Brandon's Puppy

A Priceless Gift

Last night, we (we: me, hubby, my sister, my mom, my grandparents, my uncle and aunt, and a varied assortment of friends who in total took up two rows of seats) went to the Tower Theater to watch a special screening of My Suitcase Full of Hope, which airs tomorrow night at 8pm on WPBT, our local public television station. The director, Joe Cardona, is a friend of my uncle’s, so it was no real surprise to me that he chose to include my family in his new documentary about the Freedom Flights. I was eagerly awaiting my grandparents’ screen debut, even teasing my grandmother before the start of the film, who was a bit embarrassed by the whole thing. But when pictures of my family flashed on the screen, and I heard my grandfather’s voice on film, an overwhelming sense of pride washed over me, and spilled out of me in the form of tears.

Even though I wanted to just enjoy the moment – the greatness of the film, the delight of being there with my family, and the awesomeness of being surrounded by others who shared this sad, beautiful experience with us- my mind took me elsewhere. I imagined my children old enough to wonder about, question, understand and appreciate their roots, and being able to watch this film with them. Thanks to Joe, my family’s story is now documented in a very real, tangible way. My children will hear my grandparents’ stories in their own words, long after they are no longer with us to tell them. For that, I am forever grateful.

(For more familial reaction to the film, including my sister's in the comments, read here. Warning: get tissues,)

long weekend blues

I'm feeling a bit BLAH today. I think it's because a 3-day weekend is at it's end and we didn't do anything out of the ordinary. Don't get me wrong, I'm very grateful for the day off, but I would have wanted to take better advantage of it. Given the prices at places like the Sahara hotel, I would have loved to hop on a plane and spend a couple of days in Vegas, one of those places I've never been to but would like to see.
Slowly, and fortunately, money is becoming less of an issue. Unfortunately, we have a new obstacle. Hubby works today, and every holiday throughout the year, unless it lands on the weekend. Conclusion: we can't make any out-of-town plans for long weekends such as this one because hubby works. The good news is, he'll be home in about two hours, so we'll at least enjoy part of the day together. That's what really counts, right?

Memorial Day

This picture is the creation of fellow Babalu contributor, and kick-ass photographer Mike Pancier. It represents exactly what I want to say: while you're at the beach with your family, or BBQing with friends, or doing whatever you're planning on doing today, take a moment to honor our service men and women. Without them, the word freedom is just a word.

learning and growing

Did you know that ephedra isn't just a dietary supplement? It's been used by the Chinese for centuries as an herbal remedy for treatment of asthma and hay fever, and even the common cold. That's just one of the things I’ve learned at my new job. Every day I learn something new, either about the field we are in or because they trust me with a task and let me figure out the best way it should be done without micro-managing me.
It’s great to walk into a job and feel appreciated, useful and trusted. Have I mentioned lately how much I love my fabulous new job?

It's over already?!

Kikita is officially on the other side of the country now. It was great hanging out with her, and the rest of the Babalu family, at Cuba Nostalgia. One of the things I love about the event, besides being completed surrounded by all things Cuban, is getting to see family and friends. At this point, it's almost a tradition that I run into my high school friend Monica and her family.
Amy and I also got to meet our reader Ibiza, who I have been trying to meet for the last few months, without success. Every time we plan something, it falls through. I'm glad she was able to drive down from her part of Florida for the day and spend some time with us.

Every year, I meet a celebrity or two: this year, it was Mercedes from Spam All Stars. I've thought she was great ever since she was a member of Albita's band many years ago, so it was awesome to chat with her for a couple of minutes.

And speaking of music, I got to see my buddy Mike Mut with his new band Electric Piquete on Saturday night. (here he is having a "moment" with Val during their set. LOL). I'll be seeing him again this Friday. It's my sister's birthday and we're going to one of their gigs to celebrate.

I'm still recuperating, and my poor feet haven't forgiven me yet for the shoes I wore all day Saturday, but it was totally worth it. Let the countdown for Cuba Nostalgia 2010 begin!

Kikita is HERE!

We have a house guest this weekend. Amy, aka Kikita, is spending a couple of days with us. She's in town for Cuba Nostalgia, which we will be attending together. We will be there all day today, and most of the day tomorrow, so come on by and visit us! We will be at the Babalublog booth (of course!). I'm not exactly sure where our booth is located this year, but once you find the domino tables, you'll find us.

Since this is our first house guest since the Pereiras came to visit last May (wow, has it been a year already?!), we decided we should do a couple of things to make our house a bit more guest-friendly. Among them, adding light to the boys'/guest bathroom. WB, you'll be happy to know that next time you visit you won't have to shower in the dark.

I know I've been a bit negligent with the blog this week. It was a busy week: we were trying to make the house all sparkly before Kikita's visit, including setting up our new-to-us desk. I also worked overtime, so that postponed some things on the To-Do list.

We're about to have hubby's yummy waffles, then we're off to immerse ourselves in Cubanness. See ya later!

Mother's Day

So thankful to God for choosing me to give birth to and raise these two beautiful boys. I thank Him for the privilege of being their Mom, and I thank them for bringing overwhelming joy to my life.

Happy Mother's Day!

Social butterfly

In about an hour, I'll be heading out to pick up Claudia, and we're going to a high school reunion event. It's at a club, and it's for the first five graduating classes from our school. I treated myself to a new top and a wallet for Mother's Day, so I'll be showing those off today. Hubby is staying home with the boys; his new schedule has him exhausted, and he's been going to bed by 10pm, way too early for a Saturday night. Claudia's hubby is staying home with their boys. Yes, it's a girls' night out!

I'll have a couple of those next week too. Cuba Nostalgia is next weekend, and Kikita will be in town, for six days, three of which she'll be spending at my casa. I can't wait!

What are you up to this fine Saturday evening?

Change is good

I can think of no better natural acne treatment than removing stressors from your life. I've noticed, in just the last three weeks, that my skin is rejuvenated. I used to get blotchy patches of tiny little bumps on the backs of my arms. Those are gone, along with the purplish shadows under my eyes. I've never had signs of "bad skin" on my face, but even it's looking smoother and healthier. I don't think it's a coincidence that it's been three weeks since I last stepped foot in that nasty, dilapidated building, and I never have to again.

Note to self

A fabulous new job does not mean you ignore blogging, or catching up with friends, or playtime on Facebook, or even important stuff like folding and putting away laundry and doing the dishes.

Just sayin'.

*In my defense, I'm still adapting to my new schedule. While I love it for many reasons, I do get home later than I used to. Everything is running about an hour later than before, even though hubby is home three hours earlier than with his previous job. Go figure.)

My new pretty things

See this dress? And this one? And this blouse (in white)? And these shoes? They are mine!

Hubby, the boys and I had breakfast with my Godmother, and then we all went to a new-to-us mall. Even though I was disinclined, she insisted on getting me a couple of things as an early Mother's Day present and to celebrate my new job. Thanks to the 12 pounds I lost recently, the two dresses look fabulous on me. The blouse was an unexpected surprise: someone had left it in the fitting room, and I tried it on out of curiosity. The store had one of those Friends & Family promotions, so my Godmother paid practically nothing for the three items. I hadn't seen a deal this good since some of last year's Cyber Monday sales! Had it been my money, I would have probably taken a few more items.
The shoes were a treat to myself for starting my fabulous new job. They are so cute. I love the way they look on my feet, and they are very comfortable. They had them in a goldish color too, but I thought the black ones were more versatile.
I'm going to Lilli's baby shower tomorrow, and am considering wearing the black dress and the shoes. What do you think? Should I, or is black too serious for a baby shower?