Malgados 5

Santa Lucia Day

2011-12-13T21:29:00.005-05:00

We started a new tradition today.

(say "cheese")

I figure that if we keep this up she'll be bringing us breakfast in bed.

Babies

2011-11-29T19:07:00.009-05:00

Lucia is obsessed with them, she has been for months. She excitedly points out a baby anytime she spots a car seat or stroller. And to the delight of many strangers, she’s often carrying around a mini Corolle doll, her “baby”.

In September, Lucia and I were in Barnes and Noble and came across what would soon become her favorite book, Everywhere Babies. She loves this book. Whenever we read books it’s one of the first she asks to read. She has also identified people she knows in the book. Papa is on one page and Arianna and Russell (from daycare) can be found on another. And recently when we’ve reached the last page she’ll say the last line before I can read it out.

And her favorite song. Sigh. Elizabeth Mitchell’s “Who’s My Pretty Baby”, or “the baby song” as we know it. It really is a lovely song, but have to listen to it all the way to work and back, 30 minutes each way can get a little old. And now that Juan knows the song on the guitar, there’s no stopping her at home either.

With all of this obsession I knew she would love the movie “Babies” just as much as I did. It’s the only full length movie she’s sat through in fact. She was mesmerized.

So, I guess I should be relieved, because in just a few months (5 to be exact) we’ll be bringing home to Lucia a real live baby. We’ll see if the obsession can survive the truth of what it means to have a baby.

Happy Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T20:46:00.003-04:00

She went as a monkey (although a couple people mistook her for a mouse, I see that too). Monkeys are only things next to babies that she seems to get excited about more than anything else. She has her "mono shoes" (monkey slippers), "mono pajamas", "mono shirt", and a "mono backpack", so it really was a no brainer.

Halloween is a full day for this little one. The daycare has a parade through my office building. As soon as she saw me she came running and guess who joined the parade. Then in the evening we passed out candy and then took her to two neighbors to trick or treat. She doesn't know what candy is, but she knew it was something good. We did manage to get her distracted enough to go to bed without eating any. Sooner or later, she'll find out. Right now she thinks her vitamins are a huge treat.

Happy Halloween everyone.

Happy Birthday Auntie Rachel

2011-09-06T19:12:00.004-04:00

We miss you!

She runs.

2011-07-21T20:21:00.002-04:00

I didn't realize she could run until I saw this picture from last weekend. Now all we need to do is keep up with her.

Happy Halloween

2010-10-31T20:05:00.003-04:00

Whoooo, whooo....

First Hairdo

2010-10-22T20:44:00.000-04:00

She looks like Pebbles from the Flintstones

6

2010-09-20T22:12:00.008-04:00

I've been trying to get these pictures up for the last month!

Luci started eating solids at five and a half months. I was waiting until she turned six months, but when her bottles kept getting bigger and bigger I realized she was hungry.

She also got a little closer to crawling and she figured out that wherever she wanted to go she could roll there.

Making Music

2010-09-02T00:01:00.002-04:00

5

2010-08-20T23:04:00.002-04:00

Lucia's first swim. August 2010

She was a little tentative at first, as were we, but soon you could see she loved it.

4 months

2010-07-25T21:18:00.003-04:00

Lucia was like a butterfly emerging from her cocoon this month.

(This butterfly was determined to get the nectar from these flowers on our front steps. Thanks Juan for getting these awesome pictures.)

Not only was she in the sling much less (although it is still a great place to take an on the go cat nap) she is really starting to have a personality.

She has favorite toys, Buzz Lightyear...

and her kitty.

She giggles.

"tope"

She makes us laugh.

She discovered her feet.

and they taste good.

And she grew.

This month she also had her first plane ride. OK, make that 4 in 2 days. She met her great Oma, her Uncles "Cereal" and Vic and Auntie Megs, and oldest cousin Sam in her first trip to California.

Look what we found in the garden

2010-07-04T14:09:00.000-04:00

3 months

2010-06-27T17:36:00.007-04:00

Weighing in at 13 pounds and 25 inches long.

There were lots of firsts and changes this past month...

At the beginning of the month she started to hold onto things if you gv them to her, now she's reaching and grabbing things pretty easily.

She met her Auntie Libby and cousin Vayda. What a great visit!!

(She was already crying, by the way.)

And she started day care. Which means, I went back to work. :( It's as everyone said, harder for mom. She is doing really well there.

And, she started drinking out of a bottle. This really was an accomplishment because she resisted it for weeks before we started day care and a little afterwards too (good thing I work next door!).

Other firsts...

finding her hands. Wow, they are fascinating.

sucking on just her thumb instead of the back of her hand, unless she's really hungry at which time she decides to eat her fist.

putting anything she can reach into her mouth.

rolling from her stomach to her back. Though not yet consistently.

Oh, and she "talks" all of the time!

Her cry changed too. When I'm not in the room I can't always tell if she's crying or laughing.

She sure is getting fun.

2

2010-05-24T09:56:00.002-04:00

Lucia is two months old now. And, she coos...

You're Invited

2010-05-14T13:10:00.004-04:00

For ice cream, a concert and a play.Godspell this weekend, Juan's in the band.

Trova, next Tuesday.

Ice Cream, all summer.

I've decided that this will be the summer of ice cream, homemade ice cream.

Last Fall I bought an ice cream maker after wanting one since I was about 4, if not sooner. So, after making one batch, apple pie ice cream, that sat in the freezer for a couple of months, I was a little worried that I wouldn't use it. I finally pulled it out again a couple months ago and made a different recipe, coconut ice cream from Daisy Martinez's cookbook (you cannot go wrong with the recipes in that book). I made it at least two more times and at one point declared that it was the only type of ice cream I would make because it was THAT good. I changed my mind though when our mint started growing in abundance and I knew I had to make some mint ice cream. After some internet research I decided to buy The Perfect Scoop.

My first batch of ice cream from that book, mint, came out delicious. We're still working on it, so I haven't tried another one yet but I'm determined to make a lot of ice cream this summer. So if you're close by, or want to take a trip, you are invited to our house for ice cream--the flavor will be a surprise!

Expectations Met

2010-05-09T12:18:00.000-04:00

A lot of you know that in September 2008 I had a miscarriage. I've had a difficult time talking about it since it happened, but now that we are on the other side of the experience I feel like it is time.

The loss of that pregnancy was the most disappointing experience I've ever had. I describe it as disappointing because until I began to spot and then saw an empty sac on the sonogram we had begun to dream about the baby we would have. We had discussed names, looked for houses that would suit a family, let the news leak here and there, and bought baby clothes. So when I found out I wasn't pregnant any more and didn't have a clear explanation as to why, sadness took over. I'd known other women who had experienced miscarriage before, some early on like me and others later on when they could see the little child who had died. What I couldn't reconcile at the time was what I was actually mourning. I felt that I couldn't mourn a baby because it happened too soon and what I saw in the picture was emptiness. What I was mourning was simply a feeling, an expectation of what we could have had.

I'm sharing this now because after my miscarriage it seemed that every woman I met had a similar story. Some had later gone on to have children and others had not. But I didn't want to hear their stories then, it made it all hurt so much more to know how secretive the experience is in our society. What I heard wasn't their empathy, it was an unintended message that I shouldn't be sad because it happens to everyone and I'd get over it.

As I write this I am questioning my own motivations. I guess my reason for sharing this story is because I don't think that miscarriage is something to hide and also to say that experiencing the loss of an expectation, dream, or hope is something worthy of mourning. Being afraid of trying again for fear of it all happening again is also natural and can take time to get over.

Lucia was born exactly one year after the due date for the first pregnancy. She probably wouldn't be here if it weren't for a conversation I had with a friend who was pregnant last summer. We had both experienced miscarriages the year before and her healthy, round belly made me realize that it was possible to try again. I needed a year to recover from the sadness and to build the courage to face the possibility of loss again.

Hanging out with Auntie Rachel

2010-05-07T13:55:00.006-04:00

Thanks for your visit Rachel! We had such a good time and you were so much help. We look forward to your next visit!

Check Rachel's blog for more great pictures from her visit.

She's 1...

2010-04-23T11:30:00.008-04:00

month.

The last month has largely been a blur, but looking back it's been amazing too. To see how much she has changed in so little time is really incredible. Luchee (as her papa calls her) has gained 1 pound and 4 ounces from her birth weight, and grown at least 2 inches. Sweet Pea (as her mama sometimes calls her) has also stretched out and is no longer a wrinkled and curled up newborn. Lucy girl (another name I've given her) has grown out of some of her newborn clothes and is wearing 3 month size sleepers, this is largely due to the fact that she has inherited her mother's feet with ridiculously long toes). Our mija smiles, though we're not always sure why, coos, and imitates shapes we make with our mouths and, best of all, is spending more awake time not crying or eating (every minute is precious).

We, her mama and papa, have learned that crying is ok, even in public. That going outside, for drives or walks, in a sling or in a stroller, quiets the la Lucia (as her cousin Nael calls her) in seconds and makes for the best naps (for baby, not for mom though). Singing is a good way to keep everyone calm. And, Buddy (another name Juan has for her) likes nothing more than eating.

Isn't sweet Lucia great? I think we'll keep her.

My Mini Yogi

2010-04-02T19:15:00.003-04:00

Lucia's first tummy time.

Look, here she is doing the

alabhasana (Locust Pose). One of my favorites.

I also thought I'd post a picture to show you how the cats are coping with the new baby. It's kinda nice to see them taking care of each other like they used to when we first got them.

On Saturday March 20 at 8:42 pm

2010-03-25T13:52:00.010-04:00

Lucia Evelyn was born. (Yes, just 5 hours and 16 minutes after my last post.) She's so beautiful and we are so lucky to have her.

Lucia came out hand first, ready to conquer the world.

Sunday morning we watched her as she quietly watched the sunrise out the window. It's been hard to take our eyes off her since the moment she emerged.

Monday we got to leave the hospital and the constant interruptions and bring her to her new home. Since then the days and nights have been a blur. We spend the hours figuring out sleeping, eating, diapering and cleaning. And her room no longer looks like the spotless pictures I took a few days ago.

In the days since she was born, Lucia has also had the opportunity to meet her Oma Lynda, her Nano, her Tia Natalie, and her cousin Nathanael. And, her pets, Caramelo, Bollito and Cookie.

Everyone loves her, but how could they not... look at her.

I know there are many more people anxious to meet her. Thank you to everyone who has called, emailed, sent gifts and flowers. It is spring all around us.

Lucia Evelyn, 7 lbs, 7 oz; 20.5 in.

P.S. Congrats to Katie, Aunt Teddie, Uncle Cereal (Sergio) and Cousin Rita who guessed the right birthday. Katie was only off by one hour and Rita had the right day and was only off by one ounce.

P.P.S. Check Juan's Facebook page for more pictures. I will also try to get the pictures up on my Flickr feed.

While We Wait

2010-03-20T15:26:00.007-04:00

Every day for the past two weeks have felt like maybe this is the day. So each of us has been finding ways to keep busy. Today, my mom is cooking and grocery shopping, Juan is gardening and I've done a little sewing. So, inthe meantime, I thought I would write a little more about the baby's nursery and some special items in it.

First off, the crib. We were given the crib from Juan's sister Nancy over two years ago when they came for the summer from Spain. It was used by both Josue and Sofia when they were babies, it must be about 12 years old. (Look closely and you'll see that it also makes a great teether--I love that.)

And, the rocking chair. This is a little older. My dad gave it to my mom for her birthday in 1969, before they had any kids. He painted the flowers at the top and a message on the bottom. I think it is so sweet that they let me have it.

This bassinet, where the baby will sleep for the next few months in our room was first purchased when my mom was born and has been used by countless babies over the years. My parents have been working on it lovingly for the last couple of months. My dad fixed some broken bars in the hood and my mom decorated it, in fact, she just finished last night. I won't say exactly how old it is, but let's just say that it was made more than half a century ago.

And, just for fun (or because I was bored) I thought I should take a picture of what my belly looks like here at nearly 41 weeks. Enjoy.

Nesting

2010-03-11T23:04:00.005-05:00

I think I've been preparing for this my whole life, and I have to say it has been fun. The picture above is of a humming bird sitting on a nest we saw in Puerto Rico. We couldn't get a good picture without disturbing the bird, but I wanted to show it to you anyway.

Here's a glimpse of Lucia's room and just a few things I've made for her. Including some birds. You can see a bunch of the other things I've made over in my flickr site.

And, when we walked back to leave the path the mother hummingbird had left and we were able to get a shot of the little bird inside (don't worry, we stayed far away!)

Shower in a box

2010-03-02T07:12:00.003-05:00

People have been so generous with us by throwing us four baby showers! There was one at Rita's work, a surprise shower at Juan's, and a really nice one with friends, thrown by Molly and Patricio. Libby sent a "baby shower in a box" and asked that we take pictures.

Here you go Lib, we filmed it for you! (Everyone, excuse the pajamas.)

Snowpocalyse

2010-02-15T20:51:00.004-05:00

As everyone has heard, we had a little snow here last week--two blizzards in one week. So, I thought I would send some pictures on to all of you in the west coast.

Check out this crazy snow drift, it actually took a few days before it melted enough to break off. This isn't pretty, but I wanted you all to see how high the snow piles are. I actually think this pictured doesn't show very clearly how much snow there is outside.

It snowed a little more today, but not even an inch really. I think I may be back at work tomorrow- after being off for the last 7 (work) days!

PS. Just a second after posting this I decided to open up the page that shows my work status, not expecting to see anything interesting. I was wrong, we have a 2 hour delayed opening. Haha.

Wednesday morning, in Narnia

2010-02-05T09:13:00.005-05:00

at 6 am

and one hour later.

Snow overnight makes me like a kid at Christmas. I can't help but wake up early, jump out of bed and look out the window. Wednesday it was so beautiful I had to go outside and take pictures.

We're getting ready for another big one this weekend. I'm fully ready for canceled events and staying indoors. My plans are to bake, sew, knit, and enjoy the indoors.

A New Dawn

2010-01-30T00:00:00.004-05:00

My birthday began this year with a beautiful sunrise that became an omen for the day. With the call of a new morning, the Chicago skyline emerged, at first unnoticeable, but then more apparent as the softness of the clouds across lake Michigan brought to evidence the rigid structures of men.

Later that day, I met Suhail, Evgeni and their families for dinner. It had been a while since I last saw them all. Now, Noor is a 1st grader, Deni and Nadine are 4 years old, and little Eli is a strong 18 months toddler. Their personalities and temperaments come to surface as they keep themselves busy with games while the grown ups talk, eat, laugh, but still watch them with the corner of our eyes play. It is hard to believe that Rita and I will be joining the club of parenthood this year.

The journey as been good so far, and I am blessed for having crossed paths with these two extraordinary friends ...and dads.

New Year's in Chicago

2010-01-29T23:33:00.003-05:00

This New Year we had the fortune of connecting with my sister Nancy and her lovely family in Chicago. Here is Josue, with his sleek hat in a striking pose. On the background one can see the ornate ceiling of the Shed Aquarium. I gave my camera to Josue. He shot a few pictures here and there. When he came back, we previewed the pictures together and found this candid shot of a mother with her two kids. "Did you ask to pose this family for you", I asked Josue. "Yeah", he replied in his usual debonair tone. As we continued our tour of the galleries, I noticed some familiar faces. In front of me, was a poster of the family that was perfectly framed by Josue with the camera...the poster was advertising a picture service for the patrons of the Shed. Josue's photographic skills sure fooled me.
From left to right: Nancy Sr., Nancy Jr. Rita, Sofia, and inside Rita's jacket baby Lucia.
Here are the Reed-Maldonado's posing in front of a gorgeous mosaic at Marshall Fields, where we had lunch at the Walnut Room.
Josue found a lovely young lady with whom to practice some waltz steps...

Bollito

2010-01-27T21:21:00.002-05:00

Bollito is the big brother in this family. When we first got the cats we would often find him cleaning Cookie and recently I saw him grooming Caramelo. It's true that he can be a little impatient and pushes the others out of the way, but what big brother doesn't. We fully expect him to be this way with the baby too. This is where he was last night as we caught up on the last Project Runway.

Recalling Warmth

2009-12-19T14:45:00.006-05:00

We're here warm in our house, but snowbound today... and it's great. So far it has snowed at least 18 inches. And we have spent the day wrapping gifts, walking the dog, making pizza and bread, playing music and just enjoying our home.

I thought today was perfect for posting a few pictures of our adventures last month in Puerto Rico. When we left it was fall, when we came back it was winter.

Day 1, we arrived.

Day 2, a visit to the rain forest. It was truly magnificent.

Day 2, in the afternoon. We went to San Juan and toured the forts.

Day 3, we enjoyed the pool and the beach. Juan got a little homework done (it was unavoidable) and we iguana watched.

Day 4, the island of Culebra. To get there we had to take a ferry ride (about an hour and a half away). Once there we walked about 20 minutes and got to a pretty deserted beach with a coral reef. We did a little snorkeling and a lot of laying down.

Day 5. Resting. We spent the whole day resting, it was wonderful.

Day 6, we met up with Creation, who we met the night before. He made us this really beautiful sculpture out of a coconut. It's for the babe.

Then we went back into San Juan for a little more touring.

and then we came home.

Meanwhile, the snow just keeps falling, doesn't look like it's going to let up anytime soon. I think our car might disappear soon.

Enjoy warmth wherever you can find it.

Postcard from Puerto Rico

2009-11-27T21:24:00.001-05:00

more when we get home.

Garden Update

2009-11-11T19:42:00.003-05:00

I've been meaning to write this post for some time to wrap up what happened in the garden this year. So, here are some pictures.

Here are the sum of the black beans:

This is one of about 15 tomatoes--picked before the other garden creatures could get to it. (PS. I took this picture a couple of weeks ago when the baby was the size of a large heirloom tomato, according to babycenter.com. They say she's the size of a spaghetti squash now.)

Thank goodness for all the local farmers around keeping us fed!

She's... Under my skin

2009-11-01T15:06:00.005-05:00

That's right, it's a girl! She now has a proper pronoun, no longer an "it". And boy, is she cute or what? I mean, look at these pictures.

For a week I've had the song, I've got you, under my skin, in my head. I heard it in a Starbucks the other day and I just thought it was the perfect song to sing to the wee one, except I don't know the words. So I had to download it. Except, I thought I downloaded the Frank Sinatra version and actually got the Franki Valli and the Four Seasons version. haha. oops. poor baby.

You Asked for It

2009-10-07T22:40:00.004-04:00

Ok, some of you did. The rest of you can look away... please. But here are some pregnant photos of me that Juan took while I did yoga last Friday.

By the way, I had an appointment with my midwife last week. Everything looks good and the baby's heartbeat sounds strong.

More baby pictures

2009-09-09T22:32:00.005-04:00

Here are some more pictures of the little one. This little, 7.3 cm creator inside me is what has been making me feel so queasy and tired lately. (Or as my coworker put it, no wonder I've looked so peaked lately.) Not to mention, huge! Everyone keeps telling me it will get better now that I'm going into the second trimester, I hope their right! I'm ready to get some energy back so I can start making things!

Here for your viewing pleasure, are some more pictures:
I like this one because you can see the face better--check out that little nose. I hope s/he gets Juan's nose!

And here s/he is facing forward. You can see the hands and feet. It was amazing, during the sonogram we could see the fingers move!

This one is the hardest to make out, but baby is facing down here. You can see the spine along the back and the size of the head compare to the rest of the body. Isn't it so incredible? It's all there, just really really small.

Thanks for all of the congratulations! We're so excited and we'll keep posting updates as they come.

...^^...^^...^^...^^

2009-09-08T22:44:00.003-04:00

After a long, and sometimes painful, wait, we have some very exciting news to share.

Here is a photo of our little one at 13 weeks, taken this morning. I will post the rest tomorrow.

The sight of a new heart beating filled me with the unexpected feeling of certainty. For many years, the right time seemed so distant tainted by the anticipation of the demands a new life would bring. But when the time came, all fears dissipated. What seemed a prerequisite (job security, a college fund, and the like) soon took the backstage, surpassed by a stronger, primal imperative: l’élan vital.

How to become a guitar hero

2009-08-05T22:49:00.002-04:00

1. Buy a guitar, or borrow one for the occasion

2. Strum a short sequence of chords resembling a children's song

3. Wait for your nephew to follow with the adoration...

Produce

2009-07-25T18:17:00.004-04:00

It seems to be the height of the summer produce season. Here's a few picture of a few of the goods coming out of our garden.
Radishes from earlier in the year.

Here are the beans. Seriously, that was the total of the green beans. The purple beans weren't ready to pick yet, so there are a few more still on the plants. That was the first of the zucchini, there have been a few more since then. I think that will be the most productive of our plants.

These are the beets. Good thing we like beet greens, because the beets themselves were kinda small.

Next year, better soil.

Our Bloomin' Garden

2009-07-01T22:12:00.005-04:00

My goal this year was to have squash blossoms from my garden, it looks like we'll have some of those and a few more.

These squash blossoms really got my imagination going. No, I wasn't thinking about stuffing them and frying them. I thought these first two looked like two ballet dancers, backstage.

And this one, the long fingers of an old lady in a monster movie.

California Dreamin': Baby steps

2009-06-23T19:35:00.010-04:00

And visit with the babes...

Natanael, running,

Aiden, learning to walk,

Tatum, eating cheerios,

and Vayda. Sleeping in my sweatshirt,

chewing on Uncle Cereal's ear,

playing with Oma and mama,

and helping me blog.

California Dreamin': In between celebrations

2009-06-23T19:34:00.011-04:00

I got to...

see Sam off to prom (so pretty),

See the Padres play the Diamondbacks,

in the dugout,

with cake... (good thing it wasn't the 17 inning game that followed a few nights later),

Visit Glen Ivy (no photos please),

See Patches, again (always a treat),

Play, Rock Band, Scrabble, Bowling, wii Bowling...

and

Spend time with my sweet family.

California Dreamin': Celebrating Milestones

2009-06-23T19:17:00.008-04:00

Eddie turned 17,

Samantha graduated high school,

Elliot graduated high school,

and

Oma turned 90!

Congratulations!

Book Review: Unaccustomed Earth

2009-06-12T03:27:00.005-04:00

Jhumpa Lahiri is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. This is the second book of short stories I’ve read by her and I am equally moved by them. Unlike Interpreter of Maladies, the stories in this book describe a smaller range of experiences focusing almost entirely on Indian-Americans living in New England.

At first I was a little disappointed by the everyday, commonplace nature of the stories but I soon realized that together the stories paint a picture. She describes a series of people living their lives, the impact of their third culture experience only one factor influencing the way they interact with their surroundings.

There is something about the way she is able to capture the story of each of her characters that gives me an intense, emotional connection to them. I feel as though she is describing me in so many ways. The impulses I have felt to fit in and to disconnect simultaneously. The way I long to live a normal life just like everyone else, realizing that not one lives this life.

The title of her book comes from this quote printed at the beginning.

Human nature will not flourish, any more than a potato, if it be planted and replanted, for too long a series of generations, in the same worn-out soil. My children have had other birthplaces, and, so far as their fortunes my be within my control, shall strike their roots into unaccustomed earth.

Nathaniel Hawthorne, "The Custom-House"

Jhumpa Lahiri seems to be a quiet woman with an ability to observe the world around her and capture it in words. She makes me feel both inspired to write and too intimidated to try.

For some of the few TV interviews she has done, see Charlie Rose.

A Weekend with Caretaker(s)

2009-06-06T18:33:00.010-04:00

(Photos courtesy of Rachel)

Dear Rachel and Katie,

Thank you both so much for the wonderful trip to Caretaker Farm. The name of the farm is truly fitting, for that is exactly how I left feeling.

Rachel, the drive up and back was so refreshing. Having time together for intense conversations and comfortable silences and yes, singing at the top of our lungs, was so refreshing. I can’t help but be reminded of our final trip to Mombassa the week before my family left Kenya. The way it felt knowing that we would soon be apart but choosing to ignore it and live fully. At the same time, now that we are adults and have experienced the separation, knowing that our friendship survived and will continue to, the impending change is a just a little let frightening.

Katie, visiting you at the farm let me see you in your element. You seem so right at home living outdoors, nurturing plants and animals, absorbing all there is to learn about feeding others. I am so thankful to have visited you there.

So much of the trip filled my soul with joy, getting to experience so many things I have only ever dreamed about, picking ramps, doing yoga outdoors, cooking in a farmhouse kitchen, buying maple syrup from the maker’s kitchen. And, it reminded me to do more of some things I’ve forgotten how to do: rest and wander.

I returned back from the trip to two whirlwind weeks at work, self imposed crafty deadlines, and other demands I set on myself. All of this makes me appreciate the trip so much more now than I did when I got back. Thank you both so much for such a great weekend, but even more for both of your friendships.

Katie Look!

2009-05-01T19:32:00.003-04:00

We have worms!

We started the worm box a week ago with bedding (paper, cardboard, and dry leaves), vegetable trimmings and egg shells in a Rubbermaid bin. This is how the worm box looked before I added the worms.

The worms came in the mail on Wednesday. That may be the strangest thing I have ever received in the mail.

As soon as I got home I opened the box and introduced them to their new home.

So far, so good. I can't say I ever thought that having worms would be a good thing.

Seedlings...as promised

2009-04-24T19:11:00.005-04:00

Here they are. Planted on April 12, here they are on April 19.

April 23.

Check it out, it's rhubarb! I'm so ready for some pie and jam and... mmmm.....

Isn't it amazing how different, yet the same each one looks?

Any advice for when these should be transplanted?

G is for Garden

2009-04-19T22:34:00.007-04:00

We finally did it, or at least we got started. I've been wanting to have a little garden for awhile and have been collecting seed catalogues from Bountiful Gardens for a couple of years now, waiting for the day I could finally order some seeds. The seeds are now sprouting nicely on the kitchen table and we have a beautiful double-dug plot out in back.

Thanks to Rachel, who worked harder than any of us, we have also documented the process.

Before.

Back from Lowes.

Staking the plot.

The bed has been dug. 1 foot deep, grass removed.

Add 1.5 bags of sand. (Our soil was extremely clayee.) And 4 bags of manure/humus.

Building the frame.

Looking on.

Digging a little bit more so the frame sinks in a little.

After.

Time for some well deserved gin and tonics.

In a couple of weeks the seedlings will go in and soon we'll be enjoying the fruits (and vegetables) of our labor.

Thank you Rachel!

First music post on Malgados5

2009-04-12T23:45:00.004-04:00

It only has taken 18 months to figure out how to post music on blogger...well, not actively trying. Well, for everybody's delight, I posted "shine", a song that sounds dated and naturally so since it was written in 1996 and recorded several years later with a vintage sound reminiscent of Collective Soul, for those who remember that band that almost made it.

To compliment this audio posting, I am posting the pics of my latest non-church gig in Rockville, MD.

Enjoy and let me know if I should keep my day job!

Obama Post - Number 3

2009-03-28T11:49:00.003-04:00

I think. I could go back and check, but I like things that come in threes, so I think I'll stick with that.

Actually, I don't know if this post is about Obama or about Obama-inspired.

This is something I've been meaning to post for awhile now...Zeke's Executive Order Blend. Rachel gave me a pound back in January and I just sent a pound to my dad. I wanted to send a pound to each of my family members, current and former coffee addicts alike.

I think Zeke's wins the prize for best Obama-inspired product/item/etc., and there have been many.

(Smaller) Signs of Spring - Day 3

2009-03-17T21:32:00.003-04:00

Cherry blossom buds.

Teeny, tiny daffodils. This picture doesn't show how small these really are.

Small clothes in bright colors.

Oh, and we found a little mouse in our house. I am a little more thankful for Bollito and Cookie on that account.

But, that doesn't warrant a picture.

Signs of Spring/Test Kitchen -- Day 2

2009-03-11T20:19:00.007-04:00

you pick...

I think I like the idea of blogging in a series. So here is my sign of spring for today...

When you feel like eating salad.

I keep saying that I need to learn how to make more salads. I'm not sure why, but they don't come naturally to me. Every time I've eaten at the Whole Foods food bar I've looked for this salad, it has wheat berries and curry and some other things and I'm always happy when I find it! (It sounds like I eat there a lot, I don't). Anyway, last time I went I decided to memorize the ingredients and try it at home. Well, I'm not sure that it's exactly it, but this is what I came up with and I'm happy with the result.

So, for my second Test Kitchen post: Curried Wheat Berry Salad

Ingredients:

1 c hard wheat berries

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 bunch spring onions, chopped

1 handful parsley, chopped

3/4 c sliced almonds

1 oz raisons

Dressing (to give credit where credit is due, this is adapted from Juan's dressing recipe, that I love):

3 T olive oil

1 T cider vinegar

1 T honey

2 t dijon mustard (I prefer Gulden's)

1 juicy lemon

1/4 t curry powder (heaping)

dash of cinnamon

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. boil the wheat as you would pasta. When it is chewy, not mushy, drain it and let it cool in the fridge (or freezer if you're in a hurry).

2. Make your dressing.

3. Combine the rest of the ingredients with the wheat and dressing.

4. Serve.

I suspect that it may taste better the next day, I'll find out tomorrow.

Make it and let me know what you think! Any good variations?

PS I know the ingredients are out of season, but I couldn't wait until summer to eat this.

Signs of Spring--Day 1

2009-03-10T21:33:00.005-04:00

Lately I've noticed that I tend to walk really fast and not notice the world around me. But on blogs all around people have been posting signs of spring and I decided that I needed to look around a little more and be intentional about noticing. Maybe taking pictures would help... Incidentally, the day I decided to do that we had the largest snow storm of the season. Go figure.

Anyway, here's what's happening on our block.

Cherry trees turning red, you can only tell that there are buds if you look close or see a row of them all together.

A trench and a light scarf.

Leftovers from last season

More Obama Gushing

2009-01-23T19:25:00.003-05:00

I'm pretty sure it will end eventually, all this Obama gushing, but I had to write one more post about him today.

This morning I received an email from a listserv I belong to focusing on Disability Studies. This is what it said:

Keith wrote "The White House launched a new website today and disability issues arehighlighted under the Agenda heading. The link is below. http://www.whitehouse.gov/agenda/disabilities/"

Louise responded, "Thanks, Keith. Isn't it wonderful? It's like being able to breathe again."

I don't think anything more needs to be said.

Oh Happy Day

2009-01-20T20:27:00.009-05:00

This is the phrase that came to me this morning as I sent a text message to everyone in my contacts, telling them that we were there, being part of history. And that is what it was, a happy day.

I have been priveledged to experience one other day like this, nearly 15 years ago. It was April 27, 1994, the day Nelson Mandela was elected president of South Africa. I was 13 years old walking on the streets of Muizenberg, South Africa with my mom. I could taste the joy that those people felt having just voted for the first time after aparthied for their national hero. We were warned of possible violence, but what we saw was dancing in the streets.

On November 4, 2008 I felt the same sense of elation and good will between people. And this time, it was happening in my country. It was my election. And, now, it is my president. Today, I was among those dancing in the streets, cheering and full of emotion.

President Obama represents hope for the future because of his message and because of who he is. As so many people have pointed out, he embodies a little bit of each person in this diverse country... minorities, recent immigrants, people who have struggled, people committed to their families, communities, and even us, third culture kids. And today, I commit to memory what he has been so quick to remind us. He may be the leader of change, but we are the foot soldiers. It is up to all of us, in the many roles that we each play, to make that change happen.

Today we celebrate, tomorrow we work. Let's remind this to one another on those dark days when all we want to do is give up and go back to bed.

Here is our story and some pictures from our day.

We got on the bus at 6:30 am to get down to the mall around 8 am. Since we got on the Metro at the first stop, we all got seats, while people waiting at other stations weren't even able to get on the trains at all.

At the mall we stood with the Capital Building in front of us and the Washington Monument behind us, about 4 jumbotrons back. While we couldn't really see what was happening on the Capital Building, it was pretty incredible to see it at all. We also had a great view of a jumbrotron and fantastic sound...we didn't miss a thing.

And, since we missed the concert on Sunday, the 3 hours waiting for the ceremony to start went by quickly as they showed it on the screens and we sang along with the crowd. That was pretty cool.

Finally, I tried to upload a video of the crowd's reaction as people waited for Obama to come on stage. It was too long to upload, but it was amazing how you could hear the difference between the crowd's reaction to Bush and then to Obama.

PS Check out this blog and this article, so cute and so inspiring.

PPS Did you see my finished hat?

Some Views from Our Windows...

2009-01-19T13:50:00.008-05:00

right now. It's snowing, the first real snow of the season. And, I get to be home to watch it.

From our bedroom, where I was when I first noticed the snow.

from my studio.

from the "tv" room.

from the living room.

Meanwhile, I'm spending the day preparing for tomorrow. We'll be spending the day at the mall, in the cold, celebrating change.

Last week, I was so upset about the person who wrote on our sticker I decided I needed something to show how excited I am about my new boss, President Obama. So I knit up this hat to wear to the inauguration.

Oops, it came out a little small (lesson learned...check gauge). So, I started a new one.

This WILL be done for tomorrow. I'm determined. Better get back to work...

Happy inauguration day everyone! I'll post pictures later this week.

Obama-mania

2009-01-11T14:33:00.003-05:00

As we head into the most exciting presidential inaugurations during my lifetime, I was reminded today that not everyone is excited. Remember that awesome sticker on our car? Well, someone today decided that they needed to tell us how they feel. I have to say, I'm pretty upset about this. I mean I know that people feel that way and they certainly have the right to say how they feel, but to write on someone else's property like that? Wow. I'm just pretty surprised by it.

Juan's birthday

2009-01-06T21:51:00.003-05:00

Having your birthday on January 2nd was not always fun. The anticipation and consummation of the holidays, both Christmas and the New Year, have drained most people of their celebratory mood. Not only that, but nobody feels like eating birthday cake after splurging on cookies, chocolate, roast, ham, eggnog and wine. But this year, it was different. Actually, the celebration started on the 31st with my in-law's dinner invitation. It was followed by a free lunch on Friday, courtesy of my co-workers. Saturday, I went skiing and on my return, was taken to a blues bar to spend the evening with friends. Finally, on Sunday, my wife made a delicious zukini chocolate cake. Definitely, this year broke the rule of a deflated birthday celebration. Thank you all!

Aliens from out of space

2009-01-06T21:46:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas

2008-12-24T11:48:00.007-05:00

We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and that the merriment continues throughout 2009!

(this is our attempt at a family Christmas picture in front of the tree.)

From our family to yours...

Meeting Vayda Marie

2008-12-12T12:00:00.005-05:00

I got to meet little Miss Vayda, my new five week old niece this week. She's so beautiful, tiny and precious.

Here she is with Oma.

I love them both.

Rita's Birthday

2008-11-16T21:30:00.008-05:00

Rita's birthday was packed this year! It started with the imminent birth of niece Veyda whose delivery date was the 13th of November. While waiting for the news of her birth,
Rita and I took the road to the beach on a glorious sunny day that had more a semblance of a late-Summer than mid-Autumn. We drove across the bay bridge onto the Eastern shore where we stumbled upon a regiment of antique shops all well supplied with assorted ornaments and equipped with lines of heavy furniture built to withstand the the worse termite attack.

After much, much driving, we arrived at Bethany Beach. We parked in a dead-end street and rushed up the ramp leading to the Ocean. How did the Atlantic look like? How did it compare to the beaches in California? Eager to find out, Rita rushed onto the warm sand and took in as much sea breeze as her lungs could take in. The effect of the neptunian minerals and the volatile salts on Rita's blood made her vulnerable to my romantic advances. She finally conceded and held my hand as we walked down the sea shore. Our souls were so elated that onlookers mistook us for graceful birds.

Our promenade lasted until twilight when we were reminded that time is short and the road home was long. We had dinner (some yummy clams) and hit the road back.

Although that was the end of our beach day, that was no the end of Rita's birthday celebration.

The next day (Sunday, November 2nd), Rachel and I decided to make an apple pie from scratch...

I mean even picking-up-the-apples-from-the-orchard from scratch. We drove into Montgomery's county agricultural reserve and stopped at so and so farm (I am not advertising for any farm, plus I don't recall the name..ask Rita). The apples were waiting for us on the merchandise tables, so we skipped the picking up portion of the trip and went instead pumpkin shopping. I did not take pictures of that but you can check some out at Rachel's blog. We drove back home and work fervently on the apple pie which was to die for...

Do not worry! Nobody was hurt. Actually, everything went according to plan; after one hour of incubation in a 385 degree oven, the apple pie came out of hibernation and with a soft, warm breathy voice summoned Rita, Rachel and I around the table not only to celebrate Rita's birthday, but also Veyda's birth that came 10 days earlier than what the doctors expected.

Happy birthday Rita! Happy birth Veyda!

Turtle and an update

2008-11-13T19:31:00.002-05:00

A lot of people I know have expressed a feeling of frustration with where they are in their lives right now. It's as though everyone envisioned that they would be someplace else, doing something else, more settled, more appreciated... But the more I hear it the more I think it's the time we live in and something about our ages, at least that's what I hope.

I heard this great poem today that I send out to all of you who feel like your life is a bit like a turtle's. http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/083.html

P.S. We're back online! We'll be blogging soon from our new abode with pictures and all!

Festival International de Jazz de Montréal

2008-09-22T17:33:00.012-04:00

I know it was a while ago, but I just wanted to post some pictures from our FUN, spontaneous trip up to Montreal over Fourth of July weekend (for which we were told that we were unpatriotic at the border.)

In truth, we heard very little music, in the sitting/standing at a concert and hearing a full set, sort of way. We just had a really awesome time with great background music all most all the time.
Entering Montreal

Old friends, and new ones

Juan and Amine are so happy to see each other they can't even hold still long enough for me to take a picture!

Tourist Attractions, they must be good if they attract people!

A nice hike with Caramelo up Mount Royal

l’Oratoire Saint-Joseph

Parc Olympique

Check back for some amazing shots of the delicious food we ate, your mouth will water.

Too Much Sarah Palin

2008-09-22T17:21:00.007-04:00

I was debating all the way home about what to title this post:

1. Sarah Palin, dreams, poems, bumper stickers and bus conversations (too long), or

2. Sarah Palin, get out of my dreams and into my... (didn't quite work)

Anyway, I about fell over laughing today when I read Kim's blog with her Sarah Palin poems. Then I was really shocked that she had dreamt about Palin too. Pretty funny.

I dreamt that I was riding a motorcycle up a dessert mountain to a small town where we were going to a party and offered her a ride. But, I only told her when I got to the top that I hadn't ever ridden a motorcycle before and she asked if I was trying to kill her. In my dream she did strike me as being pretty friendly too.

Then it all made sense. Just as I sat down to write this I came across this article about a new study showing the affects of smell on dreams. It must be their new campaign tactic; I mean I never dreamt about Obama while listening to either of his books even though he was reading them himself.

My friend Molly made this great bumper sticker! The statement comes from an interview with someone from Sojourners.

And... here's what I overheard on the bus today. "Tina Fey does a better Sarah Palin than Sarah Palin does."

Road Trip: Destination City...sort of

2008-09-22T17:18:00.002-04:00

the end

Road Trip - Day 5: Bye, Bye Chicago

2008-09-13T19:38:00.000-04:00

It's been a year since we took this trip! I can't believe it. And, it was our inspiration for setting up with blog. Well, you all know how successful we've been at that...

Anyway, here are some pictures from our fifth day on the road.

The kitties (Bollito and Cookie) were champs. The trip started out a little rough for them, but by this point they were no longer peeing in their cages and were checking out each hotel room when we stopped for the night.

Caramelo road up front with us. He's a great travelor.

Here's Juan, and the plants. Some of them ended up better than others. Let's not talk about the kumquat.

Leaving Chicago.
Into Indiana.

We saw A LOT of corn on our trip.

Oops, just missed the Pennsylvania sign.

Our last night in a hotel, someplace in PA. (I can't remember where, it's been a year).

Test Kitchen - Day 1

2008-07-02T21:59:00.013-04:00

Just the other day I was telling Juan that if I ever became a baker I would want to work in a test kitchen rather than a bakery. This is pretty funny of course because I don't have serious plans to become a professional baker but a girl can dream, right? But today, I decided to try my hand at turning my humble kitchen (I should take a picture of it sometime) into a test kitchen. Maybe someday I'll also have a warehouse like this one.

This all started a few months ago when Christy posted a blog about some cookies that she ordered on etsy. I have to admit that even though I only saw a picture of the cookies I have been obsessing over them ever since. They were berry filled shortbread cookies. I love shortbread cookies, but to add berries to them just seemed divine. On top of that they looked like scoops of ice cream. Remembering these cookies last week I decided to do a search online for a recipe and only came up with shortbread cookies that had jam in the center, not a bad cookie, but not what I was looking for. Then I found that the etsy shop had closed!

Who should I turn to? King Arthur. First off, they wrote my all time favorite cookbook, Whole Grain Baking. And, have you seen their blog? It's beautiful, really. They have wonderful recipes, great stories and beautiful pictures showing each step. (OK, the truth is, if I ever become a professional baker I want to work in the King Arthur test kitchen. )

So, I thought I'd ask them what I should try and they answered me in less then a day!

So, here's what I came up with with the help of the baking gods:

Start with the Scottish Shortbread recipe on page 332 in King Arthur Whole Grain Baking

Cut down the amount of butter by half, in this case 1/2 c. Cream the butter, sugar, salt and vanilla.

Then, add 1/2 c of pureed strawberries. Cream together.

Procede with the rest of the recipe as directed (my picture for this step didn't come out).

The recipe says to bake them in the bottom of a cake pan and then cut into 12ths. I decided to do this with half and the second half I decided to try in little balls, like I remembered.

I have to say, both came out really good. Next time I may try replacing more of the butter with berries and I definitely will try this with raspberries and maybe even blueberries.

A special thanks to MaryJane @ The Baker’s Hotline for answering my question!

Next mission, to find the recipe for Superior's pink cookies, because they really are superior.

cut

2008-06-17T11:47:00.006-04:00

Yes, I cut my hair!

Before - you've seen it.

During

After

So much lighter.

Feeling Needed

2008-06-10T22:06:00.000-04:00

I think that one of the things I look forward to most about being a parent is the sense of truly feeling needed by another living being. (No, to the obvious question.)

I know that the pets need us, to open the door, walk them, feed them, etc., but I don't usually feel an emotional need and I don't expect it either. Tonight was different though. There was a thunder storm outside and I was home alone with the pets. I didn't notice the cats reacting, but with each clap of thunder Caramelo came closer to my chair where I was sewing. He laid against it for a minute, but seeing his bed two feet away he got up to go to it. Then it thundered again and he came back to my chair. At this point, I moved his bed closer to me, but that wasn't enough for Caramelo--he put his paws on my knees asked to sit on my lap. I brought him up and with each clap he pushed himself closer against me.

I needed to get up for a minute and when I stood up he clamped onto my arm with his paw. This seems so silly as I write it, but it's what happened. What I found myself doing next is the silliest part--I made a sling and put him in it while I walked around the house. I couldn't help but laugh and I knew I had to take a picture.

Ahh, the sling, something else I can't wait for about motherhood. I think he liked it.

Eating Local

2008-05-27T15:01:00.000-04:00

Ever since reading (well, listening to, actually) Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by my favorite author, Barbara Kingsolver, with Steven L. Hopp and Camille Kingsolver last summer I have been trying to be as conscious about eating locally grown foods. While I love that eating local is good for the environment and supports small farmers, often the best thing about eating local is the taste of the food.

We joined a CSA this year for the first time and we've received 3 weeks of food so far. I'm taking a picture each week of our bounty (you can see it at my flickr site), what we received and what I bought at the farmer's market while picking up the share. The taste is truly superior.

Monday night while my parents were visiting we went to eat at the Blue Duck Tavern. They purchase much of their ingredients here in the region and list the origin right on the menu. The food was so delicious and epitomizes the beauty of eating locally--each ingredient must be at its prime and the taste of the food is top priority. Everything we ate was delicious. If you go there some important things to know are, 1. go hungry, 2. the appetizers are listed on the left side of the menu, 3. the portions are large enough to be shared, and 4. save room for dessert--one word, hand cranked seasonal ice cream (ok, that's 5).

Where are you from…

2008-05-20T09:47:00.000-04:00

I sometimes think that someday my identity will stop being questioned. First, let me say, that I know it won't but indulge me for a minute.

I just wonder if there will be a day when people will stop asking me, “Where are you from?”. I change my answer pretty frequently, depending on who is asking and how long I feel like talking to them. Lately I answer, "California"—really answering the question, “Where did you move from?”. Though, I never felt like I was from there—that’s one reason why I moved. Other times I answer, "Arizona"—assuming the questions was really, “Where were you born?” since I never really lived there. In fact, when I think about Arizona I think about the inside of Oma’s house and little more. Other times, when I’m feeling generous, I go through the litany of places I have lived, Ecuador, Kenya, Colorado, California—answering the question, “Where did you grow up?”. But I know that none of these answer the true question that most people are asking which inevitably follows the first question, …

“But, where is your family from?” “Oh,” I say, acting surprised, “my family is from Mexico.” This is where the interrogator is typically satisfied, they have placed me. Once in awhile, if they know anything about Mexico, they ask which part, and that’s when I laugh to myself and answer, “Arizona.”

I understand that our society has deemed these acceptable and necessary questions, but they really do tire me. I know I should have more patience with these people because they are just curious or they are trying to make a connection but I also think that most of the time they would not ask me these questions if my hair were a lighter color and my eyes blue.

I know that this country is made up of immigrants and I have no intentions of denying my heritage (I love my family) but…sigh, it’s always the same. It’s as if people are saying, “you don’t fit in, you are different, let me size up the extent of your difference.” The problem is that I don’t want to be different, I want to be unique. I want people to ask me questions about what I am interested in, what inspires me, what makes me, me.

Monday night Juan and I went to see Claudia Schmidt in concert and she recited a poem about place—how long do you have to be in one place before you are “from there.” I could really relate to that poem since in my 27 years I’ve lived in 18 houses, 11 cities and 4 countries.

I wonder if questions of identity ever go away, maybe when I become a parent, maybe when we own a house, maybe when I work in a job that I love, maybe when people no longer look at me as young. I doubt it. I suspect that these questions will always plague me. The funny thing is, the question of identity is universal this just reminds me that I am just one of 6 billion, yet the 6 billion in the world is made up of ones.

Spring is definitely here

2008-04-26T07:28:00.001-04:00

I know you think we're still in Chicago, but we're not. The end of our road trip will be posted, but you'll have to wait for the dramatic plot twist a little longer.

I just wanted to write a quick update and hello to everyone.

Spring has definitely sprung here. I don't think I've every appreciated Spring as much as I have this year. To see bare trees suddenly bloom into magnificent cotton candy pink and then the world around you become green is just amazing! The cherry blossoms in DC are really beautiful and worth the trip.

On another note, congratulations are in order to several people we know. Spring has brought little babies to the Cockrofts, the Delgados and the Hopkins! Send us pictures. (If you haven't received our gift, there's one coming shortly.)

AND, we are very very excited that we will soon have a new niece or nephew! Congratulations to Libby and Victor! I can't wait to hold your little one.

Spring is definitely a great time of the year--it's even better with a little antihistamine.

Road Trip - Day 4: Crossing over Rivers

2008-03-07T16:18:00.000-05:00

It took no time to reach the Nebraska-Iowa border which is delineated on the map by the flow the Missouri river. Honestly, I was not that impressed! I still think the Amazon river in South America kicks butt.
Below is a sample of what to expect from the stretch between Iowa and Illinois.

Now, when it came time to cross from Iowa into Illinois over the Mississippi river, I did let go a wow! The river is huge; I can't imagine how much wider it gets when the Missouri joins the Mississippi in St. Louis.

This leg of the trip was short: about 468 miles in 8.5 hours, of which the last 1.5 hours were spent in traffic on I-55 cruising through the south side of Chicago.

Road Trip - Day 3: The Continental Divide

2008-03-07T15:06:00.000-05:00

Do not be alarmed! We did not hit the road for a cross-country trip again; I (Juan) am just continuing the story where I left last November.

So, after our descent from the Rockies, we made reservations to spend the night at a pet friendly motel in Rawlings, Wyoming. In contrast to our first motel stay in Utah, the operators at Rawling charged a $25 fee for each pet. In retrospective, we should have paid the money to have a clear conscience but we didn't; we sneaked the pets into our room. That doesn't sound too bad, except that the front office and clerk's bedroom was one room away from ours. We walked pass the front office with Caramelo (doggy) inside a blanket. Then, we carried the cat's kennels passing them for suit cases, at least we thought they would. Finally, we brought our luggage. Wow, three trips in front of the clerk for an overnight stay. Whatever, his reasons, we were thankful the clerk looked away.

The next morning, we got up at 5:00 am to avoid repeating the same scene before the motel clerk. Of course, that proved to be futile since the clerk bid us a farewell from his window.

With the sun rising before us, and Rita fixed with a cup of non-fat latte wet cappuccino that she scrapped out of a tiny business along the freeway on-ramp, we continued our journey through the state of Wyoming pass the Continental Divide (What's that? Click here: http://nationalatlas.gov/mld/condivl.html)

Wyoming offered an endless sight of high plains populated by cattle and horses. As we moved further east, the high plains gave place to a prairie where we had our first glimpse of vast American corn fields a.k.a. cow power food. By the time we crossed into Nebraska, the scenary remained pretty much corn all throughout.

During a pit stop, I took pictures of our caravan and front passengers of the truck.

After 648 miles and 11 hours driving (the longest leg in our trip), we decided to skip dinner at McDonald's for some juicy Omaha-grown steak at a privately owned restaurant. Yum!

Four girls and a diaper bag

2008-02-24T20:29:00.000-05:00

(Written Sunday 2/24/08) I just returned a couple hours ago from Rachel's house after a weekend that truly refreshed my soul.

It all begins with my decision to make a diaper bag for an upcoming baby gift. These last few months I've spent A LOT of time browsing the Internet for sewing ideas and repeatedly came across the same diaper bag pattern by Amy Butler. So, last week I bought the fabric and ordered the pattern in order to take advantage of the President's Day sales. I was so excited to get going on the project, but had one thing holding me back--I don't have my sewing machine right now. (My sewing machine has been in California getting a spa treatment, after a stressful holiday season, and won't be back home until mid-March.) That was OK, since the baby's not due until the following month.

BUT, then I found out that there is an Amy Butler Inspired bag contest ending February 29 and I really wanted to enter my bag. What to do? Graciously, Rachel's roommate, Alice, offered to let me use her sewing machine over the weekend.

To prepare I spent Thursday and Friday evenings pre-washing, cutting and appliqueing. And Saturday we headed up to visit Rachel.

This is when the weekend really got wonderful. First, there was a nice visit from Katie, Indian pizza, and then I commenced to sew without stopping until the early hours of the morning (Juan gave up and came home around 8pm). I truly believe I had a red tent experience. Spending the evening talking with Alice about birth, babies and sewing while she worked on her own bag, and singing and laughing with Rachel while she made cards was so wonderful. Imagery at 2:30 am of birthing a bag while pulling the whole thing through a 4 inch hole will surely lead to hysterical, belly aching laughter. At 4:30 am the bag was finished!

The morning was no less wonderful. A yummy breakfast, coffee, and a short walk. And then a visit from Christy to photograph the bag and share storied over more coffee. The pictures came out so fun, but the company was even better. (see some of her other work here).

After Rachel was so nice to drive the hour drive to get me home I realized how refreshed and ready to face the world I felt. Spending time with other women, learning from one another, laughing and giving your time and talents to one another was the best prize I could ever win. Despite our many advances in life I believe that in our hectic, integrated world ancient traditions should sometimes be revisited. No, I don't believe that women should be hidden and segregated once a month with the new moon, but I do think that there are times that a weekend of spending quality time with other women is just what we need to come back to this world and thrive. Thank you ladies, let's do it again.

Winter

2008-01-22T20:38:00.001-05:00

My mom (Lynda) reminded me recently that even though the trees look dead during the Winter months there is something happening below the surface that we can't see. The flowers in Spring are its testimony.

A few days after she told me this, while walking Caramelo through an empty parking lot I saw a tree with a broken branch laying on the ground. When I approached I was surprised that there were buds on the branch and sad that they would probably be thrown into a garbage can somewhere--what a waste. So I broke off a few branches, took some to Rachel and put some in our house. I didn't really expect them to bloom, but I thought the branches with buds were pretty enough. After a little over a week they're actually starting to open up! Just when I was about to give up. Japanese cherry blossoms no less.

I guess this is a good reminder, for those of us who feel like we're living in a bit of a Winter, maybe it will last a little longer than a few months, but something is happening deep below the surface.

SNOW!!!

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Yup, it was the first snowfall of the season. Actually, I was snowed on yesterday on my way to work but today was the first day it stuck! Here are a couple of pictures. The one on the left is looking straight at our apartment, we're the sec

ond floor. (See Juan's bike on the balcony?) The one on the right is looking out from the balcony. Nice eh?

Also, I thought I'd just go ahead (since I'm finally blogging) to put up some pictures from last weekend.

Saturday I went with Rachel to pick out her tree and decorate it.

And here's Juan and I at the mall (no, not Christmas shopping) on Sunday. Look closely at the Washington memorial behind Juan, is it Air Force One or a UFO?

Road Trip - Day 2: Wasatch Range

2007-11-08T13:49:00.000-05:00

One of our major concerns for this trip was our two cats. Though curious and adventurous at home and around the immediate landscaped alley siding against the long side of our old apartment building, they never picked up an interest for climbing aboard a vehicle and spending a few hours on a Sunday afternoon drive. Instead, they associated car rides with vet visits, which were infrequent but regular enough to mark their memory with the images of needles and barking dogs in a crowded waiting room. Of the two, Bollito suffered the most to the point he was physically unable to hold his liquids; it was not surprising to find him caked up in a dried mixture of cat litter and pee inside his kennel after our first day on the road. On the evening of the 5th, we gave Bollito a bath, washed his kennel, and pampered him with hugs and kisses. I guess this old grandma recipe worked since Bollito made the rest of the trip inside a dry and fresh kitty kennel. Let us not forget Cookie! She was a champ too all the way to DC.

The second leg of the trip involved driving north along the Wasatch Range and cut the mountains through a gorge just east of Salt Lake City. The scenery changed dramatically as we drove east while descending in altitude toward Wyoming. From an arid plateau, the landscape turned greener and rugged reminiscing of the Swiss Alps. This alpine impression was further echoed by road signs routing skiers to the local resorts. Please check out the pictures and click on them for a larger view.

While on the road, one can become quite disconnected from news events. Fortunately, we freshened up on the state of a affairs from a glance at a national security update posted on the front door of a local gas station.

Wyoming border, hooray!!!

Juan is making sure the strap securing the front wheels to the vehicle transport does not slip off again...ouch.

Check out the size of this windmill!

Guess what were we racing for several dozen miles? A carrier transporting radioactive waste.

Road Trip - Day 1: Desert Zone

2007-11-04T17:58:00.001-05:00

We hit the road on 9/5/07. It did not take long before the landscape turned from an urban composite to a vast desert modestly populated by tumble weed and Joshua trees.

We approached the Nevada border early in the afternoon. To prevent the engine from over heating, we agreed to keep the AC unit turned off and the windows rolled down. To our surprise, the temperature in the cabin was quite comfortable.

The city of Joan became our first stop in Nevada where we checked on the kitties (they were doing fine) and refueled the truck (for economy car owners, it takes some getting use to accept the price meter won't stop at $35). We also indulged in ice cream sandwiches, yum.

Rita and I are not into gambling, but we were not immune to the peculiar charm of Las Vegas. Maybe some day we will return to the city in the desert and stay at the New York New York Hotel. Wait a minute! We are now living 3 hours away from New York and Broadway, why would we want to go back to Vegas!?!

We drove past Vegas in the middle of the afternoon, and pressed forward to our checkpoint for the day: Cedar City, UT. As the sun was setting on the western horizon near the Arizona border, we stumbled upon a green valley irrigated by a healthy meandering creek.

Late in the evening, we sighted the state sign for Utah. Please note the picture is out of focus; it was an intentional effect to give you a sense of how tired our eyes were.

Sunny California

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California had been home for us since we first met in 2001 and also the stage where our friendship slipped into romance, turned into a pledge and matured into a wedding vow. We nested for three years in the city of Glendale, an urban community landlocked between Griffith Park and the Verdugo mountains, from which one could see the Los Angeles skyline on a clear day.

California was also the stage for a number of our much anticipated get-aways. We consider ourselves fortunate now to have trecked the sunny foothills of the Santa Barbara mountains and gasped before the cold beauty of the eastern Sierra Nevada.

However, what made California very special, was the proximity of family. It is primarely to you that we dedicate this and upcoming posts. We love you and we miss you. Juan, Rita, Bollito, Cookie, and Caramelo.

In the beginning...

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there was Rachel, and Rachel was with Rita though she was not Rita. Thanks to Rachel, the first post was made possible.