We are family

But only a part of the family were here to celebrate Lola Lola's 80+ year old birthday. She is flanked by sons, daughters, grand kids, great-grand kids, and extended family.
Savory and sweet homemade dishes compliments of Tita Neneth and company were enjoyed by all(especially myself)! Rich in tradition, and celebrated by many, a birthday commemorates another year for this special celebrant. The matriarch of the family was honored with song, food, and family. Children's laughter and adult conversation was heard from every corner of the house.
What this unique mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother knows lays behind those eyes (yes, also behind the shiner that she received from a fall onto the floor). Thoughts and memories that only she remembers all compiled from the many years that she has celebrated. In my own opinion, it is she that is a symbol of family. It is she who has set the paths for her children and her children's children, and so forth. Without her, we would not all be here in this room. I have witnessed love and caring from those present, and I know they have witnessed those same emotions from Lola Lola. It is my hope to do the same to my children in hopes that they too will do the same to their family. Happy Birthday!

I'm Back!

Okay so here goes, I have been away from a computer and not voluntarily. Due to weather related issues and computer malfunctions I have been without easy access to a computer. Yeah, I could probably utilize the free access at the library but it does not really benefit when I have kids in tow. Wow it feels good to be at the keyboard. I do have to say that without computer/Internet access I have been able to catch up on reading from actual books and a pile of magazines collecting dust waiting for me to skim and scan the latest articles (which are already back issues!) I was amazed at how fast I could read and ached to have more materials at hand. It is a weird feeling because I would not have read as much because there was always something that I needed to do with the computer. Therefore, there was not as much time to read a book from cover to cover because there was the email, and the blogs, the yelp, and of course the overall researching. I would think about something I had to check out or look up and found myself at a loss because I could not Google the said idea. Even now the computer is not at 100% full steam. I am kind of in limbo waiting for the hard drive to properly recover all the files. I did not properly back up my files and have been quietly mourning the loss of images, actions, and data. So what to do? Move on, I guess. Do what I should have done from the beginning and back up the files that I know I will need and invest in a better system for this kind of computer malfunctioning.

I am also amazed at how my life has been so intertwined to technology. For example, I have had a question/thought that I have been wanting to tell my son's teacher. I have several options for communicating with the teacher, but what I wanted to tell her would have been so much easier if I had been able to email her. I know that she checks her email frequently. I could have left her a voice message or even send her a hand written note through my son. But due to history my son is probably not the best messenger. He has been known to lose items on the bus because he wanted to show his classmates the message. I had to learn this lesson the hard way and it cost me $10. But I transgress. So I did end up handwriting a letter to the teacher (I think too much information would have been lost over the phone). It was odd because I did not have the proper stationary nor the penmanship to write a letter. I ended up using white computer paper and tried my best to control my hand to write a neat printed/cursive letter. I eventually put idea to paper and reminded my son(more than once) that he was not to take anything out of his bag while riding on the bus. I eventually received a return phone call relaying my question and concern, but overall, it was a weird feeling.I am so tied to technology I have noticed that I am not as social. I was unable to keep in touch with friends and missed out on 2 invited occasions. No my life did not end and my day to day activities did not suffer. In fact I think I may have read double the books to my children before nap and bedtime because there was no work to be done at the computer. Factor in good weather and the park and outdoors where unexpected surprises for the kids. My projects were put on hold and my kids and my household benefited the most. Most of the laundry was done. Meals were cooked for the week and more attention and patience was had for the kids. So is this a benefit to have the computer and online capabilities at a fingertips distance? Well, now everything is put in perspective and I know that I have to figure out schedules and times for my work and extracurricular activities beyond priority number one, my family. This priority has never changed places, but now my time feels more organized. And I can continue to feel like I am not the only one in the world that has kids and a husband and a house, this 'place' keeps me connected. And if there are any people who cheer me on that would be my kids.

How do you know?

I was making breakfast one Saturday morning. When I opened up the 18 count egg container (thanks Costco), I found one egg had a different color than the other 17 eggs. It wasn't a bad color just a lighter shade of brown than the rest. I recalled a story that happened the day that I got married. It was a cool September day in 2001. I remember my mom came up to me as all the bridesmaids and myself were preparing with makeup and hair. My mom says, "You know dear, you do not have to put all your eggs in one basket." Just like that, my mom was very nonchalant with her comment, and I did not understand to what she was referring. So I asked her, "What are you talking about mom?" And she continues to say, "You know maybe you should consider keeping your options open." And I respond, "About what?" Now mind you my patience was running low and I think I may have audibly sighed at this point. My mom continues to say, "If you are not ready to get married, I will understand." Granted it was not a very touching moment to hear my mom say this to me on the day of my wedding, but in hindsight, my husband and I laugh about this story. My only explanation to my mother's concern was just that, concern for her youngest daughter making a life-altering decision. Albeit, the timing was way off. As I examined the different egg I saw no cracks or other blemishes. I proceeded to crack the shell and open it up and found that the yolk and egg white were as expected. The taste was perfect (after cooking it sunny-side up). I would never know at the time just by looking at my then soon-to-be-husband, that day in September that he would be 'The One.' Do not get me wrong, of course I had expectations and dreams of my husband. And what I vowed to him that September day I truly felt in my heart and continue to feel. Only after almost 7 years of marriage and 3 kids I can truly say he is perfect, and I am glad I did, "put all my eggs in one basket!"

Towering above

It has come to light that an ill wind has blown through and wrecked havoc among those whose lives are already with stress and burden. I know that this sounds cryptic but in order for me to be more specific would only put detriment to the lives that surround the issue. I would also only prove slanderous considering everything I have heard is from 3rd person point-of-view. Given what I already know from history it seems that in the process of what some people would term as help and support in actuality only caused strife and grief. Overall, the only accomplishment achieved may in fact harm the innocent. What is the root cause of harm? Why do people not get along? When will people understand that the little things need to be resolved and pave room for the larger issues at hand? How does one confront issues that take one from a comfort zone? Where will hate lead us all? I took this picture on a May cloudy Friday in downtown Chicago. Not a peek of sun would show through the overcast sky. When I first took the picture I remembered attending a graduation at the Fourth Presbyterian Church almost 10 years ago. The church is one of peace and serenity, with tranquil settings that are not seen from the busy downtown streets. The John Hancock building is seen as a behemoth set next to the church. I have tried to answer the question "Why would they say such a thing?" And the only answers that I could come up with are the inadequacies that one might feel when compared to the other and thus harboring jealousy in the end. Regardless of the real answer, hateful words have set the course of events into a tail spin and only those whose hearts are pure and strong can overcome the consequences of hate.

A current favorite

As I mentioned in one of my previous blog posts I have been staying up late working on a couple projects. I tend to work late at night because I get most of my work done uninterrupted. I can stay wired working until 3 or 4 in the morning. No I'm not boasting and believe me I pay for it in the morning when my roosters wake me up at 6:30AM. So what is my secret? The answer lies between the D and D. Do you know what I'm talking about? I'm talking about a smooth brew of extra cream, regular sugar, large Dunkin Donuts coffee. $1.96 (tax included, thanks Todd). A bit much on the pocket book considering I can make my own for a lot less. Americans make it easy now with the wondrous drive-thru invention. My favorite spot to pick up some caffeine goodness is off of Fullerton after I get off the highway. The drive thru window lies steps from the parking lot, and I would probably benefit from expending a few (thousand) calories if I walked into the store. But time is of the essence for me and the challenge of curving the car into the lane with out adding to the dings, battered scrapes, and tire marks of the drive thru sign gets exciting (it's the little things that get my cogs turning!). P.S. don't forget the straw! Check out my review at http://giselles.yelp.com