New Year...New Word

As many of you know, I love to start the New Year with a new word…I find it so interesting how a word can be shown to you through out the year. I like choose a word that will help me with personal growth- something that defines your character as a human being…to become a better person.

Over the years, I have found that my chosen word shows itself in many different ways. Are all words present and my particular word is just brought to the forefront because I now notice it more?? For example, notice how many blue cars you see in one day...the cars are always there but you just notice them because you have them in the front of your mind...or is it that your special word will present only itself to you to learn a lesson!?

 

It does not matter to me either way because it presents itself with personal growth and insight into being a better person!

 

This year, the word is WABI SABI  わびさび…

 

Wabi is humble and simple, and Sabi  is rusty and weathered.

Wabi-sabi is the Japanese art of finding beauty in imperfection and profundity in nature, of accepting the natural cycle of growth, decay, and death. 

 

It's simple, slow, and uncluttered-and it reveres authenticity above all. Wabi-sabi is flea markets, not warehouse stores; aged wood, not Pergo; rice paper, not shiny glass. 

 

It celebrates cracks and crevices and all the other marks that time, weather, and loving use leave behind. It is underplayed and modest, the kind of quiet, undeclared beauty that waits patiently to be discovered.  

It is a gift of time. 

Wishing you all a beautiful New Year!

Happy Holidays to All!

Mexico and Guadalupe

I started to think back to when I was first captured with the Madonna or also known as Virgin de Guadalupe. Not being raised Catholic but a true lover of ethnic folk art, and of the history behind this art, I have learned on my own about the saints or santos. I love the Santa Fe Folk Art Museum and saw their wonderful collection of santos, carved wooden Madonna and other saints- fabulous!

As I sat in my living room this morning thinking about my blog and sharing the fasination of this iconic woman, I look across my living room and there -big and bold- was my painting of the Madonna by Migel Martinez. 

I remembered back to when I first saw this painting...

Many many years ago, Mark and I where coming back from a doll show in Santa Fe, we stopped in Taos at a road side small Mexican restaurant for lunch. We sat down and across the room was a painting of a Madonna. You know how art is, when it speaks to you it just does. I kept staring at this painting and finally said something to Mark...I said even it is $500 I just have to have it!! I got up and walked across to this magical painting, looked at the price and came back to the table and said to him "add another zero to that"! yikes! Needless to say we saved and saved and a year later came back to the gallery and purchased my precious painting! It has been many many years that it has hung in my livingroom and I still look at it and love it!

 ...So these Madonnas and santos could be an entire other topic...so back to Guadalupe and Mexico.

As Mark and I were walking around Cozumel we happened upon this "graffiti" of this Guadalpue- beautiful!!

So, I would love to share with you the story of the Virgin de Guadalupe...and no matter what your beliefs, I think you will find the images beautiful because they in themselves are art and made from the heart.

 

In 1531 a "Lady from Heaven" appeared to a humble Native American at Tepeyac, a hill northwest of what is now Mexico City. 

She identified herself as the Virgin Mary and made a request for a church to be built on the site, and submitted her wish to the local Bishop. When the Bishop hesitated, and requested a sign. She sent her messenger to the top of the hill in mid-December to gather an assortment of roses for the Bishop. 

After complying to the Bishop's request for a sign, She also left  an image of herself imprinted miraculously on the native's tilma, a poor quality cactus-cloth, which should have deteriorated in 20 years but shows no sign of decay 478 years later and still defies all scientific explanations of its origin.

Her message of love and compassion, and her universal promise of help and protection to all mankind, as well as the story of the apparitions, are described in the "Nican Mopohua", a 16th century document written in the native Nahuatl language.

The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is celebrated on December 12th. In 1999, Pope John Paul II, declared the date of December the 12th as a Holy Day for the whole continent. 

During the same visit Pope John Paul II entrusted the cause of life to her loving protection, and placed under her motherly care the innocent lives of all children.

 

Mexico and Friends

As you know, I have just returned from our annual dive trip to Cozumel, Mexico. Mark and I have been going there just about 20 years.

Street View

Ocean View

I like this one best!

The agua water is beautiful and the sea life is fabulous, but I would like to talk about something equally as beautiful- the people. Over the years we have made close friends, which is not hard considering the people  are sweet and friendly. We have found they have a charming sense of humor and we cherish our friendships with them...and to share this time with our dive buddies, Candy and Mike and Bob- our 82 year old diver!

Mark and me on the boat...

Candy and me under the water...

yes my mask has pink lenses

Bob!

Juan and Hades with
new little daughter

and Juan Pablo

(Strong) Juan Pablo now 5-

remember the party from last year?

Raymundo was our dive master 

for many many years.

He and Juan are good friends 

and play soccer together.

 Margarita, our maid. She has been 
at the Scuba Club since I can remember.

I have much Hello Kitty items

inter-mixed with my dive gear.

She noticed and brought me two HK!!

My partner "in crime" Francisco.

He helped me pull a funny trick on Mike.

 Mike getting even with Francisco.

Yes mine is coming later...yikes!

 

ok...side bar- Mike and I have had a on going "feud" for years! It all started with me adding a rubber ducky onto his tank while diving...and him retaliating with Hello Kittys! This trip I found HK TP in my bathroom-and new socks, new dancing characters a new T-shirt!!

Now for my part...let us just say the pièce de résistance was with the help of Francisco...I gave him a little plastic rubber ducky to place onto Mike's entree for our last evening...Francisco luckily was our waiter that evening and the game was on! I had confirmed with my amigo that this was happening and as Mike's chicken entree appeared- no duckie. I eyed Francisco and he whispered in my ear- it is IN the chicken. At that point all the waiters and the chef were all out (nonchalantly) waiting with guarded smiles. (Long) moments later Mike cut another piece of chicken and out popped a little duck head! Does this chicken have onions in it! No way- it is a DUCK!...at this point we all burst out laughing and now I await the revenge...by the way Mike handled this quite well!

Needless to say we both have quite the collections...although I LOVE Hello Kitty- Mike and rubber duckies- well I think they are starting to grow on him!

Next week- Virgin of Guadalupe...

Gone fishin'...

This week I am in Cozumel 

for our annual dive trip....

 Talk with you next week!