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.

Friday, December 31, 2010

New Years

New Years Eve ... 2010 ..
Where did time go ? How did it go so fast ? What did we do ? What did you do ? Where am I ??
This year, we marked the 3rd year of living here in Buenos Aires.
This year, Pup turned 11 years of age.
This year, we started speaking Spanish a tiny ( teeny weeny) bit better.
This year, we started talking about where we want to visit , what we would like to do in the coming year and what sort of travel and exploring we are feeling like doing.
This year I started a Blog. It will be a year old in February.
I discovered that I love blogging and I love other bloggers. I feel a part of a wonderful community of adventurous, artistic, smart, funny, caring and generous people who inspire me every day and entertain me constantly. . not to mention the recipes I get !
In the coming year there will be new plans made ... new adventures taken ... visitors welcomed and who knows what wonderful happenings are awaiting us !

January 1, 2011 ... it has a certain ring to it, doesn't it ? I like it. I think it will be an Excellent Year ...

Happy New Year !
For last year's words belong to last year's language. And next year's words await another voice.
And to make an end is to make a beginning ~ T.S. Eliot


Thursday, December 30, 2010

Not the Usual post ..


This photo is of a dog who survived living at the home of Michael Vick.
Who was arrested and spent 18 months in prison for running an illegal dogfighting operation.

And the President of the United States called and praised Vick for "making good on another chance" ..

We won't talk about how many dogs had no chance..
How the President of the United States is seen by many people who believe that he should be thinking about more important things ,than a man who ran an illegal business of dog fighting ..
Who was directly responsible for the deaths ( they say at least 50 dogs died ) .. but he can play the game of football well.. so the President of the United States will overlook Animal Cruelty and law breaking and praise him.
I am disgusted and disappointed...

I sincerely appreciate your heartfelt comments . I am closing this to further comments to avoid my post from turning into something that it was not meant to be.

This is Oogy. He lives in Great Britain. He was used in illegal dogfights. He lost half his jaw, an ear and was near death when rescued. He has undergone extensive surgeries in order to be able to eat and live. His story has a good end, he was adopted and lives with a family and is loved. They have written a book .. Oogy- by Larry Levin

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Waving to you from the Heat Wave

image fazaeli-fatemeh

Yesterday it was 97ºF .. today it is cooler .. but not much.
They say there are widespread power black-outs and fuel shortages. Some people report no water.
I am sitting in darkened rooms and worrying that we will get hit with a power shortage.
I am considering hiring a Rain Dancer .. or perhaps summoning a Cold Front . Then there are the possibilities of just Running Away but those are the hardest right now, so I am going back to the Rain Dancer/Cold Front options.

If you are cold and snowy where you live, consider visiting here. You will go home with a new respect for cool weather.
And you will have a tan.
Or at least a few new freckles on your nose.
and a new handbag.
or several.
and shoes.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Christmas in Buenos Aires


First of all, let me just say this and get it out of my system then we won't have to hear about it for at least , oh, an hour or so.
It is So Hot !!!!
How hot? Pup had to have cool wet towels to cool off after a walk to the park and back.
Hell is cooler, I am sure of it. But not as pretty , so I will choose Buenos Aires if some wise guy ( or a guy with horns or something) gives me a choice. But if I had other choices.. well.. Paris or NY sound good, snow or not. Actually , snow sounds like Heaven .. so if a guy with wings gives me a choice, I am going with him.

Now back to Christmas.
It was lovely. I have still not adjusted to Christmas in the Summer, not having a tree and not being bombarded with Christmas shopping commercials on the telly. Christmas is very low key in the stores, it might not seem so to the locals but to me, it is a refreshing aspect of living down here. You are not bombarded with Everything Christmas ( consumer-wise) from Thanksgiving until December 25th.

So the shops have a minimum of decorations, the music is more times than not Tango or something classical and everyone is more interested in getting out of town for the holidays and enjoying Summer Vacation ! Yay ! schools out, let's head to the Beach/Mountains/Country side.

So here we are , everything is quiet, there are less crowds, easy to grab a taxi, if only one wants to venture out into the heat, the city is there waiting for you.
I took a few photos on Christmas morning, our "child" was happy with his gifts,

And we were very happy with ours, I am always the lucky one, I married a Major Good Gift Giver.
Don't tell him I mentioned it, he is modest, but let me tell you, just between us ... the man is brilliant in his gift ideas and giving.
I used to be much better but find it difficult to shop here, where exchanges are difficult, money back is unheard of and sizing varies from piece to piece, you don't dare assume it will fit.
Lucky me, I wear the same size jewelry as always ..
Everyone was happy, we are still celebrating in our own way and although I feel like a vampire, only coming out at night, it is a very pleasant place to be during Christmas.



Monday, December 27, 2010

Monday - Look At This Blog !

I hope everyone is recovering from a well spent Christmas weekend. I hope Santa was good to you all.
I feel like I found a gift, hidden from me, found late last night, a Blog.
A lovely Blog full of beautiful photos and wonderful ideas and so much that I can't even describe it all now.

So this Monday, go look at Moon to Moon
and tell me what you think .. I bet you love it !


Saturday, December 25, 2010

Christmas Day


Merry Christmas.
It was 97º here today. On Christmas.
No one was out in the streets, there were no cars, everyone had already left town.
The birds were lying on the ground panting .. the dog begged us to let him stay inside with the A/C .. after he opened his presents and found that bone waiting for him, it was all we could do to keep him from carrying it with him when we walked him tonight.
That is one happy dog. Little bits of rawhide stuck in his ears, his nose has a white ring around it, he is panting from the non-stop 12 hours of chewing.. yeah, a happy Pup.

We were not so unhappy ourselves. We got to iChat with the kiddies, get emails from friends and family far and wide .. ( no,the family isn't wide but I guess the whole world is wide?) .. anyway- it was a good Christmas .

Next year I would prefer to spend it back in the US, even if it means being cold, snowed in etc.
At least that is Christmas-y.
And there are children around that will entertain their old parents who came from so far to see them .. ( this is that Hallmark card that plays in my head every holiday).

I hope your holidays have been good, trouble free ( there is no such thing but I still wish it for you) and that Santa was good to you.
I have a friend that says that she never relies on Santa for the Good Stuff so she goes shopping for herself and always has the best jewelry after Christmas ! ( a helpful tip if anyone needs it)
Luckily, I have a Santa who manages very well in the gift buying department.
I don't know how I got so lucky .

Wishing you a continued Safe and Happy Holiday- be careful, there are always idiots out on the road and the weather is expected to be unpleasant somewhere ..
Stay warm ! Send cold air South, please.
Thank you.

Friday, December 24, 2010

Seasons Greetings !


Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Years !

image Jan Brett

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Cool green shade

Ahhhh, shady trees.
Cool shade?
Looks cool doesn't it ? Nice and shady and cool and green.
Well, it isn't. It is hot. Scorching hot.
The birds are lying on the ground panting .. not really.
I was lying on the ground panting ! .... not really.
Pup just looked at me in dismay and said, OK, let's go home now, it is too hot.
So he is now lying on the floor with the A/C blasting and he is content and so am I.
We will be out sometime in March maybe.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Remedy for the Cold

Remedy for the Cold (that Pearl lives in) ...

Come to Buenos Aires.
Pup will show you how to lie on your belly under the A/C
Copious amounts of water must be drunk then remember to belch then take a nap.
In this order , if you please. ( contributed by Pup )
When going outside, take at least half an hour to slather on the sunblock, then wait an hour for the mess to soak in and only ruin half of your clothes.
Wear sandals, no socks, wash feet at least 10 times a day.
Cars are fine as long as
1- they have a/c,
2- they don't sit in traffic and overheat
3-the driver prefers the windows open, radio full blast...( actually - this was one of my favorite taxi rides.
The taxi driver, Linda Ronstadt and I, singing Canciones de mi Padre .. one of my better moments.- in Argentina, singing Mexican music )



I am sitting in a dark room, sleeping pup by my side, A/C blasting on us .. it is only 7 pm.
It won't be dark for hours !! ack !
But the moon is fabulous this week !!

A Hot Christmas



I haven't much to say. I am fed up with the heat. I don't want to whine anymore.
Well, I do but I am trying to spare you.
Be thankful.

Last night we heard something noisy outside. Noisy other than the typical street noise with the occasional dog barking /people yelling noise.
It sounded like whistles, people calling, not too loud, just different for a night noise.
We were astounded to see great masses of people .. on bicycles. Filling the streets. The cars had to stay behind them, they filled a city block. It was quite fun to see.

What a good idea, reclaiming the streets ...


Later we will talk about Christmas shopping where it is hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk.
I know why people say that now ... when walking the dog this afternoon, there were broken eggs on the walk .. they had cooked.
The birds were mostly quiet, although the parrots were swooping over our heads and being cranky as usual. Today I felt as cranky as a parrot.
The shopping in some stores was very comfortable, if only one doesn't have to take a hot walk home.
Taking a taxi doesn't matter, many don't run the a/c or they do but keep the window open .. go figure.
It all adds up to it is too hot to go out. Ever. How long til Autumn?

Next Christmas, I am going somewhere cool. Feel free to tell me how cool it is where you are spending Christmas.
It might help.
It probably will help.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Summer/Christmas Time

I want to send up Thanks to Willis Haviland Carrier.
After graduating from University in NY, he went home and invented the Air Conditioner !!
Let us all give thanks to Mr Carrier.
* with an honorable mention to Mr Ding Haune in the Ming Dynasty who invented the fan.*

I know, I know, you are freezing cold and there is probably snow .
I envy you.
So does Pup.

We are huddled in our darkened room, with the air conditioners going full blast throughout the apartment.
Pup goes from the bedroom, to the hall, (cool floors, no rugs), back to the room with the a/c.
Keeps him busy.

I want to walk him in the park, I want to get outside, I want to keep my husband company, I want to be out in the World ... but it is sooooo hot ... ( yes, that was me, whining .. get used to it, it is going to be a long summer).

We went our separate ways this morning, he to shop for me, me to shop for him. I thought I would bring the Pup along for company ( for both of us) and no one messes with me when I am walking him .. except sweet old ladies who baby talk him into a coma.
I didn't think of the extreme heat effects on a hairy dog at noon.
I quickly saw that it was the best idea to bring him home and let him spend the time cooler and more comfortable, even if he thought he was being abandoned. ( or that might be just his act to make me feel sorry for him ... he is very good at it, by the way)

Here we are ... turning into Vampire- like beings, who wait for the sun to go down so we can leave the house.
The dark brings cool air and soft breezes and everyone is out, taking a walk , the cafes fill up with babies as well as adults, having dinner, having ice cream, just "hanging out " ..

So this is Summer / Christmas time in Buenos Aires.
Take Me Home

4 More Days Til Christmas


I will be back later. Taking care of a little Business.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Sunday in the Park with Pup




It was not a bad day today, the second day of celebrations. We were lazy all morning, some of us being lazier than others. Then we decided on a quiet day, a walk in the park, lunch in a cafe, tonight will be fireworks, watched from our rooftop. Which will be a fitting end to the weekend celebrations.
The Museum Park, next to the Belle Artes Museum, has a new sculpture installation. I am so glad ! The last looked like either a rusty car junkyard or a Transformers movie set, with rusty metal things coming out of the ground. These sort of make more sense and have a bit of a sense of humor to them. It was, as you can see, a beautiful day.


Someone thought it would be a good day to go fishing. I agree, the weather was good But .... that is a reservoir, I don't believe there are any fish in that water. But it was a nice day to pretend to be fishing.. and dress the part.
On to the restaurant for our celebratory lunch and drinks. Calamari and Bloody Mary and Malbec. Pup was given fresh water and lots of pets from the very nice waiter.
No, really, you would not like Calamari.
Ahhh, some nice cool water and some shade and we feel fine .
Somewhere, he read about Truffle Hounds and has been practicing ever since.
We walked around the neighborhood, trying to decide which house we like best.
I love these windows

These doors aren't bad and look at that glass at the top ! When you go through the doors, there is a large courtyard that leads to the back garden and to the right you can go into the house .. amazing.
This was an old run down house, now it is a new fixed up home .. I love the faces !
All you could hear today was birds singing.
I would go out on the little balcony on top every evening and pretend I was Juliet.
Mimosas are blooming everywhere.
Tonight the city of Buenos Aires will be lit up with fireworks starting at 10 pm. They will be shot off of some of the high buildings and malls , around town, making what I can imagine will be a ring of fireworks around the city. It promises to be quite wonderful, the weather is perfect for it. Instead of being in a crowd of people in a park, we are going up on our roof to watch, while poor Pup will hide in the bedroom waiting for noise to stop.

Bistros , Taxis and Music


The music we listened to last night, among other things, while having an excellent dinner at a tiny French restaurant on a nice quiet street in Buenos Aires.
Where the owner greets you at the door as if you were long lost relatives , kisses for all. The ladies who wait on the tables and bring you whatever you wish for, are all sweet and friendly and seem to only care that you are happy. .. ( and well fed).
We celebrated our anniversary here and we celebrated last night, the first of at least two celebrations for someone special.
Dave Brubeck playing Take Five and Ray Charles singing Hit the Road Jack ... interesting mix, no?

The food was excellent, Seafood Souffle, Pasta with Mushrooms and Chicken in a Cream Sauce and the wine was a lovely Malbec. Dessert was Tarte Tatin... but who had room for dessert ?
Now let me tell you about the Taxi driver..
We were running late as usual, and the taxi came around the corner, I stepped into the street and stuck out my arm, he stopped. He gave us a nice hello then took off. As we were driving along, he waved to a man on the street, telling us that the man owned the nightclub on the corner. Then he told us that ( this is what we Think he said) he knew us because we walk with the Grande Perro ( big dog) .. yes! we said... so he is either a neighbor or he sees us often.
While we sat at a light, he wrote his name and mobile number on a piece of paper.
We now have our own personal Taxi ... I am so happy.
The evening was excellent, we were full, muy contento and ready for bed.
Sunday ! more celebrating. One celebration is never enough in my Book.
Chau !

Saturday, December 18, 2010

In the Blink of an Eye

I remember them all ... Christmases with my children.
Hiding presents, hanging stockings, staying up late Christmas Eve putting toys together under the tree, putting out the cookie and drink that Santa would enjoy and my little ones would sort of, kind of believe that there really was a Santa !
The whispering and anticipating and hiding of gifts.

The anticipation of Christmas morning and trying to get everyone to stay in bed, "just a little longer " .
The last days before the Big Day, running a million errands, wrapping gifts after little ones have gone to bed, hiding things in my closet ... I don't know when they finally caught on to that hiding place.
They were better than bloodhounds for sniffing out where the presents were hidden !
I would go into a frenzy of baking and cooking , shopping and wrapping, eating and drinking.
Sitting in the living room at night with only the tree lights on, watching sleepy eyed little ones fighting sleep, it was so magical, can't miss anything .

Then the children grew up.
The presents changed, they were easier to hide . . although sometimes not as much fun to buy.
Who doesn't love standing in line at a toy store where they have had to limit how many people come in ?
Suddenly it was about clothes, records, posters, books and jewelry ! Wait a minute, where are my little ones, sneaking down to see the tree?

The cat liked Christmas. He liked chewing on the tinsel.
When I found it in his litter box, I rejected the idea that he was merely decorating and stopped putting tinsel on the tree.
That did not stop him from a small attempt at climbing ..

Pup liked the trees but didn't really care one way or another.
He respected the presents under them though .. all except one that had a jingle noise that drove him crazy.
We had a dog when the children were small. He was totally housebroken, gentle with the children,a nice dog.
Some "friends" were coming over to visit, bringing their two small brats ...err... children and we bought and wrapped two presents and put them under the tree.
Later in the afternoon, we came into the living room and the dog, skulked out, looking guilty .. what in the world? nothing is damaged, the tree is still standing, wait, what is that ?
The presents for the two visiting children are wet ! they are in a puddle !
Bad dog!

Right before Christmas Day I would usually have a melt down .. I can't get everything done !
I have to buy a gifts for the employees! The children are having half days, I am not going to be able to manage .
And then I did.

Every Christmas came along and happened and everyone was happy and I have photos to prove it !
None of them show me, half lying on the sofa, circles under my eyes, hair standing on end, listening for the chime of the oven timer to tell me the Turkey needs basting.
Only the children, smiling, busy with their new gifts, trying on new clothes, listening to new music, my husband looking at his new gifts.
I miss every minute of it.
I miss those babies, I miss those houses and I miss it being Cold at Christmas !
It was not long ago that I was complaining about how cold it was and I still had to find stocking stuffers, now it is hot and there are no stockings to stuff.

Enjoy your holidays ( I know you will) ... they go by in the Blink of an Eye.

Friday, December 17, 2010

Think Cool Thoughts

Where am I ?? Why am I not in this photo ??
Where is Pup ?? He isn't there either ?
Ppppfffffftttt ! It is 89º and we are behaving as if we are , perhaps, vampires? We walk along the buildings, under the balconies, hugging the sides of the buildings to stay in the shade.
We dash across the street, as if we have just been pushed out into the Sahara, hurrying to the other side, into the shade. Walking various routes instead of the most direct, that one is in too much sun !
Thank goodness for the street with all the shade trees.
Taking Pup to the park, we see a homeless man holding a tiny baby bird that has apparently fallen out of a tree. My husband tells me he was holding the bird this morning. While we were there, he put the bird in the tree, when we were leaving, I saw a mother bird, in the branches. I am hoping it was a joyous mother - birdie reunion.
There is no possibility of dinner being Cooked. We bought cherries, tomatoes, avocados and tonights dinner will be a super duper salad.
Tomorrow we are going out. A Celebration .. should be fun.
I am now counting the days until Fall. That's it for me... nice, Summer, now let's cool off .






Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Summer is here...

Today we were going Christmas shopping. It is hot out, like close to 90 and blazing sunshine . So we got a few blocks from home and I was wilting. I didn't want to look in windows and I didn't want to walk out in the heat. So the Alvear Hotel was right there ! What better than to stop and have a drink... something to cheer a person up, cool a person down.
We sat in a corner on a sofa with pillows and faced the bar and the room, where a family took up two tables , having lunch, laughing and drinking and enjoying themselves. They spoke Spanish so my imagination was working ... residents who just decided to all get together and have lunch at the Alvear ? Tourists ? There were ladies with very low cut dresses and very high heels having lunch, talking on their mobile phones..Then of course, the waiter came over to us and asked us what we wanted, in English.
I ceased to be La Señora and became, Madame. But but ... I live here ..... So we had a Bloody Mary ( my tonsils are still burning) and my husband had a glass of a very good Malbec. ( "Muy bien," said the waiter..)
After drinks, I took a better look at the tree in the lobby... what an amazing sight , how beautiful and wonderful. A Make A Wish Foundation Tree, all white branches and tiny white lights, it was at least 20 feet high and huge ... so very beautiful and so very worthy a cause.
The Lobby Bar .. beware of the tendency to over Tabasco your Bloody Mary !

The Alvear Hotel Lobby.
We came home and took Pup to the park, which did not last very long. Sitting in the shade was not that cool, there were bugs biting and even Pup kept looking like he was ready for air-conditioning. He missed seeing the mounted police as they rode through the parks. So we came home, loaded down with fresh sweet cherries and scones from the bakery. Summer is here.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Bariloche


This is Bariloche.
I think we should pack up Pup and go there. It is a plane ride or about 23 hours, I think , by car.
I might not want to come home.

image.. RFerrier

Monday, December 13, 2010

Monday - Look At This Blog !


an illustrated life

I discovered David's blog not too long ago and I am enjoying it so much. I enjoy all the blogs on my list so much. My husband always knows where to find me now, here, reading all my favorite blogs.

Last night, reading the latest blog from an illustrated life , I read that there is a method of leaving glasses of wine strategically placed about the house to keep up one's Christmas cheer and that he wants to adopt a rescue pup for Christmas. And name it Pixie Marie.
I am now in love David and an illustrated life.

Go look, see how fast you fall in love, let me know ..

Happy Monday ! 12 more days til Christmas !!

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Wonderful


Life is Wonderful..
The holidays can make things tough for some people, some are homesick , some miss family far away .. Remembering that you are well and that everyone you love is well can help.
But wherever you are, whatever you are doing, sometimes the best way to remind yourself of how wonderful life can be, is to take a walk. Down a country road, down a city sidewalk, through a meadow, through the woods, along a beach, through the neighborhood.
At this time of year, the signs of the season are there to be enjoyed , which can cheer a person up. ( hopefully) .. I mean really, it you don't get a kick out of the house on the block that is totally , completely covered in colored lights, with reindeer, sleds and inflated Santas on the lawn, then I am gonna call you Scrooge.
OK, I will agree with you too, there is such a thing as Too Many Decorations. Ask Clark Griswald.
Today we took a walk.
One of us is still not feeling 100 % well and the other is fighting off the germs from , well , me.
Pup feels good though.. as you will see. He met a new friend today in the park.
A Pup look-alike!

We saw a side to Pup that has not been shown lately , bouncing , butt in the air, Playful Pup .. no sign of being Old and Tired Pup.
It was worth going out in the chilly wind to see that.
The Ferias are in full swing.. Shoppers are crowding the parks, entertainment is everywhere, from drummers to singers to jugglers and more.
We walked across the park to the bridge that takes you to the Law School .. a Most Impressive Building !
The gardens in the park on the way .. Christmas and flowers are blooming everywhere.
But at home there are more signs of the Season, more Christmas Cheer.


Remember .......Life is Wonderful ~

Saturday, December 11, 2010

The Christmas Tree


So we put up the Christmas tree last night , did all the lights and we think it looks pretty good. The wreaths are hung also but we were having a thunder storm when I was taking photos and for some reason, nothing was in focus . But this will give you an idea of the decorating going on in our house for another Christmas in Buenos Aires.
It was very warm and humid, Pup was not that interested in doing anything at the park but sitting in the grass, looking at us.
We had a laugh when we arrived at the park. Pup was walking under a tree and a bird flew down, dive bombed Pup, hitting him in the back with her legs/feet. Pup jumped.
The bird flew into the tree, Pup went back to sniffing and bam, she hit him again.
I walked over and thought I would see if she would try it with a human there when my husband said, she is protecting her baby. And there it was, a little bit of feathers, big beak, tiny bird, at the base of the tree. So we all moved back, Pup reluctantly, he reeeally wanted to sniff that little Thing. And mama continued her watch over her baby.
They are filming a ... commercial, movie or as the man at the bakery says, Propoganda, down at the end of our block. So on one side are all the film trucks, equipment, make up and wardrobe trucks, "honey wagon " ( food) and they had to spoil our fun and 1- block off where we always walk, 2- not let us close enough to see if there was a recognizable movie star. Recognizable to us would be maybe one actor ..
We meandered home and the storm hit. Later, we will walk over to the nearest ice cream shop for dessert.. quite an exciting day... I hope you can sleep after reading this.
Speaking of sleep .. I am letting " sleeping dogs lie"

Friday, December 10, 2010

Friday Trivia ( you may call it babble)

It has been raining all day. The sun might try to make a come-back. It will probably be a steamy come-back.
If it has to be hot, in my opinion, it should be dry heat. Arizona dry.
I actually enjoyed the year that Argentina had a drought.
Of course it was entirely self-centered and I do appreciate the problems it caused the farmers and ranchers and I regret the loss of all the cattle and horses who died ... but it was a dry summer and then there were fires which made things even worse for the farmers and ranchers and it was hard to breathe in the city, but there were no mosquitoes.
See, I can find the positive in a bad situation !

Pup is bored. He goes from room to room, lays down, sighs, lies quietly then gets up and goes somewhere else.
If I get up, he is up and at my side immediately. I hate to move now, I will sit here for a while and let him get some rest.
The housekeeper has gone.
We can all relax.

Housekeeper day- no cooking.. not in that shiny clean kitchen !
Tonight's choices are Chinese, Indian, Italian or Pizza.
Which would you choose?

I have been trying to make things look Christmas-y .. 2 wreaths hanging inside, candles here and there ( although there are always candles here and there) and some tree ornaments hanging off of chandeliers and door knobs.
I want to buy some peonies and roses, ( I saw them on my friend Amy's blog (God I love Paris) and they charmed me and made me determined to have them here too .. in the Paris of South America..

I would also like to put some potted plants around and maybe get some more shiny objects to hang on the chandeliers.. in case someone ( like myself) has the attention span of a bird and shiny things catch their eye.

I am blaming all of my loss of attention span and memory on the fact that I read online , so much that I forget everything I have just read, or worse, remember it but not where I heard/read it .. making me one of those people who just babbles half baked theories and facts ..
I need help.
There are no Christmas cards here. Hallmark does not live in Buenos Aires.
I have to make my own, send cards in Spanish that are not exactly Christmas cards .. or send e-cards.
I know everyone understands but I hate sending e-Christmas cards. It is so impersonal.
I used to have such long lists of cards to send.
I bought only Christmas stamps, I made sure that I got the International cards out early enough .. wrote with the special pen, sitting with my Christmas music playing, cup of tea nearby, cat/pup sleeping nearby.. now I sit at the computer, typing out email addresses.
I do have a small porcelain Santa on the desk though !

I bought these beautiful blouses at the store over a week ago. I now have this urge to "save" them for something special.
Therefore every time we are going for a walk, I spend too much time trying to find Something to Wear.
Although I would look a bit pathetic walking the dog in the park with my beautiful float-y silky "hippie" blouse .. the lady that sleeps on the bench might appreciate it .
I noticed that she has colored her hair.
She has no home, she sleeps on a bench and carries a large bag full of Things and she has managed to get her white/grey hair semi-dyed orange. I wondered briefly if some bad person thought it funny to put something in her hair, but no, it is growing out now, white roots, grey roots, orange streaks.
I found out the hard way (twice) that she does not appreciate gifts of food or drink. So I just smile at her now.

I have no idea what we are doing this weekend. I imagine we will be in a park a few times, walking a few miles and no doubt eating and drinking .. Pup will be included in at least some of it .. Maybe a feria .. buy something from one of the artisans. There are several to choose from, ferias, not artisans, although there are many of them ! There is my neighborhood, then Palermo and then San Telmo. There is no excuse for not buying presents in this city .. remember that, if you are ever here. You have to buy presents. For everyone and yourself.

Now to go buy Flowers.. TGIF !!

A Little Music from Pup

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Oh, Christmas Tree


When I was a little girl, we lived in North Carolina. My dad and his brother in law, would go out into the woods and bring home a Christmas tree.
When I grew up and married, my husband and I would go to the Christmas tree lot on the corner and the two of us would wrestle the tree home.
As the years went by, the family grew bigger, the homes grew bigger and so did the Christmas trees.
Every year my husband would say, this year the tree is going to be much smaller. I would agree.
We would bring home a tree that was a just little bit larger than last years. Although we never got one quite as large as the tree a few blocks from home.

I miss that tree. There is nothing like walking down Fifth Avenue in New York City at Christmas time and looking at the store window displays, looking at that tree, watching the ice skaters and then going somewhere for hot chocolate. Or a drink. Whatever warms you best.

Our first Christmas together, it was just the two of us and my little cat. She liked the tree and the ornaments and enjoyed living dangerously by hanging outside of the window ( 6th floor) trying to catch a pigeon. ( not to worry-she lived to be 15)..
Now here we are .. Buenos Aires, Argentina. Land of fake Christmas trees. It is too hot, they would have died and lost all their needles by the time they were shipped here. So there are plenty of artificial trees to choose from and I cannot like any of them. I have considered getting an all white artificial tree, at least it is "honestly" fake, not fooling anyone, here I am , a White Tree..

But I cannot find anything here that looks as good as the White trees in the magazines, I am losing my focus. I am starting to think that what we have already is good enough .. Eucalyptus wreaths, a small brass filigree tree with crystals hanging from the tips of the branches and lots of gold stars with beads on them that used to go on a tree and now hang from chandeliers and doorknobs , and lots of candles.
So I think once again, there will be No Tree for Me... but we will make up for it with Christmas Cheer .
And maybe just a little Champagne and Chocolate .. and a new bone for the Pup.
We won't even notice that the tree is very small and none of the needles will fall off.
Living in Argentina

Living in Argentina

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