2015. New Year's Resolution: Optimism!

La mulți ani în noul an! 

Toate cele bune cu multă, multă sănătate, prosperitate și bucurii pentru 2015! Să auzim, mereu, numai și numai de bine, cu drag pentru frumosul din suflete, din cotidian și in diversitatea din jurul nostru!

All the best in the new year! 

All the best with plenty of good health, prosperity and happiness for 2015! And let's hear, always, only and only about well -  with love and joy for the beauty of our souls - in the daily routine and in the diversity that lies around us!

Arhiva foto privată/ Private photo archive.

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Source/credit of video & info below: Internet.

Definitions of optimism
noun
hopefulness and confidence about the future or the successful outcome of something.
"the talks had been amicable, and there were grounds for optimism"
synonyms: hopefulness, hope, confidence, buoyancy, cheer, cheerfulness, good cheer, sanguineness, positiveness, positive attitude
the doctrine, especially as set forth by Leibniz, that this world is the best of all possible worlds.
"His early optimism was soon overshadowed by a radical doctrine of grace."

Translations of optimism
noun: optimism
optimism, hopefulness, buoyancy

To all of you:

Un an nou fericit! Happy New Year in 2015!
                                 
         Once again:
Have a positive and awesome year of 2015! 
Be joyful, amazing and never give up to smile! 
Stunning things are all over! 

                                            Stay positive, today, tomorrow and always! 

                                            Rămâi pozitiv, astăzi, mâine și întotdeauna!

Gladly shared with:

Miercurea fara Cuvinte, 

Our World 
Viewing Nature with Eileen
Nature Notes

Almost wordless... Still chilly?...

Chili peppers or recipes for a mix of autumn colors...
Ardei iute sau rețete pentru o combinație de culori de toamnă ...

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Sursa/Source of video: Internet

Eastern Europe Braces for a Cold, Snowy Winter

Definitions of cool
adjective
of or at a fairly low temperature.
"it'll be a cool afternoon"
synonyms: chilly, chill, cold, bracing, brisk, crisp, fresh, refreshing, invigorating, nippy
verb
become or cause to become less hot.
"we dived into the river to cool off"
synonyms: chill, refrigerate
noun
a fairly low temperature.
"the cool of the night air"
synonyms: chill, chilliness, coldness, coolness

Still chilly.  For a mix of feelings you can say: where's that "cool" summer?
Încă rece. Un amestec de sentimente, încât poți spune: unde e acea vară... "cool"?

Stay positive, today, tomorrow and always! 
Rămăi pozitiv, astăzi, mâine și întotdeauna!

Gladly shared with

Our World Tuesday,
Nature Notes with Michelle
Miercurea fara Cuvinte,
Wordless Wednesday
Wordless on Tuesday,
Wednesday Around The World

De gustibus. Spaghetti "ca acasă".

        Simple way to start the week with an homemade recipe. This recipe is known worldwide and the ingredients used are various from season to season, from taste to taste, from kitchen to kitchen... 

So, I hope that everyone knows some interesting things about this subject. 

For instance: "Spaghetti is a long, thin, cylindrical pasta of Italian origin. Spaghetti is the plural form of the Italian word spaghetto, which is a diminutive of spago, meaning "thin string" or "twine".

Spaghetti is made of semolina or flour and water. Italian dried spaghetti is made from durum wheat semolina, but outside of Italy it may be made with other kinds of flour. Traditionally, most spaghetti was 50 cm (20 in) long, but shorter lengths gained in popularity during the latter half of the 20th century and now spaghetti is most commonly available in 25–30 cm (10–12 in) lengths. A variety of pasta dishes are based on it, from spaghetti alla Carbonara or garlic and oil to a spaghetti with tomato sauce, meat and other sauces." Excerpts from Wikipedia.

From Did You Know Category:

History and origins:

On wikipedia it is said: "Pasta in the West may first have been worked to long, thin forms in Sicily around the 12th century, as the Tabula Rogeriana of Muhammad al-Idrisi attested, reporting some traditions about the Sicilian kingdom. The popularity of pasta spread to the whole of Italy after the establishment of pasta factories in the 19th century, enabling the mass production of pasta for the Italian market.

In the United States around the end of the 19th century, spaghetti was offered in restaurants as Spaghetti Italienne (which likely consisted of noodles cooked past al dente, and a mild tomato sauce flavored with easily found spices and vegetables such as cloves, bay leaves, and garlic) and it wasn't until decades later that it came to be commonly prepared with oregano or basil. Canned spaghetti, kits for making spaghetti and spaghetti with meatballs became popular, and the dish has become a staple in the U.S."

"An emblem of Italian cuisine, spaghetti is frequently served with tomato sauce, which may contain various herbs (especially oregano and basil), olive oil, meat, or vegetables. Other spaghetti preparations include using Bolognese sauce and carbonara. Grated hard cheeses, such as Pecorino Romano, Parmesan and Grana Padano, are often added. It is also sometimes served with chili. Some ubiquitous dishes are not authentic to Italy. For example, spaghetti is never served with meatballs or Bolognese sauce in Italy; the former are not often served with pasta, and the latter is traditionally served with tagliatelle (which are long like spaghetti but flat rather than round)."

Still interested of this dish?

In short, you'll be so glad to find out, also, about the preparation of spaghetti:

"Spaghetti is cooked in a large pot of salted, boiling water then drained in a colander (Italian: scolapasta).

In Italy, spaghetti is generally cooked al dente (Italian for to the tooth), just fully cooked and still firm. Outside Italy, spaghetti is sometimes cooked to a much softer consistency.

Spaghettoni is a thicker spaghetti which takes more time to cook. Spaghettini is a very thin form of spaghetti (it may be called angel hair spaghetti in English) which takes less time to cook."

In my kitchen I used these ingredients for:

Spaghetti 

with grilled breast chicken and spiced tomato sauce

An homemade recipe to be served al dente. 

Classical ingredients for "Spaghetti pomodoro & grilled chicken" : 

tomato sauce*, vegetable oil, chicken meat, 

vegetables: tomatoes & peppers bell, garlic, black pepper, thyme, chilli, salt.

Servings for 4.

*For tomato sauce:
8 peeled tomatoes;
1-2 sliced / finely chopped pepper bell;
3-4 garlic cloves;
vegetables oil as required;
thyme;
black pepper;
salt.

Mix all the ingredients, using your own personal taste, to have a tasty tomato sauce, well spiced and cooked into a culinary delight for yourself, family and, perhaps, gourmands friends.

For a better taste, you can freely add more ingredients, herbs and condiments. As I always used to said in other presentations: " De gustibus non est disputandum**..."

Right?

 So:  Poftă bună, Enjoy, Bon Appetit!

** 
"De gustibus non est disputandum is a Latin maxim meaning "In matters of taste, there can be no disputes" (literally "[that] of taste is not to be discussed")."

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Gladly Shared With:

I Heart Macro,  
Mosaic Monday,  
Our World Tuesday,
Ruby Tuesday,
Something delicious

A mix of thoughts at summer end...

  A mix of thoughts at summer end.... (again),

 but this time in my own lyrics... 

And just because.

And just because... I'm thinking... 

My thought is as a sort of traveller spirit.

With a very earthy soul...

and an infinite affection for all that's humane
 (I acknowledge so)...

I guess...

that I'm really blessed...

For the chance to smile, to feel, to live

Among the critters, small or big...

among those passing seasons by...

Among the feelings, yours or mine,

among the battles of the cruel time...

time that had never stopped since..

                                      and just because...                                         

   All the nature is on my part!

I have no time to have a rest...

I'm not so sure if you'll read a word...

I have no time to rest myself a bit!

I guess...

that I'm really blessed...

Among the trees, colors and good vibes,

among the feelings,  yours or mine...

Life's ironic...

on the road.

You may stumble, even fall...

Just keep your faith,

the love and hope

and all the memories for inner soul.

It's what you'll hear...

All the nature is on your part!

Feel the light, the sunny rays, the shining stars,

love the moon, embrace the infinite blue skies...

Say "cheese" while looking to the golden sun,

and smile at sunset, with no tears in eyes,

to replace the hidden scars... 

Send me joy, share my lucky star...

Just respiro... Always play with a brave heart!...

And think of that:

All the nature is on our side...

We're really blessed.

That's all.

I guess*...

By AlexaT  *Sorry for possible english grammar mistakes/errors...

On the road to Budapest... sights of Hungarian Plain & The Tisza

"The Great Hungarian Plain (also known as Alföld or Great Alföld, Hungarian: Alföld, Nagy Alföld) is a plain occupying the southern and eastern part of Hungary, some parts of the Eastern Slovak Lowland (Východoslovenská nížina), southwestern Ukraine, the Transcarpathian Lowland (Zakarpats'ka nyzovyna), western Romania (various names), northern Serbia (various names), and eastern Croatia (various names). It is the largest part of the Pannonian Plain.
In Hungarian, the plain is known as Alföld [ˈɒlføld], in Slovak as Veľká dunajská kotlina, in Romanian as Câmpia Tisei or Câmpia de Vest, in Croatian as Panonska nizina, in Serbian as Panonska nizija, and in Ukrainian as Тисо-Дунайська низовина."

"Câmpia Panonică este marea câmpie situată în Europa centrală. Cuprinde regiuni din Ungaria, vestul României, nordul Serbiei și al Croației, estul Sloveniei și al Austriei, sudul Slovaciei precum și colțul sud-vestic al Ucrainei. Câmpia este mărginită de către munții Carpați, Alpi, Alpii dinarici și Balcani." wikipedia

At Baile Felix/ Bihor County. Natural reservation of water lilies in a rainy day.
"Nymphaea lotus f. thermalis"

"When things get a little hectic,

or worry is wearing me down,

I drown myself in distress,

or, I get out of town...."

...my mood magically lifts,

my perspective shifts,

and suddenly, I am

floating in a sea of hope**...."

           **So thankful and so much inspired by these amazing lyrics written by Poppy from Poppy view (click to read more)

Sursa/ Source: Lessons Learned In Life: Life is so ironic.

A piece of cake in a shape of heart and macro!!

Arhiva foto privată/ Private photos archive.

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Photos:  Summer holiday at Felix & Oradea/ Bihor; 
At Cordău & Betfia; near by Băile Felix, Băile 1 Mai at Sînmartin in Bihor County;
& on the road to Budapest  near Tisza River in the Puszta;  july 2014.
&
Photo instants with Puiu Mită at 11 years old; celebrating soon coming b-day.

 

Gladly shared with:

Nature Notes with Michelle

 Scenic Weekends, 

Sky Watch Friday, 

The weekend in Black and White, 

Viewing nature with Eileen: Saturday's Critters, 

Weekend Reflections
I Heart Macro 
Mosaic Monday 
Our World Tuesday
Water World Wednesday 
Our Beautiful World 
Wordless Wednesday

Ilustrate din vacanță. Summer holiday. Greetings (I)

                Summer holiday... "love" ... "but not at first sight"...
                 Greetings from Bihor County*...

                  First of all... some infos about the Bihor county* (where I've spent my recent summer holiday and where I went for a balnear cure, for the almost 25 times till now, actually since 1978...). 

SOME INFOS ABOUT:

* "Bihor (Romanian pronunciation: [biˈhor]  is a county (județ) of Romania, in Crișana , with capital city at Oradea."
"The main tourist attractions in the county are:

• The city of Oradea.
• The Apuseni Mountains
  • The Bear's Cave.
• Băile Felix Resort and
  • The natural Water Lily Reserve of Băile Felix.
    • The Stâna de Vale Resort and the Iada valley.
    • The Caves around Padiș and on the Sighiștel River Valley.

"Romanian Crișana is bounded in Romania by Maramureș to the north, Transylvania** proper to the east, the Banat to the south, and the Hungarian Pannonian Plain to the west. The region consists of the current Romanian counties of Arad (most of it), Bihor and some parts of Sălaj, Satu Mare, and Hunedoara counties. Nowadays it is sometimes considered part of the historical region Transylvania, although it did not fall fully within the boundaries of the historical principality."

**"Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical regions of Crișana, Maramureș, and Romanian part of Banat. The region of Transylvania is known for the scenic beauty of its Carpathian landscape and its rich history."  NB. source Wikipedia

I love it... I really love Felix....

             That's why, I consider this summer holiday as a special love...

      and
 I'm so highly thankful to my mom who builded this emotion, decades after decades, while we used our energy to make long travels till to the heart of the astonishing region of Bihor County...in search of a good cure for health, cheerful time and positivity for soul and heart to the Băile Felix ...

                   My mom is my inspiration... she can be considered as a model of a strong personality in quest of being yourself, despite or, no matter how many difficulties or how many issues can come in our way...

So...always faithful... or
"Semper Fidelis"***...it can be said...

...this post is dedicated to my mom and to Felix ... 
the place where we always went in quest of happiness... 

 ***"Semper fidelis" is a Latin phrase that means "always faithful" or "always loyal".
 source  wikipedia

"Postcards" with special views at Băile Felix/ Felix Spa resort in Bihor County.
"Băile Felix is a thermal spa resort near the commune of Sânmartin in Bihor County, Transylvania, Romania. They are among the best known and most quality thermal spas in the country. 
Băile Felix is also at a close distance to Oradea, a major city in western Romania."

Collage with: 

Blue sky in the park &  Sunset over the Băile Felix forest; 
Also, various aspects from the natural Water Lily Reserve of Băile Felix
& some creatures (critters): like frogs and turtles.

   "Nelumbo nucifera - the pink lotus known by numerous common names including Indian lotus, sacred lotus, bean of India, or simply lotus, is one of two species of aquatic plant in the family Nelumbonaceae" 
and 
"Nymphaea alba, also known as the European White Waterlily, White Lotus, White Water Rose or Nenuphar, is an aquatic flowering plant of the family Nymphaeaceae." 
here: "Nymphaea lotus var. thermalis is a plant variety endemic to the thermal water of the Peţa River (Bihor County, Transylvania, Romania). The rivulet and lake have a constant temperature of 30–31°C and the subtropical water lily species is a tertiary relict. It was declared a natural monument in 1931." Source of infos: Wikipedia

                 And scenes from the train travel to the what I called a "happy place": Felix.... But because I already wrote a post about it... From now on I'll start a serie of "postcards" in images to permit you to have a short look at the special beauty of an amazing place for my heart (since my childhood)... Băile Felix & Oradea in Bihor County! 

Arhiva foto privată/ Private photos archive.

Postcards from holiday / Ilustrate din vacanță 

(Summer holiday to Felix/Oradea/Bihor 25 iunie-11 iulie 2014)

From "Did you know" Category:

Definitions of:

• Happy

adjective:

feeling or showing pleasure or contentment.

ex. "she came in looking happy and excited"

synonyms:  
cheerful, cheery, merry, joyful, jovial, jolly, jocular, gleeful, carefree, untroubled, delighted, smiling, beaming, grinning, in good spirits, in a good mood, lighthearted, pleased, contented, content, satisfied, gratified, buoyant, radiant, sunny, blithe, joyous, beatific, thrilled, elated, exhilarated, ecstatic, blissful, euphoric, overjoyed, exultant, rapturous, in seventh heaven, on cloud nine, walking on air, jumping for joy, jubilant, chirpy, over the moon, on top of the world, tickled pink, on a high, as happy as a clam, jocund

Translations of happy

adjective
	Felix		Happy, lucky, fortunate, successful, propitious, fruit-bearing
	beatus		blessed, fortunate, Happy, blissful, blithe, Saturnian
	laetus		joyful, colorful, glad, gorgeous, luxuriant, pleasing
	fortunatus		fortunate, enviable, lucky, Happy, successful, blessed

• Felix

 Felix (Latin for "happy" or "lucky")

• Postcard

Noun:
a card for sending a message by mail without an envelope, typically having a photograph or other illustration on one side.

ex: "His pictures have featured on a set of postcards and greetings cards sold in aid of the Asperger Society."

Synonyms:

noun: post card, postal card

Sursa/Source of quotes: Lessonslerarnedinlife.com

Lyrics:
"She is like the lady down the road
Or just the woman up the street,
Like any mother you may know.
To me, she is the one who had it planned
To lead us all to Wonderland,
She always wanted us to go,
And she said:
Don't ever be lonely,
Remember, I'll always care.
Wherever you may be
Remember I will be there.
And like another lady that we know
She has a smile so bright and sweet,
And hair as white as driven snow;
Though life is never easy day to day,
She has a very special way
To make us smile when we are low.
And she says:
Don't ever be lonely
Remember, I'll always care.
Wherever you may be
Remember I will be there.
Don't ever be lonely
Remember, I will be there.
I will be there.
I will be there."

 Source video internet/ excerpt www.katiemelua.com

"I Will Be There" was premiered at the Coronation Gala, at Buckingham Palace on July 11th. 
A beautiful tribute to a protective matriarchal figure, the song was written by Katie's longtime collaborator Mike Batt".


Sursa/Source of quotes: Lessonslerarnedinlife.com

Have a great summer!

Gladly Shared with:

Nature Notes with Michelle,
Little Things Thursday, 
Share the Joy,
Outdoor Wednesday, 
Our World Tuesday 
Sky Watch Friday,
Viewing nature with Eileen: Saturday's Critters,
Mosaic Monday

Noaptea Muzeelor / Night of museums 2014 (I)

Arhiva foto privată/ Private Photo Archive
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Noaptea Muzeelor - 17 mai 2014/

 Nuit des musées - may 17, 2014

(Short presentation)

Gladly Shared with: 
  

Our World Tuesday, 

Miercurea fara Cuvinte,

Outdoor Wednesday, 

Wordless Wednesday 

Wednesday Around The World,  

Share the Joy 

    Little Things Thursday