GRATITUDE, Being THANKFUL, We can only be thankful when we REMEMBER. I have beautiful memories that are rich and yummy. I remember my Mother cooking for days, it seemed .When I cooked my first turkey I cooked it for days. I loved everyone in the kitchen peeling, stirring, slicing, chopping, children with black olives on their fingers, hot clouds of mashed potatoes, and the moment when we each said what we were thankful for. I remember when Tamiru and Tamirat had their first Thanksgiving, they could not believe ALL the food, when you have went without your gratitude is so deep. Thank you MOTHER for all the beautiful yummy thanksgivings,THANK YOU TO ALL OF MY PRECIOUS CHILDREN FOR SHARING THE BEST MEMORIES. Thank you to my precious little ones for bringing laughter to our table. This year WE are having a Cuban Thanksgiving, a new memory, I love you all. HAPPY THANKSGIVING REMEMBER

Il Divo - Amazing Grace

THIS IS FOR YOU JUBY HAPPY BIRTHDAY FROM YOUR MOM.I WANTED TO GIVE YOU A GIFT FROM MY HEART, THAT'S ALL I HAVE MY HEART. I WANT TO TELL YOU ABOUT A BEAUTIFUL DAY, YOUR BIRTH AND HOW YOU WERE PLACED IN MY ARMS. IT IS A STORY OF FAITH AND CHARITY, AND COURAGE. IT IS YOUR STORY
I WAS TOLD BY THE DR. THAT I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO HAVE ANY MORE CHILDREN, BUT FOR TWO YEARS I HAD THE SAME DREAM OVER AND OVER THERE WAS A LITTLE BLOND GIRL THAT WAS RUNNING IN A FIELD SHE WOULD COME RIGHT UP TO ME AND SAY, " WHEN I COME TAKE ME I'M YOURS" SO I WAS CONFUSED BECAUSE I KNEW SHE HAD NOT COME YET. A GIRL I KNEW NAMED DEBBIE CAME TO SEE ME SHE WAS PREGNANT SHE WALKED IN AND SAID, "THE BABY I AM CARRYING IS YOURS, I HAVE NEVER PRAYED BUT GOD TOLD ME THIS WAS YOUR BABY", SHE HAD FLOWN OVER FROM HAWAII WHERE SHE WAS LIVING AT THE TIME. AFTER SEVERAL MONTHS OF PRAYER I STILL DID NOT KNOW IF YOU WERE MINE, THINGS WERE HARD FOR US AT THIS TIME, YOUR DAD WAS OUT OF WORK THERE WAS VERY LITTLE MONEY FROM ME TEACHING DANCE, IT WAS NOT A GOOD TIME TO ADOPT A BABY. I WENT RUNNING IN THE DESERT AND I WAS PRAYING IT STARTED TO RAIN TEARS STREAMED DOWN MY FACE AND I DROPPED TO MY KNEES AND THERE I RECEIVED THE ANSWER THAT YOU HAD BEEN CHOSEN FROM THE BEGINNING TO BE MINE. YOUR DAD SAID HOW WILL WE BUY MILK AND DIAPERS AND CLOTHES? I SAID I DO NT KNOW BUT IT WILL BE OK. ALL OF THOSE THINGS WERE PROVIDED FOR, THE DR. THOUGHT YOU WERE A BOY. I WATCHED YOU BE BORN, DEBBIE PLACED YOU IN MY ARMS AND SAID , "MY GIFT TO YOU, YOUR BABY GIRL' THE DR. AND I CRIED. DEBBIE KNEW ME WHEN THE TWINS DIED AND SHE THOUGHT GOD HAD BEEN UNFAIR TO ME. YOU WERE A GIFT AND I CHERISH YOU, WE WENT EVERY WHERE TOGETHER WE HIKED AND BIKED AND SANG TOGETHER, WE WERE LITTLE SOUL MATES, YOU LAUGHED ALL THE TIME EVERY ONE LOVED BEING WITH YOU. WHEN YOU WERE ABOUT THREE YOU WERE OUT IN A FIELD, I CALLED FOR YOU AND YOU CAME RUNNING WITH A BIG SMILE ON YOUR FACE AND THERE IT WAS THE DREAM IT WAS THE SAME I SAT DOWN ON THE STEPS AND YOU THREW YOUR ARMS AROUND MY NECK AND I SAID, "I WANT TO TELL YOU A STORY ABOUT HOW GOD CHOSE YOU TO BE MINE" YOU WOULD ASK ME EVERY NIGHT TO TELL YOU THE STORY. My wish for you that there is hope on the horizon, let faith take the lead have dreams to reach , and angels to guide you,to have kindness to share just reach see heavens hand and mine this is what I hope for, for you. Love Mom XXXO

CRASH AND BURN

My transportation is my bike, through rain, wind and sun I am on my bike. I CRASHED! Going down a busy highway ,on the sidewalk a swarm of bugs having a conference in the middle of the sidewalk directly at my face level so I turned my head closed my eyes and mouth tight when I opened my eyes there was a very thick cable also sharing the sidewalk, I swerved only to hit a much bigger cable that flung me into the red tip bushes , Only my feet could be seen out of the bushes. I felt like I had been thrown off of a horse. I untangled myself from the bike and looked out of the bushes my dark eyes met a little boys dark eyes, he looked at me with such empathy he too had felt the hurts of a crash

BACK ON THE MAT___BREATH___CREATING SPACE___COMPASSION FOR SELF


WHAT WE LEARN ON THE MAT WE TAKE OUT INTO THE WORLD, IT IS OUR PRACTICE

I AM GOING TO THE CITY I GOT THE JOB!

UNDER MY UMBRELLA

IS PROTECTION & LOVE . from knowing JESUS is the Christ that the SAINTS are my Angels, FAMILY, FRIENDS, YOGA, communing in NATURE, being STILL,Remembering that BREATH connects me. GIVING, LISTENING, WRITING, READING, moving to my MUSIC, when ever I find myself out from under my umbrella, I know it, the magic, protection and knowing are gone DOUBT sets in. I am so lucky to have such a beautiful UMBRELLA

Today, mmm it is raining and grey, with bright green,so I got on my bike and went for a ride, I love this rain, it is warm and so inviting. I put my face up towards the rain and we collided, I can't stay inside when it rains, I use to make cookies when it rained in the high dessert, not here I just have to get in it, I need the wetness I am thirsty for water. nourishment, being cleansed in the water from heaven.
ACCEPTANCE ALLOWS US TO BE OURSELVES IN THE PRESENCE OF OTHERS

WALKING, HIKING,BIKING ARE WAYS I GO HOME, FINDING MYSELF AGAIN.

SOLITUDE ,ALONE THIS WORD USE TO MEAN ALL ONE TO BE ALL ONE MEANT TO BE WHOLLY ONE TO BE IN ONENESS, THIS IS THE GOAL OF SOLITUDE,TO BE ALL ONE WE KNOW HOW TO TAKE INTENTIONAL SOLITUDE, IT IS NOT HARD TO DO,JUST HARD TO REMEMBER TO DO,

SO TODAY I DID A LITTLE COMMUNING WITH THE SOUL, I WENT HOME

WRITING ON THE WALL

KEEP YOUR CONNECTION TO MEANING,PASSION,SOULFULNESS.DISTINGUISH YOURSELF FROM THOSE WHO SURROUND YOU.BECOME YOUR VISION, PLAY,ROVE,LISTEN TO WHAT YOU WANT,COURAGE MEANS TO FOLLOW THE HEART,WATER DRIPS THROUGH STONE,PROMOTE CHANGE-GIVE A MESSAGE-CAUSE AN AWAKENING,WALK YOUR WALK, TALK YOUR TALK,BE WITH THOSE THAT OFFER SUPPORT FOR SOUL AND CREATIVE LIFE, BRAVE PIECES OF LIFE CAUSES THE SOUL TO BE MORE DETERMINED,BALANCE MAKES OUR LIVES LARGER IMBALANCE MAKES OUR LIVES SMALLER,KNOW EVERYONE WHO IS IN YOUR TERRITORY LISTEN-LOOK-SENSE THE WORLD AROUND YOURSELF REMAKE YOUR RED SHOES.
.The words of Claissa Pinkola, Women Who Run With the Wolves

Sometimes my world is so BIG, full of mystery and Aah. And then there are moments when it is so small, and so closed to the out side world. It is when I go into a fetal position where I can HEAR my own Heart beat, listening to my own Breath,where I am ALONE with myself. It is a time to ponder to get to know myself again. I believe one needs to be alone to be able to find oneself to fall in love with thy self, to get to know thy self, it is a new beginning to witness a new birth. I use to Fear these moments, and now I welcome them with arms wide open to an old friend .To curl in and take this moment to LOVE myself.

WALKING IN THE RAIN

Today I went walking in the warm rain, for many miles along a path of GREEN grass, LIVE OAKS that were reaching wide and high, there were many BRIDGES to cross over the river. There were a few others sharing in this experience,with wet skin and hair our eyes would meet with a smile we would say,"GOOD MORNING" I felt like Alice in Wonderland, when the MAD HATTER says to ALICE: Have I gone mad? Alice: I'm afraid so, you're entirely bonkers.But I'll tell you a secret. ALL THE BEST PEOPLE ARE. I WANTED TO SAY TO THE ONES LOOKING OUT OF THEIR WINDOWS, COME OUT AND PLAY IN THE RAIN BE PART OF THE MAGIC.

I Had wondered so far from home, I was'nt sure where it was, I was on an ADVENTURE loving every moment of it, From Alice in Wonderland "THERE IS A PLACE. LIKE NO PLACE ON EARTH. A LAND FULL OF WONDER, MYSTERY AND DANGER. For me at this time it is Texas, everything is so new, I feel like I am 5 full of wonder and questions.

My skin and hair are wet, the warm rain is dripping off my nose and lashes, I love this place..

WHEN GOD SAW THAT THERE WAS SPACE . He CREATED the Earth. I have come to realize how I need SPACE. SPACE TO CREATE MY LIFE. In yoga I am saying to my students, let's create some space in our hips, in our lives, in our minds, and don't fill it up. WAIT, PAUSE bring in what you want CREATE, the life you want

This past year I asked, "What does it mean to DETACH?" What is Detachment? I received my answer, DETACHMENT FROM THE KNOWN TO THE UNKNOWN!

I had to detach from my beautiful home, my gardens,my furniture, my hometown,old believes, toxic emotions. I was without a home, without ROSES. Then I realized that HOME was in MY HEART, with my memories.

I am so thankful for the ANGELS on Earth that opened their homes to us. My PARENTS and to Justo's PARENTS for the saints of Texas that brought mattresses to sleep on. I am so thankful for the TENDER MERCIES .

To move in was easy, we just walked into our new home with nothing on our backs or in our arms, we have SPACE TO CREATE OUR LIVES. SPACE is needed to HEAL,TO LET GO,TO GO FORWARD TO CREATE, And God said there is space and we shall make an EARTH. & we shall create a Home.

The color scheme of Texas is Green, Green & Green, with Blue and an accent of hot pink. It is wide open, flat with beautiful tress. The soil is clay and yet out of the clay grows Crape Myrtle trees, they are so graceful, a huge bouquet, They make me smile. The strength of the Live Oak reminds me to ground myself in my roots, there is where the security of growth lies. Interesting the live oak releases her leaves in the spring, but not all of them I guess she lets go of what no longer serves her and hangs on to what she needs, she is so wise, she has grown within her boundaries unlike the free spirit of the crape myrtle, I guess one can see that both are here to grow. My eyes are always looking up because the flowers are in the trees.
The air is moist, warm/hot with a breeze to cool your skin, a tender mercy from God, again I love it, my skin is so thirsty from the Dessert, that I am like a sponge soaking it up. The food is well anything you want, they love good food here. The rhythm of the suburbs is a steady drum. movement. There is a flow here of currency, going forward.
I think I am the only one who brakes for squirrels