Poem - Wednesday, September 8, 2010

After the rain, the clean sky and the white clouds.
Which remind me two of my favorite poems. Those "pocket" poems, which have accompanied me for year and make part of my growth. Of course that I'm not sure if I can do a proper translation, but I'll try.

To be great, be whole: nothing
Yours exaggerate or exclude. Put everything you are
In the minimum you do.
This way on each lake the whole moon
Shines, because in the high it lives.

(Fernando Pessoa)

More than being the first one
Hero is the one who knows to give himself whole
Inside himself go beyond.

(Manuel Alegre)

Wet earth - Wednesday, September 8, 2010

It's a pity that you can't see the rain drops or the smell of the wet earth. What a comfort. The high temperatures haven't gone away yet, I know, but in the meanwhile I'm enjoying the cleaning and renovation of the air. And I fulfill the lungs, feelings renewed myself...

The autumn is coming - Wednesday, September 8, 2010

The sky is so blue...

... the brighter light seems to clean the horizon...

... the fluffy and drift clouds are so intimate. The smell in the air is already different, mornings and evenings are chiller and it even has already rained a little bit. This is the arrival of a new season. It's so good...

More animals - Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Becas has two new friends...

Kika (Kikolini as the cousins call her)...

And Poupas (Poupolini).

The cousins went on vacation and the little cousin here is the one who takes care of the pets, or at least that's what is supposed. The turtle is always starving and Poupas is still very shy, I think that he needs more time to get used to us. Nevertheless is all excited when we go and talk to him. Well, I'll be an animal handler for two weeks.

The castle - Sunday, September 5, 2010

I like the houses, the monuments, the forest, the Christ Convent, the gardens, the river, the terraces, I love so many many things in my town. We went to the Republic Square in the morning.

And then we went up to the castle and were at the entrance. My richness is used to walk since he was a toddler, so if we got in there he certainly would beg us to walk around the walls and corners of the castle. So we decided to just be at the entrance to avoid temptations.




He's also used that daddy makes drawings in the sand. It's already a ritual. It's awful when he asks me to do so. Help! I hate drawing. But he's dad loves. Look at the turtle... And the 50 chairs bus beneath.





I love this rattletrap where we can buy fruit, sweets and drinks. Of course the price is inflated, but it's so nice to drink a coffee there. It's something different.

Wee-end's flowers - Sunday, September 5, 2010

We returned to the market on Saturday. We bought carnations this time. It was my son who chose them. The variety of flowers did not agree with what I had conceived, but I think that he made a good choice with the color. Joyful.
It was nicer last week. The woman who sold the flowers was from the village and the flowers were from her garden, I'm sure. She was a simple woman that negotiates the price. It's a pity that I did not go to my mom on that aspect. Incredible, my mom. Ther's nobody like her haggling over the price. She even was able to receive money from the vendors, who paid her for her to go away bucause she meant prejudice! I'm exaggerating, of course, but my mom always could buy good bargains, that's for sure.

Lamarosa's Craft Fair - Sunday, September 5, 2010

The men with the harmonica on a pipe and the drums were there to cheer people up and played a music especially for my son, who was embarassed and didn't had a convenient dialogue with such nice men. But it was a very nice moment indeed.




Details of the L. stand. Do you see the Barcelos' Cock frame behind there? It was made by me! The kitchen clock wasn't still there because the opening of the show was delayed and were still working on it
A simple fair in the village, but it seems that's always a success. Judging by the music, no doubt!

Flowers and dry grass - Friday, September 3, 2010

I saw flowers once again but no sheep, today. But I saw beauty and color. Although many flowers are acquiring that vintage aspect that comes from their end of the season faded color. They are pretty in the same way, since all the seasons have their charm.


One more old house. Today I found myself leafing an estate agency catalog and paying attention to the ruined house pages. Of course, such houses have almost no beauty at all, but the truth is that I am delighted by their history represented in the architectural features and their potential future. A world to imagine.

And now... don't say that I'm not the dream of any father/mother-in-law! As you can see from this statement, my self-esteem is so high...
ell, after having been working the whole day, walking non stop under the sun, I still went to clean my father-in-law's backyard. He had so many dried grasses all over the place. I may have no much merit because the grass was easy to be charged since it was dried. There was a bunch of the size of the world - this one on the photo is not the final result yet!
Now we just have to wait until October to burn it all. I love fires! That wonderful smell is the air really represents the autumn, the time of chestnuts and leaves on the ground, the cool afternoons which invites us to stay inside. I already feel snug towards this anticipated pleasure...

God, sheep and us - Thursday, September 2, 2010

Today, while I was working, by the end of the day, I saw these pictures. They caught my attention. The first one, due to the simple but colorful flowers that someone had the idea of making growing there, in the middle of the dried corn field and the kales. Right by its side, this small flock of little grazing sheep. They seemed so quiet and clean. A quiet picture that refreshed my fatigue.

It immediately came to my mind the so much I've already heard about God, sheep and us. All I heard was in the sense that how sheep are an example to all of us. They are so quiet, obedient to only one voice - the shepherd's voice - they live all together, etc. These are qualities to be followed, I have no doubt. But...

I don't want to come into conflict with science because I believe that science is compatible with faith - but that's another subject - God created sheep. And created us, His masterpiece. He created us with a free will. It it wasn't a heresy to criticize God, I think that many of us would criticize this aspect of human creation. After all, men are bad and make many bad things. But I think that creating us with free will was one of the most beautiful things that God has ever done. After all, that's what distinguishes us from the the sheep. They are quiet because they don't think. These ones on the picture were eating right beside these beautiful flowers and didn't even stop to appreciate their beauty. They are obedient because, if they don't think, they find correct to do what is required them to do and do it. They love that shepherd because they don't know anybody else. They are together because they don't know how to live differently. In short, they are like that just because they are, they have no other choice. But we, by the contrary, we are free to choose, we can choose badly, but we also can choose well. Everything has its contrary and we can choose the best or the worse. And that's what makes us different from the other beings.

That's the beauty of being able to choose: to make that loving God and the other is not a mechanic act, but a decision from the heart. Among many examples, many of us use to wake up in the morning beside a partner with dark circles, oily skin and with bad mood, but we choose that person to be the partner of our life and we decide that he/she is the most beautiful person in the wordl. And God takes pleasure when we choose love. Because love begets life and choosing is a gift. So, life is the supreme gift of love.

I wish everyone a life full of good choices and full of love!

Welcome, Becas - Wednesday, September 1, 2010

My son has been asking us for a pet for so long! I thought that this phase would occur in a higher age but I was wrong... Well, after exhausting many options, due to the lack of space and conditions, we surrendered to just a few species. Since we couldn't turn the whole house into an aquarium or a cage, and being the species too much big or dangerous, I was irreducible: a bird or a turtle. Forgive me the lovers of those animals, but I don't like turtles. But I like birds, I find them beautiful, they sing well and socialize in some cases. He agreed with the parakeet. Becas, the new member of our family. I've already had one when I was younger and it was nice taming him. It brings me very good memories. My parakeet used to fly around the house, perched on our shoulder or head, ate the walls and burned the tall feathers in the gas hobs and so on. He was a great companion.


And the truth is that it seems that I still can tame birds. I say this because the little bird, on his first day in ur house, already accepts pats on his head and becomes perched on our fingers. As a matter of fact, the circus career, as a tamer of beasts is not out of question. But the important thing is that my son is so happy with Becas. Although it's worrying me that he already also wants a rabbit, but that another story. It was him who named the bird and it's him who wants to take care and educate him too! Let's wait to see the next episode...

It hurts - Wednesday, September 1, 2010

I found these band-aids so nice, don't you agree? When I bought them, I was sure that the box only would last one week. Any single pain would be a good reason for him to use one. Under this one, for example, is just a small bruise. But the box is almost full. My richness is a brave boy, after all.

The day started like this - Tuesday, August 31, 2010

After so much heat, the day started like this, yesterday. It rained some fresh drops, which made us to run in the way to school. "Oh son, I just hope that this rain doesn't stop you from going to the police station today (they do lots of study visits in his school)." "Don't worry mom; we go by the 50 chairs bus (the big tourism bus, which uses to take them to distant visits)." How could I explain to him that the 50 chairs bus doesn't take childrem to places that are not more that 200 meters distance? Everything is so simple to them. Great. Despite this fresh start (we could even hear the thunder) the heat returned with its strength for the rest of the day...

Sooooo hot! - Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Yesterday afternoon we had to fulfill the swimming-pool once again in order to refresh ourselves. We couldn't stand with such heat. You can see my richness bathing his mommy's little feet. He's so sweet. It was good under that fresh water coming straight from the well. I finished the day so broken due to our games in the water but I love to see him happy, laughing out loud. He slippe down my legs, rode the raging bull (me...) and stood his ground without falling into the water, levitated in my arms, plunged into the "depths" and whatever. And them at night he passed out in bed!

After the swimming-pool he was wizen due to the water and we got out calming down. It was still hot but we were o.k. Time to contemplation, now. I know that it's not a spider web what makes a spirit become higher, but my son loves to observe every single bug. And I find it gorgeous to imagine the patience and science of a spider weaving carefully its web. I read somewhere that a spider web wire has the same strength as a steel wire with the same thickness. A wonder of nature.

My son was trying to fix the grand-pa's tent. He uses all the tools and knows the name of each one. Bob the Builder's fever has already gone but he has been applied in the same way.



This is my contemplation time. In the middle of the summer dryness, we still can find some wildflowers. Such cute cotton. It's so beautiful in the middle of the green, isn't it?

One more bug. "Do you think he's shy?" Well, maybe he was afraid that this little boy so full of energy might be bad to him, so fragile.

In the evening we had dinner in the balcony. I loved to see my richness all excited. He even gave a hand with the table set. The evening was so hot even with the open windows. Everybody was outside chatting, walking, relaxing... I have such a lively neighborhood. One more hot but good day.

Monday, August 30, 2010 - Almost finished

It's almost finished. I just have to make the contours. This is a collection of four maritime motifs that I want to put in my bed-room. The walls seems too much naked to me and I intend to fill them with the color and the smell of the sea. That wild sea in desert and quiet beaches, where we can be and wish to stay, because we can find peace and strength there. And feel the smell of the sea and the wind that ruffles the hair. And feel the sticky face and the salty taste in the skin. And feel that the sea is infinite and powerful, and through this small way, understanding that God is so great. He's big, but with arms of love to pamper and cuddle us. This way, I look to the sea, seated on a rock, I talk to Him and return strengthened.

Sunday, August 29, 2010 - Going to the market

We went to the market yesterday morning. It was the first time that my son went there and he was so excited. It's a pity that our market is closed and only is opened in the exterior. "But the building is o.k., why is it closed?" It was his comment, towards the disappointment of not being allowed to get in. He had to be satisfied with the coloring outside. Colors in the flowers, fruits and vegetables. A small sample of the real old market, it's true, but still an adventure to him. We brought flowers. "Mom, put fourteen flowers in the jar." He loves flowers and even if he has no clear picture of the quantities, he knows that fourteen makes a showy jar. I didn't count them. This is not even a jar but a bowl. But it made us happy.

Sunday, August 29, 2010 - Portugal

If there is anything in which our country is rich in windows, doors, tiles, fountains, kiosks, flowers, ruins and so many other things, of course. I love making a photographic registration of my passages for so many places. I have hundreds of photos, reporting situations, trips, landscapes, unique moments, that I keep registered and eternalized in an apparently still image, but so dynamic in its interpretation. These photos were taken during my working week. And imagination flies...