I've never shared this with anyone but my very closest friends. I've been writing here at My Big, Fat, Cuban Family for 6 years and I have never even broached this topic, but that's not important right now. I suffer from fibromyalgia. Which means I live in pretty much constant pain. I don't talk about it because, well, frankly, ...
Celebrating Every Day or My Week in Instagram
Most people start the new year with big plans and a "let's do this" attitude. And I do, too, mostly... But this year started off with crazy. Here's how I documented my week via Instagram. (Photo sharing app for smart phones.)Jonathan had his first semester performances the very first week, which meant we were at the theater ...
His Descendants are Many…
When we first moved into our present home eleven years ago, I had a vision of what I wanted along the wall of the stairwell. I wanted a sepia toned collection of family photos, old and new. The black and white photos and the brown sepia tones would be the unifying factor between the Now and Then look.It all started with a photo of my dad. A ...
The Things I Didn’t Blog About in 2012 – Luza
I write just about every day in my journal. I use the pages to rant and complain so that I don't do as much of it here in this public space. In my journal, I write about my fears, my worries, my hopes, and my dreams. Some days I just write about how tired I am (which admittedly is not the best blog-fodder, but that's not important right ...
The Best of MBFCF in 2012
I've been blogging here in this space for the past six years and a half years. That's a lot of life that has transpired and that I've documented here on my blog. A couple of years ago I started doing a recap in January of the year that had passed. Here are years, 2009, 2010, and 2011. I like looking back to see where I've been ...
My Big, Fat, Cuban Family Photo Op
I'm sure there are lots of obedient people who, when the photographer says, “say cheese!” do so without any problems. My big, fat, Cuban family? Not so much. Please enjoy.My son, Adam and his fiancee, Stephanie.My son, Adam. My daughter, Amy Kikita. My niece, Katie.My sister, Helen and her two grandchildren, Daisy and Ben.My sister, ...
This guy.
I measure the passing of time and events by the ages of my kids. Maybe most mothers do that. I remember where I was and what year it was because what I remember is that "Amy was still in high school." Or "Adam had already moved away." Sometimes it's "that's when Lucy cut her hair short." The end of the year ...
Nochebuena in the O.C. (¡Oh, Sí!)
I'm just now recovering from the Food Coma that has ensued since our fabulous Nochebuena celebration. Once again it fell to me to host My Big, Fat, Cuban Family for our big Cuban feast on December the 24th. Cubans celebrate Christmas Eve more so than Christmas Day. It's a fall-back, I think, to the days when we actually celebrated the 12 ...
Turron? Or not Turron? THAT is the question.
Sometimes when I'm describing to friends or acquaintances how my big, fat Cuban family celebrates Christmas, I feel a little odd. You know we Cubans just do our Nochebuena thing without giving it much thought. But to someone who is not versed in our "Cubanisms" (<-- is that a word?), all this pig-eating and rum-in-the-eggnog-drinking may come ...
Starting our Nochebuena right – Thank you, Avocados from Mexico.
Nochebuena preparations are in full swing around here. The pig is happily marinating in the Mojo Criollo I told you about a few days ago. The Matervas are chilling in the fridge. Lucy is out in the world on a hunt for Turrones. Every time the phone rings or there is a text, it is Christmas related. My sister, Helen, calls: "We need an ...
