August 4th, 2006 - One year ago - We miss her

Alcinda Teixeira Vespera-DeFreitas : May 13, 1939-August 4, 2005

It's hard to believe that a year has gone by since we lost someone who meant so much to us.

I say "we" and "us" because she just did not mean so much to my sister and I, but she also touched the lives and the hearts of others who loved her so much, which included her son-in-law, granddaughters, sisters, brothers, nieces and nephews and so many many more. Hundreds attended her memorial service last year.

She was an amazing woman. People have asked what I mean by that. I mean she was real. She was not perfect. Yet despite her imperfections and ours, she loved us and we loved her. She was unselfish and giving. She was not two faced. She said what she meant...and she meant what she said. She was encouraging...she helped us to be strong woman, to try harder and to not give up. She loved life. She loved her family. She adored her granddaughters...her precious granddaughters. She may have been pint size, but she was a lioness at heart especially when it came to anyone trying to hurt her family.

She was loyal to her creater and heavenly father Jehovah till her last breath. Now she rests in his memory. Now she rests without pain till the day when she will hear Jesus' voice calling her out of her deep sleep.

I miss her so much. I miss her voice, her smile, her laugh. I miss her cute little feet with the brightly coloured short toes. I miss her hair - RED - even though it was now from a bottle and not the natural shade of her youth. I miss her bacalhau and milho...my favorite. I miss watching old movies with her and laughing. I miss her singing while she ironed. I miss the time we spent together in Florida. I miss our talks. I miss her smell.

I miss everything about her. I miss her yesterday, today and tomorrow.

I wait for the day when we are all together again...this time forever!

Pictures speak a thousand words...

I just wanted to share some pictures of Team Portugal 2006. Enjoy!



A very frustrated and angry Cristiano Ronaldo after being pulled out of the game Portugal vs Angola.



I've been saying the shorts were too long....much better Cristiano...

Do the hustle...do do do ...lalalala....the Portuguese hustle...

Oh man...need I say anything...wow!!!!!!!!!!!

...airconditioning.... ;-))))
Sigh.................

I'm sure I used antipersperant this morning...at least I think so....
Paddycake paddycake bakers man...

On your mark...get set....goooooooooooooooooo warpppppppppppppp speed...............

World Cup 2006 - Portugal 1 vs Angola 0

Cristiano Ronaldo (left) and Team Portugal (right)



Portugal defeated Angola 1-0. They won their first game, but can't say it was the best playing I've seen. The best part of the game came at the overtime. That's when they really played. What's with this team? They need to stop being so overconfident...after all, they LOST bigtime to Greece at the 2004 Euro Cup IN Portugal. Ai carumba and Greece didn't even make it into the World Cup.

So Portugal needs to play 'futebol' and stop goofing around.



Opening today's game with Figo (left)- Ronaldo very unhappy being pulled off the game (centre)- Pauletta celebrating his goal (right).

My new little family

I adopted two felines today from the Toronto Humane Society. Lizzie is a brown and orange tabby( officially named Ms. Elizabeth Bennett-DeFreitas [Pride&Prejudice]) who is approximately 2 years old. The second is Ellie, an 8 week old grey and white tabby kitten (officially named Ms. Elinor Dashwood-DeFreitas [Sense&Sensibility]).

Check out my MSN Space for pictures...as it takes forever to post them here.

World Cup 2006

The excitement begins in a week. I am of course voting for Portugal and my Figo. I still think he's got the best legs and chest... I mean the best soccer bod...I mean...oh whatever!! Excuse me while I wipe up the drool....



At any rate, Portugal played a friendly game today against Luxemburg attended by 19,000. Portugal 3/Luxemburg 0.

Hopefully this is a prelude to their success in the World Cup this year.

The schedule for Portugal is as follows:

June 11th (Sunday) @ 3 pm - Portugal versus Angola
June 17th (Saturday) @ 9 am - Portugal versus Iran
June 21st (Wednesday) @ 10 am - Portugal versus Mexico


GO PORTUGAL GO!!! AND DON'T BE STUPID THIS TIME EH!

Missed me?? What's new?

Yes I know its been some time since I've posted an entry...I've been busy...I know bad excuse.

Since my last posting, I've had to put my companion Shamu to sleep. She would have been 19 years old this month. I knew her health was failing and she was meowing this meow I've never heard before as if asking me to take her out of pain. I called the vet and they let me come before it was officially open. She died peacefully in my arms...I still miss both Shamu and Taby who died almost two years ago.

I'm talking about pets. Not to be confused with the tremendous emptiness I feel having lost my mother last August. There is no comparison. It's just having a pet helps when you are going through loss. I wasn't sure if I wanted any more pets...but I need them and there are a lot of kittens out there that need a home.

So hopefully in a month's time I will have two more additions to the family. If all works out, a friend of a friend's kittens who are currently two weeks old will be ready to go to their new home (mine) in four weeks. I've never had two kittens at once and my best friend promises that it will certainly be an experience.

Taby was 8 weeks old when we adopted her in 1983. Shamu was 3 months old when she came along to our door...Taby was already 4 years old. It was a bit of a fur flying start, but eventually they worked out their roles and Taby became the mom and Shamu her baby. Taby could be seen continously licking and grooming Shamu, who was unfortunately dripping with saliva and trying unsuccessfully to get away from Taby's grooming efforts. I remember them chasing each other around the house, the headlocks, the pounding paws, the surrender, and then cuddling up to sleep together (despite the numerous other chairs available). We were, after all, family. Now I am ready to add to my family again. I don't know if they will live as long as Taby (21) or Shamu (almost 19), but for however long we are together, I know there will never be a dull moment.

(Picture: Tabytha - brown tabby//Shamu - black and white)

I will of course keep you posted.

Whatever!

Dan Brown and The Da Vinci Code

It seems that everyone is coming out of the woodwork to try to get their 50 cents...claiming that Dan Brown had stolen the plot for the Da Vinci Code. This book based on the theory that Jesus married Mary Magdalene, that they had a child and that the blood line survives. I don't believe this to be true...but I admit I enjoyed the book tremendously. I am waiting impatiently for the movie to be released (Tom Hanks) this May...unless this is taken to court. Hopefully not.

Computers

I'll be darned if I'm going to let February go by without posting something in this blog.

First of all, let me say that a little someone is turning 8 years old today. Wow eight years have gone by since she came into the world with both her hands in a fist and red hair that forever linked her to her maternal grandmother. Ironically her name links her to both her grandmothers: Alcinda and Alice. Love you Alyssa.

Now about my topic today: computers. I'm a confessed computer geek. I drooled over my bosses new computer this week. His crashed last week and he purchased a new one for the office with the thin monitors (for his office..not mine). Nothing can make me drool as much ....except for Dr. McDreemee....no not my boss..definitely not him...no I'm talking about Patrick Dempsey on Grey's Anatomy (love that show)...or Gabriel Byrne or Pierce Brosnan....(I obviously have an obsessions with blue eyed, dark haired Irish men....reminds me of the Irish doctor who I used to work with...who just happens to now be practising in Seattle...)...oh yeah back to the topic...computers.

It's amazing what computers can do and how they've simplified my life. Does anyone remember typing and having to white out typos on documents...and then if there were too much white out you had to retype the letter...and inevitably ended up making other typos which again was remedied by white out...sheesh!

Oh yeah...computers...now one can scan photos and keep it cyberspace. I think this great. If you keep it on different (and may I add FREE) programs, it's a back up if ever your house burns down and you lose all your pictures&negatives (I was thinking of those poor people in the Katrina incident that lost all the pictures to mold etc...)..of course the computer would be dead too...but alas...you've backed up your photos in cyberspace.

What about downloading all your CDs onto your computer and using it as a player...yes you could purchase an Ipod or mp3 player...but I like having it there on my computer, and playing it on shuffle...one minute I'm listening to Mariza and the next to Michael Bolton or Robert Michael (guitar) or Nina Simone (jazz). Lovely!

Anyways, now you have my blog entry for February. March and spring here we come!!

To You From Me

To You from Me

By Keith Haring

You!

It lasted only a little while, but it was great, really great.

You changed so quick and now…I don’t know if I should listen to them.

What they say I don’t want to believe. If you never liked me, then those days are nothing…

A dull Sunday made bright. A Monday evening, having you with me.

A Tuesday afternoon, morning and night.

Every day is the day I thought of you. It was too good to last though.

I guess I really knew…there’ll never be another you!

What is love! Who knows….surely not I, I was only broken by it!

It was a real unforgettable experience…the lip tightening,

Trying to say something, something to make you come back,

Then, it’s over, for us at least!

I could ask other girls, but I guess I always knew…

There’ll never be another you!

I have often asked myself…the reason for sadness in a world

Where tears are only a lullaby, but, really, who are we?

Ours was a strange and wonderful relation, you’re wonderful and that’s strange for me!

Well I guess I always knew…there’ll never be another you!

Who are you? You are love, you are happiness, you are humor, you are neat, right-on, and everything else!

You are life, love and …just plain beautiful!

But then, who am I?

I guess I’m not good enough for you.

I mean, I guess, I always knew…there’ll never be another you!

Hey, you, you’re wonderful!!

Now all my dreams are wishes, but none come true,

Because I always knew!

There’ll never be another you!

Me

A favorite quote

"Love all, trust a few. Do wrong to none." William Shakespeare

So what's new?

Well it's definitely been a while since I've blogged...and after I harrassed the rest of you to update your blogs....thanks to Linda and Chelsea I've been kept in the loop as to what's going on the world of celebs...i mean what would a day be without knowing what's up with brad and angelina?

I was just thinking of how great the email and msn messenger is...i've received an email from a cousin i have never met as he has lived most of his life in Brasil, and I've never been there. He is now in London- UK with his wife. I've also today chatted with an friend who I've not chatted with in a long time (albeit 10 minutes in September at the Mariza concert) and who is now back in Madeira. Yeah for MSN.

I've also chatted with Linda who was obviously taking a break from celeb watching and who lives in TO...and Sarah who is only physically 7 minute drive.

So what's new in 2006? Well not a heck of a lot right at this second. Okay so my sister and the family are leaving for DR in a few days for a week's vacation for the first winter vacation they've ever had and everyone is soooooo excited....and I am thrilled for them...I know they will love it.

So what's new? Whatever...I want it to be.