Tag Archives: love

All green and bones – Happy Halloween!

31 Friday Oct 2025

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“Most people will tell you growing up means you stop believing in Halloween things – I’m telling you the reverse. You start to grow up when you understand that the stuff that scares you is part of the air you breathe.” ― Peter Straub

When I was growing up in Brazil there was no Halloween.  Now due to globalization,  Halloween is increasingly becoming part of our culture.  In some areas we do have a different names for it, such as Dia das Bruxas (Witch’s Day) and Dia do Saci (Saci Day).

Saci is one legged black boy with a pipe and red hat from Brazilian Folklore.  He played tricks on people and was quick to disappear in a whirlwind.

I never spent Halloween in Brazil, so I am not sure about kids going trick or treating.  I know of parties, specially hosted by language schools.

I am not really into dressing up and costumes parties, but I do love seeing the kids all dressed up, and I always enjoy some people’s creativity when it comes to their costumes.  

Another thing I always loved was seeing the houses decorated for Halloween, and all other holidays for that matter.

As I go on evening bike rides, I plan on taking pictures.  But as I sit here composing this post I realized that Halloween is here and I only took a couple of pictures.

A few is better than none.

I hope you are having a grand ole time, no matter what you are doing today.  Being alive is a great reason for celebration!

 

 

“Halloween is the only time people can become what they want to be without getting fired.”
― Sylvester Stallone

It is good to be back

28 Tuesday Oct 2025

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“Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer. And let faith be the bridge you build to overcome evil and welcome good.” ― Maya Angelou

After one week in Chile, two months in Brazil and one week in New York, I am finally back in Florida.  I have been here for one week.

It feels good to be back and try to start a routine.  Feels good to play house with Michael.  Well, I am already looking at cruises and ski trips… I love having things to look forward to. 

Our building is finally done with the renovations.  There are still some little issues, but Michael and I are fully enjoying our apartment. 

I have so much organizing to do.  Michael returned from Brazil before I did.  He stopped in NY and picked up some more of my stuff.  So I have boxes and boxes to organize, including tons of mosaic material and mosaics pieces.

After my father’s death and watching my mother struggle with debilitating hip pain, I decided to think about my health more seriously.   I want to have a very active future, and I know I need to address issues that I have learned to live with. 

I arrived home and hit the ground running:

  • I got a gym membership
  • I got a personal trainer for two times a week (I need that accountability) 
  • I got blood tests done
  • I got a physical and wellness check (cholesterol down to 174 from 248!! yippie)
  • I got an eye exam and ordered 3 new glasses (from Costco – the best place to get glasses!!)
  • I made appointment with:
    • an orthopedic doctor (time to revisit the hip issues)
    • an ENT doctor (time to revisit the vertigo symptoms)
    • a skin doctor (a big brown spot all of sudden appeared on my hip)
    • imaging center for bone density and mammogram
  • Bought a bedroom set.  We are not picky, hate shopping, and don’t like to wait.  So we just went out on Saturday bought a bedroom set and three hours later they delivered it.  We love it!  

There is more to do, but this all feels like progress, and progress makes me very happy.  The only problem is that all these doctor’s appointments, and possible tests and follow-ups are going to interfere with future travel plans 🙂

… not to mention the little detail of having a full-time job.  Retirement? Retirement? Where are you?

 

 

My view as I write this: so grateful!!

My view as I write this: so grateful!!

“True happiness is to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future, not to amuse ourselves with either hopes or fears but to rest satisfied with what we have, which is sufficient, for he that is so wants nothing. The greatest blessings of mankind are within us and within our reach. A wise man is content with his lot, whatever it may be, without wishing for what he has not.” ― Seneca

 

Meet Nala, Ze Jorge and Luke

29 Monday Sep 2025

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A year ago, a lady moved to a house next to mom’s house.  Her 3 cats immediately became mom’s guest.  My mom started feeding them, so they rarely went to their home.

Last week the lady moved away and the 3 cats stayed behind.  Instead, she took 3 other cats that she had acquired from another neighbor after she had moved in.

Nala is sickly, needs special food and constant vet trips.  Luke is all black, and thinks he owns the house.  He wants to lay on the bed or couch next to us.  Ze Jorge used to be a fighter, rarely home, until another cat got the best of him.  So now that he lost the sight in one eye he is the most docile and homebody.

Now that they are officially ours, we got them new beds and I am trying to have them stay in the little house on the back.  It doesn’t always work, but this time they were picture perfect.

A couple of years ago I had floated the idea of my parents getting a cat, since they love animals.  But Mom said they are too old to take care of a pet.  Now we have 3!

Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi (Prayer for Peace)

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

The cycle of life

02 Tuesday Sep 2025

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My father passed away the Saturday before last.  He died at 8am and was buried at 4pm.  In Brazil embalming is not customary, so burials are normally within 24 hours.  I chose not to wait for the next day.  To me it would be prolonging my mother’s pain.

A lot relatives and friend’s didn’t make it to the funeral, or even found out about his death until after, but I am still comfortable with my choice.  To me, the faster the burial, the faster the grief process can begin.  We honor him every day by the fond memories and funny stories we share.

It was not expected, even though he had been dealing with many illness for decades. He died in the hospital, but peacefully, and for that I am extremely grateful.

I am grateful for God’s generosity.  I was here with my family so I was able to care for him on his final days. I was able to make the funeral arrangements, buy a plot, etc.

He is at peace.  I do not question for a moment God’s wisdom and timing. We, the family, are comforted by the memories and because we all have done our best to care for him and provide him with the best and most comfortable life.

I was sleeping with him at the hospital.  He had been admitted the day before, and that is when we found out he pneumonia, besides the other illnesses.  In the middle of the night I heard him say my mother’s name, even though he had oxygen mask on, and was no longer speaking.  I got up and went to him and he was sleeping.  I said: “Dad, don’t worry about mom.  If that is the reason you are holding on, go in peace.  There are a lot people to care for her.”  I said a couple of prayers and held his hand for awhile.

A nurse came in, and said all was okay and that I should try to get some sleep.  This was about 5am. I woke up at 8am, shocked that I has fallen asleep. I looked at him and knew in my heart he was gone.  He was still warm, but not breathing anymore.  As a family we chose not to try any invasive method to keep him alive, such as resuscitate or intubate. 

No regrets. We will now continue to love and care for my mother as best as we can. 

Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep

Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there; I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints on snow,
I am the sun on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning’s hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there; I did not die.

By Mary Elizabeth Frye

 

 

Picking up garbage pays off

21 Wednesday May 2025

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Today has been a great day.  Well, every day is a great day, but today I have a story to tell. 

As you know, as I walk I pick whatever I see on the sand that doesn’t belong there, mostly trash.

This morning I thought I was picking up a piece of an old phone case, but it turns out it was a new iPhone.   I was shocked to see it, I picked up and looked around to see if perhaps there was a person in the water, which I didn’t believe it would be the case.  At the time I walk, there is nobody in the ocean, plus the phone was almost completely covered in sand, so it seemed it had been there awhile.

I tried unlocking it to see if I could call someone.  There were a bunch of voice mails and text on the screen, but I was not able to unlock it. Then, a message flashed on the screen something like: “This phone has been lost please call ….)

I hit call and got a voice mail.  I left a message.  Then I called again from my own phone to make sure the person had my number.

I continued walking, a bit faster to get home and search the internet for information on the number.  That is when I see a young lady walking very fast and seeming a bit lost.  Immediately I knew she was the phone owner.

As she got a bit closer she started saying: “I know you are picking up trash, have you…”  I didn’t even let her finish and showed her the phone.

She immediately grabbed the  phone and gave me the biggest hug. She was so relieved, and I was so happy to reunite the lost phone with the owner.

She was very grateful and asked if she could do anything for me, buy me coffee or something like that.  I said: “Absolutely not, I am happy to do it, and I believe in karma.  I hope if I ever lose my phone somebody finds it and returns it.”

After getting home, I received a text from her thanking me again.  I was shocked to see attached a gift card:

I now need to find a way to use this gift for a good cause.

 

Beach walking and cleaning continues

20 Tuesday May 2025

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Here are some of the findings from yesterday, Monday:

I also found some socks, t-shirts, a towel and a bunch of garbage. I actually washed the towels and t-shirts and will use them as cleaning rags around the house.

Today, I found nothing, just a couple of candy wrappers.  

The reason for that, is that today I walked to the right of my building which is more secluded, so there are much less people.

To the left of my building there some shops and bathrooms, so there are more people.

Also, it is expected that after the weekend there will be a lot more stuff to be found.

I have so much beach toys now.  I was able to give a few away.  It feels good to recycle and reuse.

 

 

 

 

BIRD WATCHING

09 Friday May 2025

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Mom is 90th!!

05 Monday May 2025

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Hello from Brazil.  My mom turned 90 years old on May 1st.  Since the trip to the US has become too much for her, Michael and I traveled to Brazil to take her to Argentina for a few days.

In Brazil, casinos are illegal, and the closet casino is in Argentina, near Iguaçu Falls. She loves slot machines, so I chose a hotel that has a casino on the premises.

This was a very short trip, only 4 days, as I didn’t know if she would be okay.  Her problem is her back and hip.  She needs a hip replacement, but at 90 years old with a heart condition and other issues, it is not safe to operate.  At this point is all about pain management.

We drove 2 hours from our home in the suburbs of Sao Paulo to the airport.  Then it was just one hour and fifteen minutes plane ride.  We traveled to an airport in the Brazilian side of the border, and the hotel came to meet us there. We crossed the border by car.

We stayed at the Iguazu Grand Hotel in Misiones, Argentina. Everything about the hotel was great, specially all the staff. On mom’s they brought her a cake at breakfast and they all sang, along with the other guests.  She was over the moon.  The cake was delicious.

Since it was a short trip my mother decided to mostly stay at the hotel.  We just took a trip to the Triple Frontier – 3 borders comprising of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguai. There is a gorgeous view there and some little stores.

Michael went to see the Iguaçu Falls and he also went to the Bird Zoo.  Since arriving home, mom regrets not going to see the falls and the Zoo.  Next time…

Azul Airlines, very fast flight.

Iguazu Grad Hotel

Iguazu Grad Hotel

Iguazu Grad Hotel

Iguazu Grad Hotel

There are slot machines in 3 currencies: Argentinian Peso, Brazilian Real and US Dollar.

There are slot machines in 3 currencies: Argentinian Peso, Brazilian Real and US Dollar.

Argentina is the best place to eat meat. Thie is chicken fried steak. It was to die for.

Argentina is the best place to eat meat. This is chicken fried steak. It was to die for. We had other beef dishes, but I didn’t remember to take pictures.

Best drink ever: Rum, passion-fruit, lime and mint.

Best drink ever: Rum, passion-fruit, lime and mint.

3 Frontiers: Argentina, Brazil and Paraguai

3 Frontiers: Argentina, Brazil and Paraguai

 

Progress: we finally have a couch

23 Wednesday Apr 2025

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Last weekend we went to a follow up with my dental surgeon.  According to him, all is going well.    I was hoping it would look and feel better, but I know not to have too many expectations when it comes to my teeth.

The surgeon is located a couple of hours away, and it is not too far from some casinos.  Since I like casinos, we always stop by one of them.

This time we went to the Hard Rock in Hollywood.  The guitar shaped building is so cool. We had a great meal at their restaurant.  I had a flat smashed burger with burger and caramelized onions.  It was delicious. Michael had the impossible burger, since he doesn’t eat meat.  He enjoyed his as well.

To drink I had a cosmopolitan.  I had to stop and congratulate the bartender.  It is the best one I have had since my nights in New York City. Michael had a Bahama Mama and it was equally delicious.

We are finally seeing a lot progress in our building renovation.  This renovation started in March last year.  We bought it in June, but didn’t move in until September.  We didn’t expect to last this long and cost this much.  The cost is still increasing as at every turn there is a new costly discovery, and more assessments.

We finally have a couch.  Since we moved in, Michael and I decided we wouldn’t really get any furniture or spend any money until the construction was finished.  But there were things we needed to do.  We got a cheap bedroom set, an Amazon one that we put it together ourselves, and a couple of TVs.

As you can see in the pictures, the TV is sitting on Tupperware. We are still debating if we are going to have it on the wall or on a rack. The rug is an extra one I had in NY.  This couch has made us so happy.  It signal to us that this project is almost done, if feels like a huge step forward.

We also had contractors to do part of the tiles to match the part that it was damaged with the construction.  To do the entire floor, it would be costly and too much disturbance.  We also had the walls and floors painted.  We just left the second bedroom out, it has a wall painted with flowers, so I will leave that as is for now.

Once the building is complete than we will work on decoration and the rest of furniture.  With that being said, we don’t want a lot, we want simple and minimal.  We want it to be practical and comfortable for us.

 

 

Snake and Birds

16 Wednesday Apr 2025

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Today a saw a snake on the beach.

I am terrified of snakes, even if it is just a tad larger than a worm.  This finding makes me afraid of my morning walks and of going in the water.

I am not sure it had been in the dune vegetation and just wondered off too far, or perhaps a bird was carrying it and dropped it.

Since I heard the story of the hawk that dropped a snake on a woman and then both started attacking her, I am always aware of birds above me. 

“Even snakes are afraid of snakes.” — Steven Wright

After a few more minutes walking I encountered all these birds.  I am surprised they didn’t notice the snake.