My Two Front Teeth

Don't drink and drive EVER.
Way back in the time machine.

Treasures from Vintage Marketplace

My very good friend, his girlfriend
and I met up to go to a party.
I had just finished my evening waitress shift.

We headed out, he drove his little
truck and I drove my first nearly
new car. Seventeen with the
world ahead of me.

What I didn't know was he
was under the influence.
He thought it might be funny
to play chicken on the road.
I didn't see the humor and
tried to slow down and then
speed up to get away.

He tapped my vehicle's front end,
I swerved into the center divider,
and totaled my vehicle.
Trauma to my face and chest.
At seventeen, I didn't understand
it good enough to have my life spared.

Fast forward, eventually my
jaw bone would deteriorate from
the trauma.  Over the last two years, 
I have had donor bone graphs,
three surgeries and finally implants.

Just received the final dental invoice.
Feeling guilty for spending so much
money when there were more important
things we needed.

For my birthday I am
going to try to let it go and feel
only gratitude for the bone donor and for
the amazing team who gave me my smile
back.  Yes, all I wanted was my two front teeth.

Happy Birthday Miss Holly

Miss Holly turned four. Such a golden wonderful age.
Where did February go?

Birthdays

As some of you know, I recently celebrated another birthday.  A glorious thing since my oldest sister, Mericia, only celebrated 44 birthdays.  That's Mericia, our Mother and my oldest brother, Ilidio.  I know you can't tell but my sister had dark brown hair and the bluest eyes.  She was my first best friend and she named me.

Next year will mark the 20th anniversary of her
passing and yet I still miss her embrace.
Yes, I am getting older but inside, at times,
I can go back to old regrets and feel the
vulnerability of another time.

True, too, I am glad for all the love, joy
and pain that I have experienced
because I know its how I got to the me of today.

Here I am at about the age of 19 full of spark.  

Do I feel old?  How could I, when almost 

any song from the early 

days of AC/DC will take me to the age of 16.  

The Best of Bread takes me to a drive along the 

coast from Half Moon Bay to Pescadaro.  

When all I have to do is hear the right song 

and I am right there in my time machine. 

I could be driving up the hill to my high school 

campus with Van Halen's Ice Cream Man blaring. 

This song  takes me to a love note from long ago.

Spin to many years later and a

wedding day with Hot Chocolate.

Outside there is a body riddled with arthritis 

but inside, baby...I'm still as vibrant as ever 

with a whole lot more experience and confidence.

So to the fool who asked me if I felt OLD, 

here's to getting older. Cheers. ROAR..I don't have any

meows left in me.  

Happy Weekend

Tomorrow is my oldest brother's birthday.  Happy Birthday Ilidio!!! Remember taking photos in the little booth?  In these photos my brother has to be under 20 years of age. 

I have to guess ages (l-r), this is our oldest sister Mericia at about 11 or 12 years of age, our mother in her early thirties, and Ilidio at 6 or 7.  Ilidio might remember this scene and remember ages better this was long before I was born.   This looks like a harvest event.  I am just guessing.

I found this little photo of my niece Michele with one of  their first blue dogs.  This little photo was taken the same day as the one with Michele sitting on the step with her legs crossed. 

We had such a fun weekend visiting the Urban Barn it was our first visit to the new location but not our last.  It's amazing because when you are exploring the barn everything looks muted and white but then when looking at the photos there is the most beautiful glow of color.  Do you see it??  Everyone is so nice here. 

Here is the future craft classroom.  It's so bright from the full wall of windows.  I can't wait for the opportunity to create in this amazing space.  Visit the girls over at  Sweetpeas and Snapshots.

 Love this color.  Look for the riot of color.  I see yellow, pink, and blue.











We have to look for boy things, too.

The cupcakes were amazing some of the best I have ever had.  Holly chose red velvet, I had raspberry chocolate, Lee chose Bananas Foster, we sampled caramel apple, and we took carrot cake home for Mark.  Very good eating...worth the trip.  

At home, look at all the loot we picked up along the way from thrifting in San Diego .  Including the little AstroTurf daisy mat from a little hardware store .  The cake pan, pitcher, books and the little student chair that found a new home just outside the kitchen where both kids like to sit and watch daddy cook.  Holly's precious pink bird, nest and my new trash came from the Urban Barn. 

Hope you enjoyed our visit.

Happy Birthday Joe

Yes, I know your friends read this blog and just in case they forgot your birthday...here is a gentle reminder. Wish Joe a happy birthday..because I am far away.

Here we are... it was just a blink of an eye. Still adorable you.

A little song for you...this reminds me of when we were kids. It is how I feel inside...Uncle Albert.

Just a little side bar. I loved this picture. I still love this house. This room is the the parlor of the house at 424 Purisima. I know it is where my sweet memories start. It is where our affinity for old things, gardens, hanging our clothes on the line, cats, the color pink and so many things that make us who we are started. Parents take heed: The sweet memories you make today may just be what carries your children through in your absence.

My Birthday

I will admit this has to have been the hardest birthday. The first one without my beloved mother. We had a tradition in our family that we all raced to to be the first one to wish the birthday girl/boy "Happy Birthday." That meant that as we moved out or got married (sometimes the only way to move out) my mother would call really early in the morning.

It went something like this: The phone would ring at some ungodly hour, we would glance at the clock radio and know that it was my mother. "Are you awake?" she'd say. "No, but I am now," I would respond.

Truth be told. We looked forward to her call and I looked forward to the new nightie or robe we would receive without fail. I miss her so much in big and small ways.

My friends really pulled together to help me celebrate and get through the day.

Becky made me an amazing bag. I love it so much. I also received flowers, cards and treats. It all helped me to keep it together. Thank you my darling friends and husband.