Aug 29, 2010

Differences...

Always show the you in you that makes you the you that you are.

My mom forwarded this to me and my 4 sisters...

This is sooooooooo true


American/Canadian Kids: Move out when they're 18 with the full support of their parents.
West Indian Kids: Move out when they-are 28, having saved for that nice house and are a week away from getting married..unless there's room in the basement for the newlyweds.

American/Canadian Kids: When their Mom visits them she brings a nice bundt cake and you sip coffee and chat.
West Indian Kids: When their Moms visits them she brings 3 days worth of food and begins to immediately tidy up, dust, and do the laundry

American/Canadian Kids: Their dads always call before they come over to visit them and its usually only on special occasions.
West Indian Kids: Are not at all fazed when their dads come over, unannounced, on a Saturday morning at 8:00 and starts pruning the mango avocado trees. And if there are none, he will plant some!

American/Canadian Parents: You can leave your kids with them and you always worry if everything is going to be okay plus you have to feed them after you pick them up.
West Indian Parents: No problem, leave your kids there and if they get out of line your parents can set them straight. Plus they get bathed, fed and sprinkled with powder, lavender, cologne or Limacol.

American/Canadian Kids: Always pay retail and look in the yellow pages when they need something done.
West Indian Kids: Just call their dad or uncle and ask for another dad's or uncle's phone number to get it done.....cash deal.

American/Canadian Kids: Will come over to visit their parents and get only cake and coffee, no more.
West Indian Kids: Will come over to visit their parents and get sweet potato-puddin', cornmeal porridge, ginger beer, coconut drops, a few bottles/cups of their favourite beverage and curry goat & rice. Then after dinner, drinks,time permitting there will be a "little something" as well to take home.

American/Canadian Kids: Think that being West Indian is a great thing.
West Indian Kids: Know that being West Indian is a great thing..

American/Canadian Kids: Never ask the reason you have no food.
West Indian Kids: Are the reason you have no food.

American/Canadian Kids: Will say "hello".
West Indian Kids: Will give you a big hug and a kiss, and pat you on the back.

American/Canadian Kids: Call your (friend's) parents Mr.. And Mrs.
West Indian Kids: Call your (friend's) parents Auntie & Uncle.

American/Canadian Kids: Have never seen you cry.
West Indian Kids: Cry with you.

American/Canadian Kids: Will eat at your dinner table and leave.
West Indian Kids: Will spend hours there, talking, laughing and just being together, in other words, just "lyming".

American/Canadian Kids: Borrow your stuff for a few days then give it back.
West Indian Kids: Keep your stuff so long they forget it's yours.

American/Canadian Kids: Know a few things about you.
West Indian Kids: Could write a book with direct quotes from you.

American/Canadian Kids: Will leave you behind if that's what the crowd is doing.
West Indian Kids: Will kick the whole crowds' ass that left you.

American/Canadian Kids: Are for a while.
West Indian Kids: Are for life.

Hope you enjoy this like I did....by the way.......I am a West Indian Kid....



until next time...


If there are things you don't like in the world you grew up in, make your own life different.

Aug 25, 2010

Final Days...

It's interesting to leave a place, interesting even to think about it. Leaving reminds us of what we can part with and what we can't, then offers us something new to look forward to, to dream about.....


Time is now running out on us...in just less than 2 days we will no longer call The Las Olas Grand home.  It has been long days for us since coming here on Friday.  We have been working almost 12 hours everyday to clear out our stuff and to clean the apartment for the new owners.  By nightime we are exhausted all we feel like doing is to just collapse and not get up....but on the other hand I just wish the day had more hours so that I could continue working to just finish with it.  Everything is in such dissary.  I know it will be done so not worried.


We arrived Friday and at 1am we went straight to get boxes that were left in a dumpster for us.  From that moment on we did not stop packing.

In between all of the packing we have made time to do some apartment hunting.  We have traveled all over looking at different options.  Some pretty interesting things we have seen so far.

We are both ready to leave and to begin the search for a new home.....


A final farewell to this beautiful view we had.....

All changes are more or less tinged with melancholy, for what we are leaving behind is part of ourselves.....




Aug 23, 2010

Goodbye Home....

If you ask us where is home for us without hesitation we will say Chicago...strange isn't it because home has been Florida...Fort Lauderdale for so long where we have a beautiful apartment for a week or so more...

That's where Arvid and I met, where we fell in love and got married and had our home always.....that's where Brutus came into our lives so it seems strange that when we think of home we think of our place in Chicago. 



We have sold our apartment in Florida and will hopefully close on it this coming week.  If you ask me what I will miss about the apartment I will have to say nothing really....but what saddens me (and this is weird), is that Brutus will no longer see the place that was his first home.  He will no longer sit at his favorite window spot and look at the boats...we will no longer be able to chase him around the apartment anymore nor will he drink from the Jacuzzi again......strange but that is what makes me sad.

Also another thing that makes me sad is that my friend Liliana will no longer pet sit Brutus.  She loves him as much as we do and he in turn loves her.  She is awfully sad at this as well....of course we will always be friends and she can come visit Brutus anytime she likes....even though we are a bit sad we are also very happy because soon a new phase begins.

Goodbye home...we have has some very good times there.....

I did not realize how sad this would be.....


Saying goodbye, going away
Seems like goodbye's such a hard thing to say

Touching a hand, wondering why
It's time for saying goodbye
to the place we called home for so long.....

Saying goodbye, why is it sad?
Makes us remember the good times we've had
Much more to say, foolish to try
It's time to say goodbye
to the place we brought Brutus into our lives....

It's time for saying goodbye
 

Brutus' new favorite resting spot.....
until next time...

Aug 19, 2010

6 Best Foods for Healthy Skin

“One should eat to live, not live to eat”

This is a bit different from my regular posts but, when I read this article I thought it would be good to share with all of you.....When it comes to eating right and exercising, there is no "I’ll start tomorrow." Tomorrow is disease.

1. SALMON


Salmon is an ideal food for many reasons, but as far as your skin’s concerned, there’s only one that matters: It’s among the world’s greatest sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Those are the essential fats that, along with bolstering the cognitive powers of your brain, concentrate in the walls of your epidermal cells to help lock in moisture. Plus, in one study, researchers supplemented two groups of mice with either omega-3 or omega-6 fats. After two weeks, the skin of the omega-3-fed group exhibited a 20 percent faster recovery rate from exposure to ultraviolet light. That gives salmon two crucial skin boons: keeping your skin from looking dry and helping it battle the dangers of excessive sunlight
 
2. CARROTS


Carrots are teeming with tiny orange pigments called beta-carotene, and when you ingest those pigments, you’re inviting them to nestle into your skin, fill in blotches, and give you a healthy glow. And what’s more, research shows that this can actually help prevent premature aging from sun damage. But is the accumulation of orange in your skin going to make you look like an extra from Jersey Shore? Well, hopefully not. But eating excessive loads of carotene-rich foods can lead to a condition called carotenosis, wherein your skin stops looking healthy and starts looking, well, orange. But the conditions is rare, so unless you notice yourself turning into a prison jumpsuit, feel free to chow down.


3. AVOCADO


One study published by The Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that people with higher intakes of olive oil had fewer wrinkles than people with higher intakes of butter. The reason: Butter is loaded with saturated fat, while olive oil is rich in monounsaturates, the same essential fats that make up more than 50% of the calories in an avocado. So why eat avocado over olive oil? Both are good, but avocados have the added bonus of B vitamins, which also help to keep your skin looking vibrant and smooth.


4. BEANS


Legumes, to be more precise. This is the class of plants that includes black beans, chickpeas, lentils, soybeans, and peanuts. And how do these puny pods protect your face? By smoothing out wrinkles. Australian researchers analyzed the diets of more than 400 elderly men and women and found that high intakes of legumes—alongside vegetables and healthy fats—resulted in 20% fewer wrinkles over time. The effect is likely a result of isoflavones—potent antioxidants—concentrated in the beans.

5. GRAPES


Besides providing protection from heart attack and stroke, antioxidants called polyphenols found in grapes can also help keep middle-aged skin from sagging. That’s because polyphenols improve skin’s elasticity by strengthening collagen, the primary protein in skin’s innermost layer.



6. WATER


Okay, it’s not as fun to drink as wine, but water is the strongest weapon you have against lifeless skin. That’s why they call it “moisturizing”—because you’re trying to lock moisture, aka water, into your skin. To put it broadly, all the body’s processes rely on hydration, so if you’re not sipping throughout the day, you’re likely to have a slower metabolism, groggier head, and, yes, drier skin. One study suggested that it takes a mere half-liter of water to create a measurable increase in the capillary blood flow to your body’s outer layer. That’s just over 16 ounces. Try doing that a few times a day and you’ll have a face like a baby’s bottom in no time.

Sometimes in life the difference between success and failure is right motivation.


until next time...

Aug 16, 2010

Back Home....

Real elation is when you feel you could touch a star without standing on tiptoe.

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We've been back home now for a few days and it just feels so good.....back to our normal routines, sleeping in our own bed and just walking around as we please.

The best part of all of this is just to see how happy Brutus is.  He just follows us around all over the place and refuses to be alone.  We are both really enjoying all his attention and we in turn are giving him all of ours.

Being home is the best feeling no matter where we go and who we see ....we always look forward to coming home...I bet you all feel the same as well.....

Be happy. It's one way of being wise.


until next time...

Aug 11, 2010

Nowhere Like Home.....

Where we love is home, home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts.

No matter where we go and who we are with the one thing for sure is that we are always looking forward to going back home.  Home is where Brutus is and where we are the happiest.......Peace....that was the other name for home.

Don't get me wrong we have had some very good times here in Norway with friends and family.  This has actually been one of the nicest years I have had since coming here.  Have felt welcomed and finally as if I were part of the family so no complaints there.  Everyone has been super kind and nice.  Special mention and thanks again to Michael and Victoria for making this vacation so special.

The truth is that for me there is no place like the USA and that is where I belong.  That is my home....and I am missing it terribly.  Miss our Brutus and all that is familiar.  Miss the luxury of our own bed and our own space.  I miss Chicago and it's very lively environment.  I miss seeing the blue waters of the ocean.....

For us home is anywhere the 3 of us are be it Chicago, Florida or Eleuthera.......There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort.

For me this is home....Arvid, Brutus and I.....



Home is a shelter from storms - all sorts of storms
and where we wake up everyday with a smile on our face.....The happiest moments of my life have been the few which I have passed at home .........

 until next time...

Aug 6, 2010

Fem Små Hus (Five Small Houses).......

Once upon a time there was a piece of wood. It was not an expensive piece of wood. Far from it. Just a common block of firewood, one of those thick, solid logs that are put on the fire in winter to make cold rooms cozy and warm.

My first time to Stockholm.  Sure looking forward to it.  You see Arvid has always told me what a beautiful city this is and already I can see why.  Before I met Arvid he was going to Norway 2x a year and in between he always made a stop over to Stockholm with friends...they enjoyed the horse races and of course he forever talked about this restaurant...Fem SmÃ¥ Hus....pictured on the right.  Finally he gets the opportunity to take me there.....can't wait.  He says it's very simple but has the best food.....will see about that.

About the restaurant: 


Fem Små Hus (Five Small Houses) is a classic Stockholm restaurant, situated in the Old Town, close to the Royal Palace. Here you have the possibility to taste Swedish cooking at its best and enjoy the historic charm of Stockholm Old Town.....
The restaurant has its premises in five separate houses which have been connected to form a restaurant. The oldest of them "Hans Hanssons Hus", dating from 1651, contains "The Inner Vault" - one of nine valved cellars in these buildings with a total capacity of no less than 220 guests.
Fem Små Hus opened in May 1969 and has kept its character throughout the years and is now considered one of the classics in Stockholm - considering the cooking as well as the atmosphere.

Looking forward to a delightful evening with good company...(Arvid's brother and his girlfriend Siv are with us), good food and of course something as close as possible to m beloved pina colada....or mojito...

Will let you know the out come of our time in Stockholm....
 
until later...

Aug 2, 2010

Kindness Is The Greatest Wisdom......Thank You Victoria & Michael...

When I was young, I admired clever people. Now that I am old, I admire kind people

We have been in Norway now for exactly 8 days and the truth is that it seems like forever.  Don't get me wrong we have had some very nice times...especially our time spent with everyone at Victoria's and Michael's.

They have been the bright spot for me for this trip.  They have had us over at their place already 2x and everytime we go there we have this very good time and this very excellent food.  I could not ask for a better time than the time we have spent with them.  They are both very kind hosts and I just want them to know that I appreciate all their generosity and kindness.....

Tomorrow promises to be another special day with everyone.  We will hopefully take a boat out and see some of the sights in Norway...all thanks again to Michael and Victoria.

Norway is not my favorite vacation place but sometimes the people make up for everything.....

How beautiful a day can be when kindness touches it....The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention

until next time....