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.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Loved Up

Our days have been spent, starting with long slow mornings getting ourselves moving, with the help of many cups of coffee .. some of us like to have pastries or something for breakfast, others like a moment of silence while her coffee does it's job .. easing slowly into a day of walking, talking, walking, sitting, planning, chatting and soaking in the pleasure of having loved ones around.

I admit that there are moments when I think to myself, Tate would be so happy.
Those are the moments when I am , myself, so happy yet have that small pocket of sadness still tucked away. And he would have been so happy, he loved his Boy. He would get lots of love and petting and kisses from his Girl and would generally be spoiled rotten, if that were possible with a dog that knew only love.

The weather has been perfect. Not too hot, although there are some new freckles on one of us and some of us have already got that sun kissed look that will make them the envy of those back in the cold Northeast USA.

We are going to museums, walking through parks, watching skateboarders on death defying hills, visiting ferias and shops and restaurants, lots of restaurants.

Tomorrow we hop on a train and go north to where we will see an antiques feria, museums, parks, beautiful homes and all on the River where it will be cool and breezy and lovely.

The days are flying by, I push away the thought of them coming to an end, saying goodbye when we only just said hello again .. What was that song ? about Time in a Bottle ?


If I could save time in a bottle
The first thing I'd like to do
Is to save every day
Till eternity passes away
Just to spend them with you.

If I could make days last forever
If words could make wishes come true
I'd save every day like a treasure and then
Again, I would spend them with you ...

lyrics Jim Croce

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Giving Thanks


It is hard to remember that it is Thanksgiving for most of our friends and family, when it is a hot summer day .
But I did remember and thought back on the day and all the things I am so very Thankful for.

I am Thankful that my husband and I were able to have an idea ( wacky some might say) and act on it ..
I am Thankful that we found such a nice home in such a wonderful city in a fantastic country.
I am Thankful for the friends and neighbors we have , the lovely people we deal with every day in our new hometown, who treat us as one of their own.
I am Thankful for the kindness and care that they have shown all the time we have been here, especially with Tate .

I am Thankful for the possibilities we still have .. to travel, to see new places, old places, to still make plans and dream .
I am Thankful for my girl who sends me smiles, love and recipes from Florida.
And this Thanksgiving we are especially Thankful for the company of our son and his wife.


And no, for those who have asked, I am not cooking a turkey, I have not even seen a turkey in the market, I am not cooking, it is hot ! We will however, send a toast and a wish for all of you in the USA, Happy Thanksgiving ~

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Watching, waiting


Well, the time has come to say Chau for now.
Tomorrow morning I will be at the window, watching , waiting ..
Our visitors will arrive and this is their room.
I am expecting to spend every single moment, soaking in the pleasure of having loved ones here.
They don't have to do anything or be anything but themselves, just being here is all I care about.
Since they told us they were coming, the time crept along , 48 hours in every day, 10 days in each week, 11 weeks in each month .. but now the time is at hand.
Tomorrow morning, they will be here.
So I will take note of things to tell, places to describe, photos to show ..
I hope you are here when I get back.
See you in about 2 weeks !
besitos, C

Friday, November 18, 2011

Friday Photo


This pretty well sums up the way things are around here these days.
Green. Leafy green. Summer has arrived.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

A Spring Day


Another beautiful spring day and of course, with visitors coming in 4 days , I woke with a sore throat and feeling terrible.
Thanks to good medicines ... I am feeling a little better and will be fine by the time the Visitors arrive.
But for now, I am lolling around and being pitiful. ( I do "pitiful" well . )

Spring is just bursting out all over and it is warmer every day . Summer is anxious to get started. After this sad winter, Summer is very welcome.
Awake, thou wintry earth - Fling off thy sadness!
Fair vernal flowers, Laugh forth your ancient gladness!
~
Thomas Blackburn

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Do something


In any situation, the best thing you can do is the right thing; the next best thing you can do is the wrong thing; the worst thing you can do is nothing.

Theodore Roosevelt

There is a park near our home.
Every day for the past almost 5 years, we were in that park at least 4 times a day, making sure a certain Pup got his breaks, his exercise and got to meet his friends.. both new and old.
There was the little Cocker Spaniel, whose owner has health problems, walks slowly, eases himself onto a bench .. sometimes with a book, sometimes with a little radio that he listens to.

The Spaniel would trot along, no leash, sniffing, browsing, when Pup would catch his eye .
He would come trotting over to us, pausing to say Hello to Pup, catch up on any doggie goings on then come over to me ..
As I would bend to pet him, he would fall over like a dead animal and put his belly up for me to scratch. He always made me laugh.
Some days we would all walk around the park together, my husband and I, Pup and the little Cocker.

There were larger, aggressive dogs that required me to throw myself in between Pup and them .. saving Pup's older, more gentle bones from the impact of a not-so-well-trained German Shepherd or even scarier for us ( me ) a very large, black, Giant Schnauzer.
Whose owner had to pull him off Pup by the ears. Scary.

When Pup started having less energy and was not up to a long walk, we would go to the park and just sit.
He would lie in the grass and sniff, smile, pant , look around and generally, be an old man enjoying the fresh air.
Then he was unable to walk that far and we would just go around the corner.

Now that Pup is gone, my husband and I have this gap where our days were full of walking and fresh air and always something to enjoy. .
The parks are still painful reminders that he is not with us, but they are good places for sitting and people watching.

Now with the bicycle rentals nearby, I expect we will be seen , riding away .. my husband riding like he has been on a bike every day, me ... wobbling, squeaking and yelping..
I would hate to fall down .
Skin my knee.
Like a 5 year old on my first bike. ( I still have a scar on my knee from that bike.)
In the "Pup's Park" .. there are benches .. you can sit in the shade, or in the sun or lie on one if you wish.

You can also be a street person and live on one.
The street person in this park is a lady .. impossible to guess how old she is, she has no teeth and the most wrinkled face I have ever seen.
She sits on the bench, naps, people watches and eats a snack now and then.
One day we saw her just sitting there, it was chilly.
I had a bag of scones we had just gotten at the bakery on the way to the park.
I walked over and offered her a scone.
She took it.
I smiled and walked away .. it felt good to be able to do something personal and yet not make it a big philanthropic gesture .. just sharing.

I looked back .. she was feeding the scone to the pigeons.

I am still working this out.
But at least I know that I did something.

Monday, November 14, 2011

New Look


Notes From A Broad has a slightly new look.

Blogger changed things and I discovered my blog was different and would not go back to the way it was, therefore, I fixed it up as best I could ... being such a computer whiz and all that.

I tried blaming it on the computer fixer that we have who does this and that to my computer, but in the end, I blame Blogger .

I hope it doesn't put anyone off, it might even work better in the long run.

*If you like it, let me know !
*If the music annoys you, let me know.
*If you like the music, let me know !
*If you have suggestions or questions regarding topics , let me know.

un beso grande, C~

Monday .. Look at This Blog !


Quiddity 2
Be prepared .. you will have to sit down with a cup of tea or coffee and spend some time here.
The photos are fantastic and the reading is worthwhile.
And if that isn't enough, she has another blog called French at Heart
Go look, tell her I sent you, enjoy ~

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Blogger Hiccup


Apparently, Blogger . com has the hiccups.
Or a gremlin came in last night and changed the layout of my blog.
Until I figure out this newest wrinkle in blogging, my blog will look the way it does now... all down on long line to the bottom.
So everything is still there, just not spread out nicely , the way I designed it.
Pardon our appearance, hopefully Blogger will recover from this current hiccup.

besos... from a sunny, blue skied , beautiful Buenos Aires ~

Friday, November 11, 2011

Friday Photo

"Blue skies smilin' at me...Nothin' but blue skies do I see.."

The flower markets are bursting with color .

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Spring is here.


Spring is here.
Everywhere you look you can see it and hear it.
The parrots, the little birds, the music, the laughter in the parks, the children screaming and playing.
Back to our old habits, walking in no particular direction, with no particular purpose, finding little treats to look at, listen to or eat.
Today we walked in the parks where Pup once ran happily around, sniffing, sniffing.
There were many people picnicking and very many tourists.
So many nice cameras !
So many languages overheard.
They are planting new flowers in front of the Church of Pilar . Everything is all spruced up ..


Wherever you turn, there are flowers and color . Spring has definitely arrived.

Monday, November 7, 2011

The Anniversary


The Anniversary went very well.
Someone was surprised by a present that was completely unexpected.
Someone else has to wait for their present.
One of us had a sore throat.
One of us developed a sympathy sore throat .
Plans are made for further celebrations when Everyone is feeling well.
Dinner was hot spicy Chinese food.

It might not be what others, especially the early marrieds, think of as a great anniversary celebration, but the things that made it perfect were ..
We are still crazy about each other after all these years, sitting home with Chinese food and being cozy is as Romantic and Special as getting all dolled up and going to some posh place ..

We have had Anniversary celebrations in Paris, in London, in New York, Las Vegas and Montreal .. they have all been memorable, but those spent at home were just as lovely, just as special and just as romantic.

We came to Buenos Aires on a trip, for our anniversary, 5 years ago.
And here we are ~

Happy Anniversary H ... I love you.


image : Robert Indiana




Sunday, November 6, 2011

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Hoy


Yesterday we went to the cinema and it poured rain and that is about the extent of what I had to talk about yesterday .. Strange but true.
So today it beautiful and we are out the door on a Saturday adventure .
I am sure there will be something to tell you about later.
Until then, hasta luego, besos y amor !

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Looking at the rest of the World.


Edmondo Salvatore

In my next life .... I think I would like to have a couple of fabulous cameras hanging around my neck and be off exploring more exotic places ... photographing everything.

But for now, I do carry my camera and I am in a ( maybe not exactly exotic) but wonderful place full of sights to share.


Enjoy ~

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Primavera

I was reminded of a movie where everyone fell down asleep .. but it was just an aprés lunch nap here.
Wherever you look, there are flowers appearing, in the parks and homes in the neighborhood.
And best of all, the Jacarandas are blooming ! The air will be full of their scent, everywhere you look will be purple flowering trees.
A real sign of Spring.. winter seemed terribly long this year, I am more than ready for warm Spring and Summer days and happy visits from the family.
Mi gusta Primavera ~

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Spring

The sun is out.
The clouds are tiny wispy things that drift by then melt away.
The sky is that amazing blue that can only be found in Argentina .( I made that part up).

Today I wore light spring clothing and we walked miles doing our errands ..
At the end of the walk, I was over-heated and grumpy and looking for 1- a place for a cold drink 2- trying to picture what is in the closet to put on when we get home that is cooler than what I am wearing now !

So of course, we got home, cooled off, went back out without the sweater and the wind is cold now.
This is Spring in Argentina ..

I have new plant hook thingees on the balcony railings to hold the plants better and safer.
I have these nightmares that the wind will blow a plant off on a pedestrian below.
I have these same nightmares that I am the pedestrian .. sometimes.
These nightmares usually come after one of us has been soaked by walking under a balcony/terrace where someone has overwatered the plants, a maid is mopping, or god forbid, a dog is peeing.
That is always a thought .. the dogs do hang out on terraces ..
I don't know what they do all day out on the terrace for bathroom facilities ...
perhaps it never happens but my Imagination- she is wild.

So we have lived here for 4 1/2 years and never really cared that we no longer got much in the way of English language television.
I could live with no television, it is the movies / cinema that means more to me.
We have that, but I mourn the loss of French , Italian, Japanese, whatever language movies .. they are only subtitled in Spanish.. our loss.
But on television, we get Dexter and Nurse Jackie and various English language shows .. thank goodness, we even get Downton Abbey.
We heart Downton Abbey.

But the eagle eyed husband noticed something in an online newspaper .. a channel where we can watch anything in English...
We are now catching up on Boardwalk and The Game of Thrones.
Nothing like a little television sex/violence and nudity in your own language.

The visitors will be here in less than 3 weeks.
We have a couple of daytrips planned.
We have a mental list of restaurants to go to.
We have music and dance venues lined up.
Their room is ready.
Which reminds me ... this room is where they will stay.
I most likely will take a week - 10 days off from blogging.

But prepare yourselves for the onslaught of stories and photos that will come after they leave.



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sunset in Buenos Aires

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