Noury's Creative World…

Yesterday I went to do some shopping for gift giving.  What I didn’t realize at the moment when I got in my car, was that my super ego, with her super red hair got in the back seat also.  She couldn’t wait to get to the store.  But I was oblivious of what was going on.

I walked into the store and went straight to the items I had in mind for a relative, but my peripheral vision caught a sight of a beautiful white sweater that my super ego thought I would look just classic and great in it.  No trying it I thought.  It looks just like me.  With the best intention of continuing with my mission, that it was about others, not about me,  I took one item that was on the list for a relative, but ego decided that I needed one just like it too.  Why to fight the feeling, I thought.   Moving along, I saw the section of the skinny jeans.  I thought, I think I need one in dark blue.  After trying three or four pairs, decided on one that was just perfect for my next trip to Hialeah to visit my mother.  Continuing on the search of a gift for another relative, my red haired ego saw in the Boys Department, a beautiful red sweater that looked that it belonged with those jeans.  I can fit in some of the unisex sweaters in that department.  They are cheaper too than the same designer’s sweaters  in the Women’s Department.  Grabbed that gorgeous red sweater and then became a little anxious because I only had one item in the basket from the intended list of shopping for others.

After finishing, well, not really, I had to leave the store, because I was getting tired of trying things for self, and not focussing on the real purpose of the trip.

Came home and went straight to try the sweaters with the jeans.  I don’t know what happened.  The super red haired ego I think stayed in the store, and I just looked like a sack of old potatoes with shoes on and a wig on top.  Was it the lighting?  Did my stomach went through an increase in size in just a brief moment?  Where was the moronic red haired ego?  I couldn’t believe the difference!  Words cannot describe what went through my mind when I was looking at myself in the mirror.  Who was that?  Where were the goddesses of beauty, good looks and charm.  They went back to their mythological country I think.

Needless to say, I felt as if someone had given me a beating.  Calmly I folded the three items, put them back in the bag and took them away from my sight, so I could analyze the situation.

Today, as fast as I could, I returned the items, but of course, on the way out, managed to get two additional items for my super inflated ego that was waiting for me in the store.

This is the end of this particular odyssey, and there are many more to come, because as you will realize, I only got one item from the list for my relatives.

Ohhhhhh…the blessings and whatever else of the season.

Your Happy Contessa

Books have been an integral part of my life.  I don’t remember reading much during my childhood, only the classics for school and Vogue magazine in Spanish.  That one I loved.  That’s how Paris became my dream, from the time I was fifteen.  It took me 46 years to accomplish that one, and  I celebrated my 61st birthday, along with my lovely daughter at Le Grand Colbert in Paris, France.  Staff was just delightful.

Let’s go back to the books.  As you have noticed, I have a tendency to deviate from the subject matter.  ADD?  Always had a suspiction I was one of those.  No problem.  I think most of us have that characteristic.  Now, don’t anyone be offended.  Everybody has something.  If it isn’t one thing, it is another.  You see, again, I am leaving my focussed point.

Books have been my best friends and advisors when I have been faced with some big impact situations.  What I like about books is that you are gaining somebody’s else experience without having to go through it, most of the time.  Also, they open the door to so much knowledge, that according to one of the characters of my favorite soap, “India,” that’s the only thing that cannot be taken away from you.  Almighty knowledge.

Books accommodate everyone.  There’s a book for each personality, trait, style, and mood.  You cannot help it but love them.

I think the best feature the United States of America has is its library system.  In the country where I was born, still to this day, you cannot take books out of the library, if there is any in your town.  In the 1940’s when I was born, in my hometown there was not a library then.  I grew up under a dictatorship, and he subscribed to the mushroom theory.  Keep them in the dark, feed them **  and watch them grow.   A library is the most important place in any town, USA.   I cannot imagine my life without that fringe benefit.

Love used book sales.  I would leave my house at midnight (when I used to live in Florida) to get in line for one of best used book sales in the South.  Gainesville.  By 9 am, when they would open the doors, I felt kind of tired and in a zombie zone, but the rush of adrenaline was incredible.  I forgot to mention, my belated husband and I used to have the cutest and best antiquarian bookshop in Florida, I think.  It was located in Mt. Dora.  He didn’t like the use of the word cute.  He was kind of a serious bookseller.  He enjoyed every second of that phase in our lives.

Honoring books, libraries, bookstores, and used book sales, I remain,

Your Happy Contessa

Yesterday, when I was paying my almost daily tribute (visit) to my favorite big rectangular box looking giant, I passed by the canned goods section and my local Food Pantry place came into mind.  I remembered when  Ron and I used to take supplies to them once in a while, but I have not been back since Ron converted into beautiful energy.

It helped that the goods were on sale, so I picked my favorites, corn and peas.  Then went to the breakfast aisle and got these mixes for pancakes.  No contribution to obesity on my account.  No sweet stuff that is not good for anyone or for their teeth.  Remember, I just finished paying my contribution to my favorite dentist, so I know how painful it is to depart with your dinero.

Anyways, let me not get carried away here.   I know for sure that all of us are good stewards, but sometimes picking a few canned goods and whatever else comes to your mind, will make a big difference in the lives of people that are right now facing a challenging situation.  Today it is them, tomorrow, it could be me.  Who knows.

You should have seen the line when I went to deliver the goodies.  I returned to my car and cried and pondered about those people’s lives.  Let’s share the blessings.

Your Happy Contessa

P.S.  I know your mind.  Pancake mix?  It was the best next thing, compared to the sugar coated stuff.  Cereal?  Sometimes there is no milk available, and pancake can be dinner.  Try putting some of the corn in the mix.  Very versatile.  I was full of good intentions.  Believe me.

A few years ago I was visiting with my trendy daughter and she made this observation “mami, don’t start dressing like a little old lady.”  I told her that the outfit I was wearing made me feel comfortable.  She responded, “yes, comfortable, but they date you.”  Another enlightened moment of my life.

Since then I always think about her and that statement every time I am about to purchase a piece of clothing.  I am 62, but…want to look good.  The lines on the face, well, that’s another masterpiece of writing.  Later.

I am into looking cool and classy.  I have my skinny jeans, my pearls (always, even when I wear shorts), my scarves, my jean jacket, and all the trimmings needed to look as someone called me recently “a southern belle.”  No, I don’t wear mascara or eye shadow or have my nails done. I am a more close to nature version of the belle.  My ego almost went into another universe.  Most of the time, I am just plain me, but checking the mirror every so often.  I am 62, not out of circulation.

I think most of us, yes, guys, you included want to look cool and hold on to that youth we didn’t appreciate when we had it.  Thinking young too is part of the equation.  Hang around young people, listen to their garble garble, but sometimes you will catch a pearl or two.  Remember, they are us, when we used to be like them.  ?  Get it?

Coloring  my hair;  the color depends if I remember what number or shade I used last, so it is always a surprise when I look on the mirror, using anti-wrinkle creams, keeping my weight down so those skinny jeans fit, drinking lots of water to flush the toxins out of my system, and laughing often, even about myself,   is the recipe that Juan Ponce de Leon couldn’t mustard.

Here’s to looking great, and being happy.

Your Happy Contessa

P.S.  Guys, please do not wear socks with your shorts.  Please…..

To admit or not to admit…to yourself.  Well, I am like a cat fighting going down the trunk of a tree, and leaving claw streaks as I resist gravity and are on my way down.  Down baby, down.

There are a lot of things we (baby boomers) are facing as gravity takes a hold of all our parts and sometimes our brain cells, our friendly neurons.  Ay! Dios Mio.  In English, OMG.

But, there are always three sides to a story.  Mine, yours, and then the real thruth.  There are the fringe benefits of having had many, many happy birthdays!  Discounts, people on long lines at the supermarket try to be nice to you, or not, and other things that sometimes make you feel good, and others that sometimes deflate your ego.  Who was that said “You’re Only Old Once.”  Well, I feel the many happy birthdays on a constant basis.  Not complaining, of course, but the rituals sometimes take the whole month’s agenda.  Let’s not go the doctors’ visits route.  Stay away from those people.

I felt great the first time I received my (cough, cough)15% discount.  Did the celebrating dancing, but had to be careful not to break or disjoint any moving parts.

This thing of many many happy birthdays is part of evolving, but the carrousel moves a bit faster once you hit the 60th mark.  Is it my imagination?

On a sunnier (sun decided to shine just now) note, I am glad I am able to tell my story and have fun while doing so.  Until next post,

Ta ta

Your Happy Contessa

The famous guitar…let me give you the story behind this guitar.  It is famous allright.

This morning when I got up and opened the shades, what I saw gave me the chills.  But there is nothing I can do, I told myself.  Have to deal with it, have to be positive, cannot shove the house to someone that has not even made an offer to buy it, I have to make the situation work for me, forget about the chills.

Made coffee, continued to open the rest of all the shades, because the blood that runs through my veins is from the Caribbean, born and nurtured there, and I need all the sunlight I can get to make it out to get the newspaper.

Newspaper and coffee in hand, took the Sports section to learn the gossip of the sports world.  Then saw an update on the North/South Korean issue, and all the you know what of the rest of  planet Earth, its humanoids and its happenings.

But I could not longer continue to evade the issue of the chills.  Went upstairs, the nicest place of the house during the winter, and looked at my hardly noticed friend, the  guitar.  I thought, now, this is a good time to continue to learn this instrument that up to now has been used as a piece of decor.  I tried to learn to play Jingle Bells once in Florida to entertain Milagros and Ron, but the tempo was so slow, that I almost fell asleep while trying to see which  strings I was supposed to play next.

Brain washing myself is now a full time job.  Need to stay centered on the fact that I am going to survive once more the cold weather, even if it drives me nuts.

I will keep you updated on my progress or not, but I see myself maybe at Carnegie Hall sometime next Spring.  Playing?  I’ll leave that up to your imagination, and my spending the whole Winter upstairs playing, I mean, learning to be an accomplished evader of the cold weather.

Good luck to my neighbor!

Your Happy Contessa

P.S.  The chills were caused by the sight of frost on the lawn.

It feels kind of quiet…perfect Fall weather…ball games going on, people spending what they don’t yet have and so life goes on.

Some news from friends facing challenging times with their health, so it makes me ponder on how precious my now moments are.  I need to focus on my blessings and even though things are not the way I wish them to be, I have to have a sense of gratitude and not one of complaining.  The saying goes…”things always happen for the best…” is not an easy sell most of the time.  But patience is a virtue.  Very hard to cultivate I may say.

Sharing some pondering moments,

Your Happy Contessa

Well…do the picture says it all?  There was the turkey, the glazed carrots, the biscuits, the sausage-stuffing muffins (first time ever and to die for, literally), regular potatoes, sweet ones, I even ate the skin for the first time too.  Tastes very good.  Learned a lot about sweet potatoes from Lisa Johnson of the Yummy Yammy company (her own).  The salad I brought, I even didn’t look at it.  I graze all week for lunch, so enough is enough.   I don’t think I need to go on with the list.  You have a good imagination.

Then there were all kinds of sweets.   I am sure that by now you get my picture.  I am sure you have your own.

Thanks Miss Rosie, for inviting me over and feeding me, Raylene and Richard for providing transportation in your new car (“preppy boy”)and to the whole family that made me feel like I was one of them.

I hope your Thanksgiving was a very happy one also. 

Well, my dear friends, after setting up my Christmas tree, outside lights and being very happy listening to Christmas songs, until next time.

Your Happy Contessa

Are you ready for the turkey?  The bird and the other kind, you know what I mean.  Humor early in the writing, so it is out of the way.

I have been invited to join a friend and her family for dinner, so I am bringing a salad.  I am fortunate enough that I don’t have to cook the whole enchillada.  No leftovers, though.  So it is back to tuna on Friday.  It is good for you.  Omega 3.  At this stage in life, those little known facts become very important.  You become a walking encyclopedia of things that are good for you.   Uhummm.

But…tomorrow is Thanksgiving and my stomach is already anticipating  the turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, gravy, dinner rolls, cranberry sauce, collard greens and etc., etc. , plus of course, the pumkin pie with whipped cream.

I am already feeling stuffed.  But tomorrow is a new day with high expectations of eating everything and anything within my sight.

Let’s remember the real reason of this holiday….We are so blessed and very thankful for our families, friends, and the soldiers away from their families making a big sacrifice.

Thank you for reading my humble blog, but most of all, for being my friend.

Your Happy Contessa

All and each one of us are very important to the way the story is going to be told.  I am thankful for each individual, and situations (good or else) that I have faced in my life, because all of these ingredients have made me who I am today.  Hopefully a better person.

I am very thankful to this incredible country, the United States of America, that has a system that gives us the freedom to do our own thinking and make our own choices.  But who is the United States of America?  It is all of us together, with different ideologies, and way of being that makes us so unique.

I am thankful for my life, for all the people that I have touched or have touched me one way or another, and for all of those that have made me feel that I matter.

Happy Thanksgiving Day everyone!

Your Happy Contessa