In A Rut....

I'm in bit of an existential rut. I get it, this pandemic has everyone a bit loopy. As a introvert, I don't really mind the time alone in my Brooklyn apartment, for the most part. The problem is that it gives me too much time to think. Too much time to contemplate the state of the world. And it plays over and over in the mind like an old Chinese water torture...drip, drip, drip...right between my eyes. I have too much time for navel gazing and you know how I get...a bit muddled to say the least. I've been reading light novels and re-watching Farscape for escapist fantasy. But I've reached my limit with escapist fantasies. What happens when one has reached their limit? That's right, reality comes crashing through and rudely interrupts to gain one's attention. I watch way too many hours of CNN. It seeps into my brain matter and sucks away any semblance of hope. I look at the state of the world and it fills me with despair, the soul-wrenching kind. Even now as I type these words my throat is clenched and my eyes are filled with unshed tears. I feel the rage of injustice coursing through my body.

I have learned in my studies that these times are cyclical. We will forge ahead and create a new reality as the global consciousness is raised to the next paradigm. Change is painful only when we a grasping to the old ways. There are people who want to unplug, remove themselves from the pain but what they don't understand is that they are not separate from this web of reality. We are all interconnected. We are part of a larger community, we are part of a global community. And we sorely need better leaders. A community of leaders who will blaze through these troubled times. Leaders who will light the way through the darkness, not for their own selfish reasons but for the good of humanity. I've been feeling too cynical for too long, hence the existential rut. I want a better vision for our future. My nieces and nephew need a better world, a place they can sink their teeth into, a better tomorrow. 

From Paulo Freir's Pedagogy of the Oppressed, he writes, "In order for the oppressed to be able to wage the struggle for their liberation, they must perceive the reality of oppression not as a closed world from which there is no exit, but as a limiting situation which they can transform....it must become the motivating force for liberating action." There is so much work to be done. More to come. 

-L

All artwork, photos, and text © Copyright 2008-2020 Liliana Almendarez unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Liliana Almendarez.

Herbal AntiViral - Fresh Ginger Root

I am going to preface this blog entry by saying I am not a medical expert. All the information I am sharing is straight out of Stephen Harrod Buhner's book Herbal Antivirals. Mr. Buhner is the expert and all I'm doing is sharing information that is easily accessible. There is a section in his book on fresh ginger and (the reason for this entry) I thought this root is something that is easily accessible to most everyone. 

Why Fresh Ginger? Fresh ginger root is a respiratory antiviral. It will help reduce fever, reduce cold chills, reduce inflammation in the bronchial passageways, thin mucus and helps move it out of the system, reduce coughing, and increase blood circulation. 

Dry ginger found in tea bags is not strong enough since the essential oils are reduced considerably in the drying process. 

Fresh ginger root is best.  

Note of caution: 

If you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant, fresh ginger in high doses would not be recommended.   

Also, may aggravate gallstones, so if you suffer from them caution is advised.  

Fresh Ginger Juice Tea

Juice one or more pieces of fresh (peeled) ginger. (Save the plant matter that is left over to make an infusion). 

Combine 1/4 cup of fresh ginger juice with 1.5 cups of hot water, 1 tbsp raw honey, the squeezed juice of one quarter lime, 1/8 tsp cayenne (his recipe). The tea is pretty spicy without the cayenne. 

This tea should be consumed every 2-3 hours if you are sick. 

To stay healthy against the virus, a couple of cups of ginger tea a day works. 

Candied ginger root slices or pickled ginger are great snacks and healthy stimulants for the system.

Infuse the leftover plant matter from juicing and steep it in 2 cups of hot water, allow to steep for 4-8 hours, covered. Strain and use the infused liquid as you would ginger juice.

If you don't have a juicer, grate or chop the peeled ginger root (size of your thumb) as finely as you can. Steep in 1.5 cups hot water for 2-3 hours covered (covering preserves the essential oils). Strain and use the infused liquid as you would ginger juice. 

If you are really sick: 6 cups of tea per day minimum.  

For the geeks like me: As an antiviral, ginger inhibits the attachment of viruses to the cell, inhibits hemagglutinin (red blood cells clump together), inhibits viral proteases, inhibits neuraminidase, stimulates antiviral macrophage activity, is virucidal. It is antibacterial, antiarthritic, antifungal...I can keep going but you get the picture.  

Shout out to Mr. Stephen Harrod Buhner for the information. 

Pass this on to anyone who can't wait for a vaccine.  

Be well, stay safe and wear a mask in public.  

With love,

Lily

Honeydew List and Relaxing Rewards

I spent the past weekend painting my apartment. A light green color called Heart of Palm on the main wall and a light yellow on the adjacent wall. I absolutely love the look of it. I've been spending so much time staring at these walls, working from home, that after a year of living in this place...I had to do something to spruce it up. I love it! I can scratch out two items off my to-do list. Yay!

Then on Monday I spent the day at the beach with my sister and my niece. There was hardly anyone there...which helped with the social distancing. Unfortunately, I have been far too pale for far too long to have spent so many hours at the beach. My shoulders are crispy. But it was lovely to be near the water, listening to the waves, feeling the cool wind while reading and relaxing.  

That's all I have for now. 

Peace,

Lily

All artwork, photos, and text © Copyright 2008-2020 Liliana Almendarez unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Liliana Almendarez.

OMG! It's been too long...

First thing....my latest song obsession GHOST by Kylie Rothfield, produced by Ester Dean. Love Kylie Rothfield's tone, love the lyrics, love this song. It has so much ache and pain that I can't stop listening to it over and over again. You need to put the close captions on because the words are gorgeous. Before I even put it up on this blog, it was making me well up. So good!!  

Gosh, it's been 6 month since I last wrote on this blog. Nothing much has been going on. Pandemic, protests, looting, fires, working from home...you know, same old, same old. Not! 

This blog was always supposed to be about the creative work, my process and even a bit of whinging. However, my day job has basically hijacked my brain for the past year and a half. That's the very short answer to the very complicated question of, "where have you been hiding?" 

I've been working and reading. That's a fair assessment of the past six months.  I've been binge reading on books because I've been out of pace with my writing. I'd rather navel gaze than pick a pen up to write. My sister Ces is (right now) writing a story that she's so excited about that she's trying to finish it, so she can bring over a draft for me to read. Seriously?!  Ugh, I have no excuses. * head hung low in proverbial shame * 

My friend J gave me a couple of cheesy romance novels to read, very niche, very quirky...I won't even bother with the title but the writer in me was appalled at the simple story. The writer's inability to keep to the story arc. The climax of the story was 10 pages from the end of the book. Terrible! So disappointing and formulaic. I won't get back the couple of hours that this 200 page novel took from me. I'm sure you're asking, "well why didn't you just stop reading after the first 10 pages?" The quirkiness of the language kept me engaged and it had some funny literary references that made me laugh out loud. I admit it, I'm a literary geek and once I'm engaged in some way, I need to see it to the end. 

I digress, my point is that reading this book reminds me I am quite capable of writing my own novel/play/story. Seriously!!!  I can't stop saying that word...even in my own head. 

Next week, I'm taking a couple of days off just to give myself a break from work. I am going to spend those three extra days painting my living room (FINALLY!!!) Can't wait. I love painting, it takes me out of my head and the task itself is almost meditative. I've already taken all the books and DVDs out of the bookshelf and piled them on my dining table. If I can tackle moving the furniture out of the way, then painting on my own won't be quite so overwhelming. I was going to reach out to a friend to see if she has time to help but I have a hard time asking for help. There is a part of me that thinks..."I can do this on my own" and only when I'm in my 6th hour of trying to paint edges will I kick myself for not having reached out to friends or family. Stubborn. Like Mule <said in a Russian accent>  The other part is that it's a small space and once I move furniture, there won't be much room to navigate. Better to do it on my own so no one gets hurt.  Ha!

The last bit that I wanted to share is that I tried out for a playwriting residency with a NYC theater. I received my rejection letter at the beginning of this month. What a bummer! My creative life has taken a dramatic turn AWAY from where I had hoped to have been with produced and published work. Does that last sentence even make sense?  I've read it several times and I still don't know if it's grammatically correct. I'm losing my touch. Where is my Modern English Usage book?  Oh, that's right at the bottom of a pile on my dining room table.

That's all I for today. I don't know if I'm going to keep this blog going but at least for today, just one more entry into the ether.  

-Lily

All artwork, photos, and text © Copyright 2008-2020 Liliana Almendarez unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Liliana Almendarez.

Happy New Year

First, let me say out loud that I'm NOT in a mood...it's just my resting bitch face. It can't be helped. I want to complain about my day job but I'm not really allowed to post specifics...insert black-out text here.

Have you ever woken up in a really good mood; the sun is just starting to rise, there is an excellent mug of caffeine in hand and things just feel promising? You enter the office and someone's lack of organizational skills and foresight is in direct conflict with your own. And their lack of skills has their work summarily dumped into your lap. After you've cleared the proverbial dust from old files, you are thinking Hell No! But somehow that work is now YOURS. And it's now priority because it is material that should have been handled years ago. Hmm!

Perhaps, just perhaps, this situation has left me feeling a bit perturbed...pissed off...pitching a fit inside my head...so here's my Serenity Prayer on this Thursday night...

 me.

All artwork, photos, and text © Copyright 2008-2020 Liliana Almendarez unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Liliana Almendarez.

Rounding the Corner

We are rounding the corner on 2019 and I thought I would sit here and play ketch-up. It's snowing today.  It's been a grey day all day and we are supposed to get a nor'ester storm later this evening. Gale force winds and snow. I am hibernating. I took the day off before I ever knew about the storm. So glad to be indoors today. I've been playing Ani DiFranco in the background for the better part of the day while I did some creative work. I finally changed it over to some Christmas music.  Mariah Carey is singing All I Want For Christmas. I can't help bobbing along to the song.

I am late on Christmas shopping. It's the first week and I have only bought one gift. Ergh! I think that might be the only one I get this year.  My poor nieces will just have to get an envelope of cash from me.  Poor things!  I have plenty of time to get my family gifts...but I just don't wanna! I am so over the crowded Christmas crowds. Maybe I'll just buy everyone socks this year. Haha!  Just kidding...well kind of. In the grand scheme of things, who cares? It's just more STUFF! Stuff that will get stuffed in over-stuffed drawers never to see the light of day again. I think my capitalist gene died this year. We will be holding a wake for it any day now. Just need to get the bottle of tequila sitting at my work desk to pour one for the homies. Haha!

I'm in a bit of silly mood. I've spent the weekend writing and spending time doing creative work. I feel almost human again. It's been too long.  I put an entry into an Emerging Writing Program with the Public Theater.  I didn't think I was going to follow through with it because on most given days, I feel like that ship has sailed.  BUT...then I think, why not? I have nothing to lose.  Better to put in an application and get a rejection than NOT applying.

My goal for the month of December is to find some creative projects to work on. I'm going to push past my comfort zone and find some new ways to challenge my creative brain. It's been lying dormant for about three years now...no more excuses.  Off the top of my head, here are some things I've been thinking about:
1. Continue to learn French. Perhaps get over my shyness and speak it, out loud.
2. Sign up for another drawing class.
3. Attend art lectures after work.
4. Take a cooking class.
5. Take a jewelry-making class.
6. Learn welding. Yes, for art projects
7. Learn weaving.
8. I've even thought of ballet classes but I can't get the Fantasia image of hippo in a tutu out of my head. Again...working on getting past my comfort zone. 

I will have to try a few things and see what I connect with.

On a last note, I'm going to leave you with Eartha Kitt's- Santa Baby

-Lily

All artwork, photos, and text © Copyright 2008-2019 Liliana Almendarez unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Liliana Almendarez.

Monologues, Musicals and Plays, Oh My!

Photo by Marc Brenner

For the past month, I have been going to see pieces on Broadway.  It started with Harold Pinter's Betrayal, directed by Jaime Lloyd. This performance gave me goosebumps.  Tom Hiddleston played Robert, Zawe Ashton played Emma, Charlie Cox played Jerry in a love triangle. Now I know this Pinter play was not one of his strongest pieces but with the direction from Mr. Lloyd and the subtle nuanced work from these amazing actors...it was a devastating piece. Weeks later the play is still reverberating in my writer's soul. Tom Hiddleston has one of the most heartbreaking moments and the scene still chokes me up. There is something about the emotional impact that has me tempted to buy another ticket to go see it again.

Then I went to see Bat Out of Hell playing at City Center on a high recommendation from a co-worker. Lord was that a mistake.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE music by MEATLOAF, which was why it wasn't a hard sell for me to buy a ticket to go see this show. Let me start with the positive...the stagecraft/set design was actually amazing. The performance of the songs was a bit cheesy but I went with it since the performers could hold the notes.  But the choreography was laughable. It was so basic and juvenile that it felt more like a school performance than a Broadway show. I was waiting for "jazz hands" to come out somewhere. The story arc felt forced...trying to fit songs into the story line felt a bit random. I love a good rock opera...hello, rocker chick here...but this did not work for me. The one saving grace was Danielle Steers, who played Zahara; that woman could belt out a song.

Photo by Annie Liebovitz, 2019

On Saturday I finally went to see Sea Wall/A Life....Monologues written by Simon Stephens and Nick Payne. Tom Sturridge played Alex in Sea Wall and Jake Gyllenhaal played Abe in A Life.  Both pieces talked about life, death and loss. Tom Sturridge's staccato performance of Alex was a bit rough. I'm not sure if he forgot lines or if his pauses were on purpose but it really pulled me out of the material. Stephens has some really beautiful transcendent lines that felt a bit butchered by Tom's performance.
Meanwhile, Jake Gyllenhaal's performance was quite captivating. He handled the telling of two stories simultaneously in a seamless manner without losing the meaning of either. It was an hour long monologue and he relayed the material with emotional impact. He made me laugh and also welled me up with tears at some of the more poignant moments. Truly an actor mastering his craft.

Why am I on a theater jag?  I am trying to connect back with my own writing. I want to be inspired, moved, shaken awake...I need "something" to get me going again. I've been dormant for far too long and my inner writer is aching for some creativity. I journal to keep me writing but that's not nearly enough. The writing is slow, thick, molasses-like.  I've put so many years into this craft and the past couple of years there has been so much neglect that I can barely call it up. That might be why I've shown up to my blog again after all this time. Keeps my mind working on short pieces, hoping to spark that ember in my belly, breathe it back to life. I am a bit lost at the moment. 

L~

All artwork, photos, and text © Copyright 2008-2019 Liliana Almendarez unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Liliana Almendarez.

Bank Holiday

It's a rainy Monday. I slept like the dead last night and woke up 11 hours later. I don't usually sleep that much...in fact it's been quite some time since I've been able to sleep that long. All the windows in my living room are open. A quiet breeze comes through from time to time but this humidity is making me a bit lazy. I am sipping a cup of sweet, milky tea...and I'm almost ready for a second cup. It's early afternoon and I don't really have plans for today. That's not a bad thing.

I'm listening to Ed Sheeran/Justin Beiber's song, I Don't Care. I would put up their silly little video but I can't bear to watch it again. Ooo, I will put up Black Eyed Peas, Be Nice.  It's such a swaggy song that I can't stop listening to it. Enjoy! 

Thunder rumbled in the distance. Storm clouds are moving in. Time to go.

L~

All artwork, photos, and text © Copyright 2008-2019 Liliana Almendarez unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Liliana Almendarez.

10 months away

It's been 10 months since I last wrote on this blog. Quite frankly, I thought I would shut it down and be done with it.  But I was putzing around my apartment  and I wanted to write...so of course the first thing I go do is start cleaning my apartment. 'Cause that's what I do when I want to write...housework. Make sense?  Yeah, it doesn't make much sense to me either.  After I finished washing dishes...the compulsion to clean subsided and I came to my computer to write entry.

I haven't done much writing lately. I have half-hearted attempts at different projects but nothing is kindling the fire in my belly. Something seems to be missing lately. The joy of it seems to have fizzled out, which is a difficult realization. I spent last night talking like a has-been writer with my best friend over watered down gin and tonics. Let's just say I woke up feeling a bit pathetic.

Let me go back a bit since there a whole slew of reasons/excuses why I'm not writing, should I share? Does it really matter? Well here goes anyway: at the beginning of this year, I received a promotion at work. But it's been challenging, learning this new role, having so much on, working Saturdays to try to get ahead of the workload, working at home to organize my priorities for the following day. It's a good decent job and I'm enjoying the challenges, for the most part. We have so much on that the higher ups gave us the nod to add a junior member to our team. We just started the interviewing process, it will probably be late October before the person will be onboarded to the team. In the meantime, I am still trying to learn all aspects of the job. I'm flexible enough to take on new information but there is not much time to process it. Ergh. I feel a bit burnt around the edges lately. All my grey matter has been going to the day job. I have very little left over for anything else.

I spent the better part of this summer working full stop. I've only taken a couple of days off and it was just to help some friends with a home reno'. Even now, I'm looking around my apartment and I can see all the things I have to take care of in the next couple of weeks. For example, re-seal the the window ledge to prevent the winter from seeping in. I have a stack of mail that I need to go through...most of it just needs to be thrown out. There are also all these odds and ends that need to be discarded. A bag full of clothing that I need to bring to one of the donation centers. It's never ending. I just want to simplify things/my life. That usually means scaling things back. Discarding, donating, getting rid of all the superfluous matter in my life.

My mom recently took a look at my closet and commented that I barely have any clothing. She has three walk in closets worth of clothing. Hmmm. I have just enough clothing to get me through 21 days worth of work, play and sleep. And I could still pull out articles of clothing that I never wear but haven't given up yet.  After writing this, I'm probably going to add them to the donation bag. * sigh *

I know this blog today is really a stream of consciousness entry but after almost a year of silence, let's just go with it...shall we?  It's 4 pm in the afternoon and I'm steaming up some leftover black rice with calamari squid for an early dinner.  I just had my third mug of tea and I need another.  I'm trying to figure out if I want to binge something on Netflix or start reading Memoirs of a Geisha.

Anyway, that's all I have for today.

me.

All artwork, photos, and text © Copyright 2008-2019 Liliana Almendarez unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Liliana Almendarez.

Tea gone cold is rank

Saturday morning and my tea has gone cold. I've been putzing around my apartment getting ready to go out but I have another hour before I need to be out the door. I thought I would sit here and write a bit. I woke up last night with a killer migraine...as much as a love a decent glass of Savignon Blanc, it did not love me back. Ever since I started my restrictive diet, any time I allow myself  bit of alcohol: 1. I get tipsy much faster; 2. the migraine comes on faster too. Sigh. The question then becomes can I give up alcohol? Full stop. Hmm. One to ponder.

I don't really have anything clever to write at the moment. My day job has been super stressful with an upcoming large meeting. I am handling a portion of the logistics and my brain refuses to turn off. I've been journaling but not enough of the work is creative. Definitely missing that portion of my life. Once I get through this next week, I'll have some breathing room to get some of my own work done. This week will be 12 hour days, going home and crashing. That's as much as I'll be able to muster. Somewhere in there I need to see about getting a workout or two in. Really, I should have gone to the gym earlier this morning but I got up to finish up a recipe instead.

Somewhere in there...I also have to finish Christmas shopping. My nieces are done. They are always first on my list. I also have to buy paper and boxes to wrap gifts. I have ideas on what to get the rest of my family. Eesh!  I'm hoping to have it done by the first week in December. Then a much needed holiday vacation in Texas with my folks. Yay!  Wish me luck~
Lily


All artwork, photos, and text © Copyright 2008-2018 Liliana Almendarez unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Liliana Almendarez.

Sunday morning

I know, I know..it's been awhile. C'est la vie. I went to Paris for a long weekend in March and I think a part of me stayed there. It's been difficult getting back into the swing of my life. I've been super stressed out over work, friends, family, career and my writing.  It's strange. Sometimes the fit of my life is a bit too tight and I can't breathe. This past week I've been plagued with migraines. A full week of low grade migraines which meant I was functional and at work even with the pain. Then Thursday the full blown one came crashing down and had me out for the count. On Friday, I was a bit of a zombie but functional and then Saturday was another full blown migraine again. A rebound migraine. What crap. Today I feel a bit more awake but I can feel the muscles and bones beneath my skin in my face. It's a odd thing to be hyper aware of the spaces that were in pain all week. There is a dull, throb in my head but it's so dull I wouldn't even call it pain.
One of my sisters is coming over and I'm cooking up some brunch for us. Spicy chorizo with scrambled eggs and mashed black beans. It's the first day in four days that I actually have an appetite so I can't wait. In the meantime, I am sipping on a large mug of Earl Grey tea. All for now...
Lily~

All artwork, photos, and text © Copyright 2008-2018 Liliana Almendarez unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Liliana Almendarez.

A Solid Fifty Pages

I spent the day writing today, even with a bloody migraine.  Even with my sister stopping by with pizza and wanting to watch Stranger Things.  Man! Am I enjoying that series.  But I digress. I spent the morning writing before she got here. Then after she left, I spent the evening writing about 6.5 hours total.  I am up to 50 pages. I have 10 pages left to hit my minimum page count. I am well aware that this is a first draft. That I want to develop the piece out, flesh out the characters, delve a bit deeper...but it has good bones. At least, I hope it does.

My muse was chomping at the bit today but she grew tired when I hit 10:30 pm. She gave a big yawn and she told me to run along, we would do more tomorrow.  Then she drew her shade down around her chaise lounge and fell into a deep sleep. I'll let her rest for now...I hope she'll be able to manage a bit more tomorrow morning so I can finish this draft. Thursday is the deadline. Eek! Okay, the fear is starting to set in so I'm going to sign off before that beast is fed. 

Feel the fear and write anyway. 
Peace,
L~

All artwork, photos, and text © Copyright 2008-2018 Liliana Almendarez unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Liliana Almendarez.

I need a break...

You ever had one of those really shitty days at work where you start questioning your existence on this planet? Seriously!  What's the point of it all really? There has got to be a better way.  A better way of making ends meet. A better way of living a life worth living. A better way of having more time for the things I want to be doing instead of waiting until I retire in order to do them. Good g*d d**n, tonight I want something more, something different, something other than what I have at this present moment. I'm not being ungrateful. I'm just pissed off at where I am, what I'm doing, f**k sake take me off this mindless hamster wheel.

I've decided to stop swimming against the current and I'm taking myself out of the river altogether. I need to sit in quiet contemplation to calm my s**t down and find a new opportunity or create the kind of opportunity I want in my life. It might be time for me to pull up roots and start a new chapter somewhere else because this just isn't working for me tonight.

Rant over...I'm hiding under my duvet until I have a better reason to get out of bed other than my stupid day job.  Peace~

All artwork, photos, and text © Copyright 2008-2018 Liliana Almendarez unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Liliana Almendarez.

Muse on Snooze

Today, I was unable to hit my 15-page quota, my muse hit the snooze button on me.  I managed eight pages and hit a bit of a wall. As I was writing, I was hit with a big wave of emotion. There I was typing and crying through the scene. Yes, the scene actually made me cry. Big tears streaming down my face, while tip-tapping on my keyboard. And then it stopped. Just like that. Both the emotion and the words...stopped. Screeching halt. Completely blank. I thought I could force the continuation of the scene even without the emotion but then I felt like I was slogging through the scene, trying to force the words, trying to force the scene and neither worked. Bummer! I tried to go back and figure out where it went pear-shaped but I couldn't figure out what line/what made the words stop. I took a deep breath and left it there.  Sometimes you just have to know when to let go. 

All artwork, photos, and text © Copyright 2008-2018 Liliana Almendarez unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Liliana Almendarez.

Sunday afternoon in February

Let's see I've spent the day writing.  I've needed to work on a new scene/play for an upcoming deadline and I found that I have nothing to say. Isn't that strange? Me? Not have anything to say?  Seriously?  I didn't get anywhere with that piece.

I also worked on a couple of poetry pieces. I have one hanging in the draft mode on this blog. Not ready to pull the trigger on it yet. However, I did submit some new poetry pieces to an online magazine. I guess that's something right?

I've had the apartment to myself and I like the ability to stretch out without my roommate around.

I am sitting at my desk, sipping a big cup of hot earl grey tea, a small desk light on, looking out the window. The day is grey and dim but I'm feeling at peace with the world today. I'm listening to James Bay playing in the background.  Someone snap a pic, quick. It's def worth making a note here about it. Since most days I'm full of angst and worries over not getting enough writing done. Today, I am not. :-)  Time to go finish a journal entry and then dinner.  OM!
L~

All artwork, photos, and text © Copyright 2008-2018 Liliana Almendarez unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Liliana Almendarez.

you got me going

i want to share with you something more, a line, a word, a turn of phrase that reminds you of me, of a time long ago, of the time when we were glad to see each other, the time before the storms, or being in the midst of one together, we were thunder and lighting rattling the windows down, no one believes me when i speak of you, they thought you were a figment of my imagination, so let it be, let that time be just mine, and yours, just for me, just for you, behind closed doors and shuttered windows, enclosed in a space of just us, no one understands, no one was really supposed to, we were only for each other, only for a time, and in that moment...that moment was forever.


All artwork, photos, and text © Copyright 2008-2018 Liliana Almendarez unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Liliana Almendarez.

Tuesday Tidbit

A rainstorm unfolded on this Tuesday morning. My sister saw lightning, I did not. I love watching the way the sky changes. By the end of the day, the sun cut through the cloud cover, lit up oranges and yellows leaving the gray underside of the clouds awash in blue and purple hues. I didn't try to capture a pic, instead I took it in for a good long while.


All artwork, photos, and text © Copyright 2008-2018 Liliana Almendarez unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Liliana Almendarez.

Hello Out There...Is This Mic On?

It's been awhile since I last wrote on this blog. I could make up all sorts of excuses but I'll spare you the list of reasons. Let's start with a clean slate, shall we?  It's been ten years since I started this web log. As I write these words, I keep stopping to take inventory on what I want to write next. I have the song Girl Crush by Little Big Town playing in the background. It's a simple song but it makes me ache. It reminds me that this cold dead heart of mine still has a little life in her yet.

It's been raining and snowing on this cold January day and I've been home with a bit of a migraine. Darn thing sneaks up on me sometimes. Oh wait...Sade is playing now...nope, can't listen to her tonight. I've changed it over to Sam Smith's, Stay With Me.

What have I been up to?  Let's see, I'm working on an application for a Fiction grant.  Ergh. Deadline is next week and I'm almost done with the package.  All I have left to do is upload the materials to the site. I can't do it today because migraines leave me loopy and I always make the oddest mistakes. I'm holding off until I'm a bit more clear headed. Tomorrow might be a better day.

I think I wrote about my escapist fantasies late last year and it keeps popping up for me.  The one where I cash out my 401K and go traveling. Of course, I start thinking about the "stuff" in my apartment and I think, could I do it?  Could I really pick up my life and go exploring? My gypsy soul is definitely singing that tune. I know what it is...it's a real visceral need to shake up my life.  I get too comfortable and I want MORE...I want something else...I want to FEEL something more. Instead of living this lukewarm existence.

Let's see...I've booked my airline ticket and hotel to Paris. I've wanted to go to France since I was 16 years old. Even the thought of the trip has me doing cartwheels in my head. Haha. See...that's what happens when I start thinking of traveling....it's my happy place.

Here are some of my most recent recommendations:
Music:  I'm still obsessed with Johnnyswim.  I went to hear them play last month and they were fantastic live.

Movie: Shape of Water by Guillermo Del Toro

Sci-fi show: Travelers on Netflix

Books:  I've read a slew of books on my hiatus but the best one had to be The Reader by Bernhard Schlink. The story stayed with me long after I put that book down.

That's all for now, I will write more soon.
Peace,
L~

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All artwork, photos, and text © Copyright 2008-2018 Liliana Almendarez unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Liliana Almendarez.

Amalfi Coast - October 2017

gray morning

it's a gray morning and the office is quiet. i have no idea what my workload looks like because I am too busy staring out the window watching the sky. my muse is pitching a fit, cursing me out, trying to get a rise out of me. we are not on speaking terms at the moment despite her complaints. her expectations are unrelenting and the needle on my motivation is on empty. why, you ask. ideas float around the ether above my head, swirling around, tempting me, taunting me but when it's time to pin the words down on paper i find them slipping away like mercury. it's like waking up from a vivid dream, as soon as you start thinking about the details, the story escapes out the open window, never to be heard from again. my muse cries and cries wanting attention and all i do is drink wine and smoke the evening away. she threatens to leave and i shrug my shoulders and tell her, "so leave." she undresses instead and stays the night. i am neglectful, she will leave eventually and the story will wither on the vine. it's only a matter of time.




All artwork, photos, and text © Copyright 2008-2017 Liliana Almendarez unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Liliana Almendarez.