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.

Monday, October 31, 2011

Happy Halloween


Yesterday upon the stair
I met a man who wasn't there.
He wasn't there again today
Oh, how I wish he’d go away!

When I came home last night at three
The man was waiting there for me
But when I looked around the hall
I could’nt see him there at all.

Go away, go away, don't you come back anymore
Go away, go away and please, don't slam the door.

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Sunday Lazy Sunday

Our Sunday involved the following things in no particular order ...
Copious amounts of coffe, walking in the sunshine , walking through the parks.
Watching the skate boarders fly down the little street by the British Embassy.
Having a lovely Brunch at a restaurant facing the parks..
Bloody Mary for me, Malbec for my husband.
Vegetarian sandwiches, amazing French Fries ( a first for us here ) and a nice long meandering walk back ..
A nice lazy Sunday.
I hope yours was good too ~

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Halloween Magic in Buenos Aires

It is dark and difficult to really see but there it is .. the Buenos Aires Halloween Skate Party .
or something like that.
We could hear them coming, whoops and hollers. . whistles and shouts .
Tall, very tall men all in black, stopped traffic at the lights.
Around the corners at full speed, black capes whipping behind them, witches hats pulled low, sparkly costumes and wild wigs flying in the wind ..
A very tall man all in white with a long white wig, he looked about 7 feet tall, flew past .. came almost to a stop, spun around, cape flying around him ...
I thought he might just disappear, but no, he flew off again .. cape flying behind him.
Happy Halloween, Buenos Aires style ...

I wished so much that I could roller skate.

Friday, October 28, 2011

Thursday, October 27, 2011

An American in the Paris of South America


I used to daydream that we would move to London and live there .. Knightsbridge.
Close enough to Harrods ( Food Halls ) and a train ride away from Paris or Cornwall.
Then after a few trips to Paris, I started to adjust my daydreaming .. an apartment in Paris , Left Bank, train to London.. or Provence.
I love so much about Paris and about all things "French " ..
the Architecture is my favorite, the clothes and food and design.. the way they all take their dogs everywhere with them, even the cafes and well, you know, Everything.
We rented an apartment on our last trip to Paris, we were expecting a visit from our wandering son, on his way from India to visit us in the US .. why not meet in Paris ?
So we rented this lovely little apartment .. a couple of blocks from the Eiffel Tower and had one of the best memory making trips ever.
I keep the photos handy, I go back and remember it all fondly and I can refer to the decor in the apartment and other places if I need inspiration here at home.

Here At Home being in Argentina.
How did that happen ??
They say that Buenos Aires is the Paris of South America.

There are vague similairities but the best of them would be the architecture in some areas.The love and availability of music and dance and the influence of the French who were here in the 1800's and whose furniture ended up here when the rich Argentines went shopping .. in Paris.

So here I am .. An American in the Paris of South America ... and how lovely it is ..









Wednesday, October 26, 2011

A Day in the ( ex-pat) Life ....

Spring has arrived.
The days are longer, brighter and warmer. And greener.
Parrots are flying in squadrons again, squawking at each other, the leader yelling at everyone to Keep Up !
Sunday in the park, dads pushing the swings.
Moms sitting with the baby carriages and chatting with the other Moms.
Walking to cafes, sitting, talking, having coffee or food .. they really know how to enjoy their Sundays here.
We emulate them as much as possible.
I need to borrow a baby for a day though.
Anyone ?
For over a year now, the park was demolished on one side. This side.
Metal barriers that were very high so we could not see the progress, dreaded that it might not be as green and nice as it used to be.
Today was a sort of "unveiling" .. it is even prettier than it was .
Now even the old Gothic building , which got a cleaning , looks good.
They put underground parking under the park .. flowers and trees have been planted, fragrant vines .. the park is locked at night , patrolled during the day, it should stay as pretty as it is now ... or even grow prettier.

We took a long walk today, I found a few places that I might like to live.
I like to think of moving, even if our apartment is perfect.
I guess we are so used to moving after a couple of years, that it has become a habit.
Or maybe I just like to move !
But I am also enchanted with some of the architecture and want to be In those rooms, in those buildings.

Imagine having a door like this .. can you picture how tall the doorman is ?

Monday, October 24, 2011

Monday .. Look at This Blog !


A Page of Inspiration

Just look at this ! Is this not the prettiest blog ? !
And of course, there are tasty things to make and pretty things to shop for and other lovely things to keep a person occupied ... especially if they are living in a place where English language magazines are hard to come by.
Pretty things.. I like them ~ this blog, I love :)

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Racey

Friday we went to the Hippodrome.
The Buenos Aires Racetrack .. one of the prettiest that I can remember going to.
The day was also pretty. There were no races on Friday but we walked around, took a few sneaky photos .. they shake their heads, no no photos .. so I had to grab a few and run.
We are going back when the horses are there .. that will be nice.
Otherwise, a racetrack is kinda dull.
But this one has several restaurants, a shopping arcade ( to spend all those winnings) and best of all, for the sheer goofy fun of it, there is what seems like miles of rooms full of slot machines downstairs.
What made me laugh even more was that it is open 24 hours a day and when we were there, it was busy.
Older people, young people, many older ladies and a few very old ladies. Very.
We played around with a couple of slot machines, then decided that sunshine and horses was much more exciting.
Unless I won that 5 Gazillion Mega Pesos Jackpot .. then I might think it is exciting down there.
So next week, see ya at the Jockey Club ..

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Still in Love ...

We walk through the parks each day. Miles of parks.
We sit on benches like the old folks do and here , like young lovers do .. people lie on blankets and read and play with their children.
Huge beautiful , green spaces.
One of my favorite monuments. It just has so much to it.. not to mention grandeur !
This was one of Pup's favorite parks.
A house in a neighborhood nearby that I would love to live in.
Sometimes I dream of going to live somewhere else, another country, another city, then I just take a walk and there is a new place to dream about.
We have been here over 4 years and I am still discovering places and still totally in love with Buenos Aires.

Friday, October 21, 2011

Friday Photo


While walking in Palermo, I noticed an abundance of Bougainvillea growing in many areas.
Nothing is so evocative of Summer and for me, Buenos Aires, as these brilliantly colored, lush flowers spilling off of the old balonies, on some of the very old homes that populate this city.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Following



This is a Thank you to all of those sweet people who " Follow " me.
I know some of you don't want to deal with the signing in thing, which is fine with me, that you read my blog is all that is important.
That and making a comment now and then ... I heart comments !
I get such a kick out of looking at the "stats" on my Inner Blog Works and seeing the places that my readers are coming from ...
Belgium, Budapest, Holland, Paris, Georgia , Provence ! South Africa, Vacaville California , New York New York , Arizona , Hawaii and North Carolina !! and on and on.
It definitely is what makes this Blogger want to think of good things to post, to keep you reading.
Which means I have to keep going out sightseeing, exploring my home town and beyond and well, shopping and taking photos .. not exactly punishment from my point of view.
So Thank you.
Gracias ~



Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Coming Home

It turned into one of those perfect Spring days when the skies cleared up, the sun shone warmly and a light cool breeze kept everyone comfortable.
There was not one peep out of the person who gets cranky when she has to walk around in the heat .. not one.
We went to Palermo Soho where we just walked, browsed, ate lunch outdoors and walked some more.
It was all lovely.
The flowers are blooming everywhere in the city, the trees are filling out and brilliant green.. creating tunnels of shade on some streets.
I looked in windows but nothing grabbed me enough to coax me into a shop and out of the fresh air and sunshine.
Every time we go to this neighborhood, I want to move there.
I want to live in a low building , where there is a garden and I can hear birds in the morning and when you walk out the door, it is like being in a village somewhere, not just a neighborhood in a huge city.
The trees shade the streets , there are parks full of flowering trees, where on Sundays there are ferias and art shows and there is a huge fountain where the children sit and chat with each other after school.
I always say, I want to live here, but then when we get in the taxi and we head back to our neighborhood, back to the stately homes and old French style buildings with so much charm ..
I happily feel that I am coming home..

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Monday, October 17, 2011

Simpatico

Pretty, aren't they ?
I have nothing to blog about.
My mind has finally gone blank.
A clean smooth blank piece of paper with not even a wrinkle on it.
A Smooth Mind, that is what I have .. if it could sing, it would probably sound like Jazz.

We did nothing out of the ordinary today, even if it is in Argentina, it was ordinary.
I was told , or my husband was told, that I am Simpatico.
That made me feel good.
Even better after I got the actual dictionary translation .. to me it sounded like I have a lot of sympathy, which I do .. too much at times.
But I wasn't being sympathetic today.
No, I was being congenial, agreeable, likeable ... how nice is that ? !

But I also have a mind that is blank , clean as a whistle and void of any witticisms .. simpatico and blank, that is me.
More later, If I think of anything to say.

Meanwhile, you can admire the flowers my husband bought for me.
He is simpatico !



Monday .. Look at This Blog !

Hilda Safari Photography

When I first started blogging, daily I would get lost in the world of all the wonderful bloggers out there.
I have been inspired by most .. but this lady was one of the first blogs I read.
The blog was called Saffron & Blueberry .. The photo on the blog caught my eye.
A photo of an elderly couple on a park bench.
When she is not taking care of her family and blogging, she is also a film editor and a lifestyle photographer .. wouldn't you like to do that too ? I would !
Take a nice browse and tell me how much you like her work.
Somewhere in your browsing, you might come across the recipes .. those are pretty great also.


Sunday, October 16, 2011

Mothers Day

We have lived here for almost 5 years, you would think we would know the holidays by now.
But I guess, after all those years in the US and or the Northern Hemisphere, we have the holidays and their dates ingrained in our brains.
My brain is having enough trouble keeping up with Things ... how was I supposed to remember that Today is Mothers Day ??
And to top it off, it is gloomy and cool and rain looked imminent.
It just made us put off our trip North until next week.

So we took the cameras and wandered through the Feria, listening to the shoppers.
A pair of pretty Russian girls shopping for scarves and sweaters.. ( I bet they need them when they go back home ) and a lot of English being spoken ..
A French couple ... I hear them before I notice what they look like ..
My ears have gotten so attuned to Spanish that when I hear anything Not Spanish, tiny bells ring in my head !
Listen ! What's that he said ?? Did you understand it ? Oh, it wasn't English ? What was it ?
As you can tell, my poor head is crowded these days.

Wandering away from the Feria, we bought our L'Occitane soap at the Farmacia then headed off into the neighborhood.
We found Oriental rugs that we loved in a shop that was closed of course, they are never open when I see something I must have immediately, you ever notice that happening ? hmmm.
Then past the real estate offices .. so many beautiful apartments for sale ... hmmmm.
The park was empty, the streets were pretty empty, if we had realized it at the time, it would have made a lot of sense .. everyone is visiting with Mother !
I found a little something that I can wear to the next Revolution .. French Revolution .. I don't think there are any planned here.
Then on past the shops and homes with beautiful gardens and back to our cozy apartment with pretty music playing.
Happy Mothers Day !

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Get Lost !

There was a time, after we arrived here and had to spend hours ! days ! looking for apartments to buy, finding the Immigrations places, the Police station , the pharmacies, the super markets and everything else a person needs in their daily life in their home town, that getting lost was almost a daily occurrence.
I am terrible for being Sure that I know the way..
I don't get lost too easily so I am overly-confident and I insist it is This Way !! only miles and hours later will I conceded that maybe I was mistaken .. or they moved the store ! .. or the street! ... or something.

We walked everywhere we could, we still do.
You learn your town much better from the ground, not while zooming past in a taxi or a car.
You see the people on the street, you see your neighbours, the baker, the flower man and the Porters who stand outside every morning and every evening.
With Pup, we met everyone and he made it all so very easy and happy.
And I never worried about getting lost because the three of us were together, wherever we were.

Now we don't have Pup to walk, but we still walk everywhere.
It has been very good for us in unexpected ways.
I can eat like a starving animal and not gain weight.
We are in very good physical shape and we feel at home here.
You walk past the same place every day, they are going to start smiling and waving.
All of this makes us feel more At Home .. even if we are still unable to carry on anything but the most elementary conversation in Spanish.

We have started out, knowing exactly what the store looks like that we must visit .. and for some reason, we cannot find it.
Are we lost ?
Did we take a wrong turn ?
Are we dreaming ?
The store moved.
We found a store that sells special soap .. handmade/ homemade, it is nice and smells good.
And now we cannot find the store.
We walked miles, up and down the neighbourhood streets, that store is hiding!

I carry the camera with me most days, I might start photographing landmarks so we remember where we left a store that we might want to go back to.

The great thing about where we live is that we are very close to a Museum, huge parks and a landmark.
So as long as we can find our way back to one of those- we will find our way home.

We are about to leave Buenos Aires for the day .
There will be no familiar landmarks, no one who knows us or understands us ( our version of Spanish) .. and we are taking a Train !
If we don't get lost ... or even if we do ... you will hear all about it here ..

If you don't hear about it .. soon .. Send Help .. I will leave a trail of cookies crumbs.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Friday Photo

This is the First of my new series that I am going to do .. Friday Photos.
I will select one of my favorite photos from the week and share it on Friday.
Hope you enjoy them ~

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Rainy day

It's raining.
I , of course, am reminded of Pup right away .. walking him in the rain meant that someone got wet, someone had to stand hopefully in the shelter of a large tree in the park ( hoping lightening did not strike ) while Pup took an especially long time sniffing every leaf and blade of grass in said park, until he went.
Then they would walk home, both of them dripping by then, bedraggled doesn't really describe it.
Pup always waited until he was in the building, up the elevator, inside the kitchen, before shaking it all off.
Good boy.
I learned early on .. to hold the towel in front of Me when he came in the door.
Which he also thought was great fun, a signal that there would be a Towel Tug of War.
Which for some reason .... he always won.
Perhaps because I would grow weak with laughter at his vicious ( only to the towel ) carrying on , growling, pulling , sliding across the floor if I pulled too hard .. then victoriously prancing through the house afterwards, dragging the wet towel/prize with him while I sat on the floor trying to wipe the tears of laughter from my face and get the strength to go catch him and get that damned towel back.
Never mind everything in the kitchen, hall and living room were damp at the end of all that.
Rainy days used to be fun.

Now we just worry about ourselves, running along the sides of the buildings, making sure to stay under the awnings, balconies and dashing across the street against the light which is really tempting to all BA drivers ... Look, a Pedestrian ! Start Your Engines !!

It is cozy here, being inside when it rains.
The swooshing sounds from the traffic , the sounds of the rain hitting the shutters at night when all is quiet, soothing rainy days and night sounds.

We went to the new mall , with 10 cinemas .. you would think with 10 movies, there would be a great choice .. but often most or all are dubbed or in foreign languages subtitled in Spanish.
We can read Spanish but not that fast ..
I do this with the television and miss too much of what is going on, figuring out what the heck are they are saying ?
Which brings me to my lament.
I can't see foreign movies here.
No more French films, no more Depardieu or Fanny Ardant or Johnny Halliday .. weeping weeping..
IF there were a video store around, it would have only subtitles in Spanish and or the original langauges.
So there are English language movies but old old ones that we are now watching on late night television.

By next year when we go back to the US for a visit, I will have a list a mile long of videos to see/or bring back with me.
So today we saw a Speilberg movie about a boy and a Robot .. and it was actually pretty good.
It did not hurt to have Hugh Jackman in it ... no, that part didn't hurt.
When we went in to the theatre, it was cloudy, when we walked out, it was pouring. . flooding at the curbs, there was no way we would make it home without getting soaked.
But we actually managed to come home only slightly wet .. thanks to balconies, overhangs and awnings.
We are all tucked in for the night, rainy night sounds outside, cozy food smells from the kitchen .. only one thing is missing. I will leave the towel by the door ... just for old times sake.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

When the Going Gets Tough

Spring is fighting a battle to arrive here and stay.
One day it is bright and sunny and people are wearing light sweaters and sunblock.
That night you fall asleep listening to the rain coming down.. hard.
The next day is gloomy , damp and chilly and you once again wish you had a home with a fireplace.
This is Spring.
Fine, then let's have a little taste of what Summer is like.
I mean, really, it has been so long, who remembers ??
Just for a few days, then when it chills off again, it might even be a tiny relief .. or just remind a person of how acclimated you get to the Weather where you live.
No snow, but a long chilly winter.
No snow plows but it is nicer walking in the sunshine than a gloomy windy day.
But never fear, Neither rain nor snow nor gloom of night can stay ... me from my duty ..
Didn't know that I had so much in common with the Mailman, did you ?
Not when it comes to shopping for shoes.
I just happened upon them, sitting in the window, looking hopeful that I would try them on, then bring them home with me.
I even got a discount for paying cash.
It was meant to be.
Really.
Ballet Flats with studs .. sort of Ballerina meets Heavy Metal . I Heart them.
There is another saying I like even better ...
Something about when the going gets tough ? the tough go shopping, right ?

Monday, October 10, 2011

Monday .. Look at This Blog !

ABSOLUTELY NOT MARTHA
A CLUMSY GIRL CAN STILL BE INSPIRED BY DELICIOUS DESIGN, FABULOUS FOOD AND IRRESISTIBLE IMAGES.

I discovered this blog when trying to get my mind off Other Things and wandering through the blogs on the lists of bloggers I already know and like .
So ... I found Absolutely Not Martha ( her name is Jackie) and I have been happily lost in her design, food, photo, fashion world.
Go look, betcha get hooked too.


Sunday, October 9, 2011

A Sunday Walk


Sunday means I sleep late and we go for a long walk somewhere with cameras. ( for some reason, this is not that different from every other day but if feels different on Sundays..)
The Weather was perfect for a long walk, the slightest bit chilly, Spring is not wanting to give way to Summer too soon and after last nights rain, there were clouds but it stayed dry.
We just wandered.
Yesterday was spent making sure the "guest" room ( where I am sitting right now ) is in perfect order for guests. Everything is ready .. all that is needed is the Guests !
Pup would have been beside himself ... he loved his Boy so much and got all wiggly and silly when he heard his voice ... His Boy was here !!
So many sad happy moments to come. This was his stairway .. he used to zoom up those stairs, then one day it was difficult, then he quit going up them altogether.
So we walked and we took photos..
and I enjoyed memories of walks when it was the three of us ..



Saturday, October 8, 2011

Gloomy Saturday

It is grey and gloomy and damp and chilly here today.
So I am staying inside and pretending that things will be more like this painting tomorrow.
Have a good , safe weekend !

Friday, October 7, 2011

Around the neighborhood

In a park nearby, is what we now call Our Bench.

I love this building, it houses a fabric shop much like what you might see on Madison Avenue in New York City ..

One of the area supermercados .. this is where I buy my Nutella and Ortega tortillas.
Spring .. it has sprung. These are everywhere .. really ... Every Where.

Call me ghoulish but I love walking around the Recoleta Cemetery, I love photographing the amazing architectural details .. some of the work looks like it belongs in a Museum, not a Cemetery.

Spring ... nice.
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