Nothing is Impossible, the word itself says "I'm Possible" Audrey Hepburn

Each day we must push ourselves to reach our goals.  Even if it's just one task that you do, amongst many, it gets you closer to your goals and dreams.  One step at a time. Or as Dory would say, "Just Keep Swimming!"

It's Friday, time to unwind and relax.  Heading out for some weekend relaxation, but before I do, I'd like to share with you a Safari Baby Shower done by 3N Event Planning.  This was a cute, simple, yet intricate baby shower highlighted with a lot of DIYs and little details that brought out the Safari to New England.  A great way to welcome a new prince into the world.

The colors were tiffany blue and gold and the gold brought out the essence of a Safari even more I think, because it symbolizes the sun to me. Nuria was on a mission to give it the Safari feeling and she accomplished, with the binoculars, jeeps, the floral, and in particular the fauna pieces.  The shimmering gold tablecloths gave it the touch of the hot sun blaring in the lands of Africa.  The suitcases gave it the feeling of a person going on a Safari as they say, like Jane in Tarzan.  I helped Nuria with the frame and gift card box by adding a simple floral piece and animals.  Just simple touches added to the Safari theme.  

My task for this event was to create a welcome sign.  I was inspired by many ideas, but I couldn't settle on one idea alone as I felt I could come up with something more special.  I got to thinking and thinking (I love to think) and I thought of a safari, then I thought of a lion, then I thought of the Lion King and the picture of Rafiki introducing baby Simba to the pridelands popped up in my head, and I had it.  So, the idea was simple, but yet gave it a powerful meaning.  I knew I had achieved my idea when someone looked at it, and went that's the "Lion King".  I was like yes!

So enjoy the pictures from the event by 3N Event Planning and have a great weekend. 

Today's Throwback playlist is dedicated to my favorite twins Jenny and Jonny whose Birthdays are today.  Grace and Timmy are her favorite CV artists and since I highlighted Timmy last week, it's Grace's well deserved  turn.   Trying to pick my favorite 5 songs every week to add to my playlist can be  overwhelming, especially when you factor in this great artist.  He's one of the Cape Verdean musicians still going strong years later. Grace has a great voice and has had many successful solo albums and been part of the greatest Cape Verdean groups such as Livity and Splash.  On top of having a great voice he is an incredible drummer.

I've had the opportunity to see him perform and interact with him, when my cousin, Linzinho (I think he and Grace look a lot alike) brought Splash to the US years ago.  I didn't get to interact with him on a personal level like I've had the opportunity to do with other artists, but I bet he's just as genuine as he is an artist.   

These are my top five which were very hard to pick, but I know I have many weeks left in this year to find a way to add other songs by him to my Throwback Playlist.  Back in February, I had added his song Bia to my playlist, so I know I'll be able to add more songs.  

Today is also Jenny's twin brother, Jonny's Birthday who passed away in 2005.  Nha Terra by Grace is dedicated to him as this song reminds me of the time I spent with him in CV in 2001.  Miss him, his big heart, and goofiness a lot.  Happy Birthday to my favorite twins.  

Nha Terra K'Tchuva
Kurtisaun
Lolita
Blues na Coracao
Nha Terra 

The beauty of it all is that in order to reach your destination you must walk the path even if that path is not defined or clear to you, because "to embark on the journey towards your goals and dreams requires bravery.  To remain on that path requires courage.  The bridge that merges the two is commitment." - Dr. Steve Marobi  

Back in September of 2016, I and some family members embarked on a journey to grant my grandfather’s last wish.  He wanted to be buried alongside his parents in Fogo, Cape Verde.  It was a journey that began in Boston that brought us to Portugal, then to Cape Verde.  A journey that began on September 15, 2016 and fulfilled on September 20, 2016, when he was finally laid to rest alongside his parents. 

With that journey, came the opportunity to visit an unknown place to many in the world, even for the many on the island of Fogo.  A beautiful place that I’m glad I had the opportunity to experience and visit.  A place on the outskirts of the city of Sao Felipe called Sambuda.  A place that bears the seeds of a hard working man, my grandfather Djeme de Tadeu. 
Sambuda is not known to many, because it’s up in the hilltops in the outskirts, (what they like to call Fora), and pretty much no other houses are there, except for like maybe one or two, and it’s just basically farmland.  Even I mention it to people from Fogo, and they either tell me they have never heard of it, or how do I know of such a place.  But this was where my father was born and where a man raised his children into the hardworking men and women that they are.  A place, where I wouldn’t mind one day spending some time there, or living.   

As we embarked on the journey that early Saturday morning, I found myself witnessing a rare opportunity for many.  For the first time, in all my many visits to Cape Verde, I was witnessing how green Cape Verde can be.  Days before, there had been a lot of rain on the island of Santiago.  From stories you hear, you wouldn’t think it could rain so much, but here I was witnessing days of rain and it was beautiful and the bounty of that rain was evident when we were trekking towards my grandfather’s property, up on the hilltops of Fogo.   

The last time, I had had the opportunity to visit this place, was when I was 12, and here I was 25 years later, with my aunt and cousin, trying to find the path that led to my grandfather’s place.  Through time, the path has disappeared, because my grandfather sought other opportunities in the city and had left with the family.  The land with the house is still there though with some animals that are taken care of by family members.  But since then, the path is less traveled, and it was hard to find.  We trekked on though, and after about 25-30 minutes, we reached our destination and it was a site to see. 

I remember at 12 what I had experienced, but now there was an added feeling of appreciation and happiness.  Hearing the stories, from my aunts and uncles, of how they had to carry water in buckets or 3 liter cans on their way back from school in order to fill the tank with water or carry building materials to add an addition to the house, you can’t help but marvel at the fruit of their labor and tell yourself, if they can do this, I can do anything.  He worked hard and attained so much, with less opportunities then we have today.  To complain would almost be doing a disservice to all that he worked for.  Yes, it's hard, I can't deny that, but reminding myself of his hard work and the work of my other grandfather and ancestors, gives me encouragement and the motivation to work hard for all that I want.  

And so, I tell myself, in order for you to get the answers you are seeking for, you must ask the questions. You must learn to listen and understand.  There are times that people you do not agree with, may say some things that you do not agree with, but it could just make sense from their perspective. Try to see from their perspective.  This is a part of understanding. Be humble. Be appreciative of all you have and don't worry too much about what you don't have. With patience it will come. Easy success and money doesn't last long. The harder you work for it, the more value you place on what you have.

Take pause before you respond. Listen to understand, do not listen to respond. Be conscious (cognisant) of your words and actions, they may just define you. And at the end of the day be true to yourself. You must learn. You must seek. You must analyze, even if you feel you have gotten the answers.  Learning is the key to success.  Learn from your past. Work hard for what you believe in and want in life. Take those steps and walk, because if you don't take those steps, then you are not able to create the path towards your own legacy.  Pace yourself and all that you seek, will come.  

Below are some pictures from that day of visiting Sambuda.  The beauty of it all is the lush, green landscape and the legacy of a hardworking man.  I bet he didn't know where he was going and he didn't have a clear path to this place, but he embarked on this journey, because he had an ultimate goal, a dream and he showed me and countless others, that anything is possible.   

There's a storm headed our way and yet the 1st day of spring is just around the corner.  I thought I was going to be able to calm down this urge that I have to get outside and start working on my garden, but I have to be patient.  There were signs of spring a few weeks ago and now we are about to get blanketed by about a foot of snow.  I have an itching for spring so I can get started on growing my own flowers and vegetables. I told you I really like being hands on and I have a range of interests.  I had planted a few bulbs back in October and for the last few weeks, I've been seeing signs of life.  I had planted tulips, crocuses, daffodils, allium, and many other bulbs.  There's a joy that comes from being able to see the fruits of your labor.  Gardening also gives me the opportunity to delve a bit into my Biology background.  Now I have to wait a few more days, to immerse myself in it, but until then, I'll keep on planning.  

I've said before that I like to be creative and hands on.  That trait was ever so important during my second pregnancy.  My first pregnancy was hard and how I wished that everyone's positive comments about the second being easier had held true.  But it sure wasn't.  The second one in comparison was 5 times worse.  I have a high tolerance for pain and a knack for not looking sick, which is a plus in dealing with the situation, but a negative in terms of people understanding what you are going through.  

From the second I found out I was expecting til the day I gave birth it was hard.  I was scared to eat, for fear of throwing up, but had no choice, had to eat.  I gained 60 pounds despite the fact that I was throwing up two to three times a day.  Heartburn was crazy.  My tolerance for heat was nil, but my electricity bill was high for blasting the AC all summer.  

Everytime I visited the doctor a new issue came up with either myself or the baby.  My protein count was high a few times, I became pre-eclamptic and to top it off my blood pressure went high for the first time in my life and I had to deliver the baby three weeks early.  Despite all of that, I delivered a healthy baby girl.  The only thing I have to worry about now is my blood pressure that has yet to get fully under control and that's a story for another day. 

So in order to get through all of that, I kept myself busy with different things and one of them was my baby shower.  Since I wasn't working and I had no driver's license (found out I was pregnant around the time I had to renew my license, and since I was so sick, basically went without the license for about 5 months), I was home all day with a four year old, and in order to get through the day and maintain my sanity, I had to keep myself busy to keep from thinking too much.  
  
I worked on different things for the shower.  I kept busy by looking for inspiration for the shower, creating the invitation, making a cardbox that turned into a keepsake box, and worked on a sign-in book.  I worked on the party favors (click on link to get inspiration and how to), folded the napkins, ironed the linens, and worked on the centerpieces.  All in order to keep the day moving along.
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When you have wonderful family and friends, (in which some are also event planners) I set about putting the pieces together.  It takes a team to make things happen.  Despite doing so much, I wouldn't have been able to pull it off without their help.  A shoutout to Zathi Events & Design, 3N Event Planning, Sprinkle Sparkle, & Shine, and T&N Events for their help and encouragement, to Neilda for the pictures, and to all the family and friends for helping me and being there for me even if it was just your prescence.  Meant a lot in a difficult time. 

It's back to the grind, after a day off yesterday for International Women's Day.  Today's throwback gives me the opportunity to give a Happy Birthday to my cousin Silvie and the opportunity to highlight one of her favorite artists (and mine), Timmy.  

​Timmy is a Cape Verdean artist from the United States.  He's not only a great singer, but a great person overall.  He has had many successful albums and has worked with other Cape Verdean singers from Calu Bana, Stacy, Djedje, and Quatro, just to name a few, to give us unforgettable songs.  I've had the opportunity to meet him and work with him on projects such as the Cape Verdean Day in Brockton, Humanitarian Committee, and CV Nights at UMass Amherst.  I've been mentioning how a lot of the artists I've had the opportunity to meet are very humble and down to earth and Timmy is another one of those rare gems in the world.

The five songs I'm adding to my Throwback playlist are all from Timmy from three different albums.  Enjoy

Cheche
Bati Pa Bo
​Sofrimento
Lately
Nha Amor

Links back to two songs that feature Timmy that are already on my Throwback Playlist.
Danca Ma Mi with Quatro+
​Calor D'Um Amor with Calu Bana

Happy Birthday Silvie.  Wishing you many more.  Love you.

Today I take a break from certain duties such as my Spring Cleaning and I'm going to concentrate on the next steps forward.  No matter what day it is, how I am feeling, sad or happy, I'm a strong woman and to all the other women out there, you are stronger then you think, just because you are a woman.