Wow, I cannot believe it’s been almost a year since I’ve posted. Time to catch up….
So far this has been a year of adventure and discovery. I believe that along with the good, comes the not so good, reminders to never forget and appreciate our good moments.
2024 began with a wonderful trip to Puerto Rico. I happened to be there during their annual festival of San Sebastian which party-wise is as wild as Mardi Gras. It is a 4 day festival, I went twice. The first day I went was on a Thursday, it was great to walk around Old San Juan and see all the lovely old buildings, the vegetation, and of course the ocean. The second time I went was on Sunday, the last day of the festival and YES, it was crazy. I went back determined to see the Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazziz Cemetery and the Castillo San Felipe del Morro. To make a long story short, the crowds were intense and I wasn’t prepared for such a long walk. I had comfortable shoes on but had no water. Literally walking shoulder to shoulder amongst the crowd of partying locals, I ended up in La Perla district, which is their infamous neighborhood of shanty buildings first built to house the ones not allowed to live within the walls of San Juan in the 19 th century. I did not know where I was until I got back to my hotel room and read about it. La Perla is a place where its residents are proud and do not like photos being taken of their homes by outsiders. Tourists are discouraged from entering as they only allow their own residents in. In fact several Americans were murdered there in 2021 and 2023 after being told to not photograph the area by the locals. WOW! And there I was amidst the crowd taking photos. It must’ve been serendipitous for me to end up in Puerto Rico during the festival, and having probably my only opportunity to walk amongst the locals in their own streets. It felt like a gift given to me from the universe. I felt very humbled.
https://rove.me/to/puerto-rico/san-sebastian-street-festival
https://sanjuanpuertorico.com/la-perla/
Here are a few pics from that trip.
A few weeks later I was next headed to go see the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, CA. I’ve always wanted to see it since I caught a glimpse of it while driving by many years ago. It was pretty amazing. The grounds around the mansion and the stained glass windows inside are worth the price of admission. If you do not know the history of the Winchester Mystery House, here is a link to read about it. https://winchestermysteryhouse.com/timeline/
While there I also discovered the Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph, which I’d never heard of. This was one of the most beautiful churches I’ve seen, I compare it to a mini version of the Vatican. The art and the workmanship is breathtaking. https://catholicshrinebasilica.com/cathedral-basilica-of-st-joseph-san- jose-california-united-states/ While there, an older man approached us and asked if we’d like a tour of the cathedral. It was so special as there were other visitors but we were the only ones asked. We learned so much history and left feeling honored and blessed.
Art-wise, I have been busy creating for my first art show scheduled for later this year. I will be posting more information soon!
In the middle of my creativity burst, I woke up one Saturday morning in late April with a vicious headache. I was immediately alarmed when opening my eyes, I could only see darkness and shadows out of my right eye. I ended up in the ER for 8 hours. I was taken to a bed immediately, everyone was afraid I was having a stroke…with the excruciating pain I was confused and couldn’t remember what month it was or who our president was. Yikes! It turned out I have Narrow Angle Glaucoma. It’s very serious and was told had I not come in, I would’ve gone blind. Sorry Etta James, but I prefer not to go blind. Luckily the pressure eventually went down enough for me to come home and follow up with a specialist. A few days later I had an emergency Iridectomy to remove a small portion of the iris. Although the surgery was successful, I am not out of the woods yet. I am in the 1% of patients who need further corrective surgery. So in July I will be having lens replacement surgery on both eyes.
This scare has prompted me to get more medical issues addressed. I have lived in avoidance because I have major fear and anxiety over ANYTHING medical or dental. My ‘inner voice’ tells me, “Sylvia, you have lived without any major issues for years, it’s now time to become a team player and have a turn!” I have to agree with that thought!!!
Amidst this chaos, I have managed to create 9 new collage art pieces for my show. Here is a small preview of some of them in a digital collection.
Stay Positive * Work Hard * Make It Happen * Never Give Up
With love and affection,
Silver Moon
Ps I love Steve!