Knowledge is Power

Breast cancer is a topic I have first hand experience with. My sidebar has that pink button, placed there as a reminder that breast cancer can touch our lives at any time. "Why Mommy" over at Toddler Planet has been diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer. Bet you never heard of it. Bet you thought breast cancer only happened with lumps. WRONG. Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) Go and educate yourself here and here. It's fast and furious and sneaky. Go visit Why Mommy over at her site. With great courage she is kicking ass and sharing her journey. Show her some love, say a few prayers, let her know she isn't alone and above all share the knowledge because if while battling inflammatory breast cancer Why Mommy is blogging to share and educate, the least you can do is spread the word to everyone you know.

Simple pleasures and gratefulness

I have been trying to make nice with the universe lately. I haven't gone off on a rant, my swearing is minimal, and I've been thinking a lot about pleasure. It's been a difficult and emotional time the last few months. I have felt torn about my priorities and where my loyalties should be. I have repeatedly had to deal with familia stuff, and the fucking idiot rude neighbors next door among other things. So this week I am trying to spend a little time focusing on pleasure, things that I enjoy, things that make me happy. I'm trying to release the bile that sometimes makes me feel completely toxic. Ahh pleasure, things that please, the things that have helped to keep me a little bit sane, and helped wash away some of that iniquitous bullshit that at times makes me a not so happy person.

• The beach: I have laid in the sun, enjoyed the warmness of the Caribbean sea. Eaten seafood fritters and had several ice cold beers. Stepped on a dead sea urchin, got sand in some not so pleasant places but it was all good. Sun worshiping pleasure.
  
• The Finca: my farm, sometimes I whine about the work involved in keeping this place thriving but when we bring in our crops, prideful sweetness. From the bananas to the panas, to the avocados, the pineapples, the acerolas, delicious pleasure.
• Music: my iPod is my savior. I can flip from salsa to hip hop to the blues in moments. Prince's Planet Earth is presently bringing me pleasure.
• The beast of Bayamoncito: my cat, there is something seriously wrong with his circuits but damn he cracks me up. Pleasurable furriness.
• My cousins: Jose, for always coming to work when I need help. Aury, because she loves and hugs so unconditionally, Tony, he never fails to call. Daisy, Nancy and Olga because my childhood memories are filled with their joy and my adult life is blessed because we are family. Related pleasures.
  
• Las Comadres: Loli and Yolanda, not a day goes by when I don't have your words of love and support echo in my head. Friendship pleasures.
  
• T: Absolute goodness in one very far away package. Loving Pleasure.
• Blog readers/writers: you make me laugh, you encourage my writing, your talents are vast, the community impressive. Creative pleasures.

What brings you pleasure lately? What are you grateful for? What adds a little bit of sweetness to your bad day? Go ahead tell me, I need a little vicarious pleasure.

Evils of Puerto Rican rum

This is my neighbor across the street. He got home around 6:30 this morning. Apparently he did not have the energy to make it into the house. I did what any good neighbor would do, I took his picture from my balcony as I drank my morning coffee.

When it rains

I have a satellite connection for both my television viewing and my Internet access. It provides excellent TV viewing and a fabulously fast Internet connection on clear sunny days. However, when it rains, my life gets thrown a curve ball. Heavy rains and dense cloud cover means disrupted television viewing and my Internet connection disappears completely or slows to a crawl. I can live without my TV, my TV viewing is perhaps a couple hours a week. I can not live without my Internet access. This my little huckleberries is my lifeline to the happenings of the world, and of course to all of you. It has rained for the past 2 weeks, everyday, torrential at times, huge dark clouds, sprinkled every so often with a little ray of sunlight. I have felt that uneasy dizziness, the beginnings of shivers, and headaches which I now have come to associate with my Internet withdrawal symptoms. Sadly this is only the beginning of our rainy season.

The seasons here on the island differ in rain, and winds, as well as plant life. November to May is our dry season, June until November is our rainy season as well as Hurricane season. The last hurricane to hit Puerto Rico was Hurricane Georges in September of 1998. It was considered by many to be the worse hurricane to hit the island in over 70 years. Due to alertness and preparation few deaths were reported but damages sustained kept the island without electricity and running water for months. Not to mention the devastating losses to agriculture.


Should I happen to disappear for an unannounced extended period of time, check out the Puerto Rico weather report. If torrential rains (or hurricane) are/were in the forecast, please say a few prayers, light a few candles, remember me as I once was. A happy blogger. Above all, keep checking the Asylum for news of my resurrection. I'll be suffering quietly, tending to my withdrawal symptoms while drowning my sorrows with Palo Viejo. I'll also be taking notes, so I can blog and tell you all about rain. (ASAP)