November Nuances-Niceties y Necesidades. Nov. 2020 @ConexionFlorida

 From the November 2020 edition of @ConexionFlorida is a BB reminder of what the month is for...

swtblessings.com

HolaHolaHola Beautifuls!

Hay dos major events that happen in Noviembre this year. El primero, Thanksgiving, Día de Acción de Gracias, is about being thankful, grateful, and feeling blessed. Ahora, eso si, aunque we should feel los tres, you realize there is a difference verdad?

To be thankful is el momento we think of who gave, what the gift is, y quien receives the gift. Nosotros somos the recipient and offer our thanks to the giver . El Diccionario Merriam-Webster defines thankful as “conscious of benefits received”. A conscious act from the person who received the benefits. For example, when someone opens or holds a door open for you, one should say “thank you”.  Aunque nowadays that is not at all common, so for Babushka that is in the Grateful banda. Grateful that there are still people who are courteous and conscious of others. And here’s the definicion of grateful.

Grateful is the feeling within, for something or someone which is not momentary, not necessarily action generated. So you say, pero BB, JU SO FONII! You just gave the example of someone opening the door for you as grateful, gratitude. Si, the accion of opening the door was momentary, but knowing that manners and caring of others still exists fills Babushka con long lasting felicidad y gratitud. Being grateful is also about appreciating what one has, as opposed to what one wants. To see the blessings of our lives is what gratitude encompasses. So, now, what is Blessed?

For many Blessed has religious connotations, pero for Babushka it is simply being conscious of your thankfulness and gratitude. To be aware of both and living daily in that awareness. In the American tradition, Thanksgiving came about when the Pilgrims celebrated their first successful corn harvest and invited their Native American allies. After all the hardships they endured, this truly did encompass being los tres, Thankful, Grateful, Blessed. And now BB writes on the second US November event that happened - Elections.

 

pic from pinterest

Whatever the outcome, whether it agreed with your wants or not, let us live the first part of this writing. In this difficult year of 2020, let us be Thankful for all the ways we had to vote; feel Grateful that the right to vote is ours, and know we are Blessed to live here. Beautifuls, let’s live November with this knowledge.

Cuidensen. 

BB2U

It's been 5 years... @HeartOfHaiti A reason for giving thanks, A reason for giving more.

This week we celebrate Thanksgiving here in the US, and Babushka is sooo very thankful to live in this country, be blessed with the people in my life, and the countless moments of abundance I've had. For that reason I have joined with Macy's in their Heart of Haiti program, to give back to those who haven't been as fortunate. 

HolaHolaHola My Beautifuls!

Five years ago this little girl was born and BB's world would never be the same.

Almost Five years ago Haiti was hit with a devastating earthquake, 

and their world would never be the same.

Flickr pics -Top Row:HaitiDamage  coolgeography.com.uk
haiti_earthquake  csmonitor.com, Cite Soleil by mellagi,haiti_earthquake  theengineer.co.uk

Like my granddaughter La Princesa, Haiti is also developing, learning to stand on its own. 

Pero tambien como mi nieta, like La Princesa, Haiti needs help in doing so.

Macy’s went to Haiti shortly after the January 12, 2010 earthquake and realized that despite the devastation there was an artist community that existed and was eager to bring their product to market. 

They launched a product line for sale at Macys.com and in stores (listed below) which to date has employed 400 artists. 

• Macy's Herald Square, Brooklyn Downtown, Metro Center, Chicago State Street, Northland Center, Seattle Downtown, Portland Downtown, San Francisco Union Square, Biltmore Fashion Park, South Coast Plaza Home, Mission Valley Home, Dallas Galleria, Lenox Square Mall, and Dadeland Mall. 

 When you employ one artist in Haiti, the entire community benefits. Over 500 artists employed benefitting over 3,000 members of their extended family.

To put this into perspective, the average Haitian’s annual income is only $400 – for a year!  Add to that, Haiti has an estimated 400,000 artisans (out of a 10M population) who rely solely on their handcrafted goods as a source of income. No other sector of employment even approaches such numbers.

Macy’s paved the way in helping to rebuild this important sector of the fragile economy. 

The paper mache technique - practiced by many Haitian artisans - involves sourcing old, cement bags - or other paper products - to tear apart and re-purpose with glue and paint to create this unique piece. 

The blue circle vase - made in Jacmel - is hand-painted and includes a glass insert for functionality. 

Babushka was given the Blue Circle vase to show and share here, and to say it is stunning is an understatement. The quality is buenisimo, the colors rich and bold. A treasure to wake to every morning; it's a true work of art in my bedroom. Quee?? Ok si, JU SO FONII, BB's a work of art too. Actually, as I said in the Oprah post, this vase reminds me of all the beauty in the world, and how Babushka can play a very important part in it.

And you My Beautifuls can be a very big part of it too.

When thinking of gifts, think of giving gifts that help others, especially those in need. 

Give gifts that give hope, a sustainable income to Haitian artisans.

 Giving back and paying forward is the way to start this Thanksgiving and holiday season.

Have a wonderful holiday My Beautifuls.

BB2U

Heart of Haiti can be found and followed on social media at @HeartofHaiti on Twitter andwww.facebook.com/heartofhaiti on Facebook. 

For additional information about how Heart of Haiti is helping the community, visit this page. 

Gratitude durante el Dia - Day 21 of SMCSF 30 day challenge

and during the day remember to  laugh and smile,

'cause God's got a great sense of humor and 

JU SO FONII!!!

Babushka Besos a todos.  Cuidensen.

Relishing Rainbows- Day 14 of SMCSF 30 day blog challenge

Be Thankful

Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire,
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don’t know something
For it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations
Because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge
Because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes
They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you’re tired and weary
Because it means you’ve made a difference.

It is easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are
also thankful for the setbacks.

GRATITUDE can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles
and they can become your blessings.

Author Unknown

Babushka Besos a todos.  Cuidensen.

Gigasecond of Gratitude- Day 7 of the SMCSF 30 day blog challenge

If you've been following Babushka for any length of time you'll realize two things about my posts. I try to keep them positive and Sunday's are for one Tweety/Feibu post only- to give thanks.  For the SMCSF Blog Challenge I will also post on my blog, but still, to give thanks.  And I have so much to give thanks for, we all do.  All it takes is a Gigasecond of Gratitude.  Queee??  JU SO FONII!!!  Of course you can take longer f you'd like, but if it's truly heartfelt, a GSG is enough.

Babushka Besos a todos.  Cuidensen.