Noury's Creative World…

This quote I heard today on Super Soul Sunday…it hit a place in my heart, because we think our lives should be lived the way society or those around us decided when we were babes, that’s the way things should be.

Even when we become adults, our limitations continue and we keep on living the traditional way doing the traditional things.  Nothing wrong with that…BUT…things are always changing.

We meet someone, get married, have children and all the things that come eventually…homeownership, jobs, relationships at work, hopefully you are getting the picture.  But, that’s when the paradigm shifts.  Children develop their own wings, we move from one place to another, husbands or wives die, oh yes, that’s part of the deal, even though no one mentions it at the beginning of the fairy tale stuff.  That’s a big one, when your husband or someone pivotal in your life just disappears, meaning, they go to Heaven.

That’s when the time comes to give yourself permission to re-write your story.  Yes, we, as individuals have stories galore to tell, just that for some unknown reason, we don’t see ourselves as a complete package when we are by ourselves.  We always feel that something or someone is missing…it takes time to adjust, re-calculate (like the GPS), always re-calculating, and then we realize that’s ok to continue to re-write the story by ourselves.

It is not easy or joyful at the beginning, but when you give yourself permission to continue the writing, the light at the end of that tunnel shows up.  Many tunnels, many lights in life.

“It’s ok to re-write your story…”  so meaningful.  Grateful for the light to continue to shine on my journey.

Abrazos, Hugs

This is all new to me…my host site has changed my whole format…my day was going perfectly fine until right now!

It is Friday, so I do my exercise class every Friday, and I was feeling groovy when I left the house, you know, I felt totally with it.  Whatever “it” is.  It is like when you feel totally in control and you are walking on Cloud 9.  Is there a Cloud 10?

I always walk a mile before I go zumba like dancing and lifting weights, so there I was on the inside walking trail when this so adorable little old lady, mind you, I am a little somewhat old lady, but she was a bit more senior than me.  Mid-eighties perhaps?  Oh well, she is coming behind me and says…”You look like a little dolly walking on the trail, you are so pretty!”  Well, I just mumbled something like “thank you so much, God bless you for your kindness and have a wonderful day.”  I wanted to say so much more, but my arsenal of adjectives ran dry.

Then, and this is a big then…drumrolls, please!  There he comes walking towards me and the whole place disappeared in front of me, except his “he is such a hunk” image.  Oh goodness, the day was perfected!  He either forgot to shave or meant to not shaving today, so he was so irresistible looking!  I am old but still recognize beauty when I see it.  He is such a darling.  Not revealing anything else, let’s say…no…let’s leave it to the imagination.

Every Friday he is my incentive to look cute and like a “little dolly.”

It has been a fantabulous Friday, so far.  Yes, for the curious ones, we did have a cute conversation and then to my dancing I went.  It is better just to have this kind of flirtation relationship, because it gets too complicated and then guys are very needy.  More than we women are.  I like it the way it is now.  No commitments, etc.

Life couldn’t be better right now.  Having my cake and eating it too.  With vanilla ice cream too!  Had to share this such a magnificent day…

Abrazos, Hugs

 

Ta ra!  Checked out of the list…yes, I have an ongoing list of things I want to do, dreams I want to see become reality (some of them date back to my childhood), conversations to deal with, in other words, put the period at the end of the sentence.  That sentence will be coming for each and all of us one day or another.  I am doing very good, so far.

Well, there you have them, my two masterpieces…One of them goes in my living room area, “Joy and Contrast,” that’s the geometric red with black.  Red is the meaning of joy in our lives, and the small black line is the contrast or challenges we face in life.  Joy always trumps the other.  Deep and powerful meaning.  I thought about it when I was painting it.  The Blue and pink, titled “Second in Blue and Blush,” is just the beauty of the blue sky, with a touch of the delicate things in nature.  It hangs in my bedroom.    I really enjoyed doing these paintings and finding or giving meaning to them.

So…now I have become an Abstract Expressionist artist.  Besides doing the castanets, playing the guitar and dancing Flamenco…oh yes, studying French, German and Portuguese, sometimes life gets on the way.

I need to find an artist name to sign my creations…my name is not exotic enough.  I thought about “Carmen de La Ronda”…I just made that one up.  I need to come up with a better name for posterity.  The wheels are in motion.

This picture (I am a photographer also) I took before going to my exercise/dance class on Friday mornings, so I remembered I had to show you all my creations.

Hugs, Abrazos,

 

 

Well, I already ordered my castanets, which will be coming priority mail, so I better hurry up and do this “Abstract Expressionism” painting I have in mind for a very special place in my living area.

I am into Minimalism right now, so today that took a down because I had to buy a canvas and some paint for what I have in mind.  You, my very special audience, will be the first ones to see what’s been missing from the art scene in the whole wide world.  Lucky me, I found in my cell phone a 50% off coupon on the regular price of the canvas.  Fantastic day!

In 3017, when one snoopy curator at whatever museum it is, will try to investigate into my background to add to the non-existent information about me…but…surprise!  They will find out that I was a very prolific and reigning queen of selfies in the early 2010’s.  Also, they will find out that I played the guitar, las maracas, danced Flamenco and played the castanets.  Spoke around five languages, loved the idea of falling in love, and so many other things…oh yes, my name was written on the walls of the “Broken Relationships” Museum in Croatia.  Thanks Lucy!

I am so inspired right now, but just had lunch and I need to finish this post, exercise after a while…one more thing…loved to dance like crazy.  Singing was kind of decent also.

Going back to the painting…Da Vinci is going to be so envious…my fame will totally opaque his.  My ego size?  Off the charts!

Good hair day, fabulous weather…I may say…it is wonderful to be alive at this moment!

Abrazos, Hugs,

 

I am sure you have had one of those days where every thought, well, almost every thought is about the so many wonderful blessings you have.  About being in a circle of pure gratitude.

Hot water, opened my eyes this morning, can breathe, can talk, have people who really love me, my sense of humor, opportunities galore given to me to continue to evolve into this incredible miracle that has always been me!

Just imagine what kind of Creator has the imagination, capabilities to create wonderful, unimaginable things, such as nature, the universe, but the crown of it all is…us.

I am grateful for everything in my life…the good, the great, the challenging, the opportunity to fall in love, to be loved and all of it!  Even for my wrinkles…that’s evolvement!

Thank you God for this and all my days…wow…it is very windy out there…can hear the garbage receptacles doing their dance outside.  Yes, it is like 29 degrees outside, with winds maybe 30-40 mph…but it is an unbelievably sunny and beautiful day.

Thank you God for allowing me to exist in your incredible universe and creation.

Abrazos, Hugs,

 

The chief inspector says to me…”the car is ok, but you need to take it for a drive.”  WHAT!!???

Then he asked if there has been some work done recently, battery or something else…then I thought…that bloody engine light is not done with me yet!!!!!  It seems that when the mechanic reset the fuse or whatever else is what he did, the car needs to reset itself.  What do I know!!

Well…did you notice the lousy job I did with my bangs?  Yep, trying to save some dinero, I took my sewing scissors and got creative.  Now I have to face the hairstylist and fork out some hefty dinero to get it all fixed.  Why is my life so complicated?  Maybe my car does not like my new bangs look.   I must admit, it was not a good idea, but when I was doing it, I thought I was going to look smashing.  Smashing all right!  I should run against a wall to create something with my forehead and bangs to camouflage the screwed up job I did.  Oh well…it’s just my hair…just noticed, need to color it too.

What was I talking about?  The car!  Yes, the car, my black beauty!  So thinking that I am trying to become a minimalist and budgetista, that was not a good thing to tell me I need to drive the car for at least a 100 miles and go back to the bearded man from Appalachian country.  He was very nice though…

Meaning, if I drive that much, some stores are going to be on the way…and…today I bought nothing…but…I saw my credit card shaking inside my purse.  It is a bit nervous about being used for clothes…minimalism versus consumerisim…the bet is on!

I do need a pair of comfortable black slacks…putting it out there…

Hugs, Abrazos…

 

Someone dared me recently to see if I would  post a picture on Facebook without any makeup, or any adornments.  Well, that one was not a difficult one to do…after 150+ photo shoots, here’s the result.  I made it sepia tone, and voila, I like it a lot.

Not only I am a good writer, well…kind of a writer with a so-so writer label, but I am a good photographer.  Need good lightning, hair in a good mood, and time to just be myself.  No nap today, because after talking with the IRS, I was all wired up.

I needed something fun to do.  This was the 151 picture…thanks God I appear to be acceptable to this ever so critical of myself person.  English Grammar Police, anyone?

It is amazing what an innocent dare and a motivation to distract myself other than thinking about 1040s can do.

All continues to be good in Happyville!

Hugs, Abrazos,

 

Je sais…the brain sometimes goes to Spanish by default…when it feels like it, to English and when I feel like it, to French!  The bull by the horns, but it made me laugh when it came out of the Je ne sais quoi neurons.  There it goes again!

I really was not feeling like going back to my guitar class.  I did not practice since our Christmas break and every time I looked at it, I felt like putting it under the bed in its case, so I won’t be feeling so guilty.  So this morning I had a long time before making up my mind about taking the horns by the bull…yeah, I know…the bull by the horns.  So there I went.  Everyone was happy to see me…I was so embarrassed, but I mustered my pretty smiley face, took my seat, took forever to take the guitar out, my books, the pen, put the case aside, took out my jacket, changed chairs and finally after all the “I feel so bad” ceremony, I sat.  Practiced two chords, the C and the G7…that’s when Mr. Instructor left the advanced group and said to them that he would be back in a while, and I thought, Yes!  he is going out!  What!  He came and sat by me and said that the C chord sounded really good.  My fingers started shaking, but within seconds I gained my composure, started playing those chords, and when I thought the waters were safe again, he added the A and A7 chords.  Thanks God those are not that difficult!

So went the class, and he went back to the more advanced group…they started playing some country music songs…I asked him if he knew “Friends in Low Places,”  sure he did, and with my limited ability to play along, there I was…”where the whiskey drowns and the beer chases my blues away…”  you know the rest.

I had a marvelous time!  Need to practice everyday, though, my luck only stretches so far.

Playing my chords and enjoying them too!

Hugs, Abrazos,

Upon returning today from my exercise class…every Friday morning I really so don’t want to go, but once I am there dancing and lifting 2 pound weights, I am so glad I made the trip.  I feel re-energized and up in tune with the world.

So after I had my lunch today, I started pondering about our human nature, inspired by an episode in one of my soap operas…It is so amazing that we humans are always looking at our neighbor’s “greener” grass, thinking that if I get a bigger house…a fancy car…the perfect closet with designers’ clothes…the people we love dearly back into our lives…the perfect boyfriend or girlfriend…just the right job…a warmer place in the Caribbean (that’s probably my brain being activated)…the perfect body…and so many other “perfect” things.  I think we get the idea.

But…that’s not the contract we signed before arriving at this destination.  What contract are you talking about?  That’s you saying to me…then I say…Oh yes, we did sign a contract before departing the heavenly Lo La Land where everything was perfect…but we were checking all our good fortunes against the neighbor’s and voila…here we are in this perfect…yes…perfect world.

There are a few things that if I had in my life…I think I could be happier, peppier and better looking.  I have a ginormous ego.  It’s ok, I can handle it.  But…when the humble, angelic little Noury takes over, I am the happiest person on the planet.  All it takes is my tiara to be straight on top of my head and my tutu ready for the dance…the dance of life.

Life is not easy, but then I don’t remember anyone telling me that it was going to be.  Some things are definitely for sure…There’s always going to be change…nothing is permanent…and that we certainly we are going to die…and that life will go on.  As long as I remember those principles, I breathe a little bit easier.  Oh yes, the most important…I am to be grateful for all that has been, is, and will be in my life.  Everything and everyone that has touched my life has been a blessing, either as a lesson or to give more significance to my walk on this journey.

We are supposed to be facing a winter storm with some snow…I would rather be in Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands…but this is where I am supposed to be right now.  I fully don’t know why…but as for me and my house…we trust that my Creator knows the reasons, and that’s more than enough for me.

The muses have been very kind today, they called from Key West and re-arranged my neurons for a few minutes.  Grateful for that.

Hugs…Abrazos,

 

I was pondering while preparing my salad just a few minutes ago…I like to leave it alone until I get really hungry and it gets to be room temperature.

Back to the pondering…I do that a lot!  While slicing the cantaloupe I thought that when I depart this world, I want to leave with nothing left undone that I have always wanted to do.  Wow!  That’s a major thing to keep on pondering on…so now I made a list…and I was surprised that there are only three things, and one that I don’t have any control whatsoever…so I am leaving that one to the goddesses of my good fortune to help me accomplish that and…maybe get some answers to some questions…

The three things on that list are all doable…some of them I am already doing…like continue to study languages…French, German, Italian and Portuguese, and the history of art per se.

The other two I am going to keep to myself, because there’s one of you that will start putting deadlines on me, and then that’s when my rebellious spirit shows up and screws things up.  I have decided that surprising myself with what I say and what I do is a new style I am adopting…hey, when you get to be my age, you are the boss.

My neurons are being so sarcastic right now that I can’t even stand them myself.  One whole year…so many hours, minutes and seconds and so little to do…

I wish you all the best attitude, happiness and great health to accomplish your dreams and fantasies.

Yeah, that one wish is kind of a fantasy that keeps me smiling when I think of it.  I am old, not out of circulation!

Hugs…Abrazos…