Azulejos

Got this thing with TILES. Can't you tell?

About Connection

"What curriculum did you use?" a new friend asked me when she discovered that we both homeschooled our children for well over a decade. We both had used the same integrated studies based on our love of literature. There was an immediate sense of commonality that got me thinking about connection and it's meaning at a deeper level.
Life can be many things to many people. There's commonality, what we share, and then there's a reaching out and making contact, and that's connection. A seedling reaches upward towards a bright sunlit sky and finds the nourishment to grow and flourish. A foal reaches up to its mother for warm life-sustaining milk. A single cell attaches and holds onto nutrient-rich lining to multiply into a complexity that still baffles scientists.
There's a bridging of chasms where otherwise there'd be nothingness. Death is bridged by life. I love life and therefore the giver of life. I love when a limp little creature bursts forth helpless from the womb and finally gains its strength, or a wet butterfly emerges from is cocoon and actually has the chance to dry its wings to fly. And, I love when Christ, the only figure to do so in all of religiondom, reaches out, spans the expanse of eternity to make peace between a just God and a world of hopelessly separated individuals. I love that there's a God, who's not just about commonality, but of connection. Of reaching out. Of life.

#connection #life #commonality #death #reachingout #homeschooling #sonlight #curriculum #eternity #peace #spanningthegap #christ #bilbao #religions

The Dogs of Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara on the central California coast, has the Santa Ynez Mountains as dramatic backdrop, Spanish Mediterranean-style white stucco buildings with red-tile roofs, upscale boutiques and restaurants offering local wines and seasonal fare. There are two impressive botanical gardens, the Franciscan Mission, multiple art galleries and museums and many more attractions, not to mention the fabulous beach and coastline!
But, that's not what this post is about. It's about how, in an exclusive city like this one, dogs of all shapes and sizes are so welcome and seen everywhere, even in the poshest of places.

Santa Bárbara en la costa central de California, tiene como telón de fondo dramático las montañas de Santa Inés, edificios de estuco blanco de estilo español mediterráneo con tejados de teja roja, boutiques de lujo y restaurantes que ofrecen vinos locales y comida de temporada. Hay dos impresionantes jardines botánicos, la Misión Franciscana, múltiples galerías de arte y museos y muchas más atracciones, por no hablar de la fabulosa playa y la costa!
Pero, no es eso de lo que trata este post. Trata de cómo, en una ciudad tan exclusiva como ésta, los perros de todas las formas y tamaños son tan bienvenidos y vistos por todas partes, incluso en los lugares más lujosos.

There are even doggie treats in the bank for that patient hound.
Incluso en el banco hay golosinas para los perros mientras esperan.

Dogs small and large are welcome to enter and shop.
Los perros, pequeños o grandes, son bienvenidos en los comercios.

Which ice-cream should we choose, Mom?
¿Qué helado debemos elegir, mamá?

Lotusland

An awesome two hour two of one of the most stunning botanical jewels in the USA. We were fortunate to book a 10am limited tour of the 37-acre Montecito estate of Ganna Walska, a polish opera star from the 1920s. Walska created the gardens between 1940 and 1980s and we got to see al, but the Japanese Garden, which is being renovated. Just look at this list! Not only are there tropical and subtropical plants, but every imaginable plant in the following gardens:

Aloe garden, blue garden, bromeliads, Insectary Garden, cacti & euphorbias, cactus garden, cycad garden, Dracaena circle, fern garden, orchards, parterre, palmetum, shade palm garden, succulent garden, theatre garden, topiary garden, tropical garden, water garden, water stairs and cypress allée

Since it's so well photographed and featured in several YouTube publications, I decided to put down my camera and just enjoy the stroll and sights in Sara's company.

Well, this last video won't disappoint because it's the explanation of how a determined and very beautiful Ganna Walska walzed through a life of wealth and luxury by way of marriage and good fortune. She had 6 husbands. A few died and she divorced a few and her accumulated fortune as a result allowed her to create this extravagant garden masterpiece.

What Sunflowers Do

Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows. It's what sunflowers do. -Helen Keller
Not thinking backwards nor forwards; just loving these bright yellow days of September's garden with my favourite sunflower.
#sunflower #girasoles #septiembre #september#sunshine #lompoc #daughterlove #helenkeller#visitagenial #daughtertime #fallbouquet

Soaking It Up

Having the best visit.
From Sara's Instagram post (don't you love the hashtags?) this morning:
"Soaking up a month of visiting with my Mama!"
#oceantoes #visitsfromspain #beachtime#mywholehouseisorganizednow #visits #mom#soakupsummer #soakuphugs#santabarbaracounty #gaviota #maryarena#sandyfeet #waves #housemateforamonth
— Gaviota State Park

Name That Beach

#secretbeach #rockart #mural #california #pacificcoast #iseeyou

Tour the Murals, Lompoc

 

Nestled in the Sta. Rita Hills of California Central Coast, Lompoc has been a comfortable, peaceful destination where When Sara has bought her first home I heard less than complimentary things about this sleepy town of 43,000+, mostly because it's just a little sister to upscale beauty, Santa Barbara, an hour drive south along Highway 1. But, I'm loving my stay and am pleasantly surprised by the town's quaint charm, which started the weekend I arrived with delicious coffee and tea choices from South Side Coffee Co. and browsing its numerous antique stores, and abounding art and murals. The Lompoc Mural Map from 2016 touts 36 city murals, but I'm sure by now there are more. This photo sampler shows just a few from Art Alley.

Feeding Time (2015) 122 W. Ocean Ave. (back south wall/ Art Alley) Artist Jeff Raum - Moorpark, CA

“Like beautiful flowers

Blossoming along a vine,

The Murals of Lompoc surprise

and delight residents and visitors

as they stroll the downtown area”

– Lompoc Mural Society

Murals of Lompoc

Fun Things to do Lompoc

The Boatmen (2014) 112 South I St. (north wall/Sissy’s Uptown Café, in Art Alley)
Artist John Pugh (master of “trompe l’oeil”) - Truckee, CA

Fields of Gold (2004) 117½ South H St. • Mural In a Day (south wall)
Master Artist Colleen Goodwin Chronister (Salem, OR) with participating artists.

. Price of Freedom (2000) 125 South H St. - Pays tribute to all the men and women who served, fought and died in the 15 wars and conflicts of the 20th Century.
Artist Eliseo Silva - Corona, CA 

El Reencuentro

Meeting again, Lía and me. Two old gals reunite and exchange Spanish kisses. We tell each other we're looking great for the couple of years that have passed since we last saw each other and pledge our admiration and affection until the next time.

 

Greyhound love. Seeing Lia and meeting Blanca for the first time.

#galga #reencuentro#greyhoundsofinstagram #greyhoundlove#greyhounds #greyhound#galgos112oficial #galgos #visita #yogalgo#carino #adoptanocompres #middleage#agewithgrace #brindle #vacaciones#besos

Dreamers

President Donald Trump has decided to end the Obama-era program that grants work permits to undocumented immigrants who arrived in the country as children.

The administration’s deliberations on the issue have been fluid and fast moving, and the president has faced strong warnings from members of his own party not to scrap the program.

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, known as DACA. But conversations with Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who argued that Congress — rather than the executive branch — is responsible for writing immigration law, helped persuade the president to terminate the program and kick the issue to Congress.

House Speaker Paul Ryan had said during a radio interview on Friday that he didn’t think the president should terminate DACA, and that Congress should act on the issue.

campaign message about the importance of enforcing the country’s immigration laws and securing the border

The White House and Congress have tried to pass the issue off on each other – with each arguing that the other is responsible for determining the fate of the approximately 800,000 undocumented immigrants who are benefiting from DACA. 

Some Republican lawmakers, including Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, have said that Congress needs to pass a law to protect the so-called Dreamers.

Republicans, who are facing an end-of-September deadline to avert a government shutdown and government debt default, while also tackling a Hurricane Harvey relief package and a major tax reform push.

Meanwhile, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), who has called on Trump to stand up for the Dreamers, tweeted out her displeasure with Trump’s expected announcement.

“After teasing #Dreamers for months with talk of his 'great heart,' @POTUS slams door on them. Some 'heart'...” she wrote.

What do Christians in the USA have to say about DACA? The President and Vice President along with Chairmen of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) have issued a statement denouncing the Administration’s termination of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program after six months. Here is the full statement:

     The cancellation of the DACA program is reprehensible. It causes unnecessary fear for DACA youth and their families. These youth entered the U.S. as minors and often know America as their only home. The Catholic Church has long watched with pride and admiration as DACA youth live out their daily lives with hope and a determination to flourish and contribute to society: continuing to work and provide for their families, continuing to serve in the military, and continuing to receive an education. Now, after months of anxiety and fear about their futures, these brave young people face deportation. This decision is unacceptable and does not reflect who we are as Americans.

     The Church has recognized and proclaimed the need to welcome young people: ‘Whoever welcomes one of these children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me' (Mark 9:37). Today, our nation has done the opposite of how Scripture calls us to respond. It is a step back from the progress that we need to make as a country. Today’s actions represent a heartbreaking moment in our history that shows the absence of mercy and good will, and a short-sighted vision for the future. DACA youth are woven into the fabric of our country and of our Church, and are, by every social and human measure, American youth.

     We strongly urge Congress to act and immediately resume work toward a legislative solution. We pledge our support to work on finding an expeditious means of protection for DACA youth.

     As people of faith, we say to DACA youth – regardless of your immigration status, you are children of God and welcome in the Catholic Church.  The Catholic Church supports you and will advocate for you.

September 5, 2017

Death tried to stop me twice, and it failed. Do you really think an orange haired orrangutan is going to take me down? I'm not alone in the fight and we will rise, if you don't want us here you better get used to it cuz we're not going anywhere and the fight has just begun. We are the vocal, we are the inspired, we are faithful, we are the future, we are the god damned dreamers of your American Nightmare and LORD how are you all about to wake up. But this is not a fight won with hate, violence, weapons, or blood. This a war won with educated minds, compassion, love and understanding. Rise my people and clean yourselves up for road is long and few are the refuges for those unwilling to surrender. Cry no more, fear no more. But fight forever and love for ever and ever more. 
#isupportdaca #donaldtrump #congress #dreamers #unstoppable.
Danilo Guerrero-León
September 6, 2017

#Dreamers #defendDACA #MarcoRubio #PaulRyan #USCCB #immigrantrights