The Liebster Award

Essa postagem será em inglês, pois se trata de uma resposta a uma tag recebida também em inglês. =)

I was nominated last December by my dearest friend from Low Maintenance Goth, sorry for the delay and thank you, girl! :D

The Official Rules Of The Liebster Award

If you have been nominated for The Liebster Award AND IF YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT, write a blog post about the Liebster award in which you:

1. Thank the person who nominated you, and post a link to their blog in your post.

2. Display the award on your blog — by including it in your post and/or displaying it using a “widget” or a “gadget”. (Note that the best way to do this is to save the image to your own computer and then upload it to your blog post.);

3. Answer questions about yourself, which will be provided to you by the person who nominated you.

4. Provide 11 random facts about yourself.

5. Nominate 5 – 11 blogs that you feel deserve the award, who have a less than 1000 followers.

6. Create a new list of questions for the bloggers to answer.

7. List these rules in your post (You can copy and paste from here.)

8. Once you have written and published it, you then have to inform the people/blogs that you nominated that they have been nominated for the Liebster award and provide a link for them to your post so that they can learn about it (they might not have ever heard of it!)

Well then, let’s answer the questions! =)

1.What is your happiest memory?

It was Christmas’ eve (24^th), I was about 8, I got a toy I really wanted (though I don’t remember playing much with it later..), everyone was happy and in peace. We usually had struggles of many types, and I remember that particular day as being one of the happiest ones in my life. So, on top of my cheerfulness, I went to the window in our living room, looked up in the night sky and thought something like “God, I’m so happy, thank you for all this. For this day to be totally perfect, all that I want now is a rain with ice cubes” (now I know it’s called “hail” ^^), and just went to play again. Seriously.. about 10 minutes later I heard some noise and went to see the window again, and to my immense joy it was raining.. hail! For a short period, just a few minutes, but I was able to grab some ice from that same window and play with it. And of course you can imagine my happiness, and to this day this is one of my best and dearest memories ever.  ^__^

2. What, or who inspires you?

Depends on what I’m doing. I’m inspired when I feel free to do whatever I wanna do, and not because someone expects something from me. But when it comes to art, I’m mostly inspired by fantasy stories and instrumental music. Add that to freedom to create and the joy I feel from crafting and I have the ideal energy to be productive. =)

3. Do you play, have you ever played or would you like to play a musical instrument ("voice" counts :D)?

I don’t play, never did, but would love to play an instrument, yes. Which one? That varies.. I already have wished to play guitar, electric guitar, harpsichord, flute and many others. But the one that from time to time I still consider learning is the ocarina, because I think its sounds are sooo delicate and relaxing.. I even have a mini ocarina, I did find some tutorials, but haven’t tried them very hard yet. I guess it’s just not on top of my list of projects? But yeah, it’s still something that would be nice to learn. =D

4. Do you have a special talent or two?

I love baking, I can make a really good pizza out of canned sardines and oatmeal dough, does that count? =D

Other than that, I ‘m usually good at seeing people through their appearances. I like going deep in their souls to find the real thing (welcome to the Scorpio world, it’s part of our nature :P). I also customize dolls, specially Barbies. S2

5. What is your biggest accomplishment?

Keeping the faith and keep trying my best to be a good person, despite all that happened in my family since I was a child (let’s just say mom had a pure heart and trusted many people she should have not, including my biological father and my younger brother. That pretty much sunk us in many ways), it was just very easy to choose the hatred/vengeance path, but I did not. Some people sometimes call me silly and naïve, but it’s not a matter of not seeing it, but of choosing peace instead. I’m proud of myself, I really REALLY am. (But just to clarify, this does not mean I keep being a target to mean people, I also learned to keep most of them away.)

6. What parts of the world would you like to visit?

I have always wanted to visit England (specially London, there’s something about it..), Romania and France. And whatever places with landscapes and castles! :D

7. What is your favourite song at the moment (a link to it would be great)?

I’m very sensitive to songs, they affect and change my mood in a matter of seconds, I can go  from happy to utterly sad or the opposite very quickly.. But it’s easier to get depressive with certain melodies or times in the day (I HATE listening to music after it gets dark, it doesn’t matter if it’s one I like). So the best songs for me are usually instrumental, fantasy, and calm or cheerful. My favorite album is the OST from the PSX game Castlevania Symphony of the Night, there’s too many good songs in it. Here’s one, the wonderful Dance of Pales.

I also love rpg and other videogame OSTs (even funny ones like PSX's Parappa’s bathroom level), relaxing music, and inn/town songs like these (I LOVE listening to stuff like that while doing longer walks).

8. What qualities do you look for in people?

Honesty, good humor, open mindness. Basically a good heart. If the person loves nature, cats and dolls it’s a HUGE plus. =D

9. What do you like to do when the power is out?

I f it’s night I just go to sleep, since it’s even more quiet then it normally is, and I love the silence. If it’s during the day I look for a craft I can do, or something to read. But whatever I do, it’s mostly related to relaxing.

10. What are your favourite flowers?

I LOVE the look and colors of the Sorbet Peony. A dear friend gifted me with a bulb once, but I wasn’t able to make it survive.. =( I also love the smell of roses and honeysuckle. And I have a special passion for plants that produce edible stuff, like fruit trees, although they aren’t flowers. =)

11. Is there anything you'd like to change about yourself? If yes, what?

I would love to let go of people more easily. I have kept shitty people in my life for way much longer than I wanted just for fear of hurting their feelings.. Just recently it’s getting easier, but I feel I lost so much time and energy till now. But ok, at least I’m learning.

But physically I’d love to get rid of my rosacea (it’s a skin condition that makes the facial skin red and sensitive, and it gets worse with stress). Though in the beginning the “natural blush” on the cheeks was very cool, it just advanced (well, stress..) to make my whole face red, and I turn red even just by laughing. So people who don’t know me well keep calling me “shy” or telling me I don’t need to blush and I just hate that.

Now 11 random facts about me:

01. I’m very easily distracted. I find it hard to focus on one thing, like reading (specially if it’s boring or something I have to do..). Sometimes I take a long time to answer messages or emails because of that. I recently found out that to be able to pay attention to an audio, let’s say, I have to keep part of my mind distracted (with sewing, for example) or my attention goes to other stuff super quickly.

02. I don’t calculate space very well when I’m walking, so many times I bump into walls, things or people, but it’s not on purpose. ^^’

03. Dolls are one of my biggest passions, they bring beauty and joy to my world. I'm still learning how to customize them (right now I’ve been practicing sewing). It’s being a slow process but so fun.

04. Cats have a magical power over me (even more than dolls), just can't stop smiling when I see one. :) I think cats are one of the closest things to fairies in this world. They are magical creatures in so many ways.. I have 2 furry babies, Shatira (girl) and Chuchu (boy) S2

05. My favorite movie ever is a french version of Robinson Crusoe made for tv, with Pierre Richard and Nicolas Cazalé. It's a wonderful story of friendship between two guys from totally different worlds, and I cannot recommend it enough.

06. I do believe in “magic”, and other incarnations. I also like to think about the possibility of other dimensions. And I think the universe is just too big to not have more life in it than just our planet.

07. Like mentioned in “special talents”, I always try to see things and people beyond their appearances (the eyes say a lot). Many people seem nice and say nice things but are rotten inside. Others might seem rough and say things in a way that sounds rough, but are wonderful souls. I have met people from both categories.

08. My sense of direction lets me down frequently, so I prefer to take a longer path I know well than to try a shortcut and get lost two streets later. (To whoever invented the GPS: I love you S2)

09. I use a lot of emoticons/emojis. Written communication can often lead to misunderstandings since we cannot count on facial expressions or body language for hints. In the beginning I used them as emotion markers, but then I just got used to their cuteness!

10. I love milk and bread, and could easily eat just that for most of the time. Yogurts, chocolate and smoothies are other big favorites.

11. For some reason I loooove baking, though I don’t do it as often as I’d like. There’s something super special about picking ingredients, making your own dough and baking it. The warmth fills my kitchen and heart… It’s even better than eating the goodies! =D

Now I guess it’s the part where I’d nominate others to participate, and I’d like to nominate the 2 blogs I actually follow, Low Maintenance Goth and The Multicrafteral Lab but both are from the same friend who nominated me and she already answered it, so feel free to tag yourself. =)

Now if you wanna join in the fun, here are my questions for you:

1- What is your favorite isle in the supermarket and why?

2- Is there a book, or movie, music, game or series that changed your life somehow? If so, what is it and what changes did it inspire in you?

3- How do you see your life in 10 years from now? (Like in: would you keep the same people that are in it now? Would you be in the same city?)

4- Which fictional character would you like to meet in real life and spend a day with?

5- Tell me the 3 best things about you =)

6- What do you like to do when no one’s watching?

7- If you could choose a super power, what would it be and what would you do with it?

8- If you could ask your pet questions, what would they be?

9- When you’re having a bad day, what do you do to make yourself feel better?

10- What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

11- What’s your favorite (or which do you think is the most useful) invention of all times?

If you participate, remember to include a comment with the link to your post. =)

Have fun!

Projeto (des) Acumuladores – Parte 04

Muitas incertezas e uma certeza..

Vou começar pelas novidades antigas, que ainda não tinha postado. Como comentei anteriormente, o processo de desacumulação e limpeza ficou um pouco mais lento por causa do calor e de outras atividades. Nesse meio tempo, nosso amigo de São Paulo havia adiado a vinda dele para março, coincidindo com um outro evento que teremos na região. Assim ganhei mais tempo, porque realmente não ia conseguir deixar tudo arrumado, pois era (e ainda é) muita coisa pra fazer.

Nesses tempos consegui “atacar” um dos quartos, o maior deles, onde meu irmão mais velho (o não acumulador) dorme.  Aqui temos um roupeiro grande que foi atacado por cupins e não podemos mais usar completamente. O ideal é demolir, mas como é muito grande decidimos deixar como está. Ao menos consegui terminar de esvaziar, o que facilita o trabalho quando vier a ser demolido.

Mas consegui limpar o “roupeirão” de prateleiras que fica num nicho da parede. Em limpezas anteriores já tirei quase tudo que não prestava daqui, desta vez tirei o resto que faltava, limpei todas as prateleiras, e comecei a recolocar somente o que vamos realmente manter. Também pintei um pouco das paredes.

Na cozinha limpei o que faltava dos balcões (não lembro se mencionei, mas também pintei parte dos balcões por fora), e comecei a recolocar as louças.

Tive alguns dias extras em casa, devido a uma semana que não tive folga (e portanto na seguinte tive duas), e depois 4 dias por ocasião do feriadão de Carnaval. Infelizmente nesses dias não consegui fazer muita coisa, pois na primeira ocasião estava um pouco doente (dor de barriga devido à água do trabalho), e no segundo dia do feriado de Carnaval, quando estava guardando coisas no roupeirão, a escada de metal quebrou e caímos. Eu estava no topo dela e machuquei um joelho, os pés, a barriga e um ombro, mas nada de sério (somente o joelho ainda está um pouco roxo mas já está quase como novo =) ). Com esse acidente e a falta da escada, não pude pintar como havia planejado, então me ocupei mais de me recuperar e fazer pequenos reparos.

Agora as novidades mais recentes.. Bem, agora mesmo, há menos de 2 horas, nosso irmão mais novo (que já tem quase 40 anos) esteve aqui perguntando do microondas velho, uma das tralhas que ele achou na rua e que ficou meses em cima da mesa da sala. Quando trouxe, ele havia dito que era pra substituir o nosso microondas antigo (que estava em uso), e que apenas precisava de um pequeno conserto, mas assim ficou por meses. Então recentemente limpei e tentei consertar, mas então percebi que estava sem o prato de vidro, e o prato do nosso outro microondas não era compatível (era grande demais, nem passava na porta do micro). Então doei para uma instituição. Quando falei isso, ele simplesmente surtou, e passou a gritar e nos ameaçar de maneira extremamente agressiva (como fez durante muitos anos enquanto a mãe ainda estava viva.. Parecia que havíamos sido transportados de novo para aqueles tempos..). Faz umas 2 semanas ele também deixou uma geladeira aqui dizendo que seria por pouco tempo, mas antes nos perguntou se podia e nós concordamos. Hoje depois de surtar, passou a ameaçar dizendo que se a geladeira sumisse, nós íamos nos arrepender, pois ele ia acabar com a gente, com tudo que temos, colocar fogo na casa e destruir tudo... Ficou pelo menos uns 10 minutos sem parar gritando, acusando e ameaçando, gritando até para os vizinhos..

Sabe, eu tenho colocado praticamente todo meu dinheiro e tempo nessa casa, pra pagar contas, pra comprar materiais, pra realizar consertos.. Recentemente gastei quase todo dinheiro que ganhei no ano passado inteiro pra colocar o condomínio em dia, pelo bem de todos aqui. Mas será que vale a pena continuar insistindo tanto nessa casa? Às vezes.. vencer é saber quando deixar o campo de batalha. Lembro também das palavras do meu chefe e amigo, que ao me ver desperdiçando meu tempo com outros, me dizia “não se pode salvar a todos... Pensa em ti, cuida de ti, faz por ti”. Realmente não posso salvar todos, e esse nem é meu caminho. Cada um tem seu próprio timing e escolhas. Por mais que eu queira ajudar, estou deixando de cuidar de mim.. Uma outra amiga há uns 2 anos me disse que eu estava colhendo o que plantei. Perguntei o que ela queria dizer com isso, pois eu sempre tentava ajudar todos e continuava a me dar mal. Então ela perguntou “sim, e o que você plantou pra si mesma?”. Eu gelei.. e respondi “nada”, ao que ela disse “pois então, é isso que está colhendo...”, e é pura verdade.

Bom, vou seguir organizando, mas sem sacrificar mais dinheiro aqui. Há anos eu já queria me mudar com meu outro irmão e nossos gatos, mas tinha esperanças de poder ajudar esse irmão acumulador. Mas realmente não posso salvar a todos, ainda mais se isso significa me perder ao longo do caminho.

Desculpe pelo update nada animado. Por enquanto ainda vou trabalhar na casa e espero ter melhores novidades mais pra frente, mas já adianto que devido a essa situação que mencionei, enquanto estiver nesta casa nada será definitivo, apenas paliativo.

Bom, fique à vontade pra deixar seus comentários e/ou sugestões, que são sempre bem vindos.