This is what my name sounds like

A while ago I found out my name is a famous song from the US Civil War. Its kind of interesting how these things come to be...

So, after I found out about it I googled the lyrics but never thought to look for the actual song. So here, for you, this is what my name sounds like. I rather like it! :)



An these are the lyrics... in case you want to sing along!

The years creep slowly by, Lorena
The snow is on the grass again
The sun's low down the sky, Lorena
The frost gleams where the flowers have been
But the heart throbs on as warmly now
As when the summer days were nigh
Oh, the sun can never dip so low
A-down affection's cloudless sky.

A hundred months have passed, Lorena
Since last I held that hand in mine
And felt the pulse beat fast, Lorena
Though mine beat faster far than thine
A hundred months...'twas flowery May
When up the hilly slope we climbed
To watch the dying of the day
And hear the distant church bells chime.

We loved each other then, Lorena
More than we ever dared to tell
And what we might have been, Lorena
Had but our loving prospered well
But then, 'tis past, the years have gone
I'll not call up their shadowy forms
I'll say to them, "Lost years, sleep on
Sleep on, nor heed life's pelting storms."

The story of the past, Lorena
Alas! I care not to repeat
The hopes that could not last, Lorena
They lived, but only lived to cheat
I would not cause e'en one regret
To rankle in your bosom now
"For if we try we may forget"
Were words of thine long years ago.

Yes, these were words of thine, Lorena
They are within my memory yet
They touched some tender chords, Lorena
Which thrill and tremble with regret
'Twas not the woman's heart which spoke
Thy heart was always true to me
A duty stern and piercing broke
The tie which linked my soul with thee.

It matters little now, Lorena
The past is in the eternal past
Our hearts will soon lie low, Lorena
Life's tide is ebbing out so fast
There is a future, oh, thank God!
Of life this is so small a part
'Tis dust to dust beneath the sod
But there, up there, 'tis heart to heart.

I can't believe it

So my car got broken into... 'broken' being the operative word as they shattered my driver side window. My poor Ford Fiesta looks sad and like she has no idea what's happening.

I wasn't mad when I first saw it... but as time passes I feel the sulfur rising. Someone broke into my property and had ample time to browse through my belongings. The worse part? After perusing through them they decided they didn't like anything so they left EVERYTHING.

I should be glad that all my stuff is still there but the fact that all I had in there were books (expensive, public health books in English), honey cookies and a couple of sweaters tells me a few things: the first one being that the idiots don't know how to read. Then... that they probably only eat crappy food, and finally that they don't like my fashion sense.

Well... I'd never!

Friends that are girls

One of the things I learned in 2008 is the importance of having friends... that are girls.

In these last twelve months I realized that surrounding yourself with caring, compassionate and understanding women makes you the same way. It softens you and makes you see the world in another light. I don't know why I didn't realize this sooner. Actually, I just realized it this week.

The last two weeks have been filled with girlfriends: some that live abroad where in town, others that are far away sent updates and chatted. The ones that are always around had time and opportunity so that we could open up and get to know each other a bit better. I talked about apples, boyfriends, kids, university and drank wine, tea and juice while we lit candles, sat in rooms with pretty flowers and had world class chocolate.

I just read a sappy book so know you all have to put up with my sappy 'I love you' to all my friends that had a beer in El Pilar, walked nine Antigua blocks, made rice for me and put up with me and my particular sense of humor (and moods) every day. I miss all of you.

Three years

I remember being really scared. Through December not many people knew I was sick and in early January not even my oncologist could tell me how sick I actually was. So no one knew... not even me.

Three years ago today I woke-up after surgery and I was crying. I was scared, even more scared than when I went into the OR. I just was not ready for chemo, for (more) pain and funny enough... I wasn't ready to lose my curls -I was more scared of that than any other thing, mostly because that meant I was a 'sick person' and I just couldn't handle that.

But I woke-up and my mom told me everything was alright. The surgery had been even more successful than anyone expected and at least for now, I didn't have to worry about being sick. Because of the experience I've grown and also seen how wonderful my friends can be... and three years later I'm still here :)

Luna di citta' d'agosto

Luna di città d'agosto
che sembri solamente mia
in questo asfalto posto
con la gente che se n'è andata via
luna di città d'agosto
mi piace guardarti la schiena
mentre sei girata verso il mare
in questa nottata serena
va e dille che sto bene
di non pensare a me
di lasciar perdere
il vento soffia e il tempo passerà
palazzi e strade come scenografie
di uno spettacolo
che è andato male
coi ballerini che tolgono il trucco
per ritornare a cominciare a sognare
luna di città d'agosto
raccontami un' altra bugia
fammi riscaldare davanti
al fuoco caldo della malinconia
va e dille che sto bene
di non pensare a me
di lasciar perdere
il vento soffia
e il tempo passerà...

Here comes the sun...

I just got home, changed into my jammies and realized I had a wonderful day today. The sun was shinning and not a cloud could be found in the sky. The temperature was just right to wear shorts and it felt like a glorious late Spring day.

I walked around and was outside all day. I sat at a park bench to read a bit of a great book, I had lunch with dear, dear friends and went shopping for presents for some of the ones that aren't with me right now. So it was kind of like having all the important people around me all day.

Now I'm tired like I remember being tired after a long, nice, and fun day as a kid. The sunlight gives you so much energy but makes you sleepy when it goes away... sleepy in such a nice, warm way were you can barely wait to jump into you nice bed and hug your pillows and just keep on being happy.

Originally I was set to spend the day sitting in the CIRMA library and while I love libraries, sometimes life just works-out in your favor without you knowing it.