MAPA DA MINA - BLOG da ANA CISSA - Ana Cissa's Blog

"Life is change. Growth is optional. Choose wisely." ~ Karen Kaiser Clark

http://vimeo.com/21660130 (click the link to watch Les Goodson playing In a Sentimental Mood. If link doesn't work, copy and paste the link onto your browser) On this particular evening, I was on my way home, tired and cold, and was about to take a taxi when I decided to quit being a sissy and take the train. Boy I am glad I did! In the subway station I met Les Goodson, the saxophone player that is playing in this video. His music put a big smile on my face and filled my heart with joy. I shot this little movie using my beloved iPhone. It amazes me that a musician of this caliber has to play in a subway station in order to make a couple of bucks. But in a selfish way, I am glad they do. This was a treat. Les Goodson band plays at Paris Blues, every Wednesday, from 8pm-12am PARIS BLUES 2021 Adam Clayton Power Jr Blvd at 121st Street 212-222-9878

“It's not the load that breaks you down, it's the way you carry it.” Lena Horne (1917-2010); Singer, actress, civil rights activist

Fun day flying the 1946 little yellow plane over Vermont's Fall foliage.

@ acp

“ Opportunities to find deeper powers within ourselves come when life seems most challenging. ” Joseph Campbell

What would happen if we took our instincts seriously? What if we stopped scanning the horizon with our binoculars and began instead examining our own decision making and behaviors through the most powerful of microscopes? ~Malcolm Gladwell

thanks marcelo!

A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down. Arnold H. Glasow

Rat hair in our hamburger. Water that's not inspected. How can you sell tainted food and water to the American people? By cutting food and water protections from the federal budget. Don't let Washington cut food and water safety protections. Take action at www.foodandwaterwatch.org , now.

Unfortunately FOX took this movie down.... :( little secrets...

"The problem with people who have no vices is that generally you can be pretty sure they're going to have some pretty annoying virtues. " " Success is a great deodorant. It takes away all your past smells. " " It's not the having, it's the getting. " " Some of my best leading men have been dogs and horses. " " I feel very adventurous. There are so many doors to be opened, and I'm not afraid to look behind them. " " I've always admitted that I'm ruled by my passions. " " The Frank Sinatra of Shakespeare. " " I've been through it all, baby, I'm mother courage. " " Everything makes me nervous - except making films. " " I'm a survivor - a living example of what people can go through and survive. " " If someone's dumb enough to offer me a million dollars to make a picture, I'm certai

These super simple and quick exercises make a big difference ! My back actually stopped bothering me immediately!

"Nietzsche was the one who did the job for me. At a certain moment in his life, the idea came to him of what he called 'the love of your fate'. Whatever your fate is, whatever the hell happens, you say, 'This is what I need.' It may look like a wreck, but go at it as though it were an opportunity, a challenge. If you bring love to that moment - not discouragement - you will find the strength is there. Any disaster that you can survive is an improvement in your character, your stature, and your life. What a privilege! This is when the spontaneity of your own nature will have a chance to flow. Then, when looking back at your life, you will see that the moments which seemed to be great failures followed by wreckage were the incidents that shaped the life you have now. You'll see that this is really true. Nothing can happen to you that is not positive. Even though it looks and feels at the moment like a negative crisis, it is not. The crisis throws you

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h81Ojd3d2rY

Spanking new column, about tips on "HOW TO GET THE BOY" Today's Tip: D O N' T B E A W H I N ER! Refrain from complaining when the complaining is of no use. Laugh at yourself and at life. Not in the spirit of derision or whining self-pity, but as a remedy, a miracle drug, that will help you to put in perspective that seemingly terrible defeat and worry with laughter at your predicaments, thus freeing your mind to think clearly toward the solution that is certain to come. Never take yourself too seriously.

It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade. ~Charles Dickens

Spanking new column, about tips on "HOW TO GET THE GIRL" Today's Tip: T R Y I N G H A R D , ok . T R Y I N G TOO H A R D , n ot s o m u c h. (and that's, um, universal. Male, female, and mushrooms too)

Springtime is the land awakening. The March winds are the morning yawn. ~Quoted by Lewis Grizzard in Kathy Sue Loudermilk, I Love You

Spanking new column, about tips on "HOW TO GET THE GIRL" Today's tip: M A N U P! Meaning: Fulfill your responsibilities as a man, despite your insecurities and constant ability to place yourself in embarrasing and un-manly scenarios. Be strong. Take control of a the situation, rise to the moment. Strap on a pair, grow some balls, stop being such a complete and utter wuss. The expression comes from the phrase "cowboy up", meaning "be tough, be strong, act like a real cowboy", which was in use in rodeo circles at least since the mid-1970's. "Man up" means, similarly, "be tough, be a man, do what a man should do.

QUOTE OF THE DAY, from my friend Izilda: "Not even Nostradamus could have predicted the meeting of the first black North American president with Brazil's first female President. An ex-Marxist guerrilla militant nonetheless! This is a New World, thank God, and women and men of good will." ("Nem Nostradamos conseguiria prever o encontro do primeiro Presidente negro dos Estados Unidos com a primeira Presidenta da República do Brasil, ex guerrilheira. Novos tempos graças à Deus e aos homens de boa vontade.") And to Izilda's quote I say: It is the face on the new millenium, and what we think will be the end of the world in 2012. I say it is the end of the old, square, prejudiced and retrograde world! Call me an Optimist, but I BELIEVE~! (São as caras to fim do mundo de 2012. Fim do mundo ANTIGO, careta, preconceituoso e retrógrado~! Pode me chamar de otimista...mas EU ACREDITO!)

From you have I been absent in the spring... by William Shakespeare From you have I been absent in the spring, When proud-pied April, dressed in all his trim, Hath put a spirit of youth in everything, That heavy Saturn laughed and leaped with him, Yet nor the lays of birds, nor the sweet smell Of different flowers in odor and in hue, Could make me any summer's story tell, Or from their proud lap pluck them where they grew. Nor did I wonder at the lily's white, Nor praise the deep vermilion in the rose; They were but sweet, but figures of delight, Drawn after you, you pattern of all those. Yet seemed it winter still, and, you away, As with your shadow I with these did play. ___@___

To Spring by William Blake O thou with dewy locks, who lookest down Thro' the clear windows of the morning, turn Thine angel eyes upon our western isle, Which in full choir hails thy approach, O Spring! The hills tell each other, and the listening Valleys hear; all our longing eyes are turned Up to thy bright pavilions: issue forth, And let thy holy feet visit our clime. Come o'er the eastern hills, and let our winds Kiss thy perfumed garments; let us taste Thy morn and evening breath; scatter thy pearls Upon our love-sick land that mourns for thee. O deck her forth with thy fair fingers; pour Thy soft kisses on her bosom; and put Thy golden crown upon her languished head, Whose modest tresses were bound up for thee. (pictures taken at Union Square on March 18th 2011) ----@----

Each second we live is a new and unique moment of the universe, a moment that will never be again. And what do we teach our children? We teach them that two and two make four, and that Paris is the capital of France. When will we also teach them what they are? We should say to each of them: Do you know what you are? You are a marvel. You are unique. In all the years that have passed, there has never been another child like you. Your legs, your arms, your clever fingers, the way you move. You may become a Shakespeare, a Michelangelo, a Beethoven. You have the capacity for anything. Yes, you are a marvel. And when you grow up, can you then harm another who is, like you, a marvel? You must work, we must all work, to make the world worthy of its children. ~ Pablo Picasso

Everybody is Irish on Saint Patrick's Day. So it's no surprise that just about everyone (and their Irish uncle) is looking up the history of the patron saint of the Emerald Isle. Over the past 24 hours, Web searches for "st. patrick" and "who was st. patrick" have both tripled. Add to that the related searches on "was st. patrick really irish" and "did st. patrick get rid of all the snakes in ireland." Here now are some quick answers to those questions and more. Was St. Patrick Irish? According to History.com , St. Patrick was actually born in Britain. At the age of 16, he was captured by Irish raiders and transported across the sea to Ireland. After spending six years in captivity, Patrick escaped, traveled back to Britain, and trained to become a priest. Once his training was complete, he returned to Ireland "to minister to Christians already living in Ireland and to begin to convert the Irish." Did St. Patrick rid Ireland

It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice. ~Author Unknown

( In my sleepworking somnambulation state, that is my current view...) I better catch up on sleep tonight....

( In Scott Black’s powerful new book, he gives us “180 Ways” to live your life like it matters. Here's a couple that really resonated with me …) -Focus on what you get to do rather than what you have to do. Choose to be excited about the opportunities you have today to positively affect people and outcomes. Think about the impact you can make and notice how your passion and excitement carry you through the day. - Identify your goals for the week. People don’t plan to fail, but they do fail to plan. Some don’t set goals ... others fail to write them down. Be exceptional – be a goal getter! How will you know if you had a successful week or not? Begin with the end in mind. What are the things you want to accomplish? Write them down and monitor them. Thanks mom :) - The morning glory is for you! Bom dia!

There once was a bunch of tiny frogs ... who arranged a running competition. The goal was to reach the top of a VERY high tower. A big crowd had gathered around the tower to see the race and to cheer on the contestants ... The race began ... Honestly ... no one in the crowd really believed that the tiny frogs would reach the top of the tower. You heard statements such as: "Oh, WAY too difficult!!" "They will NEVER make it to the top." "Not a chance that they will succeed. The tower is too high!" The tiny frogs began collapsing. One by one ... except for those who, in a fresh tempo, were climbing higher and higher. The crowd, however, continued to yell, "It is too difficult!!! No one will make it!" More tiny frogs got tired and gave up ... But ONE of them continued higher and higher and hi

If only we'd stop trying to be happy we could have a pretty good time. ~Edith Wharton

click image to enlarge

The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up. ~Mark Twain

aka: Thank God Is Friday

If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies. ~Author Unknown

A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty ~ Winston Churchill

A bend in the road is not the end of the road... unless you fail to make the turn. ~Author Unknown

Ana by Edgar Allan Poe (photo by Rafic Farah)

Happy Monday! Good morning tune... :)

my boys. little good night treat. boy I love them.

This is the music I picked for my Yoga practice today " Change is not something that we should fear. Rather, it is something that we should welcome. For without change, nothing in this world would ever grow or blossom, and no one in this world would ever move forward to become the person they’re meant to be"

This unique video is of a tourist who sat on the beach to watch the seals and penguins on Gold Harbor, South Georgia. Unexpectedly, one of the seals is apparently attracted to her and, slowly works his way over. He seems to 'fall in love' and snuggles and flirts with her. It is quite beautiful, sweet and interesting scene. What really moved me when I watched this video was their loving interaction. For that moment in time they were not a human and a seal, but two living creatures exploring and digging each other. A sample of the power of love, completely cross-platform. The seals are huge (6,000 lbs), yet the woman never seemed afraid...more amused...while someone shot the video of this incident. I would like to think that instead of fear, she kept her heart open, and the seal felt it. Gold Harbor, South Georgia, is located off the southern tip of South America. (sub arctic) It is a small bay five miles S-SW of Cape Charlotte, with Bertrab Glacier at its head, along

We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face... we must do that which we think we cannot. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt