Anouchka Talks

"Forgiveness is an act of consciousness." - Yogi Tea Bag The Holy Family as part of the elaborate Creche Notre Dame de Paris (cathedral) in Paris, France mindfulness, bitches: quotes and images that remind me of the important things...with just the right amount of profanity to keep it from getting sappy

"Happiness is actually an art of living, which is in us." - Yogi Tea Bag A street artist, the day after Saint Patrick's Day in Dublin, Ireland mindfulness, bitches: quotes and images that remind me of the important things...with just the right amount of profanity to keep it from getting sappy

Recently, someone very dear to me made some racist remarks. Because of my affection for this person and the value that I place in our relationship, these comments were particularly stinging. This is certainly not the first time this person has said such things, knowing full well that I am of mixed heritage, but most of the time, I choose to ignore these words in an effort to maintain the peace. Some arguments don’t deserve my attention. I know that this is not the first time I have written about my frustrations with race and ethnicity here, but there are a few things that have continued to resurface in recent weeks that have got me feeling all the feelings again. I wish I could clearly articulate these feelings to you, but unless you have experienced bigotry or under-representation yourself, it’s hard to describe. When I was in my mid-twenties, the US Census came around and was getting some mild coverage in the news. On a particular NPR show that I was listening to at the tim...

"Live righteously and love everyone; you will build up around you an aura of light and love." -Yogi Tea Bag Silverthorne, Colorado, USA mindfulness, bitches: quotes and images that remind me of the important things...with just the right amount of profanity to keep it from getting sappy

“Be giving, forgiving, compassionate, and loving.” - Yogi Tea Bag Does anything personify (or rather, “caninify”) these characteristics better than a dog? My sweet puppy, Lacey. {RIP Brown Dog} mindfulness, bitches: quotes and images that remind me of the important things...with just the right amount of profanity to keep it from getting sappy

"You are equally as beautiful as the universe." -Yogi Tea Bag Wild flowers growing horizontally out the side of the historic citadel in  Besançon, France mindfulness, bitches: quotes and images that remind me of the important things...with just the right amount of profanity to keep it from getting sappy

"Everlasting impact with compassion and kindness is called love." - Yogi Tea Bag Chamonix, France mindfulness, bitches: quotes and images that remind me of the important things...with just the right amount of profanity to keep it from getting sappy

Well it has certainly been awhile since I last graced your presence, eh?  A lot has been going on in my personal and professional life.  I won't bore you with all of the details, but suffice it to say that I am very busy and important.  Let's talk espionage... ...or not, because that has nothing to do with it. It seems that 2018 ended without much of a bang in my household.  Don't get me wrong, it was a great year!  We celebrated birthdays, anniversaries, went to Disney World, ate at a few fancy restaurants, et cetera. Yes, et cetera.  (You want more, look up the month-by-month.) However I still owe you for new things in December.  Honestly, I didn't keep track much.  I was too busy enjoying the holidays the way we were are meant to enjoy them! The first new thing to enter my stratosphere in December was Mrs. Meyer's Orange Clove Dish Soap . Try to hearken all the way back to November (would have been December when I repo...

I've been craving a getaway lately.  It's really been on my mind.  Like a lot .  Alas, as I cannot afford any such trip, I have decided to go through some of my old photos in a pathetic attempt to drum up old feelings of excitement and adventure to remind myself that I used to be interesting.  Here is one of my favorite images of my former life. Welcome to the Mediterranean Sea on the French Riviera.   Though I have never been sailing in my life, it would be hard to pass up this sparkling, azur view: blue, as far as the eye can see.  (Ribbers would be supremely geeked as he often shouts, to total strangers, " MY FAVORITE COLOR IS BEE-LOOOOOOO!!!! ")  Plus, the bouillabaisse  is bitchin' in the south of France.

Have you ever woken up one morning to find that you are someone else?  I don't mean in the literal sense, of course.  Obviously I have never woken up in Oprah's pant suit or Nicholas Cage's toupee .  I guess I mean this:  Have you ever reflected on how much you have changed in a given amount of time, but you have no recollection of the transformation process? Allow me to expand.  I recently had a strange weekend.  It started with a colleague of mine asking me if I'd be able to do an interview for a French-Canadian radio station about my views on the economic recession of 2008.  With zero background in economics, I hesitantly agreed to help...mainly because she had already given the producer my contact information.  The following day, a reporter showed up at my house, interviewed my family, and recorded our conversations as I prepared a roast and homemade apple pie for a dinner with friends that night. This, my friends, is how I turned into a...

I felt like God was welcoming me to Sevilla by sending TWO rainbows! Sevilla (Seville), Spain

Something to warm you up as we dive head first into January:   just another summer day in Grey, Iowa

The center of La Cr èche (the Nativity) at Notre Dame de Paris  is surrounded by other santons  (little saints) and people of the community (i.e. the butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker...).  The display fills the sanctuary. Un sapin de Noël  in front of Notre Dame de Paris Un chat  framed by Christmas decorations on a snowy afternoon in Rochejean (French-Swiss border) Le Père  Noël (Father Christmas/Santa Claus) climbs a wall in Rochejean (French-Swiss border). La Grande Rue (Main Street) is rainy, but decked out in decorations for Christmas in Besançon.

Roaming the streets of Spain's exquisite capital city, Madrid

Whew!  It has been a busy month!  Correction:  It has been a lazy  month.  Prepping for Hulk/Annyong's arrival in December has taken quite a lot out of me and, as a result, I have been neglecting a lot of things.  In fact, here are a few things that have fallen by the wayside since my last post: Writing and posting on Anouchka Talks Anything not involving  New Girl, Breaking Bad,  Parks and Recreation  or Christmas music Regular showering Vegetables Keeping up with long distance friends and family via email and/or Facebook Wearing my retainer (Shut up.  Bet my teeth are straighter than yours, you old hag.) Baking/making ridiculous amounts of dessert Imaginary band practice for my imaginary band, The Backyard River Shrimp (Buy our album on iTunes in Novembruary) Herb processing/dehydrating for the winter To give you an idea of how this pregnancy has taken over our lives, let me tell you what Habibi and I did to celebrate our...

A frozen lake in Switzerland, near the French border

Street Lamps and Firsts... This photo was taken when I was collecting images of street lamps from around the world. On our first major trip together, Habibi and I went to Chicago, IL , where this lamp is located.

One side France, the other side Switzerland!  Can't tell which?  Why should I? The Jura region (foothills to the Alps), France

Habibi took this one of the balcony of our first apartment.  The apartment was abysmal, but  this view was breathtaking. Midwest, USA

Saint Charles Bridge , Prague, Czech Republic A stunningly romantic (and be-pickpocketted) location by night. Truly an unforgettable atmosphere.