Today my heart swings.

Photo

Sat, 18 May 2013 21:34:33 -0700

Goodnight world

Fri, 17 May 2013 23:00:35 -0700

Goodnight world

myampgoesto11: Stargazing At The Elqui Domos Hotel In Chile |...

Fri, 17 May 2013 22:59:47 -0700

Stargazing At The Elqui Domos Hotel In Chile | Designed by RDM Arquitectura | Photos by James Florio

In the heart of the mythical Elqui Valley in Pisco, surrounded by the Andes Mountains, 500km north of Santiago in central Chile, lies a magical place that allows for star-spangled dreams beneath the clear pure sky. Combining stargazing and specialized astronomic tours with night-time horseback riding, meditation and even tarot readings, Elqui Domos is a hotel quite like no other.

It was completed in 2005 to fulfil its owners’ desire to observe and enjoy the grandeur of the one of the world’s most star-filled skies. It is one of only seven astronomic hotels around the world and the only one in the Southern Hemisphere, offering breathtaking views of the magic skies draped over the Elqui Valley (the valley is renowned for its sharp, clear skies, as it happens to sit under one of the clearest atmospheres in the world). The lack of rain and pleasant weather all year round set the perfect conditions for astronomic tourism, where guests can gather to enjoy a unique chance to liaise with the stars.

(via Yatzer)

Hi

Fri, 17 May 2013 19:55:39 -0700

flatsound: if my cat could talk he’d probably break up with me

Fri, 17 May 2013 16:44:23 -0700

flatsound:

if my cat could talk he’d probably break up with me

Photo

Fri, 17 May 2013 10:17:45 -0700

You are so beautiful to me

Fri, 17 May 2013 00:28:48 -0700

You are so beautiful to me

Sleepytime cafe.

Fri, 17 May 2013 00:24:15 -0700

Sleepytime cafe.

Boo

Thu, 16 May 2013 22:57:09 -0700

It is easy and far too cheesy to claim that I could have loved you forever, isn’t it? But...

Thu, 16 May 2013 19:28:35 -0700

It is easy and far too cheesy to claim that I could have loved you forever, isn’t it? But sometimes, I still wonder. You put me through so much time and time again and I fell for it all every time.

Or perhaps that just makes me a fool.

I did the most foolish things for you and felt the most helpless when by your side, yet I convinced myself that it would all be worth it, since I felt I loved you so much.

You told me to be patient and give you time; you told me that somehow, in the end, you would be mine. I believed every silly little lie you told me and if we had to do it all again, I don’t feel as though much else would be different.

I loved you endlessly and without reason.
But all you ever did was break me down.

Daughter sold out

Thu, 16 May 2013 16:28:00 -0700

Tears :(

Do you remember? All of the days that we spent exchanging words; so many thoughts that we could only...

Wed, 15 May 2013 22:21:52 -0700

Do you remember? All of the days that we spent exchanging words; so many thoughts that we could only tell one another. I told you things that I could never fathom sharing with another. With you I wasn’t fearful with what I said; you were the only person that I never felt I had to remain cautious around. You were everything I could have wanted.

You were calming.
You were vicious.
You knew when to be kind,
You knew when to be rough.

You were the only person to ever make me feel whole and the moment you left, I fell to pieces on the floor. As the days pass by, I remain shattered, while you seem just fine.

Somedays brushing my hair doesn’t seem appealing. Okay,...

Wed, 15 May 2013 14:09:14 -0700

Somedays brushing my hair doesn’t seem appealing.

Okay, most days.

Did she make your heart beat faster than I could?Did she give...

Wed, 15 May 2013 13:49:06 -0700

Did she make your heart beat faster than I could?
Did she give you what you hoped for?
On nights so loveless, love,
I hope it made you feel good
Knowing how much I adored you

Daughter, “Love”

If you’re in Seattle, come see this beauty tomorrow. Now...

Wed, 15 May 2013 13:41:27 -0700

If you’re in Seattle, come see this beauty tomorrow.

Now he’s moving close,
My heart in my throat.
I won’t say a word,
But I think he knows…
that I’ve hardly slept,
since the night he left.
His body always kept,
mine inside of it.
Keep the nightmares out,
give me mouth to mouth.
I can’t live without ya,
take me to your house.

Photo

Tue, 14 May 2013 21:40:31 -0700

Photo

Tue, 14 May 2013 21:37:40 -0700

Currently watching this amazing movie. I’m glad my hatred for...

Tue, 14 May 2013 18:56:15 -0700

Currently watching this amazing movie.
I’m glad my hatred for you doesn’t ruin the movie!

I finally watched this and it made me ridiculously...

Mon, 13 May 2013 23:09:14 -0700

I finally watched this and it made me ridiculously happy.

“GET IT GIRLLLLL’

Angelina Jolie on why she had a double mastectomy, and how it...

Mon, 13 May 2013 23:00:46 -0700

Angelina Jolie on why she had a double mastectomy, and how it can save lives

My mother fought cancer for almost a decade and died at 56. She held out long enough to meet the first of her grandchildren and to hold them in her arms. But my other children will never have the chance to know her and experience how loving and gracious she was.

We often speak of “Mommy’s mommy,” and I find myself trying to explain the illness that took her away from us. They have asked if the same could happen to me. I have always told them not to worry, but the truth is I carry a “faulty” gene, BRCA1, which sharply increases my risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer.

My doctors estimated that I had an 87 percent risk of breast cancer and a 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer, although the risk is different in the case of each woman.

Only a fraction of breast cancers result from an inherited gene mutation. Those with a defect in BRCA1 have a 65 percent risk of getting it, on average.

Once I knew that this was my reality, I decided to be proactive and to minimize the risk as much I could. I made a decision to have a preventive double mastectomy. I started with the breasts, as my risk of breast cancer is higher than my risk of ovarian cancer, and the surgery is more complex.

On April 27, I finished the three months of medical procedures that the mastectomies involved. During that time I have been able to keep this private and to carry on with my work.

But I am writing about it now because I hope that other women can benefit from my experience. Cancer is still a word that strikes fear into people’s hearts, producing a deep sense of powerlessness. But today it is possible to find out through a blood test whether you are highly susceptible to breast and ovarian cancer, and then take action.

My own process began on Feb. 2 with a procedure known as a “nipple delay,” which rules out disease in the breast ducts behind the nipple and draws extra blood flow to the area. This causes some pain and a lot of bruising, but it increases the chance of saving the nipple.

Two weeks later I had the major surgery, where the breast tissue is removed and temporary fillers are put in place. The operation can take eight hours. You wake up with drain tubes and expanders in your breasts. It does feel like a scene out of a science-fiction film. But days after surgery you can be back to a normal life.

Nine weeks later, the final surgery is completed with the reconstruction of the breasts with an implant. There have been many advances in this procedure in the last few years, and the results can be beautiful.

I wanted to write this to tell other women that the decision to have a mastectomy was not easy. But it is one I am very happy that I made. My chances of developing breast cancer have dropped from 87 percent to under 5 percent. I can tell my children that they don’t need to fear they will lose me to breast cancer.

It is reassuring that they see nothing that makes them uncomfortable. They can see my small scars and that’s it. Everything else is just Mommy, the same as she always was. And they know that I love them and will do anything to be with them as long as I can. On a personal note, I do not feel any less of a woman. I feel empowered that I made a strong choice that in no way diminishes my femininity.

I am fortunate to have a partner, Brad Pitt, who is so loving and supportive. So to anyone who has a wife or girlfriend going through this, know that you are a very important part of the transition. Brad was at the Pink Lotus Breast Center, where I was treated, for every minute of the surgeries. We managed to find moments to laugh together. We knew this was the right thing to do for our family and that it would bring us closer. And it has.

For any woman reading this, I hope it helps you to know you have options. I want to encourage every woman, especially if you have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, to seek out the information and medical experts who can help you through this aspect of your life, and to make your own informed choices.

I acknowledge that there are many wonderful holistic doctors working on alternatives to surgery. My own regimen will be posted in due course on the Web site of the Pink Lotus Breast Center. I hope that this will be helpful to other women.

Breast cancer alone kills some 458,000 people each year, according to the World Health Organization, mainly in low- and middle-income countries. It has got to be a priority to ensure that more women can access gene testing and lifesaving preventive treatment, whatever their means and background, wherever they live. The cost of testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2, at more than $3,000 in the United States, remains an obstacle for many women.

I choose not to keep my story private because there are many women who do not know that they might be living under the shadow of cancer. It is my hope that they, too, will be able to get gene tested, and that if they have a high risk they, too, will know that they have strong options.

Life comes with many challenges. The ones that should not scare us are the ones we can take on and take control of.