It caught my eye

"Love is like playing the piano.
First you must learn to play by the rules,
then you must forget the rules and play from your heart."
-Unknown

A bit of me

I've been waiting for inspiration to hit me, to crash into me and overflow! Since that hasn't happened whatsoever, I post what inspired people have to say. But now, I found out it helps to smile when you write something (big grin).
I like writing about the good, upbeat thoughts that go through my head. If I write about the negative ones, well everyone already has those... And I have too many of those.
Mostly this blog is a reminder to me, of all the good, great, beautiful things in life that are out there, in here, all over.
It's not that I don't realize the bad, ugly, wrong things. But I want to find the good. All the reasons to be glad. The reasons to smile. The reasons to keep living. The reasons to keep loving.
Life is tough across the board.
I want to learn how to live it, with a smile.
So many of the things I post here are really for me, or things that have helped me.

Like a kiss, a walk in the rain (try to not get sick afterwards, mom's warning echos in my head, you can't let her think she's right this time), a ray of sunlight through your window (simple), a chubby and cute face that tells you they love you (you are loved), a bite of somthing yummy (fill your fridge), a surprizing happenenig (Hmmm, some things you can control, others not really). But what could really make me happy is knowing I could make you smile. I'll try my hardest. Love you whoever!

I think I want to change my blog's skin.

Guys speak on a bleak afternoon

Life is too short to be waiting for the perfect conditions.
Go for the horns. Squeeze the most juice out of that lemon. Get the most out of the least.
-Sven Odak's very words today.

They say that what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger.
-Rafael Granados, a dear old school-friend

A smile to remember

I remember that in Mérida, a city where I used to live in, there was a man that would stand on the sidewalk, holding a sign with a bible verse written on it and would simply smile.
That was all. He'd stand there, hold the verse and smile.
Whenever I'd go to that particular part of town, amidst all the shopping places, the bustle of the city, the people passing, he'd be there. There wasn't anything very outstanding about his appearance -he had a little moustache-, but his smile, that was radiant!
If someone didn't know how to smile, I'd send them to him.
People probably thought he was nuts to just stand there everyday. I don't know about that. But I can't begin to imagine what a difference he made in people's days. If it wasn't the verse that he held, then definitely the smile would do it! It did it for me. It did brighten some of my days, and to think how selfless he was in trying to cheer people up.
Sometimes there are pretty simple things we can do to make life better. Maybe not standing beneath the beating sun smiling. How about...hugs, kind words that you mean, smiles given left and right? Simple things, you see? Just be spontaneous.
No one needs to remember how difficult life is, how bleak and boring it can get, how tiring it can be.
I remember that while out on a walk my mom and I found that there were stick-notes on the sidewalk. Separated by a few meters, they read: "Have a great day". It was done for someone in particular I'm sure, but it probably cheered up someone else in the process.
If you have lips, a brain and a heart that beats -no matter in which state you think that is- you can make people incredibly happy. And when you do, well...they say you end up being happy too. I'm sure of that.
We all want to be happy after all.

Do it anyway

(This is often attributed to Mother Teresa of Calcutta, as a copy was found on her wall, but it was written by Kent M. Keith when he was 19)
Who was Kent? A dude who found the way to live right, to live to the full; the simplistic way, though tough and difficult. The way that brings the most happiness.
We could try, and find out for ourselves.

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered;

Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone may destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, others may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is all between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway.

Adrian and Susi: I love you!

"When you give yourself, you receive more than you give."
-Antoine de Saint-Exupery

My greatest wishes to the birthday guy and girl.
Have an awesome new year! Learning, loving and living for love.

We celebrated Adrian and Susi's birthdays on Monday; it was the party with the larger number of cakes!
Thanks to Jesus for the donated ones and the ones baked before that.

Adrian turned 11 the 1st of July -my little brother: funny, real lovable, annoying and with an amazing array of talents.

Susi and Nina on each side. Aren't they tremendously cute, beautiful little ladies?

We took our easels for the kids to paint and stay entertained for a while...it worked.

Denise -a friend

The adorable sisters

Benny and Chiki the Chihuahua

They fight, make up, and love each other once more.
Then the cycle begins again.

The birthday girl and her best friend.

"Ashley, smile!"

Alex the rockstar!

Baby Sarah went traveling from arms to arms.

Ayleen was immensely excited at the sight of the dog, but she would jump around and run away when it got too close to her.

We all learn that some things aren't really that bad, terrible or frightening.

My mom facepaints in her real lovely way.

That puppy was something.
The kids loved it.

Tenderness

My mom, faithfuly being a mom.

A shot for you.

W-W

A Wisdom Wallpaper for you!

...Just be happy.

A loser?

Losers let things happen; they’re merely creatures of circumstances.

Winners make things happen; they’re creators of circumstances.—David Dean

Back home

I spent a week in Monterrey, the hot, huge city where some of my rocking friends live. The type of friends that you played with mud as a kid. The great type. You don't see them often. Sometimes you loose touch. But when you see them again, it's all fun.
We traveled back to Morelia in the night, made an effort to sleep as much as possible. The funny thing was the man sitting on the next row of seats, he snored in such unique way.
And then the sun rose right over the lake, it couldn't have been a better place ;)
Please pretend I have a BUNCH of pictures. I forgot the camera -shame on me. And the cameras they had went through tough times, like drowning or plain ol rebellion to work.
Try picturing:
A shot taken of my happy mother with Josiah and Linda.
Dear Steph cooking dinner.
Danny sleeping, what he loves doing. Hah!
Nathy, Steph and I smashing ourselves in a big hug.
The stairs of their house, very narrow, they just ask me for a picture. A clumsy person is apt to hurt their self with the rough walls on both sides. Ok, me in the stairs, since I'm the one who thinks they're so special.
A group shot, all sitting an waiting for our movie to start. Steph looking very pretty, Danny with a cool face, still thinking about the girl that just passed, Nathy being cute, me being me and Nick tall and with a smile (he better smile).
Danny playing the base.
Steph and I in the park, sitting in the shade, with a bag of gross chips which we finished anyway.
Steph caught thinking about someone...
A very strange picture of Nick and I dancing in the street.
Auntie Ruth, mom and Linda at a restaurant, quick shot before I had to run with the others.
A picture of the sky, sun rays dancing now -instead of shooting down at us -with the great mountains in view.

...A week passed by too fast.

If my eyes could

I've repeated this quite some times, in different conversations. But I'll say it again.
I just wish my eyes could take pictures. So that what my eyes get to see, is captured to show others, and to remind myself.
It's not that I have such an amazing life, with loads of different far-out experiences. But to have all those flashbacks handy would be a proof that the world -though a horrid mess- still has beauty and people who know how to live, love and give.
We can fail to realize all the things that make life truly beautiful. These things cannot be captured in pictures really, but people must see to believe. They'd be memories of things felt, things lived, the honey that comes from the crushing, the rainbow that comes from the rain, the smile that lights the day.
Our eyes cannot take pictures in the way I'm referring to (big grin -you already knew that), but if we'd just stop and look closely we could see that the things that really matter are simple, the things to make us happy are there and that the beauty of life lies within. Once you find it, you'll see it all around.

....In the "if " scenario, there would also be lots of pictures to laugh over -laugh our heads off!