The Twilight Zone has relocated to Books n Books

June 19, 2013 @ noon

Perhaps it was the hour. 
Perhaps it was us.
Perhaps we had entered the Twilight Zone.

Patty P. and I strolled across the plaza around noon today over to Books n Books for an any kind of strawberry frozen treat.  Our local frozen yogurt bar was no longer there. Poof! It just disappeared like many yummy businesses in the area. 

About three farmers market weeks ago, we had sampled some frozen something at Books n Books and we decided to return to quench our fancy . 

Lately, I measure time according to the Thursday Farmers Market day just like my family and friends back home in Portugal. The farmers market fury arrived to the S.E. Financial Center Plaza for the first time this spring.  Each Thursday, tenants come from all over downtown Miami to buy orchids, veggies, spices and farmers market type goods; we joined the celebration.

In any event, off we marched through the Plaza to get a taste of frozen delight.  I was ready.  Something strange happened from the moment we arrived at the shop.  There was either an air of mendacity or miscommunication. Were were speaking a different language?   Something did not feel right.

I happily requested, "Can I have two small cups of the strawberry frozen cup? This one is on me, Patty."

A tall Brillo haired man responded, " Sure, pick a juice and we can blend it for you." 

I retorted with a doubtful grimace, "No, ugh, I didn't pick a juice the last time I ordered this.  You see, it's this bright strawberry frozen creamy mixture in a cup and then you throw some blueberrys."  I proceeded to explain.

The workers behind the counter hustled to and fro preparing what seemed to be two small portions; for a moment it appeared they understood our interpretation of our icy craving.

Finally, the girl behind the counter pours out into one large cup a smoothie; a liquid that she blended. 

I blurted it out, "This is not what we had the last time we were here!"

Patty P. agreed and sported my same confused look.

We made a few comments back and forth until the burly guy probably tired of hearing our discontent chided, "I am the Manager and we have not served what you are suggesting for four months."

Four months? Not possible! I tried to behave, but I couldn't resist and suddenly I squealed," I am the customer and I had this three weeks ago  - tops!"

Patty P. and I sneered like two spoiled school girls denied recess.  For a brief moment, I venture to say, we even doubted ourselves. Had we been there three weeks prior? Yes, indeed, we had been there. I am still not sure what happened, but this might have been a warning suggesting:

We were traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land of imagination. Next stop, the Twilight Zone!

 

 

  

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El Consul Perlasca on DVD

And so many died dancing on the rim of danger. I could think of nothing else as I sat before this heartwarming yet difficult to watch movie about  Consul Perlasca especially in the final  stirring moments of the film. 

 

Giorgio Perlasca

 January 31, 1910 - August 15, 1992

 

Consul Perlasca was later thought to have been one of the 36 just men,  although he did not know it - they never do.

'Lamedvavnik is the Yiddish term for one of the 36 humble righteous ones or Tzadikim mentioned in kabbalah or Jewish mysticism. According to this teaching, at any given time there are at least 36 holy persons in the world who are Tzadikim. These holy people are hidden; i.e., nobody knows who they are. According to some versions of the story, they themselves may not know who they are. 

For the sake of these 36 hidden saints, God preserves the world even if the rest of humanity has degenerated to the level of total barbarism. This is similar to the story of Sodom and Gomorrah in the Hebrew Bible, where God told Abraham that he would spare the city of Sodom if there was a quorum of at least 10 righteous men.'

 

Now, on DVD for the first time, is the story of an Italian Schindler. His story was long overdue.

In 1944, Georgio Perlasca was a businessman who, like Schindler, found himself in a position to assist Hungarian Jews in Budapest during the war. 

Unbelievable, but true in an almost cinematic Cecil B. Demille-ian account, Perlasca took on the persona of a Spanish consul and for a period of 45 days went about saving the lives of more than 5,000 Jews directly under Adolf Eichmann's watch .

A must see...197 minutes of remembrance, courage and strength. Perlasca, Schindler, Wallenbourg and many others continue to inspire as their story is unveiled to the world - never forget. 

The Righteous...God's finely favored courageous

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OneGrand@Fourhands

One Grand @ Four Hands 

Two University of Miami Alumni, Jose Ignacio Diaz-Gravier and Larry Kent, both former students of Virtuoso Ivan Davis have returned to perform, at home, in 'One Grand @ Four Hands.' 

Already powerful pianists Diaz-Gravier and Kent are ready to set sail under the Florida sky and break the boundries of sameness in an evening of musical gymnastics.

The evening will be weighted heavily on Schubert, Mozart, and Brahms.  The duo will chew up the piano with energetic marches and gifted melodies.

Details forthcoming: 

February 2014 - Miami and Tampa, Florida

This is a not to be missed evening!

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Love thy neighbor?

Exhibit 1.

 

I sometimes wonder  if everyone is as lucky as I am to have such fine neighbors.  I have the finest on two continents.

 

Above you will find Exhibit 1. - the bane of my existence; a recycle garbage dispenser.  This item is used once a week for the purpose of ridding our homes and yards of glass, plastic, card boards and other waste items.  This receptacle is rather large and accommodates our needs to perfection and apparently that of our neighbor.

 

Epochal news! The lodger ("Jeeter 1") to my right covets our recycle garbage dispenser.  How is that possible? Once a week, he waits for us to take our garbage out by the sidewalk.  Then, boom boom pow,  he makes his sinister move.  This sneaky resident of the West carefully and quietly loads his waste into our bin.

 

Note: there has been occasion that said bin was so overloaded that it tipped.  How fortunate was I to be the person in charge of the clean up?

 

This combative trash picker has been asked not to satisfy his urge to have his way with our bin once a week.  Regretfully, his memory is challenged and he continues to practice the art of waste sharing. Lightning will most assuredly strike him some day while violating this tenth commandment. 



 

Exhibit 2.

 

Next, are the "Jeeters 2" to our left.  This special breed of neighbor has perfected the art of throwing out old furniture onto the sidewalk one week prior to the large waste pick up. This event takes place on the second Friday of the month. You will find in Exhibit 2, old furniture embellishing the neighborhood while in the rain.  Once a "Jeeter" always a "Jeeter."

 

Let us now visit my charming Portuguese neighbors... is the grass greener?

 

One fine glorious day last summer, I was gazing out of my kitchen window when I noticed nefarious activity at the far edge of our property.  I quickly ran for my camera to capture the moment. 

 

 

Shut my mouth! There she was the notorious "Peixeira!" (Peixeira means the seafood saleslady.) This master of misdemeanor is a  business woman with a singular agenda - fish fowl play!

 

 

At the end of our street sits a majestic dumpster intended to  service the residents that live just behind it. Without regard to the will and wish of  the inhabitants of the block, Ms. Peixeira, license tag 39-27XI, began to dump a truck full of fish remains into the dumpster.  This fishy woman enjoys the company of a twin dumpster by her home, but chooses ours so that we can enjoy the fish-orosity! Is that even legal?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Believe it or not, that very same afternoon I perched myself behind the same window a little while later when I discoverd Beatriz in our yard!

 

Beatriz lives across the street and is known universally for her loud and abrasive personality.  Apparently, her cows like our grass/ weeds. Who knew?  She and her assistant rolled into our property  with a wheelbarrow and helped themselves to our field of dreams for over one hour.  Mi casa, tu casa??? This is what happens when you live in another country.  People make themselves quite comfortable...

 

 

 

 

The good news is that we fenced in our property this year and they will never stroll in uninvited again...





 

 

 

...The bad news is our U.S. jeeters and

Ms. Pexeira remain rogue neighbors!

 

Some people have all the luck...bad neighbor luck!

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Misery ? Maybe not!

Thank you to the  Crosseyed Pianist:

 

 

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The Not so Vegan Turkey...

Accoding to About.com, Veganism is a type of vegetarian diet that excludes meat, eggs, dairy products and all other animal-derived ingredients. Many vegans also do not eat foods that are processed using animal products, such as refined white sugar and some wines. Most vegans also avoid the use of all products tested on animals, as well as animal-derived non-food products, such as leather, fur and wool.

Vegan refers to either a person who follows this way of eating, or to the diet itself.
What do vegans eat?
This is perhaps the most common question about veganism. A vegan diet includes all grains, beans, legumes, vegetables and fruits and the nearly infinite number of foods made by combining them. Many vegan versions of familiar foods are available, so you can eat vegan hot dogs, ice cream, cheese and vegan mayonnaise.


With all this said, I have a funny to tell...

Anyone that knows my daughter and son in law know that they are practicing Vegans.  Recently they were asked a favor and they happily complied.  As a result, the person they did the favor for was so very grateful that in return she gifted them a turkey.  End of story.

I may be getting a turkey. Keep the gifts coming!

Happy trails & en-trails!

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Popcorn, Pool and Pancakes...Epic!

Last Friday, I was driving my son to what I knew 

would be an epic sleep over at his friend Andrew's 

house when he informed me that he and his friends 

were comparable to the The Teenager Mutant Ninja 

Turtles. I asked, "Why is that?" He replied, "We 

like to eat pizza and play games!" True that! 

Two pictures are worth a thousand words! 

 A 7 a.m. dip! 

Followed by a pancake feast! 

I understand that little sleep was factored in 

for fear of  a 

random face painting...

 

Oops..someone dozed off! Chuckle!

 

"Time it was, and what a time it was, it was

A time of innocence, A time of confidences 

Long ago, it must be, I have a photograph ..." Bookends

Simon and Garfunkel

A big thanks to Diane and Frades who generously hosted this epic event! 

Muy Buen Camino! 

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www.joseignaciodiazgravier.com @MilanderGala-isms!

'If you never did, you should. These things are fun, and fun is good'

Isms - May 31, 2013 - an evening is best described 
in pictures inspired and respired by Dr. Seuss!

"So the writer who breeds more words than he needs, is making a chore for the reader who reads."

Chronology of a stellar evening

' Dr. 'D'

 "Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you."

Ali, Tony, Dr. D with David Fernandez - Event Coordinator for the fabulous event! Kudos!

 "Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So... get on your way."

"From there to here, and here to there, funny things are everywhere."

"Shorth is better than length."

"I'm sorry to say so but, sadly it's true that bang-ups and hang-ups can happen to you"

With Floyd the Rock Artist

 

At work!

"I’m glad we had the times together just to laugh and sing a song, seems like we just got started and then before you know it, the times we had together were gone."

“Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one.”

Our very own! 

Willy Chirino - P'alante

" You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go..."

With Ali and City of Hialeah Mayor Carlos Hernandez

Dr. 'D' and City of Hialeah Mayor Carlos Hernandez

Coming soon..t.b.a. 

How did it get so late so soon?
It’s night before it’s afternoon.
December is here before it’s June.
My goodness how the time has flewn.
How did it get so late so soon?
~Dr. Seuss

"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened."

Caminando!

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The Future Needs Me to Be - Armando

 

 

 

The juggernaut of my existence came on the the day I realized that, we, (as in most of us) walk through life exposing our vulnerabilities, words and thoughts only to have them fall onto deaf ears.  The flipside to this awakening came when I found out someone actually listened...

 

Last night, prior to the Miami Heat game, my daughter, son and I were recapping life, times, the future when I stumbled upon an 'Aha!' moment.  Who knew?

 

Below is my son's response to an end of year English assignment for Mrs. Subervi's class.

The Future needs me to be…

Frank Lloyd Wright once said “The mother art is architecture. Without architecture of our own we have no soul of our own civilization.” In my opinion, architecture brings life and art into our civilization; it turns a big box into a fine detailed house and it makes art a part of our everyday life.

We all have a sense of direction of what we want to do, but like my mom told me, “you need to be an empty canvas and remain open to the possibilities until you really know what you are going to paint on it.” I have always wanted to be creative and build buildings such as homes. I think a home should be a nice sturdy place for you to relax and forget about the troubles of your day. I do not believe in such a thing as a bad home either; knowing they are filled with things that the people who live in them like. Every person is entitled to their own unique style for their homes.

 

Architects have been known for building many great things. For example, Michelangelo, the man who sculpted ‘David’ was an architect and was also a painter, a poet and engineer. He was man who loved to be constructive, all the time, although obsessed with his work. He created many fine works of art that we still look at today.

I want to become an architect and build the houses that people desire.  I want to create a warm place you can call home. I like creativity and the effort that follows it. Inspiration is all around me and I look at it hoping that someday I can design like that.

I am not interested in Architecture for the pay; I am attracted to it so that I can do what I like. Although the math is hard, there is no shame in trying. I believe in succeeding.

In conclusion, I have somewhat of a sense of direction of where I'm going. I hope to be an architect someday living a sustainable life style and doing what I love for a living.  I hope to design, like many great architects, putting life into buildings. As I said before, explore your options like the empty canvas you are until you decide what you would like to draw because everyone has their own way of drawing this picture.

A Buena hora, Buen Camino! 

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Respect Life's Zumba-fabulosity @ Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Hialeah, Florida

Courtesy Instructors from Dance Tech Studios

Immaculate Conception Catholic Church's 

Respect Life Ministry hosted it's first Zumba class on June 1st, 2013 in Parish Hall.  This animated group, rhumbad, jittered, whirled, strutted and bunny hopped in support of Life to the beat of $930. What better way to start a Saturday morning than to raise funds by dancing in support of love for Life?

The Respect Life Mission Statement:

The Respect Life Ministry of the Archdiocese of Miami, faithful to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church, exists to uphold the sanctity and dignity of all human life from conception to natural death.

 

This ministry is  a not-for-profit organization offering information and assistance in a non-judgmental environment. We believe every person has inherent dignity and we strive to treat everyone with respect. We believe that every woman, if loved and supported, can rise to her highest capacity in relationship to herself and others.

 *An Ana Disclaimer:

 

Regretfully, I was unable to attend tumba-la-casa-zumba because I had to work. However, as I was perusing all of the the shiny familiar faces in the Zumba crowd, I saw a few visages that were present at the Mayors ball with me the night before.  Kudos, you made it to the class after a hearty late night! 

 

 

In addition, I understand that there may be a repeat Tumba-La-Casa-Zumba by popular request! Contact Vicky Vilarino for details! Que se repita!

Possible available Zumba times:

Monday 7p.m.-8 p.m. or 8 p.m. - 9 p.m.

 at ICC or at the Dance Studio
Saturday: 10:30 a.m. at ICC or at the Dance Studio
Vote in your preference @ Victoria or at mrsvv718@aol.com

Majority rules the next session(s)

A buena hora..Zumba!

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