Funny Slideshows

The Dove of Peace...

The Dove of Peace flies in the heavens
and feeds from Mother Earth


"Heaven whispers, Earth listens"
~
"Cielo susurra, Gaia oye"

An Old Cherokee Story

An old Cherokee is telling his granddaughter about a fight that is going on inside him. He said it is between two wolves.

One is evil ~ Anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority and ego.

The other is good ~ Joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.

The granddaughter thought about it for a minute and then asked her grandfather, "Which wolf wins?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one I feed."

Hajira ~ ''The Voice Everyone Understands''

About Don Baragiano - Hejira Music - Seattle, WA 3 3 2005 1 01 35 PM

Music – Earthy…with a Beat…A World Music Experience...
Hejira (hedge-ear-a) ~

Dedicated to Building Bridges Between Cultures Through Music...

"Other bands play songs - we create music"

Music from Hejira ~ Listen to Free Samplers:

• Hejira
• Moroccan Roll
• La Bastringue

Original musical compositions by Don Baragiano with imaginative lyrics by Danick Isabelle Jawer create a unique blend of fiery, joyful, enticing World Jazz music.
"We are more alike than we are different" is their message and is reflected in the shared thoughts, feelings and spirit common to all cultures, Worldwide.
The skillful musical artistry of Hejira delivers strong tribal World beats, fiery guitar, passionate violin and sensual vocals. Hejira's driving rhythms and exotic, enticing melodies use a blend of Middle Eastern beats, ethnic styles, jazz, blues and even rock to inspire the imagination and make your body want to move.
An experienced troupe of talented belly dancers captivate the audience with their spirited dancing in traditional festive costumes.

Instrumentation: guitar, bass, violin, keyboards, percussion, balalaika, digital guitar and more.
Hejira connects people with the spirit of sound at festivals, concerts, parties, fairs, conferences, schools, company events and other gatherings.

Concert Set List

1. Zaar Cleansing: Original composition by Don Baragiano with lyrics by Danick Isabelle Jawer inspired by the Sufi poet Rumi. Our American culture is only 250 years old… Egyptian civilization started in approx 5k BC. This Egyptian ZAAR rhythm is a dance performed to drive away evil spirits.
2. Garoon: A traditional Armenian belly dance piece with lyrics in English, French, Italian, Spanish, Polish, Turkish and Russian!
3. Malfoof Joel: An original composition by violonist Joel Gamble based on the Middle Eastern Malfoof rhythm.
4. Moroccan Roll: Original composition by Don Baragiano. This song's intention is to blend Western rock with Middle Eastern rhythms & scales. It answers the age-old question: what would it sound like if we gave a Marshall stack and a Stratocaster to an oud-playing, goat tending, mountain dwelling, Middle Eastern shepherd.
5. Al-Hambra: Original composition by Don with English and French lyrics by Danick. One cannot discuss Muslim Spain without referring to the famous Al-Hambra Palace in Granada, Spain. Moorish influences, and flamenco,too.
6. Hejira: Original composition by Don with English lyrics by Danick. Hejira means: 1, starting off on a new path or direction, 2, a flight or journey to a more pleasant or desirable place. Inspired by the 2 years Don lived in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He’d hear the minarets blasting out prayer call five times a day in their Arab minor scale.
7. Night in Budapest: Original composition by Don with French and English lyrics by Danick; A reminiscence of a past life in Eastern Europe.
8. 9/8 Karshlama: A traditional Turkish 9/8 rhythm that inspired our own melody and arrangement.
9. Katushka: A traditional Russian tune sung in Russian by Danick. The Russian Air Force in WW1 christened their bombs Katushka and would sing this song while bombing the Germans.
10. La Bastringue: A French-Canadian fiddle piece about a young lady in a village who dances all the men into exhaustion.
11. Under a Crescent Moon: Original composition by Don with English lyrics by Danick. This tune mixes Middle Eastern rhythms, open guitar chords and even 4/4 and 6/8 tempos.
12. Brazilian Breeze: Original composition by Don, French and English lyrics by Danick.
13. Love Is A Miracle: Original composition by Don with English and French lyrics by Danick. Lyrics to be available soon!

Don Baragiano ~ Guitar, bass & digital guitar
Hejira's founder, leader and principle composer. Don studied guitar at the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music, lived 2 years in Saudi Arabia studying the culture and music of the Middle East, and has played at many World Music Festivals.
Don Baragiano's eclectic style exhibits elements of Classical, Jazz, Blues, Middle Eastern, World, Fusion, Rock & Flamenco.
Don studied Classical/Jazz guitar at the University of Cincinnati's College Conservatory of Music & Northern Kentucky University.
He lived in Saudi Arabia for 2 years, and during that time was granted a private audience with their top musician, Hamzah Mohammed Al Bashir.
He has opened for John Hartford and Patty Larkin at BlissFest in U.P. Michigan, and the Klezmatics at Birmingham, AL City Stages' World Stage. He has also performed with the Folkvoice band at Seattle's NW FOLKLIFE Festival.
An accomplished musician, Don plays:

• Acoustic/Electric Guitars
• Balalaika
• Oud
• Bass
• Roland Digital Guitar Synthesizer

Prayer to Celebrate our Differences as Uniqueness

God has made all of us alike, yet different in so many ways.
People in our place of work, and in our school, come from different backgrounds.

Many of us have different customs and speak different languages.

Each and every one of us has a different way of reacting to any given situation.

We should show respect for all those who have entered our lives and accept them for who they really are - Children of God.

I've learned...

"A good friend will not come bail you out of jail...

But, a true friend will be sitting next to you saying...

WE screwed up!"

That life is like a roll of toilet paper: the closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.
That we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for.
That money doesn't buy class.
That it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.
That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.
That the Lord didn't do it all in one day. What makes me think I can?
That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.
That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.
That love, not time, heals all wounds.
That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.
That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.
That there's nothing sweeter than sleeping with your babies and feeling their breath on your cheeks.
That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.
That life is tough, but I'm tougher.
Those opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.
That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.
That I wish I could have told those I cared about that I love them one more time before they passed away.
That one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them.
That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.
That I can't choose how I feel, but I can choose what I do about it.
That when your newborn child holds your little finger in his little fist, that you're hooked for life.
That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.
That it is best to give advice in only two circumstances; when it is requested and when it is a life threatening situation.
That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.

Happy Friendship Week .... EVERY week of the year!

circleofhands 2 and 1

circleofhands2 


circleofhands1 

Picasso's ''Hand with Bouquet''

Maybe I'm an Optimist ~

In My Opinion ... Anybody who believes that Spirit is big and strong, and that all bad people can fit on the head of a pin ... is a Light-Worker

Dancing in a Circle...

at an old-fashioned family-style Wedding,

with Daddy dancing with his daughter, the Bride,

and Grandma holding a dodo for her brand-new granddaughter

her big sister holding the Groom's hands tight

dancing perfectly, standing

on his shoes waltzing round and round

... feels like this to me ...

"drawing by Picasso"

“Gaia dances in the Breath of the Heavens”

The Dove of Peaceflies in the heavens

and feeds from Mother Earth

"Heaven whispers, Earth listens’’

Paloma de la paz,

Ella vuela los Cielos y

Alimenta en Gaia de Madre

"Cielo susurra, Gaia oye’’

I wish ~

I really wish ~

All the people I liked would cooperate to make one thing wonderful all at the same time, together ...

After all,

If two heads are better than one,

Then, who knows?

The Past does not dictate The Future

The High Priestess, "The Goddess" deck

Pasado no tiene que dictar Futuro.

Nadie debe ser ido afuera en el frío.
Cuando amor prevalence, abundancia se comparte para todos.

Pero, relaje su corazón un poco sentir la belleza de su querido, y ábrase

El Curativo Divino.

Nuestro Señor no fuerza sus bendiciones cariñosas en sus niños, ni almas dulces fuerzan sus riquezas santas sobre ustad.
Como Jesús dicho ~

"Y yo os digo: Pedid, y se os dará; buscad, y hallaréis; llamad, y os será abierto.”


The High Priestess, "el Gran Esoterico" deck

I wish ~

"violet horizon"

... that I could say

the one thing

that would make everybody on this planet

happy.


"twilight pier"

"sailing at dusk"

I wish everybody who still has a spark of kid or at least a healthy bad habit of regular self-indulgence to enjoy my "Wish List" - a beginner list at best but something in there will hopefully perk you to attention. I made the list, not for me, as much as my blog mandate suggests - what I would want everybody to have and enjoy any time they wanted.


"playful clouds"

I wish ~

Everybody felt as rejuvenated as me!

"foggy sunset"

Yes, you DO have control of your lifespan, your quality of life, the unfolding of your future, the quality of life on your street ... your Planet.

No, you DON'T have to feel paralyzed and you don't have to accept feeling out-of-control ~ not of your health, nor your lifestyle, nor even your planet.

"overcast view"

I took the RealAge test over 2 years ago and the results showed my body was functioning as a person older than their chronological age. And it was right ~ I was used to dragging my achy bones around, pushing my brain to think, trying to keep my sagging spirit from a depression I don't remember NOT having.

I just finished the test for the second time. My results this time?
My calendar age is 51.7
My new RealAge is 46.3

That indicates I'm 5.4 years younger and fitter than my chronological age would have me acting and feeling ~ I worked hard to make taking caring of myself a lifestyle ~ not easy if you don't know what healthy even feels like.
And, test or no test, I FEEL at least that much younger as that RealAge Test shows, but, I still ACT like a kid.
hugs,
annemieke

"hammock in an overcast view"

I know my RealAge. Do you know yours?

Click and take the free RealAge test.

"breaking wave"

About The RealAge Test:You have been invited to join the 10 million-plus women and men who have already taken the RealAge test. Is your biological age older or younger than your calendar age?
Discover your RealAge today, and you'll also receive personalized recommendations on looking, feeling and actually becoming younger.

"drunken waves"

I wish everybody felt as serene as this lady ~

I wish we all felt inside like Picasso's lady-face in his ''War and Peace'' drawing.

I wish ~ I could give everybody an anti-fear serum

"a tropical sunset"

When we were little we used to get booster shots because we knew kids could still get Tuberculosis or Polio. One boy in our school walked crooked because he had polio and my girlfriends and me were too afraid to talk to him. Now that I'm wiser I know we weren't afraid of the boy ~ we were terrified of getting "whatever horrible thing he had that made him wobble and scared us".

"lonesome tree"

My best friend in Grade 4, Linda, used to sing a rhyme about Tuberculosis that was funny because we didn't know how serious TB was at the time. It was like Shakespeare and went something like this:

TB or not TB?
That is the question.
Consumption be done about it?
Of corpse not!

By the way, I didn't know what "Consumption" is, and I still don't because people of our generation never "got it" or saw anybody else "get it".
Likewise, if you ask a kid today if he or she knows what Polio or TB is, most of them will tell you they never heard of it, or if they did they wouldn't know anyone with that problem.

"glittering light"

If I could inoculate everybody in the world with one shot that would forever get rid of, wipe out, eradicate to the point that if you mentioned it, nobody would be old enough to remember what it was other than as a History question, it would be two sides of one thing.

"solitude darkening"

If I had all the power in the world, or if I could get God to do anything I wanted, I would make sure all fear and all anger would be wiped off the souls of every living person, that all human beings' hearts would be healed of it, and that it would not hide in our bodies to kill us like a cancer ~ with such effectiveness that even any memory of fear or anger would be wiped out of our memories by the next generation and nobody would even remember the feeling of being afraid or angry.

"halo of yellow"

Humans are lovely to look at ~ a painting ~ only live.