, looks decent enough.

To wrap it up, I am going to do something else that will be good for me and will make me happy.  I am going to practice my Indian dancing.  I just love their music.  Arebaba!

So it was today, Monday, March 28th, 2011, a content and happy day…

Your Happy Contessa

P.S.  My Indian soap is almost coming to its end.  I am searching to buy its dvd that is being made.  Love the intrigue, knaveries, suspense, wisdom, comedy, drama, dancing, romance and the music, all mixed together for great entertainment.  Thanks God for        iTunes because I have been able to download their music.

Today, March 27th, 2011…rainy day and a day to welcome more pondering than usual.

The phrase “My New Reality” was introduced into my life six months after Ron had gone to Heaven, in a book called Resilience by Elizabeth Edwards.  There she was talking about the different situations in her life, ie., having lost a son, having cancer, very publicly known infidelity by her husband, etc., etc.  I was going through at that moment a situation bigger than myself.  Losing both my husband and my closest sister one month after the other.  At first I was on automated pilot, just surviving and taking care of all the details you have to take care after your spouse dies, and then dealing with the absence of these two dearest to me persons.  It was overwhelming.  So the title of the book appealed to me because I needed to be resilient, I thought.  This phrase, “My New Reality” stood out as I was reading the book, and it has been part of my life ever since, especially when I have a tendency to feel sorry for myself.

The other one…”My New Norm” I have heard and read about it for a while now, but it wasn’t until this morning, reading about the golfer Phil Mickelson’s challenges in his personal life that the phrase stood out more prominently than ever.

We human beings have an issue with accepting life’s challenges and situations with a lot of resistance, when the issues and situations are not what we call “the way things should be” according to us.  I am including myself in the bunch.  It is an eternal struggle.

But then…I stop to see or think about my blessings.  While I was getting ready to go out in the soft rain to take the first photo shown above, I brushed against one of the plants that was given to me for Ron’s Memorial Service, two years ago.  And there it was!  A beautiful flower!  I think it is called jack-in-the-pulpit.  Isn’t it gorgeous! 

I have to make sure that I notice that even within my “New Norm” or “New Reality” there are new and beautiful blessings all around me.  Not only the challenges and disappointments.  Look around just a bit, and I am sure you will definitely find “New Beauty or Goodness” all around you.  Look at my beautiful flower.

I have determined that if I only focus on the problems or challenges, that’s all I will see around me.  So why don’t I adopt a new phrase “If it is to be, it is up to me.”   Probably you may be thinking, how does that relates when you find out that you have an incredible challenge, ie., family, financial, or illness. Well, the challenge’s still going to be there, but that doesn’t stop other goodness from showing up,  or thinking about the possibilities that may be on the horizon of our lives..  You can find another word or phrase that may work better for you.  Misery is not my favorite cup of soup.  Come to think of it, when I say “My new reality, or my new norm” it does not leave a joyful note in my mind.  It sounds very heavy.  It is not being on denial, I just don’t like the image it leaves in my mind.

Life’s short, let’s make it happy and pretty.  Where do you think the “Happy Contessa” idea came from?  My happy mind, of course.  Let me make it clear, my mind is not happy 100% of the time.  Most of the time.

So it was today, a beautiful soft rainy day in my neighborhood.

Your Happy Contessa

“A friend is a present which you give yourself.”  Robert Louis Stevenson…I am going to adopt “If it is to be, it is up to me” phrase as my new-found-friend.

The day we decided to go to the Musee du Louvre in Paris, we had our route designed by Google and went happily on the way…but after walking on one of the most famous avenues in the world, Av. des Champs Elysees, and passing by some other Paris’ known monuments, Milagros decided to take another route.  Here are some pictures of our adventure…

Left is Arc de Triomphe, and right is Milagros posing with a modern sculpture being displayed on the Jardin de Tuleries.  The Jardin is the size of two football fields and is between the Obelisque, Place de la Concorde and the Louvre.  It is the Louvre’s stately gardens and is a place that is very welcoming to admire exhibits, to seat and watch people, it has fountains, and most of all just to admire the surrounding areas.  There is a quaint little bookstore there.  You know I had to go in.  Bought Peter Rabbit in french!

There I am in front of one of my favorite places wherever I may go.  A bookstore. 

But the main objective of this posting is to show you the nice surprise that was in storage for me at the Jardin.

Let me explain.  Ron used to believe that in one of his other lives, he used to be a pirate with a parrot on his shoulder.  So parrots, and turtles were symbols of Ron’s past lives.  So at the Jardin, I could not believe my eyes when I glanced briefly to the side, when talking with Milagros on the way back to the hotel, and there I saw this sculpture.  A humongous parrot, very colorful may I say, on top of a heart.   Maybe saying I love you.  Very out of place, but there it was.  It was as if Ron was telling me that he was there with us also.  There is a lot of things in our lives that we cannot explain, or maybe that we want to ignore the connections that join all and each one of us, even after we have departed from this world, as we know it.  If we don’t understand it, it doesn’t exist.  Right?

Just wanted to share this very special moment in Paris…Fall of 2009…unforgettable.

So it was today, March 25th, 2011… 25 months after…Hi Ron.

Your Happy Contessa

P.S.  As always, make it a very happy weekend.  See you Monday.