Brace, El Matal Ecuador, for the New Moon’s Destructive Tides

El Matal/Manabi/Ecuador

Yesterday I was unable to pull up a “new post’ page that would work, and today finds me on a bus as I travel to Guayaquil.    When I agreed to help friends with a coastal tour, Mother Nature had not rolled those destructive high tides of the new year.   Her second batch will assault my friends’ properties – perhaps even now as I type.  I wish I could be there watching the ocean and challenging her to a stalemate.

Patricia Farmer just posted an excellent update that graphically illustrates the loss of sand over the years, and the heart-wrenching photos recently taken.     Please share her post, help call attention to what’s happening, and help us flush out some authorities who can advise what options are best and which ones might backfire.

El Matal Ecuador – Will this woman’s home survive this week’s high tides?

My trip back up the coast will give scouting opportunities to see how the ocean is affecting other areas of the Pacific coast.

What can we do about this?   Please read Patricia’s post HERE and help us find answers PRONTO!

 

 

 

Oh to be 90!

“Oh, to be lovely at 90!” San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua
(I do not like this fast WP option for new posts. There’s not even a save draft, add text or select category option!) This is for the WP Daily Prompt  XYZ…

Money-Making Options in Ecuador

Tags

frustrating things about ecuador, monkey making ideas in ecuador, things you miss in latin america, what do i need to bring to ecuador

Moonlighting! Sidewalk Broom Factory – Cruzita Ecuador

Are you looking for a simple business in a tropical country with low overhead and a chance to sell to a captive market? Three options come to mind, and perhaps one might pique your interest!

Copyright,Trademark & the Devil

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copyrights, rights to use certain words, smile, sonrisa, trademarks, website copyright infringments

Double Sonrisas – Acrylic (detail)

This past week a friend credited his morning meditation to a feeling of well being.  Meditation is a great way to start the day!

“You’d better watch out,” I warned, “The devil’s always waiting around the corner to sabotage that good mood!’

About eight hours later that devil tweaked his attention to me and spoiled what had been a very positive and productive day!

A “Please moderate” notice arrived for a post that was written months ago, and I was curious to see who had commented about things that can go wrong with legal and real estate negotiations in Latin America.   Surprised that the slow internet loaded the email, I scanned the message in the inbox:

New comment waiting approval on Zeebra Designs & Destinations

Marilyn S. Ruben commented on RED FLAG… “It’ll Never Happen To Me”
Here is my feedback: You are operating a Fraudulent Website with a name which is already protected under U. S. Trademark and U. S. Copyright by ME, as of l2 years ago in 2002 through the present time. We have 500 Artworks in our Collection, 250 by me and 250 by my 30 Artists.
Before setting up your Website, you should have completed a “Search” of other Websites online to see if there was a “Conflict of Interest.”
You are breaking U. S. Copyright Law as well as U. S. Trademark Law!
Please Cease and Desist using your Company name, because it is already being used, and has been for the past l2 years, by me and my company!
I don’t know you or your Company, but I once did meet someone named “Lisa” and I also met someone who calls himself “The Zebra,” because he wore “stripes” in and out of prison for at least 20 years. If this is a description of the two of you, you are breaking U.S. Copyright and U. S. Trademark Law by using our Company name!
Approve Trash | Mark as Spam

(What?!)   I first thought, “Spam,” and I read it again and reconsidered,  “No, this isn’t spam, but this makes no sense!”  How had I violated a copyright or trademark?

ALL ABOARD! Flower Drop!!!!

“…The sky is falling, the sky is falling!!! – Wait… No, that’s not the sky; there’s a rainbow of delicate colors fluttering to the ground!… (Gasp!) I never knew that the sky could rain flowers!   It must be magic!” –(Unidentified policeman in Iceland)

ARE
     YOU
            READY?!!!!

The magic carpet prepares for takeoff! Join me on this Round-the-World Flower-Drop Mission for all who are enduring extreme temperatures and craving a dose of the tropics!

Wave a yellow flag, and happy flowers will fall from the sky; wear yellow attire, and

Timeout for Art: Blocks

Tags

Drawing, magic carpet, Painting, Timeout for Art Blocks

A simple line drawing, photographed (gray) and converted to black and gray.

“When I can’t paint, I can draw, and this simple but very powerful tool gets me back to the very door of creativity.”  (Pat Corbin Henson)

Sometimes when I find myself going ’round in circles, I look through my archives and play with the designs waiting in limbo.   Rolling this drawing into a ‘bronze’ application on Irfanview provided a much-richer work of art with zero effort!

After tossing around options on the computer, I am usually eager to return to my pencil, which in turn preps me to return to my paints!

Two Cents Tuesday – Painting!

Tags

ideans for creative projects, painting classes, Painting projects, two Cents Tuesday painting, what to do for winter boredom, what to do when bored

Long ago, before my life in Latin America, the Greenville (Mississippi) Arts Counsel sponsored watercolor workshops in the abandoned EE Bass School building each summer.  Although there were classes for children as well as adults, my favorite students were the older ones.

Quite meticulous with any task he embraces, Hank quickly mastered this sand dollar study.

Several new students professed,  “I’ve never drawn or painted in my life, but I’d like to try!” 

One of my favorite students that summer was a retired doctor.  A childhood friend of my mother’s, he hobbled up those stairs and down that empty hall to the classroom each week.  With one set of eyeglasses dangling from his neck, another balanced on the bridge of his nose, and a monocle eyepiece perched on his head, he embraced his lessons with passion and enthusiasm each week.

 

Doc often exclaimed, “But it doesn’t look like yours!”
With a sensitivity I countered, “It shouldn’t!”

Other students confessed, “I painted long ago, but I got busy with work and raising a family.  Now that my children are grown, I’d like to start painting again.”   I watched one particular student swan dive back into her paintings, and it was a joy to witness her renaissance.

“I feel guilty taking your money,” I told her one week.  “You don’t need my guidance…”

“Oh, but I do!” she exclaimed, “I need this class for the discipline; otherwise I would not take time to paint.”

Those students taught me many valuable lessons, and  wherever I go, I try to coax others into their own unique renaissance.

Barb y Donna – Republic of Panama

It takes courage to step into a class of strangers and attempt to create art in a group setting.   It takes courage to attempt that with a private teacher!   Our insecurities emerge, and we fear that our work won’t measure up to our neighbor’s or that we work too slow or too fast, and we psyche ourselves out of taking that first step.

Breaker, Breaker! Breakin’ High Tides Chomp Vanishing Beaches!

Tags

aguaji, high tides ecuador, high tides global warming, high tides manabi pacific coast, how to stop front line beach erosion, Mangrove Destruction, mangrove loss, Sand Mining

2012 brought extremely destructive high tides to the Playa San Miguel (Costa Rica) area.

As the most evolved species on the planet, we – as humans- oftentimes inflict the most damage and leave a swath of damage in our wakes! The more primitive indigenous cultures sometime seem to be the true evolved ones, as their simple lifestyles allow them to monitor Mother Nature’s pulse.  When something is out of balance, they are often astute enough to connect it back to a particular event.   (An easy example would be, “That flying machine soared over the fields, and days later the grasses turned yellow and died…  later the people began getting sick with mystery illnesses we’ve never known…”)

An indigenous family near La Mocora Ecuador (Manabi)

Rarely do the Indians attempt to strong arm Mother Nature; they respect and live in harmony with her.  In contrast, we – the ‘evolved’ – use our brains and technology and modern equipment to literally move mountains at times!  Society progresses and sometimes later realize that we’ve upset Nature’s balance.

Growing up along the Mississippi River, I’ve witnessed firsthand the effects of trying to control the waterways via levee system;  John Barry’s Rising Tide – The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 should be a must-read for anyone who works in flood control/water management industry!  He tells the history of the the Mississippi River, the great floods, and how everything done to control that grand Father of Waters seemed to backfire.  When one learns those lessons and then sees those  same mistakes repeated  elsewhere – oh, it’s like watching someone being sucked into a whirlpool.

Rio Jama – ..Sometimes Mother Nature bites back!!!!

When the local authorities strong armed the stretch of mangroves just downriver from my house, I chuckled when Mother Nature bit back and attempted to swallow the excavator.  Had she waited until high tide, she might have been successful in destroying that big orange machine!  Can we really blame her for biting the monster that ate those mangroves?

Timeout for Art – No Rehearsals

Tags

art by Lisa Brunetti, concrete floors, Energy before a storm, old furniture makeover, porch balcony projects, Timeout for ARt No Rehearsals

Picture perfect afternoon! Surely the skies will be clear for days?

Talent renders the whole idea of rehearsal meaningless. When you find something at which you are talented, you do it – whatever it is – until your fingers bleed or your eyes are ready to fall out of your head. (Stephen King)

As if to compensate for the most-recent 2-day power outage,  a burst of energy kept me working at full throttle for the past several days.  After painting touch ups on the wooden balcony floor, I protected it with two coats of a transparent sealer.   Between coats, I painted the inside panels of the balcony white, then rolled a medium to light blue and then a lighter blue over that.

The little built-in bench looked quite anemic beneath the colorful moon window, so i painted the back a pastel orange and the seat area in light blue/green colors.    As the afternoon progressed, I added more depth and movement with strokes of color.

Sometimes It’s Not About Us…

Tags

Jenna Sexton, Katrina hurricane, Living with a broken back, Stories about the homeless, suicide

Rivas Nicaragua

While chasing butterflies and hummingbirds, observing pelicans and frigates, I also appreciate reading about others and their own personal stories.   I’ve shared the story about my nephew Don, who is my daily hero and inspiration to squeeze the most out of each day.    (And he says that he doesn’t feel worthy of my praise!)

When the world outside my window goes insane, he inspires me!

Suicide has touched my life more times than seems ‘fair,’ and the ones left behind often suffer for-ever because there was no closure.  After news of a good friend’s suicide reached me, I wrote this post THE UNDERTOW.


Remembering Franklin

I’ve shared about Katrina wiping away all but the stoic oak trees that now fiercely guard the memory of my aunt’s home at 668 East Beach – Gulfport,Mississippi.

Memories of 668 East Beach –

Skirting around the sensitive issue of racism,  the post Remembering Jenny gave a peek into my childhood years in the Mississippi Delta.

Jenny, who flew to New York to play her part in the controversial movie BABYDOLL.

Today, however, I’d like to introduce you to someone who was a stranger until yesterday. (Thanks WordPress World!)  Her story reminds me that while chasing those butterflies, I should remember to keep my feet firmly grounded and never take my happy life for granted.

First, please read Jenna’s CV HERE.

and then read her most-recent post HERE.

Jenna, you are an inspiration to all.

Surprise, Surprise, Surprise!

Tags

cabin fever, full moon flower drop, magic carpet ride, many colors of flowers, NEPALIAUSTRALIAN’s Blog Award

Imagine flowers falling from the sky!

Orange flowers, yellow flowers, red flowers, blue

Pink flowers, white flowers – picked just for you!

What fun it’s been zipping around the country on the magic carpet while gathering materials for the FULL MOON FLOWER DROP! There’s room for everyone, and we’re set to soar on Thursday, January 16, 2014!

The flight engineer discovered a few minor technical difficulties and tweaked a few threads that got crossed in the carpet.  We’re coordinated to soar out of here

This Week’s Window Views!

Tags

hand-painted floors, Views from a window, Views of the River from a window, WordPress Photo Challenge Windows

My my my!  Views from my windows this week reveal society in the front and side views!   Because the large boulders are unstable, I sometimes fear for the safety of the fishermen.  Last week a sense of foreboding washed over me when I saw three young boys fishing from the rocks.  I insisted that they leave, and that night, the rocks fell from that very spot!  The next day slightly-older fishermen were there, and one refused to leave.  Sigh.

Rocks that fell the night before…

Views from my windows also revealed a large orange surprise that might offer another explanation for power outages!  This orange surprise will be working here for a few weeks.

The orange tree-gobbling monster also has a tag-along work crew:

Timeout for Art: Magic Swirls

Tags

art by Lisa Brunetti, painting old wooden floors, the magic of spirals, the magic of swirls, Timeout for ARt: Magic Swirls

“Magic swirls about us like an invisible fog of energy that can be tapped by those gifted enough, using a variety of techniques that center on layered spelling, mumbled incantations, and a burst of concentrated thought channeled through the index fingers. The technical name for this energy is “variable electro-gravitational mutable subatomic force,” which doesn’t mean anything at all–confused scientists just gave it an important-sounding name so as not to lose face. The usual term is “wizidrical energy,” or simply “the crackle.”
Jasper Fforde, The Song of the Quarkbeast

Those who know me well will agree; there are times when magic seems to swirl around me like an invisible fog of energy!  As I’ve mentioned before, batteries in watches usually self destruct within weeks;  elevators and copy machines sometimes malfunction when I punch the buttons.  Electric car windows stop working.  Sometimes street lights flicker off or on when I walk beneath them.

“Helllllp! It’s COLD in Here!”

Tags

carnival water balloons, dhl service ecuador to the usa, diablo huma, Inti Raymi mask, new year's eve traditions in ecuador, what can go wrong with shipping, wordpress weekly writing challenge

DHL’s international search for Diablo Huma confirmed that he reached Miami; shocked at the absence of end-of-year muencos, he inspired his cabin mates en route to New Orleans to help make miniature effigies.

Handing them out on New Year’s Eve on Bourbon Street, he quickly took cover at the stroke of midnight when the fireworks inside the burning effigies began to explode!

Diablo Huma evaded the massive manhunt by hiding in the darkest corner of the DHL warehouse!    A week later, he peered from behind the long-forgotten orange and black crates of Halloween candy,

“Helllllp! Get Me Out of Here!”

Tags

dhl in ecuador, inti raymi customs, sending packages from ecuador to the usa, wordpress weekly writing challenge

Preparing to leave his home in the cloud forest of Ecuador, Huma Diablo aka Inti Raymi Mask (acrylic painting)  parts with his daily breakfast diet of bananas!

Inti Raymi – Huma Diablo – Acrylic by Lisa Brunetti 38″ x 54″

As the magic carpet prepares food and flowers for its airlift of cabin-fever-struct friends, I put out an APB via DHL in search of the Inti Raymi Mask Painting!

Magic Carpet Airlift!

Tags

imaginary escapes, magic carpet ride, what to do for cabin fever, winter storm jan 2014

Applying magic to the fibers of the carpet!

Tropical drinks for everyone!

Zeebra Surprises

With the cold weather sweeping across the Northern Hemisphere, I wish that I could fly you to the tropics or somewhere – anywhere other than where you’re cold and miserable and enduring brutally-extreme temperatures. Galleriaredelius’ brilliant mind of a jewelry maker commented on yesterday’s post: “As for the music, how about this new interpretation of Fly me to the moon, by Anna Ternheim”

I wish that I could fly you to the moon, but my budget will not allow that kind of extravagance! I can, however, take you on a cyber-reality magic carpet ride!  After all of the hard work and suffering that Barb sacrificed to help paint magic dust into this work of art, it needs a checkout flight at least every six months… and it’s been six months since the last one!

What? No pizza?!

Connections are slow, so there won’t be a Rescue Command Center to coordinate emergency airlift itineraries to any of you who are snowbound and have cabin fever.   The Magic Carpet is undergoing preflight tests and will soon be making a round-the-world swoop!

A Blue & Yellow Sort of Day

Tags

Acrylic Painting, Painting on old wood, Paintings of the moon

Posts from other WordPress friends have been zero (to my inbox) today. This is a first!  I’m wondering if it’s a WP glitch or if many of you are battling winter storms. Watching via internet for stories about the ice and snow reminds me of watching Katrina inch toward the Gulf Coast.

Here on the river, I’ve been working (in short sleeves, cropped pants and barefooted) on a not-so-serious painting.  Every so often one should paint just for the joy of painting and have fun!

This could be plate; maybe it’s a painting of an egg?

No…

Hello Beautiful World! Chrysalis Awakenings

Tags

Butterflies, chrysalis, cycles of life, metamorphosis, southern nostalgia, WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge beginning

Hello World! Chrysallis

In contrast to the previous post, Hello Cruel World, this one features the carefree awakenings of butterflies.   The above emerging butterfly is one of many showcased at the Mindo (Ecuador) Butterfly Gardens, where one steps into a magical world of colorful butterflies and equally-colorful flowers.

Witnessing the chrysalis of butterflies awakens a childlike wonder, and I recall a private showing several years ago on the deck of my home!  Even though the drab-colored caterpillars stripped the foliage of the passion fruit vines, they later rewarded me with with an unforgettable beginning to my morning!

Hello Cruel World – Hatchling Begins Battle to Reach Maturity

Tags

copyright lisa brunetti, Olive Ridley Sea Turtle, turtle emerging from shell, wordpress photo challenge - beginning

WordPress Photo Challenge theme this week is Beginning, and many images jumped into my mind.  Short and sweet, here is one of a very tender moment in Costa Rica:

Several days after its litter mates scuttled to the ocean, this little survivor emerged from its shell after the exhumation of the nest. We watched this olive ridley hatchling awaken and instinctively head to the ocean. Hopefully it’s now thriving and telling its story of rescue! Perhaps it’s saying, “Not all humans are ignoring our plight!”

This little turtle will slowly reach maturity in a dozen or so years, when it will return to its beach of origin to play its role in breeding and keeping its species from becoming extinct.  Thanks, all of you who helped the Eastern Hawksbill Turtles win the competition’s grand prize! Ingrid and Alex were thrilled that the turtles’ cheering section kept them in the lead!

For more information about the nesting, hatching, conservation and dangers facing the olive ridley sea turtles, see this post:  OLIVE RIDLEY SEA TURTLE.

Happy New Year!  Z

Timeout for Art: How Did I Do That?!

Tags

concentration in painting or drawing, ecuador precolumbian art, exercises for strengthening art skills, learning to block out sound when painting, museo bahia de caraquez, paintings of precolumbian pottery, Timeout for Art- How Did I Do That?

“ET” – Watercolor – Working from life/Museo Bahia de Caraquez/Ecuador

I do not know myself how I paint it. I sit down with a white board before the spot that strikes me. I look at what is before my eyes, and say to myself, that white board must become something. (Vincent van Gogh)

Anyone who has spent time drawing or painting will remember times of awe, when one steps back from the work and asks, ‘How did I do that?’

Work of Art – End-of-Year Customs

Jama Ecuador – Rycardo Alclivar’s ‘Bamboo Iguana’ presided over the end-of-year festivities and will surely claim the title of ‘Official Greeter’ near the Rio Jama bridge!  Mototaxis ferried people from the center of town and back to peer at the iguana, while buses paused for passengers to take photos!

In mock grief from losing the ‘old man-viejos’ in the end-of-year effigy “mueneco” burnings,  young men in faux widows’ garb pestered (in good taste!) people who passed by in cars or trucks.