HaPpY to be HaPpY!
Summer Staycation
After spending a fun winter in L.A. we return to our idyllic life here on our beach in Barceloneta. No stress. No anxiety. No lofty, unattainable goals or stressful adventures. Every day is a blessing.
Happy is we.
Skimming the glistening sea
sparkly, lucid, flippant, and free
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I haven’t posted in awhile because I’m busy being happy, living my bi-continental life: 
We love life more than ever at our new apartment. Living on the beach with an elevator and a view of the Mediterranean; I can’t imagine better! As they say in Italy, “Siamo arrivati”.
In June my quirky, surfy brother Jason and his 15 year old son Buckley visited from USA and spent 10 action packed, laughter filled, intensely fun but exhausting days with us, staying under our very roof. Like a 3 ring circus. 10 crazy days of big personality kooks carousing the city, trying to balance culture with beach.
Barcelona had one of its famous fiery holidays to impress my family. Fiesta San Juan while they were here. Summer officially begins on dia de la fiesta de San Juan.
A few snapshots from their visit:
Quik vids from San Juan:
Butifarrada:
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Enjoying summer in the city.
I can’t believe how happy I am to get up early and go jump in the really clear water. This morning I took my first swim at 7:30
With my diving goggles I look at fish while swimming through shimmery, velveteen water;. clear, warm, silky and soft. Ecstasy. My new Italian made goggles from Board Riders are amazing! Great design, not clunky at all like my older pair.
Today I spot the usual small, almost transparent yellow fish (with a black stripe and black spot at the base of their tails) that permanently dwell on our shoreline. I live for days like today. Get up at sunrise, go down and jump in the water, splash around in the empty shore. Daybreak. Absolute Tranquility. Time stops. Its awesome to be the only one out swimming. The beach stays empty for another hour or two.
As I snorkel not far from shore I spot a posse of fish I haven’t seen before. Slender with bright green stripes matching their fins and tails. Stunning. What luck!
The warm lapping waves caress, I am blessed. Yes!
With no one on the beach I am able to do my favorite thing: to swim up the coast in shallow water. Instead of swimming as far into the deep as I can, I like to swim as far up the coast as I can, but staying close to shore.
Uninhibited, unhindered, untethered to all things digital. I swim, look at fish, stretch, breathe, punch and kick the water until I am out of breath. Then I float. I’m in heaven!
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Its a dog´s world after all…
Mark’s dog, Haka, left us 4 years ago. She was a big, sweet dum dum. I used to pose her and Quixote all around the city. I even have a post here from 2009, waxing poetic about Haka and Quixote, who I had just gotten at the time of the blog. You might remember Haka from my older posts beginning in 2009:
Mark’s been talking about getting a blonde chihuahua for a couple years now, a purse size pooch he can take back and forth with him to Gracia, and eventually to L.A. Until recently we were too busy traveling to break in a new puppy. It takes time and patience.
Quixote has been my satellite of love for 7 years now. He missed Haka for awhile, but has since grown fond of his place as our “one and only”. Quixote loves Mark, but is devoted only to me. When I leave him home with Mark he literally lays around the house moaning, unwilling to play or eat or be fun. Mark was ready for his own satellite of love. He just needed to find her. He began semi actively looking for a female chihuahua to be more of an accessory and love sponge than a real dog – a puppy to keep him company when he works and stays in Gracia.
A few weeks ago he dropped by the pet store on his way to work in Gracia. He’d been looking there every few months because he always walks by that store when he gets off the 39 bus. On that day (July 7) his new canine love was there, the exact dog he’d been envisioning forever. She is a tiny, sweet faced teacup chihuahua. Love again! How exciting! He finally met his new companion for the next 20 years if he’s lucky. (Tiny breeds are known to live 15 to 20 years). He and the puppy locked eyes. Somehow she knew he was destined to be her human protector. With no significant travel plans on the horizon it was a good time for Mark to fall in love. He sent me photos and videos from the pet store, and came home that day with a tiny baby sister for Quixote.
Bianca was born on May 3rd, on the local Gracia holiday, Fiesta San Medir so he named her Bianca de San Medir.
At first Quixote had no use for a mate and ignored her. But her unconditional love won him over. She’s tinier than he is, which makes him feel big and protective. He now likes having someone to push around, frolic with, protect and dominate. Our family is once again complete!
I have spent the last few weeks pretty much chasing the dogs around and teaching Bianca to pose for my camera. Like Haka who preceded her, Bianca’s not the brightest bulb, but what she lacks in intelligence she makes up for with sweetness. She will never be sleek and sinewy like Quixote, she’ll always be a round butterball, which is perfect. Quixote remains the alpha dog; all muscle, braun and intensity.
Yes, I have plenty more I could write about and intend to write about. Once I get motivated (after summer?) I’ll share more thoughts and images from my daily life in Barceloneta. After 6 years living in this neighborhood, but with 88 stairs to climb every time I went home, this last year of living with an elevator sure is breezy. I feel much more connected to the neighborhood.
Until then, know that I’m leading a happy and fulfilling life. That’s why I haven’t bothered to post anything lately – I’m becoming a bit boring in my old age, heh heh heh. But I don’t miss being popular. I am enjoying the anonymity of aging.
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