My mom, Luza, celebrated her 99th birthday in February. You may recall that she asked if she could have balloons at her party. How fabulous would it be if we could get 99 RED Balloons for the party? (Inspired by the 80's song of the same name, but that's not important right now.) I took it up just a notch and asked everyone to please ...
A Pastelito by any other name…
There are thousands of fantastic restaurants in Southern California. And I'm sure the fair city of Glendale has a bizzillion wonderful eateries. But, if we're going to be in Glendale for any reason, we must always stop at Porto's Bakery and load up on Cuban Provisions. There's no better Cuban bakery in So Cal. Lucy, Jonathan ...
Bee-ing Ourselves
Spring weather here in Southern California is like no other. The first thing I do when I get up in the morning is open all the windows and doors and let the fresh air in. This is how the trouble started... I left the slider in our bedroom open the other morning, and a bee got in the house. I didn't know that that's what had happened. I ...
This is Wassup…
Last summer, I came across a Kickstarter Campaign for a not-yet-produced TV show called "Wassup en LA?" The theme was that a young Cuban American actor from Miami goes to Los Angeles to find fame and fortune. And his Cuban family, abuelos and all, follow and support him. I clicked on the link, read the synopsis and and fell in love. You ...
Keeping Calm
Sometimes I feel like I've said everything I need to say. And sometimes I feel like I have told my same stories a thousand times. Maybe it's because I start to tell a story and my kids stop me in mid-sentence with a resounding, "We know!" I thought about retiring my blogging jersey (metaphorically speaking) and shut down My ...
Life Without Pretending
When I started writing over-sharing on this blog six years ago, I had made the decision that I didn't want to ever complain. (I follow that rule in my real life, too, but that's not important right now.) I seriously have so much to be grateful for, and I swear I do lead a charmed life. But like everyone else, I go through a rough patch ...
Cuban Word of the Day
I have been taking a hiatus to get myself well again from being sick for the first part of this year. (Thank you, Vicks VaPoRub for your constant support.) I'm 100% better and I'm ready to jump back into blog-world. I had a feeling-sorry-for-myself-emotionally-fragile moment of "I wonder if anyone even remembers me?" This ...
“Cogelo con Takerisi”
Im so fussy. I've pretty much been sick since the beginning of the year with an old-school-garden-variety-sneezy-sniffly cold that has just been more of a nuisance than anything else. Well, it's made me feel a bit lazy, too, but that's not important right now. Until last week. That's when I somehow turned a corner and found ...
#LookAtMyFood
Are you one of those people that buys a cookbook based on the ability to see the finished dish in color? I totally am. I guess it's because my learning style is primarily visual. When something is being described to me, I "see" it in my mind's eye. This is also why I can't watch R-rated movies where things are too graphic, ...
It Won’t Be A Surprise Party…
I had my mom, Luza, with me over the weekend. Our major activity was making plans for her upcoming birthday next month. We will be celebrating her 99 years on earth. Me: "What would you like to do for your birthday?" Luza: "I would like a party." Me: "Of course." She stops for a moment, thinking. "Can I have ...
