DAY 18: on laughter

Silly

sadly, I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard  I nearly peed my pants, what I can share is that I laugh regularly (mostly at my kids.... or with my kids, depends how you want to look at it), and I also make sure to get my daily does of laughter through my daily TV session at night, (think Daily show with Jon Steward or New Girl). 

The acoustics in my house are such  that  you can hear the TV better in almost every OTHER room, so the hubs bought me some wireless headphones. I leave you with an image in the hope that it will make you smile, of me  sitting in the dark, surrounded by silence, alone, laughing my  butt off. 

DAY 17: what mantras keep you going?

These are some of the mantras that kept me going throughout the year 

and define who I am and who I want to be.

“don't sweat the small stuff”

“think long term: what kind of person 

do you want your child to be”

“ this too shall pass”

“a dios rezando y con el mazo dando” 
(whilst praying/hoping, you need to put in the work)

“remain humble. Remember all you DON’T know, 

and relish all you are yet to learn”

"no one is better than you. No one is worse than you. You can learn something from everyone 

and  every situation"

“you are never too old to learn something new”

"don't limit yourself with tags and definitions. let others worry about that, do what you love, 

love what you do"

"if it brings you joy, do it, 

even if it doesn't 'make sense'"

"there are many paths to get to Rome"

“remember who your REAL clients are” 

(hint, NOT the ones paying me)

Day 15: what are you thankful for?

six years old

We all know how me tend to take for granted the most important things in life. Partly because we just can't imagine life without them, we don't even stop to consider how lucky we are to have them.

This year more than most I've been reminded of a very simple truth: how lucky I am to have two beautiful, healthy -live- children.

I'm grateful for routine. For the kids getting off the bus hungry and complaining. For the dinner they refuse to  eat. For the struggle to get them to brush their teeth and go to bed.

Even though I know I am extremely blessed and have a long list of things to be thankful for. Today, now,   I'm just going to stick to that one.  Because I can't begin to imagine life without them. Because I can't stop thinking what if it'd been me. What if it'd been mine.

five years old

this is not a political statement, just a fact

on love with a capital L

We interrupt this December Challenge to say CONGRATULATIONS to two very special people who are celebrating, today, FIFTY years of LOVE, companionship, partnership, tolerance, friendship, adventures, misadventures, connection, chicken soup, unconditionality, protection, understanding, splitting romantic and adventure movie nights, date nights, pre-cooked lobster valentines, late nights dancing, travel (with kids, which counts for like twenty), jewellery hidden in a cookie box, kindness, sincerity, silent dinners that are NOT awkward, apologies, patience, impatience, connection, humour



...you get the picture

"love is the fabric of all creation. It's beginning and the end. Love defines existence. You are love. I am love. Love is all there is"

CONGRATULATIONS!

Day 13, the beauty of different, what makes you YOU?

I've always thought that my eyes were a bit too small and my nose a tad too big, 

but you know what they say, careful what you wish for 

also, people tend to think I'm a little odd, go figure, but I always kind of liked it. 

Day 12: imagine you have 5 minutes to rescue what you can from 2012.... go!

The Family Trip to Miami, the first  time ever we all travelled together * Love my work related trips * being overwhelmed by Bangladesh * enjoying the tastes of Ethiopia, and generally being given the chance to share the lives of others and while remembering how fortunate we are * Mario’s new school * Summer holidays back home (Spain and Italy) with the family, always lovely * I’ll take the little chopito with me, even if he didn’t last long * Visit to san Francisco and going back to Monterey after soo many years * the feeling of having an established business and being able to work in a team as opposed to alone after a looooong time * girlie lunches * The kids beginning to read (yei) *  the kids beginning to  have more in depth conversation * 20 days in timor, it felt like time had stopped and I got to live by the sea, I’ve always wanted to * home baked bread and home made yogurt * The many family visits and the chance to share my life with them * the frumpy man that sleeps in my bed and makes it all happen * New friends and seeing old friends * Yoga * capoeira *  The green juice detox, a new addiction,  for once a healthy one * an increased and increasing sense of normalcy *  being spared by sandy * health for my family and no major issues in the family. No news is good news * The house!