We have been very lucky in my big, fat, Cuban family. We always seem to equalize when we lose someone. What I mean by that is that when there has been divorce or death, it is inevitably followed by a wedding or a birth. "God gives. God takes. God's name be ever blessed." ...
My Big, Fat, Cuban Family
Family is everything to me. I love them more than words can describe.
The sweet part
My brother, Rudy, and his beautiful wife, Carmen flew in from Texas yesterday - for the funeral. "I'm going to make arroz con pollo," Amy declared authoritatively. (She made enough arroz con pollo to feed the small army that is my big, fat, Cuban family, but that's not important right now.) First, Eric and I arrive with the ...
Love and Death
The grief is a funny thing. It seems to come out of nowhere and wrap itself tightly around me without letting go making it impossible to breathe.Just as suddenly it drops its clutches from around my chest and life goes on - business as usual.That has been the rhythm of my days this past week. I've been consumed by grief over the passing of ...
She’s living the life I want (A Rant – By Amy)
It's not fair. (This is Amy again, by the way) Today, my abuela is 94. NINETY-FOUR!! And where is she? MIAMI. Perhaps you don't quite understand. I live with her, HERE, in Orange County. But about a month ago, she decided to take a trip to MIAMI and visit her OLDER (yes, OLDER) brother. He will be 97 in ...
Next time I ask for CHANGE, I’m going to be more specific
Hello everyone! It's me, Amy! So, I know I haven't written in quite some time and you've probably wondered what happened to me . . . Well, I was stuck at a job that I was miserable in and was always so exhausted after work that I didn't have time to READ let alone WRITE any posts. Thanks to my praying Mom (and my own prayers) I have ...
Lock and Load
It has been pouring here in So Cal. Lots of rain. Heavy-storm kind of rain. Confusing, what-kind-of-shoes-do-we-wear-in-this-stuff kind of rain. It just doesn't rain here often and we southlanders never quite know what to do with ourselves in the rain. In fact, we don't even know how to drive when it rains here, but that's a rant post ...
I’m a poet and I don’t even. . . oh wait. . .
My adorable niece, Katie, is 22 today. That means I will go out on a creative limb for her and write a haiku poem. Okay. I don't routinely go around writing haikus, (Well, I confess, sometimes I think of them, but I don't routinely write them down, but that's not important right now.) Katie and I have this tradition: I write a lovely, ...
How “el Tiki-tiki” works
El Tiki-tiki - v. to harp on a subject over and over and then resort to guilt until your victim succumbs to your wishes. Mami: "You have to have a party for your Tia before she leaves." Me: "Umm. . . what with the holidays, it's been a little busy. I don't know if I can do it." Mami (issuing a big, heavy ...
Places to go. Things to do. Kids to embarrass. =D
I've been keeping up pretty nicely with that whole taking one picture every day project. Actually, I love having my camera with me 24/7. In fact, I have it with me so much it's almost like a family member now. We're all seated at the dinner table, and one of the kids asks:"Where's your camera?" And it's weird when you blog (like I ...
How birth order affects decision making
Amy comes bouncing in and announces that her cousin, (my nephew) Michael is having a big party to celebrate his thirtieth birthday in February and that she's thinking about going. There's just one small (geographic) problem . . . Michael lives in South Miami Beach, Florida. Amy: "I can leave on Friday, go to the party on Saturday and come home ...
