Thursday, February 28, 2008

Can't Live Without It!


No Matter which
direction . . .


she turned,
she always
seemed to
face
toward heaven
when she danced.




When I was in Mexico I learned just how sensual dancing could be.

I signed up for a Latin Dance Aerobic class at the local gym in Ajijic. When I arrived the room was filled from wall to wall with Latina women of all ages, shapes, & sizes, plus a handful of American's (women & men). It looked like all the women from the entire village must have been there! It was packed almost shoulder to shoulder. When the music began, the instructor worked her way toward the front of the room. She was fit and quite sexy in her workout attire. She struck a pose, and began to move her hips. The rest of the room followed her cues. At first I had to really concentrate on the moves so that I wasn't running into the women around me. Once I started to get the hang of it I started to relax and get into it. I started to watch some of the other women (and young girls) move and shake with more and more attitude as the class progressed. I'm talking these women really let their hair down! It was their one hour of "Freedom" three days a week. Nothing else seemed to matter during that time. They all danced as if they were the most sensual, beautiful women on Earth. They were Dance Goddesses! I began to laugh with joy. These women were normally so plain, quiet, and almost unseen. But not there! There, each and every last one of them was the center of attention. Even if only in their own minds. I loved it. It was one of the best aerobic workout classes I had ever taken. I was soaking wet when I left the building

I immediately went home and knocked out this painting titled, “Latina Baila”.
(Female Latin Dancer)



Share/Save/Bookmark

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

The Bucket List


I laughed and cried equally as hard at this movie! I give it 5 stars! Who hasn’t at some point written down their own “Bucket List” from time to time? I’ve done it. And as I get older it changes. Some stuff I've already accomplished, yet for some reason it never seems to get shorter. In fact, it keeps getting longer. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not.

So tell me three things that are on your “Bucket List?”

Here are three things on my Bucket List:
• Set up my easel on a sidewalk in Paris and paint! (I’d like to spend at least a month in Paris)
• Write a coffee table book featuring my artwork (and get it published, of course!)
Take each of my kids (one at a time for their graduation present) on a month long vacation to someplace really cool in the world that they would like to visit. My daughter is thinking Spain (that may change by the time she graduates, we’ll see).

Share/Save/Bookmark

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

LIFE & DEATH

Car Accident

On Sunday I was the first person to arrive to a fatal car accident. It happened only a few seconds before I came upon it on I-17 just about one mile or so south of Sunset Point Rest Area headed toward Phoenix (one hour north of PHX). This is where the curves turn real sharp, and people don’t seem to slow down through these turns. As I was coming around one of the turns there was debris still flying all over the road and in the air. I smelled a strong scent of burnt rubber from the tires. Then I saw a car smashed into the mountainside to my left. I maneuvered my way through the rubbish to pull over. Another woman stopped right behind me. We got out and ran to the car and opened the door. It was awful. There were four young boys (maybe late teens, early 20’s). Two of the boys were thrown out of the back window (one of them was deceased). The other three all had bad head injuries, blood all over their faces, and bleeding from their ears -- moaning in pain. I grabbed a towel from inside my truck to place it under the head of one of the boys that we pulled out of the car. All I could do was comfort them, talk to them, and let them know they weren’t alone. Within the following five minutes an EMT, and two nurses arrived, and then the police.

I finally left the scene, and continued on to my destination. I was headed to 1130 The Restaurant to hang nine paintings for an upcoming art exhibition. It was all so surreal. My stomach ached, my heart was racing, and all I could think about was how much pain these boys were in, and all the lives that would be affected by this accident. The next morning I had an appointment with an offset printer in Phoenix; little did I know that I was still shaken up by the accident. When I got back into my truck I felt myself having a mild anxiety attack, (or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?), while I was traveling on the freeway. I kept imagining accidents happening all around me. I was driving at least 5 to 10 mph slower than everyone else, I was afraid to drive. I had never experienced that before. It was crazy! I was supposed to go back to Prescott that afternoon, but I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t make the drive. I was too freaked out. So I stayed over night at my mother’s house to let myself try to get over this. But even the next day I still felt anxious when I was driving.

Life is so fragile

Share/Save/Bookmark

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Mexico or Bust!


Leaving Oregon
Two years ago I "checked out" for a while. It was about five months after my divorce was finalized. I decided to head 'South of the Border' to a small village called Ajijic, which is south of Guadalajara in Jalisco, Mexico. I didn't know a soul there, and it was the farthest I had ever traveled by myself. In fact, I had never been to Mexico before. But it just seemed like a good place to "disconnect" from the hectic life here in the States and just give myself (my heart) time to heal and PAINT-PAINT-PAINT! I stayed for six months. Here I am all packed up and ready to leave Oregon (where I lived for 16 years). I would recommend a trip like this for anyone who is at a crossroads in their life!!

Share/Save/Bookmark

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Tapas Anyone?

Good Food is an ART! I love it when I come across a restaurant with exceptionally good food -- good enough to spread the word. Soooo.......

El Gato Azul Restaurant in Historic Downtown Prescott, Arizona is one of my favorite local places to eat. Quaint little place for traditional and contemporary Spanish cuisine. They usually have live music in the patio area on weekends, plus they occasionally have a Tequila tasting event, and a periodic wine tasting. If you ever make it there may I suggest trying their Tapas!!! Some of my favorite tapas are their Black Bean Cakes, Blackened Scallops, and Red Pepper Cream Salmon! YUM! Also, their Paella is packed with flavor!



Share/Save/Bookmark

Friday, February 22, 2008

Surfacing

¡Hola! It's good to finally be here in this Crazy World of BlogMania.



Share/Save/Bookmark

Now You Can Personalize My MiliGirl Notecards on my Zazzle Store!