break time! day 1

Hey y’all! 

I realized last summer that just the three of us (juan, ladybug, and myself) hadn’t taken a real family vacay since ladybug was a toddler! Yes, we travel, and travel quite a bit, but it was always family related and mainly to Atlanta, which is where Juan is from and where I finished school. We always have a blast when we go ‘home’ because, well, it’s home. Most of my college friends are still in the area, and do I need to even mention all the good eating to be had there? Plus Juan and ladybug get to spend time with the family.  Even though it’s home, it’s still just home.

 

the fountain at Balboa Park

Upon my vacation realization I told Juan we had to fix this asap! So being the man of action that he is, he started looking for somewhere other than Atlanta for us to visit. But the question was when. Do we sacrifice our Christmas vacation in Atlanta for our family get a way? We don’t get home as much as we used to; it’s dwindled down to only once or twice each year ($650 has been the average price per ticket!) at most, and his family’s not happy about it. Thanksgiving? It required more thought, and time, but ultimately Christmas break won and the Atlanta lost. San Diego here we come!

We left that Thursday before Christmas and returned late Christmas Eve. Thirty minutes into the flight I began to panic because I realized that I hadn't done ANY shopping!! Nope. Not even one little gift card for ANYONE! And we were returning too late for me to get anything at least for ladybug. In addition to my own anxiety, ladybug had to contribute hers as well - would we get back in time to make Santas cookies? how will Santa find her if we didn't have a tree? and on and on...!  Well thank God for friends like Glo! She saved the day by doing all my shopping for ladybug! I could exhale and really enjoy the trip.

And boy did we have a much needed blast filled with lots of food, walking (and no wheelchair or motor scooter mind you!!), and uncontrollable laughter. It was just wonderful and just what we needed and we will be doing this more often! 

Day one was all about rest and relaxation. But day two was full of museums at Balboa Park. This place is a museum freaks heaven! There are museums for every possible interest, with fountains and historic mission style buildings all nestled in a beautiful park setting. There are people everywhere selling churros and balloon animals, protesting the civil situation or another, passing out info on religious and sexual rights to expression (not necessarily the one in the same, lol!) all throughout the place. Our favorites where the ones with animals. 

she loves dinosaurs, reptiles, and sharks!

As for museums, we found ourselves in the natural history museum... ladybug LOVES dinosaurs, sharks, and other creatures. 

this creeped me out

she got a real kick out of this giant shark!

telling her dad 'what's what'

we had fun at the natural history museum

Day 1 was so much fun, so STAY TUNED for day 2!

Be well ♥

family fun & revelation on easter

hey everyone!

i truly hope you all had are having (greek orthodox) a great Easter and passover. i had a great time with family and friends when i decided at the last minute to have everyone over for dinner. i say last minute because i FORGOT it was Easter! yes, really. but we had a BLAST!! lots of great company, and great food - if i must say so myself, lol! (yes, i cooked every last bit - right down to the chocolate cake!)

Easter is about resurrection, rebirth, renewal. and i have been going through so much in the last year, so many revelations and moments of clarity. this Easter season has meant more to me than previous ones, especially because i'm still here able to celebrate, but mostly because of what's been going on with me.

i've always thought, felt that i've been pretty good at being honest with myself (therefore honest with others), but as i said in my last post, one of the revelations i recently came to was that i really hadn't been. that was scary! what do you mean i'm a liar?! i know that's a bit extreme, but it's the truth. i can be truthful with everyone else, get everyone (clients and close friends) to face their truths, but not be truthful to/with myself.

i'm also realizing that i actually DID/DO give a damn about what other people think. i had always thought i really didn't care that much, not in the way other people did/do. but yes, i did and still do to a degree. i didn't realize til recently that like so many other women, i allowed what I THOUGHT others thought of me, to influence me. how did i NOT notice this??! the good thing about life is that it's never too late. EVERY SINGLE MOMENT IS AN OPPORTUNITY for change, for revelation, for perspective, for love, for so much!

how LIBERATING is that?!

YUM!

part of the table

one of my 'lil sister/girlfriends' kind enough to join us with her boyfriend

here's my big little nephew jordin (6yrs) posing for the camera

be well friends :)

the fight must go on

october is breast cancer awareness month and i'm glad, because we need to fight it. this is a disease that affects so many, not just women. and this is a disease that can be conquered. but only if we fight.

we must also be mindful that there are several other diseases that are in need of awareness too. that need to be fought just as fiercely as breast cancer.

let's also make the time to honor those still courageously fighting. lets uplift them and cheer them on, leting them know that we are here! i'm blessed to know some incredible people who are currently engaged in battle . they encourage me, inspire me, amaze me. and i'm thankful for them (holly, traci, laurie, miranda, catherine, and yvette).

yes, there's more, much more i'd like to say but i'm not feeling well today, and i'm not as eloquent as i would like to be. so i will leave you with a plea to be aware. be aware of your body, your health, your life. take control of them. make the time and do it now. and please take a moment to see what you can do to advace the fight against breast cancer, along with the many other cruel and vicious disease out there that snatch away the lives of those we love dearly. take a moment this month to remember them. honor them.

be well :)

what do you do when he HATES valentines day?

you love him anyway.

yes, i must come out of the closet with this one. my dearest hubby HATES valentines day. he feels it has now become way too commercialized. and i get where he's coming from and i agree. really. the love you have for someone should be celebrated everyday. in many little and big ways. and he and i do. now, i'm not the mushy cheezy kind that gets all into it either. it's just that.... well...

he's made it extremely clear that he's not either. and it's been difficult for me these 17+ years with him. to be with someone i love who is violently opposed to this day of love. now don't get me wrong... he has totally come through on this front in ways that has blown my mind and also has left an "awwwe...he is amazing!" on the lips of friends and family. but you see, he's very public with his show's of love. other than love making, it's very minimal, and i usually have to initiate most forms of affection. it just doesn't occur to him...unless it occurs to him.

i am an affectionate person. not needy. just affectionate. not necessarily into "pda" (public demonstrations of affection), but reasonable and relevant shows of affection. hand holding. a rub here, a gentle touch there. and my favorite---great, mindblowing, intriguing, intimate, casual, soul bearing, matter-of-fact, "hey babe, how's your day?...well..." conversation. yes. conversation. its like foreplay for me. especially anything deep and intense and revealing..any topic..just deep and intense and revealing. but that's not him. mr. passive agressive.

so.. i got a couple of beautiful bouquets of flowers delivered to me beginning yesterday. my favorites. the card that came was anonymous, but the words were wonderful. something about being strong, courageous, inspiring, beautiful... all the stuff you'd want to be on a card that was with delivered flowers. i immediately suspected my daddy. that's totally like him!! but no, him it was not. i was very suspicious of hubby because i had figured that he had given in. after all, they were a combination of my top 2 most favorite flowers.

nope. not him.

my gut agreed with him. those were'nt his kind of words. and he would have NEVER had flowers delivered to me. NEVER.

so fast forward to today. this time rose came. and the card a bit more intimate. with talk of my sexiness, and how tinking of me makes them a happier person. that they love and admire me from afar. .... what the hell?!?

nah... had to be juan.

nope. not him.

this time he got a bit huffy puffy at the fact that i asked him intensely if it were him this time or not. "well, send them back" he said. lol!

i called the flower company and they said they'd check to see if the sender wished to stay anonymous. they did. but, the customer service rep did let slip that it was "a man" sending all the flowers. i am definately intrigued. theflowers are gorgeous. and i find myself wishing it was juan, not some far off admirer. i also found myself wishing that he gave a bit more of a damn than usual.

so, i was able to get my vday fix. beautiful flowers, sunshine, hugs and kisses from my ladybug and a card from my daddy. eventhough i didn't get it from the one i love. no cards. no flowers. no intimate dinner for two. no ... well, maybe some love making (of course he'll take that-but in his mind, it won't have anythhing to do with valentines day!!). what do you do when the one you love hates the day that you are to celebrate the love you have for one another all year long?

well, you love them anyway. in spite of themselves. because love truly rules. when you let it.

today is the day for LOVE---HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!

be well :)

Last bit of holiday

so yes, it's been a couple of weeks. sorry. been in a very contemplative mood, will post on that later.


meanwhile, here are a few more pics from the holdays. as i said before, i baked my head off, and here are some pics of how i packaged the treats i made. the next set are of juan and ladybug - he took her ice skating at union square in san francisco. they had a blast! then the last group are of all the wonderful holiday and christmas cards we got. i love them! oh, and you get see what a pair of clowns i have.


enjoy :)

still recovering... and happy kwanzaa!

greetings and happy kwanzaa!

i hope everyone is having a very wonderful and safe holiday season.


whew! i've had a very busy week and i've been so exhausted, but am recovering. it all began with ladybugs school christmas program, then i had to make and decorate tons of cookies for her class party. i rested for a couple of days before i realized that i had not realized that christmas was just a few days away! oh dear!! i had to get back to baking again. lots more cookies - my jelly rolls, lemony lemon shortbreads, and chocolate truffles. oh yeah, and what were we gonna have for christmas dinner..?? uhg.


well, here are a few pic's of my holiday week. i'll try to add captions. one quick note.. ladybug has discovered barbie. yes, barbie. and is totally in love. now, i've always had barbie issues - back in te day 'black barbie' didn't look like me. where i grew up all the hispanics bought 'black barbie' because thats what she looked like. i guess the mattel just took the regular white barbie and spray painted her tan, and that was it. and hubby is totally against the girl. i mean like she's the anti christ. but i realized that times have changed 'black barbie', she now looks like an african american. she looks like my girlfrinds, women i went to school with, colleagues. hell... me! so, i tried to convince hubby that we shouldn't deny our child this rite of girlhood. that we (he!) needed to unpack that baggage, and get over it. well, actually, i didn't try to convince him of anything. i didn't give a damn what he thought about it anymore. my baby was to have a barbie! and my baby got a barbie. her barbie. and the picture here doesn't even come close to doing justice the look on her face when she opened that present. ahh... satisfaction. love. i'm a mommy.



oh, and for dinner we wound up having a wonderful beef roast with rosemary, tyme, and garlic braised in red wine and beef broth, with fresh green beans carmelized with shallots and garlic, along with my potatoe gratin. heaven!

enjoy!

ps.... i don't want to see another damn cookie for at least, hmmm.... a week or so! be well :)