DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

    I love to watch old horror movies. The new one are most of the times a little on the gory side, but the old ones are still fun to watch. The people in these movies have no common sense. If they had, they would all survive their little escapades with hitchhikers, vampires, zombies and any monster in the local vicinity. So, I submit for your reading pleasure:   Rules To Survive Scary Encounters . When the old lady or gentleman in the inn or tavern tells you to avoid a certain place, DO IT! The locals generally know what they are talking about. Despite how late it is, drive on through. Ignore your travelling partner's yawns, snores, and protests of fatigue and keep on going. NEVER! stay at Mom and Pop hotels. The kids have been known to harbor homicidal tendencies. If, for some unforeseen reason, the car inexplicably breaks down in the middle of the night, DO NOT leave it's shelter. Stay put! Lock the doors, and if one is available, put our cell phone

     The Boi Bumbá Festival  presents myths, tales and legends using characters, parade carts and giant puppets followed by the words of a master of ceremonies who describes in detail every bit of the action.     It is an incredible musical and theatrical experience, a religious procession, a tribal ritual, a giant puppet show, a fairy tale of powerful villains and brave heroes, a folk art presentation, a major party for the audience and an energizing choreography of the  galera  (gah-le-rah), all at once. The characters in the performance come from the Boi Bumbá tale. There are two teams called  Bois  (plural of Boi). Each one tells the same story in all three night of the festival, amounting to 6 different performances of the same show. But every night is different because legends, rituals, dances, puppets, garments, alegorias, they all change and create the show anew.     There are many similar festivities in Brazil, but Parintins is the home of the biggest and mos

   Here's another great recipe I have found while surfing the net.  It comes from  www.aspicyperspective.com  .  Enjoy it with your family and friends> Fresh Strawberry Yogurt Cake Every time I take the kids berry picking, I think to myself, “I could totally do this.  I could farm …it’s hard work, but peaceful and gratifying.” Then I imagine us buying a large piece of land and reinventing our life. I envision myself in overalls and work boots, driving a tractor. That thought  always  makes me chuckle! Of course, I know nothing of farming.  I’ve never even had my own garden!  This year is the first year we are going to give it a whirl–that is, be involved in a  communal  garden. I’m hoping to learn a thing or two. I’ll let you know how it goes! I still like to pretend, as we’re picking berries, that I somehow had a part in cultivating them. I also like to believe that I’m  honoring  the berries by putting them in such lovely treats! (If that mak