Inside the Mind of Isadora

Tag Archives: WRITING


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Friday Fictioneers – She Trusted Too Much

Dusk peeked through the curtain.

It had been a harrowing day.

Her gardening past time destroyed by a sneaky thief. 

It was a small garden. Just enough space for tulips and the rose bush her husband had planted.

“A rose bush for my Rose,” he’d proclaimed,

She longed to hear him say her name.

~~~~~

Why had she been so naive?

Why had she fed that stranger information about her son and his friend?

Was her sight that hazy?

~~~~~

“Are you Vinnie?”, she’d asked him.

“Yes, your son sent me to get the $200 dollars for him.”

~~~~~

She trusted too much. 

2018©Isadora DeLaVega

 

Genre: Flash Story

Word Count: 100

Photo Prompt: Gah Learner

 

To join Rochelle and her Friday Fictioneers challenge

click here


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Sunday Song – In the Arms of an Angel – Hallelujah

Anthony Bourdain dead @ 61 June 25, 1956 – June 8, 2018

Chef – writer – TV host

Photo’s and article by Variety

click here to read

If you or someone you know is considering suicide,

please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

Kate Spade dead @ 55 December 24, 1962 – June 5, 2018

Fashion Designer

Photo’s and article by Variety

click here to read

If you or someone you know is considering suicide,

please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).


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Friday Fictioneers – The Pink Dress

Mother asked me to get one of Oma’s dresses for the viewing.

Walking through the house, I could feel Oma in every room. 

She was with me; guiding me. 

Small things meant a lot to her; like working in the garden, a walk in the park or sitting on her front porch listening to the birds sing.

Oma kept an impeccable home. Her treasured crystal, Rogaska, bowl on her dining room table always had fresh flowers or plants.

Opa loved her pink gown from their 75 anniversary. 

He’d said, “My heart fluttered when we danced.” 

This will be the dress. 

2018©Isadora DeLaVega

 

Genre: Flash Fiction

Word Count: 100 words

Photo Prompt: Rochelle Wisoff-Fields

To join Rochelle and her Friday Fictioneers challenge

click here


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Sunday Song – A Mother’s Love

Lilly 560 signed.webWalking in the Garden                   2018©Isadora DeLaVega

This year, Mother’s Day, is May 13, 2018. It’s the day we celebrate the special women who’ve raised us.

I think everyone would agree that any woman whose raised a child deserves to be recognized everyday. 

She’s filled with boundless love and makes enormous sacrifices.

Mothers have arms brimming with comfort and love.

For those of you who are blessed to have your mothers with you,

May your Mother’s Day, with her, be filled with immense joy….!!!! 

For those of you have lost your mothers,

May your Mother’s Day be filled with your precious memories of her.

Happy Mother’s Day to All …. !!! 

A Mother’s Love by Jim Brickman

A Mother’s Prayer – Celine Dion

 


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February Musings

My apologies to my dedicated blog followers for a repost of an oldie but goodie.

In April, my youngest daughter will be getting married. Although she’s in charge of it all,

I still find myself involved here and there. After all, I need a dress. I’m the Mother of the Bride.

Gosh, I haven’t said that since 1993 when my eldest had gotten married. 

I hope you understand and enjoy ….

Isadora 😎
Heart 550F Winter kiss heart feelings heart-wallpapers-love-wallpapers-valentine-wallpapers-valentines-day-14-february-couples-darling-boyfriend-girlfriend-beloved-partners-husband-wife-married_big

Flurries of snow falling gently
Each, cold upon my face
Boasting of its’ windy chill
Reaching the core inside my heart
Until, my lover lays his kiss gently upon my lips
Aglow, in his fiery touch I’ll stay
Reminiscing, in his arms, I fall asleep
Your essence, my comforting blanket lest we’re ever apart
 2018©Isadora DeLaVega

Heart - Hello Febraury - large

True ‘LOVE’ begins when nothing is looked for in return ….💕

 


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Nurture Yourself – Live your Little Mercies

Compassion and forgiveness are the little mercies
we need to develop while walking through our paths of nurturing.

Recently, I read a book called Little Mercies. It’s the journey of a small child who experiences a great many trials at a very tender age when most children are enjoying and innocently playing with friends and toys. The quote is from the book by Heather Gundenkauf. This child’s social worker is faced with an unspeakable tragedy she’s unable to cope with. Her mother tries to comfort her with these words.

Throughout our lives we’re faced with tragedies far greater than we ever could imagine living or coping with. Somehow, we find a strength deep inside that wraps its arms around us to help us manage to place one foot in front of the other.

   All of the painful layers we’ve carefully peeled away, have helped us get attuned with our emotional selves.

We must never stop writing our own story of little mercies. It helps us to be present.
It’s a gift we give to our nurturing selves.

In Love and Light,
Isadora 🙏

2018©Isadora DeLaVega

Namaste
I honor the place in you
in which the entire universe dwells.
I honor the place in you
which is of Love, and of Truth,
of Light and of Peace.
When you are in that place in you
and I am in that place in me.
We are One.

Becca hosts Nurturing Thursday
to join in click here


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A Gift of Love

The way to love anything deeply is to realize that it may be lost to you one day.

2018©Isadora De La Vega 

A Gift of Love

Without you,

Life is just existing.

With you,

Life is worth living.

You put a name on the

Songs, birds sing.

And, you bring the smell of flowers,

To a breezy spring.

You are my sun,

You are my moon,

You are in my heart,

Forever and a day.

2018©Al De La Vega

❤❤❤❤❤

Heart - piano notes

❤❤❤❤❤

Jamie Dedes @ The Poet by Day is asking, “What is on your mind and heart as you start the new year?”

to join in click here

photo prompt©jamie dedes


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T’was the Night before Christmas – Florida Style

Santa w-Flamingo

Florida Christmas Poem

T’was the night before Christmas, and all through the town,
No noses were frozen, nor snow on the ground.

No children in flannels were tucked into bed,
They all wore their shorty pajamas instead.

To find wreaths of holly was not very hard,
For holly trees sprouted in every backyard.

In front of the houses were daddies and moms,
Decorating hibiscus and coconut palms.

The slumbering kiddies were dreaming with glee,
Hoping to find surf boards under the tree.

They all knew that Santa was well on his way,
In a fiberglass boat instead of a sleigh.

He whizzed up the rivers, zoomed up the canals,
Delivering toys to good boys and gals.

The tropical moon gave the cities a glow,
And lit the way for Santa below.

Quite soon he arrived and started to work,
He hadn’t a second to linger or shirk.

He jumped from his boat and gave a wee chuckle,
He was dressed in deck pants, with an ivy league buckle.

There weren’t any chimneys, but that caused no gloom,
For Santa came in through the Florida room.

He stopped at each house but stayed only a minute,
As he emptied his sack of the toys that were in it.

Before he departed he had a long drink,
From the glass of fresh orange juice left by the sink.

He turned with a jerk and jumped into his boat,
Knowing that he still had more toys to tote.

He put it in gear and he opened the gas,
Then up the Peace River he went like a flash!

And I heard him exclaim as he went on his way:
“Merry Christmas, Punta Gorda, I wish I could stay …. Annonymous

Santa w- Surf Boards

This is turning into a yearly repost due to the Christmas festivities that are going on at this time.

I hope you enjoy it again. This was on the radio on Christmas Eve last year. 

Punta Gorda is a boating town 5 minutes away from me.

 

                                       Merry Christmas to all of my loyal followers.

                                     Thank you for having faith in what I do here.

                      May your hearts be filled with magical splendor of the Holiday Season.

                                         Blessings and many Hugs and Kisses to you !!!

                                                                                Isadora  😎


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Pasteles – A Traditional Puerto Rican Christmas Recipe

PR_Pasteles_photograph[1]

Recently a Puerto Rican restaurant opened in the next town from where I live. Hubby and I stopped in for lunch. The food was outstanding. We asked if they made traditional Christmas foods. When we heard they did we ordered these delicious pasteles. I’ve posted this recipe before but thought there might be someone adventurous who would like to try and make them. Enjoy ….

Pasteles aren’t appealing to the eye but delicious to the palette. There are as many pastele recipes as there are cooks. The recipe changes according to what is grown in the particular region. This is the one I am familiar with. Making and serving pasteles at Christmas time is a Puerto Rican tradition. Its hard work, but well worth the effort. There’s always a gathering of family members for the long and tedious work. As many as 50 to 100 pasteles are made at one time while traditional Christmas songs are played and the adults drink lots of coquito (look for this post).They hold up well in the refrigerator and can be frozen. As a child each one of us had a task. I do not make them but do enjoy eating them when they are available at restaurants or while vacationing on the island of Puerto Rico. They’re only available during the holidays. Pasteles were originally made for the traveling “Parranderos” (carolers). These were people who traveled with their instruments through town on the back of a flatbed truck singing and playing festive songs. Along the way, they would stop at homes where an invite would provide a little coquito and pastele. It was nourishment to help the travelers as they continued on their journey of spreading Christmas cheer. Everyone would laugh and dance as they played while sharing in the true meaning of giving. Having grown up in Brooklyn, New York, I had never experienced this. However, during the one year I attended school in Puerto Rico I learned about these traditions. It showed me another way to celebrate Christmas.    2017©written by Isadora DeLaVegaPastele

Recipe:

Prep Time: 3 hours

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 4 hours

Ingredients: STUFFING

2 pounds diced pork

4 ajíces dulces (small sweet peppers)

1 small onion

2 tablespoons recaito

4 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon adobo

1 tablespoons oregano (dry flakes)

1 bay leaf MASA DOUGH

4 pounds yautía

6 green bananas

1 tablespoon of salt

achiote oil

 

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WRAPPING:

40 banana leaves (cut into approx. 10 in X 5 in rectangles)

20 Pieces parchment paper (cut into approx. 8 in X 4 in rectangles)

20 Pieces of kitchen string (Cut into 18 inch. lengths)

Preparation:

PART 1 – MAKE THE STUFFING

1. Brown the pork pieces in a pan.

2. Add the rest of the stuffing ingredients.

3. Cook until the pork is no longer pink inside.

4. Set aside and let cool.

PART 2 – MAKE THE MASA DOUGH

1. In a large bowl, peel and grate the yautía and the green bananas together.

2. Stir in the salt and enough achiote oil to moisten the dough and add a little color.

You are now ready to assemble and wrap the pasteles.

PART 3 – WRAP THE PASTELES

 1. Set the dough aside and prepare a work surface to assemble and wrap the pasteles. If you have friends helping you, set up an assembly line.

2. Follow my step-by-step guide to assembling and wrapping pasteles.

3. Set aside the pasteles you are going to eat right away. You can freeze the rest.

PART 4 – COOK THE PASTELES

1. Bring a stock pot of salted water to a boil. There should be enough water to cover the pasteles.

2. Boil the pasteles for 1 hour.

3. Unwrap the pasteles before serving.

Serves: Makes about 20.