Life

When I look at plants I see LIFE.

I read this book once and it left me a little freaked out.

My pepper is turning color. :-)

The Fall feeling

On a free afternoon ...

we visit some water.

Must touch water. It is good for the soul.

Colors of the desert

Ephesians 4:29 and more

29Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Ephesians 4:15

Weymouth New Testament

But we shall lovingly hold to the truth, and shall in all respects grow up into union with Him who is our Head, even Christ.

Local history

Breaks from school are for sleeping late, free playing, TV watching, and a local enriching field trip. As last minute decisions go - quick Google of local possibilities at 10 am, go at 12:30 pm - this was a pretty good choice for a Friday.

I like discovering the history of a place. Phoenix's is so different from the Northeast where I have visited many sites from the Revolutionary War.

We visited the Pioneer and Military Memorial Park.

We were entrusted with a key that opened all the gates.

The Parks lady was a history buff who, as a youngster, used to visit cemeteries with her grandfather in pursuit of history.

Local elementary school teach all about Arizona history to 4th graders. Snowden was very intrigued and enjoyed matching the plots with the names on the map.

Domestic Bliss

The store. In Mesa.

Lots of Halloween stuff.

Black and orange.

And much more. It's all a bit pricey. I went as something to do with the youngens on Fall break.

Stationery

My private stash, made by me.

My favorite card size.

Love this stamp set. It's very "for the office".

A little elegance.

I have an ongoing love affair with paper. I have to apply much self discipline and not print, print, print anything. I noticed how my co-workers have in the signature part of the email "Consider the environment before printing this email". Yep, it's a message meant for me.

Speak

When it is genuine, when it is born of the need to speak, no one can stop the human voice. When denied a mouth, it speaks with the hands or the eyes, or the pores, or anything at all. Because every single one of us has something to say to the others, something that deserves to be celebrated or forgiven by others.

- Eduardo Galeano

The Book of Embraces

The family creates together

Today's together time was spent being creative with paper.

My backyard working space. I made cards. I have been inspired by friends who are fans of Stampin' Up!.

Snowden used my new Prismacolor pencils to draw a dark and scary scene.

A replication of the backyard on paper.

Grasshopper made the basket (right) featured in a previous post. She loves working with paper. Snowden made the one on the left.

I would like to do more of this. Having one's family close and engaged in an activity is priceless.

Saturday gatherings

Having a backyard resort makes it possible to gather people and share food, drink, and good conversation. We have done something just about every Saturday for a while.

It makes for a full day with all the cleaning that goes on beforehand.

We ordered food from Rigatony's.

A friend made this very moist and tasty pumpkin cake.

Although I like being on the periphery of any group, I equally like moments of togetherness with kind, warm, smart people. Cheers!

Easy and pretty

I've been looking at my paper supplies and trying to find easy and fast projects to work on.

I found this tutorial and I am ready to get organized and busy to replicate the above box. Go here for other ideas.

Possibilities

Love is not a doctrine. Peace is not an international agreement. Love and Peace are beings who live as possibilities within us.

- Mary Caroline Richards

Centering

Escrever

Writing (escrever) was not something that was natural in our house. I did not do any creative writing. But because I like to be a part of my girls' learning at school, I am reading this book and applying some of the ideas.

I am more confident. I am writting.

It's actually fun. And I can now help my young students with their writing assignments.

Women in politics

Laugh a little...

The mind balks at taking its measure

I heard someone say this on NPR. It struck me as an ultimate statement appropriate at times as we analyse current or past events, personal or otherwise. My mind does balk at times, as I attempt to understand things that come to light.

To love a daughter

Is Godly.

To my beautiful baby who turns 9.

Warm and Fuzzy

The colors of Fall

The freshly painted door.

It's a Fall look lasting beyond October 31st.

Now, imagine this everywhere.

Be Conscious

We must now surrender to the obligation to understand and to care.

We must surrender ourselves to becoming conscious, thinking members of the human race. We must put down the temptation to powerlessness and surrender to the questions of the moment.

- Joan Chittister

In the arms of an angel

Spend all your time waiting for that second chance

For the break that will make it ok

There's always some reason to feel not good enough

And it's hard at the end of the day

I need some distraction oh beautiful release

Memories seep from my veins

They may be empty and weightless and maybe

I'll find some peace tonight

In the arms of an Angel fly away from here

From this dark, cold hotel room, and the endlessness that you fear

You are pulled from the wreckage of your silent reverie

You're in the arms of an Angel; may you find some comfort here

So tired of the straight line, and everywhere you turn

There's vultures and thieves at your back

The storm keeps on twisting, you keep on building the lies

That you make up for all that you lack

It don't make no difference, escaping one last time It's easier to believe

In this sweet madness, oh this glorious sadness

That brings me to my knees

In the arms of an Angel far away from here

From this dark, cold hotel room, and the endlessness that you fear

You are pulled from the wreckage of your silent reverie

In the arms of an Angel; may you find some comfort here

You're in the arms of an Angel; may you find some comfort here

For when we need that angel. Sarah did.

Creations

I think I would have liked to create things like this, just like the character in "Hunt for Red October" would have liked to have lived in Montana.

Art in the desert.

Sunday Mojito(s)

Happy Sunday!

For two.

Sitting together

For TJS

Vote

With older kids in mind, check out this website.

Pimentos verdes

My first exposure to vegetable gardens was in Mozambique as far back into my childhood as I can go. My very industrious butcher by profession neighbor liked growing his own food. I think he was probably continuing in this colony, a way of life he once had in some remote part of Portugal. I remember chickens, rabbits and lucious green patches of vegetables.

Well, so here I present my current version of a vegetable garden.

I placed the pot in a shady spot. Can you see the pepper?

It's my birthday...

I'm 46.

I am happy.

I am grateful.

I have a wonderful loving husband and daughters.

I have sisters.

I have friends.

I love my hobbies and many interests.

I love God.

I love my now gone parents.

I have a job.

I have a car.

I will do one more something good for my self this year.

I had a wonderful conversation with my Godchild today.

I got happy birthday wishes all the way from Portugal.

Life is good.

Infinite Justice

The only dream worth having ... is to dream that you will live while you’re alive and die only when you’re dead ... To love. To be loved. To never forget your own insignificance. To never get used to the unspeakable violence and vulgar disparity of life around you. To seek joy in the saddest places. To pursue beauty to its lair. To never simplify what is complicated or to complicate what is simple. To respect strength, never power. Above all, to watch. To try and understand. To never look away. And never, never to forget.
- Arundhati Roy

From her book, The Algebra of Infinite Justice

The day it all changed

It seemed very surreal to me, watching this place I knew so well fall apart. The Northeast was in upheaval, but I watched it on TV from the desert.

My family was OK, my co-workers were worried about their loved ones, but OK.

I felt far, angry, and helpless.

Personal resort

In the desert, for us to be in.

We party!

In all I do I honor you

"Amazing love, how can it be?

That you, my king, would die for me

Amazing love, I know it's true

Its my joy to honor you

Amazing love, how can it be?

That you, my king would die for me

Amazing love I know it's true

Its my joy to honor you

In all I do I honor you"

From the song "You are my king"

The Hunger Site

The Hunger Site is owned and operated by Tim Kunin and Greg Hesterberg, co-owners of CharityUSA.com. Long-time friends and activists, they bought The Hunger Site in mid-August of 2001. Greg and Tim are dedicated to maintaining the site's position as a leader in online activism and a dynamic force in the fight to end world hunger.Originally launched in June 1999, The Hunger Site focuses the power of the Internet on a specific humanitarian need; the eradication of world hunger. On average, over 220,000 individuals from around the world visit the site each day to click the "give free food" button and help feed the hungry.The Hunger Site was the first online activism site on the Web. To date more that 200 million visitors have given more than 300 million cups of staple food.

I click that link everyday and ordered this cool casual T-Shirt.

Feed the world!

Mother Teresa

Give until it hurts, because real love hurts.

- Mother Teresa

Fruit under the microscope

Plants will do intricate things to ensure survival.  Take a look at this amazing video and see how.