by: Susana Aires | 4/24/2012

to all the Mothers out there…

She was born in 1952 and was named Augusta, after her godmother. Kind of a grown up name for such a tiny little thing, but naming the children after the more elder was tradition in the family. She was a bit of an unexpected miracle too. Her mother was a large lady, already in her forties, who was told by the doctor her symptoms resulted from kidney disease and so she never imagined she could in fact be expecting.

Anyway, Augusta did get born and was welcomed to the loving family of four – mom, dad, a brother and a sister. They lived in a farm outside of a big town, and she was lucky enough to have a lovely childhood, surrounded by green pastures and farm animals. She still grew up shy and kind of quiet, keeping her thoughts and dreams to herself, though. When she was about 16, she met the first and last love of her life at a local dance. They got married in a small little church, chosen by the happy groom and soon the couple would start a life together.

Augusta wanted to have children right away, because she felt that was one of her purposes in life. She didn’t have many dreams a part from starting a family and being happy taking care of it, so she anxiously waited for the stork’s visit. The first time she was pregnant, she had a miscarriage. They were very sad, but they never gave up. One year later, she had life growing inside her again, and to make sure she would carry the pregnancy to term, she stayed in bed for the last 3 months, hoping and praying.

Nine months later, I was born. Healthy, alive. Yes, this little story is about my mom. About how much she wanted to bring me to this world, about how she cared for me from a little kid to a closed up, problematic teen. About how she loved me and carried me through bad relationships and terrifying depression episodes. She is a tiny little woman and you probably wouldn’t believe she had that kind of a strength, but I don’t think I would still be here if it wasn’t for her. I admire and adore her deeply.

Why am I telling you this story? Well, thinking about mother’s day, I thought I’d share my personal connection to my mother and the eternal gratitude I have towards her. In our day and age, many people have given up on Mother’s day. I can’t say I blame them, because it has become, at least for the majority, more of a commercial event, where you have the moral obligation of buying something for your mom, just because society tells you too.

You may choose to buy mom a present, of course. A lovely bouquet of pink carnations (which symbolize love for a mother) or roses is always a great gift and a wonderful surprise. What I mean is this is the time for meaningful gestures, expressing love and sharing laughter, regardless of what you choose to offer mom. The thing is: it’s not about money or material things. It’s not about tradition or social rules. It is really about celebrating motherhood, love and family. It’s about cherishing women that choose to bring life into the world.

Remember the special moments, recover the good memories, reach out and say I love you and I appreciate you, however you think it’s best. Life is too short for not saying how you feel to those who deserve to hear it.

Brought to you by:

Elegant Flowers North Hollywood

6005 Vineland Avenue
North Hollywood
(818) 505-3560

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by Susana Aires | 04/17/2012

If you are wondering how to say something with a bouquet of flowers, here are some of the significances attributed to them:

- Anthurium – great for welcoming guests or friends, it represents hospitality, happiness and abundance;
- Apple Blossoms – hope and good fortune;
- Azalea – temperance, womanhood, fragility;
- Bird of Paradise – joyfulness and magnificence;
- Bluebell – humility and stability;
- Calla Lily – as most white flowers, they represent purity and innocence, but also magnificence and beauty;
- Carnations – pride and beauty – Red: love, pride and admiration; Pink: love for a woman or mother; Yellow: rejection and disappointment; white: innocence and pure love; striped: rejection;
- Daffodils – thoughtfulness and chivalry; rebirth and new beginnings. It’s not a good idea to offer a single one, because they say it usually anticipates misfortune;
- Daisies – lovely flowers, always make me think of children picking flowers in a field – they express innocence, purity and loyalty;
- Freesia – innocence and thoughtfulness;
- Gerbera – cheerfulness and joy;
- Gladiolus – strength of character, faithfulness and honour;
- Iris – fluency and eloquence;
- Lilac – youthful innocence and confidence – White: humility and innocence; Wild Lilac: charity; Purple: first love;
- Lily – purity and refined beauty – White: modesty and virginity; Orange: passion; Yellow: merriment;
- Orchid – the exotic flower that exemplifies exotic beauty, refinement and that glorifies femininity;
- Peony – the blossom of bashfulness and compassion, marriage, good health and prosperity. It can also be used to express shame and indignation;
- Roses – the queen of all gifted flowers, expressing love in all its different forms – Red: deep emotions; White: chastity and innocence; Yellow: exuberance, joy, friendship ; Pink :gentle emotions like admiration and gratitude, sweetness and appreciation; Orange: passion and energy; Blue : mysterious and unattainable; Lavender: love at first sight; Green: harmony, opulence and fertility; Black: death and farewell; Mixed colors: mixed feelings; (blue and black are artificial colors)
- Sunflower – for those very dedicated to their love in the most pure way;
- Sweet pea – use them to thank someone for a lovely time – they symbolize delicate pleasures and bliss;
- Tulip – offer Tulips to declare your love for someone special – they represent perfect love and also fame;
- Violet – watchfulness, faithfulness, modesty.

Since the beginning of time, in our amazingly rich blue planet, humans have developed a very special relationship with flowers. As hunters and gatherers in prehistoric times, the first versions of human beings would wear them, represent them in cave paintings, and use them in their many rituals. Although we have come a long way evolution wise, and often separate ourselves from the wild and natural world of Fauna and Flora, the truth is we couldn’t be more connected to it and it still has (and will probably always have) a very significant role in our lives. Animals and plants are a part of us as much as breathing and they can easily determine our behavior and state of mind.

Flowers have their very specific place and function in nature, which is the reproduction of plants in general. With exquisite looks, features and scents, they strive to attract the pollination agents needed to fertilize the plant and germinate fruit and/or seeds.

I personally see them as nature’s own celebration. Spring comes along and suddenly, every one of our own green surroundings explodes in new exciting colors, shapes and smells. If Mother Nature was a person, I’d say she likes to show off once in a while. Honestly, after a long winter and once the first blooms come about, I just feel like forgetting about all my obligations and spending all day lying in a field of flowers, looking at the sky and being a part of the changing of the seasons.

Ever notice that people are usually in such a good mood with the arrival of Spring? Emotional beings as we are, we tend to be more affectionate, upbeat and high-spirited around flowers. The visual effects and the scents affect our thoughts and happier memories come along to match our emotions – we become more relaxed and our stress levels decrease. Many studies have concluded that having flowers around the house, at work or anywhere around us for that matter, helps to promote an immediate impact on our creativity, productivity and overall well-being.

Sona, owner and operator of Elegant Flowers North Hollywood says “finding the right flowers or picking out a person’s favorite flowers can really make them cheer up and keep them in an upbeat mood around the home or office… the lucky recipient always really appreciates it”.

In addition, you will find flowers in basically all of our social celebrations. We offer flowers to express our feelings to the people we love, to make someone feel special, to give homage to those who have passed away. Nowadays, they even serve as a base for culinary treats, medicine and beauty treatments.

They also exist as our creative outlets and art inspiration. We use them as a way to express ourselves, to communicate a message and symbolize feelings, occasions and concepts. One of my favorite symbolisms is the one of Lotus flower in the Buddhist philosophy, in which Man is compared to this pure white flower that grows in the swamps, striving for perfection from the depths of corruption and evil. Truly inspirational, right?

There are many more I’m sure, but as you can see, there’s a flower for every occasion. There is a color for every thought and feeling. Surround yourself with flowers and share them with the people you love. Make them a part of your existence as a form of expressing yourself and enjoy their many benefits. Enjoy the wonders and beauty of nature.

See some brilliant examples of flower arrangements by visiting the website below:

Elegant Flowers North Hollywood

6005 Vineland Avenue
North Hollywood
(818) 505-3560

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New song for you to download.  My upcoming iTunes release is now complete and will be coming soon.

Enjoy my friends

Right click on this link and select save target as or save as

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The 2nd annual Hike for the Homeless will be held at Griffith Park in Los Angeles April 28, 2012.  Proceeds go to helping people on skid row in downtown LA find more permanent housing and get back on their feet. 

This will be a great way to support a worthy cause while seeing the best view of Los Angeles- from the top of Griffith Park.  A nice way to spend a Saturday morning appreciating nature and getting some fresh air.

Here’s my page where you can participate in this event, or sponsor me as a participant.  I plan on running at least part of the hike and your sponsoring me motivates me and helps the homeless all in one shot.  How often does that happen?

Sponsor me and help me run up a mountain which then benefits the homeless

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Is the recession over?  Or is the recession getting worse? 

The stock market crash of 2008 and the housing market collapse were two major events which resulted in today’s current economic condition, which is referred to as “the recession”.

But a recession implies that there will be a recovery, or that the current state of economic affairs is a temporary event independent of mathematical realities.  What if there is no recovery?

*In 2012 the United States of America, as recently revealed by a report from the Congressional Budget Office of the Executive Branch of the United States Government, will enter an time of an unprecedented 16 trillion dollar debt which will begin to put a drain on the economy.  As countries realize the U.S. does not actually intend (or have the means) to pay back its debts, the faith in the U.S. dollar will weaken and prices of goods will inevitably increase.

*Just last year the United States’ credit rating dropped.

*The U.S.’s out-of-work demographic is now the highest since World War 2 levels, an indicator of lack of economic growth.

*America has become less and less dependent on foreign oil since Obama took office.  Yet gas prices are expected to rise to $5 dollars a gallon soon.

*Inflation has increased, because with all the money-printing and borrowing the U.S. dollar is losing its value, and the cost of living is increasing with food and energy costs.

So what if this is not actually a recession, but rather the gradual end to easy money for Americans?  What if America was living beyond its means, the events of 2008 were the sudden end of that era and now there is no going back to the way things were…

This will not prevent anyone from making a lot of money or make wealth attainment impossible or out of reach.  It just means people are going to have to work harder and smarter, and that could be the solution for a population where the majority of people are obese.

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It took a long time for the recession of 1929 to turn into a Great Depression that spanned over 10 years.

So when the government declared the recession was over some months ago, it was difficult to for me to understand. I have the fortunate opportunity to talk business and middle class economics with many of my web and SEO clients. Not everyone believes the recession ever ended.

Today the stock market took the biggest single-day dive since the Fall of 2008, the beginning of “the Great Recession”. On the heels of Congress and the President’s argument over whether or not to raise the debt ceiling, the S&P downgraded the United States’s pristine AAA credit rating for the first time in 94 years.

Amassing a 14.3 trillion dollar debt, a number that is only slated to rise over the coming years, the United States’s major lack of economic growth, lack of consumer demand, continuing unemployment, and the government’s admission that America will have to continue to borrow money from foreign countries to finance its existence and operation- have all contributed to the events which have transpired in the month of August, 2011. This could be the beginning of another recession.

The United States dollar is the world’s reserve currency and has been historically seen as a safe haven asset, but other countries are already demanding a new currency to which to peg the rest of the world’s currencies. With Quantitative Easing 1 and 2 which occurred during the first two years of the recent recession, the United States’s willingness to print extra money to stimulate the economy, basically printing money out of nowhere, has caused stocks to rise and the value of the dollar to fall.

But the rising stock prices may not reflect much more than numbers at this point. Even the former Fed Reserve Chairman Allan Greenspan seems to think the U.S. can always pay back debts because “it can simply print more money”- this idea seems absurd to most people with even a little common sense. How long will the rest of the world sit by and let this go on? Not forever.

We’re now seeing the effects of these policies, how the world and markets are reacting, and it’s looking like another recession is forming on the horizon.

I don’t claim to have all the answers, but here’s my advice as to how to prepare yourself mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and interpersonally for the coming 2nd recession. As a matter of historical fact, the Great Depression initially started as a double-dip recession.

*Work your job hard, love your job and continue to learn and improve. Look for new ways to make your time more efficient. Focus on being more productive every day.

*Treat others with love and respect. You never know who might help you one day or how generosity and kindness will help others or yourself.

*Be and stay positive. Have faith in yourself and a Higher Power. Love your friends, spouse, family, kids, even show love to people you don’t know.

*Visualize freedom, happiness, and a world that you would love to live in. Then work to get there. Be grateful for every positive thing in your life and in your day. Create a positive mindset and flow of energy, create positive emotions within yourself and it will spread to others. Don’t let negativity stop you, slow you down, or make you give up.

If things get really bad, then people will no longer be able to rely on the historical prosperity of the past years of America. We must focus on creating value, and not worry about money. Life is so much more than printed money.

Thanks for visiting Patrick Warren.com

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