5. We’re alive today. There’s a great song by Colombian singer Santiago Cruz, “Como si no fuera suficiente despertar y ser conscientes del milagro tan sencillo que comprende el estar vivos nada más, tanto más, simplemente estar vivos.” (As if it were not enough to awaken and be conscious of the simple miracle, to understand we simply are alive, so much more, to simply be alive…)

4. Dear Family and Friends who make the journey easier. “With a Little Help from My Friends…”

3. I love singing. “I love to sing the songs I sing…”

2. We have a long weekend coming up! Llega el fin de semana–Weekend Song

“El viernes ya llegó. El cole(gio) se acabó. El fin de semana comenzó. A casa llegaré a merendar muy bien. Hay tantas cosas por hacer. Y embarcaremos al parque para jugar, a la montaña vamos a caminar. Cocinaremos un pastel. Vendrán amigos a comer. Construiremos figuritas de papel. (repite) Con música para bailar y muchos cuentos para contar será un gran fin de semana familiar. Y así con tanta actividad lo pasaré fenomenal, pero también es importante descansar.”

Translation: Friday is here. School’s out. The weekend’s begun. I’m going home to have a good snack. There are so many things to do. We’ll set off for the park to play, to the mountain to hike. We’ll cook a cake. Friends will come over to eat. We’ll cut paper chains. (repeats) With music to dance and many stories to tell it will be a great family weekend. And with so many activities I’ll have a great time, but it’s also important to rest.

1. Evan’s oncologist didn’t wait to sit down to tell us the tests had gone well. She came in the door and spilled the beans immediately. No new flare ups in any lymph nodes. That’s great news. Lymphoma is rarely a condition that can be cured, but people can live with it as a chronic condition for years, and in lucky cases for decades.  Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers on our behalf. I am singing Gracias a la vida, breathing deeply in relief. See my previous post, Are We Alive?, for details.

Poem by Chilean writer Violeta Parra, sung by Mercedes Sosa, Gracias a la vida (Thanks to Life) “Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto” Thanks to life which has given me so much.

¡Muchas gracias, lectores! Thank you very much readers of Fake Flamenco. ¡Olé! –Rebecca