It’s nothing shorter than a miracle that the eye of the hurricane changed its path and we didn’t get the blunt of it. Overall lots of trees down and property damage but we are OK, we can rebuild and we see the grace of God and the power of your prayers over us. Thank you so much for riding the storm with us. My friends who stayed in town are OK. Most of us have no power and no internet. I went to see my place and couldn’t get in but it looks like it’s OK. There is no electricity so I won’t be able to come back home until I get the power back. It may take a few days. In the meantime I’m staying with my friend. I have no power or internet. So I’m going dark.
Thank you again. Irma has left us unforgettable memories including your care and love. Thank you so much for riding the storm with us. Together we made it and that is nothing shorter than a miracle. Signing off, Cibby.
#Irma. Moved inland and is going now in the center of #Florida in #Arcadia #Sebring #fortMeade. They have no power and were not told to evacuate because nobody knew #irma would go this way. Let’s send some prayers and love to them. Thank you!
As far as Tampa Bay is concerned, we still are getting strong winds and storm surge but will not be as predicted. Thank you for your prayers. I’m in awe how everything turned out to be. We will have heavy weather but it will not be a Cat 3 storm. Irma, you are for sure a very unpredictable female.
The latest NOAA report is sending Irma right to the middle of Tampa Bay.
It’s being raining almost nonstop in the last 12 hours in Clearwater and Tampa Bay. What usually happens after that much rain is that the levels of water raise on the bay and the Hillsborough river. What has been happening is exactly the opposite. The water is receding. The meteorologists explain this phenomenon as the birth of a storm surge because this water will come back to the Hillsborough river and Tampa Bay after 1-2 hrs after the eye of the storm passes through. Then, this water will bring up to 8 feet of storm surge. Irma, we’re coming eye to eye and I can see that your reputation precedes you as the one with great strength.
Watching the reports this morning when Irma’s eye passed in Marco Island were almost eerie. Being in the middle of the eye was like being in limbo. Visibility was poor, a lot of mist and no wind or rain. Then once the eye had passed, the wind went to 135 MPH and the islands now are getting 15 feet of storm surge which means that they will be under water very soon. The news say that most likely the same will happen here but with less intensity. I have tried to get my mind out of Irma but as a good female, Irma is unforgettable and I can’t get her out of my mind. We went into a curfew at 6pm. The new reports say that the storm is entering Fort Myers as a Cat 2. Forecasts also say that Irma may enter the Tampa Bay Area as a Cat 1. If this is the case, I have no doubt yours and our prayers are carrying us through.
I’m going dark now until Irma has passed. Coming eye to eye with Irma is a slow process. The winds will pick up about 9pm. The tornado warning enter into effect at midnight until noon on Monday. We will embrace this storm for about 8-12 hrs starting at about 8pm. Please continue to keep us in your heart. Together we will make it. Irma, we are coming eye to eye. Do go gentle into the Good Night.
Have you ever made a decision that you are not sure about and spend endless hours thinking that you will regret your decision later on but you cannot possibly conceive having made any other choice? Call it torture or thinking process but that’s what I do sometimes. I have spent three years putting down roots here in Clearwater. I love the fact that geographically I am so close to my sister and brother-in-law . I am blessed to having made friends that have changed my life for the better. I love this place and everything in it. Irma, in a way, came between me and this life and forced me to choose between leaving while my surroundings change forever or staying and see with my eyes how my life is blown into pieces. This is no easy decision. I know now that whatever decision Floridians have made, I respect how they are taking care of their families and themselves. We all grieve and deal in different ways. So I say to my fellow Floridians, ‘be safe!’ And to Irma y say, ‘do go gentle into that good night. This is NOAA‘s latest storm prediction. Irma is embracing all Florida and got her eye on Tampa Bay. She is bringing with her 15 feet of storm surge and driving into evacuation 7 million people. Some News sources are predicting that up to 3.5 million people will lose power in the Tampa Bay area. Meteorologists are still uncertain what path Irma will take. As a good female, Irma will do what she wants… or is that the behavior of a diva? Ask Floridians and they will tell you that Irma is just a jilted lover. Don’t believe me? I got a letter to prove it brought to you by my dear friend Leti (pardon the foul language).
All jokes aside, today was kind of grim when I saw my life reduced to fit in the back of my car. Everything I am is in those boxes and that’s all I can take with me. Looking at the back of my car reminded me that control and power are so ephemeral and illusionary. One day you are on top of the world and next day, you have no choice but to give in and go with the flow and carry your own toilet paper.
And if there was any doubt about Irma’s imposing power and control, I just had to see the little lake behind my building. 5pm is dinner time for the Canadian geese, ducks and birds. Today, the lake was desolated. All birds migrated out of here at noon.
Today at 5:30pm I left my place. I’m spending the night at my friend’s place. She is a nurse. We will be reporting for duty at the hospital where she works tomorrow at 5 am. I’ll be with her helping in whatever I can while we get through the storm. The hospital is 100% boarded up and a safe place.
The day has come. Irma is now entering the Florida keys. I’m glad I stay behind. Whether or not I made the right decision to ride the storm, I know I am here because I want to support emotionally my friends during this time. I want to stay as close as possible to them and just as I need them I know they need me too. We are in this together and we will get through this. Friends outside Florida, please continue holding us in your heart as we come face to face with this storm. Irma, do go gentle into the good night.
I really do not know where to start. So I will start by talking about the unpredictable mood of Irma. Yes, she has surprised all of us, especially the meteorologists who predicted Irma was headed to the East coast of Florida. The latest report of NOAA shows the storm moving to the West coast of Florida and moving in the direction of Tampa Bay.
I must say that many feelings have gone through my head and heart in the last 24 hrs. I truly tried to leave this area but there seems to be a force keeping me here. This morning the big news was that there was a gridlock on the only two highways going north and out of state and to top it off, there was no gas. Cars were just stalled between the middle of Florida and Georgia. What is most interesting is that Irma is heading in that direction so authorities are recommending to go to Alabama instead of Georgia if you are making it out of Florida. I did not want to venture going by myself to who knows where, so I decided to go to a shelter. The interesting thing about going to a shelter in my area was that at 11 am the lines to get in were two blocks or more. Thinking that it would get better later on, I decided to go back home and continue to get my place secure since the news started to say that the hurricane was coming our way. When I came back later to the shelters they were all at capacity. My heart dismayed a little. Authorities are saying that they will open more shelters tomorrow.
Since things looked like we maybe having no electricity or water for a few days, I made sure I had what I needed. As expected, the shelves of the stores were empty. However, the authorities have kept their promise that water would be available. So I got a case of water (that is all they were selling per customer) and got some rice cakes, nuts and almond flour. Once I got home, I collected 10 plastic bottles from my recycle bin, washed them really well and filled them up with water from my filtered-water tank. I also collected some canned food from my pantry and now I am prepared with food and water for 5 -8 days. Yes! Thanks to my sister I was able to put a box together with everything I need for the next 7 days from medicine to clothes and toiletries. I don’t know what I would do without my sister. She has been a rock for me, a sounding board. If I’m prepared for this hurricane that is because of her.
I also looked into my emergency box and I got out my emergency kits that I got in LA in case of an earthquake. Well, I think they apply in this emergency so I’m happy to have these things with me, especially the hand-cranked power generator that has an AM/FM radio, a flashlight , a siren and a phone adaptor. Never thought having this would make me so happy.
I’m putting into my guest bathroom all my documents and pictures that I consider invaluable. I know they will be safe here. I also may use this room as my shelter if I decide to stay at my place. I found a parking garage that is next to our condo villages. It’s a very safe structure, it has five levels and my car will be OK there. So if I must stay at my place, I have a safe room in my condo and a safe place for my car.
I have until Saturday at 2pm to decide whether or not I’m driving out of Florida. I do not see this happening since the hurricane warnings are also now in effect for Georgia and I do not want to venture into Alabama. I do not know anybody in these places. However, I see myself going to a shelter. I’m hoping that they will be opening more in a few hours. But what I’d like to do the most is becoming a volunteer at a hospital or shelter and help with the elderly and sick. My heart is at peace when I know I’m here for a reason and that reason is to help the ones who need it the most. The next 48 hrs will become critical for us and helping one another will mitigate our stress levels. Please keep us all in your prayers. We treasure each and everyone of them. I know they will carry us through this. Irma, we are coming face to face. I just want to say to you that we are not alone. We have the prayers and spiritual support of our nation and the world. So Irma, here we go!
Welcome to day 2 of this journey to encounter Irma. Today, I decided to have fun with our ability to make decisions about big events. Floridians are watching in awe Irma’s strength and force. As any female should have it, Irma have us all captivated and going insane. The below is the latest forecast of NOAA.
I received today at noon a mandatory emergency evacuation beginning at 6am tomorrow Friday. This means I have to leave my condo tomorrow morning. I had all day long conversations with my neighbors about Irma and whether or not it will hit us hard. We are very blessed in Tampa Bay because it looks like Irma decided to divert to the East. (I cannot help it but think that prayers are working on our behalf). But Irma moving to the East doesn’t mean that we are not getting slapped by her. The fact that we are not certain what is going to happen is making us insane. Irma will start to make her presence known on Saturday afternoon and we will not know her power until then so the question of my neighbors and many Floridians is why do we need to evacuate now? Opinions range from “I am not leaving because nothing will happen” to neighbors already gone. Having to leave everything behind and not being sure what is necessary to do has generated some comic relief. Many Floridians are singing to Irma the Clash song “should I stay or should I go.”
The next video made me laugh so much because it actually encompasses this powerless feeling that you get when you have to surrender to a natural disaster. I hesitated sharing it but when you understand the insanity that Irma is causing on Floridians, you can see the comic relief on it. Please pardon the foul language and enjoy the meaning of it.
Not having experienced a hurricane of this magnitude before I really do not have an idea of what to expect. So all day I asked Irma, Should I stay or should I go? The answer came quickly when I read the advice from veteran Tampa Bay Meteorologist Paul Dellegatto:
“I am getting a lot of questions asking about when we should evacuate. You only evacuate to escape storm surge flooding from the Gulf and Bay. It is why we have evacuation zones near the Gulf and Bay. You do not evacuate from the wind unless you live in a mobile home. Water is the killer. Wind is not. You run from water. You hide from wind. We can not evacuate the state based on the fact there may be strong winds.”
This came as great advice to me. So it is decided. I will be evacuating tomorrow if the rain starts to pour because I know the golfing community where I live can get flooded.
I will share tomorrow my journey of evacuation. What should I take? What should I leave behind? Tune in tomorrow to know what my neighbors and friends tell me to get on the road with me. Let’s continue to be in this circle or prayer and meditation. I know together we can bring Irma to change her course and temperament.
Meet Tony Succar giving tribute to Michael Jackson’s Human Nature with Jean Rodriguez.
Calle 8’s Ball & Chain was the place to be last evening. Tonny Succar y Mixtura brought the house down with two presentations of a Latin music journey with music from Peru, Venezuela, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Cuba y mucho mas.
Ball & Chain stage getting ready to receive los sonidos calidos of Tony Succar y Mixtura
The concert started with a journey of Latin Music from Peru, Puerto Rico, Colombia, y mas.
Seeing Tony perform is being inspired. He truly transports his audience to a difference place.
The ambiance couldn’t be more of a Latin party because that’s who we are.
People couldn’t wait to be able to dance to the rhythms that transported the audience to a different place and time.
Ada Lydia & Rene, the Ball & Chain dancers couldn’t resist dancing with the Salsa sound of Tony Succar and Mixtura.
Tony Succar y Mixtura did not disappoint. The energy was felt across all Little Havana.
The atmosphere of the place was saturated with that Latin energy of the sound of the recuerdos y la music de hoy.
A place full of lights, energy and Latin flavor in the heart of La Calle 8.
Check this video to see a little of Tony’s performance:
A question that we rarely ask ourselves but does not need an answer. We know the meaning of it from a perspective that goes beyond words. Music is perhaps one of the biggest influencers in our life. Who can’t forget the lullaby our mom told us she used to sing to us when we were babies. What about the first summer camp song that became our friendship anthem? And who can forget the love song that sent us flying to the moon when we first fell in love? I for sure could never forget the functions of sine, cosine and tangent because I still remember the song my math teacher made me memorize.
And the question pops again…What is music? Besides the concept of being a combination of sounds, harmony and melody, the following quotes try to give an answer as deep as the places where music takes us:
Quote number 1– David Bowie, musician:
Searching for music is like searching for God.
In 2003, 60 Minutes did a series of interviews with David Bowie that never aired. Thanks to 60 Minutes Overtime that published some excerpts of the raw interviews, we can hear Bowie candidly speaking about his music and career. What is interesting is the comparison that Bowie gives to his attitude towards music as if it was a search for God. Through his loneliness coupled with his isolation, music was some kind of spiritual search that became the underlying theme of all his songs. Perhaps this is the reason why his music resonated with so many people. Loneliness cannot be explained with words or pictures. It can only be understood when the pain has ingrained in the deepest parts of your heart and soul and you know nothing and nobody can take it away but a miracle of the Divine.
Quote number 2 -Moby, musician:
What Dr. Sacks has proven is that music is actually a quantifiable, profound healing modality.
Originmagazine.com published Maranda Pleasant’s interview with Moby a couple of years back after him getting involved with the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function (IFMNF). In this interview, Moby speaks about what music meant for him before he joined IFMNF and after his spiritual awakening. In his spiritual discovery, he is in constant meditation and absorbing positive energy in an effort to change any negative consciousness. Moby also talks about how important it is for his music to have a quality of beauty and emotion because the music with these qualities has the power to heal as he’s seen in in IFMNF.
Quote number 3 – Frank Fitzpatrick, producer and songwriter:
Music is, at its essence, the sound of spirit… When created from the heart and with truth and pure intention, music is a spiritual expression of the most universal nature and the highest order.
In a series of 10 articles on earthtones.org, Frank Fitzpatrick writes about his personal experience with music and what it means to him. He starts his article number 9, “Music and Spirituality” by quoting Ludwig Van Beethoven: “Music is the mediator between the spiritual and the sensual life.” His entire writing is a series of quotes to prove how music has the influence to reach those emotional places that many religions call soul or human spirit. The most powerful part is the conclusion of his article where he describes music as the vehicle that helped rescue him when he was at this lowest point sin life. This felt like a story that many of us can relate to. How music has the power to transform us and take us to a place where there is no judgment, no doubt, no fear and has the soothing touch of healing.
Wherever you are in your journey, let the comforting tones of music take you to a place where you can feel at home.
I’ve always been intrigued by the relationship between music and human behavior. Recently, I came across an article by Belle Beth Cooper – The Surprising Science Behind What Music Does To Our Brains. She talks about all the areas that music touches in us. The part that was most interesting was a study conducted by Heriot-Watt University on how music “predicts” our personalities. Not sure what to think of it really since in my life I have come across a lot of musicians and I could not tell for sure if the study results reflect my experience. Then again, I wasn’t thinking about these personality traits before so let’s take a look at how Cooper presents the study:
Music genre
Fan personality traits
Blues
high self-esteem, creative, outgoing, gentle and at ease
Jazz
high self-esteem, creative, outgoing and at ease
Classical music
high self-esteem, are creative, introvert and at ease
Rap
high self-esteem and are outgoing
Opera
high self-esteem, are creative and gentle
Country and western
hardworking and outgoing
Reggae
high self-esteem, creative, not hardworking, outgoing, gentle and at ease
Dance
Creative and outgoing but not gentle
Indie
low self-esteem, creative, not hard working, and not gentle
Rock/heavy metal
low self-esteem, creative, not hard-working, not outgoing, gentle, and at ease
Pop
high self-esteem, hardworking, outgoing , gentle but not creative
Soul
high self-esteem, creative, outgoing, gentle, and at ease
Being Latina, I had to make a combo of the music genres to figure out the Latin music that I like and the result was that I am not creative neither gentle – seriously? Not exactly what I wanted to hear but I guess I will have to start listening to some Soul music to have a Zen attitude.
What about you? Do you agree with this study? Do you see yourself in this chart?
All human beings are born with the ability to be creative. Creativity is a channel from the spiritual realm that comes as a surge of inspiration. That inspiration is expressed in many ways through art. The arts can be interpreted as the language of the spiritual realm brought into the physical realm. And love is the energy that fuels the flow of creativity.
Sometimes we feel like we have no creativity in us. Perhaps the reason is because we are too busy to recognize the gushes of inspiration coming to us. Take a second today to love life and you may be surprised to recognize the jolts of creativity coming your way.