Del dette:

A Poem and An Answer by:   Sandy Ej *2010*

*In the Middle of the Night*   ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Life is very, very quiet at the moment

It is the middle of the night

It is peaceful, and I am waiting

For the morning light

*

I pray for peace

Tomorrow’s a new day

Yesterday is gone

Keeps moving, can not stay

*

What tomorrow brings we do not

We do not know

But, no matter how good is the moment,

From each moment, we must go

*

We carry on

To the future and to see

Will tomorrow be sunshine

Or cloudy will it be?

*

Sometimes, it is clouds

So beautiful, profound

So dark and untouchable

With beauty all around

*

For it highlights the fact

That wherever we wait

We might live in the moment

We must accept our fate

*

After the clouds, come sunshine

After the darkness, light

We learn to live, we learn to love

In the darkness of the night

*

Every cloud a silver lining

Every storm a rainbow, too

Every tear brings renewal

Every broken heart goes through

*

Tomorrow be sunshine

Tomorrow be bright

Yesterday be gone

When darkness turns to light

*

When Darkness Turns to Light:

A Poem and An Answer

*By Sandy Ej *2010*

*ALL RIGHTS RESERVED*

*Sandy Ej *2010*

*Sandy and Co*

*Sandy S Zoo Studios*

The Medicine Menace: Children Who Have Swallowed Lethal Doses of Prescription Drugs

Many of the calls that come into Poison Control Centers      concern children who have swallowed over-the-counter pain  relievers or prescription medicines. The Poison Prevention  Week Council strongly urges adults to use child-resistant  packaging for medications – even if there aren’t any children in  the house. Poisonings have happened when children visit  homes, or when people have carried medicines into homes in their pockets or purses.

A study conducted by the American Association of Poison Control Centers found that 23 percent of the oral prescription drugs that were ingested by children under 5 belonged to someone who did not live with the child. Overall, 17 percent of the medicines ingested belonged to a grandparent or great-grandparent. The data suggest that grandparents – and all adults – need to use child-resistant packaging and keep medicines properly secured, away from young children.

«The caps to medicine bottles are child-resistant, not child-proof,» warns Dr. Muller. «Eventually, a child will figure out how to get it open.»

This is the exact scenario that happened in my case.  We were visiting my great-aunt Cora.  Her elderly uncle was staying at her home for an extended visit.  My brothers and cousins and I were upstairs playing in my great-aunt Cora’s bedroom.  In the adjoining room, her uncle  had left his high blood pressure medications on the nightstand.  I had entered the room, removed the cap and was eating the medications like a child would ‘eat candy’.   One of my brothers found me and acted immediately. He told my mother that I ‘was eating chalk’.   My brother was my guardian angel then, and he always has been.

I was 16 months old and my brother was almost three  (3) years old.  My brother went downstairs to get my mother and brought her to the room where I was holding the bottle of blood pressure medications and had chalk residue on my teeth and lips.  I was rushed to the Emergency Room twenty minutes away and they  had to ‘flush my system’ using a variety of uncomfortable procedures.  Being only 16 months old, I don’t remember this story, but everyone who was there that night remembers and are sure to remind me how lucky I am when we are together at family gatherings.  My great-aunt Cora was there that evening.  She was like the lighthouse in our family, sharing memories, and always had a smile and an encouraging word.  My great-aunt Cora, she was a gem!

My mother says that the doctor was livid and gave my parents and their hosts for the evening an extensive and very ‘loud’ lecture on children and prescription medications.  There is not much research that I can find on the topic, but I do know that a lot of the children that accidentally took ‘prescription medications’ did not survive.  I was one of the lucky ones, and my guardian angel is my brother.  He always followed me to and from the school bus and ‘looked out for me’.  Imagine that.  A three year old saving his little sister…and I’ve never forgotten the gift that he gave to me.    Sandy Ej   *2010*

Postscript:  It was determined that the prescription medication was the  lipid-soluble beta-blocker known as propranolol.

These are two websites that provided some information regarding accidental exposure to prescription hypertension and/or cardiovascular medications.

http://www.rxmed.com/b.main/b2.pharmaceu…

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/81…

The following information has been cited as being from this website:

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/81…

• Bradycardia with associated hypotension and shock (systolic BP <80 mm Hg, heart rate <60 BPM) defines severe beta-blocker toxicity. Patients with severe toxicity often manifest extracardiac manifestations of intoxication.
  • Bradycardia, by itself, is not necessarily helpful as a warning sign because slowing of the heart rate and damping of tachycardia in response to stress is observed at therapeutic doses.
  • Although case reports have documented hypotension in the absence of bradycardia, blood pressure usually does not fall before the onset of bradycardia.
  • Bradycardia may be isolated or accompanied by mild conduction disturbances.
• A depressed level of consciousness and seizures may occur as a result of cellular hypoxia from poor cardiac output, a direct CNS effect caused by sodium channel blocking, or even as a result of hypoglycemia. The lipid-soluble agents have increased distribution into the brain, and these agents are associated with severe CNS toxicity.
  • Patients who have taken lipid-soluble beta-blockers, such as propranolol, frequently present with seizures after an overdose.
  • Seizures are generalized and may be multiple but are usually brief, lasting seconds to minutes. Seizures occasionally have been reported after therapeutic use of esmolol and with overdose of alprenolol, metoprolol, and oxprenolol. Seizures are far more common after propranolol overdose.
• Coma may be prolonged, depending on the half-life of the agent involved and the coexisting morbidity.
• Severe memory impairment developed in an 81-year-old woman taking propranolol 20 mg 3 times per day. Effects were associated with an elevated propranolol blood level (163 mcg/L) and resolved after discontinuation of the drug.
• Bronchospasm is a rare complication of beta-blocker therapy or overdose but is more likely in patients who already have bronchospastic disease. Sudden fatality following administration of therapeutic doses of beta-blocker has been reported in 4 patients with asthma. Pulmonary edema had been reported to occur as a result of cardiac failure. Respiratory arrest has also been described with beta-blocker intoxication, especially with propranolol, and is thought to be secondary to a central drug effect.
• Hypoglycemia is relatively uncommon but described in patients with unstable diabetes and in children. Beta-blocking drugs may cause hypoglycemia by inhibiting glycogenolysis.

Causes

• Beta-blocker toxicity in children usually results from exposure to an adult’s unattended medications
• Portions of this article written by:          Sandy Ej   *2010*

Del dette:

This is My Waterfall

I started building a waterfall

The day after  I was born

My parents added rocks and twigs

And a few leaves, albeit torn

–

As years went on-

They added more

To make it more beautiful

Than the years before

–

I played on the farm

And collected shells

I collected flowers

I admired the well                                        [a watersource]

–

And then, it was time

To meet some new friends

It was time to show off

The waterfall and then…

–

Something happened

The waterfall was dry

There were no drops

Of water as the years went by

–

And then, all of a sudden,

It happened overnight

The water, it trickled

And so began my plight

–

Your teeth, they are  funny

You look like this                                                       [beaver teeth]

The weird way you walk and

You smell like a fish

–

I had a grandmother

Who watched the waterfall flow

I had a dear friend

It was tough, she said so

–

I walked a little farther

I would walk down the road

I danced,  I jogged,  I cried

It helped lessen the load

–

And, I can honestly say

The teasing never stopped

If it wasn’t this, it wasn’t that

My happy bubble popped

–

My grandmother, she’d say

Just never say ‘hate’

You need not like the sinner

But, you can’t  say ‘hate’, just wait

–

Some day you’ll understand

My little chick-a-dee

Some time, you’ll know that

You’re as strong as can be

–

The waterfall it trickled

The waterfall it ran

The waterfall it rippled

It was according to plan

–

Oh, grandmother

I can see now

I see water in the ‘fall’

I can see it coming

Over the ridge and the wall

–

But, grandmother

It hurts, this gently

running river

And, grandmother

It stings, like a bee

bite can deliver

–

My little one,

You wanted water

And a waterfall, too

My little one,

You wanted beauty

This waterfall, it’s you

–

I never wanted the pain

I never wanted the tears

I never wanted the river

That brought injustice and fears

–

And, she said

In a quiet little voice

But, your parents gave

you a chance,

They gave you a choice

–

You could avoid the rain

But, you’d miss all o’ the joy

You could avoid the thunder

And miss  ‘missing that boy’

–

You could avoid the sunburn

And avoid the cockleburrs

You could avoid it and run

But, not escape your fears

–

The river, a waterfall flows

Over and around the trees

You have to go through it,

You will learn this, you’ll see

–

But, a waterfall was built

And the waterfall it flows

There’s nothing I can do

How to stop it, no one knows

–

I went down to the waterfall

I sang songs, I skipped rocks

I chased ponies and frogs

I ran through corn stalks

–

I began to understand

That my life was a gift

My parents didn’t wish for me

the pain or  lack of bliss

–

But in order to feel

In order to glow

In order to shine

In order to know

–

If the water fall

was meant to run over

If the water fall

was to highlight the clover

–

It had to run

You had to cry

That’s how it is

I don’t know why

–

I stopped and looked

What beauty I see

The rocks and the water

The sounds; they reflect me

–

I will let that waterfall be

I will let it run, too

I will not hold back

Because grandmother knew

–

In order to live,

In order to grow

Let the tears come

Let the wind blow

–

You can’t stop it

Or fight it

The water,  wind blowing

Just enjoy the beauty

of a waterfall flowing

–

*Sandy S Zoo* 2010* Copyright*

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Del dette:

Ode to Young Lovers – May 30, 2010

Sometimes, it takes a little effort to open up my heart and to get me to listen

to love.   Sometimes, it takes a little extra care to encourage me to open up

my arms to your tenderness.   Sometimes, it takes a special person to gently

open each petal and to blow a kiss on the broken ones.   Sometimes, it takes a

lot of kindness to look at my storybook and to tell me that no matter how bad

it was, the best is yet to come.   Sometimes, it takes just a little kiss on the

cheek to open up my imagination to all sorts of possibilities.   Sometimes, I

want to run and not look back.   Sometimes, I just want to dive in your arms

and I know that I’ll only land in the ocean.   I don’t know how to fly yet.

Sometimes, I wonder if there’s a chance that we could be the best of friends

and…..

I guess I’ll never know unless I dare to take a little effort to open up your

heart and to get you to listen to love, to take a little extra care to encourage

you to open up your arms to my tenderness, to gently open each petal and to

blow a kiss on the broken ones, to look at your storybook and to tell you that

no matter how bad it was, the best is yet to come, and to give you just a little

kiss on the cheek to open up your imagination to all sorts of possibilities.

And, when you want to run and not look back,  I’ll be here sitting on the park

bench waiting for you.

Ode to Young Lovers:  For the Tender Hearts That Never Dared to Love

and For the Tender Hearts That Some Day Will….            Amen.

Sandy S Zoo

Copyright *2010* All Rights Reserved

Written for the one I never dared to love…

*30 Years Ago*

Del dette:

There’s A Song, It’s Under My Wing

I’m running along,

singing a song

Running for peace,

on a tight leash

Holding your heart,

close to my soul

Knowing your mind,

just rocks over rolls   (nonsense words)

Friends come

together

We never know why

How far they’ll

jump?

It could be up to

the sky

Holding your hand,

though

I can’t see your

face,                                                  (I just see the screen…..)

Knowing it takes two

To finish this race

Sometimes two souls

collide

They are clueless to

explain

Why their thoughts

coincide

Why God gave love

or just pain

They keep running

Albeit in different

directions

It’s easy to see,

there is

Kindness, affection

But, it’s not like

that

Not like that, at

all, this song                                             (OMG!)

If you’re thinking

those thoughts

Then, you’re totally

wrong

We’re just two

people

Come together for a

reason

We’re too good

friends

Come together for life or

a season

From the outside

looking in

That’s just plain

silly

How can you say that

You’re just a

hill billy

(Ej is….)

I don’t know why

Sometimes,

perchance

She sort of makes sense

That song, and

that dance

I know

I can’t say it

I can’t tell you

life’s  perfect

I can’t tell you

life’s rosy

It’s flawed,

It’s wrong

It’s a defect

Those rainbow

stories

There is magic in

the wind

That bird has a song

It’s under it’s wing

This one’s for you,

Rah Rah

Just treasure it,

your youth

But, that doesn’t

mean

You don’t know it,

You’re wise,

you’re a sleuth

You’ve come a long

ways

To explain life,

people in it

You’ve explained

interactions

and questions

With wisdom

and wit

But, there’s one

question

I’ve got to ask,

right now

You understand why

I’m here

And I wonder just

how

You must have a

heart of gold

And you don’t even

know

You must see

goodness

And laughter,

And, why?

Well, it shows.

[same song, double spaced]

I’m running along,

singing a song

Running for peace,

on a tight leash

Holding your heart,

close to my soul

Knowing your mind,

just rocks over rolls    (nonsense words)

Friends come together

We never know why

How far they’ll jump?

It could be up to the sky.

Holding your hand, though

I can’t see your face,                     (I can see the screen though)

Knowing it takes two

To finish this race

Sometimes two souls collide

They are clueless to explain

Why their thoughts coincide

Why God gave them pain

They keep running

Albeit in different directions

It’s easy to see, there is

Kindness, affection

But, it’s not like that

Not like that, this song

If you’re thinking those thoughts

Then, you’re totally wrong

We’re just two people

Come together for a reason

We’re too good friends

Come together

For more than a season

From the outside looking in

That’s just plain silly

How can you say that

You sound like a hill billy                    (Ej does….)

But, you see, I can’t say it

I can’t tell you life is perfect

I can’t tell you life’s  ‘rosy’

There’s a flaw,  minor defect                  (rhyme without reason)

Those rainbow stories

There is magic in the wind

That bird has a song

It’s under it’s wing

This one’s for you, 4 Rah Rah                              (et al….)

Just treasure it, your youth

But, that doesn’t mean

You don’t know it, ‘the sleuth’                  (someone who uncovers mysteries)

You’ve come a long ways

To explain life, people in it

You’ve explained interactions

The love, hate, friend, foe bit

But, there’s one question

I’ve got to ask, right now

You understand why I’m here

And I wonder just how

You must have a heart of gold

And you don’t even know it

You see goodness and kindness

With wisdom and wit

Del dette:

The Poem I Didn’t Want to Write – Sandy S Zoo

I want to hear your voice

I want to touch your face

I need to see you now

You left without a trace

*

I need to see you now

I need a warm embrace

I want to hold you close

Heart to heart, and face to face

*

I said, «Just go away..»

I didn’t want you near

Just words, I  just didn’t mean it

Here’s my heart, right here.    [Sharing a red paper heart….]

*

In the quiet of the night

As the stars began to shine

I thought I heard your voice

It was only half past nine

*

He  is in the I.C.U, they said

His heart beats slower by the minute

His eyes are closed, his breath is weak

What’s life without you in it

*

And, she* holds the ‘phone up to his ear                   *a nurse in an I.C.U.

He leans in to the ‘phone

She whispers, I didn’t mean it

I want you to come home

*

Without you, I can’t do it

Without you, life is h*ll

When I can’t hear your voice

I start to scream and yell   [click and disconnect]

*

And, then a moment later

The ‘phone, I heard it ring

The phone, it’s for you

What message did it bring?

*

I need to see you now

I need to hear your voice

Your voice is music

Not just noise….

*

I need to see you now

I need a warm embrace

I want to hold you close

Heart to heart, and face to face

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

Everybody has dreams.  Sometimes, they’re good.

Sometimes, they’re not.  This is every one’s worst

nightmare; to have an argument and never have the

chance to say, «I’m sorry.»  Sometimes, it’s not even

an argument, sometimes, it’s when two people just can’t

get along.    Life is unpredictable.  Live life living.

But, don’t forget to say, «I’m sorry.»      It’s o.k.

I’m sorry.

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

This poem is written about situations in general, not

just one specific  situation.  Thanks for stopping by….

*Sandy S Zoo*

*Copyright *2010* All Rights Reserved*

Del dette:

My Crying Pond – For Lacey

I was most actually sitting in my garden
And, the sun was shining and I was p*ssed.
I was sitting among the thorns and the weeds…..
And, my little black cat just h»ssed.

She climbed the tree and ‘meowed’ it out
Why don’t you just spit, jump and shout
Why can’t you ask for help, my friend
Why can’t you make the call «to end»

And, you sitting there all prim and proper
And, you smarty pants, gadget girl, Mr. Whopper
Sittin’ with your backs to the wall
With not a care in the world, not at all

You’re fillin’  my cryin’ pond when I’m gone
For all the times I cried for help
and you were far away
For all the times I whispered ‘WHY’
And you just couldn’t say (For Lacey)

For times that I felt just a little bit mad
For the times that I could have been so bad
I carry your tears in a bucket
forget about mine, they just don’t cut it. (for Lacey)

Fill the crying pond now, make it overflow
Fill it and splash around, and you’ll never know
How much fun it could be….
If you had answered my call, it’s me!

I was alive.
I was real.
You didn’t listen.
That was the deal.

(What she might have said….)

I need your help, with a gun to my head
I need your help, my kids are in bed
Come quickly, be fearless
Come quickly, you’ll see
It’s me, the bruises, the gun
and the [terrible] deeds

But, you didn’t «call» quickly,
You didn’t, we know
You waited and waited to call
It was slow

Why, to call the ER when the deed
had been done
Why, to let them cover the tears,
And, to let her soul bleed, the drops,
one by one

I’m mad at you, it happened again
You didn’t listen, to listen, to my friend
I heard her cries, and yet I couldn’t see
That the calls, each one, were for
her and for me

In your pretty dress and earrings
Wake up, now, OPEN YOUR EYES
In your pretty dress and earrings
In your pretty suit and ties

Wake up your nightmares
your ignorance, your clout
Wake up your integrity
Your courage, don’t doubt

I needed you.
You never came.
You’ll still have a chance
at fortune and fame

And, as for me, I’m sitting
by ‘her crying pond’ watching (For Lacey)
the tears flow by
I’m watching not a cloud or
a drop from the sky

The pond be filled by the
memories, of just one more
A beautiful life lost,
And to you, what’s one more.

You. You know who you are.
You don’t take it seriously,
And, why, can’t you start.
It’s your lack of awareness,
No kindness, that’s breakin’ my heart

The one life lost could have
been, a child or a friend,
When will you start crying
When does the crying end.

Sandy S Zoo April 15, 2010
Written for Lacey
For whose Crying Pond
will be filled with your tears…
the ones who didn’t respond
or for the ones who didn’t
care…..

Del dette:

«O que não sei dizer é mais importante do que o que eu digo.»
— Clarice Lispector

17 people liked it

«Who has not asked himself at some time or other: am I a monster or is this what it means to be a person?»
— Clarice Lispector (A Hora Da Estrela)

16 people liked it

// // //

«Things were somehow so good that they were in danger of becoming very bad because what is fully mature is very close to rotting»
— Clarice Lispector (A Hora Da Estrela)

10 people liked it

«I only achieve simplicity with enormous effort»
— Clarice Lispector (A Hora Da Estrela)

8 people liked it

«Por te falar eu te assustarei e te perderei? mas se eu não falar eu me perderei, e por me perder eu te perderia.»
— Clarice Lispector

tags: existecialism

7 people liked it

«And I want to be held down. I don’t know what to do with the horrifying freedom that can destroy me.»
— Clarice Lispector (The Passion According to G.H.)

7 people liked it

«Quando se ama não é preciso entender o que se passa lá fora, pois tudo passa a acontecer dentro de nós»
— Clarice Lispector

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«Who hasn’t asked himself, am I a monster or is this what it means to be human?»
— Clarice Lispector

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«The world’s continual breathing is what we hear and call silence.»
— Clarice Lispector (The Passion According to G.H.)

tags: music, silence, sound

4 people liked it

«Reality prior to my language exists as an unthinkable thought. . . . life precedes love, bodily matter precedes the body, and one day in its turn language shall have preceded possession of silence.»
— Clarice Lispector (The Passion According to G.H.)

tags: existence, language, love

4 people liked it

«‘I’ is merely one of the world’s instantaneous spasms.»
— Clarice Lispector (The Passion According to G.H.)

tags: i, identity, individuality

4 people liked it

«So long as I have questions to which there are no answers, I shall go on writing.»
— Clarice Lispector (The Hour of the Star)

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«What I want is to live of that initial and primordial something that was what made some things reach the point of aspiring to be human.»
— Clarice Lispector (The Passion According to G.H.)

tags: aspiration, being, desire, evolution, human, yearning

3 people liked it

«I have grown weary of literature: silence alone comforts me. If I continue to write, it’s because I have nothing more to accomplish in this world except to wait for death. Searching for the word in darkness. Any little success invades me and puts me in full view of everyone. I long to wallow in the mud. I can scarcely control my need for self-abasement, my craving for licentiousness and debauchery. Sin tempts me, forbidden pleasures lure me. I want to be both pig and hen, then kill them and drink their blood.»
— Clarice Lispector

tags: death, literature

3 people liked it

«Que ninguém se engane: só se consegue a simplicidade através de muito trabalho.»
— Clarice Lispector

tags: simplicidade

2 people liked it

«Even great men are only truly recognized and honored once they are dead. Why? Because those who praise them need to feel themselves somehow superior to the person praised, they need to feel they are making some concession. »
— Clarice Lispector (Near to the Wild Heart)

2 people liked it

«Ignorance of the law of irreducibility was no excuse. I could no longer excuse myself with the claim that I didn’t know the law — for knowledge of self and of the world is the law that, even though unattainable, cannot be broken, and no one can excuse himself by saying that he doesn’t know it. . . . The renewed originality of the sin is this: I have to carry out my unknowing, I shall be sinning originally against life.»
— Clarice Lispector (The Passion According to G.H.)

tags: knowledge, law, sin

2 people liked it

«The mystery of human destiny is that we are fated, but that we have the freedom to fulfill or not fulfill our fate: realization of our fated destiny depends on us. While inhuman beings like the cockroach realize the entire cycle without going astray because they make no choices.»
— Clarice Lispector (The Passion According to G.H.)

tags: destiny, fate, free, predestination, will

2 people liked it

«In the world there exists no aesthetic plane, not even the aesthetic plane of goodness.»
— Clarice Lispector (The Passion According to G.H.)

tags: aesthetics, art, beauty, good, truth

2 people liked it

«For at the hour of death you became a celebrated film star, it is a moment of glory for everyone, when the choral music scales the top notes.
»
— Clarice Lispector (The Hour of the Star)

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«Haber nacido me ha estropeado la salud.»
— Clarice Lispector

2 people liked it

«Escrevo por não ter nada a fazer no mundo: sobrei e não há lugar para mim na terra dos homens. Escrevo porque sou um desesperado e estou cansado, não suporto mais a rotina de me ser e se não fosse a sempre novidade que é escrever, eu me morreria simbolicamente todos os dias. (A hora da estrela)»
— Clarice Lispector

2 people liked it

«(…)sentou-se para descansar e em breve fazia de conta que ela era uma mulher azul porque o crepúsculo mais tarde talvez fosse azul, faz de conta que fiava com fios de ouro as sensações. faz de conta que a infância era hoje e prateada de brinquedos, faz de conta que uma veia não se abrira e faz de conta que dela não estava em silêncio alvíssimo escorrendo sangue escarlate, e que ela não estivesse pálida de morte mas isso fazia de conta que estava mesmo de verdade, precisava no meio do faz de conta falar a verdade de pedra opaca para que contrastasse com o faz de conta verde-cintilante, faz de conta que amava e era amada, faz de conta que não precisava morrer de saudade, faz de conta que estava deitada na palma transparente de Deus, não Lóri mas o seu nome secreto que ela por enquanto ainda não podia usufruir, faz de conta que vivia e não que estivesse morrendo pois viver afinal não passava de se aproximar cada vez mais da morte, faz de conta que ela não ficava de braços caídos de perplexidade quando os fios de ouro que fiava se embaraçavam e ela não sabia desfazer o fino fio frio, faz de conta que ela era sábia bastante para desfazer os nós de corda de marinheiro que lhe atavam os pulsos, faz de conta que tinha um cesto de pérolas só para olhar a cor da lua pois ela era lunar, faz de conta que ela fechasse os olhos e seres amados surgissem quando abrisse os olhos úmidos de gratidão, faz de conta que tudo o que tinha não era faz de conta, faz de conta que se descontraía o peito e uma luz douradíssima e leve guiava por uma floresta de açudes mudos e de tranqüilas mortalidades, faz de conta que ela não era lunar, faz de conta que ela não estava chorando por dentro.»
— Clarice Lispector

2 people liked it

«But don’t forget, in the meantime, that this is the season for strawberries. Yes.»
— Clarice Lispector (The Hour of the Star)

2 people liked it

«And now — now it only remains for me to light a cigarette and go home. Dear God, only now am I remembering that people die. Does that include me?
Don’t forget, in the meantime, that this is the season for strawberries. Yes.»
— Clarice Lispector

tags: death, hour, last, sentence, star

2 people liked it

«I like poisons, the slowest

and drinks, the stronges

and coffee, the bitterest

and the craziest hallucinations.

You can even throw me off a cliff, I’ll say:

So what? I love to fly»
— Clarice Lispector

1 person liked it

«I ask myself: is every story that has ever been written in this world, a story of suffering and affliction?

»
— Clarice Lispector (The Hour of the Star)

tags: essential, truth, yes

1 person liked it

«“I do not know much. But there are certain advantages in not knowing. Like virgin territory, the mind is free of preconceptions. Everything I do not know forms the greater part of me: This is my largesse. And with this I understand everything. The things I do not know constitute my truth.”»
— Clarice Lispector

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A couple of days ago, [Person #101] looks at me and says, I don’t see any indication that you have Narcolepsy, I’d have to get a doctor’s statement to believe it.
Sandy Ej [says or thinks]:
Well, you just haven’t walked in my shoes. When I fall down, you see a clumsy person.
When my laundry is not finished, you see a lazy person.
When I fall asleep, you see a person who hasn’t slept for
48 hours. When I avoid a topic, you see me as ‘wimpy’.
When I seek out the company of those that *love* me
like a sister, you see a person who avoids tough situations.
When I cry, you see a person who is weak. When I simply walk away from a situation, you see some one who has ‘no backbone’. This is far from the truth, my friend. I am coordinated. I once could waterski. I am industrious. I once was a teacher. I am lively. I once was able to saddle a horse and ‘peel out’ faster than you could say, «Wait a minute…» I am alert. I just can’t stay awake. I am strong-willed and courageous. You just haven’t known me ‘forever’. I am gutsy. You have just never seen me on the end of the high diving board, have you? I can climb mountains and swim like a fish. You have just never learned how to ‘be with me’. I am a woman of great strength.
You have never seen me when I’ve reached the ‘top of the summit’. I can’t ever say that I’ll ever be the person that I was. However, I’ll always be some one that you can love.
My heart is still warm, albeit hardened. I will always love you. I just don’t know if I can accept the way that you see
*me* from the outside. From the inside-out, I am perfect
as long as you know…. *WHO I USED TO BE*
Love,
Sandy Ej

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Perhaps, you’ve never known anyone with Narcolepsy. Let me give you
a few tips. If I have fallen asleep in your presence, I am either extremely
happy or I am miserable. If I am groggy or slurring my words, I am not drunk,
I can not drink. I am just under stress. If I fall down while laughing uncontrollably,
you can write it in your journal as: Sandy thinks that I am hilarious. If when I
see you, I fall down and skin my nose on the pavement, it’s just that *I love you*.
If I am painting on a 10 foot ladder and you wave at me as you drive by, and I fall;
I was just happy to see you. If you haven’t heard from me in decades, think of
the last thing that you said to me. Stress makes me sleepy. I want to be alert and
awake and so… I surround myself with positive people. It’s not that I think that
you are unimportant. You stress me out. And, I fall asleep. I want to live life living.
I am tired of sleeping. That’s what Narcolepsy is, an uncontrollable urge to sleep
their lives away. Live Life Living. That’s the way it should be. Muah.

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I never knew hard it is to say, «Goodbye»…

I knew it was, little one, I just tried to tell you

I didn’t hear the words

That’s because I couldn’t tell, I had to show you

And why was it so difficult to say

Because, I was living the pain, and I couldn’t tell the story

How would I know what it was like…

To say goodbye?

Yes, how would I know what it was like to say  «Goodbye»..

My little one, I showed you…

How?

By the choices I made, by the way I walked,

In the way that I approached people

When people were not so glad

When people made me mad

I was telling you the story…

And, I didn’t even know.

When the man in the street held a bottle in his arms…

When a lover loved and no one understands…..

When some one left quickly without a formal good bye…

When I wanted to live,  and some one wanted me to die….

When I showed you my pain, and you didn’t understand….

When I wrote a song, and didn’t have a band….

When I showed you the scars and you couldn’t feel the pain…

When I showed you the sun and it started to rain….

When I was right in the middle, and didn’t know how to stop….

The pain and the grief and the passion all on top….

By the way I responded when I had no where else to turn….

By the way I taught, with so very much to learn….

By the choices I made, when I had a penny in my pocket

By the way I clung to your picture in the locket….

By the way I responded to those in a rage…

By the way that I stopped and stared, while turning a page….

By the look on my face, when an actor goes on stage…

How he/she looks when greeting a worser nightmare….

How she looks at you when she’s without a care….

Still under construction….      4-08-10  Sandy Ej on Facebook

To be continued….

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A maid picks up. A mother teaches you responsibility. A slave was expected to provide services without compensation. A wife teaches you that flowers don’t grow without sunshine and rain.A stranger shakes their head and walks away.
A friend laughs with you as they are putting on their own clown outfit.
A hater trips over the power cord to your respirator.
A lover sheds a tear when you are hurting.
Every time I see your name, I say a prayer for you;
a prayer for peace, a prayer for safety, a prayer for prosperity, a prayer for joy,
a prayer for sunshine, a prayer for kindness, and a prayer for compassion.
Never on my darkest days, would I wish you hardship or despair.
I carry this suitcase with a smile on my face and the knowledge that
despite my weaknesses and my frailties, you have welcomed me.
And, I promise you one thing and only one thing; I will never, never,
never give up on you. If you hurt me or reject me or betray me, I
will simply walk away. That doesn’t mean that I don’t love you any less.
It means that I will choose to surround myself with positive people.
When given a choice whether to be cruel or to be kind, I will choose
to be kind. The choice is up to you. Life is meant for living.

*Love Laugh Live Longer*

* Sandy Ej * Copyright 2010 * March 12 *

Del dette:

Sandy Ej | Opprett ditt eget merke

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Have You Ever Really Been There?

Have you ever really been there?
Have your ever wondered why you’re here?
Have you ever watch it slip away?
Have you ever lost some one so dear?

And, did you ever sort of wonder-
What kind of God would let him die?
And, did you ever hear the thunder-
Get down on your knees and cry?

Have you ever really been there?
Have your ever wondered why you’re here?
Have you ever watch it slip away?
Have you ever lost some one so dear?

Have you ever had a knife right by your throat?
Have you ever screamed out loud and clear?
Have you ever prayed that time would fly?
«Cause you wanted to run out of here?

Have you ever really been there?
Have your ever wondered why you’re here?
Have you ever watch it slip away?
Have you ever lost some one so dear?

Have you ever been betrayed by a best friend?
Did you ever think it was the very end?
Have you ever watched him/her walk away?
Why aren’t broken hearts so easy to mend?

Have you ever really been there?
Have your ever wondered why you’re here?
Have you ever watch it slip away?
Have you ever lost some one so dear?

Have you ever called the number 9-1-1?
Have you ever had to go to prison?
Did you ever turn the other cheek?
Did you ‘shut up’? Did you stop and listen?

Have you ever really been there?
Have your ever wondered why you’re here?
Have you ever watch it slip away?
Have you ever lost some one so dear?

Have you ever considered-
I’d rather live life living, than live life dead?
Have you ever lived a bad dream….
And you weren’t even asleep in bed?

Have you ever really been there?
Have your ever wondered why you’re here?
Have you ever watch it slip away?
Have you ever lost some one so dear?

Have you ever seen a car swerve
Just in time to save your soul?
Have you ever seen a car roll
In the river, and out of control?

Have you ever really been there?
Have you ever wondered why you’re here?
Have you ever watch it slip away?
Have you ever lost some one so dear?

Have you ever loved and lost?
Have you ever lost it all?
Have you ever sat and sobbed,
Coming up against a’ brick wall?

Have you ever really been there?
Have your ever wondered why you’re here?
Have you ever watch it slip away?
Have you ever lost some one so dear?

Put on your shoes in the morning-
And, never let them go.
It’s better to live the life you live
Than one you’d rather not know.

Have you ever really been there?
Have your ever wondered why you’re here?
Have you ever watch it slip away?
Have you ever lost some one so dear?

What were you really thinking?
How could you really know?
It’d be the very, very last time-
Honey, it’s time to just let go.

Have you ever really been there?
Have your ever wondered why you’re here?
Have you ever watch it slip away?
Have you ever lost some one so dear?

Have you ever seen it coming;
The trouble looking right back at you?
Could you have done it better?
What else could you do?

Have you ever really been there?
Have your ever wondered why you’re here?
Have you ever watch it slip away?
Have you ever lost some one so dear?

Have you ever been free
And you looked right through the bars?
Have you ever been pure,
No ghosts, no grudges, nor cigars?

Have you ever really been there?
Have your ever wondered why you’re here?
Have you ever watch it slip away?
Have you ever lost some one so dear?

Have you ever had to tell a story
And the people had no ears?
Have you ever had a vision
No hates, no fights, no fears?

Have you ever really been there?
Have your ever wondered why you’re here?
Have you ever watch it slip away?
Have you ever lost some one so dear?

It’s why I’m here
It’s why I’ve got
The best of friends
That walk the talk

Have you ever really been there?
Have your ever wondered why you’re here?
Have you ever watch it slip away?
Have you ever lost some one so dear?

It’s why I smile,
It’s not so bad.
It’s why I share
The life I’d had.

Have you ever really been there?
Have your ever wondered why you’re here?
Have you ever watch it slip away?
Have you ever lost some one so dear?

It’s why I sing,
It’s why I dance.
It’s why there’s faith
I understand.

Have you ever really been there?
Have your ever wondered why you’re here?
Have you ever watch it slip away?
Have you ever lost some one so dear?

I’m not giving up
I’m living life grand
I’m not getting ugly
I’m singing with the band.

Have you ever really been there?
Have your ever wondered why you’re here?
Have you ever watch it slip away?
Have you ever lost some one so dear?

Have you ever wondered how you got here?
Ever wondered where you’re going?
And, when you hear the thunder,
I love you is worth knowing…..

Have you ever really been there?
Have your ever wondered why you’re here?
Have you ever watch it slip away?
Have you ever lost some one so dear?

Never, never, never give up.

Sandy Ej on Facebook

http://www.cottoncandycloud.wordpress.com

Del dette:

Copyright *2010* Sandy and Co

All Rights Reserved.

No material may be reprinted without the

permission of the author.

Requests to use the material with in this blog can be directed to the author.

Send an e-mail to :

sandyszoo2you@yahoo.com

Author will provide contact information upon request.

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Don’t You Let Me Get Between Us

Don’t you let me get between us

Don’t you let me make you mine

Don’t you ever cross on over

Don’t you let me cross the line

*

Down the road and being lazy

Through dark tunnels in my mind

Don’t you let me squander

Every dollar, nickel, dime

*

‘Cause you’re just a special friend

‘Cause I’m really in to you

‘Cause I’ll never let you go

I’m falling fast,  I love you too….

*

Don’t You Let Me Get Between Us…..     [refrain]

*

Don’t you let me start a fire now

Don’t be gentle, don’t be meek

Don’t you let me treat you better

Don’t you choose  him,  you  or me

*

‘Cause I never want your eye to wander

‘Cause I never want you to be mine

‘Cause I never want another lover

‘Cause I never want to cross the line

*

Don’t you let me get between us

Don’t you dare turn out the light

Don’t you let me kiss you under the stars

Don’t stay today, don’t stay tonight

*

‘Cause I only wanted you forever

I never wanted to let go

I never wanted pecks or kisses

I just wanted to ‘go slow’

*

And, now that I’m yours

And, now that your mine

The one between us is…

Forever on my mind

The End

**********************************************************

My husband and I both have friends of the opposite sex.

I could never live with out ‘those friends’.

Boundaries are important.

And, sometimes there is nothing between ‘two friends’

but, they’ll be together ’til the end.

Friendship is so very important to me.

I grew up with a lot of my brothers’ friends coming and going.

I cherish the memories.  I kept my boundaries.

And, sometimes I might have wondered what might have been…

This song is for the ‘might have beens’ that I’ll cherish forever.   Amen.

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U  R  D  Y  N Shh! E Cries

U  R  D  Y  N  Shh!E  Cries (sign)

U  R  D  Tears (sign)  N  R  I(‘s)

U  R  (th)Oz  N  D   Night (sign)

U  R  (th)Oz  N  D   Day    (sign)

U’L    N F R   Know (sign)  How (sign)   OFF/ON  Shh!E  Prays (sign)

COME  HOME  BABY  COME  HOME  (sign)

* * *         * * *

R  Heart (sign)   Beats (sign)  4   U

R  Soul    (sign)  Rocks  (sign)   N  Sways  (sign)

U  R  D  Light (sign)  At (sign)  D  N  F  D  Day (sign)

COME  HOME  BABY  COME  HOME  (sign)

***                                  ***

U  R  X  L  N(t)

N  F  R  E  Way (sign)

U  R  N  My (sign)  Heart  (sign)

N   I   Will (sign)  Not (sign)  Stray (sign)

COME  HOME  BABY  COME  HOME    (sign)

***                                 ***

U R  2  Q(t)  4  Words (sign)

I  M  E  Z  2  Please (sign)

Friends (sign)  N  V  UR  Looks (sign)

I  M  Down (arrow)   N   My (sign)  Knees (sign)

COME  HOME  BABY  COME  HOME    (sign)

***                                  ***         (softly singing to this melody……)

N  I  B  Leaf (sign)  N  U                                           A  D  C  A  B   A …..

N  UL  Big (sign)  N  2  C                                          A  D  C  A  B   A …..

[That]  UR   B-U-T   Full (sign)  2  Me (sign)    A  D  C  A  B   A …..

So (sign)       B-U-T  Full (sign)  2  Me (sign)      A  D  C  A  B   A …..

COME  HOME  BABY  COME  HOME    (sign)

COME  HOME  BABY  COME   HOME     (sign)

***                                   ***

N  Y  Can’t (sign)  U   Just (sign)  Stay (sign)          A  D  C  A  B   A …..

N  Y   Can’t (sign)  U  Just (sign)   C                            A  D  C  A  B   A …..

F     UR    I.Q.     S      202                                                   A  D  C  A  B   A …..

Ten (sign)  U L  Know (sign)  That (sign)                   A  D  C  A  B   A …..

One (sign)  plus (sign)  One (sign)  Equals    I   Love (sign)  U  (Shout!)

Original Song by:                                                                  A  D  C  A  B   A …..

Sandy S Zoo

Sandy Ej on Facebook

http://www.cottoncandycloud.wordpress.com/

The tune for the song is on http://www.youtube.com/

The title of the song is ‘You Are’ as sung by Sandy S Zoo.

P.S.

I was having a ‘Horrible-No-Good-Very-Bad-Day’ a few years ago

and my mother, who worked nights, would stop by in the morning

after working the night shift

and deliver cappuccino and a roll and then, she would

sing the song, «Y-M-C-A» to me and tell me to «S-M-I-L-E».

I’m glad that I chose to dance.  And, you should see me smile.

(She just sang the chorus, folks.)  I love my MOM!   Muah!

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Better Than A Maytag

Money was tight
The kids were asleep
I ran out of quarters,
Should I wash by hand or weep

I sorted and sorted,
I examined each piece
I filled tub after tub
With water, soap and fleece

And, when that tub was full
And, when those clothes were wet
I loved those clothes and…
Hugged those clothes, and wept

I needed those clothes
Like the bread off the table
I wrapped my arms around them
As much as I was able

I squeezed out the water
I added more soap
I splashed around a bit
I poured in some hope

I traveled around the world
I went to places I’d never been
I thought of drugs I’d be takin’
If I had to do this, my friend [Tylenol, Motrin….].

I thought of ‘Manda and Gertrude
Of Martha and ‘Tina
I thought of all the women of the world
Of laundry and ‘Lena

I never would have done it
But some things were brewing
I could have waited a day or two
But the things and thoughts were stewing

What would I do
if I did this every day
What would I do
with Twelve kids anyway

I probably would be up
I’d probably be found
Washing, sorting, hugging
Holding laundry all day long

Starting at Ten Thirty at night
I ended at Five the next day
I had hand washed four loads
I could do it, Hooray!

Like a rotating door
I thought of life like this
Where do I get off
Would life be hell, or be bliss’

I thought of my health,
My brain, my condition
I thought of everything I’d do
For perfect health, my mission

And, God looked down
With a frown, and a shout
Sandy, don’t be telling me
You can’t do this, don’t doubt

For whatever I put
In your path, in your day
I’ll be there to listen
Just watch and then pray

I don’t want you to hurt
I cry when it’s tough
When doctors tell you somethin’
Don’t get down on your luck

Be strong, Sandy
Stand tall and be brave
I’m standing beside you
Every night and every day

I just can’t change it
I would, if I could
You are what you are
It’s unique, it is good

Live life, be brave
And do what you do
Don’t give up on
The love that’s in you

I can’t change it
You can’t either, it’s true
Just believe in yourself
Where you are, and what you do

Be and believe
Love and let live
Your life is a rainbow
Now go and forgive

Don’t look back
Don’t think far in advance
Be where you are
Accept, love, live and dance.

Last night…
I washed four loads of clothes by hand, it’s true
At the conclusion my adventure I said to myself
I’m better than a Maytag! Those clothes were like new…..

Blessings,
Sandy S Zoo

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Sara’s Song by Sandy S Zoo * Copyright 2009 – All Rights Reserved *

Some things we do not know
Some pain just doesn’t go away

Sara’s Song

How deep is the earth?
Is it really round?
Why do some kids get cancer?
Why can’t a cure be found?

Why are some kids bald?
Are there people on Mars?
Are there families on the moon?
Why can’t God fix scars?

Why can’t God do everything?
Why are babies born still?
Why is there no beat from the start?
What is a courage, a knowledge, a strong will?

Some things, Sara, we do not know
Some pain just doesn’t go away
Why are some parents nice and neat?
Why, are others, crabby night and day?

Why did Brycen die?
Do babies go to heaven?
I can’t live a day without you, Momma…
Maybe for ten, but not eleven

Why can’t God do everything?
Why are babies born still?
Why are they born without a heartbeat?
What is a courage, a knowledge, a will?

Why are some kids lazy and some kids crazy
Some things, Sara, I just don’t understand,
Why do some kids sing and some kids play
And some can’t run or play in the sand

Sara, those are labels or stigmas
They’re not even real
Well, then, why even say it
How’s a girl to heal?

Why are some parents nice
And some hit and swear every day
Some things we do not know
Some pain just doesn’t go away

These are actual questions that my Six Year Old asked me one night.
I added some of my own thoughts afterwards, but this is the general
conversation…..Amen.

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http://www.myspace.com/kurveunion

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[Glitterfy.com – *Glitter Photos*]

If I could paint a rainbow, I’d paint it
with you…
I’d welcome the stars, and the
daffodils,too

On days like today, your gentle voice
it sings…
I miss you Grandma, Grandpa, I miss you on
the swing

You see, every summer, your home
became mine
Your raspberries,strawberries,
rhubarb, sublime

And, as I looked ahead in life, you were
always there
I never had to look very far, I could find
you anywhere

You were there on the porch, you were there
by the lake
You were playing with your fiddle, while Grandma’s
cookies baked

If someone told me, some day you’d
be gone
I would go running back to you, and
sing you a song

Dear Grandpa, on days like today, it’s direct and simple, I can’t
buy you back
I can never find you, and that’s
a fact

I miss your hugs and I miss your
gentle notes,
When I miss you, Grandpa, I still
wear your coat [I do….]

You loved me, that’s all
it took,
I never knew why until I looked in
the picture book

On her gentle face, she smiled gently
at you
And as I got older, I had that pretty
smile too…

Your children so beautiful, kindly
and dear,
Your grandchildren dancing and singing
sincere

You are not so far away, Grandpa, but I miss holding
your hand
I miss your hugs and kisses, your fiddle and
your band…

As you got older, Gramps, life changed before we ever
really knew
And, as Grandma faded away, your
memory went too…

We’d come to see you, and wait for a
hug and kiss
But, you didn’t know us, or see us as the relative
you missed

One day, I came to visit, put my head on
your shoulder
I said, Grandpa, I miss you, and your
heart grew colder

Because, as much as I tried to bring you
right back
The Alzheimer’s had claimed you, and
that is a fact

Hello, Gramps, how ya’ doing
today
Have you had any company, what can
you say

You looked back at me with tears in
your eyes
«Who are you, my dear?», my face
in disguise

As I left that day, it was hard to
go back
For Grandpa was gone, sincerely
off track

When I saw his gentle spirit sitting on
that chair
He looked and he looked and couldn’t see
me anywhere…

I miss you, Gramps!

Third Draft December 11, 2008, Sunset at Strawberry Lake
In memory of my Grandpa Sam and Grandma Amanda

Grandpa Sam lived until the wise and courageous age of 93
I said ‘goodbye’ to him four days before he went to ‘heaven’
I read Louis L’Amour and sang his favorite songs to him
It was so hard letting go…and yet, it was a long goodbye

Grandma Amanda lived until she was ‘just 70’ years old
She was a breast cancer survivor and just a gem of a person
Six weeks before she said, «Goodbye» we were celebrating Grandpa’s birthday
She dressed up in her best clothes and informed us that she was
celebrating HER BIRTHDAY with Grandpa [Well….o.k.]

She died six weeks later surrounded by ALL of her ten children
except for James, he was THERE to welcome her HOME

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A Song in the Garden

I started working on a new garden.

I think of each new day, and each new garden-

And, I wonder about the children being born each day.

I wonder about each new flower being planted.

*********************************************************

Will there be enough sunshine and rain?

Will there be a warm welcome or will there be pain?

I think of the beautiful blooms and the butterflies, too.

At sunrise, do you feel tired or do you feel brand new?

Life is like a garden, a sweet circle of friends.

Like sunshine and honey, it’s goodness never ends.

But, there are days, like today, my little one-

When the clouds are dark and the river runs,

Over rocks, and under trees,

Under bridges, over leaves.

There is no mercy, it seems,

There is no sunshine, no sunbeams.

Look deep in the well and say,

Go away darkness, I don’t want to play.

You’re not welcome, you can not stay.

Rise up and meet the sunshine.

Grab a smile and make it ‘mine’

Look up and force a smile.

Clouds are here for a little while

Come sunshine, come now,

Hear me whisper, take a bow.

Do not go away so long.

I miss your warmth, I miss your song.

For while music does not come from you.

It comes from the flowers surrounded by dew.

While you are just a sitting up there in the sky,

The ones you shine on, the ones who cry.

We count on you to cheer us on today,

We need your warmth, your sun today.

Amen.

Copyright 2008 Sandy S Zoo

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You are not gone; just out of our reach.

You loved, and laughed and lived life with zest.

You cared, and shared and shouted.

You were full of life.

From a distance, I could see…

someone that would make a difference.

And, today as I sat here quietly crying,

I realized something new. As WE SAY GOODBYE to you,

We are also embracing your friends and family…

Caring for them, loving them dearly, sharing with them.

We are living with them in their grief, crying with them,

shouting with them, «Why, God?»

You have touched each one of our lives as you say goodbye.

As we are waving to you, Gentle Angel, you are looking

down on us…

As we are loving, caring, sharing, shouting, crying, living,

consoling, and…

you are smiling because- that’s all you ever wanted,

for every one to follow The One who sent you.

Amen!

Today We Say Goodbye, With Tears in My Eyes

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Glitter Graphics & Comments

Glitter Graphics & Comments

My wish for you…

Love Hope Faith Humor Courage

Sandy S Zoo

Walk through this place as a visitor.
Respect all things you come upon and you will be respected.
Respect all people you come upon and you will be honored.
Pray to all the gods you come upon and you will be accepted.
He who honors the traditions of all ancient people and all contemporary people has no enemy.
You are the caretakers of realization.Realization by any name is the awareness that you or God.
The feeling of great understanding is Love.The man or woman who attains God is the man or woman who walks each day as though he or she is on vacation from heaven, the vacation on Planet Earth in Human Body, the journey called reincarnation.It was never meant for you to establish residency here.
You were meant to taste here, to enjoy yourself in its rituals and sacraments, with wisdom to experience the passion, anger, joy, love, and peace.
Yourself in the presence of the great trees that are forever green.
You are a visitor to this body, to this planet.

The gold you seek, the house you build, the relationships you form are only for the experience to keep, to help you forever weaving the experience called you.
I come to you from a world that is within you, that awaits you, that brings you to my world through the gate of dignity, self-respect, and self-love.

~ A Peruvian Shamans Prayer*

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Kathys Comments

With Love,

Sandy S Zoo

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———————————————————————

If you have experienced a heart attack, a recent diagnosis of cancer,

the loss of your sight or hearing, or are living with a chronic illness,

you may be wondering, can I get back in the game again. If you

have experienced ANY LOSS, you may be wondering, can I live and

love again.

Here is my reply:

————————————————————————

Hey-You!

A poem:

You are asking me to trust again

You are asking me to feel again

You are asking me to love again

You are asking me to take my heart out

Of my front pocket and put it where it belongs

You are asking me to take that thought

And to let it burn, to let it go, to let people know

There’s a better tomorrow, I can be free

I can be me

You are asking me to love again

You are asking me to touch again

You are asking me to tell the world

That the beauty on the outside is real

And, that the beauty on the inside will heal

You are telling me to dare to take another step

To get back on the stage and to be me

I am scared that I will get hurt again

I am scared that I will fall again

I am scared that I will learn to love again

And, that I will have to let go again

To let go of the pain again

As I sit here perched on the edge

I am ready to fly

And as easy as it is to just sit here

I want to fly

I want to soar

I want to feel

I want to be

I am ready

Are you there to catch me if I fall

Are you there to hold my tears

Cupped in your hands

Count them one by one

Are you there to listen

When the world can’t understand

What it’s like to live and then lose

Almost everything that you hold

Dear to your heart

Are you ready for an encore

Are you ready to hear me roar

Are you ready to love again

Are you ready to fly again

Are you ready to feel again

Are you ready to live again

Even if it hurts

Yes

And, you?

Hey, you!

What’s your answer?

Whisper to me

And, you?

Another poem by:

Sandy S. Zoo

http://www.cottoncandycloud.wordpress.com

Posted in Hey-You! Another Poem by Sandy S. Zoo

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Funny Face Day at the Lake

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Quotes Myspace Graphics / Myspace Quotes | Layouts | Lose Weight

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Down Memory Lane or Daisy Pass Fast

**Daisy Pass-Yellowstone National Park

The beginning of a friendship; of a journey:

Now, as friends telling friends about a friendship, we

sometimes look at the bright and shiny part of a person.

We see each other as we are, as we want to be seen- not as we

could have been; not as the trials and the tragedies and

the broken hearts. Not as the mistakes we made, but as the

sum total of all of the good things that we have done.

This describes the friendship between ‘Michael’ and ‘Sandy’.

*

We valued our friendship, and we valued each other; the

unique qualities that each of us brought to the friendship.

We respected our similarities; we accepted our differences.

We were intrigued by each other’s stories- the good, the bad

and the ugly.

And, to be honest, the things we’ve

done, the places we’ve seen, the mountains we have climbed

have not always been so very pleasant. When I think

of the deepest valley, the darkest cave, the scariest roller

coaster, the wildest bull ride, the coldest winter;

I think that we, Michael and Sandy, see eye to eye.

And our story begins:

Hi, Michael, my name is Sandy. How are you doing today?

Oh, you are from Canada. Isn’t that nice. Where did you

come from, Sandy? Oh, you came from down on the farm.

Yep, that’s where I came from, too. Did you have any

neighbors, Michael? I didn’t either.

From time to time we meet some one who travels with us,

laughs with us, talks with us and walks on a tight rope with us.

My friend, Michael, is one of those tight rope walkers. Since

Michael is a world traveler, there were times when I lost track

of Michael. It was always my mission to ‘Find Michael’. Have

you seen Michael? What is Michael doing now? Where in the

world is Michael? These were/are frequent buzz words in my

world.

Today’s to-do list: Google ‘Michael’.

Tomorrow’s to-do list: Call up the first five ‘Michaels’ on list.

Next week: Call the real ‘Michael’

Next month: Book a flight to Texas.

The following month: Have dinner with Michael.

Well, that dinner never came. The flight was cancelled.

From time to time, we did visit by phone. And, we did

talk, and we did laugh, and we did tell about the latest

tight rope walks.

*

It is now the year 2007:

I don’t think that I had talked to Michael in 13 years. That is

a very long time. I googled ‘Michael’ and found that

he was now a writer of civil war novels. I was hot on the trail.

He was a curator of a museum. He lived in Guam. He got his

Master of Divinity. He previously had lived in Texas. He even

lived in a commune in Los Angelos, CA.

I would call and ask for ‘Michael’ and his room mates would

tell me in a foreign language and very broken English, «He not

here right now; he be right back.» Perhaps, this was not where

‘Michael’ lived after all. Michael never apologized to me about

the careless telephone receptionists. He had never lived in Los

Angelos, CA.

*

Michael tells me that he ‘googled’ Sandy S. Zoo and found

her. They exchanged quite a few e-mails and then, after

some time, Michael recalled a feeling that maybe this wasn’t

‘Sandy’ after all. It might have been the sweet little laugh or

the jokes that she told that were in poor taste. This was NOT

‘Sandy’.

One day, not so many months ago, Sandy did another search

on Google.com. Humph! Look at that! ‘Michael’ works for the

‘FBI’ or something like it. She got right on the phone.

*

Wanting to surprise him, she had planned to start the

long-awaited conversation with: «Remember when those

hikers went skinny dipping?» or how about, «Do you

remember ‘The Grizzly Bear Story?’ as told by ‘Roger’.»

or «Do you remember the elk and calf visiting our tent

early in the morning?» or «Did my snoring really keep

you awake all night?!» or perhaps, best of all,

«Do you remember when we cross country skied down Daisy

Pass?» «Do you remember…?» On my first try, I only said,

«Oh, I am sorry; this must be a wrong number….» On the

next try, I left a nice message. ‘Michael’ called me back.

There was SO MUCH that I wanted to tell ‘Michael’. Where

do I begin…

I did NOT want to remind ‘Michael’ of the dreaded ‘Wild Berry

Pie’ or the hikers who streaked across the glacier. I had hoped

that he had forgotten. I tried to forget, but some times, I

would wake up in the middle of the night thinking…..»What

were those hikers thinking?!» That without a cell phone or a

phone booth, we couldn’t or wouldn’t dial 9-1-1?!

*

Well, when I finally called the right number, and when I

finally heard ‘Michael’s’ voice, he had the very best line.

«Sandy, you haven’t changed a bit.» That made my heart

flutter a little bit. Through hell and high water, I hadn’t lost

my sense of humor. I was ‘o.k’ in Michael’s eyes. Nothing

had changed.

We talked about a lot of things…life and love, mid-life

crises, puppy chow, dirty laundry, and favorite movies.

And then, we said, «Goodbye» and promised to keep in touch.

And, we will and we do.

*

Today, I receive an e-mail from ‘Michael’ saying,

«…and, we were going down Daisy Pass without a care in

the world, and no brakes either.»

The memories came galloping back into my mind.

We were cross country skiing down Daisy Pass and it had a

pretty good slope to it. The snow was soft and fluffy.

The scenery was just out of this world. We wanted to show off

to our friends and be the first ones to the bottom, and we

were. But, the way to the bottom was tainted by a poor

braking system and the excessive vegetation. We did not

score high in terms of skill or accuracy. We scored high

in terms persistence and sheer will. We narrowly escaped

a trip to the E.R. , wherever that was. I am sure that

it was more than 30 miles from Pebble Creek.

*
We laughed each time we fell and, each time, we picked each

other off of the forest floor. It was as dangerous, or more,

than our ditch diving escapades.

We both have families with children, and nieces and nephews.

It is best not to know how we accomplished ditch diving and

also that you not ask how far and how deep ‘Michael’s’ best

jump was. Let it be.

*

Memories deteriorate fast when one reaches 39 years old.

The details of yesterday’s adventures become blurred.

It is the marriage of fact and fiction, with disbelief

woven into the tapestry.

*

«I can’t believe we did that!’, was a common expression.

«Mom- tell us about the time that you and your friend,

Michael, had lunch on a glacier by Going to the Sun Road.»

«Tell us about the time that you swam past the herd of

moose to get to the island where you jumped off of

the huge boulder….» «Did you really eat ‘Wild Berry Pie’?!»

*

«I can’t remember,» she responds. That was a long time

ago.

*

«Tell me the story one more time, Mom!»

«That sounded like so much fun!»

It was fun.

*

Those were the very best ‘Days of Our Lives’.

Thanks, God, for a good day; for a good life… and for

joining us on those hiking trips. We kept those guardian angels

busy.

*

Amen!

*

Sandy S. Zoo ©2008 Hugs to you both, Michael & Chad!

www.cottoncandycloud.wordpress.com

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Tip: How to Translate A Page or Website

—————————————————————-

Some website pages have a button indicating that an instant

translation is available. Try this:

——————————————————————-
http://babelfish.yahoo.com/?lin=en&translate_me=yes

——————————————————————-

Here is another method to use for translating documents:

—————————————————————-

1. Click on your website.

2. Click on the post/a post within your website.

3. Click on the_ button next to the MINIMIZE button and X Button.

4. The title of your website is now, look down, right here. (bottom of screen)

5. You’ll be translating in a New York Minute!

6. Now click on your desktop.

7. Click on ANY OTHER shortcut, but NOT your website shortcut.

This step allows you to open a brand new page.

8. The shortcut icon has opened up to a page or a website.

You will see it as a full screen image.

9. Now click the _ button. This button will minimize this screen.

These are your three choices: [ _ [] X ] (upper right-hand corner)

10. You will now have a HALF SCREEN of this shortcut.

11. Now click on YOUR website in the rectangle below. (bottom of the screen)

12. Minimize it using the_ button.This will minimize the screen.

These are your three choices: [ _ [] X ] (upper right-hand corner)

13. Scroll over the right or left side of the page with your website on it.

14. When you see a character with arrows on both ends,

click on it.

15. Now, press down on the double arrow button, hold it down, and

DRAG it to the left or right so that the website screen

covers ONE HALF of your computer screen.

16. Go up to number [9], and do the same for the

OTHER website screen.

17. Now, you have two screens on ONE page and you

can begin translating word for word.

18. One detail: To use the editing function, you need to

click on NEW POST. (www.wordpress.com)

19. If you are translating material to an existing web page

on your site, make sure to do this:

—————————————————————-

a. Click on the LOG IN

b. Now LOG IN

c. Click on ADMINISTER

d. Click ON THE PAGE

e. Click on EDIT

f. These directions relate to WordPress websites.
——————————————————————

f. You are ready for translating. As long as you know a

foreign language, you are ‘good to go’.

g. If you ‘ don’t have a clue’ about Greek or French, or

Norwegian, check out www.BYKI.com and learn it before you begin to translate.

h. Downloading www.BYKI.com is a piece of cake!

i. This website, www.BYKI.com , is free! No credit cards. No fees.

j. Enjoy!

Sandy S. Zoo

Del dette:

You Can’t Miss This!

Klikk på: Kurve Union

www.myspace.com/kurveunion

This music is so upbeat and a little bit funny.

I love these guys.

The music is contemporary NORWEGIAN music.

You will find it refreshing and a bit- I don’t know what to say.

I’ll think about a better way to describe Kurve Union.

You can’t miss this! It’s GROOVY. That’s it.

And- don’t be offended by anything NORWEGIAN.

It’s a different perspective. A different way of seeing things.

It’s enlightening. It’s inspiring. It is refreshing.

When something in a different culture rubs you the wrong way,

you may want to take a closer look. Is it WRONG or is it

DIFFERENT or is it ART? I think that Kurve Union is, in

Norwegian words, topps!

You may be surprised to know that

some theologians in NORWAY find Kurve Union to be GROOVY, too.

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Big, floppy ears hover over their eyes

They look rather homely, but actually quite wise-

They nudge through the mud with great enthusiasm

Their scent of their odor can send you havin’ spasms-

They’re not too nice to look at

But, they’re really great to eat-

Ham is just spectacular

But, pigs feet aint’ too neat-

So, when asked what’s for supper, Ma?

Tell them, It’s really great-

After they say, «Mmmmm….good!»

Tell them what they ate-

They are the muddy little creatures

That lodge inside the barn-

And they come to your table

From the good ole’ family farm-

I was sixteen years old, enrolled in a Creative Writing Course

at a local college. I sat out on the OTHER side of the fence as

14 sows and gilts drove their noses like bulldozers all through

the mud. And, I thought to myself- THAT’S WHAT WE’RE

HAVING FOR SUPPER TONIGHT! [sound effects] Eek!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am not sixteen years old anymore.

However, this is my first FAVORITE poem and my kids still love

to hear me recite my poem.

A poem by Sandy S. Zoo Copyright 2008/www.cottoncandycloud.org

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rollingblogger

We all experience pain. We all experience hardships. Sometimes they come at us in wave after wave. Just because we make it through one or two waves doesn’t mean the storm will pass.

In these times the human mind has a hard time seeing the good in a situation. We lose family members through death, disease and divorce. We can lose our homes in a fire or a storm. We can go into work one day and find out we are no longer needed by the company. These and so many other scenarios happen to thousands of people every year. And often times they look to the sky and ask, ‘Where was God?!!’ Sometimes we lose our faith because we don’t see an immediate solution. But I ask you, What if YOU are that solution?

God doesn’t always come through in a burning bush or His Son, Jesus Christ…

Vis opprinnelig innlegg 226 ord igjen

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Source: When Plans Fall Through.

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The West Central Tribune – Reporter Tom Cherveny –
has shared our story, ‘Montevideo Woman Befriends Portuguese Violinist’, with several major newspapers in the State of Minnesota, USA.

Bio:
Tom Cherveny is a regional and outdoor reporter with the West Central Tribune in Willmar, MN.

Phone number:
(320) 214-4335
Contact Email
TCherveny@wctrib.com
For more information on Violinista Nuno Flores and the local Cultural Diversity Council
of the Upper Minnesota River Valley, use the contact information provided at the
conclusion of this page.

https://www.facebook.com/P.ingenium/ Nuno Flores’

Check out this article http://www.wctrib.com/news/3645057-montevideo-woman-befriends-portugese-violinist

Nuno Flores has visited Sandy Erickson, living in Southwestern Minnesota, two times in 2014, one time in 2015.

Sandy Erickson is a breast cancer survivor, and a mother of five. After her arm shattered during Black Belt Training, she encountered the diagnosis of brittle bone disease possibly a side effect of cancer treatment. Shortly thereafter,
Sandy Erickson contacted Nuno Flores in March of 2014 to
ask him to teach her how to play the violin.

Here is the story of visual artist, Sandy Erickson, and world renowned violinist Nuno Flores, who in the midst of an agricultural community settled between lakes and prairies, have inspired all ages, from many unique backgrounds
to pick up the violin and try to play it or to simply sit back and listen.

A POSTCARDS Documentary –

http://www.inforum.com/variety/music/3646873-famous-violinist-minnesota-woman-forge-trans-atlantic-friendship

http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_27337243/minnesota-portugal-friendship-is-made

http://www.wctrib.com/news/3645057-montevideo-woman-befriends-portugese-violinist

http://www.nunoflores.com/#!noticias/c1xr6

Famous violinist, Minnesota woman forge transAtlantic friendship | Daily Globe

http://www.dglobe.com/news/3646052-famous-violinist-minnesota-woman-forge-transatlantic-friendship

http://www.pioneer.org/pressroom/previous/5 – about Montevideo, Minnesota

[Mayor Debra Lee Fader presents the New Montevideo Mural by Shawn McCann]

[Nuno Flores’ Co-Producers – Sandy Erickson and Mayor Debra Lee Kristian Fader]

Debra Lee Kristian Fader is a frequent collaborator with Violinista Nuno Flores’ :

About Debra Lee Kristian Fader:

Mayor of Montevideo, MN
City of Montevideo
January 2010 – Present (6 years)Montevideo, MN
Elected Official. Celebrated Ambassador for the City of Montevideo, MN
Mayor of Montevideo, MN Radio Personality on KDMA-KMGM-KKRC, Owner of Sportsmen City of Montevideo, MN-MAYOR, Owner of Sportsmen Inn, KDMA-KMGM-KKRC-Radio Personality
Opening Act Lionessa Productions Casino Hotel Industry
January 1977 – January 1994 (17 years 1 month)

Production Show Lead Singer/Dancer and ACT
Stardust Hotel, Las Vegas- Sahara Hotel, Las Vegas- Union Plaza Hotel, Las Vegas-Dunes Hotel,-Las Vegas; Bally’s-Reno, Windows on Hollywood-L.A., Harrah’s Del Rio-Laughlin,
Trump Castle, Harrah’s, Resort’s International, Tropicana: Atlantic City, NJ Concorde-Aruba, Sands, El San Juan, DuPont Plaza, WAPA 4TV: Puerto Rico
Sheraton Valley Forge-PA, Radisson Hotels, Las Palmas, Palm Springs, NCL, RCL Disney and CCL

Broadway Spotlight Series National/International Opera Tour:
“A Little Night Music” “Petra” Gordon Crowe Productions 1976
Lionessa Entertainment
Entertainment/OPERA
January 1977 – January 1994 (17 years 1 month)
Media and Theatrical Producer
https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=AAkAAAiTYjsB8z3ui8t6y6i3YKG9dEshDh38ReA&authType=NAME_SEARCH&authToken=4a7p&locale=en_US&trk=tyah&trkInfo=clickedVertical%3Amynetwork%2CclickedEntityId%3A143876667%2CauthType%3ANAME_SEARCH%2Cidx%3A1-1-1%2CtarId%3A1451273035304%2Ctas%3ADebra%20lee%20kristia&_mSplash=1
[Nuno Flores’ American Co-Performer – Las Vegas Star – Debra Lee Kristian Fader]

A schedule of our events as presented to KDMA 1460 AM Radio of Montevideo, MN:
http://vimeo.com/67356969

Nuno Flores -Violinista of Portugal was in Montevideo for three weeks this June offering concerts for several local organizations, He returned to the United States in December to perform a series of concerts and school presentations, and in February and March to take part in The Pioneer Public Television Pledge and Membership Drive.

Nuno Flores appeared to thoroughly enjoy performing at the Dance Haven Recital at the Dawson Memorial Auditorium on May 18. Nuno expressed his gratitude to Tammy and Ed Picht for their hospitality and their eagerness to welcome him into their community.

Nuno Flores also was a guest at the Relay for Life event at Smith Park and performed songs with Pastor Matt Philaya and a vocal performer. Nuno played a song in honor of his mother, his father, and in memory of his grandfather, a cancer patient.

A benefit was organized for Katelyn Pauling of Montevideo, Minnesota. ‘A Concert for Katelyn’ was held at the Hollywood On Main, LCC. Over $1,200 was raised to support the Batten’s Disease Research And Support Association. http://www.bdrasa.org

Jeremy and Kristy Pauling and family attended this event with Katelyn. The concert was held at the Hollywood On Main, LCC, owned by Ruth Ann Lee and her husband, Jerry. Mike Milbrandt and Christopher Petersen of DJ Systems were instrumental in planning this benefit and contributing to it. Debra Lee Kristian Fader performed several songs that she has also performed on Broadway, for Trump Entertainment and in a variety of well-known Las Vegas establishments.

One of the highlights of this concert was that Nuno Flores practiced with and recruited six local individuals to accompany him in his band. These band members had been practicing weekly at a local establishment Groat’s Bar & Grill for approximately ten years. This is another example of our belief that when there are few words exchanged between two cultures, music is a bridge to communication and cooperation.

Nuno Flores was also a guest at the Anthony Shore Concert at the Hollywood Theatre on Friday, May 30th. It was a huge success and participants took home very meaningful memories. Anthony Shore is an Elvis impersonator. He was joined by Mo Donahue – a Cher Impersonator and The Anthony Shore Band.

Nuno presented a demonstration of the electric violin at the Montevideo Middle School during the weeks of May 19 – May 23 and May 27 – May 30. Nuno Flores made a presentation to several music classes at Ramsey Elementary on May 29. Nuno presented a brief program to the Montevideo High School on May 27. He returned to the Middle School to teach on Monday, June 2.

Students appear to enjoy trying to identify the composers, the styles of music and the names of songs that Nuno played during these presentations. It is not uncommon to sit in on one of Nuno Flores’ lectures during which there is total silence; each student taking in every word, every note played on Nuno’s Electric Yamaha Violin.

Among staff and students, the comment most commonly heard phrase was «I could have listened to Nuno Flores play the violin for the whole class period.»

Students were particularly surprised that Nuno could play ‘Sweet Child of Mine’ by Guns and Roses, ‘With or Without You’ by U2 and ‘Moves Like Jagger’ by Maroon 5. Nuno’s present favorite song is ‘Happy’ by Pharrel Williams.

Numerous radio interviews highlighted Nuno Flores’ performance schedule. He said that he looks forward to meeting J P Cola of Q102 in person. He appeared to thoroughly enjoy meeting Tom Chevreny of the West Central Tribune. Our radio show with Perry Sachariahson of KDMA radio was extremely enjoyable.

Nuno accepted an invitation to perform for Pioneer Public Television which would be the focus of a Postcards Documentary airing in December of 2014. He was joined by Mayor Debra Lee Fader and Sandy Lynn during the week of June 2 – June 6 along with Emmy Award Winning Executive Director Dana Johnson. Two camera men took part in the recording. [Ben and Chris]. This experience was extremely positive,

Comments about the event can be seen on the Facebook Page of Dana Johnson and Pioneer Public Television [pioneer.org]

Nuno Flores enjoyed performing the violin at Luther Haven, a long-term care facility in Montevideo, Minnesota, on May 21, and May 28 from 3:00 – 5:00 pm. While at Luther Haven Activity Director Beth Hampton helped to coordinate activities. Her daughter Aimee Hampton accompanied Nuno Flores during worship services.

On Memorial Day, Nuno Flores and Montevideo Mayor Debra Lee Fader performed four selections at the Veteran’s Day Event at the Maynard Event Center. Former Las Vegas Entertainer and Headliner Debra Lee Kristian Fader and Violinista Nuno Flores performed: The Star-Spangled Banner, God Bless America and a beautiful rendition of Let It Be. There was not a dry eye in the audience as Debra Lee sang Wind Beneath My Wings while Nuno Flores improvised on the electric violin.

As a guest at this event, it was such a delight to be able to hear two internationally respected performers on the same stage. Singer Debra Lee Kristian Fader has performed at the Sahara,

Nuno first came to the United States in 1997 with his band, The Crow. He opened for a concert with David Byrne [Talking Heads]and performed at the Walker Art Center.

Nuno’s video with Portugal’s #1 Pop Star David Carriera can be found at http://vimeo.com/67356969.

Nuno Flores has performed with Carlinhos Brown of Brazil. Carlinhos Brown’s music can be heard on stage in Brazil and also in the children’s movie favorite, RIO.

Nuno has performed for Alo Portugal and RTP [Radio-Television-Portugal]

Nuno has performed on the main stage in over 10 countries and is regularly featured along with a variety of professional recording artists such as Ivete

Sangalo, DJ David Guetta, and Brazilian Violinist Belle Soures.

Nuno has also performed with Paulo Braganca, Rodrigo Leao, Xutos & Kicks, Moonspell, Carlinhos Brown, and The Titans.

Nuno also performs his violin while being on assignment as a DJ on Cruise Ships and Tropical Beach locations.

He has enjoyed performing with DJ David Guetta- world renowned DJ. Recently you may have heard DJ David Guetta perform with Nikki Manaj

Nuno Flores is featured in a variety of television shows in the United States, Hong Kong, Portugal, Brazil, Macau, Australia, Paraguay, Spain, Great Britain, India and throughout Southern Europe. He has made numerous trips to Dubai [in the……..] to perform.

A most recent appearance was published of Nuno playing for a Christian Dior Fashion Show in Portugal, and accompanying the Rita Pesannah Fashion and Modeling Company for a promotional video. For Nuno Flores, a Bright and Shining Star, the sky is the limit.

You can find hundreds of delightful videos on Vimeo or Youtube in which you will observe the delight of wedding guests enjoying the music of Nuno Flores.

An example of a wedding song is printed here: http://————–/hh_Ijy1UvP

On his performance tour to Montevideo, Minnesota in the United States, you would frequently find Nuno teaching violin lessons to young musicians in the Montevideo Schools and/or serenading residents of Luther Haven, and Onward Services, Inc, two of several care facilities that Nuno Flores has performed for in Southwestern Minnesota.

Nuno’s Website at http://www.thecrow.com.pt

You may call our Mayor, Debra Lee Kristian Fader [320-226-1195] to inquire about Nuno’s upcoming concerts and activities or to make a special request for Nuno to play at a local venue.

Sandy Erickson-Jeremiason discovered Nuno Flores while in search of the popular Norwegian children’s lullaby about «The Crow»

http://www.thecrow.pt

On this website, Sandy uncovered the story of a young musician run over by a car driven by an off-duty police officer while he, Nuno Flores, was helping his girlfriend change a car tire on the freeway. Nuno was thrown 30 meters from the vehicle in this tragic accident. After the accident, Nuno was in a coma and on life-support for three months. His lung was punctured, his leg was broken, and the hand that held his violin bow was shattered. He spent six months in an Acute Care Unit in Lisbon, Portugal.

Due to the fact that the off-duty police officer was engaging in illegal activities at the time, the police officer fled the scene of the accident to hide evidence that could convict him.

Nuno bounced back from this tragic experience with a positive attitude and a determination to play the violin as well and as often as he could. Photographs of Nuno Flores can often be seen in local, regional and international publications around the world featuring him playing independently or with musicians from a long list of well-known singers and talented instrumentalists.

Within one year of Nuno’s tragic accident you can see Nuno Flores’ courage as he performs at a David Lynch Foundation Event at the University of Portugal- Lisbon on November 18, 2007.

You can read about Nuno Flores in the Monte News or…. watch his videos on http://www.nunoflores.com – http://www.thecrow.pt – corvonuno

Nuno Flores plays a black gem-embellished Yamaha electric violin in the many venues and locations around the world. He received this violin from The Yamaha Corporation as a gift.

In Montevideo, Minnesota, students asked Nuno Flores about the appearance of diamonds on the violin he plays. They learned that they were not authentic diamonds as this would make the violin a target for theft, as explained by Nuno Flores.

In the United States, Nuno Flores plays a Pro4 ZETA Violin owned by Sandy Erickson and Nuno Flores. The Pro4 ZETA is the instrument of choice for several famous violinists and fiddlers in Nashville, Tennessee.

Sandy Erickson and Nuno Alexandre Flores have performed at over 20 venues in the United States as well as been in a Pioneer Public Television Documentary and on KDMA 1460 Am Radio with Perry Sachariahson. Nuno Flores performs regularly with Las Vegas Headliner Debra Lee Kristian [Fader] and Radio Acoustic.

When they are not planning an event or performing on stage, they do volunteer work in local communities.

One of their favorite past times is searching for ‘dusty, dirty, scratched up, three-stringed violins’ [eventually having four strings] on auction sites and in vintage/antique ships around Minnesota. They repair the violins and donate them to charity events for silent auctions and fundraisers. Repairing old violins is extremely challenging albeit rewarding.

The styles and venues associated with Violinista Nuno Flores are as varied as all the colors of the rainbow.

Of all these things, it is clear that Nuno loves life and most importantly, his friends and family in it!

Sandy Lynn Erickson is Nuno’s Manager in the United States.

Respectfully,

Mayor Debra Lee Fader – Civic Leader, Las Vegas Star – Montevideo-
Sandy Lynn Erickson-Artist, Teacher, & Graduate Student-Montevideo-
Ruth Ann Lee – Proprietor of The Hollywood on Main – Montevideo –

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Bright and Twinkly Christmas Lights

Last night at the concert, I thought of

Love & Gratitude.

There was a beautiful string of Christmas lights on

the back drop for the Christmas Concert at the Fine

Arts Center. The music was enchanting. I loved

seeing a young gentleman playing the double

bass. The orchestra piece from Tchaikovsky made

me smile. And, then, the bright, twinkly Christmas

lights went out. I was thinking of love & gratitude.

And, then, it happened; the lights went on.

I enjoyed two more numbers sung by the Varsity

Choir and, then, the lights went out.

Now, you think that I’d have better things to do

than write about bright and twinkly Christmas

lights. And, you might be hoping that I’d get to the

point. My point is: If the bright and twinkling

Christmas lights represented joy, what if we all

had the ability to turn on the bright and twinkling

Christmas lights just by ‘a wish’ or ‘a

prayer’.   What if ‘your attitude really did affect the

mood in a room’?   What if ‘your very own bright

and twinkling Christmas lights’ had

the ability to bring joy or sorrow to some one’s

life?   What if it was ‘simply a smile’ that lit up the

room?   What if sharing love and gratitude really

did have the potential to change the mood in an

entire concert hall?

And….

What if I could make a difference by sharing love

and gratitude?

Some one shared the concept with me eight years

ago. I think that they have been on the verge of

tears many times as I walked away from the

opportunity to live ‘happy’ just by ignoring his/her

words of wisdom.

What if your bright and twinkling Christmas lights

could change the world?

Would you be willing to share love & gratitude?

I would.

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rollingblogger

We live in a very big world. A world that, whether we know it or not, is full of waves.  Microwaves, Wind Waves, Water Waves, Waves of friendship from humanity, Waves of power.  Seasons come and go in waves.  Ebb and flow.  Last night our little section of the world was ROCKED by waves of weather.  We had storm systems roll through the Midwest United States that were more powerful that people in this area had seen in a long time. I am aware of two confirmed tornadoes within fifty miles of where I live.  My parents spent a great deal of time in the basement last night.  Storms can rock us anywhere at anytime on our planet. None of us is immune to the storms and the damage they may bring.

The same is true in our spiritual lives.  Storms can arise.  We can get angry, frustrated, sad, even…

Vis opprinnelig innlegg 166 ord igjen

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She ambles down a stony path
Alone, but calm and quite content

He is perched upon a branch
Curious, mischievous, perhaps, heaven-sent

She watches, listens, ponders the message in his beak
He wonders what’s missing, the forest treasure she seeks

She stops to rest, she unpacks her bag
Violin and bow are in position

He listens, pauses, tilts his head
As dew on [towering] oak leaves glisten

She stops and starts, determined to shine
He admires her ambition, she’s strong

He places his wings close to his ears
Beginner proudly plays a happy little song

Gentle hands pull the bow
Low, firm strokes he demands

Flapping wings in celebration
Finally, she complies, she understands

Taking a break, violin at rest her fingers never stop playing
Dances, tripping over knuckles, early progress displaying

He wonders if she holds his secrets close to her chest
She holds them tightly, promises, at work and when at rest

She walks closer to admire this intriguing discovery
Wings pulled closely to his heart, he whispers, «Be gentle with me.»

Many a greedy, jealous traveler, want to hover over, controlling
She understands, sets free, comforts, consoling

The wings flap freely, sometimes in rapid succession
He listens intently to each of her confessions

Fly free, my friend, explore every mountain, valleys, too
For journey satisfies your yearnings, your destiny, it’s true

She wants everything, but is perfectly content ‘to be’
His wings set free to explore, to find, life’s answers, from summit to sea

 

Del dette:

I traveled to Norway when I was just 20 years old.

I had barely left the farm more than to get on the bus to go to school

and to attend 4-H meetings at the school cafeteria.  I was green and

inexperienced.

Preconceived notions about ‘American women’ was that we were like the

babes in the movies.  I set the record straight early on during my life

in Norway.  And, I had preconceived notions about Norway and about

the international students at the Hamar Laererhogskole at which I attended.

I never would admit to being prejudice, but I was far from having a perfect

understanding of the world around me.

My favorite story, although not the perfect experience, was that of

the time when I learned that my father was seriously ill as a result of a stroke.

I would call my mother to get progress reports whenever I could, whenever

I had a pocket full of change.

The date of which I speak of was within two weeks of my father’s

stroke.   I felt like I was stranded on an island,

my favorite island, and something really bad was happening on the mainland.

And, there was nothing that I could do about it.   I was in my most favorite

place- Norway, and the most horrible thing had happened to my father-

he was now paralyzed- a paraplegic.

I took time out of my studies and my work on campus to write to my parents,

to add entries to my personal diary and to call my mother, once of twice

per week.  The cost of the conversation was $1 per minute.   I couldn’t talk

long.

 

It was a busy night in the phone room where each of us took turns talking

to our families.     To be continued….

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This is the Mean – You are Mean –  What Do You Mean?  by Sandy Ej

Every word that we say can have two meanings. For example, ‘I spoke’ is to speak and ‘a spoke’ belongs on a bike.  Some times, as I have experienced, one word can have two different and sometimes opposite meanings.   And, in the spoken language, if you are not spelling the word, you could easily be attempting to say one word and say something totally different just by changing the vowel sounds; they are a, e, i, o, u and sometimes y.

These vowels, a, e, i, o, u, y and the  other letters, b, c, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, q, r, s, t, v, w, x, y and z seem to take on a character all of their own when placed on the tongues of English-speaking people, and on those whose mother tongue is something different.  Step foot in to foreign soil and you could put your foot in your mouth simply by changing the ‘tone’ of a word. The word ‘girl friend’ said in one way implies a friendship and said in another way would imply that you, as a man, have romantic ties to a particular woman.

I begin this language session with a lesson in humility.  Studying in Norway several years ago brought me great joy and incredible inspiration.  I brought home many new words from Norway and I am very sure that I left behind some echoes of laughter as any foreigner, inadvertently,  has a tendency to do.  I didn’t mean to do that.  I was sincere in every effort to speak the language correctly and sometimes, things just ‘went to pot’, so to speak.

While on the last leg of my journey, I traveled to Fredrikstad with a classmate from the Hamar Laerehogskole.  I was sitting on the train after a long journey and I, then, turned to my friend and colleague and informed her that I was going to wash my face *in* the toilet.  What I really meant to say is that ‘I am going to the bathroom to wash my face in the sink’.  It had been  a long journey.  I thought that I should ‘freshen up’ before I exited the train and prepared to meet and greet people I had never met before.

This little accident was made on account of the choice of the wrong ‘preposition’ such as ‘in, out, up, and down’, as well as choosing the wrong noun.  I chose the word toilet instead of bathroom.  I said that I would ‘wash my face in the toilet’ instead of to ‘wash my face in the bathroom’.  This was such a simple error;  such an embarrassing situation.

The thought of this little misunderstanding makes me hesitant to try new words, much less, a totally new language.  But, as usual, my sense of adventure overcomes my reasoning, and I add one more language to a growing list of languages.   I have learned Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Sign Language, and Bangla, the language of Bengali citizens.

I can ‘hold my own’ when speaking English and Norwegian.  I can understand your private little discussions when you are speaking Spanish and/or  Sign Language in close proximity.  I can read all of the languages which I have listed to some degree.  I do hesitate to actually put in to practice the Bengali words that I know.  My question to my Bengali friends is,  «How many wars have been initiated by ‘the slip of the tongue?’ »   I have often wondered, ‘How do I know if I am saying something ‘kind and caring’ or something totally ‘shocking and/or mean-spirited?’

I decided that I would showcase Bengali words that when translated in to English don’t mean the same thing.  In fact, some of the more meaningful expressions that are said in a benign context could, in fact, spark a war or ‘in the least’ a fist fight, or perhaps, a rebellion.

Let’s begin with a simple friendship.  I like you.  You are a nice person.  As I get to know you, I am starting to REALLY like you.  I adore you.  I admire you.  I simply think that you are wonderful.  You have now become my very best friend.  Things appear to be going along quite smoothly.

In the process of this relationship being established, I think that I am ‘falling in love with you’.  Stop.  Wait a minute.  That’s not what I meant.  I love you but, falling in love with you is something totally different.  Falling in love is like a snowball rolling down a steep hill and the feeling gets bigger by every turn and can reach a humongous size when it finally gets to the bottom of the hill.

The result is:  dating, the proposal, engagement, wedding preparations and marriage.  Soon, you will be setting up a household and hearing  ‘the pitter-patter of little feet’ following you around the house.  I’m not sure if I’m ready for that!

When I first began to study ‘the world wide web’ and ‘social networking sites’, my favorite source of humor is the site called ‘Speed Date’.  It just sounds dangerous to me.  The term ‘falling in love with you’ could speed up the process of courtship and you could well be on your way to ‘Speed Dating’ and living happily every after at the climax of a Disney-style courtship and marriage.  Use the phrase ‘falling in love’ carefully.

The next contestant in the game show ‘What Not to Say’ is the word ‘visit’.  It is not that visiting is unpleasant or scary in any way whatsoever.  It is that there is this huge misunderstanding that any sort of visit from someone residing in a predominantly Muslim country could be an explosive experience.  I apologize if I have hurt your feelings but, it is true.

When a Muslim says that ‘they want to VISIT you’, they actually mean that ‘they want to visit WITH you’.  They can be friendly, kind and compassionate people, as well.  When a Christian says that ‘they want to VISIT you’, it’s not quite so scary, is it?  Perhaps, by stepping  over the line and asking a Muslim how they feel when such  ‘a loving and respectable’ group of people have successfully destroyed any chance of being portrayed as being ‘loving and respectable’, we could learn a lot from our friends around the world, over majestic mountains and across the deep, blue sea.

I’d like to interject a brief comment with respect to the Norwegian language of which I am very familiar with.  When you say that you ‘like’ some one in English, you simply think that they are a pretty good person.  In Norwegian, the word that seems to appropriately match the word ‘like’ is the word, ‘liker’.  Now, the word ‘liker’ in Norwegian actually means to be ‘head over heels in love’ with a person, in my own words.  You have strong feelings for this recipient of your love.   Approach the words ‘like, love, and lust’ with caution when in a foreign country.

Since we are on the subject of being friendly, let’s talk about getting to know some one new and the topic of how do you express ‘I’d really like to get to know you’.  Because of the complex cultural differences and in light of the language barrier we previously discussed, this could become even more complicated than you would ever imagine.  Let’s get started on the ‘right foot’ so as to avoid letting you put your  ‘left foot’ in our mouth.  A foot in the mouth is a very embarrassing experience to endure.

Start out by stating your name, your country of origin, your occupation, a few hobbies and if you are comfortable with it, you may tell a funny story about your favorite pet or something that made you smile.  I am here to tell you that if you ask me, «‘What are you doing right now?» and then, proceed to tell me  «I am thirsty.», then, I will tell you that ‘I am busy’ and say,  «Here, have a glass of water.»  My dear friend, whom I’ll call ‘Lili’, informs me that ‘thirsty’ means that you are ‘interested in a sexual relationship’ either  in a realistic sense and/or in a digital sense.  Your response to such a simple question might lead up to something totally unexpected.

And, just when you thought that you’ve ‘got a handle’ on a foreign language, we need to talk about societies where words are said in excess, and in societies where words are carefully and concisely stated.  In other words, some people use the ‘bare minimum’ when speaking a sentence.  It’s not wrong. It’s not bad.  It’s just different.

It is like this.  In your typical English spoken sentence, there is a sequence of twenty-five words to express the same ‘simple phrase’ that is used in a country such as Bangladesh or Norway in three simple words.  I picture a chef with his knife ‘chop-chop-chopping’ words and sentences in to halves and quarters.  I am often trying to gather enough pieces of the sentence to make sense of the situation.  I am often befuddled by the usage of really short sentences and chopped up words.

Here, I have provided two examples, stated in an exaggerated manner, of how we speak in English, and how a Norwegian or Bengali person might speak.  I would like to convey the meaning of ‘we are having an enjoyable conversation and I’d like to continue and if you want to end the conversation could you please let me know at least five minutes in advance’ in English.   In Bengali or perhaps, in Norwegian, this is what the sentence would look like:  Fine.  O.K.   Bye.

Meanwhile, I am  left sitting in a dark room next to my computer screen wondering what I said to offend the other person.   The answer is nothing, and perhaps, the philosophy behind the sentence is ‘don’t mince words’.  After a day or two, the conversation starts up again, in a digital sense, and we are happily discussing interesting, engaging, inspiring topics all over again.   And, then abruptly, I see the typewritten words,   «Fine.  O.K.   Bye».

The whole situation reminds me of the Country Western song, «Life’s A Dance», by Michael Martin Murphy.  It goes like this:   Life’s a dance, you learn as you go.  Sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow.  Don’t worry ’bout what you don’t know.  Life’s a dance, you learn as you go.   I have said at least once during a conversation between myself and a foreign speaking individual that ‘I feel like we are dancing, and I’m stepping on your toes.’   If you’ve ever learned to dance the ‘Two-Step», you would know what I mean.

Next, in the line-up is the game show, ‘Opposites Attract’.   This relates to the fact that since I am living on this side of the planet and you are living on the other side of the planet in Portugal, or Norway or Bangladesh, the time zones are distinctly different.  Time zones have a bearing on everything that you might want to say in this case.

I am going to provide an example of a typical conversation that will take place at 8 pm in my country when speaking to a person on the other side of the planet:

Person #1:  Good evening, my dear friend!

Person #2:  Good morning.  What did you have for breakfast?  Are you having a good day?

Person #1:  It’s been a good night.  I am fine.  I can’t remember what I had for breakfast. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.

Person #2:  This is all too confusing!  I’m talking about today and you’ve already been there.  Can you tell me what ‘my tomorrow’ is going to be like?

Person #1  Well, I certainly can.  Have a good night.  I’m going to bed now.  Fine.  Take care.  Bye.

Please leave a comment.  And, if you would be so kind as to ‘leave an example’ of how innocent words can spice up a conversation, I’d greatly appreciate it.   [Add the comments below, please.]

Sandy Ej

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