Category Archives: Daily Message

It is time to take a look at your financial situation – written in 2012

25 Thursday Jan 2024

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THIS ONE WAS WRITTEN IN JULY 2012. I AM NOT SURE WHY I DIDN’T CLEAN IT UP AND PUBLISH IT BEFORE.  I GUESS, MONEY IS SOMETIMES MORE TABOO THAN SEX. 

EVEN THOUGH IT IS VERY OLD, I DECIDED TO PUBLISH IT, AS IT COULD BE A REMINDER TO EVERYONE TO LOOK AT THEIR FINANCES.

Last week I took 2 big financial hits! It blindsided me, but it shouldn’t have since I am used to paying those 2 large bills every year.  Buying an apartment, moving, and embarking on a personal growth path, and also starting this blog has kept me busy and too distracted to remember little details such as IRS and Brazil.

BUT, last week, all of a sudden I was forced to wake up and smell the Brazilian coffee.

When I took a look at my bank account and realized there were 2 large bills that needed to still come out,  I got this tight feeling in the pit of my stomach.  There was terror for a second, but then as with everything that goes wrong in my life, I snapped out of it, rolled up my sleeves and went to work on damage control.

I haven’t gotten a raise in over 5 years.  No, I cannot ask the boss for one. First I am a partner, so I am one of the bosses, and second, I am the one that handles the books so I know we cannot afford to give me a raise.  I am lucky to have a job and to be allowed to keep my assistant, and not have to do all myself.

Still, even with not getting a raise in 5 years, I have been enjoying a great life. With manageable debt I must add.  I don’t live paycheck to paycheck, and I was never in danger of losing my apartment.

These 2 bills, on top of all others, will not wipe me out but will give me less wiggle room. I believe that these 2 bills are warning signs that I should pay a closer look to my finances.

I am going to have to make hard choices.  Having money gives one plenty of choices.   Lack of money gives one less choices. but still we are the masters of our destiny.  I am going to have to choose where to spend my money.  I am going to have to look at Need versus Want.

I agree with Benjamin Frankly, a penny saved is a penny earned.  So, since I cannot make any more money, I will try spending less and saving more, no matter how little.

What a great chance to stop and take stock of life, financial and otherwise.  I have been going for personal growth, physically and spiritually.  I have been neglecting the financial part.

The good, or bad,  thing is that I am already a frugal person. So there is not a lot to save on, there is not a lot to trim.  I don’t like waste and excess.

I have decided to collect memories and not material stuff. Still, I do have more material stuff than I need.

So here we go, to trim bills and live light!

Update: Now in January 2024, I still get surprised by my IRS bills, but I am happy to report that I buy less and less. Material stuff never made me feel happy.  I spend on what brings me joy: vacations and treating my family.

Fun Saturday in New Smyrna

22 Monday Jan 2024

Posted by in Daily Life, Daily Message, Food

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On Saturday morning, I went for a bike ride around the neighborhood. Then we drove to the beach and walked around for a little.  It was too cold and windy to stay too long.

In the afternoon, I took a dip in the freezing pool of the complex.  They are having issues heating it, but I believed that the cold water would be good for my sore knee. 

For dinner we went to Spanish River Tapas and Wine.  It was good, but I was a bit disappointed that the menu was completely different than what I had seen online. I had in my mind what to order, but there was none of it in the menu.  So I just chose a few things. 

We had feta cheese with honey and pita, a grilled mushroom dish, patatas bravas – spicy potatoes, and fish skewers.  For dessert we had Olive oil cake and cheesecake. The food was good and the service very attentive.  We will probably go back.

Here are some pictures from my Saturday:

New Smyrna Beach Park

Smyrna Dunes Park

 

Mushroom, feta and tortilla

Mushroom, feta and tortilla

Brulee cheesecake and Olive oil cake

Brulee cheesecake and Olive oil cake

My life is in the Drafts folder

13 Saturday Jan 2024

Posted by in Daily Life, Daily Message, Finding Me

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“Sometimes it’s about working with your bad parts, not fixing them.”
― Leah Thomas, Nowhere Near You

Hello friends, 

Tomorrow will be one week since I arrived in Florida.  This time we drove.  18 hours!   It was not bad.  We took turns driving.  We left Saturday at 2:30am.  We were supposed to spend the Saturday night at a hotel halfway there.   

I suggested driving directly to Florida, because… I am me… I like results, I like getting there.  Yes, it is about the journey, not the destination.  Sometimes I forget that.  Michael took the wait and see approach. He wanted to see how tired he was going to be, and also watch the tired.

In the end, we drove 18 hours including the multiple breaks, and arrived at Michael’s place at 8:30pm.  We both agreed that it was the best decision.  We weren’t tired, and we had the whole Sunday to get stuff in order before my work on Monday.

Since I arrived here, I have been overwhelmed with office work.  This is my busiest time.  I have an audit to submit, compliance review, bonus calculations, taxes, etc.

I hope there will be some time to relax before we get back to NY.  I probably work harder in Florida than in NY.  I guess I don’t want to make it seem that I am in Florida relaxing instead of working. 

I am still struggling with work/life balance.  I need to work less, and have more fun.  More mosaics, more exercise, more blogging, more reading, more skiing.  No more crying about it, I will just keep trying to do better next time.

I have so much to write about… gosh, it is the same song and dance every time.  I will try to do better 😊 The goal is the same: to write more and to publish posts instead of leaving them in Drafts folder.  With that in mind, I am hitting publish on this mess.   Please forgive the typos. 

Have a wonderful weekend! You are loved and deserving of the best weekend ever – go claim it!!

ps. I meant to post it yesterday, and of course, I forgot it in the Drafts 🙂

Changing and growing in 2024

03 Wednesday Jan 2024

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“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.” ― Rumi

Happy 2024!  I hope everyone had a great start of the Year.

Every new year is the perfect time for a new beginning.  A chance to renew and restart.  Whatever you have in mind to do, start now!

But no pressure. Follow your heart!  Follow your bliss! At your own pace.

2023 was a great year for me.  Of course, the number 1 reason was Michael and I met each other.  I am so glad I never settled for the guys that felt almost perfect, or for the guys that looked good on paper, and for so many others.

Michael is not perfect, like me, but he is perfect for me.  I am immensely grateful for having him in my life.

As for 2024, I want to do a lot this year.  More of everything, but I am not sure exactly what  that will look like. As I get older I am starting to get a sense of urgency: to live as much as I can.

For right now, my plan is to get all my doctor’s appointments done.  In 2023 I skipped all my doctors.  I guess I was having too much fun traveling and getting to know Michael.  Lab work done last week. Physical done today. Eye doctor and dentist tomorrow.

Even my beloved mosaics have been neglected in 2023.  I have done a couple of things and will be posting them soon.  We shall see what will happen.

In 2024, I hope you continue being kind to others, being generous, treating others how you want to be treated; but above all, I hope you are kind to yourself.  Put yourself first! Do what makes your heart sing!!

I needed to read the excerpt below.  Perhaps you do too.  It is okay to change.  It is okay to grow.  It is okay to leave relationships and people behind.

“Your new life is going to cost you your old one.
It’s going to cost you your comfort zone and your sense
of direction.
It’s going to cost you relationships and friends.
It’s going to cost you being liked and understood.
It doesn’t matter.
The people who are meant for you are going to meet you
on the other side. You’re going to build a new comfort
zone around the things that actually move you forward.
Instead of being liked, you’re going to be loved. Instead of
being understood, you’re going to be seen.
All you’re going to lose is what was built for a person you
no longer are.”
― Brianna Wiest, The Mountain Is You: Transforming Self-Sabotage Into Self-Mastery

Bye Bye 2023, thank you for everything! Welcome 2024!

30 Saturday Dec 2023

Posted by in Daily Life, Daily Message

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2023 is coming to an end.  It flew by.  I want to give thanks to you for another year of support and love.  May 2024 bring you blessings and miracles, adventures and joy, and so much more!!

In looking back throughout my posts, I found a New Years post from December 2014.  I am reposting it here, as I feel the same way.

A million thanks to you- my reader, my teacher, my therapist, my friend!

So many reasons to be grateful.  This year I am extra grateful for Michael coming into my life. 

“Hope Smiles from the threshold of the year to come,
Whispering ‘it will be happier’…”   ― Alfred Lord Tennyson

 

A boat ride in Capitolio, MG – Brazil

08 Friday Dec 2023

Posted by in Daily Life, Daily Message, travels

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“A waterfall cannot be silent, just as the wisdom! When they speak, the voice of power speaks!” ― Mehmet Murat ildan

After spending 3 nights and 2 days in Sao Roque de Minas, we said good bye to our new friends and went to a small town called Capitolio.

Capitolio has many lakes and it also sits on the edge of the Furnas Reservoir.  There is a lot to do there, but we only did one thing: We took a 3-hour boat ride. 

The boat ride was great.  Along the way there were floating bars with places to swim.  We chose to swim at the third stop where there was a waterfall that we swam up to.  There was also other waterfalls, and of course the Canyons.

The Canyons is an area with gorgeous rock formations.  Unfortunately it was the site of a tragedy in January 2022.  Part of a cliff collapsed on top of some boats, 10 people were killed and many more injured.

The collapse was attributed to rock erosion, and could have been prevented if there was any inspection done. They still allow visits there, but now it is inspected for erosion daily.  There is personnel from the coast guard monitoring and only one boat can go through the area at a time, and it cannot get too close to the cliffs.  And while visiting that area we had to wear a hard hat and life jacket. 

We enjoyed the views, swam to the waterfall, ate cod fish cakes and had caipirinhas at one stop.  It was really enjoyable.  Normally they fill a boat with up to 10 people, but we decided to do just the 2 of us, and it was the best decision.  We didn’t have to stay or stop in any place we didn’t want to.

After the boat ride, instead of spending the night in Capitolio, we decided to drive towards my sister’s apartment in Poços de Caldas.  We made a quick detour to a small town called Campestre, where both of my parents were born.

Campestre is not such a small town anymore.  There was a mass going on at the main church and there was nowhere to park downtown.  It was also night and raining, so we decided to just take a small video to show mom and dad, and we continued on to Poços de Caldas.

When we got to my sister’s apartment was already night. I wanted to go out, but Michael was exhausted from all the driving, so we stayed in. It was the best decision as we were able to get an early start the next day.  

Next morning, we went to the weekly craft market and then stopped by one of my aunt’s house.  We walked up the hill from her house to a brand new lookout.  It was so beautiful to see the whole city, and the Christ.  Every Brazilian town has the statue of Christ somewhere.  In this town in at the top of a mountain.  There is a cable car that takes visitors to the top.

There was a roda(circle) of capoeira happening on the lookout.  Capoeira is a an Afro-Brazilian cultural art of dance/fight.  Some new students were graduating and they were having a ceremony.   It was awesome to see that, specially for Michael that was not familiar with it.

Here are some pictures of Capitolio and just one from the lookout.  Sometimes it is a question of enjoying the moment or taking a picture.  The moment always win, so I am sorry for not having more and better pictures.

The rest of the day will be on the next post.

 

“There are some things in this world, if you enter their sphere of influence, they will close your world and only their world will remain! That’s what a big waterfall is like!” ― Mehmet Murat ildan

Going to the sauna, aka Brazil

15 Wednesday Nov 2023

Posted by in Daily Life, Daily Message, travels

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“God, it was hot! Forget about frying an egg on the sidewalk; this kind of heat would fry an egg inside the chicken.” ― Rachel Caine

I am on the way to Brazil tonight.   I will be working most of the time, but will take a few days off over Thanksgiving to relax.  Michael and I will be driving towards some small towns and a national park.  

I am bracing for the heat I will encounter.  It has been incredibly hot where I live in Brazil.  The high tomorrow will be 99 degrees, and on Friday 101.  My mom’s house, as well as most of the homes, have no AC. 

I have been trying to get my mother to agree to get AC, but she complains that will make holes on the wall, and it will cost too much (even though I would be paying all the bills).  Perhaps this time I can convince her.  Fingers crossed.

Right here in NY:

 

In Brazil now:

Wishing you all a blessed Thanksgiving!  May you count all your blessings, big and small!

I am grateful to still have my parents and to be able to go see them often. May you be able to spent time with family and friends.

I am grateful for this community we have here! 

“Reflect upon your present blessings — of which every man has many — not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.” ― Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Writings

Terrific Tuesday: Love, Compassion and Generosity

31 Tuesday Oct 2023

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Marvelous Monday!

30 Monday Oct 2023

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Wishing everyone an amazing Monday!!

“See if you can catch yourself complaining, in either speech or thought, about a situation you find yourself in, what other people do or say, your surroundings, your life situation, even the weather. To complain is always nonacceptance of what is. It invariably carries an unconscious negative charge. When you complain, you make yourself into a victim. When you speak out, you are in your power. So change the situation by taking action or by speaking out if necessary or possible; leave the situation or accept it. All else is madness.” ― Eckhart Tolle

Blessings!

ps. Comments will be turned off on some posts.  At the moment I am concentrating my efforts on 1. visiting the blogs of my friends, old and new; 2. cleaning my Drafts folder and 3. finishing books from my fellow bloggers.

Visiting Blogs: I don’t want to miss out on my friend’s words – I am always inspired.  I am also enjoying visiting new blogs.  There are so many interesting people out there.

Drafts Folder: When I decided to start cleaning out the folder I had 260 drafts. As of now I have 173 drafts left to review. Progress!

Books to read: I have 6 books to finish reading (those are books from my fellow bloggers only.  The complete list of books to finish reading is over 40)  They are are at various stages. As you can see I have been mastering the art of starting, but never finishing. Will read one at a time now instead of doing a couple of pages of many.

Lastly, I am praying for peace, wishing peace, hoping for peace, praying for peace. Lets love and respect all!

Spending a day Celebration, Florida

22 Sunday Oct 2023

Posted by in Daily Life, Daily Message, Finding Me, Food, travels

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Yesterday, Michael and I spent the day in the very charming community called Celebration.  We had a late lunch/early dinner at Regianno’s and ice cream at Kilwins.

It was my dear friend Kat from lifetreeandcoffee.wordpress.com who recommended it all.  Thank you, thank you!! We loved everything!

The town is so charming and friendly. We chatted with a bunch of local people.

“It is good people who make good places.”
― Anna Sewell, Black Beauty

Here are some of the pictures from the day:

Charming town

Watching the peaceful Lake Rianhard

Next time, we will rent a bike to go around the park

Happy to say we didn’t see any of those

Lovely park

I believe it is some kind of diving duck

Drinks at Reggiano’s

Toasted coconut and pumpkin ice cream at Kilwins

I have some additional pictures on my Instagram https://www.instagram.com/blessedwithastar