One of the items in my bucket list is to live in England for a short time. I’d be happy with staying there for a few months. I’d be thrilled with a year.

This dream of mine all began when I was 19 and I took a trip to England and stayed outside of London. I stayed in a small neighborhood, took the train (or tube) to London, ate and drank at the local pub, visited the touristy spots and lots of the non-touristy ones. I was in my glory there. I fit in. There’s something about England that made me feel that I could be myself completely. Even though I grew up in the Bronx, I felt that England was more accepting of people who look different and interracial couples.

Going from the lovely, green countryside to the city was simple. What a pleasure to view farms and then streets filled with shops, restaurants, pubs and lots of people. In my dream, I’d look through flats to rent in Manchester. Manchester is a trendy city but is close to the more rural areas and easily accessible via Piccadilly Station.

There are many opportunities to see new or Broadway shows as the theater is a very active part of this city. It is home of many museums, including Peoples History Museum and The Gallery of Costume, so I can visit them when I please. And I can picture myself going to a restaurant from every nationality each week (this is my dream!). So why would I not want to rent a flat in Manchester?

Last week I had the honor of attending Saltimbanco, one of the Cirque du Soleil shows. I won four tickets from a contest on Twitter. It was held at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa. I took my ten year old daughter, my Mom and a dear friend with me.

The title of the show is from the Italian “saltre in banco” which means to jump on a bench. Of course there are many acrobatic acts that include jumping, but they are truly spectacular. The theme is urban life where imagination, magic, comedy and creativity rule.

From the start of the show until the end my group and I were enthralled with each act. I loved hearing my daughter laughing and applauding in earnest. I can’t count the number of times we were amazed to the point of saying, “aahh and oohh”. I was tickled by watching an older gentleman in the row in front of us who would put his hand on top of his head in shock when one of the performers would do something unbelievable.

The acts including juggling, trapeze artists, Chinese pole acrobats, Boledeadoras, and clowns. None of these are ordinary in any sense from their costumes to their abilities, from their stage presence to their showmanship. And the music! The show has a live band which covers rock and roll to classical music. The vocals are hauntingly beautiful. The language is made up but along with the body language, squeaks, whistles and other sounds of the characters you just seem to get it.

I wasn’t allowed to bring a camera to the show so please take a look at the trailer at the official site which also includes photos and samples of the music.

With Independence Day in the USA coming up very soon I am going to be saluting America. We usually have a barbeque, fly the Flag, take in a parade and see some fireworks. This year I’d love to add some patriotic music to our day.

To some of you it may seem corny, but I truly love songs like God Bless America, You’re A Grand Old Flag and God Bless America. They give me goosebumps. I remember back in elementary school when it was the bicentennial and we put on a play about the USA. I learned songs that were about America and it’s history to sing in the chorus. To this day, I remember every word.

Listening (and singing along quietly so I won’t scare anyone away) to an MP3 Download of this type of music on any patriotic holiday will just add to the party and make me and others feel how blessed we are to be Americans. A Salute To America is going to be available on July 3rd at Amazon.com for only $1.99. It contains 30 songs and is the Amazon MP3 Deal of The Day.

Some other songs, besides those above, are Battle Hymn of The Republic and Stars and Stripes Forever. You can play this on Memorial Day, Veterans Day, Flag Day, or whenever you feel the spirit hit you.

I’m feeling so much better because I have things all sorted out. I don’t have my organization skills totally figured out yet, but I have made a decision to not stress when I miss a day or two of blogging. I am actually taking time off to spend time with my family and to do some of the hobbies I enjoy.

Blogging is my favorite hobby but it is work too. And everyone needs a break from work. Having my daughter home for the summer, getting ready for my older daughter’s wedding and helping out my Mom has taken a priority lately.

So, staying offline completely, away from Twitter, forums, Facebook, etc. a few days a week is my way to handle things. It’s healthy for me and it’s what I need to do.