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.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Let's play ~


We had one of those crisp cold winter days that I love here.
Sure, I whine a lot about the cold but the blue skies and crisp fresh air are wonderful.
The parks are humming with activity, flowers are being planted, buildings are getting a new coat of paint and pups are invigorated and happy to invite anyone that is interested to come and play.
I am annoyed about the bathroom heater breaking. But I did my best not to think about it... I thought about buying a new coat instead.
Pup just thought about playing.
He has the right idea.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Pups, Radiators , Coat Karma and My Bag !

Nothing special about today other than the Pup is increasingly better, getting back to his old self, making me laugh all the time. I will hold on to this and not think about tomorrow.

It is cold.
So the radiator in the bathroom broke.
We had a bit of a hard time finding someone from the company to talk to about this 3 year old la dee da gadget that just quit working, on perhaps the coldest day so far.
Not to mention having to talk to them in Spanish. My husband managed.. he is brilliant.
Hopefully, heat will be back in a week .. if not, I will buy the most basic heater for the bathroom and never buy something imported and supposedly "better" again.
grumble grumble.

I am going to buy a down coat.
Then it will warm up again.
This is my Coat Karma.
I like to buy coats.
Back in the US as well as in Paris, I bought some pretty nice coats and jackets.
I want something new.
I thought a nice down coat would work well. Slim cut, black and light as a feather, warm as toast. So I found one.
Now I have to go through my Should I or Should I Not discussion with Myself .
So far, the Yes votes are outweighting the You Don't Need Another Coat votes.

Pup had his check up, things are progressing beautifully.
He got a "cigar" for being such a good boy, he carried it in his mouth all the way home, ( see photo above) where it disappeared as soon as we got inside.
I swear he swallowed it whole.

Hopefully tomorrow will be a bit warmer and we can get out and do something Fun.

Did I tell you that Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas has the bag that I got for Christmas ?
I guess she really liked it when she saw me with it.


She's gotta lot of nerve !

Monday, June 27, 2011

Monday .. Look at This Blog !


Dill and Parsley

If anyone has looked for me in the past few days, thinking it was awfully quiet and where is that woman now ??
I have been lost in these wonderful photos on this lovely blog that I have just discovered.
And to make matters more lovely, she was in Buenos Aires and she took lots of photos.
Go, Look, See what I mean.
Lovely, just lovely...

Smile



Basically, I am a happy person.
I don't walk around grinning like an idiot but I have a smile handy when needed.
You could say that I have a ready smile.
If I see a baby, I smile.
If I see the very old woman with the out-of-it's-mind-puppy on a leash, I smile, I smile at the produce boys, I smile at the lady in the bakery, I smile at people who smile at me and especially those who smile at Pup.
I smile at the car that actually stops and let's us cross the street and sometimes I smile at the Porters who all say Buen dia and smile at me.

So I think I have the Smile thing covered.
How about you ?

Saturday, June 25, 2011

The Doors


Did you ever daydream about just walking into a building or a house because you just like it ? Or because the door is so grand or beautiful or inviting ?
There is something mysterious or compelling about the place and you would just like to wander around for a while, maybe sit and contemplate the surroundings ?
I do. Often.
I live in a town where the doors are works of art.
There are walls around the homes and sometimes all you can see is the beautiful gate and the roof showing beyond the high walls.
There are buildings with doors that are so grand and so ornate, the rooms inside must be wonderful !
I wish they did Home Tours here. I would go on every one of them !
Funny, when we were house hunting, none of the homes we looked at had any interest at all to me, except this one, the one we bought.
And wouldn't you know, we have a very ornate , beautiful door to our building.
Did Confucius ever say anything about doors ? I bet he did.,
Or Buddha, bet he had something to say about doors.

The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live.

Friday, June 24, 2011

TGIF

You know, I have to admit, Friday is the same as Saturday and Tuesday at my house.
We have no "work week" to get through, we just do whatever it is we need or want to do , whenever we want to do it.
This is lovely.
This can also be tiresome.
Once in a while, I remember fondly the excitement of Fridays. The anticipation of the weekends.
Now, the weekends can be a bit annoying, all those people are everywhere !
The parks are full, the shops are full and the traffic on Friday is enough to make a sane person go funny .. believe me, this is something I know about .. going funny.
They love to honk their horns here. Give them a nice traffic jam and listen to them happily honk their horns.. over and over .. add the occasional siren from an ambulance trapped in the traffic and you have the Friday Night Cacophony in BA.
Sundays are lovely, everyone walks around, lunches with the family, cafes and restaurants are packed at lunch time.
Saturday nights are the same here as everywhere in the world, Saturday Night-Date Night.
We rarely go out on weekend nights, even when we worked, it was so much nicer on week nights.
Pup is in great shape.. crossing my fingers and spinning around a few times, I hope it lasts.
The rain finally ended.
Wow, it was a lot of rain and huge thunder and lightening storms each evening and this isn't really the time of year for that .. now it seems to be gone and it is cold and crisp and the skies are back to that wonderful Buenos Aires Blue that I love.

On the agenda this weekend ? A visit to the vet tomorrow .. before and after that ?
We have to go to the bakery and refurbish our supply of scones and croissants ..maybe get some veggies..


Some ideas are :
see a horse race ?
go to Chinatown and eat lots of MSG laden food and shop?
Rent a couple of bikes and see if we live to tell the tale?
TGIF and Have a Good Safe Weekend.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Brrrr ... a whine

It is cold out. Brrrr.
Cold like winter up in the Northern Hemisphere.
Where it could snow if it were a little bit colder and a little bit wetter. Or so it seems.
It snowed our first July here. On the 9th, a huge holiday .. everyone was out in the park and off from work and it was such fun watching how they all enjoyed seeing snow falling. Even a tiny bit of snow ..
My blood has thickened. I am becoming Argentine.
I go out in 50 degree weather in my warmest coat, with scarf and gloves and boots and socks and manage to keep up a constant whine about how cold I am .. I know, pathetic.
Pup bounces along like someone stuck springs in his feet. He has his own fur coat, apparently it is warmer than mine.. which is that puffy stuff .
We wanted to run a few errands.
We walked out the door, went to the corner and I said I was freezing.
We walked half a block to the cafe and had coffee and apple crumble.
Then we continued the walk. I think half a block from the cafe, I was freezing again. But no more coffee.. whine.
We picked up some fresh Salmon and dried papaya and mango .. have you ever had dried mango ? papaya ?
If possible, try it, you will be in the same situation I am in ... addicted.
We took Pup out for a walk after we got back , it was no warmer and I think he was not even that thrilled to be out, so here we are, snug as bugs in our warm apartment and I feel like I might not go out again until Spring.
Well, maybe to a mall.
Of course, if someone wants to take me out to dinner , then I will consider it ..
Pup gets to have his walks though .. but I don't promise not to whine !

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Home


Our elevator broke.
It decided it had had enough.
No more of this Up and Down and Up and , well, you know, all day and often late at night.
So it just quit.
Never mind it is over 100 years old and probably should have retired years ago. It is beautiful, an iron cage with mirrors and an antique light and doors that you have to pull open and shut.
As you go up through the funnel that the winding stairs make around it, you can look out and see the floors and doors as you go up .. or down.
No one can surprise you in this elevator, no one can hide, it is , overall, a lovely elevator.
Except it has been very tempermental lately. And as we all know, tempermental elevators can be tiresome. Especially if you are a certain Pup who needs his walks and has a particular problem lately with a little weakness in that hind leg .. not to mention having a bit of a heart problem.
His mom considered rigging up some sort of sling that he could be carried up and down if the need arose, that idea hit the dust before it even got to be voiced. He managed well enough yesterday , last night the Porter walked up with us and helped him at the last step when he tired out .. so we were all happy to take the First Ride in the newly cabled elevator today.
When I thought about it afterwards, the first thought that came to mind was What ?? Are you Crazy ????
But I guess, throwing caution to the wind is the new me .. hey, the elevator looks good and it is better than walking, let's see if it works !
Pup was thrilled. He came in, mooched around the house until he found his new bone and is now napping with it. Nothing like a nap after a walk in the windy, cold, park ..
We took a walk, looking for various things ... a warmer coat for me being one of them.
No luck again today. The coats are all too puffy Michelin man style.
But I did manage to take some photos of the fruit market .
And the artichokes are in season ,
Passing the wonderful old buildings on the way home, I actually did feel that I am at the bottom of the world, far far from the things that used to mean Home.


But I still have what really means Home with me ...

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Kindness

This post is dedicated to the Kind , Caring, Young Woman who walks dogs , along with the many other dog walkers in the city.
I met her today at the vets office.
We were leaving, she was standing at the desk , with this very small, blonde haired pup, lying on the floor, shivering.
It was so pitiful, so heartbreaking, I admit to being very glad I was wearing my sunglasses, everyone didn't have to witness me weeping .. lately with Pup and his health, I have been known to weep at the drop of a hat, so this was enough to have me in tears ... still.
The dog walker girl, found this dog, in the street.
She told me that it would not have lived long for various reasons, first off, because the little dog had no clue about cars and traffic.
She is also sick.
The vet checked her, gave the dog walker medicines, a bag of dog food and then, went and found a little pullover on the racks for the spoiled little dogs that are dressed like little people before they go out ..
This time it made sense, the little dog was wearing a little beige fleece "sweater" when we left.
Now I don't know how much the vet charged her, if anything, but the big heartedness of the people we meet here everyday was personified in this young woman who walks dogs for a living.. but rescued this little scrap of dog, brought her to a vet, got her checked and took her home to nurse her and take care of her.
I walk down the street with Pup and people stop us all the time, asking what happened to his leg ? why the bandage ?
And then there are some, like today, a distinguished gentleman, walking down the street, seeing Pup and never looking at us but only at Pup, made that face that grandmothers make when they call the baby their little darling. The ladies here are not quite as understated as the gentleman was, they will throw up their hands, say What happened ! Pobrecito ! and if they don't kiss him, they act like they are going to ...
This dog is so used to being kissed, he expects it and starts to look puzzled if someone neglects to give him a hug and a kiss ..
There is a lady here who buys meat and dog food and goes around the parks, leaving food for the strays. There is a group of ladies who live in the area around the Recoleta Cemetery who take care of the cats. Feeding them, taking them to a vet if needed.
The doorman in one building makes sure that there is an old scrap of rug near the door, for the old homeless dog that sleeps there at night.
I am touched and charmed by the people here all the time, but when it comes to the way they are with animals, I have no words for how kind and gentle these people are.

Feliz Cumpleanos, Pup !


Happy Birthday to my Pup .. who is 12 years old today !!
If this came with Surround Sound, you would hear me singing .. So far I have sung to him twice today.. he likes it every time.

Monday, June 20, 2011

Monday .. Look at This Blog !


Visual Vamp

I love Valerie Hart. I love her blogs. I enjoy your obvious love of color, music and she likes Tango !
Take a look at her blog if you have not already, and then tell me how much you love her too.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Bike Lanes ?



This was so well done and so funny ! And it showed just how *&^%ed up some people ( who make up rules for other people to live by) can be ...
So wherever you are, Riding your Bike is Good.
Riding your Bike in a Bike Lane is Good.
Everyone else, Stay Out Of The Bike Lane.

Buenos Aires ( Mayor Macri) has been working for months on the streets and sidewalks in my part of town ( not sure where else) and making the sidewalks better and wider , to accomodate walkers, bikers and runners.
I am still not sure which lane to get in since I have noticed that the bike riders here ignore some of lanes and just fly by in whichever lane they like .. but this is Buenos Aires.. the cars do the same thing.
There is no such thing as Keeping within the Lanes on the street, why should there by for walkers and bikers and runners ?

I do know that Pup and my husband and I tend to stay on the walks in the parks and the grass, if possible, we are less likely to get run over by a biker, runner or skater.
So far, crossing the street is still a dice game.

I hope you enjoyed the video. Stay safe, wherever you are. ..

Friday, June 17, 2011

Pup's new friend


There is always something interesting awaiting Pup at the vet's office. This is one.
They were both interested in each other, although Pup was lured away by doggie cookies.
He's easy.

We seem to be going through a rain/stormy time in Buenos Aires , weather-wise.
The days are damp and gloomy but not too cold.
Tonight the skies lit up with lightening for a long time before the storm finally hit.
It hit just in time for the poor delivery man to make it to our door.
The food was hot and tasty, the delivery person was drenched and I am sure, miserable.
I should have shared some of the dinner with him, it was so hot, he would have gone back to work , with steam coming off of him.
Tandoor, Chicken Tikka Masala ... have it .... if you dare.

Pup and I whiled away the time waiting for dinner with a petting and grooming session.
He got all the grooming, I did mine this morning.
He got all the petting too, although I admit that he did give me lots of kisses and did his sweet little head butt when I asked him if he loved me.
I know, dotty old woman talking to her pet and telling you what he said.
Humor me.

I did manage to get to the mall today though .. neither Rain nor Snow nor Dark of Night will keep me away.
But as luck , or lack of luck would have it, the one thing I was searching for was not to be found and I managed to stay focused.
No more shoes or handbags or that clever little necklace until I find a new coat .
When we got home and scurried to the park with Pup, it was getting colder and more damp and even he looked like he was wondering what are we doing out in this weather ?!
The Recoleta Feria was going strong, plenty of tourists arriving on the Big Yellow Bus which has its upstairs top closed in bad weather.
Lots of photos of the monument, the park, the Pup and then over to the feria where there was also a band playing .. the Hard Rock Cafe is there and bands play , this one seems to have been free for all who could hear.
And you could definitely hear it far away.

I have high hopes for tomorrow being a better shopping weather day.
Winter here is wonderful, this is an aberration .. I hope.. Palermo might be the place to go ..
More on that tomorrow .. Happy Fathers Day to all you Fathers out there !

Don't Worry, Be Happy


We took Pup to the vet today.
She washed and checked his leg, re-wrapped it in a new red bandage and said he is good.
Then she said to me, Don't worry, he is good.
He feels good, things are good right now, don't worry.
She doesn't know me well enough to realize that Worry is what I do best, but it was the kind of thing that made me love her more and want to cry from all the worry.
The bad stuff is still there but for right now, I am going to follow her suggestion.
I am not going to worry.
I am just going to live each day and enjoy the good stuff.


Actually, this is not bad advice for everyone .. Don't Worry, Be Happy
Pup does it, so can I.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Rainy Day in Buenos Aires


Rainy day in Buenos Aires ... sleep late.
Take an inordinately long time to get dressed.
Drink copious amounts of coffee.
Take Pup to the vet ... again.
All going well, go back to the vet in 2 days.
More sugar treatment, it is working !!

Back at home ... drink large cups of hot tea.
Take Pup to the park.
Go to the market for dinner makings.
Take Pup to the park.

Admire the work done by someone that was hired by the British Embassy who had to re-grade and improve the parkland that is behind the British Embassy Residence and then restore the public park that they used for soil storage.
Mountains of soil. Now new bright green grass is growing... looks like green hair springing out of the soil.
Birds are everywhere, seeds, worms, fixings for their winter nests .. very busy in the park these days.
Not to mention the ever squabbling parrots ... if they were people, they would be Trumps.
They have these huge elaborate and fancy nests. And make a lot of nonsensical noise.

The sun is trying its best to peek out of the clouds.
We have had ash from the Volcano in Chile, we have not had airplanes flying in or out for days and the sun has been behind a grayness that I was never sure if it was clouds, smoke or ash.

It is going away now.
I hear airplanes coming in again .. early early in the morning, planes full of happy tourists arriving.
Our friends in Bariloche seem to be still buried in ash. So very sad.
It is so very very beautiful there.

Pup has a new bandage. It is red. . with white tape.
Just in case it didn't stand out enough.. for every single person we pass to stop and to admire and to tell him how beautiful he is and that he is such a good boy.

I seem to remember it was not that long ago when now and then, someone would admire me and tell me I was beautiful ... now I am upstaged by a hairy brown pup with a bandage on his leg.
God bless him, I hope he continues to upstage me for many years to come.

Next Wednesday is his 12th birthday ... you know there will be a party going on here!

Now .. the sun is actually shining .. I think it is a good time to see if someone wants to take another walk.
Surely there is someone who has not gotten to admire that new red bandage.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Living in Buenos Aires - Autumn

Sit on a bench in the park and this is your view ...
I have to repeat myself here .... I love Autumn in Buenos Aires.
It is cold now, it might be early Winter but the days are still long enough, the trees are still changing colors and the skies are still mostly bright blue with a nice big sun shining up there.
I am full of energy in this weather and now that Pup is feeling more himself, not to mention very hairy and cuddly, we have been taking a lot of very long walks. Often broken up with some time spent sitting on a bench in a park while the dog sniffs everything in sight and we appreciate the beauty of our surroundings.
Sometimes we talk about living in other lands, mostly we talk about living in another apartment.
I want to live in an apartment that faces these parks. I would be content with a park for my front yard. So would Pup.
At night the skies are full of bright stars, they seem so close !
Tonight there will be a total Lunar Eclipse, we get to see it, you people in the Northern Hemisphere don't .
I will try to stay up and see it all and let you know what you missed.
When we go out at night, the air is full of the smell of woodsmoke.
When we come in, I can smell it in my hair.
From now on, wherever I go, I will always associate that scent with winter in Buenos Aires.





Living in Buenos Aires ..

Take a walk in a park and this is your view.

to be continued....

Monday, June 13, 2011

Monday .. Look at This Blog !


A Little Bit Crunchy, A Little Bit Rock and Roll

I don't know what happened.. I was looking for photos of the Old Westbury Gardens in NY and I ended up in this wonderful blog !
It might have had something to do with the Chocolate Chip Pie recipe but then there were the photos but then there were the Odds and Ends ..
Go take a look .. see if you can pull yourself away in an hour or three.
I am baking that cookie pie this week .. no doubt about it.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Dear John

Thank you.
Sometimes life does seem like we are swimming with sharks or something but this shows that in all the scary parts of life, there is a magical moment or two .. this is just so amazing.. thank you.

Friday, June 10, 2011

London Calling

You may blame this post on Pearl. and the Clash.



A pretty nice day so far. The Sun is sort of shining through volcanic ash or just clouds, I can't tell !
Plenty of walking and photo taking, dog playing and more walking.
A lovely lunch at the cafe ... cafe con leche con tart de manzana ... the coffee is addictive and the tart with the apples and crumble topping makes me happy. And you know what They say... Whatever makes you happy ~ I will have it again tomorrow.
The Photo exhibit was closed for a huge class of noisy students, have to go back .. Doisneau needs plenty of time and quiet to be appreciated.
The Vet wasn't in !! We have to go back !! Pup didn't mind. I just want to get this over with.

My mind is elsewhere .. London , Paris .... London is calling ...

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Today .. mostly in photos

Pup had to visit the vet, this is a daily occurrence. He is in good shape, if you don't count the Thing on his leg that doesn't want to go away. He gets a new bandage every day .. he is quite a fashionable patient.
We went to the park, sat on a bench , watched the sun and clouds and listened to the parrots.
Oh, did I mention that we (I) had a mini shopping fit and found a pair of new boots? yeah.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Fleas !

This is the one place I wasn't able to get to this week.
The Mercado de Pulgas ... The Flea Market !
See what it looks like !
We bought light fixtures there for our new apartment, we bought small things but now I am seriously considering an old beaten up Thonet Bentwood rocking chair, if there are any lying around.
I saw a few, last time I visited, I should have grabbed one then ... but you know how that goes !
And I am in the market for a 1..large mirror 2 .. large painting or poster or Thing to go on a large empty wall.
I think chances are that I will find something ... if only some new, old antique China teacups .

It is just fun rummaging through the place so whatever I come home with, it will have been worth the trip.

Shopping - Boxing, Same thing

Today is a cold day. Brrr cold. Puffy coats, scarves and mittens cold. So after taking Pup to the vet for another of our daily check ups .. a quick walk to the park then home to let Pup nap , we went shopping !
On a day like this, there is no better place to shop than Patio Bullrich.. mall extraordinaire ~
I had my little spree, a bit of good luck that a few things actually fit perfectly and decided that we should keep an eye out for 1- a new coat 2- new boots 3- a handbag.
I tried on a puffy coat but it was almost white and I felt too much like the Michelin man/woman.
I did see a bag, but at this point, it was time to get home to the Pup.
But I might go back for that bag.. army green canvas with a lot of butter soft brown leather straps and handles and doodads .. I gotta have it.
Some bags don't really sink in until you are home, then you realize you have to go back tomorrow and grab it. Then you lie in bed and worry that someone came in the store right after you and they grabbed it instead.
Life is so uncertain !
So walking through the mall, I was dallying as I checked out the mannequins in the windows, imagining Me in that outfit .. my favorite was jeans, boots and a cute top with a "Chanel" style jacket over it all in pink. I would get it in black .. I might have to go look at that again tomorrow too ..
Coming towards us in the mall was a sight that caught my eye.
A very large, very very muscular man, in a tee shirt and shorts.
It is cold out.
Behind him were a bunch of men in suits and overcoats .. big men .. like tanks in suits. Bodyguard types. At least they have sense to wear a coat !
Even if he were not dressed so out of season, no one would have not noticed who he was ...
He is huge by the way, h u g e.

Evander Holyfield

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Hand cream, vet visits and volcanic ash.


Today was the day that I had planned to buy a load of good smelling soaps and lotions and this and that from L'Occitane.
I was given a sample of the Almond Milk Hand Creme and fell in love with the scent .. it is addictive !!
But upon arrival at the L'Occitane here in Buenos Aires, I found out that a jar of hand cream that is only about $40 in USD would cost me about $100 dollars here.
I like the scent but not that much .. So I contented myself with buying honey soap and cinnamon spice soap.
My hands will just have to adjust to Jergens or something .

What is a morning without a quick trip ( emergency !!) to the vet?
It seems that the Thing growing on Pups leg, decided to pop .. in two different places.
I can only imagine how painful it was for him.
After spending quite a bit of time, sitting on the floor with him and the vet and her assistant ( who got to stand ) , he is medicated, bandaged and got a shot and a new pretty blue and white bandage.
Tomorrow morning we go back for the vet to check it. What is a day without a vet visit ? I don't remember.
Neither does Pup but he told me he would like to try it and find out.

It is cold. Winter is here.
I actually shivered and had to hurry home to put on the big ugly fleece clothes that I brought from the Northeast US and never thought I would need down here.
I am soooo thankful I brought them !
I am so hopeful no one here sees me in them !!
They are about 3 sizes too large on me but they are warm, so there.

I have hopes for more shopping this week, coupled with a visit to one of my favorite parrillas that serves this amazing soup.
I have no idea what is in the soup, other than a freshly cracked egg that cooks in the soup at the table.
I wait for winter to come so I can eat there and have that soup !
They also make a pretty wonderful garlic soup.. for anyone brave enough. Or secure enough.

We might get a bit of Ash from the Volcano in Chile.
I am wondering if the fact that we woke to a bright, sunny, blue- skied day, that turned grey and cloudy, is in fact, the ash. Or does it just sift down and powder everything while the sun shines?
This happens to be the first time we have ever lived this close ( and that isn't that close) to a Volcano.
( if you don't count when I was a kid and lived in Hawaii... but who remembers things like that??)
I never thought I would be wondering about volcanic ash either.. see, become an expat, life changes!

Time for tea .. mini chocolate croissants were bought at the Boulangerie L'epi .. Per fect o.

Monday, June 6, 2011

Monday .. Look at This Blog !


Paris Breakfast !

With a title like that, how can you not go there every morning ?
Why not ? I do .. between all that Frenchness, the food, the art .. well, let´s just say, my mornings last a very long time.
So now I am urging you to join me, spend the morning having a Paris Breakfast.
Tell me how you like it
besitos..

( click on the name)

Saturday, June 4, 2011

This 'n That


photo source: My Buenos Aires Travel Guide

Pup seems to be better. Energy, smiles again and likes a good joke.
It is cold. Winter hit hard. We have the heat on, winter coats and gloves are being worn and that person who was saying how much she liked winter here and was tired of the summer... did not shut up about how cold she was today ...
But then .......... The Recoleta Cultural Center has a new exhibit, a huge, wonderful, vast exhibit of Doisneau photos !!!

We stopped by but there were so many people there ! imagine that !!! and they annoyed the person who likes to complain .. so we are going back during the week when hopefully we can have the place to ourselves.. or close to it.
It seemed even colder when we left so we scurried home to a napping Pup and a warm house and spent the rest of the day, watching the telly, reading ( I started a good so far, murder mystery ) and playing with a recouperating and silly Pup. Everyones hearts are lighter around here .. even the neighbors who ask about him and are so sweet and thoughtful.

Sunday ... depends on how cold it is. Antiques or shopping for new clothes .. how hard is that choice?

Hope your weekend is going well !

Friday, June 3, 2011

The Week End ...

The Iris are no longer blooming at the Japanese Gardens but there will be something else special growing, something beautiful to look at , something to soothe and bring peace to stretched nerves.
And then there is the tea ... in the Tea House .. near the Greenhouse, where there might be a small plant to bring home.. something to nurture through the winter.
Sunday night there is a concert at the Bibliotec Nacional .. always something a bit different and unexpected. We saw a Klezmer concert a couple of years ago and loved it . Of course, we had special visitors with us then and everything we did , we loved.
I am thinking the Flea Market will be a good idea too .. I have been imagining a giant Circus poster in the living room. With 200 ft high ceilings (you noticed that I exaggerate, right ? ) ... a very large colorful vintage poster sounds like just what we need.
So the hunt will be on .. always fun to have something to hunt.
circus poster - allposters.com



Fabulous Friday


Fall is here !
Leaves on the ground, breezes blowing so more drift down.. the amazing colors we used to see in the Northeast US are not here but it still looks like Autumn. And at night the skies are so dark and the gazillion stars look so close, it is breathtaking. This is one of the things you don´t hear that much about ... the night skies in Argentina. It feels as if you could reach up and touch the stars. . they are so bright and clear and big ..
The scent of wood fires burning with the cold air makes the nights so cozy !

Pup feels good, therefore my spirits are high.
Today will be a day of shopping and getting my phone to working again ... remember , I am in Argentina, new gadgets don´t work for more than a month without needing to be nudged along by the people at the store, who always tell you it is nothing, it is fixed and then it happens again, about a month later.

I have Shopping lists that need to be dealt with .. beginning with Boots.
So as you see, Friday is Fabulous and Busy .. what is your Friday going to be ?

photo source unknown

Thursday, June 2, 2011

A Conspiracy of Gadgets

Sometimes things go easily and then there are times where nothing goes as planned .. or things just quit working .. for no reason other than they just decided to stop.
My old computer is a good case although it might have just been exhausted or it might have been really old in computer years.. you know, like dog years.

I thought a "good" computer would last more than 5 or 6 years, even if I used it a lot but not for anything taxing like Work or anything .. no, it was all just for Fun.
And Writing .. lots of writing but hey, it is a computer ! it is supposed to be able to write !
Luckily, we were able to get a new one.

Which happens to be Bigger and supposedly Better, even if the keyboard is tiny and has all these marks and wiggles on them and I have the hardest time finding quotation marks on here !!!
And why is this .... ç where the big bar is supposed to be that is used for Return ?
and Why is the question mark where the numbers are at the top ?
and now < this comes up when my little finger reaches over to make a capitol letter ... Arrrghhh !! ¡¡¡ çñ

If things get worse, I will plug my old keyboard in .. it matters not to me if the letters are getting worn off, my fingers know where they are .. and this isn´t on there ..
Other than a few glitches the new computer is lovely.

In case a day goes by when nothing goes wrong.. My cellular has decided to stop working. From one moment to the next, it is on strike .. this is taking living in South America too far, if you ask me .. The phone keeps telling me there is no SIM card .. liar !! and it has shut me out.
Is this perhaps a vast conspiracy of electronic gadgets ?

The only thing one can do when the world of gadgets turns on you is to go to a park with a pup and breath lots of fresh, cool, fall air and kick your way through the leaves on the ground, keeping an eye on a pup who is sniffing his way through the park, keeping an eye on you.
Then go to a cafe where the cafe con leche is fresh and hot and the manzana crumble is perfecto.
See, I do habla Español, well, at least the culinary part .. I guess you could say I speak Menu .. and Shopping, I speak that rather well too. Which is next on the agenda.
An expedition into the world of Argentine Fashion .. it will be tiring and time consuming but someone has to keep you up to date on the shopping scene in Buenos Aires, no¿




Wednesday, June 1, 2011

News From ABroad


In no particular order ....
Pup seems to feel very good today. He was frisky, smiling , eating a lot and playful.
All making for a few light hearts around here .
We went to the park this afternoon and enjoyed the warm sunshine, even though there were clouds, it was sunny now and then and everyone was enjoying sitting or walking in the park. Little children were being pushed in the swings at the little playground just for very small children, Pups wandered around free to take his time and enjoy the day, plans were made for the Museum tomorrow.

I am coming to you on my new Computer. Omigoditissogreat!!
And the keyboard is Spanish-European-English ( would that be Speurish ?) so I am having a problem with that ...
The Euro sign is on the E key and the ñ on the N key and an N key all alone ... yikes , not to mention the Capitol Letter thingees are different and in different locations ..
I might have to get out the old keyboard with the wire, my typing speed has just dropped.

I have a rotten cold.
This is not the same as a run of the mill cold or an ordinary cold , this one is Rotten.
And like a good wife, I shared it with my husband.
A lot of sniffling and moaning and groaning going on down here.

But my Pup seems to feel better so who cares if I call the thing on the desk a Bouse ? and if I say by dose is stuffed up ? and that everything sounds like I am at the bottom of a tank ?

Dinner is coming from a take out place called Akbar and I have hopes that some good Indian spices will burn open my sinuses.
Even if it doesn´t, it will still taste good and mostly, lately, things all taste the same .. if it were a color, the taste would be grey. Thankfully, colds don´t last long.

It is getting colder here, later in the week will be only be in the 50´s, but that is OK, the sun shines brightly and the skies are blue .. I can deal with the cold temps.

There will be museums to go to, new shows are coming.
There will be restaurants to go to, I got some new recommendations and of course, there is always a shop to visit, a shoe to try on, a handbag or scarf to check out ..
And this weekend there is a concert I am hoping to get to attend.
I have forgotten who is playing what, but I will still be glad to go .. yes, the memory, she is fading .. fast.

And now, to see a dog about a walk ...



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sunset in Buenos Aires

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