Happy Birthday to my brother, Geoffrey!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GEOFFREY! We love you and miss you!! Here's a small tribute to all the humor, intelligence, talent, skills, and spiritual strength that is you! We hope you had a specially lovely birthday day!

Love,
Alicia & Brian

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/o9O1Xt2_4IV-t61_h9nhUQ?authkey=Gv1sRgCODXpo_8nIHxUg&feat=directlink

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Wildflowers and Wildlife in Colorado

Dear Readers,
I realize we have been on a very long hiatus from Blogspot and this is partially due to recently joining Facebook and dealing with a lot of stressful life changes. Anyway, I'm starting a project of taking pictures of wildlife and wildflowers on the many walks I take on a nearly daily basis throughout Colorado.
The small sunflowers are from walks around Highlands Ranch in this small field - since mowed down - near a small business shopping area.
The daisies and purple flowers are from a hike in Eldorado Canyon.
Enjoy!

Rebirth

Alicia: I just came across this as I was unpacking a box in my office today - yes, still unpacking. It's a poem I wrote in 1997 as part of a multi-media presentation for a summer photography class. I warn you ... it's fairly dark and I don't remember if the theme was death, but I do think it had something to do with light and dark. I'll see if I can't scan and post some of the images used.

Rebirth

Hands and hearts - yearning
Attempting the final ascent
Life weakened by the strain

Death strengthens its hold
Clouding our vision, our focus
Pulling us back from the Truth

As these hands of death
Grapple with just intentions
The entanglement becomes too great

Rendering helplessness
Shroud in the cloth of misery
And vain imaginings

Will we fight
Against these overwhelming odds?
And leave the despised threads behind?

Or shall we succumb to the dreaded fate
We rushed to in hasty hopes of love
In a world blackened by its very absence?

Will we join this lowly circle
And welcome the grim embrace?
Life from death emerges.

Happy Birthday Brian T.!

Alicia: Today is my brother, Brian's birthday. He is 20 today! I can hardly believe it! I still remember him dancing the night away in Mexico City some, oh, wow, it's been about 14 years now. Good times! If you've seen the video, you know what I'm talking about! Some amazing footwork that little guy had! And, then oh so many fond memories of soccer games (both on the field and in the house - usually between him and my brother Geoffrey) and, until he became a close match in size, he would run at Geoffrey's legs attempted to tackle him or take the ball away and Geoffrey would just laugh and laugh - we all did. Brian had/has so much tenacity! Now he has grown physically and mentally, and I still see his tenacity and ambition played out in his many efforts to be of service wherever he goes. He has a strong sense of justice and wants to make a difference in this world. And he can do it too! And, then you combine that with his amazing creativity - what a combination! I love you Brian and I wish I could be there to help you celebrate! We hope to see you soon! Have a wonderful brithday day!

Braving the world every day in his own way
Rhyming his way into everyone's heart
Intelligence that will carry him far
Always sharing his heart - if you know how to receive
Never a dull moment when he's around

I love you Brian! ... and now for a couple fun, adorable photos of Brian ... will have to find some more ...

A Most Useful List

Alicia: I forget where and when I got this ... I just remember that when I read it, I found much comfort, inspiration, and motivation for the perfection of one's character and a reminder of what's really important. (If you're reading this and you recognize it as something you created, please let me know. I am not intending to plagiarize.)

A MOST USEFUL LIST
The most destructive habit ..... WORRY
The greatest joy ..... GIVING
The greatest loss ..... LOSS OF SELF-RESPECT
The most satisfying work ..... HELPING OTHERS
The ugliest personality trait ..... SELFISHNESS
The most endangered species ..... DEDICATED LEADERS
Our greatest natural resource ..... OUR YOUTH
The greatest "shot in the arm" ..... ENCOURAGEMENT
The greatest problem to overcome ..... FEAR
The most effective sleeping pill ..... PEACE OF MIND
The most crippling failure disease ..... EXCUSES
The most powerful force in life ..... LOVE
The most dangerous pariah ..... A GOSSIPER
The world's most incredible computer ..... THE BRAIN
The worst thing to be without ..... HOPE
The deadliest weapon ..... THE TONGUE
The two most power-filled words ..... "I CAN"
The greatest asset ..... FAITH


Be virtuous and have a wonderful day!

Water - there is so much we take for granted.

Alicia: I just finished watching the movie, Water. It is a foreign film, filmed in India. It is about an 8-year-old girl, Chuyia, promised in marriage (and actually married) at seven, who is suddenly widowed (her husband was much older than she). She is then is forced to live out the rest of her days (well almost, watch and find out) in a temple for Hindu widows, communing with 14 other women and a cruel headmistress who agrees to take her in and who abuses her station within the household. But it's through the trials of another widow, a beautiful prostitute named Kalyani (forced into prostitution by the headmistress in order to garner income for the house but largely for her own sake)who is courted by a man from a higher caste. I won't tell you the rest because you should see it. It is also the story of the effect the teachings of Ghandi had on law and social inequalities in India down the most rural and poverty-stricken areas of India. You also learn about the importance and symbolism of water in the socio-cultural traditions of India.

The movie was released in 2000 and directed by Deepa Mehta. It received a nomination for the 2007 Academy Award®: Best Foreign Language Film.

You must see this. It's amazing and takes such a captivating look at the hardships women, married and unmarried, faced in India. Some reviews claim there are some historical inaccuracies regarding the reaction by the people of India to Ghandi's message at the time that he was alive, regarding the new law passed allowing re-marrriage by widows, and as regards the degree to which the practices of the people in the small town depicted where as widespread as the director would have us believe, but I do not know enough of the history of that country to tell. The subtleties of character and the lyrical yet realistic attempt at portrayal is captivating.

"I am only a child"

Alicia: Please watch this and listen carefully ... it will speak to your heart ... it will make you cry ... but it will inspire you as well.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article17665.htm

Happy Birthday Amelia and Navid!

Alicia: Today is my sister Amelia's birthday and coincidentally my cousin, Navid's birthday as well! I am so very proud of the amazing adults and individuals they have become. They are both working toward their dreams in their own ways.

Navid easily reveals his extremely silly side, especially around his cousins Brian and Geoffrey, but then has this amazing dedication to his work, his family, service, the perfection of ones character and bringing joy to others with his easy smile and witty reparte! But watch out when he gets into a water fight with his cousins! Still .. he has a plan or rather, I should say, plans ... and he is going to do amazing things and, in fact, does them already in the way he enriches the lives of all those he works with on a daily basis.

Amelia ... dear, sweet Amelia ... she and I have grown so close over the past year I am very proud to say! I have always been exceedingly proud of her and the woman she has become and even more so as she gets ready to embark on what will be a fascinating learning experience with a New York children's theatre production company. I am so, well, proud (there are really not any other words to describe it) that she is going after her dreams. It's not an easy thing to do in this world today - to master the natural desire for fulfillment professionally and creatively and also to find an environment that fosters a spirit of service and the perfection of virtues. I am also very excited that she will be coming for a visit on her way back to the States from Haifa in a month!

Happy Birthday to you both! All our love! (See some pictures below)