Reflections

Orchid

Well, my favorite time of the year is here - maybe second favorite because I really like summer best :-). Spring is a real pretty time here in Brazil and full of promise, as it should be. We have elections this weekend, not very promising candidates, although they make their usual promises that they don't commit to. It is nature that is full of promise, the trees are sprouting new leaves, mango trees are in bloom and people are generally cheerful with thoughts of the long weekends coming up and the end of the school year, then there is Christmas and New Year to look forward to, not to mention Carnival!! There is always the hope that one can clear up the mess made of the year and start anew. I, for one, am hoping to solve some long term debt issues with the extra money that is always welcome at this time of year. I am also looking forward to making plans, dreaming on, endeavoring to lay the groundwork for future edification. The daylight saving time starts in a couple of weeks and that always is a booster - we lose an hour, but it seems that we gain so much more time in our days.

Hibiscus

Hello, again!

Well, we hoped to win, but, alas, it was not to be... It is curious how it seems as if the year is only beginning now!
I have higher hopes for the rest of the year, I hope to defeat debt in our lives, depression in this house, willing us to pick ourselves up and out of the rut of hopelessness to move forward with plans and life! It seems such an effort at times, but up and forward IS the only way!
There will be elections later on this year, which makes for boring campaign ads and revelation of sordid scandals. This year, both sons will be voting too - hopefully they will choose well.
I have gone back to cross stitching to bring some entertainment and beauty to my "spare" time (my escape time, actually). 

As usual, I have a yearning to go back to sailing more regularly, however, I don't quite see how that is going to happen, considering our present state of affairs ( club fees in arrears, no money to travel down there and spend the weekend). 
I must learn to be content with my lot and face up to the natural consequences of having been remiss with finances - but it is SO hard, sometimes it seems as if we work, work and work and there is no reward at the end of the day! I am tired of this state of affairs, I mean, wouldn't you??

João after the 7 km walk

Reflecting...

I suppose it is now time to make a reappearance! I have missed blogging and seeing what my bloggy friends are doing.The temperatures are quite a bit lower in Brazil now, so it is a little easier to sit at a computer without getting upset at the mosquitos that hide under my desk and worried that sitting on a cushioned chair in a damp swimsuit will ruin the fabric, or that sweat will damage the keyboard... It has been a very hot summer and although I like the heat, it has been very draining this year! This picture shows the temperature .... 42°C!!!
Autumn is coming for us  and it is a very nice season here, it tends to be drier and the temperatures are much more amenable!
This year I have a lot to look forward to, first of all, various family members will be coming out to Brazil to visit, my cousin and her family, then a month later, my uncle and his wife and maybe my sister will be able to make it from Portugal too! My eldest son will be taking his entrance exams to university too, which I am sure will be a great excitement!! I just hope he does his part.

I continue my quest to earn more money to tide us over and pay some of the loans off - oh, to be free of banks and credit cards!!! Also hoping that we can find a little more daily 'joie de vivre', kind of difficult when in the midst of the rat race. I really want to get back to sailing more often - at least we have had two weekends at the club and sailed! We didn't do too well because we lost our main sail fasteners during the storm that hit us on the first regatta, then we sailed on a friend´s boat the next day, which was great - the following weekend we had fixed the sail, but the outboard motor gave up on us halfway to the starting line, so we didn't get there in time to start... rather disappointing competition wise, but great sailing all the same.

Sailing is uphill sometimes!!

But we get beautiful views...

Captain, my captain!

Rambling on...

I haven't been here much recently - I am sure that Twitter, Facebook and Orkut have been taking up too much of my time! The heat here in Brazil, more specifically Rio de Janeiro, has been torrid! The newspapers announced this week that we were the second hottest place on the planet, we only lost to some remote place in Ghana, south of the Sahara!!! This alone makes you want to melt, and sitting at the computer is the last thing in mind, try holding a "warm" laptop on your lap, when the "thermal sensation" around you is 50ºC! As much as I appreciate the heat, this is getting to be a bit much....
We are now entering carnival in Rio, lots of excitement and revelry on the streets, but also, a lot o f peace and quiet for those, like us, who have decided to hole up at home - a five day holiday is always welcome!!
The eldest has gone off to his friend's beach house, north of Rio and the two youngest have just come home from a 20 day sojourn in the south of Brazil - I think enjoying the fact that they are home! On the 22nd, Monday week, they will all be going back to school, so the year begins in earnest, woohoo!

A new friend

This is a picture of a new friend - I have had her about a month now, she  is just about getting used to us! She is six years old (and a bit) and beautiful!! Her name is PRETA - that is black in Portuguese and her nickname is "Pe-pe" She still doesn't enjoy being squeezed, but will accept kisses on her adorabe snout, kind of! We love this breed and firmly believe that it is the owners' who make and break a dog - therefore we are delighted to see her settling in with an older Rottie and a younger Lab and her puppy. 4 dogs! what was I thinking??!!!!