To all a Merry Christmas!

Cyndi Lauper

Cyndi Lauper never ceases to amaze me..

NEW YORK!!!

Pearl Jam

All Hallows Even a.k.a Halloween

The myth of Jack..

Pumpkin carving is a popular part of modern America's Halloween celebration. Come October, pumpkins can be found everywhere in the country from doorsteps to dinner tables. Despite the widespread carving that goes on in this country every autumn, few Americans really know why or when the jack o'lantern tradition began. Or, for that matter, whether the pumpkin is a fruit or a vegetable. Read on to find out!
People have been making jack o'lanterns at Halloween for centuries. The practice originated from an Irish myth about a man nicknamed "Stingy Jack." According to the story, Stingy Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him. True to his name, Stingy Jack didn't want to pay for his drink, so he convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin that Jack could use to buy their drinks. Once the Devil did so, Jack decided to keep the money and put it into his pocket next to a silver cross, which prevented the Devil from changing back into his original form. Jack eventually freed the Devil, under the condition that he would not bother Jack for one year and that, should Jack die, he would not claim his soul. The next year, Jack again tricked the Devil into climbing into a tree to pick a piece of fruit. While he was up in the tree, Jack carved a sign of the cross into the tree's bark so that the Devil could not come down until the Devil promised Jack not to bother him for ten more years.

Soon after, Jack died. As the legend goes, God would not allow such an unsavoury figure into heaven. The Devil, upset by the trick Jack had played on him and keeping his word not to claim his soul, would not allow Jack into hell. He sent Jack off into the dark night with only a burning coal to light his way. Jack put the coal into a carved-out turnip and has been roaming the Earth with ever since. The Irish began to refer to this ghostly figure as "Jack of the Lantern," and then, simply "Jack O'Lantern."

1987

Brookside Elementary School 1987

Grade 5 - Mrs. Andreano

I remember this day like it was yesterday, can you find me??

If you guessed that I´m the girl behind the black board with the black skirt, you are right! hehehe

16th of October

Last Saturday, we all celebrated Rachel´s Bday together.. it was nice to be back with the crew remembering the good old days:)

Saturday Night! Happy Bday Julious..

Let the force be with you.. that´s how Saturday night was... and went on through out the night.. hehehe

Lost in Thoughts.. Keep smiling.. enjoy each moment and see life always on the bright side.. even when it seems like it will all fall apart, there is always a reason and meaning..

Like I always say.. Don´t worry be HAPPY!

Arcos Dinner Party

@ Churasqueira having a very nice meal.. actually it was really good and cheap... they even offered a bottle of whisky.. much appreciated by the boyz!

Happy Birthday to the 3 ladies.. yeah its shity being one year older..lol

aren´t they sooo excited!!!

Almost ready to go.. where.. Café o beijo A.K.A Marisqueira .. something like that..
a very small local coffee shop in AVV

Me and Julio..

That´s all fokes! till next time.. where, don´t know... hehehe

Ana Rute´s Bday Party!

Oh so cute.. little Carol was always aware of everything that was giong on..

Nice tans.. three ladies lookin' good..

Cheers to life! May we enjoy these moments forever!

Oh look.. 3 Men and a baby.. hehehe

Here we all are @ Porto e Virgula celebrating Rute´s Bday, it was nice to be back with the crew for a nice dinner at cordoaria.. who knew they had such a nice place to eat.. I was amazed!!! Nice food and cheap! we gotta go back for sure! WHEN´S THE NEXT PARTY!!!!

Vacation.. Uffa..

Festas do Concelho.. AVV

A long weekend with hardly no sleep.. oh yeah its been a while since I only slept 4 to 5 hours a night.. getting home around 5:30/6h in the morning, man did that take me back to the good old days when we would live the night and nap during the day.. hehehe.

This weekend were the “festas do concelho de Arcos de Valdevez”, nice cool weather, good music, plenty to drink and eat.. all night partying till dawn. Saw lots of people that I haven’t seen in ages, everyone looks good and older.. Got stopped by the police and had to do the alcohol test, my luck is that I don’t drink.. hehehe

Sunday was hard, getting up a ready to get back home, with hardly any rest driving 1h30 to Oporto.. remembering that on Monday (today) is a working day, while most people are on vacation enjoying.. sniff, sniff!

Summer

Where is our summer??? In mid August and the SUN just doesn’t seem to want to come out.. is summer over, is this global warming.. Oh no is the Ice Age closer than what we expected.. hopefully not! Is our planet saying enough.. well all these questions only lead to more questions..

What I know is that those good old days where we enjoyed 3 months of nice warm weather, long nights & beaches, is no longer around, we now face a new reality and now we need to adapt.. it’s not going to be easy..

Thoughts and wanders..

Like leaves from a tree..

We grow into this world full of dreams and hopes while the seasons pass and we see time fly right by and we ask ourselves about what has been accomplished.. we think about everything meaningful and wonder if we did good enough or if we should have tried harder. We wonder..

Everything we tried and did we have no regrets and all that we hesitated on doing we seem to regret.. I ask, why??? Hmmm good question?? There’s no answer.. we live by nature and like leaves we follow our nature until one day they fall and what was never done is forgotten.. Only a thought remains, until that thought also fades away like a leaf on the floor that disintegrates.. Next season leaves will grow again…

Smile...

Today I read this phrase on the internet and thought.. what a nice quote to place on my blog , it´s never to much to smile, sooo Keep Smiling!!!

Smile even if it´s a sad smile, because sadder than a sad smile is the saddness of not knowing how to smile.

Manhattan, NY

World Trade Center.. lots of people..

Metropolitan Museum

Central Park

LOVE...

Times Square..

Boston, Mass

Sights of streets, monuments and parks in Boston..

The Red Sox, the most popular team in Boston.. baseball

that´s us at the museum, in a tavern back in the days!!

New York & Boston

Our Trip to the States, we visited many things.. here are a few pictures of beautiful views..

Central Park - the turtle pond close to the castle

Times Square @ night!

Newbury Street in Boston, a place of many vintage and outstanding shops..

On the ferry to the USS Constitution in Boston, MA

Salem, MA - Where the witch burning and massacers began..

USA...

and I´m off.. I´ll be back in July!

to all those who visit this amazing blog, have a great time.. Keep Smilling!

And above all.."Don´t Worry be Happy"

Senhor de Matosinhos

Sexta-feira 22/05, bom tempo e bom espirito para desfrutar da maior festa popular do Porto, O Senhor de Matosinhos.. em tres tempos lá nos organizamos e fomos..

Pela primeira vez visitei o Bom Jesus de Matosinhos a origem desta gradiosa festa cheia de barracas e tendas com muitas coisinhas para ver e comprar.. pois comprar.. lá teve que ser.. lol

Aqui estamos nós junto dos carroceis.. para crianças, lol, mesmo porque ninguem anda nestes brinquedos assutadores pouco seguros! só de ver assusta.. hehehe

Claro nao podia faltar.. as farturas, pipocas, caldo verde e o delicioso pao com chouriço.. ir a uma festa popular e nao aproveitar estes comes e bebes, nao pode ser.. lá se foi a dieta!

e assim terminamos a nossa ronda ao Senhor de Matosinhos.. e fica uma Hello Kitty para lembrar esta noite de andanças... lol pois foi andamos que nos fartamos!

USA

Less than one month to go and I´m off to my home town Milford, Massachusetts.. that´s right USA here I go..

Memorial Hall in Milford

New York will be our next stop for a few days.. Oh yeah! the heart where it all happens, 24/7..

Then off to Boston.. one of the first cities of this great nation with it´s beautiful skyline and architecture!

It´s been 5 years since I last visited so this will definitely be an amazing trip shared with the people I love most! Family & friends!

Queridos Anos 80

Ar d' Mar - Canidelo!

Back in AVV

Another weekend in the country side.. off to Arcos VV we went. It started off with rain and finished with the beautiful sun.. After a night in town and a good nap we all decided to take a walk around the village visit land that belongs to our parents up in the mountains.. and explore what the village had to show us.. what a trip!

After an hour walk we were ready for a big nap.. but let me tell you it´s better than any exercise at the gym, fressh air that smell sooo good due to the blossoming of the trees, passing by small water falls and going through all types of wild grasses.. lol

lol.. just look at these faces.. it expresses our physical condition..hehehhe.. truly city people!!!