I learned what The Day of the Dead meant by spending time in the New Orleans markets admiring the vignettes. It’s a huge celebration with family and friends welcoming back the souls of the dead.
The roots of the Day of the Dead, celebrated in contemporary Mexico and among those of Mexican heritage in the United States and around the world, go back some 3,000 years, to the rituals honoring the dead in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. The Aztecs and other Nahua people living in what is now central Mexico held a cyclical view of the universe, and saw death as an integral, ever-present part of life.
During contemporary Day of the Dead festivities, people commonly wear skull masks and eat sugar candy molded into the shape of skulls. The pan de ánimas of All Souls Day rituals in Spain is reflected in pan de muerto, the traditional sweet baked good of Day of the Dead celebrations today. Other food and drink associated with the holiday, but consumed year-round as well, include spicy dark chocolate and the corn-based drink called atole. You can wish someone a happy Day of the Dead by saying, “Feliz día de los Muertos.”
The Day of the Dead celebration sounds very interesting, having the soul of a loved one appear could be life-changing.
Paula is so talented, she sings, dances, choreographs, and was even an NFL Cheerleader Coach. She’s her own person and although she may not be very tall, no one is going to walk over her.
It’s the weekend!!!!!!
I’m glad you joined me this week for another edition of Weekend Music Share.
Have a great weekend!
Melinda
Welcome back to Weekend Music Share, the place where everyone can share their favorite music.
Feel free to use the Weekend Music Share banner in your post, and use the hashtag #WeekendMusicShare on social media so other participants can find your post.
Thank you for visiting my blog. I truly appreciate you stopping by. I hope you found a post or two you could relate to and will return soon. I have not been to your home countries, but they are all on my bucket list.
I’m sending you and your family well wishes for health and happiness.
The lead singer has a great voice, love that special twang he does. The video looks like a ton of fun and half orgy. What do you think?
It’s the weekend!!!!!!
I’m glad you joined me for another edition of Weekend Music Share this week.
Have a great weekend!
Melinda
Welcome back to Weekend Music Share, the place where everyone can share their favorite music.
Feel free to use the Weekend Music Share banner in your post, and use the hashtag #WeekendMusicShare on social media so other participants can find your post.
I always wanted everything my Gramps had, so when I was still in the bottle, he put a small amount of coffee in it. I slurped with joy and still do.
In high school, I was not interested in being popular or joining a sorority but somehow, I got talked into rushing for a sorority. During rush week we had to go a week without washing our hair. It nearly killed me, but one night we all spent the night at the so-called leader’s house and it was the last straw for me. They spent the night talking about their boyfriends, drinking, sex, and how they were popular at school. I couldn’t care less and left and turned the page on that experience.
I was naive in high school, thinking the cheerleaders were all goody-two-shoes and virgins. Not so much! One night while hanging out at the library, our hang spot, a cheerleader I only knew from class asked me if I would drive her around to smoke a joint. SURE! I hadn’t smoked a joint in years. We parked not far from the library and stoked away, the whole time she talked about how all her boyfriend wanted was sex. Sex and smoking a joint, wow my eyes were opened.
The high school football quarterback wouldn’t even speak to me, I was friends with almost everyone but not him. He was above mere mortals. At the 20-year high school reunion, I looked very different than in high school and all he wanted to do was dance and get me to leave with him. It was funny. I was there with my future husband. Men tend to think with the wrong head.
I’m keeping this post short since the other topics were too heavy for this one. You can look forward to topics like agoraphobia, dementia, driving my husband’s truck the size of an aircraft carrier, and forgetting how to drive.
Thank you for all the great feedback on the Blogger Highlight series. I’ve enjoyed meeting each blogger and sharing their blog with you. This week, we highlight the blog Essence of Me. I only started following Jeiyanni in September and we struck up a conversation and I felt a connection to her. I think part of the reason is her personality, she’s positive but realistic, ambitious but knows she’s on the ground floor in her career and has big goals. She accomplished so much for her younger age and that tells me shows going straight up. She is a hard-working woman who graduated from Columbia and as she builds her career she works part-time at TJ Maxx and part-time teaching an after-school program.
I write because I have an overwhelming desire to immortalize whatever happens, or could possibly happen, onto the page. The act of writing is like a release, a form of physical therapy. I realize that one of the most prominent themes in my work is the idea of complex human emotions, circumstances, words, and actions. With my writing I feel that it is my duty to express all the things that are interesting, confusing, and difficult. I use my point of view to display a unique perspective in my pieces and characters. Overall, I just want to showcase the realities of people and human-to-human connection. I want to focus in on specific point-of-views of different characters- who’s the current main character of the story, and why do we care about their particular situation?
In this blog, you can find any and everything that embodies the essence of who I am. That includes thoughts, beliefs, pictures, pieces of writing, analytical essays, etc. If you’re interested in who I am as a person and a writer, I hope you’ll embark on this wonderful journey with me.
Ta-ta for now!
-Jeiyanni
I asked Jeiyanni a couple of questions:
M. What made you pursue a career in writing and why Columbia?
J. I think I just believed that since writing was my passion, that was what I should be doing with my life. My wish was (and still is) to be an author. So I went to Columbia College Chicago because it was a liberal arts school that was geared towards what I wanted to do in life. Because I don’t want to necessarily just be an author, but I also want to do different types of writing as well.
M. You started writing a young age, what was the draw to writing and what did you write about?
J. Initially I was drawn to writing in the second grade when I was talking crap about some classmates I didn’t like in my Winnie the Pooh journal 😆 but Idk, I think I just enjoyed that medium of being able to express myself and thus my passion for writing stories blossomed as well. But when I was younger, I would write stories on whatever topics came to mind from my little elementary school world. For example, some short books I wrote as a young child were “Granny’s Burgers” and “How to Avoid Arguments” lol.
We all feel hopeless at times throughout our lives, it is a natural part of growing but it’s a tad bit better if we have someone who understands and is in our corner. I think you will relate to her feelings on that day. Second-guessing ourselves is also a part of being young with so many directions and goals in front of us.
Be sure to stop by, say hello to Jeiyanni, pull up a chair, and stay awhile. Her personality will pull you in!
One of the greatest things about The Mayo Clinic’s awesome artwork collection is that it’s all donated by families or artists. Every possible type of art you can imagine is on display, and unfortunately, I could only capture a few. My husband took a few photos and I hope to provide them as well. The architecture in Rochester is very diverse so walking is a great way to capture great photos. There are many skyscrapers in the downtown area so catching a glimpse of them from an adjacent building with windows you can access is the perfect way to get a great shoot.
I get bored easily so I work hard at keeping my content fresh and up-to-date. Most of the changes are esthetic but I think they add some flair into who the person behind the words are. Please check out the updated page and share the good, bad, and ugly, I can take it.
I want to take one minute to thank all that have stopped by my blog over the years, left comments, the good conversations we’ve had, what we’ve learned from each other, and most importantly your friendship. The past 24 years of my life has been a learning journey, full of ups and downs but many of you have been there throughout the years and I send a special hug to you.
If you think something is missing in my description of my blog or about myself, please let me know that as well, that’s important information to have.
Thanks for coming along for the ride. What a ride it’s been.
The lyrics are something everyone can relate to, some more than others but we’ve all been hurt. Great music compilation.
It’s the weekend!!!!!!
I’m glad you joined me for another edition of Weekend Music Share this week.
Have a great weekend!
Melinda
Welcome back to Weekend Music Share, the place where everyone can share their favorite music.
Feel free to use the Weekend Music Share banner in your post, and use the hashtag #WeekendMusicShare on social media so other participants can find your post.
I’m glad you joined me on Wordless Wednesday and I hope to see you soon.
This is a beautiful piece of handmade leaded glass of Dragon Flies. The first photo is hard to see becaue it mosted coved by a tree outside my office window but as you look to the sides of the galls the colors shine through. Seeing Dragon Flies always make me smile.
We landed last night with just enough light to find our car and head to Trader Joe’s for some goodies. We grabbed some dinner there so all we had to do was bring half a ton of luggage into the room and eat. My husband was happy because a college football game was on. After watching for a few minutes, I laid down to rest after an exhausting day at airports, walking and pulling luggage.
It’s very chilly here compared to home so I’m glad I brought my extra warm clothes. We’ve slept in this morning and plan to head out to see a few sites. I don’t know everywhere we’re going but I have the Vietnam Veterans Memorial at the top of my list. I like to pay my respect when I travel, that’s the very least I can do.
Tomorrow is Columbus Day and a holiday for many, I will write a post about it this afternoon. We have free days until Tuesday and then it’s off to The Mayo for meetings with doctors, getting blood work, testing, and leaving with a diagnosis.
What a great love song and coming from Robert Plant’s mouth is even better.
It’s the weekend!!!!!!
I’m glad you joined me this week for another edition of Weekend Music Share.
Have a great weekend!
Melinda
Welcome back to Weekend Music Share, the place where everyone can share their favorite music.
Feel free to use the Weekend Music Share banner in your post, and use the hashtag #WeekendMusicShare on social media so other participants can find your post.
I’m glad you joined me on Wordless Wednesday and I hope to see you soon.
I shop at a store on Amazon and sometimes they run off-the-cuff crazy steals, I bought this ceramic vase for $5! The fake flowers cost more. I love the bright and dark orange color combination.
Pardon the mess WordPress made out of the alignment. It looks fine in Editor but when reviewed it’s a complete mess. No surprise. Let’s put the frustration aside and enjoy reading about Ilze’s blog.
Thank you for all the great feedback on the Blogger Highlight series, I’ve enjoyed meeting each blogger and sharing their site with you. This week we highlight the blog A Day in the Life of a Latvian Mom. Ilze and I haven’t followed each other long but you would never know it. We became fast friends and now we talk almost every day. She is inspirational, logical with a touch of whimsy, and I can’t forget to say what a great photographer she is.
Hello! I’m Ilze, a mom of three wonderful kids who arrived in quick succession. This beautiful chaos led me to step away from my IT career to embrace motherhood fully.
Before becoming a mom, I built a career in IT, earning degrees in Programming and Computer Science. Almost two years ago, I accepted a position at a dream company after months of consideration, and I haven’t looked back since!
My blogging journey began with greeting card making, which eventually led to opening a photo studio to spend more time with my family. However, I soon realized I needed a change and discovered my love for making beeswax candles, experimenting with sweet aromas like green tea and lemon.
One thing I admire about Ilze is she can multitask until bone tired and still find humor in the day. What a blessing. The greatest lesson I took away from the posts is there is Physics to everything and life is how we look at it. This is a photo of her husband on a Zoom call with colleagues in Canada while he’s holding the water over the outdoor shower so Ilze can take her shower. Life can’t get much funnier!
Ilze is a devoted cook and has an archive full of delicious recipes to try your hand at. I saw this post and had to stop, drool, and think of how good it tasted. As my backing skills improve I will definitely try this cake. She has the ingredients and instructions laid out nicely so it is easy to follow.
I asked Ilze two questions:
What type of music she likes, why, and how has it changed her life? Her reply.
A song that’s close to me is “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” by Aretha Franklin. There’s something so powerful and soulful about the way she sings it. The song reminds me of the importance of authenticity and emotional connection, both in my personal life and in my work. It’s uplifting and grounding at the same time, and it always inspires me to embrace who I am and what I do. What a great song of liberty!
Aretha Franklin – (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman
The second question:
Tell me about your favorite job and what she learned from it, here’s her reply.
My favorite job is the one I’m currently in, which I started almost two years ago in client support. I enjoy it because it challenges me to think creatively and come up with solutions that aren’t always straightforward. I work with managers and stakeholders, helping them use the report-managing app eazyBI, which is a rewarding experience. What I’ve learned most from this job is how to assist with different management questions and how to build reports that are valuable for decision-making. Even when the work becomes overwhelming, I’m fortunate to have a great mentor and a supportive team, which has taught me the importance of collaboration and asking for guidance when needed.
Ilze is a multitasker to the nth degree, and she does it effortlessly, always with a good sense of humor, grounded in nature, and good manners, and being kind to all is not act! In her career, she’s been a professional photographer, had her own studio, and loves working in IT.
You are short-changing yourself if you don’t stop by and say hello, you’ll make a fast friend and her archives are a walk through nature, life, cooking, foraging, and remodeling an 1880 derelict house by hand.
Thank you for visiting my blog and allowing me into your life, your time here makes me smile. I set a goal to travel the world when I was a child and get the chance through your visit. I appreciate the time you’ve taken to read a post or two and hope you’ve found something that resonates with you. I have not had a chance to visit your home country yet but it’s on my bucket list.
I’ve recently struck up a friendship with a woman in Latvia, and she has shared incredible photos of the countryside which gives me a taste of where she lives. You can find Ilze at A Day in the Life of a Latvian Mom. Yesterday I wrote a special post of support for Ukraine, you can find it here.
I look forward to seeing you again soon and please take good care of yourself in the meantime.
I’m glad you joined me this week for another edition of Weekend Music Share.
Have a great weekend!
Melinda
Welcome back to Weekend Music Share, the place where everyone can share their favorite music.
Feel free to use the Weekend Music Share banner in your post, and use the hashtag #WeekendMusicShare on social media so other participants can find your post.
Life throws all kinds of challenges at us from the loss of loved ones to mental health issues that make us feel like we will never be happy again but you know what? No matter how hard life has been and no matter how challenging it continues to be, you should never give up on finding happiness. Here’s why:
1. New Treatments Are Popping Up Like Apps on Your Phone
Do you know how there’s always a new app for everything these days? Well, the same goes for treatments for depression. If traditional talk therapy and medication aren’t cutting it, don’t worry—science has got your back. Ketamine therapy, for instance, has been making waves as a game-changer for treating depression. Yep, you read that right. The same stuff that was once seen as party drug material is now helping people kick depression to the curb. And that’s just one example—there are new treatments being discovered all the time.
So, the next time you feel like you’ve exhausted all your options, remember: somewhere out there, someone’s cooking up a fresh, innovative approach that just might be your golden ticket to happiness.
2. Happiness Is Not One-Size-Fits-All
Let’s clear something up: happiness isn’t like a pair of skinny jeans that only fit one type of person. It’s more like sweatpants—different for everyone, and much more comfortable. So if what works for one person (say, mindfulness meditation or bubble baths) doesn’t work for you, don’t sweat it. Happiness comes in a million forms, and you just need to find the one that fits you best. Maybe it’s painting your dog’s toenails (no judgment) or starting a new hobby like indoor skydiving. Keep exploring until you stumble upon your happy place.
3. Happiness Is Closer Than You Think (No, Really)
I know, it’s cliché to say “happiness is right around the corner,” but sometimes it really is. It’s just that the corner might be at the end of a path you haven’t tried yet. Whether it’s giving a new therapist a shot, picking up that hobby you dropped in 2014, or even trying something as wild as ketamine therapy, there are countless avenues to happiness you might not have considered. Spoiler alert: happiness might be waiting for you at the next twist or turn.
4. Setbacks Don’t Mean Failure
Look, no one finds happiness on their first try—if they did, we’d all be running around like a bunch of overly enthusiastic puppies. Life has ups and downs, and yeah, sometimes it feels like you’re stuck in the downs. But remember, setbacks are just detours, not dead ends. It’s okay to feel frustrated, to take a break, or even to scream into a pillow (highly recommended, by the way). Just don’t give up on the journey entirely. You’re not finished yet.
5. Because You Deserve It
You’ve probably heard this a million times, but I’m going to say it again: you deserve to be happy. Full stop. It doesn’t matter how long it takes or how many times you stumble along the way—your happiness is worth fighting for.
Take a deep breath, and keep on pushing forward because who knows where it will take you?!
I’m glad you joined me on Wordless Wednesday and I hope to see you soon.
The Hydrangeas didn’t turn out as well as they looked in the editor. But you get a good look at the art piece. I shopped the house to find something to fill in the wall.
Hi, I’m glad you stopped by, and I look forward to seeing you soon.
No matter how busy or hectic life gets, we all need to let our hair down every now and then and have some fun. Stomping in puddles, going down a slide at the local playground…..
When was the last time you let loose?
Hiking Verna Falls Yosemite National Park
Playing in the rain sounds great to me, and so does playing on a slippery slide or swinging off a rope into the lake. As for the last time I let loose, who knows.
Thank you for all the great feedback on the Blogger Highlight series, I’ve enjoyed meeting each blogger and sharing their site with you. This week we highlight John Malone and his blog. We haven’t followed each other long but we have become fast friends and I feel like a kindred spirit to him. John has brought my sense of creativity alive, he’s whip-smart, funny, and knows how to express himself through words. I could sit and talk with John for hours and would still have more questions, he’s interesting.
except I no longer have a wife or pets, except a cat called Rosco, but have accrued numerous grandchildren and yes, I still whistle while I walk 🙂
I have five books of poetry published, two of which have been self published and many , many poems anthologized. Between 2000 and 2012 I had over 170 childrens’ poems published in major magazines, in the North America, NZ and here in Oz, some of which are still earning royalties from being republished.
I also have three educational titles with major publishers, guides to creative writing in classrooms which schools use, written during the same period.
I sometimes think I should write children’s poems again but I wrote them for/with my grandchildren while they grew up in my presence.
To dig deeper into John’s career accomplishments click here.
I asked John three questions:
What was your first job and what did you learn from it?
A secondary English teacher; learnt how to ;handle’ teenagers, not always successfully; learnt how to impart my love of literature and get them to write poetry themselves: we were a vibrant writing community.
What is your greatest career accomplishment?
My first book of poems by a major publisher was a thrill. Also between 2001 and 2013 I had over 70 children’s poems published in literary magazines for children in Australia, the Us and NZ. The three poems I’m proudest of are ‘Fork’, ‘Fearless’ and ‘The Mothering Tree’
Did you have a goal for your blog and have you achieved it?
As for the blog I just wanted to get my stuff out there and get immediate feedback instead of going through the delayed process of magazine submissions. I’ve built a lively following and feel part of a vibrant ever evolving literary community: a tribe !
John’s post New Direction was a surprise and a day to rejoice. We had been talking about his accomplishments which I greatly admire and later this post arrived. I’m thrilled John gave me some credit but most importantly, he wrote a new short story after taking many years off from writing. I’m counting the days until it’s published so we can read it on his blog. I look forward to new stories as John has his mojo back.
This post makes me think of all the journals and notebooks I carried around for years, starting as a child, they included writings, drawings, goals, and daydreams. They were my calm, my comfort, they knew my inner thoughts and they never betrayed me. John’s notebook was no doubt just as special, holding his thoughts, stories, and many ideas. The cover is fitting with its lived-in look and who would want to change that?
One of John’s favorite tunes:
Paul Simon – Graceland (from The Concert in Hyde Park)
I set a goal in 5th or 6th grade to become a Journalist for Life Magazine, but that isn’t where my career took me for multiple reasons. John’s career accomplishments are not directly related to my goal but I can imagine that being published gives you the same high and sense of accomplishment. I admire his accomplishments but what’s more important is that John is humble, no boasting, there are no airs about him and I admire him for that.
Be sure to stop by and say hello to John and while there browse through his extensive archives. You will not be disappointed and you may find yourself following John as well.
If you haven’t followed me long, you may not be aware of the health struggles I’ve had dating back to 2010. Not only have I had a major run-in with what might have been the end of my life, but since 2012 I’ve suffered with severe balance issues and cognitive impairment. Although I don’t have a clue what The Mayo will diagnose me with, I am totally confident in their ability to find answers and get me the right treatment.
This post is something I’ve been laughing so hard about because it can only be funny. I’ve been wishing this one plant to have babies for the past year or two to no avail. Today, I was looking at it again, trying to understand why it hasn’t had a baby. Then the brick hit me, it’s an artificial plant! It makes me laugh every time I think about it. Apparently, I was very sick when I planted it thinking it was a live plant only to find today, that it won’t have any babies. HAHA!!!!!!!
I chose to find it funny, how could I not? I won’t kick myself for being too sick to know the difference. I believe this general attitude is why I keep pushing forward in life and can deal with what comes my way. Who needs a kick in the ass?
This Weekend Music share is dedicated to my friend John Malone and his blog of the same name. On Monday the Blogger Highlight post on John and his blog will be published, and I’ve enjoyed asking him some questions. I asked about his music choices and found one from The Rolling Stones I had forgotten about. Enjoy!
It’s the weekend!!!!!!
I’m glad you joined me this week for another edition of Weekend Music Share.
Have a great weekend!
Melinda
Welcome back to Weekend Music Share, the place where everyone can share their favorite music.
Feel free to use the Weekend Music Share banner in your post, and use the hashtag #WeekendMusicShare on social media so other participants can find your post.
Looking for the Light 