Sunday, February 22, 2009

Escuela de Esgrima

El amor es la pasión por la dicha del otro -Cyrano de Bergerac
Marcel and Risa practicing the fencing scene in the DUO, Cyrano de Bergerac. Getting ready for Houston!
Marcel y Risa ensayando la escena de esgrima para el DUO, Cyrano de Bergerac. Preparandose para Houston!

"How obvious it is now--the gift you gave him. All those letters, they were you... All those beautiful powerful words, they were you!.. The voice from the shadows, that was you... You always loved me!"- Edmond Rostand, Cyrano de Bergerac, Act 5

Jeff - Maestro extraodinario de esgrima!
Fencing instructor extraodinaire!
"I Fence, Therefore I Am"

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Houston Here We Come!


Risa and I leave for Houston 6 o'clock on Tuesday morning,
so it was ironic to learn last night while watching
Super-Size Me that Houston is the #1 City in. . .
...OBESITY. I guess Texas is just BIG in general!!!
But, it's shocking and sobering to see how megacorporations
like McDonalds and other fast food industries have monopolized
the "food"we consume at large as a nation
and its effect on so many people who eat it!
It made me want to pull out my favorite healthy eating book!:

finish my current read and get to the Farmer's Market!:

Friday, February 20, 2009

Why I'm an American Idol Gal

I really do like these two! And although I rarely watch TV, I really do like American Idol. Besides being another reality TV show, it really is a window into the reactions people have (in this case singing contestants, of course) to winning and losing, success and failure. Some people respond really really badly and some are gracious and show gratitude for the opportunity. It's a real contrast of spirits and test of character.
Estos dos realmente me gustan mucho. Y aunque es raro que veo la tele, me gusta mucho American Idol. Mas de otro programa de realidad, es una ventana por la cual podemos observar las reacciones de la gente (claro, en este caso cantantes concursantes) al ganar o perder, triunfar o fracasar. Hay aquellos que responden malisimo y otros que son afables en todo y que muestran gratitude por la oportunidad que han tenido. Es un contraste tremendo de caracter.
p.s. I was worried that America would vote Tatiana del Toro in just to enjoy the DRAMA. Danny won instead. Good job voters. Me tenia algo preocupada que America le escogiera Tatiana del Toro solo para gozar del DRAMA. Gano en su lugar Danny. Bien hecho, votantes.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Sara Michelle

Las ideas no se aman, se viven -

"Art is long: Life is short" -Goethe

"The key to life is imagination." -Jane Stanton Hitchcock

Todos los secretos estan en tu cerebro, incluso el de la felicidad."
-Charlie Chaplin

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

64 Questions/Preguntas

One of our dearest friends has just published his first book. 64 Questions is poetry created by looking carefully and often whimsically at the common day occurances and objects that surround our daily lives. An English professor at College of the Redwoods, Eureka, CA, Dave has and continues to be an inspiration to countless people around him. Good work, Dave and best wishes with 64 Questions!

Uno de nuestros amigos mas querido acaba de publicar su primer libro. 64 Questions contiene poesia creado por examinar cuidadosament y con fantasia las occurencias cotidianas y los objectos que nos rodean en la vida diaria. Como profesor de Ingles en la Universidad, College of the Redwoods, CA, Dave ha sido y sigue siendo una inspiracion a gente innumerosa que tiene a su alrededor. Buen trabajo, Dave, y los mejores deseos con 64 Questions!
64 Questions by David Holper
Riding Backwards
When I was thirteen, my brother and I learned the magic
of riding our bikes backwards.
To picture this, you’ll have to imagine
that we were younger than the summer afternoon,

young enough to sit on the handlebars
facing the seats and pedaling
counterclockwise.

We turned back the clock,
held off the evening until stars punctured the cobalt dome.
Unsurprisingly, learning this most necessary skill,

we fell until our hands were raw as history,
pages cupped with pooling blood,
droplets of the pain we insisted upon ourselves.

Looking back now, I realize that this spell I wove
was as much for him as it was for me.
And on that final day

when we learned to balance
—whoops at the miracle of being upright and in motion—
I can see the both of us

laughing, riding in endless circles
round and round one another
so we could see this magic in one another:

riding until the summer dark broke through our simple spell
darkness descending upon us.
Yes, we never wanted to leave that

Glorious
moment
behind.

ISBN 1-59661-101-435 pages/$9
http://www.marchstreetpress.com/cat/holper-64.html

Monday, February 9, 2009

La Rosaleda in January



Si no fuera por mis rosas
If it weren't for my roses
pueda que no pasaría tiempo ninguno
I might never spend any time
fuera de la casa en enero! Este primer mes
outside of the house in January! This first month
del ano esta lleno con días alternados
of the year full of days that vary
entre los de las heladas hasta los huesos,
between bone-freezing,
a los nublados y eternamente lluviosos.
foggy and eternally rainy.
Es el tiempo perfecto para hacerse un ovillo.
It's the perfect time to curl up in a ball
delante del horno con uno libro favorito
in front of a fire with a favourite book
y una buena taza de te o café (cual depende del momento).
and a good cup of tea or coffee (which depending on the moment).



Lo que es cierto es que no es la hora para arrostrar el frío del jardín.
It's sure not time to to brave the cold garden.
Sin embargo, este es justamente cuando hay que apodar
Nonetheless, this is exactly when the roses in the rose garden
las rosas de la rosaleda. No te queda ningún remedio!
have to be pruned. You have no other choice!
Y sabes que si no lo has hecho antes, tienes que terminarlo
And you know that if you haven't done it already, you have to finish it
antes del dia de San Valentin, cuando ya empiezan a salir
before St. Valentine's Day, when the rose bushes are already
los rosales de su hibernación a ponerse a vivir de nuevo.
coming out of their hibernation and beginning to come alive.
Y aunque no me apetece nada al principio,
And although I don't feel like it in the beginning,
el tiempo afuera, fresquillo, si, hasta los huesos, me anima.
the outdoor weather, yes, chilly to the bones, stirs me.
Me refresca muchísimo y termino ilusionadísima con la esperanza
It refreshes me and I finish excitedly anticipating
de rosas fabulosas e impresionantes en primavera.
fabulous and wonderful roses in spring.

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Snow


Un poco de Nieve por aqui y por allá
A little Snow was here and there
Disseminated in her Hair
Since she and I had met and played
Decade had gathered to Decade
But Time had added not obtained
Impregnable the Rose
For summer too indelible
Arnold, Calaveras County, California, February 2009
Too obdurate for Snows -- Emily Dickinson

Friday, February 6, 2009

Something to be Said for Wholesomeness


"Olympic swimming great Michael Phelps won't be competing or appearing on cereal boxes for a while." Associated Press
http://www.impre.com/deportes/otros/2009/2/6/phelps-recibe-sancion-107745-1.html
I can imagine that when you're sitting on top of the world, with most everything and everyone at your feet, you must feel as if you'll always be there. All powerful. King of the World.

Me da muchisima pena saber lo que ha perdido nuestro nino dorado Phelps con un simple error necio y de juventud. Le tiene que ser dificil despues de tanta fama y reconocimiento.

Yet the 8-time Olympic gold medalist and America's golden boy has slipped from his enviable position over what some may call boyish-foolishness. While I support upholding a wholesome standard, I'm so very sad for Phelps' terrible mistake and for what he has lost in terms of sponsorship, image and reputation.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Zocalo - Spanish Immersion Saturday


Despues de los estudios y examenes nos reunimos en el restaurante Zocalo, un "locale historico" y precioso para que las ninas probaron postres mexicanos: churros, flan, arroz con leche y platanos machos. Todo fue riquisimo! Aunque confieso que tenia muchas ganas para los churros con chocolate que tuve esta ultima vez en Guia (Canarias), aquellos pasaban de ricos!
Las Flores del Curso: Gitana, Carmen, Rosita, Anita, Abeja y Marisol.

Arroz con leche, se quiere casar, . . .con la viudita de la capital. . . con un mexicano que sepa canta. . . El hijo del rey, me manda un papel, me manda decir que me case con el. Con este no, con este si, con este mero, me caso yo. - Antologia de la lirica infantil mexicana.