Whoever had the idea of cutting time into
slices -that was named “year’’-
was a genius.

Industrialized “hope’’, making it work
to the limit of exhaustion.

Twelve months are enough for any
human being to get tired and give up.

Then comes the miracle of renewal and
everything starts all over again
with a different number.

And the wish to believe that from
that point on everything
will be different…

To you,
I wish that dream coming true.

The love you are longing for.

Hope renewed.

To you I wish all the colors of life.
All the happiness that you can smile.

All the music that can excite you.

To you in this New Year I wish that
your friends be more conniving,

and that your family be more united,

and that your life be better lived.

I would like to wish you so many things…
But nothing would be enough…

Therefore I wish only for you to have
many wishes. Big wishes…

And that they guide you
every single minute
towards your happiness !

( Carlos Drummond de Andrade )

Happy New Year
to all of you !!!!!!!

Feliz Ano Novo
a todos !!!!!!!

Quem teve a idéia de cortar
o tempo em fatias,
a que se deu o nome de ano,
foi um indivíduo genial.
Industrializou a esperança
fazendo-a funcionar no limite da exaustão.

Doze meses dão para qualquer
Ser Humano se cansar
e entregar os pontos.

Aí entra o milagre da renovação e tudo começa outra vez
com outro número
e outra vontade de acreditar
que daqui para adiante vai ser diferente...

Para você,
Desejo o sonho realizado.
O amor esperado.
A esperança renovada.

Para você,
desejo todas as cores desta vida.
Todas as alegrias que puder sorrir.
Todas as músicas que puder emocionar.

Para você neste novo ano,
desejo que os amigos
sejam mais cúmplices,
que sua família esteja mais unida,
que sua vida seja mais bem vivida.

Gostaria de lhe desejar tantas coisas...
Mas nada seria suficiente...

Então, desejo apenas que você tenha muitos desejos.
Desejos grandes...
e que eles possam te mover
a cada minuto,
ao rumo da sua felicidade !

( Carlos Drummond de Andrade )

It does not matter if you say it in Portuguese, English or Greek.
The important thing is that you take a moment
to think of all the blessings you have received ...
and be thankful for them ...
and think of all the friends,
that no matter in what country they are,
they will always be very close to your heart.

Happy Everything, Anywhere, Always

Love,

Oscar

* * * * * * *

Não importa se você diz em Português, Inglês ou Grego.
O importante é que você tire um segundo
e reflita sobre todas as bênçãos recebidas ...
e agradeça por elas ...
e pense em todos os seus amigos,
que não importa em que país eles estejam,
eles estarão sempre perto do seu coração.

Feliz Tudo, Em qualquer lugar, Sempre !

Love,

Oscar

Smile

Smile though your heart is aching
Smile even though it’s breaking
When there are clouds in the sky, you’ll get by
If you smile through your fear and sorrow
Smile and maybe tomorrow
You’ll see the sun come shining through for you

Light up your face with gladness
Hide every trace of sadness
Although a tear may be ever so near
That’s the time you must keep on trying

Smile, what's the use of crying?
You'll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just smile

That's the time you must keep on trying
Smile, what's the use of crying?
You'll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just smile

( Charles Chaplin )

]

I Wanna Know What Love Is
( Celtic Thunder )

Gonna take a little time

A little time to think things over

I better read between the lines

In case I need it when I'm older

Now this mountain I must climb

Feels like a world upon my shoulders

Through the clouds I see love shine

It keeps me warm as life grows colder

In my life there's been heartache and pain

I don't know if I can face it again

Can't stop now, I've travelled so far

To change this lonely life

I’m gonna take a little time

I'm gonna take a little time

A little time to look around me

'Cos I've got nowhere left to hide

In my life there's been heartache and pain

I don't know if I can face it again

I can't stop now, I've traveled so far

To change this lonely life

I wanna know what love is

I wanna know what love is

Wanna feel what love is

Quotes from Alice in Wonderland

Well, I never heard it before, but it sounds uncommon nonsense.
( The Mock Turtle )

It would be so nice if something made sense for a change.
( Alice )

What is the use of repeating all that stuff, if you don't explain it as you go on? It's by far the most confusing thing I ever heard!
( The Mock Turtle )

Padre Pio's Birthday

He was born Francesco Forgione, to Giuseppa and Grazio Forgione,

in the small farming town of Pietrelcina, Italy on May 25, 1887.

*

Pietrelcina is located at the Campania region,

from where the Italian part of my family came from.

*

This is a Spiritual rather than a Religious tribute.

*

''The grain of wheat does not yield anything

unless it suffers and decomposes;

it is the same for the soul and for nations

who need trials and sufferings

so as to rise up purified and renewed.

*

The good we endeavor to do to others will always

result in the sanctification of our own souls.

*

It is said that even before reaching the Ocean,
a River trembles with fear.
Looks back at its entire journey: the peaks,
the mountains, the long winding path trough forests,
Through villages, and sees before it an Ocean
so vast that to enter it is nothing more
than disappearing forever.
But there is no other way.
The River can’t turn back.
No one can turn back.
Turning back is impossible in life.
One can only go forward.
The River needs to take risks and enter the Ocean.
And only when it enters the Ocean is that the fear disappears,
because only then the River will realize that it is not about
disappearing into the Ocean,
But becoming Ocean.
On one hand it is disappear and on the other it is rebirth.
So are we.
Turning back is impossible in life.
You can go ahead and take risks.
Courage!
Become Ocean!

( Osho )

" Now the arm is no longer the arm stretched

on a cry of victory.
Now the arm is a line, a hairstroke, a mirrored shiny trace.
And all the images are this way: drawings of light,

groupings of particle, of points,

a chart of impulses, a processing of signals.
And thus – it is said – life is retold.
Now they remove from me the layer of flesh,

drain all the blood, sharpen the bones into luminous threads.

And there I am, around the halls, around the houses,

around the cities, looking like myself.
A draft.
A nebulous figure, made out of light and shade
Just like a star.
Now I am a star. "

(Elis Regina)

* * *


"Agora o braço não é mais o braço erguido num grito de gol.

Agora o braço é uma linha, um traço,

um rastro espelhado e brilhante.

E todas as figuras são assim: desenhos de luz,

agrupamentos de pontos de partículas,

um quadro de impulsos, um processamento de sinais.

E assim ­ - dizem - recontam a vida.

Agora retiram de mim a cobertura da carne,

escorrem todo o sangue,

afinam os ossos em fios luminosos.

E aí­ estou, pelo salão, pelas casas, pelas cidades,

parecida comigo.

Um rascunho.

Uma forma nebulosa, feita de luz e sombra.

Como uma estrela.

Agora eu sou uma estrela."

(Elis Regina)

GOODBYE GOLDEN BEA

Bea Arthur ( 1922-2009 )

It is so sad ... it is like a part of you is gone.

They impregnate your life with fond memories and

help you cope with sadness by

giving you a moment

– even if only a brief one –

of happiness and laughter.

And all of a sudden they become part

of your life (Almost like that friend that

you don’t talk to very often

but that means a lot to you). And in an instant

they are gone forever.

Off course there are the reruns

and DVDs to watch. But no more updates,

no more headlines,

no more interviews,

no more Nickelodeon reunions ...

Just those memories

that you will treasure forever !

’’ Thank you for being a friend … ’’

" What I feel I don't act

What I act I don't think
What I think I don't feel
About what I know I am ignorant
About what I feel I don't ignore
I don't understand myself
And act as if I do. "

Clarice Lispector

The safe in the bank has only money.
Very disappointed will be those who think

they will find wealth in it.

( Carlos Drummond de Andrade )

BEIN' GREEN

BEIN’ GREEN
( By Joe Raposo * For Sesame Street / Kermit )

It's not that easy bein' green

Having to spend each day the color of the leaves

When I think it could be nicer being red or yellow or gold

Or something much more colorful like that

It's not easy bein' green

It seems you blend in with so many other ordinary things

And people tend to pass you over 'cause you're

Not standing out like flashy sparkles in the water

Or stars in the sky

But green's the color of Spring

And green can be cool and friendly-like

And green can be big like an ocean

Or important like a mountain

Or tall like a tree

When green is all there is to be

It could make you wonder why

But why wonder, why wonder?

I am green and it'll do fine

It's beautiful!

And I think it's what I want to be

Life is the homework we brought back with us.

When we realize, is already six o'clock

When we realize, is already Friday ...

When we realize, the year is over ...

When we realize, we have lost the love of our life.

When we realize, 50 years have gone by !

Now it's too late to flunk.

If one day another chance was given me,

I would not even look at the clock.

I would keep on walking forward and tossing along the way

the useless golden shells of the hours.

That said, I tell you: don't stop from doing something you like

because of lack of time...

the only thing lacking will be that time

that unfortunately will never come back

Mario Quintana

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Quintana

"Carmen Forever Miranda"

* The Carmen Miranda Centennial *

Anyone can use the title "Brazilian Bombshell" like I do ... but in fact there will always be only one true individual that can be called "The Brazilian Bombshell" ! And that is Carmen Miranda ... that if still alive would be turning 100 today , February 9th .And alive she is ... in the minds and hearts of those , like myself, that idolize her.

Here's an excerpt from Wikipedia that gives a little idea of who this remarkable woman was :

"Maria do Carmo Miranda da Cunha , better known by the stage name Carmen Miranda ; February 9, 1909 – August 5, 1955) was a Portuguese born Brazilian samba singer and actress most popular in the 1940s and 1950s. Her family moved to Brazil shortly after her birth. Famous for promoting Brazil in her role as an entertainer, Miranda was a Broadway star, one of the highest-paid artists in Hollywood, and by some accounts the highest-earning woman in the United States. She achieved stardom in motion pictures, cast in musical roles and often wearing a hat topped with tropical fruit, which has become her iconic visual identity. For her contribution to the motion picture industry, Carmen Miranda has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6262 Hollywood Boulevard. She is considered the precursor of Brazilian the musical movement called 'Tropicalismo".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmen_Miranda

More on Carmen can be also found in:

http://carmen.miranda.nom.br/

And on the Carmen Miranda Museum official site:

http://carmen.miranda.nom.br/gal_museu.htm

If we shadows have offended,

Think but this, and all is mended,

That you have but slumber'd here

While these visions did appear.

And this weak and idle theme,

No more yielding but a dream,

Gentles, do not reprehend:

if you pardon, we will mend.

And, as I am an honest Puck,

If we have unearned luck

Now to 'scape the serpent's tongue,

We will make amends ere long;

Else the Puck a liar call;

So, good night unto you all.

Give me your hands, if we be friends,

And Robin shall restore amends.

William Shakespeare
A Midsummer Night’s Dream

CLEANING DAY

( By Rosy Beltrão )

I was in need of a self cleaning ...

To dispose of some unwanted thoughts, washing some treasures that were kind of rusty...

So I removed from the bottom of the drawers memories that I don't use and no longer want !

Threw away some dreams , some illusions ...

Gift wraps I never used, smiles I never gave; threw away the anger and the rancor of dry flowers that were inside a book I never read.

I looked at my future smiles and my aspired happiness...and I placed them on a corner, neatly.

I lost my patience!

Removed everything from inside the closet and started throwing them on the floor : hidden passions, suppressed desires, horrible words that I wish I had never said, grudge against a friend, memories of a sad day...

But there were other things in there too ... beautiful things !!!!

A bird singing at my window sill ... that silver moon , the sunset ...

I started to rejoice and to enjoy , looking at each one of those memories.

I sat on the floor to be able to make my choices.

I threw right on a garbage bag the remains of a love the hurt me. Took the words of anger and pain that were on the top shelf, because I rarely use them and put right in the same bag.

Some other things that still hurt me I put on the side to see what I am going to do with them. If I forget them right there or if I send them to the dumpster.

Then , I went to that corner ; to that drawer we keep everything that matters: the love , the happiness, the smiles , a little bit of faith for the moments we need the most.

How wonderful it was to remember all that !!!!

I gather LOVE with care , folded WISHES neatly, sprayed HOPE with some perfume , dusted the shelf that holds my goals and left them exposed in order not to loose sight of them.

Placed on the bottom shelves some childhood memories , on the top drawer the ones from my teenage years and hanging right in front of me I placed my ability to love ...

And most of all , my ability to START ALL OVER ...