The Bluebird Patch

“ There is no greater burden can be borne by an individual than to know no one cares or understands.” This past week I learned many valuable lessons. Sometimes when you least expected, life punches you in the face, slaps you upside the head, and knocks you down. Communicating through the use of kind words seems to be a lost art these days. I encountered many unexpected surprises these past days. I found how people who used to be not so kind to me has evolved into better persons, while others who seemed to had what it takes to successfully navigate through life are now bitter, extremely rude, and stuck in a rut. One of my basic rules for living a happy, healthy and mindful life is to never settle for anyone who is not treating you and respecting you the way you deserve. Those who say that blood is thicker that water has obviously never felt the pain of being bullied and attacked by those who are supposed to love you and protect you. When it comes to family

With a population of 194,636, Ponce is Puerto Rico's second largest city (San Juan is the first and Mayaguez is the third). Ponce is where I spent the majority of my teenage years and is the city were both of my children were born. Ponce is commonly known by several names: " La Perla del Sur " (Pearl of the South), " La Ciudad de los Leones " (City of Lions), or " La Ciudad de las Quenepas " (Genip City). Ponce is also known as the " Ciudad Señorial " (Majestic or Noble City), because of its many beautiful neoclassical buildings and facades.    Ponce was founded in 1692 by Juan Ponce de León's great-grandson - Loíza Ponce de León. Ponce was Spain's capital of the southern region until it fell to the U.S. in 1898.    Ponce is located in the Southern Coastal Plain region (about 5 km (3 mi) from the south central coast of the island), south of Adjuntas , Utuado and Jayuya ; east of Peñuelas; an

Little bluebirds rejoice! The Center for Puppetry Arts ® is pleased to announce its upcoming puppet show The Tortoise, The Hare, and other Aesop's Fables, a classic tale, full of wisdom, lovable characters and plenty of adventures and fun for the entire family.     The Tortoise, the Hare, and other Aesop’s Fables , a new original production adapted and directed by Michael Haverty, will delight audiences with a cheerful, interactive take on five classic stories based on the fables by Aesop featuring: The Lion and the Mouse, The Country Mouse and City Mouse, The Fox and the Crane , The Ant and the Grasshopper , and The Tortoise and the Hare. Sold? Here's all you need to know before you go. DATES : Aug 2 - Sept 9, 2012 Previews: July 31 & Aug 1 - 10am & 11:30am Downstairs Theater Recommended for ages 2+ SHOWTIMES: •Thur-Fri: 10am & 11:30am •Sat: 11am, 1pm, & 3pm •Sun: 1pm & 3pm SHOW DESCRIPTION: Engaging audience

It feels like years since my last visit to the land of the great valiant and the noble lords . Puerto Rico, or the "Island of Enchantment" is notoriously known for it's diverse cuisine which has its roots in the cooking traditions and practices of Europe (Spain), Africa and the “Taínos” Indians. Many people believe Puerto Rico is the home of the food truck phenomenon, since they have been around for decades, and have become a culinary staple among local residents. During my visit to Ramey Air Force Base in Aguadilla, my brother knowing I am a hardcore foodie, took me to Chef Mobil Restaurant, a food truck located at the Carrizal “barrio” in Aguada, PR. This food truck specializes in authentic Puerto Rican cuisine. I ordered the most traditional thing on the menu, mofongo, broth, and “chicharrones de pollo” or deep fried chicken. Mofongo, the signature dish of Puerto Rico, is an extremely tasty and filling dish made with fried pla

Celebrating its second birthday, Cooking Channel is hitting the road this summer with their Summer Eats pop-ups offering an exciting and unique culinary experience for fans around the country. Cooking Channel is a new TV network dedicated to today’s passionate food lover. For food people, by food people, Cooking Channel is the answer to a growing hunger for more content devoted to food and cooking in every dimension from global cuisines to international travel, history and unconventional how-to’s. This week was  Westside Provision Distric time to join the celebration. Due to inclement weather conditions the party was held at Abbatoir, a modern American restaurant in Westside. Guests were  provided with complimentary, custom menus of food and beverages inspired by summer favorites. Considering that everything was free, the food was quite impressive. Cooking Channel Summer Eats Menu - Atlanta Cooking Channel Eats: Pulled pork sandwich (cider-braised sho

The story of the butterfly A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to squeeze its body through the tiny hole. Then it stopped, as if it couldn’t go further. So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bits of cocoon. The butterfly emerged easily but it had a swollen body and shriveled wings. The man continued to watch it, expecting that any minute the wings would enlarge and expand enough to support the body, Neither happened! In fact the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around. It was never able to fly. What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand: The restricting cocoon and the struggle required by the butterfly to get through the opening was a way of forcing the fluid from the body into the wings so that it would be ready for flight once that

Are bloggers the new entrepreneurs? Tammie Reed of Talking With Tami believes bloggers are becoming the new powerful players. From fashion, cooking, to mainstream media, bloggers are getting stronger and more savvy when it comes to building a strong audience, while creating a welcoming, friendly and warm experience one blog post at a time.   A successful blogger is not measured by the amount of pageviews, retweets, or comments left on their site, but by their ability to engage their audience into their personal passions. Blogging is not a popularity contest.  Blogging is a journey about fighting for the life you want to live.  Blogging is about finding  your own voice while being open to learn from everyone, including your readers. There were several lessons we learned that day, while listening to Tammie Reed.  But, I guess the biggest lesson of all, is that blogging is about opening yourself to the world and say, here I am, what can I be of service!   Thank you Tammie

As a food lover, I have learned there is no better way to get to the heart of a city than through its cuisine. Forget about museums, theaters, or major attractions. For once, dedicate one entire day to explore the local food. If you feel you cannot do this on your own, then I highly recommend you book a food tour with Atlanta Culinary Tour.  I had the pleasure to joined them for their Decatur tour and let me tell you they never disappoint me. Downtown Decatur is a vibrant neighborhood full of picturesque restaurants and charming eateries.  Decatur's downtown area and residential neighborhoods are filled with beautiful homes, historic places of worship and several institutions of higher learning.   Centered on the historic Decatur Courthouse, Decatur has become a hot destination for college students and young professionals who want hip bars, great restaurants, and walkable neighborhoods, as well as for families who are drawn to the excellent independent school dist

Start Your Day with a Country Inns Breakfast With the panorama of Stone Mountain on the background lies Country Inns & Suites. This midscale hotel believes that great food, comfortable hospitality, and travel empathy are important parts of providing a good guest experience. Looking for ways to ensure a happy hotel guest, Country Inns & Suites by Carlson has enhanced and redesigned their complimentary breakfast. The new “Be Our Guest Breakfast”, is part of several environmentally friendly changes the hotel has implemented, as part of their commitment to exist in harmony with their surroundings and reduce their environmental footprint, while providing a better yet less expensive service for all their guests. “ Be Our Guest” is a service philosophy that encourages employees to serve guests with the same kind and caring spirit given to friends when they’re being hosted at home . After a peaceful night's sleep at Country Inns & Suites, you will b

I have to admit that there is not a better place to watch fireworks in Georgia than Centennial Park. Is truly a firework extravaganza. We love going every year, however this year we had to leave and move to a different location due to the amount of people at the park. Centennial park was "packed", security was tight and safety seemed to be a top priority. Sounds good right?  This year Centennial park made a series of restrictions that made people like us regret going there.  After been in line for almost 90 minutes, we were informed that we could not bring our chairs to the park. Are you kidding me? Do you have any idea how incredibly uncomfortable is to sit for 5 hrs on the grass? That is if you find a spot to sit... Just the thought of standing until 9pm sucked all the happiness in the air. We stayed for a while and then our feet started hurting and we all looked at each other and we decided it was best to leave.    Honestly, we were not enjoying the event a

"Philanthropy is commendable, but it must not cause the philanthropist to overlook the economic injustice that makes philanthropy necessary." Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Show Me The Way Foundation is a non-profit organization aimed to educate young teens about the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Through their RED campaign they have been able to shine a light on the HIV/AIDS epidemic that is impacting the lives of the most precious among us, our children.  With the assistance of supermodel Cynthia Bailey (RHOA), the Bailey Agency School of Fashion; and title sponsor African Pride’s Dream Kids hair care line, The Show Me the Way foundation searched for Atlanta’s newest talent on Sunday, July 1, 2012. The Runway RED model/talent call boasted talented beauties and handsome tykes from all over the city all vying for the chance to be discovered.  The model call offered children between the ages of 5-18 the opportunity to participate in the upcoming 2012 Run