Gendarme, Paris

                                                              Gendarme
                           Painting in oil on canvas,  24" x 36",  1986 by June Pascal
This is one of my favorite paintings, the uniform of the gendarme was still the long black cape no longer in use at the present.

                         The Gypsy Circus, An oil painting by June Pascal 24" x 36" 1986,  Evry, France

                                               When did we stop playing like children?
                                                When we ran out of time?
                                                 But time is all we have.
                                                  We might as well be like children.        by June Pascal

How Are You, My Friend?

      How are you, my friend?
      How goes it. your broken heart?
      Are you still in Limbo,
      Or have you moved to Paradise?

As for me, I am here.
At peace, almost bliss,
By myself, with no he.
I am in Paradise.

     Do I get lonely, no, not at all.
     Id take this pen in hand to touch you
     ten thousand miles away.

How are you my friend?
How goes our days in a twinkle.
Let us be happy the rest of our lives,
Be one big ball of burning love,
Blazing like the sun.
First loving Self,

Then Everyone.

Further Adventures of Psyche in Pursuit of Happiness

 "
""               Further Adventures of Psyche in Pursuit of Happiness

Once upon time there was a beautiful girl named Psyche. Her husband was Eros, another beauty. Everybody is beautiful in this story. Even Eros" mom was a known beauty, why in fact she was
none other than Aphrodite, the head Goddess of Love and Beauty.
When Eros brought Psyche to his kingdom, he said to his new bride, "Psyches, this here my kingdom
is your home. Here, you will have everything you will want and desire. Only one rule. Do not attempt to look at my face, to see me, not even a peep. I will come to your bed at night if you so desire me, but when I do, do not look at my face. All will be fine as long as you follow that rule. Otherwise, let's enjoy ourselves and so they did.

One year pass, Psyche's  sisters come for a visit. Trouble begins. Honeymoon over. Upon learning that Psyche was forbidden to see her husband"s face, the meddlesome sisters advised their sweet innocent sister  who in the past year was cavorting in happiness with Eros, told her to creep in quietly at night when Eros is sleeping and with an oil lamp softly lighting his face, she can see for herself if he was a monster or  a regular guy with issues. Both Wrong. He was the most beautiful man she has ever laid eyes . She so fell in love with him that in her shock , she accidentally spilled hot oil of the lamplight on the sleeping Eros who wakes up startled , sees what has happened and yells at the wife and says," I told you once, I told you a thousand times, do not attempt to look at my face. So now, I must leave and leave you I must." so off he goes, back to his Mom's to continue his sleep ; leave it to Mom to deal with the crying Psyche. Mama"s boy, oh yes, he was.

Next morning, here is Psyche having a heart to heart  talk with the mom-in-law."  I'm so so sorry that I did that. My sisters told me to do so. Please I'll do anything for him to return to me. Please help me, sweet and beautiful mother ." she pleads and cries. Aphrodite,  then says, "Awright, already. I will help you. But first, the classical but, you have to do me some errands,tasks,  chores, if you will. First chore for the day, "You see that granary over there as she points to a  granary nearby?' Psyche nods.  " I need for you to put it in order. All the grains, wheat, corn,  rice,millet, they're all in a mess. Separate them and put them in their own bags. You have until tomorrow.

"Oh shoot" our heroine wails. "What am I going to do? " and sits down to cry. Well, tears work.
An ant hears her crying, asks her, Psyche, why are you crying? She explains between sobs her
predicament. The ant says to her, "Not to worry, help will be here. "Head ant then calls on the entire army of ants to get on with the job and by morning, all done, spic and span. She's so happy. Runs to the Mom-in-law and proudly says All done." "Very good, Im so impressed.,"  Aphrodite smiles at her to give encouragement, as Love would do.

Here is the second task , Mom, now in a more serious tone tells our girl, "I want you to bring me the hair of the Golden Ram" Easier said than done. This was a ferocious being, would hurt anyone in his way. Again, she sits by the grass and gets scared by the second at having to face the beast and starts to wail, "What to do, what to do, what.s a girl to do"?  A swan passes by and tells her, You don"t have confront and fight the ram.At night he leaves his lair passing by a low bush and when he"s gone, gather the hair underneath the thorny bush and there you have it."Swan cooly glides away."Thanks" P. calls out. So with the good advise, girl hero gathers said golden hair, brings it back to the palace just in time
for a mango breakfast with Mom-in law. "Oh what a night i had. P.takes a deep sigh upon the bed.
"Tell me about it", Mom is ready to listen, as Love does.

Third and final task, "I want you to fill this phial with water from t he river Styx. Bring it back full."
With this mission on mind, Psyche heads for the river holding on to her two tokens given to her by a complete stranger wearing a black hooded gown who told her as he gave it to her, Here, take this two tokens.Do not give it to anyone. You will need this for yourself. When you get to the river's edge, you will need one to pay the ferryman, another on the way back. There will be beggars coming at you asking for help and alms, do not give your token away. That is for you to complete your task. Good that our girl listens, with phial of fresh water from the river Styx, she presents it to the goddess of Love who puts two drops of the magic potion in her eyelids upon sleeping and told the young girl, you did good work, take a rest and when you wake up, everything will be alright. Next morning, psyche wakes into the loving arms of Eros without the veil, without the rules and they all lived happily ever after.

In real time, here are the three tasks we need to accomplish ourselves in our journey to self fruition
First task; The cereals stand for past history, family, education, culture, learning ,habits, vices, loves. Put them all in perspective and prioritize. This way, you will be more clear where you will want to put your  time and energy to. Chase a dream, no matter how big or small, fun is in the chase.

The hair of the ram signifies power . As a woman, in achieving ones dreams, can have an array of
charm, beauty in spirit, body , feminine intelligence , mothering instincts , craft and talents to rightfully claim their own power.

As for the tokens, that's the safe money you need for your own use and pleasure. For the old age, for your development, your own passions and interest, for your health and peace of mind, your own needs
to be happy with your lot. Good news is as we get older, the less we need to make us happy.Don't forget to be good to yourself, remember, if you are not happy, nobody around you will be happy. End of story.

Christian and Myself in Central Park

                
                                         "Central Park" oil on canvas, 24"x30" 1984 by June Pascal
More about parenting: One of the best and easiest lesson in parenting that I got was from my own son Christian who at seven told me, "Mom,"he said, "Do not hit me, do not call me names, do not embarrass me in front of my friends. It is not fair that just because you are bigger and older than I am that you can do all those things to me." I looked at him for a second and answered " I think you are right. From now on. we are friends." From that point on, being a Mom became the easiest job in the world. Give respect, you g et respect. Give love, you get love. Easy as pie. Simple as logic.

Oriental Princess

                                          Devon, oil on canvas, 8"x12" by June Pascal

This here is a small portrait of a most remarkable little girl when she was young. One day, her Mom
tells me that at one point of scolding Devon for being naughty, the child turns to the mother and says
"Do not hit me. You know why? Before I was born, I had a choice of mothers to whom I can be born to. And of all the mothers I can choose from, I chose you. You know why.? Because I knew that you will love me take care of me and  keep me from harm." So, what do you say to that?

Now, really, if you think about it, that kind of makes sense. For me, it does. One can choose the set of parents you get born to. Sort of design your own karma. I think I chose mine well. I hope my children
think so too.  With good parents, half the battle is won.

Breakdancing

              
                                            "   Breakdancing  " an oil painting by June Pascal, 24" x 36"  1986

Kids on the block threw a big cardboard in the middle of a street fair, somebody came up with a boom box
and it's a party. While Christian, my son spins, the other boys patiently await their turn on the cardboard.
These boys are now all grown up with families of their own and life goes on, though not as much fun
as when they were young and Breakdancing in the streets.

How To Drink Water

                                                 How To Drink Water
        Step 1,  Save three of your emptied wine bottles , rinse and dry.
        Step 2    Fill it up with New York tap water filtered  through Brita-like system. It is just as good as  
                      bottled water if not better because it is free.
        Step 3  Drink all the water throughout the day, lots of it during the first three hours in the morning
                    and before bedtime.

 Congratulations. You have now fulfilled your required eight to ten glasses of water a day.You have now heeded what your body needs, your body needs that water, pure, plain, simple water at room temperature,
no ice, the warmer the better only because if the water is pure, it dan go ahead and do its amny functions without the body having to deal with all the additives in the liquid like alcohol, caffeine, sugar, coloring,
etc, etc,

Pure water, drank copiously acts as a flush in our entire system just like the streets in Madrid are cleaned
with strong water hoses every night, cleaning our entire digestive system, carrying out  toxins and waste products.

According  to a study on the effects of dehydration, here is a partial list of illnesses highly preventable
by the simple act of drinking water;  Heartburn, arthritis, back pain, angina, migraine, colitis,asthma,,
early adult diabetes, cholesterol, depression, muscular dystrophy, multiple schlerosis, , etc.

When you start producing mucus especially in the morning it means you are dehydrated in a cellular level. How so? The body's prompt response to thirst is to flood the lung sacs with mucus to prevent the thin membrane of the lung sacs from drying and tearing, an irreparable and painful condition. Pay attention to these first signs of runny noses to prevent further complications of having an overload of
mucus in your system like colds, cough, broncho-pneumonia, flu.

When feeling constipated, drink plenty of water. End of story.

Make it a habit to take a water bottle with you each time you leave the house. Fill it up at home. It will be
free, cost you nothing, you save your dollar and it is better for the environment.

When you eat salty food,  you become thirsty. Salt is dehydrating as in salted dried fish.Thus the salted peanuts in the bar.Drink extra amount of water when snacking on salty foods. But no, we drink beer, alcohol, soda to the delight of the bartender, to the ddistress of the body.

Hydro-therapy for high blood pressure goes like this; The first three hours you are up in the morning, take no solids, only four glasses of water. Do this for a month to lower your high blood pressure.

Use water to change your mood from dark to light instantly , by doing some of these tricks::
  1. Splash your face and neck with hot water, then very cild. Do it again and again until you get bored,        youll be a new person when you dry up.
  2. Do the same with your feet as well. Some people put ice in the cold bucket  just for the fun of it.
  3. Have a hot soak, as hot as possible. If feeling achy and  heavy, pour a box of Epsom salt.
  4. Use ice cubes to wash your face, guaranteed picker-upper.
  5, Steamed hot towels, anyone? Great before and after meals and flight.
  6. Hold a bowl or a large cup of hot water, tea or soup. Cup your hands around it. The heat you feel
      in your ten finger tips will travel directly to your heart and as we know, heat expands, cold contracts
      causing your heart to be warmed over, causing you to relax.

If you must have flavoring in your water, lemon, ginger, maple syrup, cayenne pepper, apple cider
vinegar have been known to have beneficial effects.

Close your eyes as you slowly drink water. Concentrate on the sensation of the flow of water starting from the mouth, to throat , to esophagus all the way to the stomach. Zen at its best.With your eyes closed
thank the universe thhat you have water to drink because many more people in the world do not have it.

                                Water is the elixir of life,
                                Water is your friend.
                                 Drink up, Drink up.
                                Water oh so pure, so pleasurable.
                                 Mmmmmm, Ahhhhhhh.







                        
                  

  

                    

Why I Love New York City 2

New York is a kid friendly city. The whole city becomes their own playground. Countless parks offer sanctuary to both children and adults. My favorite park is the Riverside Park which is two blocks away.

It has an esplanade alongside the Hudson River and it is always a simple pleasure to take a stroll, skate, scoot, bike , run or just to sit and watch the boats go by. I prefer it to Central Park because of the river.

There is also a string of playing fields for playing team sports and tennis courts, running tracts and a marina. A bike lane runs through it all the way to Bowling Green.

School kids use the city as their open school. They are always on the go, field trips only a subway ride away, Artistic stimulation abounds wether it is music, dance, theater etc. Work as well is not alien to them.

They model, act, perform and attend auditions. They have lots of friends to hang out with , their social skills honed in the process. When I see a group of school kids, I see them laughing and just happy to be with each other. I am so glad my sons grew up in this city. Getting a driver's license at 16 was never an issue . As a result, one less worry for me thinking how they are doing on the road.

How do I love thee, New York? I love thee through my senses. My taste buds for one. With all the food

glorious food in the city, fresh, whole, exotic, strange delicacies available in plenty, I am in heaven.I know we are in the top of the food chain because of the hundreds of big trucks coming into the city everyday bearing produce from farms all over the world and locally as well, from the green markets, to the restaurant week, , food shows at the Javits, restaurants by the thousands, Chinatown, Zabar's, Fairway, Whole Foods,

it never stops. I just wish we had a 24 hour noodle shop or night markets like in Asia.

Why I Love New York City

 New York City has been home for me for almost thirty five years. Each time I travel out, the final leg of the trip which is coming home becomes the most exciting part of my journey. I have arrived., safe and sound.
  Unromantic as it may sound but I think the subway system makes this city as dynamic as it is. I like the fact that when it was built more than a hundred years ago, the powers that were had the ideal to make it fair  to all passengers wether coming from Queens or Brooklyn into Manhattan to pay the same price. It is not so in Paris or London or D.C. Fare increases as distance traveled increases. Presently, our $2.25 is still a bargain. For one token, I can go to the beach. I can also go to Queens to be with the Greeks or Indians or eat Filipino food. For a token, I can be in Brooklyn and feel like a tourist especially in Brighton Beach, come home with souvenirs like caviar , blintzes and gold painted tea cups. When I have an unlimited weekly train and bus card, I feel like the city is mine 24/7. Because of the subway, New Yorkers can party with impunity. There is no last train to catch. no cars to drive. As a host of a party, you can invite everybody you know across the city, and know that guests can come without much ado. When they leave, drunk or not, the train operator is their designated driver. Because of the subway system, New Yorkers
can blissfully exist without a car. No parking, tickets, insurance, mortgage, gas, etc. We've been living green for the longest time. Because of the subway system,  you can be as professional as you want to be.
When you have an appointment, you can be there on time. No traffic to blame.
   Most of my out of town friends and guests never fail to be mesmerized by the sheer raw energy of the city's  population. Standing in one corner on Broadway, a first time visitor's jaw just drops at the sight of thousands of people scurrying to and fro, "I've seen more people in a minute here than a year in Australia."
I like it that most of the local population are generally friendly, down to earth and proactive in their lives.
                                         -  to be continued-

In Florence, I saw this FiveWomen. Took a picture and

here's the image. Done in oil on canvas, size 18' by 24".1984

Feli from Barcelona

Pirna is an old city in Germany untouched by the last war.

Another New York City

                                   Another New York City

       If it is true that there could be

                                               another form of life

                out there light years away,

                                               I can't ever imagine

                          Another New York City 

             

DIY Fashion-#2

Dear Friends, Thanks very much for the encouragement. It is warming to the heart. It guides me to stay on course. So for today, I will teach you  how to make yourself  this cute spring jacket. It is so easy that you'll be  done in no time at all. Then you will make another one. And another..

1. Dig out from your wardrobe light wool sweaters that you will sacrifice to the chopping board.
   
2. Make sure you have a pair of sharp scissors.
   
3. Lay the sweater flat on the table or floor.
   
4.  Cut open in the middle, from the front to the waist.
   
5.  Cut off sleeves at least 8 inches from the wrist. This pair, you can use as pockets.  To make pockets, sew together the edge where you did the cutting from the inside so when you turn it inside-out, you have a pair which again you can decorate if you wish. Attach pockets in place, making sure you leave two top sides of the sleeve free to allow two  compartments per pocket. One for the cell phone, another for the Ipod. 
   
6.  Attach ribbons near the neckline if you want to be able to close your jacket.
   
7.  Now, because it is wool, you do not have to secure the edges with a binding. It will not unravel.

            There you go, happy spring cleaning.

DIY Fashion

Designing and sewing clothes is one of my favorite activity. I also want to inspire others to do the same because it really is a lot of fun with all possibilities of being lucrative. I'm  talking about recycling, about recession fashion. 

I will take for granted that you know how to run a straight line in an ordinary sewing machine. If you do not have a sewing machine, perhaps an aunt or a neighbor or grandma does. I will also assume that someone has taught you how to use a needle and thread and that you can do hemming and stitching. If so, then you are ready.

Pick a suit, any suit that you want to work with - fresh from your closet or from the thrift shop. Pick a fabric about a yard and a half long for your skirt. This is where the fun is, you get to choose the fabric weight, the color and the design of the skirt. Wool, velvet, upholstery fabrics are heavy weight, cotton, taffeta are middle weight while silk and chiffon are lightweight. You choose the length (above the knee, below, mid-calf) and the volume of the skirt (straight, pleated, or shirred). Save a few inches for your hemline which you will hand stitch at the end. After making the skirt the same width as the bottom of the suit, attach together by hand stitching. Make sure it is double stitched for strength and stability.

You may add embellishments (buttons, pockets, lace, applique, jewelry, embroidery, etc.) for an upbeat look. Check all the finishing touches, iron out all wrinkles and voila, you got mail.

I, a living breathing artist, declare that to create something out of nothing but sheer will and imagination is one of the greatest pleasures ever known to man, or at least to me.  It is better than sex I promise you that. It gets you higher than any drugs. You can do it 24/7.

When I create I feel alive, electric and almost omnipotent. Time stands still. The outside world ceases to exist. It is only me and my medium. We engage in the process. A conversation ensues which is the main source of the pleasure. The end product of that pleasure is the artwork that I've just given birth to. It's alive and it has personality, my brainchild, so to speak. 

I believe that we are all creative beings, that we all have a right to experience the act of creating. The lucky ones recognize this within themselves at an early age and just rolls with it. Life suddenly offers more options. Think Justin Bieber.  Some deny it and settles down to sleep with the enemy, mediocrity and frustration. If you don't exercise your creativity it will eat you up in many ways.

"Why do we do art?", I ask.  "Because it is the only sane thing to do." an artist friend answers.