Friday, October 30, 2009

Torture does not equal FOOD!

I think one of the reasons for the lack of meat in many cuisines is that meat when raised properly on a proper farm is expensive. Factory farms are a disgusting practice that even the Pope has condemned. It is wrong and immoral to treat animals like that. Anyways meat has always been an expensive ingredient. That is why it was always used sparingly. Or for special occasions...not a daily thing. I don't like the taste of meat so for me I won't touch it with a ten foot pole. But for those who enjoy the taste and have given it up that is quite a sacrifice. Bravo to them!  For those who can not or will not give up meat please be mindful of where your dollars are going!  Quit supporting factory farms.  And try to eat less meat as well.  There are so many hearty and yummy dishes out there that require no meat. 

Gaby

Monday, October 26, 2009

Private Beaches

I really love having a beach all to myself.  I love it!  It is so much fun to roll around in the sand buck neked and not worry about who will see and judge... My favorite beach is on Goat Island...I can not tell you all where it is because I don't want everyone to go there...that would ruin the point!

But the sand there is white and soft like baby powder and warm from the sand...so nice!

Enjoy nature!

Gaby

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Amazed at how AWESOME the USA is...

Did you know that in this country you can start out with nothing and work your way up the ladder and really become something...? I remember when I went on food stamps that right next door they had this center with free internet and a post board filled with job openings...sure they were entry level jobs but god..they were jobs! There are so many ways to get ahead in this country. You might have to work your ass off to get ahead but so what!!!? What else are you going to do!?

Did you know that there are TONS of farms across the country that will give you a place to stay and food in exchange for work? TONS!!! That is a great option for people who love the outdoors and being part of something great! There are also many different types of communes that you can join, work and enjoy life...not all of them are filled with lazy or crazy religious crap. Many of them are awesome these days and utilize alternative energy sources... so what I am saying is there are many ways to contribute to society while enjoying your life. You just need to search them out and be willing to work!
This country is an amazing place filled with compassion and reasons to really live.

During my book tour I will also be filming a documentary on the beautiful and free recreational things to do. Hikes, hot springs, mountains, lakes. I am going to show off the USA...the land of my ancestors in a way that showcases the beauty of these great lands...and if you don't appreciate the US and everything it has to offer then get the fuck out and go some where else!

 

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Being Driven and Organized.

I am so driven that some times I drive myself nuts!


But on the other hand I wonder why everyone is not more driven. Why are people willing to settle? I don't mean that you have to make a lot of money to be successful. But you have to be happy with what you do for work to be successful. Even if you have to work harder and smarter to get where you really want to be…why would you not put out the effort? You only live once. So live well!

Also why are people ok with being disorganized? I can't stand it. I have to have my closet perfect, my things organized and at the same time if I don't need or want something it is out of here. Why keep something you don't need!?

The bottom line, I would rather be driven and organized than lazy and sloppy. You can be happier with less. I am!

Gaby

Friday, October 23, 2009

Trust and Money

Trust And Money




To be able to trust in others even though you have been burned in the past. I guess I just want to believe in humanity. I want to believe that the majority of people are good. I know there are bad people out there but I think that the majority want to be good.



In general people who can trust are trustworthy. For a while I felt stupid for wanting to be able to trust people even though I have not always had the best luck with people. The major problem was me not listening to my intuition. And not really taking the time to get to know people. My flaw was that I was always so eager to live life that I was never really looked before I leaped... but that is the difference between now and my past.



I vow to continue to be a trusting person but before I leap I will take the time to check people out. Take a breath and evaluate what it is that the other person wants from me and why they want it. That does not mean that I no longer trust in others it just means that I will check things out first before I make decisions. And I will do this because I do not want to have to start over again from scratch when I am 40!



I will keep my money mine from now on. Be very frugal and set myself up well. Never again will I rush into a relationship and trust that person with my money. Because I don't think that I have to share EVERYTHING with some one just to prove that I trust them.



Perhaps that is what growing up is all about. Learning to take the time before you jump into something. Yet at the same time keeping grounded and making sure you are doing what is necessary to keep yourself taken care of.



Really I don't want to be reliant on a man for money. I have always made money and I enjoy working for myself. However I do expect a man I am with to be successful and to be working towards a goal. I want to enjoy life. Go places, do things. Not everything I want to do requires tons of money to make it happen. But if I want to do something in particular that costs money and the man I am with can not make it happen then I am sorry, I am better off alone! I am not having any more kids. There is no reason for me to have to settle. I just want to enjoy life and do what I want. I have been through enough to know that I deserve to live my life in a way that makes me happy.



I like to set up my life like it is a perpetual vacation. Yes I work everyday even on weekends. But each day I give myself permission to do what I want for a couple of hours. It could be a walk and a swim at the waterfalls, jumping off the tower at coconut Island or reading books at Borders. None of these activities require me to open up my purse and spend money. Which I like. In the past year I had to learn how to live on nothing.



So now being more frugal just means that I will be able to retire one day in a cute little cottage some where. The location I am not set on but the front runners at this time are... Faial, Greece and obviously Hawaii. Perhaps I would like to migrate with the seasons. Spend winters in Hawaii and Summers in Faial.



To be really happy for me is simple, I love to garden and grow my own food, cook, paint, draw, read, write and dance! I don't need a big house to make that happen in. I am little. I am like a hobbit. I am perfectly happy in a small cottage so long as I can take a hot bath when ever I want.



I am heading back to the mainland soon, so that I can sell tons of my books. I plan on living very frugally and saving every dollar that I can. So that I can ultimately give myself the life I want. Without compromise. There will be no compromise...what ever makes me happy is the most important because only then can I make others happy and be the humbled Queen that I now am.

Gaby

Azorean-"What is that!?"

Most people want to know what my ethnic background is.  When I tell them that I am half Azorean a lot of people do not know what that is.  The Azores are really a melting pot.


The first settlers were a mixed group of people from the Portuguese provinces of Algarve and Minho. Also, Madeirans, Moorish prisoners, black slaves, French, Italians, Scots, English, and Flemings were among the early settlers. There were petty criminals, Spanish clergy, Jews, soldiers, government officials, European merchants and sugar cane growers.

So there you have it...this is half of what I am.  Half of...everything!  No wonder I always feel like I fit in everywhere I go!

This is where I get my dark skin and hazel eyes but still have a natural honey brown hair that gets sunbleached in the sun!  A good percentage of the population in the Azores have beautiful hazel or green eyes with dark skin.  And the hair varies from very dark and kinky to very light and straight. 

The history of the Azores is very rich, the food is good and fresh.  I love the Azores.  I feel so at home there.  I would be happy to live the rest of my life there!  It is beautiful with a nice climate, similar to Santa Barbara California. 

If you ever get the chance and especially if you are a photographer you should really check it out!  SO BEAUTIFUL!
Gaby

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Starting all over again at age 30

I never thought I would start my life over at age 30... starting over from scratch is a very humbling experience. For one thing I did need to be humbled. I know when the money was pouring in that I walked around like the Queen of the world. I know for a fact that I was guilty of acting superior to all mere mortals. And when you find your sorry ass in line for food stamps you get humbled really quickly! I'm not the sort of girl who has ever been afraid of working...as long as it was for myself. I am my own best boss. I know how to work smart and I know how to work hard. I will continue the rest of my life as an entrepreneur. It is what I like and I am sticking to it.




It is so funny how you can think you have everything in life and the rug gets pulled out from under your feet. But at this point I have really made piece with it because I have come to the point where I realize that it all really happened for a good reason.



I did not grow up thinking "Oh yeah I’m going to write a book about how to eat on the cheap!" Nope not my life long goal HOWEVER



Previous to my book I was running travel sites that were funded solely off of advertising dollars and right now... NO ONE is buying advertising...and before that I spent years painting and selling my artwork...in the form of originals and prints. And right now NO ONE is buying artwork. I had temporarily taken a leave of absence from my art so that I could MAKE THE BIG BUCKS on advertising...and boy did I ever! I was making so much money that my eyes nearly went cross-eyed! I could go out to eat where ever I wanted, buy what ever I wanted and do what ever I wanted...just like a Queen!



But when you trust the person you are married to and they leave you for a former Playboy bunnie and take all the money with them... you must start on over in life! Just a note the former Playboy bunnie and my ex have each gained a lot of weight...I on the other hand have lost a lot of weight. Weird…!



Starting over is a lot like a blank canvas...when you have nothing you have nothing to loose. So I wrote my book, "How to Feed A Family Of 4 on $25- A Week! (no coupons)" And the fact that this recession is preventing people from buying art is in a way a good thing for me because it has forced me to focus ALL of my time and energy into my book. And right now I am just in Promo mode. Which is what I am best at. I am good at selling things. But its not like my book is a hard sell. It sort of sells itself. It has a lot going on.



But I know this time around I have really changed my outlook on life. Instead of just selling the book to make money it is my true intention that the book goes to people who will really benefit from it. I hope that this book means something to people. That it gives them hope. And that they benefit from shopping at the Farmers Markets and cooking for themselves like I have. If you can have less money but your health can benefit from being more conservative then perhaps this recession has some sort of benefit to it.



Some times we don’t want to change. But in our hearts we know we need to. I was forced to change. I did not want too. I did not want to take the high road...I was forced too. But I know in my heart that I have made the most of everything. And at this point in time I can say that I no longer hate god for turning my life upside down. But thank the lord that he never stopped loving me. I am not saying the road has been easy, last year was the darkest year of my life. But the future is looking so bright...I have to wear shades...I have to wear shades!

XOXO

Gaby

Welcome to my new blog!

The old ones I had were so dated...I have lost weight, started a new career as an Author and had alot of adventure along the way.  So I wanted to start over with a new blog.  I do enjoy writting so I hope people will enjoy reading...!