I love selfies – especially with others! Here is my most recent one. I took it yesterday with my two favorite Valentines.
Happy Trio
Have yourself a very colorful Valentine’s Day tomorrow
and the entire weekend as well!
From Tucson with Love – Alicja
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Text and photo copyright © 2014 by Alicja Mann.
This past year I started with “dancing my troubles away.” I also danced for rain in Tucson while on Solana Beach last June. In both cases the dancing was not very effective – my troubles did not go away, and we did not get as much rain as we needed.
Every New Year is supposed to be joyful, and of course often it’s not. When you live long enough, you lower your expectations. To my surprise, this New Year’s Eve was more joyful than I anticipated. For that I am very grateful to Tucson’s Laffs Comedy Caffe! That is where I met the New Year of 2014 (http://www.Laffstucson.com).
Every one of us defines joy differently. However, we can all agree that a smile is a good indicator of joy … I mean a genuine smile!
It is hard not to feel the power of Rodney’s smile, which is totally disarming. He owns a one-man-operation restaurant on the main street of Wilcox, AZ. If you are ever in Wilcox, I am sure you will try his cooking as I did in November.
There is another type of smile full of joy that is not interactive, but self contained. This flower girl in a wedding ceremony on a Cape Cod beach just couldn’t resist the joy of touching and sifting the soft, warm sand.
I experience a similar feeling of joy while looking at luminaries – the characteristic holiday lights that are common in this part of the country – their soft glow evokes a soft smile.
Happy New Year 2014!
Let it glow with JOY for each of us!
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Text and photos copyright © 2013 by Alicja Mann
I am running out of time this week for my blog writing, but not for writing a thankful note to my readers. Readers that I know and readers that I do not know, and for the very faithful ones who make comments regularly.
I am truly grateful for your presence in my life.
THANK YOU, GRACIAS, MERCI, DANKE, ARIGATO and, in my native tongue, DZIEKUJE!
This year Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Jewish Hanukkah. Supposedly such convergence will not happen again for about 80,000 years. How this was calculated beats me, but one thing is sure – I will not be around for the next time! So we will celebrate this year the combination of both important holidays -THANKSGIVUKKAH! Somebody came up with this tongue twisting new word – cute enough to name some babies born at this time of this year, I suspect.
Something unexpected and amusing happened this morning. A daily blog written by my artist friend (painter) GC Myers (gcmyers.com/) arrived as usual in my mailbox – thank you GC! It included Thanksgivukkah Anthem, a humorous musical creation by the Jewish singing a capella group Six13, that I am delighted to share with you.
Please, please, click on this link and have a lot of ha ha’s with your family and friends.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=yaFUcQZSvoE
Have a very joyful Thanksgivukkah Day!
From Tucson with Love – Alicja
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Text and photos copyright © 2013 by Alicja Mann
It was a day full of symbolic images tied to the history of this country—cherished with pride and joy by many.
Beyond Images (c) 2013 by Alicja Mann
BEYOND those images are the dreams, hopes, and great expectations of many Americans. Beyond those images also are disappointments, criticisms, and political conflicts that were left behind for that celebratory historic moment.
The day of the second Inauguration of President Obama was like an elegant portrait of this country, carefully staged and shared proudly with the world. And as such portraits tend to be, it captured the best images of us. We should be aware of that, but enjoy it without any guilt feelings because such is the purpose of most celebrations.
The determination of Latinos, women, gay people, and African Americans secured a second term in the White House for our first black president. Our diversity and prosperity were very visible in that celebratory portrait of this country. As The New York Times writer Sheryl Gay Stolberg stated, “…the faces of 2013 Inauguration Day were the faces of those left behind by the political process in decades and centuries past.”
And that is something truly to be proud of.
P.S:
I took this photo watching the second Inauguration of President Obama on television in the comfort of my home.
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Text and photos copyright © 2013 by Alicja Mann
No other year sapped my energy as did the year 2012. It started with a big shadow of personal sorrow that dimmed my spirit for most of the year. It ended with a deep darkness, in my heart and many other hearts, cast by the tragic happenings in this country and around the world that made impossible to not question the direction we are going as a society and as humanity. The fact that those tragedies were man-made added extra tint to that darkness: the unforgettable tragedy of the Newtown Elementary School, the unimaginable drama of the sexually assaulted woman in India, the unbearably long and harsh struggle of the Syrian people against their government, and the unfriendly and divisive politicking in this country, could only make one sick. Dealing with so many uns, it was hard, or rather impossible, for me to write those cheerful “Happy Holidays Greetings” and I sentenced them to sit in their box till next winter.
When an invitation for celebrating New Year’s Eve among friends came along, I was very grateful since I hardly could wait for 2012 to end. I put my dancing shoes on, and decided to dance all my troubles away that night – into a better, happier 2013.
I already like this year. It ends with number 13, which I consider my favorite number. After all, I was born on the 13th and according to some predictions 2013 is supposed to be a very good year for those born on the 13th of any month. Don’t ask me, please, where I got this idea. Perhaps I dreamed or invented it, but I like it! The next year ending with my lucky number will not arrive for another 100 years….so I need to adopt a “this year or never” attitude without any delay.
I wish you, who read this, to have a Happy and Lucky New Year – regardless what your birth date is! Have great energy and some fun in 2013.
One really good thing that did happen in 2012, or rather that did not happen, was that the world did not end on December 21st as some believed it would. I was not really fearful of that ending, but “just in case” I wanted to have a picture in front of my studio (aka Word Studio) with The Writer magazine in my hands. Now it will serve as a reminder of that day and my recommitment to my writing, photography and publishing.
So it did not happen! Besides that, according to some theories we are entering the Age of Aquarius – an age of love, light, and humanity! Let it happen, or rather let us make it happen. First of all, let’s celebrate!
An art exhibition celebrating the world not ending is taking place at Raices Teller 222 Art Gallery in Tucson with the opening reception on Saturday, January 12 from 6 to 9 PM. I am part of that celebration and would love to see you there. Please feel invited!
Here is the detailed information:
Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery & Workshop
218 E. 6th Street
(1/2 block east of 6th St. & 6th Ave.)
Tucson, AZ 85705
(520) 881-5335
Exhibition Dates – Jan 12 through Feb 23, 2013
Opening Reception
Saturday January 12, 2013
6:00 – 9:00 PM
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Text and photos copyright © 2012 by Alicja Mann.
It is very seldom that something nice comes “out of the blue” for me, but this time it did happen! And the timing could not have been more perfect. I was not in the greatest of moods. It was very hot in Tucson, and my name day (which is the day this post is being published) did not look very promising. If you wonder what a name day is, please see an explanation at the bottom of this post*.
My name day was coming within hours when I got a terrific e-mail from my friend Connie, who got it from someone else. She forwarded to me a collection of music to share. It made my day! I shortened the list to focus on well known musicians and music groups.
For me it was a gift of music instead of flowers for my day. I want to share this gift with you.
Click on an artist or group name, enjoy the music, and share with others.
1) Elvis Presley 2) Roy Orbison 3) Beatles 4) Abba 5) Bee Gees 6) Michael Jackson 7) John Lennon 8) Celine Dion 9) Frank Sinatra 10) Creedence Clearwater Revival 11) Julio Iglesias 12) Queen 13) Neil Diamond 14) Paul Mccartney 15) Rolling Stones 16) Pink Floyd 17) Bruce Springsteen 18) Elton John 19) U2 20) George Harrison 21) Cliff Richard 22) Tina Turner 23) Bob Marley 24) Andrea Bocelli 25) Dire Straits 26) Barbra Streisand 27) Eagles 28) Madonna 29) Simon & Garfunkel 30) AC/DC 31) Bob Dylan 32) Dean Martin 33) André Hazes 34) Tom Jones 35) Eric Clapton 36) John Denver 37) Eros Ramazzotti 38) Deep Purple 39) Led Zeppelin 40) Rod Stewart 41) Status Quo 42) Louis Armstrong 43) Fleetwood Mac 44) Bryan Adams 45) Jimi Hendrix 46) Barry White 47) Nat King Cole 48) Santana 49) Michael Buble 50) Gipsy Kings 51) David Bowie 52) Adriano Celentano 53) Robbie Williams 54) Charles Aznavour 55) Metallica 56) Doors 57) Shakira 58) Beach Boys 59) Cat Stevens 60) Bon Jovi 61) UB40 62) Joe Cocker 63) Whitney Houston 64) Phil Collins 65) Enrique Iglesias 66) Ricky Martin 67) Ray Charles 68) K3 69) ZZ Top 70) Van Morrison 71) Ringo Starr 72) Stevie Wonder 73) Gloria Estefan 74) Supertramp 75) Jethro Tull 76) Black Sabbath 77) Marco Borsato 78) Guns N’ Roses 79) Neil Young 80) Chuck Berry 81) Billy Joel 82) Sting 83) Kinks 84) R.E.M. 85) Laura Pausini 86) Genesis 87) Who 88) Monkees 89) Animals 90) Simple Minds 91) Prince 92) Aretha Franklin 93) B.B. King 94) Iron Maiden 95) Pearl Jam 96) Christina Aguilera 97) Alice Cooper 98) Depeche Mode 99) Nirvana
*What is a name day?
Well, on many European calendars, days are marked with names, showing that different days are identified with different names—for instance, a day for Thomas, David, Martha, or Ann. It all started in ancient times with the days named for saints. In contemporary Poland, however, that is no longer the case. There is no saint Alicja and yet I have my day on the calendar and share it with Alojzy (for saint Alojzy). So on the 21st of June all Alicjas are celebrating their day. It is the longest day of the year and usually is the first day of summer. I always loved that day — full of sunshine and flowers!
The nice thing about name days is that there is no problem to remember them, because the names are printed on all calendars and are announced on the radio and TV stations at the beginning of the day. For instance, if it is Joseph’s day and you have a friend by that name, you better run to a flower or liquor shop to purchase something that Joseph likes, and go to celebrate that day with him.
The best part for the celebrant is that he has a lot of attention and nobody talks about his age, as happens here on birthdays.
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Text (except music list) and photos copyright © 2012 by Alicja Mann.
May is here already—a colorful and busy month—saturated with flowers, celebrations, sunshine, and hope. A month pregnant with many desires—for love, for freedom, for new adventure, new challenges, new dreams…. Cupids are flying among the birds and sharpening their arrows. So I decided to write something “sexy” this time.
In one of the latest THE WEEK magazines (April 27, 2012) I stumbled on the article: “Sweden: Purging gender from the language”
It just so happens that quite a few years ago (1986), as an op-ed columnist for Cape Cod Times, I wrote a piece titled “Our language reflects our values.” I questioned the use of the title “selectman” for that position in Falmouth given that for eight long years Falmouth had had a woman as a selectman. Here it is what I wrote:
“Let’s say the title of selectman were to change to selectwoman, as logic would call for in the Falmouth situation. What would happen? Would the male candidates have to run for selectwoman? Here is the core of the issue. I am sure that men would object. But why? If a woman runs for selectman, why can’t a man run for selectwoman?”
“All of it starts early in childhood. When a little girl becomes a tomboy, it is cute; it is all right. When a boy is sensitive, open, and expresses his feelings with tears, he is called ‘sissy’; he is being ‘a girl.’ We as a society have yet to value masculinity and femininity as equal.”
You can see why I got intrigued about the Swedish society purging gender from its language.
First of all — to purge gender from some languages is simply not possible. In my native Polish for instance, every noun has a gender – it is always she, he or it. The adjectives and verbs are modified according to the noun gender, so Polish and other Slavic languages are heavily gender coded. They would have to be reconstructed totally from scratch!
On top of everything else the likable Swedes went very far in their political correctness.
Quoting from THE WEEK: “State-run preschools have been instructed to avoid referring to children as girls or boys, and many of them have hired ‘gender pedagogues’ who ‘help staff identify language and behavior that risk reinforcing stereotypes.’”
To not be addressed by your gender at all? It is one thing to try to be fair and to give both sexes the same chance to be treated as equally as possible, but is it necessary to go to such an extreme? What do you think about it?
Small gender differences (except anatomical of course!) in the appearance of very young children are not that small in their behavior, moods, and interests according to the What to Expect on line journal from which I copied this photo.
Let’s face it, we are different from the very start – genetically. Denying gender differences seems to be absurd to me. I will repeat what I wrote years ago: Recognition of sex is not sexism: the putting down of one sex by another is. We do not have to be the same to be equal.
Vive la petite difference, and not so petite after all!
This familiar Yin Yang symbol represents Taoism’s way of understanding opposites like light and darkness, masculine and feminine. There is equality there and interpreted as two sides of the same coin where one could not exist without the other. They in fact complement each other. There is an idea of balance. Growing acceptance in our culture for a wider variety of sexual orientation caused by nature or due to personal choice is comforting. It does not upset (in my opinion) any balance of nature, just like dawn and dusk do not upset the balance between day and night.
Many of you may be familiar with this book by John Grey. I purchased this 1992 edition a couple of years later and still have a mixed feeling about it, but can’t deny that the author’s goal was to improve communication between men and women. Here is a quote from his introduction:
“[The book] reveals new strategies for reducing tension in relationship and creating love by first recognizing in great detail how men and women are different…. Relationships do not have to be such a struggle. Only when we do not understand one another is there tension, resentment, or conflict.”
So here we have it – women and men, or men and women, how really different are we? There have been a huge number of researches, opinions, laws, and actions addressing this question. Frankly, it can be overwhelming, so today I propose that we just laugh a bit about our petite difference.
Please click on the photo (or this YouTube link) for a few minutes of humor and laughter. Enjoy it!
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Text copyright © 2012 by Alicja Mann. Photo of laughing people by Yuri Arcurs (purchased from BigStockPhoto.com). Yin Yang symbol by Petr Kratochvil (public domain).
I love all kinds of celebrations and New Year’s Eve is one of them. I am almost superstitious, believing that not celebrating that night might bring you bad luck.
Last year such a celebration took the form of a large party in our home with plenty of friends to warm up the coldest night of the year in Tucson. This year, after several months of racing with time to meet some important deadlines, I had the mood to celebrate the end of this year in “a bit” more glitzy way. So I persuaded David and a couple of friends to go (elegantly dressed) to one of the plushy resorts hidden in the foothills of Tucson’s Catalina Mountains that offered such a possibility. The fact that it promised to be a relatively inexpensive event and that one of my new “Jazz” friends, jazz musician George Howard, and his group would perform was a decisive factor.
The resort was surrounded with cool lights and we walked into the “Parisian night” theme of its lounge where the tables were decorated with red roses. The waiters in black and wearing characteristic French berets were cruising among the guests. Wow, that was exciting! I felt like a little kid ready for fun and adventure.
It was a night with the moon high in the sky and big stars on the ground (including George).
It was a night of elegant details in the clothing, which I found to be delightful.
It was crowded, it was noisy and it was fun — in my book.
That was New Year’s Eve, but then came New Year’s Day and a predictable reflective mood arrived dimming my sunny morning. That happens usually after some important celebrations like anniversaries, Christmases or birthdays.
My reflective mood usually brings some dark thoughts for a while. Memories of tragic events, images of people I miss, thoughts about unfulfilled promises or dreams that did not materialize crowd my mind. An image of myself emerges — identical to the real me, but much darker. That darkness is similar to the reflection of any image on a shiny surface (except a mirror) — a pool of water, a window or a very shiny table like the one I was sitting at on New Year’s Eve.
Thinking about this, playing cards came to my mind and I created one for myself. I made the choice of an ace of hearts. I like the hearts on it. I also like that it is the highest card, but can also be the lowest one! There is a challenging duality in it, just as in real life.
The playing cards for bridge or poker have mirror images on them — so identical that the way one holds a card does not matter. However, the cards of life, like mine, have to be handled with great care. If not, they might flip around and their dark side would be up and dominate.
Have a good year of 2012 — play your cards of life the best you can!
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Text and images copyright © 2012 by Alicja Mann.
Just looking at them
I grow greedy, as if they were
Freshly baked loaves
Waiting on their shelves
to be broken open— that one
and that….fragment of “The Bookstall” poem
by Linda Pastan from “Heroes in Disguise”
© 1991
“Freshly baked loaves” — what a metaphor! That is how I feel about books and I am also greedy about them. Really, how could we live without books?
I love books and have been surrounded by them ever since I could read and write, because from that time I was given books as gifts for my birthdays, name-days, and other occasions. Oh yes, I was getting toys, but that was when I was a young child. Once I became seven, and could read pretty well, I was considered an “older” child and consequently expected to not even desire toys anymore. The same rule applied to other kids around me at the time of my growing up in Poland. So for Christmas we received books and games and not some “silly” dolls or cars suitable for the “little ones.” Somehow we did not mind and actually felt proud of that – we felt we were in a different category and a little bit closer to adulthood. Giving up toys — a peculiar rite of passage….
Written words and writers were always highly regarded in Poland.
Speaking of Poland and writers – a few years ago during one of my visits over there, I read a short piece of writing by my aunt’s great grandson, Jaś.
What Jaś wrote at the age of 10 (Jaś is the nickname of Jan) impressed me greatly. It fitted my concept of the importance of books in my life as a writer and a publisher. So I purchased Jan’s piece of writing just as I would from an adult writer (for the purpose of publishing) since I strongly believe that good writing should be rewarded and encouraged that way.
Here is the short story by Jan Zembowicz in my translation.
The One Who Dances with the Winds
One winter day I was very bored. So I went to the attic because there are always so many interesting things there. I found an old pen of my grandfather, a black-and-white TV, and a strange book. The title of the book was The One Who Dances with the Winds. It was covered with dust and looked very old with its yellowed and ragged pages.
When I started to read it, I felt the power to rule the weather. “Interesting, isn’t it!?” So I went outside to try it.
I danced the Dance of the Winds and a strong wind arrived. I danced the Snow Dance and snow started falling.
Suddenly two figures appeared. One was half transparent and the other was all white. Apparently they were the spirits of Nature. They told me that I was their ruler and that I had special power. I looked over my shoulder and saw that I had grown wings. “Super, I can fly!” Then I told the spirits to go away.
I noticed that the book was open, and I closed it. I lost my wings and found myself back in the attic.
I opened the book again and this time I found myself in a beautiful garden.
Now, when no one is around, I open the book and ….
Translated by Alicja Mann
© 2011 Word Studio
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| Jan Zembowicz — Warsaw 2006 | Original text in Polish |
During this Holiday Season include books on your shopping list. Happy giving time, happy receiving time, and happy reading time!
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SPECIAL OFFER
To honor this season of giving I offer any book from my publishing site as a free gift for becoming a new subscriber of my blog which I publish twice a month. The subscription is free and can be terminated at anytime.
Please follow the instructions positioned on upper right side of my blog. When you are confirmed as a subscriber, I will send you an e-mail for your instructions on where to send the book of your choice. The book will be shipped by Priority Mail.
This special offer is valid from today till the end of December. Happy Holidays!
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Text and photos copyright © 2011 by Alicja Mann.
How did you celebrate Columbus Day last Monday?
Columbus Day has been observed by most states of this country since 1937 when Congress and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt proclaimed October 12 a federal holiday as a result of lobbying by the Knights of Columbus.
Many Italian-Americans view Columbus Day as a day to celebrate their Italian heritage. Most of us, however, do not know how to celebrate that day, except enjoying a day off from work or going shopping. So on Monday I was wondering what was happening on Columbus Day besides special sales? Nothing or almost nothing, I discovered — nothing in Tucson, anyway, and most likely in the rest of Arizona. Sorry! Casa Grande held a 3-day event, the Arizona Soccer Tournament for the Columbus Cup.
Having had some issues about this holiday for some time, I decided to “observe it” by taking a long walk on Columbus Boulevard here in Tucson and thinking about Christopher Columbus. It was a nice and easy celebration — Columbus Boulevard is only a few steps away from our home and is a pleasant street for walking or jogging, especially the northern part of it that leads to the Rillito River.
Monday morning was sunny and warm and I truly enjoyed being reacquainted with the desert plants and houses along the boulevard. I had not walked it for a while, having been away from Tucson.
Columbus Blvd in Tucson
McCormick Park on Columbus Blvd
A charming spot along Columbus Blvd
Waterless Rillito River
My walk, in truth, was a nice procrastination from writing this post. I procrastinated the next day as well, since I found the issue of Columbus Day a difficult one to write about. Finally, I am writing today, on the “real” Columbus Day, October 12, so please bear with me!
Quite a few years ago I wrote (in one of my op-ed columns) about the dark side of Columbus Day but did not question the celebration of it. Today I do!
Five hundred nineteen years ago on October 12, 1492, Christopher Columbus and his sailors arrived in the Bahamas. When they stepped ashore, for the first time since the voyages of the Vikings, a small piece of the New World felt the presence of Europeans. That event changed the history of the world much more significantly than any other geographical exploration.
Why was there such a strong response in Europe to discovery of America? The author of “America in Europe: A History of the New World in Reverse”, German Arciniegas, addresses that question. “The fervor, the passion, the spontaneity that had been restrained for centuries broke their barriers and a new era was opened. Man began to declare his own rights, at the risk of anarchy. When one reflects with sufficient perspective on this deep, radical change, one finds the words that define this new course: Independence, Freedom.”
What was freedom and independence for newcomers became oppression, displacement, and loss of freedom for the indigenous people of this continent.
So why are we still celebrating the man who in truth was not a visionary about the existence of the New World, but stumbled upon it by mistake? At the time of his first voyage Columbus’ intention was not discovery of the New World but travel to India. Assuming that he had reached the “Indies,” Columbus named the native people of San Salvador “Indians” and since then “Indians” has become the name of the natives on both American continents.
Columbus’ attitude towards natives of the New World was less than admirable. It is not fair to judge that man of the 15th century by the standards of our thinking in the 21st century; still, it is impossible to like him while reading the well known excerpts from his logbook regarding the natives: “They do not bear arms, and do not know them, for I showed them a sword, they took it by the edge and cut themselves out of ignorance…. They would make fine servants…. With 50 men we could subjugate them all and make them to whatever we want.”
A quote from his second Voyage of 1495, when many Indians were taken as slaves and died on the way to Spain, is also telling, “Let us in the name of the Holy Trinity go on sending all the slaves that can be sold.”
I have to admit that I was oblivious to the dark side of the New World discovery for quite a few years of my living in this country and while living in Poland. Writing a book with a Chief of the Wampanoags of Mashpee (an American Indian tribe on Cape Cod) — Son of Mashpee — opened my eyes widely. At that time I read a lot of history of the Wampanoags and other tribes of American Indians. While reading, one could only cry….
Columbus Day has been a controversial holiday for a long time. Some feel ashamed of it. Some feel angry about it. Some wonder what to do about it.
It is obvious that we cannot change history, but I think we can and should stop celebrating Columbus Day. It would be very appropriate, in my opinion, to keep the holiday, rename it and dedicate it to those who were present in the New World when “discovered” by Christopher Columbus. Let’s follow the example of South Dakota that already celebrates Native American Day in place of Columbus Day.
And what do you think about it?
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Photos and text copyright © 2011 by Alicja Mann.
Alicja Mann Waves 