A Little of Alice

Hello!

I feel a bit like Alice falling down the rabbit hole. I've been up to all sorts of things much of which have kept me productively occupied yet quite a bit unfulfilled.

Keeping it real, it's been a necessary hiatus away from the blogging circuit and much has been accomplished out here in the real world during my time away. I've been spending time, as well, listening to my favorite radio station here in the tropics LOVE FM. The airwaves have been filled during this week with music from the reggae band "Morgan Heritage". They are headliners in a concert this upcoming weekend appropriately entitled "Reggae bring back Love".  If any of you are planning to be in Belize this coming weekend, make sure you attend this concert. It promises to be a good one.

Summer is here and the living is easy folks. I hope this means that I can spend some more time catching up with all of your blogs. Drop in and let me know what is happening in your neck of the woods.

Cheers!

Welcome back Kotter!

Dear blogging buddies,

I have been AWOL (absent without official leave) since last year from the blogging circuit. Though it has been awhile, I have been making random visits to some of my favorite blogs and have been keeping in touch.

I hope most of you were as glad as I am to see the passing of 2008. To celebrate the New Year, I am heralding in 2009 with a poem from Helen Steiner Rice:

Be of Good Cheer, There is Nothing to Fear

Cheerful thoughts like sunbeams

Lighten up the darkest fears

For when the heart is happy

There's just no time for tears -

And when the face is smiling

It's impossible to frown,

And when you are high-spirited

You cannot feel low-down

For the nature of our attitude

Toward circumstantial things

Determines our acceptance

Of the problems that life brings.

And since fear and dread and worry

Cannot help in any way,

It's much healthier and happier

To be cheerful every day-

And if you'll only try it

You will find, without a doubt,

A cheerful attitude's something

No one should be without-

For when the heart is cheerful

It cannot be filled with fear,

And without fear the way ahead

Seems more distinct and clear-

And we realize there's nothing

We need ever face alone

For our heavenly Father loves us

And our problems are His own.

Hope that y'all will stop by to visit and let me know how you're doing.

Cheers!

Welcome to the 2008 edition of getting to know your friends. What you are supposed to do is copy this entire list and paste it into your own blog. Change the answers so they apply only to you, then send this challenge onto your blog friends. The theory is that we will all get to learn a lot of little things about our friends that we may not have known.

1. What time did you get up this morning? 6:00 AM

2. Diamonds or pearls? Pearls

3. Last movie you saw in the theater? The Cat in the Hat
4.What is/are your favorite TV shows? New adventures of the Old Christine
5. What do you usually have for breakfast? Coffee and toast
6. What is your middle name? Elizabeth as in “The Queen”
7. What food do you dislike? cauliflower
8. What is your favorite CD at the moment? Bryan Adams Unplugged
9. What kind of car do you drive? Nissan Stanza10. Favorite sandwich? Tuna on wheat
11. What characteristics do you despise? Judgemental, inflexible
12. Favorite item of clothing? Comfortable slacks
13. If you could go anywhere in the world for a vacation, where would you go? The big island (Maui, Hawaii)
14. What color is your bathroom? blue
15. Favorite brand of clothing? Lane Bryant
16. Where would you want to retire? a deserted island with someone special
17. Most memorable birthday? Yet to come
18. Favorite sport to watch? Basketball
19. Furthest place you are sending this to? Australia
20. Who do you expect to respond? Hopefully all of you
21. Person you expect to respond first? Uh...
22. Favorite saying? You ain’t seen nothin yet!!
23. When is your birthday? July
24. Are you a morning person or a night person? Night
25. What is your shoe size? 7.5
26. Pets? A parakeet
27. What did you want to be when you were little? A World Traveler & Astronaut
28. What are you today? Mother, friend and full Participant in the rat race
29. What is your favorite candy? M * M’s

30. Your favorite flower? Orchids
31.What is a day on the calendar you are really looking forward to? The beginning of summer
32. What are you listening to right now? Fans whirring
33. What was the last thing you ate? Steamed fish and vegetables for lunch, fruit salad

34. Do you wish on stars? Yes!
35. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Magenta
36. What is your pet peeve? Unwashed dishes
37. Last person you spoke to on the phone? A co worker

38. Do you like the person/people you are sending this onto? Of course, yes!

39. Favorite soft drink? Root beer
40. Favorite restaurant? Too many to choose just one!
41. Hair Color? Black
42. Favorite day of the year? Birthday
43. What was your favorite toy as a child? a doll and a carriage
44. Summer or winter? Summer lovin, sun kissed

45. Hugs or kisses? Both

46. Chocolate or vanilla? Chocolate, baby!

47. Do you want your blog friends to carry this on? yes

48. When was the last time you cried? At the memorial tribute to local garifuna superstar Andy Palacio who died prematurely in January ‘08 just as he was on the verge of attaining international super stardom.
49. What is under your bed? Dust motes
50. Who is the friend you've had the longest? Kim who survived “Katrina”
51. What did you do last night? Become a Couch potato & watched Survivor
53. What are you afraid of? Who me? Scared?
54. How many keys on your key ring? 6
55. How many years at your current job? Too many
56. Favorite day of the week? Dare I say “Monday”
57. How many states have you lived in? none

58. Do you make friends easily? no
59. How many folks will you send this to? all who visit this blog

Another one bites the Dust!

In a little while, depending where you are, 2007 will be officially over. The person I admired the most this past year in Belize was a little girl with a big dream and an even bigger voice. I’m talking about our local karaoke champion, Miss Reesie Pollard. Reesie came in from left field and literally blew away the competition systematically week after week. She rode this wave all the way into the final lap of the competition and tore the town apart with her personalized rendition of Mariah Carey’s “hero”. This song could have been written for her.....…"So when you feel like hope is gone, look inside you and be strong and you'll finally see the truth, that a hero lies in you......"

For those of you in the Great White North, it appears that this has been a winter filled with snow, sleet and rain. If you’ve been left feeling flat and pessimistic from the winter blues or from the fading wane of 2007, why don’t you follow the teachings of Chinese medicine and look toward spring as a time for new beginnings, light and renewal. Let the words of the Buddhist meditation master Chogyam Trungpa inspire you as they have inspired me.

“There are seasons in your life in the same way as there are seasons in nature. There are times to cultivate and create, when you nurture your world and give birth to new ideas and ventures. There are times of flourishing and abundance, when life feels in full bloom, energized and expanding. There are times of fruition, when things come to an end — they have reached their climax and must be harvested before they begin to fade. Finally, of course, there are cold and empty times, when the spring of new beginnings seems like a distant dream. Those rhythms of life are natural events. They weave into one another as day follows night. If you realize that each phase of your life is a natural occurrence, then you need not be swayed, pushed up and down by the changes in circumstance and mood that life brings. You find that you have an opportunity to be fully in the world at all times and to show yourself as a brave and proud individual in any circumstance.”

That beautiful sunset on the top left of this blog page is the view in my front yard captured by my children’s digital cam. Hey, one more reason I love living in the tropics. The sunsets are to die for! (:-)

I learnt a lot in 2007 from all of you out there in bloggityville. My favorite lessons, though, were the ones I found over at Josie’s blog. For the benefit of all mankind and womankind, here are some of life’s little lessons. Read then through and if you care to add one more to the list, please feel free to do so.

LIFE’s LITTLE LESSONS

Sing in the shower.
Treat everyone you meet the way you’d want to be treated.
Watch a sunrise at least once a year.
Leave the toilet seat in the down position.
Never refuse homemade brownies.
Strive for excellence, not perfection.
Plant a tree on your birthday.
Learn 3 clean jokes.
Return borrowed vehicles with the gas tank full.
Compliment 3 people every day.
Never waste an opportunity.
Leave everything a little better than you found it.
Keep it simple.
Think big thoughts but relish small pleasures.
Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.
Floss your teeth.
Ask for a raise when you think you've earned it.
Overtip breakfast waitresses.
Be forgiving of yourself and others.
Say, "Thank you" a lot.
Say, "Please" a lot.
Avoid negative people.
Buy whatever kids are selling on card tables in their front yards.
Wear polished shoes.
Remember other people's birthdays.
Commit yourself to constant improvement.
Carry jumper cables in your vehicle.
Have a firm handshake.
Send lots of Valentine cards. Sign them, "Someone who thinks you're terrific."
Look people in the eye.
Be the first to say hello.
Use the good silver.
Make new friends, but cherish the old ones.
Return all things you borrow.
Keep a few secrets.
Sing in a choir.
Plant flowers every spring.
Always accept an outstretched hand.
Have a dog or cat.
Stop blaming others.
Tell someone you love them.
Take responsibility for every area of your life.
Feed a stranger's expired parking meter.
Don't expect life to be fair.
Be there when people need you.
Never underestimate the power of love.
Drink champagne for no reason at all.
Don't be afraid to say, "I made a mistake."
Keep your promises no matter what.
Don't be afraid to say, "I don't know."
Compliment others and yourself on small improvements and achievements.
Rekindle old friendships.
Marry for love.
Count your blessings.
Call your parents.

Here’s to raising a virtual glass and toasting you *clink* wherever you are. I appreciate all of you for being here this past year. It’s been fun exchanging comments and ideas with everyone and I look forward to a new year that’s filled with peace, hope, prosperity and love for each and everyone of you. Kisses and hugs.

**HAPPY NEW YEAR!**

It's Official, Christmas is here!!

I've been in denial all along folks. Burying myself in work, school, etc. All that is over, it's official that Christmas is here.

It's official because of my 9-year old who swept me off to her Christmas pageant whereupon I sat enthralled for the next hour or so whilst the beauty and wonder of the talented tiny tots and not so tiny tots were on proud display. Here are some photos of a Christmas pageant in the tropics:

The Christmas Play was brilliantly produced and had musical accompaniments from the Junior and Senior Choir, three violinists, a pianist and the Choir Mistress. It was nice to see the flashing smiles and twinkling toes of the middle schoolers as well as the tiny angels waiting patiently to take their turn on the stage under the floodlights. This year's pageant had a special quality and I was glad to be there. Yes, finally Christmas 2007 is officially here! How are your Christmas preparations coming along?