CHOCOLATE

Whenever I feel stressed out, the first thing that comes to my mind is "chocolate".
Not until I have done some research that I have realized that it's not just because of my " sweet tooth" that it comes to my mind. Chocolate contains alkaloids such as theobromine and phenethylamine, which have physiological effects on the body. It has been linked to serotonin levels in the brain,which has various functions, including the regulation of mood, appetite, sleep,etc...
Chocolate is produced from the seeds of the tropical cacao tree.After fermentation, the beans are dried, cleaned, and roasted, and the shell is removed to produce cacao nibs. The nibs are then ground and liquefied, resulting in pure chocolate in fluid form: chocolate liquor. The liquor can be further processed into two components: cocoa solids and cocoa butter. Pure, unsweetened chocolate contains primarily cocoa solids and cocoa butter in varying proportions. Much of the chocolate consumed today is in the form of sweet chocolate, combining chocolate with sugar. Milk chocolate is sweet chocolate that additionally contains milk powder or condensed milk. "White chocolate" contains cocoa butter, sugar, and milk but no cocoa solids (and thus does not qualify to be considered true chocolate).
Chocolate has become one of the most popular food types and flavors in the world. Gifts of chocolate molded into different shapes have become traditional on certain holidays: chocolate bunnies and eggs are popular on Easter, chocolate coins on Hanukkah, Santa Claus and other holiday symbols on Christmas, and hearts on Valentine's Day. Chocolate is also used in cold and hot beverages, to produce chocolate milk and hot chocolate.When in doubt about what to buy me.... just remember this post!

ALL STRESSED OUT.....

This is exactly the way that I feel now..... give me some dessert!
Long hours in the office, dark when I leave the house..... still dark when I come back, not enough time to go shopping, than all I have to eat around the house is cookies and chips, because they don't go bad as fast as fruits and vegetables.... I also have a pint of ice cream that I keep on dipping my chips into....
When am I going back to my regular work hours?....when...when?
I have been working 6 days a week, some of those are 11 hours days and when I asked for a week vacation in January...the answer was that "he" also needed that same time off. I only had one response to that:"Does it mean that I am not working hard enough to deserve one week vacation in January?"
The next day, my vacation request was approved!

Valber & Vanille

It was with great pleasure that last Sunday we have attended Valber & Vanille Show.
As so, we want to take this opportunity to thank Angela Mesquita, from Brasil Remittance, for inviting us to her table and for the warm welcome that she gave us, as we came into the hall. If it wasn't for her, we probably wouldn't have gone to the show. A GOOD FRIEND, as always!
Although a lot of mixed feelings came up, memories of the times we had together..., it was a way of LETTING GO of an era that has served a purpose in our lives.
Many lessons were learned... decisions were made and values were put to the test. As long as something was learned from all those experiences, I can say it was well worth!

All the best to the duo... many more decisions to be made and values to be put to test, keeping in mind that " we are spiritual beings who are having a physical experience".

The Human Experience

All the books that I have been reading, from Dr. Brian Wiess to James Van Praagh, share the same idea: "we are spiritual beings who are having a physical experience".

As spiritual beings we choose to come back to earth and encounter all the opportunities that will propel us and the human race forward in earth's evolution.
Our natural state as spirits is one of expended consciousness and we have the power to create with thought and ideas. Although, when we come to earth we bring with us the blueprint of all previous life experiences, we leave behind the memories of those same life experiences, in order to start over with a clear conscience.
The only problem is that we forget our divine nature and we tend to look to others to validate and measure our own worthiness instead of believing in ourselves and creating our own paths.
We become victims of circumstances rather than creators of our fates.

"As a spirit having a human experience, you can choose to not merely exist but to be fully conscious and aware of living in a limited world. When you take a conscious part in life and its multitude of choices, you won't let life happen to you - you will make life happen for you..."

From: Ghosts Among Us, by James Van Praagh

Emanuel Felix

The few memories that I still have of Emanuel Felix are mainly from my childhood and although every time I went back to the island, I tried to get in touch, it was always hard to find him. We would see each other at Rua da Se,the Market Place or even at the airport, but always in a rush. He was either traveling to Paris or to a meeting with a colleague and we always promised each other that "next time" we would spend some time together. In 2001, I finally had the pleasure of his company, together with his wife, his son, his grand-son and my sister. We had coffee and cake at his place where he told us all about his trips to Saint George's Island as well as to California and read us some of his poems. This was the last time we were together.
February 14, 2004, on my father's birthday, he passed away due to diabetes complications.

His published work follows:

A Palavra O Açoite (1957)
Vendedor De Bichos (1965)
Angra No Último Quartel Do Século XVI (1967)
O Instante Suspenso (1982)
A Viagem Possível (1984)
Seis Nomes De Mulher (1985)
António Dacosta - Esboço De Um Roteiro Sentimental (1988)
Conceito E Dinâmica Do Património Cultural (1989)
A Viagem Possível (1993)
Os Trincos Da Memória (1994)
Habitação Das Chuvas (1997)

Rest in Peace.... 

Rest in Peace....

Winter is upon us

Every winter,
When the great sun has turned his face away,
The earth goes down into a vale of grief,
And fasts, and weeps, and shrouds herself in sables,
Leaving her wedding-garlands to decay -
Then leaps in spring to his returning kisses.
~Charles Kingsley