A year in images… an itinerant 2010.

2010 is almost over. The last day of the year is always full of memories, wishes, hopes, feelings, reminders; it has a mix of excitement for the things to come and melancholy for the things left behind. This year was intense and honestly, kind of short! There are not enough days in one year to accomplish everything, especially when each year we have a long list of “to do’s”, changes, adjustments, new requirements, old vices to shed, new vices to share, decisions to make, places to be, people to love.

January 2010 – Las Vegas, Baby!

What a way to start a year, in Vegas with my one and only, a sea of people, fireworks and a view to kill!!

Mid January 2010 - Argentina , mate and red wine.

On a business trip, enjoying great red wine, sharing good mate and its ceremony, leaving me shaking and eager for more!

February 2010 – Vancouver and the Olympics!

A cold scenery, my best friend and her family in a city ready to celebrate the glory of winter sports.

March 2010 – Hawaii, Venezuela…and his departure.

A month full of contrasts – the departure of my dear father in law, followed by back to back business trips to Hawaii (one day after we said good bye) and Venezuela. March was for sure a month that changed my life.

April 2010 - Brazil

April was my first trip to Brazil for the year and the beginning of an exhausting project that left me with an unidentified finger wound, 10 additional pounds and lots of Portuguese words in me!

May 2010 – Welcome to Miami and an interleague baseball game in Philly

Miami and its mojitos, Latin flavors, white sand and humidity followed by a weekend in Philly watching my beloved RedSox, an almost no-hitter by Dice-K and the streets of Philadelphia.

June 2010 – Brazil for the World Cup

Back to Brazil during the world cup, experiencing soccer the way Brazilians do…including the loss of the Brazilian national team against Holland.

July 2010 – in a New York state of mind

New York during restaurant week, drinks and music at Elaine’s, Sinatra’s musical “Come fly away”, Central Park walks and martinis to celebrate my husband's 40ed birthday – next day the world!

August 2010 – Panama City and Washington, D.C

A quick business trip to Panama followed by a weekend in Washington for a baseball outing - the Cardinals and Pujols completed the night!

September 2010 – Colombia and its flavors

A new project in Bogota full of challenges, Andres D.C with a magical ambience and the last stretch of the 2010 baseball regular season.

October 2010 – Colombia and the World Series

Second trip to Bogota in the middle of the Baseball World series, with the Giants and Edgar Renteria, “El Barranquillero”, winning and celebrating!!

November 2010 –Colombia and Venezuela

Back to back trips to Bogota and Caracas; no thanksgiving for me this year, but getting ready for an intense December!

December 2010 – Colombia and Christmas in Mexico

Final stretch of the Colombian project, a 20-year high school reunion full of surprises, friends and music, a 3-day Christmas celebration with tons of delicious multinational food, drinks, family, friends and karaoke!

2011 seems promising; it is always interesting to know that we can start all over again with new and improved energy and positive attitude. We have the challenge of balancing: the reasoning side makes us feel the need to have goals, timelines, schedules, specific tasks and improvements that we MUST accomplish; our sensible side makes us dream, hope, feel and enjoy each moment, even the ones spent planning the near future. A very good and wise friend of mine said:

“ I am seriously analyzing the convenience of adjusting my list of resolutions for new year; I am changing the title to “list of desires” and will flush every single thing representing a sacrifice. 2011: a year to pay homage to life. Enough said!”

And I am seriously joining her! 2011: a year to live fully, deeply, intensely…because 2012 may not be an option!

Happy New Year!!!

A motherly state of mind...a Magpie Tale

What is the secret behind a maternal embrace…do you have to be a mother to know?

The warmness of this place, the feeling of safeness, it marks us forever.
A mother love is unconditional, is eternal and is grand…but do you have to be a mother to love like that? Does it come instinctively as an on/off switch you activate the moment of giving birth?

I see images of daily news with so called “mothers” neglecting their children, hurting them… using them…destroying them.

Looking back to my younger years, I was hugged, was loved…but also see me being alone…alone but safe. What a thin line there is between protecting with love and overprotecting with fear.

In my dreams I am a mom… in those dreams my children are perfect, smart, happy, healthy. Four girls and a boy – future leaders, ballerinas, baseball player. I feel them, smell them and something inside me grows like a hurricane so powerful that nothing could stop me. But they are not real; they are just in my head.

Do you have to be a mother to feel like one? Are there different levels of motherhood? Life has some mysterious ways of showing your path, of letting you know what your objective is.

Having a child must not be an obsession. It is not an obligation. We have the choice…do we? Do we really decide when and where? What drives our state of mind to make us find the right moment? Parenthood is a huge commitment, not a trophy, not a must do. Am I going to be a mother one day? The concept comes and goes. It gets clear then it vanishes again. Is not a matter of wanting or choosing… for me is a matter of believing and trusting.

In my heart I am a mother… I am already one. I have five Goddaughters and one Godson…they are all perfect, smart, beautiful…future leaders? Baseball player? Ballerinas? It is all up to them. I know they are not mine… I know they can love me or not. I want to believe they feel the same way I do, that there is a bond somehow greater than simple blood; and who knows, maybe one day they will be sharing with their little brother and sisters, my future children, the same kind of love.

To my children...present and future.

This is a Magpie tale - Mag 45 - for other Magpie tales click  Magpie Tales

For the first time...a Magpie Tale

It was a Christmas Season, a week ahead planned
A family getaway, a log cabin in Pine Top.

The place was quaint and cozy, pine trees and a frozen lake
And then one day after arrival, snow was falling
…for the first time.

A white morning awaited, the kids excited rushed out to play
It was fantastic to watch all the cousins
…including the one and only Verdell.

Verdell geared up with purple jacket and snow boots
… all four of them
Like a precious ballerina, skipping his way towards the lake.

Inside the cabin a non-stop fire, embracing us all
Don Luis telling his stories, Christmas related…scary as well
Wearing brown sleepers and drinking good coffee
…freshly brewed, no sugar, just plain.

It was a holiday to remember... a Christmas away;
The family together, with no rush or other commitment
Than enjoying the moment
…for the first time.

Don Luis is the glue that sticks us together
Our cornerstone, our guide, our center.
Year after year preparing his Cod fish and special tamales
Year after year sharing his peace and love
Teaching us lessons with a single saying

This year will be different
This year he is no longer here
A December that is starting to feel strange.
A Christmas without his physical presence
Without his hugs and “God Bless you”
…for the first time.

“Aquí vino...

y se fue

Vino, nos marco nuestra tarea

y se fue.

…Aquí vino

y se fue

Vino, lleno nuestra caja de caudales

con millones de siglos y de siglos.

nos dejó unas herramientas...

y se fue.” Leon Felipe

For you my love, for us. It hurts, it hurts a lot.

This is a Magpie tale - Mag 43 - for other Magpie tales click  Magpie tales

Life according to me, lesson 32

There are moments in life where you want to feel that your day was worth living... other times you want to share and be there...but sometimes you just want to have a nice glass of wine in the middle of the week and say: who cares!! Not only is valid...is necessary.

Life according to me, lesson 31