It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new.
But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful.
There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power.
Alan Cohen
"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend.
Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."
Groucho Marx
The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live.

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Things To Learn From Japan

from Encore ! Life


1. THE CALM

Not a single visual of chest-beating or wild grief. Sorrow itself has been elevated.


2. THE DIGNITY


Disciplined queues for water and groceries. Not a rough word or a crude gesture.


3. THE ABILITY


The incredible architects, for instance. Buildings swayed but didn’t fall.

4. THE GRACE


People bought only what they needed for the present, so everybody could get something.


5. THE ORDER


No looting in shops. No honking and no overtaking on the roads. Just understanding.


6. THE SACRIFICE


Fifty workers stayed back to pump sea water in the N-reactors. How will they ever be repaid?


7. THE TENDERNESS


Restaurants cut prices. An unguarded ATM is left alone. The strong cared for the weak.


8. THE TRAINING


The old and the children, everyone knew exactly what to do. And they did just that.


9. THE MEDIA


They showed magnificent restraint in the bulletins. No silly reporters. Only calm reportage.


10. THE CONSCIENCE


When the power went off in a store, people put things back on the shelves and left quietly.


Wednesday, March 30, 2011

A New Day, A New Pup ...

Pup had his Day of Beauty today.
Nails, ears, hair , the works.
We spent the time while he was suffering for beauty, running all over town, finding SIM cards and running errands.
We still have no phone number for our new phone, but it has a SIM card. And I can use it for the Time and Email so having it as a telephone will be icing on the cake .. someday.
Pup is exhausted and after napping, eating, beating up his newly washed blanket, he is now back to napping on the blanket in the living room. I am exhausted from everything so I am joining Pup in the living room, maybe even on the sofa. Since he smells like a Flower and all.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Parks, Pups, Trees


Today was one of those beautiful, sparkling, perfect temperature days. We were eager to get outside and do something, anything to be out in the fresh air. One of us was thrilled to be able to just sit on a bench and not feel sick or cough.
One of us decided to hide from any cameras until tomorrow when the groomer makes the boy look presentable again. Personally... I love the way he feels. Like a huge stuffed toy, soft and wooly and he smells good. Warm and cushy, it is impossible to be near him and not find yourself petting, stroking, patting all that softness. I think he likes it too.
We wandered through the park, ending up at a cafe where coffee and dulce de leche ice cream was the afternoon pick-me-up then wandered on over to another park.
Where the trees look more like creatures from another time than just trees.
Tomorrow, Pup goes to the Groomer.... to be continued.

Monday, March 28, 2011

All in all, a lovely day

Hola Boys and Girls !
Time has flown, what with family visiting, Pup having issues with Things , well, A Thing that has grown on his leg that will now require, without doubt, removal.
He does not fuss with it anymore so we don't require him to go out with an Ace bandage covering it .. we just let him pretend ( like I do) that it isn't really there and we are not worried.

I, on the other hand, got to visit the pretty building above today, to meet my Surgeon and let them have a little of my blood and to get the appointment for my surgery.
They will be cutting out a bit of my leg , on April 14th.

The surgeon was charming, his surgical assistant was too young, too good looking but very sweet and spoke English, so aside from the fact that I am seeing the Jefe , who also specializes in Skin Cancer, I am not worried.

I feel I am in excellent hands and the fact that the Jefe says it will take 15 minutes and local anesthetic with only a small scar .. I am fine with everything.
This does not mean that I am going to be brave or not expect total devotion from all who know me and presents and flowers are expected .. really.

I still fall in love every day with the people here, apologizing to me, a newcomer to their country, for their not speaking English !
For their beautiful patience when I am attempting to speak Spanish and their good nature when I mangle said beautiful language.

For their gentleness and good humor when they know they are going to hurt me ... "Close your eyes, it will hurt but I promise, only an instant" ..
I did manage to make a joke when the surgeon explained the surgery, asking him if while he was stitching up my leg, did he think I might need a tuck here or there ? pointing at my face.
He laughed, he said that would be for another surgeon ..

He also mentioned that I was crazy for moving to Buenos Aires, apparently he likes New York .

Summer is leaving us. The nights are chilly, sleeping is cozy and no air conditioners running. Pup can be found curled up on the Pup Blanket in the morning and long walks in the park are back on the days agenda.
As are the long visits to our favorite cafe, where Pup gets a "jug" of water and we get our cafe con leche and feed crumbs to the tiny birds that hop around, people watch, and just enjoy Being Here.
And our park where we ( all of us ) sit on a bench and talk, read, or just listen to the sounds of the area .. cars ( always cars) and birds and wind and often, music.


The Museums are opening new exhibitions, I think we need to go to the Decorative Artes Museum.

A short walk from our home and a magnificent building, originally the home of one of the founders of Buenos Aires , way back then. And there is a lovely cafe where the gate house stood, where we can sit outside with the cafe cat and enjoy a bite and beautiful surroundings.
And then it is time to wander through the parks on home, sometimes stopping to say hello to a friend ..





Saturday, March 26, 2011

Look at This Blog !

artwork:Hyperbole and a Half


I have been reading this funny funny blog this morning and while I am much better, I am laughing so much I am coughing and having to stop for air.
Especially dog owners will get a kick out of this, or anyone who has been around a dog and seen their little eccentricities .. like walking with something on their feet ..
You will see, read this blog and you will have a good laugh .
Let me know if you are laughing as much as I am !

Have a Great Weekend !


Friday, March 25, 2011

Where do I begin ?

Let's begin with whine.
I need to get this off my chest ( my congested chest) ... I got sick and then I got sicker.
Then I got really sick.
I took strong medicines and stayed home and felt sorry for myself while my husband went sightseeing and eating out with the family.
There were times, I must admit, that even though I am a big girl, I wept a little and felt quite sorry for myself... it was my Birthday, dammit ! and family was visiting !
How bad can one's timing be ??

Pup was right there beside me , he even coughed now and then to keep me company ( or he thought I was barking at him and he replied) ..
My wonderful husband walked many many blocks to get me the particular hot Chinese soup that I like .. I drank it like a person dying of thirst then slept well that night .. keep this in mind if you have a chest/throat thing that feels like it is gonna kill you.
Chinese soup... works wonders.

Pup is walking around with a bandage hiding his Thing on his leg. He will most likely have a biopsy then surgery. I cannot even think about it. He feels good, bounces around and has energy, that is all I want to know about at the moment.

Ozzie Osbourne is here.
Photos were taken.. my son will get a kick out of this.
Here we are, at the bottom of the world, Madonna, U2, Ozzie Osbourne, all turn up .. I guess I am not so far away as it feels sometimes.
Maybe it feels like that only when a person is sick. ( quivering lip inserted here)

I got medicine. You take one pill, once a day and only 3 in all.
At the end or maybe a few days later, you are well.
I think I am better.
No doubt , you will hear about it either way.

It is the weekend. It is a 4- day holiday weekend here.
I have no idea what the holiday is.
Last night Placido Domingo sang , for free, outside.
I was sick ... weeping.

I hope your weekend is a good one.

Stay well, it is much more fun.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

God Bless the Animals and Innocent Creatures


And God bless those who care for them.

A baby dolphin was rescued in Japan after being dumped in a rice field by the tsunami that hit the coast on March 11.
The dolphin was spotted in the flooded field, about 2 km (a mile) from the coast, said Ryo Taira, a pet-shop owner who has been rescuing animals abandoned after the 9.0 magnitude quake and tsunami left 23,000 people dead or missing.

"A man passing by said he had found the dolphin in the rice paddy and that we had to do something to save it," the 32-year-old Taira told Reuters.

Taira found the dolphin struggling in the shallow seawater on Tuesday and after failing to net it, waded in to the field, which had yet to be sown with rice, to cradle the 1.2-meter (four foot) animal in his arms.

"It was pretty weak by then, which was probably the only reason we could catch it," he said.

Taira and some friends wrapped the dolphin in wet towels and drove it back to the sea, where they set it free.
The dolphin appeared to perk up when it was back in the Pacific, he said.

"I don't know if it will live, but it's certainly a lot better than dying in a rice paddy," Taira told the Asahi Shimbun newspaper.

Reuters news

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

A Birthday


Did you know that these people were born in March ?
David Niven, remember him ?
How about Jean Harlow, Rex Harrison, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Lord Snowdon and Aiden Quinn, Hoong Yee Lee Krakauer..
And Juliette Binoche, Prince Edward, Akira Kurosawa, Marcel Marceau, Harry Houdini and Me !

"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years."
-
Abraham Lincoln

"With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come." - William Shakespeare

"May you live as long as you want and never want as long as you live."

- Irish Blessing

“Youth is happy because it has the ability to see beauty. Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old.”
- Franz Kafka

"Live not one's life as though one had a thousand years, but live each day as the last."
-
Marcus Aurelius

"Age is strictly a case of Mind over Matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter."-

Jack Benny

Monday, March 21, 2011

My Poor Nose

So ... I have ( had ) a pretty decent nose.
It is right there in the middle of my face, for one thing.
It is straight, no deviating from the norm.
I can breathe through it pretty well most of the time.
I can smell things better than some people.. which can be a curse more than a blessing.

I opened the cupboard door, to put something away, it is above the counter where I was standing.
I closed the door, but turned my head for some reason and slammed the door corner into the side of my nose.

Ouch!

It hurt so badly that I walked to the doorway to the living room and just told my husband, I hurt my nose.
I was not sure if I wanted to see it.
I was afraid it might have been hanging off by a thread or perhaps, permanently crooked.
Or just a hole right through it .. half a nose above, half a nose below.

A little time has passed now.
I still have my nose. I don't quite feel it now.
I have a good doctor, with just the right touch, tools and miracle medicines.
The red /possibly blue part of the nose and dark bruise under my eye are yet to advance, I might be lucky and this is the worst of it.

I can see me now. On my birthday, all dressed up and walking into a restaurant with this big red and blue honker and a half closed eye... instead of a birthday, it will be a Pity Party.

Due to the Nose Incident.. I have nothing to post about.
We went to the park, we visited with the family, we watched people in the park, had a great lunch and tonight we will go to a local parrilla.

Other than the Nose Incident, it has been a beautiful day.

I have a headache, I have to go lie down.
Pup feels sorry for me but he is not crazy about the way the Nose is looking.. he thinks mine might be bigger than his.


whimper ~~~~


Sunday, March 20, 2011

Palermo Soho , Margaritas and a headache

A beautiful day, spent with people that we love, interrupted by a Migraine.
But for a while there, it was a great day !
We went to Palermo Soho. There were quite a few people there, but we managed to grab an excellent table at our favorite Mexican restaurant, outside in the shade. After enjoying Margaritas and Flautas and Guacamole , we wandered around the streets, window shopping,

floating through the Feria and ending up at my favorite shop, Pauls.
I tested scents for my new room spray scent and ended up with an old favorite, Jasmine.
I wanted to buy the $1,500 mirror, I wanted to buy some wacky bowls that my sister in law found.. they didn't have a flat bottom. So when you put your bowl down, it sort of does a little roll and lists to the side.
I thought it would be fun to have a dinner party, fancy dress, then serve soup in bowls that roll around.
Keep everyone on their toes.
I know, some sense of humor.
It was crowded and my head felt vaguely achy .. we left, grabbed a taxi and went home.
Where I quickly ended up blind with a migraine.
I used to have them all the time and had serious drugs from doctors who specialized in brain / head problems. They might have just decided that there was no brain to be aching but give her some pills and she will leave us alone.
Because eventually, the migraines went away and I have been fine. .. until today. Spoiling everyones evening, since I stayed home, lying in a dark room with a cold cloth and wishing I had serious drugs again.
I am feeling better now... slightly headachy but not blinding pain.
I guess I could blame the Margarita, but I think I will blame the weather. yeah.
Pup was happy we came home. You know dogs, they act as if you have been gone a year when you go downstairs to pick up a carton of milk.
He has stayed by my side since we came home.. lying by the bed, in here, sweet baby .. his leg is a tiny bit better !
I have to go to the hospital this week ... they want some of my blood.
You know you will hear all about that. Should I take pictures ?
It was supposed to be tomorrow but I didn't think showing up with pain killers in my blood was a good idea. So I have that "fun" to look forward to this week.

Photos courtesy of Daniel .

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Walking, Talking, Eating

As long as we keep walking, I am hoping I will not grow large from all the eating we seem to be doing recently.
The one thing you can count on in Buenos Aires is good food... somewhere.. there is a piece of chocolate cake calling your name. .. a small morsel of coconut cake waiting for you to taste it while sipping your cortado.. ( espresso with a dash of milk ) .
Lunch today was Bloody Mary, Wine, Coffee, Fried Calamari, Smoked Salmon with Avocado Sandwiches. This was just lunch.
Last night was a Pasta extravaganza at a lovely parrilla named Melo.
Tonight .. who knows. I am still full of Bloody Mary and cake.

Pup has enjoyed a day full of being the recipient of much Petting, Feria walking, Park walking, Cafe sitting and more Park walking.
Something tells me that he is going to sleep like a bebé tonight.
He sleeps like a bebé every night, now that I think of it.

My sister in law managed to find a perfect handbag, almost immediately upon entering the Feria. She obviously has very good Shopping Luck.
I didn't do badly with a small delicate and very cute leather wallet .. pale blue with floral print, looks like something from Liberty of London or that sort of thing.
Tonight, if everyone is awake, has the energy etc, we will go to a concert and have dinner after.
Right now, I am going to go study my new iPhone some more and perhaps, take a nap.

Chau for now ~

Friday, March 18, 2011

Perfect In-Laws

It has been a year since we have last seen them. Before that, about 5 years.
They look good.
Time seems to be stopping still for some people, they are not aging.
I look in the mirror some days and think, who hung that photo of that old lady on the mirror ?!
But not my husbands family , they have some gene that keeps them looking young .
They came bearing gifts.
Very nice things , some things everyone "at home" takes for granted but for us, they are treats , wonderful treats .
And then there was a surprise present.
I guess one of them feels sorry for his old aunt-in-law and thought a new fangled mobile phone would cheer her up, you know, at the thought of becoming even more ancient in 5 more days.

How do you like the way I snuck in that announcement of when I celebrate my birthday?

We met them at the hotel, sat out at a nearby cafe with birds singing, sun shining, breezes blowing and all around us, languages from all over the world.
Although English was prominent, there was German and Japanese and I think I heard French.
We had a dish that is local to Buenos Aires that I discovered when we arrived here and everyone seemed to like it.
Revuelto Gramajo. It is said that some General (Gramajo) made it up .. eggs, scrambled with matchstick thin potatoes and ham. All hot and vaguely spicy and delicious.
Very filling, which was good if that was all the soldiers had to eat .

It was fun sitting there and people watching, catching up , just chatting, the way one does with family.
The hotel rooms they have are so lovely that I have requested a weekend at the hotel for our anniversary . We did this when we lived in NY( when the children were young) .
We spent the weekend at the Plaza Hotel. . other birthdays or anniversaries , other hotels in and out of the city. I think I can try that here, there are more than enough interesting hotels to check out.

Then we had to dash Pup to the vet, who says his leg is looking better, come back in 10 days and he will have a needle biopsy. This is to be sure it is not something worse than an abscess. I will not think about it.

The same week, I have my surgery on my leg too. So Pup and I will sit on the sofa and make my husband wait on us, hand and foot/paw.
It will be fun.
I know, I have odd ideas of what is fun sometimes.

Now I must go.
There are packages to open, electronic gadgets to figure out and I noticed some scent that needs to be tested... not to forget .. Peanut Butter to taste and yes... I love my sister-in-law, she brought me a big jar of Hellman's Mayonnaise.

Told you I have perfect in-laws ~


Thursday, March 17, 2011

A Green Day



Sitting in the park with my husband and the pup, everywhere I looked, was green.
Of course, it is late summer, the trees are heavy with green foliage, the grass is healthy and thick and then there are the green parrots, all very busy building nests.
They fly by constantly, carrying lengths of twigs and branches 3 and 4 times longer than their bodies.
Squawking at each other constantly.
I can never tell if they are having a great time, having an argument or having a breakdown.
All the other birds are quiet and birdlike.
And to add to the greenness, I realized today is St Patricks Day.
And here is some more Green... and a Pup~


Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Remembered sorrow

We have been spending time in the parks, where Pup can roam or as is his latest habit, lay in a bed of fallen flowers and take a nap.
I am recovering from my cold and cough and while I feel fine, I think my husband and I are both drained by the sadness and worry for Japan.
Today I remembered, how I would walk, with my then young pup, to a park near our home and just sit and think of the sorrow and grief around us, after September , 2001.
Today I felt much the same. The same sense of loss and sorrow for the people whose lives were lost and those whose lives will never be the same.
The relatives will be here Friday morning.
We will be busy with them, enjoying the conversations and holding close those we love and have missed.
And I will remember those in Japan .

Silence is the eloquent expression of the inexpressible.
Shri Chimnoy

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

"She hides her beautiful face"


With a red winnowing fan
she hides her beautiful face
blushing cheeks and sublime smile
this geisha girl I adore.


Japan's beautiful face is scarred and seemingly ruined in many places but as we all know, Time has an amazing way of healing all wounds, mending the scars and easing the pain and memories.
My heart aches for the people in Japan, I can only hope that their pain and fear is relieved soon and that they can return to their loved ones , safe and well.


Poem: Peter Paton

a wish for Happy Days


We are all fine here. Pup has his leg bandaged and the vet has put him on super duper drugs to get the infection and keep him from getting an abscess.
My mission is to keep it covered, bandages, elastic bandages, tape , so he won't remove everything and lick it into a Bad Thing.
The weather has improved. We slept without A/C for the first time in months last night.
It was so quiet ! I had trouble going to sleep without that hum.
I have a cold , trying to keep the cough from turning into something else.
I spend my days inside reading about Japan and grieving for the people.
I try to get outside as much as possible so I won't sit inside, reading the news online or watching the horrible pictures on the news on the television.

Our relatives will be here Friday !
Happy days and lots of eating and laughing and talking are on the way.

I wish the same thing for Japan. A return to happy days .. My thoughts and prayers continue for the lovely people of Japan.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Monday .. Look at This Blog !


A Bloomsbury Life

If you can't find me these days, look here, I will probably be lost somewhere in the rooms with fireplaces.
Join me if you wish.
We can make our lists of what we Must Have together ..



Sunday, March 13, 2011

Haiku

From the early section of the love poems of the Kokinoshu.

In the autumn fields
mingled with the pampas grass
flowers are blooming
should my love too, spring forth
or shall we never meet?


my photo : Buenos Aires Japanese Gardens

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Prayers for Japan

We will be kind and gentle to every living thing

And protect all who are weaker than ourselves.

We will think pure and beautiful thoughts,

Say pure and beautiful words,

And do pure and beautiful deeds.


Buddhist prayer


my photo: Buenos Aires Japanese Gardens



Friday, March 11, 2011

Japan


All my thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Japan and their families all around the world.


phototravels .net

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Hello, it's me, Cranky

I woke up with a cold.
My husband gave it to me.
He could have given me a bracelet or a scarf or even a new Thing to hold my hair up but no, he gave me his cold.
So I am sitting here, sniffly, grumpy, cranky and headachy ... I could be the 8th Dwarf !
It is too hot out. Pup walks down to the park with us, he and I hugging the wall, where there is shade. We get to the park, I let him off his leash , he sits down and stares at us...Waiting until we take him back home to the air conditioning.
All the shutters are closed, the house is dim and shadowy. There is the dark shape of a pup lying across the doorway ... I gave up long ago, ever thinking I could sneak past him.

Tomorrow I go to the surgeon. I will see if this little spot on my leg will be quickly and easily removed without a Big Deal.
I want to get it over with and go shopping. Yes, I have my priorities.

The relatives will be here a week from tomorrow. We can't wait!
Pup hasn't been told yet. He will be happy/sad.
Happy to see them, sad because he will be home alone more.

Tonight I am not cooking, nor are we going out to pick up something. My husband will order something. Probably Chinese food.
Ensuring that I appear at the surgeons, swollen and puffy and looking my worst.
Not sure how that will affect things. Maybe I will just keep my sunglasses on the whole time.

Here is a nice photo of the neighborhood.



Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Just Discovered


Dan McCarthy

I just discovered him on Tumblr.com .. you have to take a look at his dreamy pictures !

We're having a heat wave ~

There is a "Red Alert" .. or Yellow, I forget .. the Bueno air is not so bueno .. Drivers are cranky behind the wheel.. someone honked because I was still in front of her car when the light changed .. No, I did not make any rude gestures although the face I made was still worthy of a NYer ..
If I were not hampered by my pathetic Español, I would have just said something to her .. some pithy remark about drivers in large SUVs with small brains. . you know, something to placate her .

We have all the shutters closed. Whichever room we are in, the air conditioning is on. My fear is that the power will fail. Pup is lying in here, napping on the cool floor. No big walks for him, not with that curly coat he is wearing. I have to get his hair cut ! He looks like a curly brown bear.

Here is a photo to make you smile. I have to talk to Pup about skateboards and scooters .. see what he has to say.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

The Three of Us

The End of Summer should be like this everywhere. Warm days, cooler nights and clear blue skies.. a light breeze to cool you off if you need it.
The past two days have been a holiday, the city is so quiet. There is no traffic in the mornings and not many people about.
The Feria is busy in the park, if you miss hearing English , that is the place to go.
There were acrobats, Tango dancers... we really liked them ! and some fun things/sights to look at.

We took a walk to Volta , then home with Banana Volta y Chocolate Suisse helado.
Dinner was called in, we are waiting for the delivery.

Pup seems better but will still worry his leg if he doesn't wear his tee shirt.
I think he is getting tired of the tee shirt, I know I am.
A trip to the vet later this week might be necessary.
My trip to the surgeon is Friday. Cannot wait to get that over with !
Pup and I can have matching band-aids !

These late days of summer are nice but odd in their own way.
We drift along, not in any particular direction, I wake with no plans and the day just takes us wherever .
Pup is the one constant in our lives. . Thank goodness for that !
I cannot bear to imagine any change there !
I can stand to travel far from home and all that is familiar, I can stand to not know what anyone else is saying, I can stand to miss lunch with girlfriends, dinner out with other couples but I cannot bear to consider Pup not being with us.

So we drift through our days, taking walks and taking care of each other.
When Fall arrives, my energy will too and there will be more walks in the night with the scent of firewood in the air, dinners at various neighborhood restaurants, visits with friends who will be back in town.
But for now, it is just my husband, the Pup and I ..


Monday, March 7, 2011

Summer, Winter and Chinese

It is so lush and green and flowers everywhere, that it is hard to imagine that winter comes here too.
There won't be snow and it is rarely freezing but it will be grey and cold and wintery.
On one hand, I look forward to the change in seasons, it has been summer since November and I could use a break from the constant heat and hiding from the sun. ( My dermatologist will be frowning at me this week) .. and I look forward to shopping for fall and winter clothes.
I am done with the summer look already !

Pup still has an issue with the Thing on his leg and a trip to the vet is in our future.

I have been ordering things online and they have been delivered to my sister in law and she will bring them to me next week. I am so excited, she has become Santa Claus !
She comes bearing bags full of goodies. I love her dearly and this is just so great for her to do this for me.

I have to start making lists for what we will all do while they are here.
Something more than sit in the park with Pup... Who will be devastated when he hears he is not invited to many of the outings.

I am looking forward to celebrating my birthday with them.
I rarely celebrate with anyone but my husband so this will be fun.

Tomorrow I think I must go to Chinatown.
I want to visit the store with all the cooking gadgets and the market that sells Black Bean sauce and Hoisin sauce and maybe.. lunch in one of the little restaurants.
A dish of Stir Fried Noodles with a bit of Won Ton soup sounds good.
I can overdose on MSG and be swollen for a few days.
It is fun and we are always impressed when we see the Chinese people working in the markets. They speak what sounds like flawless Castellano and then in the next breath they are speaking to each other in Mandarin or whatever dialect .. back and forth.. easily it seems.
I am having trouble remembering my English now, forget about remembering the right word in Castellano !
And then there are the times when I can't think of the word in Castellano but I know the word in French ... there is no telling what is going on in my poor brain.

I was thinking about going to get a manicure, then I read some horror stories about the various mistakes people made with their Spanish/English requests and also the cleanliness issues are questionable in some places.
So I think I might just file all my nails down to nubs and call it the New Fashion.

I made Homemade Mayonnaise tonight.
It was not so good. I did everything right and it magically turned into what looked like mayonnaise with my little electric whisk but it tasted like olive oil with lemon juice.
But really thick.
I don't know what the secret ingredient is in Hellmans but I want it.
Either that or just send me a big jar of Hellmans Mayonnaise and I will be your Best Friend Forever. . really.

(Upon thinking about this, better not. No jars of mayo in the mail please. I know there will be some issue with the man at the Post Office when I arrive to pick up my package, there always is.. I still haven't gotten the book that I ordered)

Let's hope tomorrow I have something interesting to write and that it is not in Chinese.






Sunday, March 6, 2011

A Late Summer Day

The tour buses were busy today. Perfect late summer weather.
The "Lilly" trees were heavy with flowers, dropping them on our heads .
The flowers litter the ground like fall leaves. With an occasional pup lying there too.
After some discussion, he agreed that he had had enough fresh air and was ready to go home and nap. All in all, a lovely day.

Sunday

This is me today.
I might be back tonight with something to say.
Until then, have a lovely Sunday ~

Friday, March 4, 2011

Paris with Parrots

Have you ever noticed when in another country, that they think of "odd" names for products and sometimes stores ? I bought this skirt. I love it.
It feels like air, it is a perfect summer skirt.
I bought it at this store.
Sorry about the out of focus part of the photo.. but even with a shaky photo, you get the point, no? Why ? what does it mean ? I like shopping there, it is convenient also, but when someone admires something I am wearing, it is difficult to tell them where I got it .. you know ?
I know I have told you that I live in Buenos Aires. If you were to look at some of the photos of the buildings in my neighborhood, you might wonder if I am being truthful.
OK, I live in Paris.
Not really.
Although it is often referred to as the Paris of South America. The Parks were designed by a man from France, the buildings are designed in the French style and often by French architects and the Avenues were copied from France, the big wide Avenues. Not bad.
Think of it as Paris with Parrots.

TGIF

When you don't work, every day is the weekend, but after a while, you can find yourself still drifting along in the same currents as the work day world. So today is Friday. Our housekeeper will come and take the place apart, drive Pup from room to room as she vacuums then leave us with many besos and smiles.
We try to get out of the house, away from the noise and mess. So Fridays are usually Movie days.
Today we will see a film with Robert DeNiro and Edward Norton.
Then we will browse the shops .. it would be a shame not to ! They are right there, looking so pretty.

When we get home, we grab Pup and take off to the Parks. Where we used to walk to a cafe and sit but with Pup and his bad leg and the continuing heat, we will stay around the parks. Good thing the parks here cover miles.
And there just happens to be a couple of good ice cream places nearby.

Tonight is Friday Night, Date Night !
Will you be going out with your Sweetheart?
I am working on that idea today .. I am not cooking. I would mess up the nice clean kitchen our housekeeper left ..

What are your plans ? Will they involve restaurants ? Friends ? A Special Someone ?
TGIF ~

Thursday, March 3, 2011

A Brown Dog in a Blue Shirt with One Wet Sleeve

Another last gasp day of Summer.. it was about 80º F and bright sunshine.
There are days that I enjoy this, there are days that I miss a good cool grey moody day.
But today was good.
We are tending to our patient who insists on trying to chew/lick his leg through the tee shirt, resulting in the sight of a Brown Dog in a Blue Shirt with One Wet Sleeve.
Picasso would be do wonders with this !The treat we had today was lunch with friends who are in town but getting ready to leave.
You know when you go on vacation, Time changes, it moves faster ... well, when friends visit , the same thing happens.
I think they just got here, but 6 weeks went by and now they are leaving.
Lunch was great, fun to chat, ( I am sure I monopolized the conversation as usual) and if that were not enough, a gift of books was made.
I have been sitting on the sofa, reading the book "Forwards", the covers, trying to decide which one I want to read first.
It is a tie right now between P.D. James and Tracy Chevalier .. oh what a treat it is to actually have a choice of books to read !

It is about 2 weeks until the relatives come to visit.
I am making a small list in my mind of things to do.
Next it will go on paper and there will be research done.
Concerts and Museums and Gardens are a definite.
We did not go to the Buenos Aires Botanical Gardens with them and if for no other reason, the cats that live there are worth the look. There just happens to be a couple of good restaurants nearby.
I would like to walk through Chinatown with them, having lunch at one of the restaurants.Chinatown is tiny, about 2 blocks.
There is a wonderful museum in the area , the Museo de Arte Español Enrique Larreta .. he was a Spanish writer, his home is full of paintings and books and wonderful furniture and breathtaking gardens.
And then it is just fun to walk around Belgrano, the tree lined streets, the cafes and nice shops and churches.
I have been going through lists of restaurants too.
I hope we walk a lot , I think I will need it .

And maybe we will go to the Hippodrome .. and see some horses..running..fast.
So many ideas, it will be a long list I think.

Now off to see the Brown Dog and discuss this Wet Sleeve business ..





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sunset in Buenos Aires

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