Spot in a makeshift “snuggli”
Oh, BTW, Spot is recuperating from his cold. It did occur to me to send an email to Spot’s brothers in Bakersfield that his health was failing . . . thereby extorting money from the Bakersfield clan . . . but since they were so wonderful in hosting the Christmas celebrations I decided against it.
Finally, I’m posting about my trip to Calfornia. While Mister Man and I spent most of our time in the OC/LA area, we did venture northward to the mecca of Country Western music in California — Bakersfield. My sis and her family reside in this now sprawling city. What had been mostly an agricultural/oil field backwater is now a growing, growing community (lots of LA refugees priced out of the housing market). For a couple of Nebraskans, Bakersfield feels much like home (only it is A LOT greener in Nebraska). My dad quips that there are only two types of radio stations, but in two languages — Country Western/Norteño and Evangelical.
But, if Bakersfield was good enough for Buck, Merle, and Dwight (ok, he’s not from there, but is part of the “sound”) it’s good enough for Mister Man and me. We had a great time spending Christmas with my sister’s family. Everyone was there including the “West-Carranzas” . . . not to be confused with the East-Carranzas (sounds like an Island chain, no?).
Christmas is about two things — presents and food. Onion Tears and I took over cooking duties Christmas Eve while the pious were at mass. It was great to cook with her and we easily coordinated the production of four pizzas to please the various dietary and taste requirements of the whole family (cheese, pepperoni/mushroom, veggie, vegan). I did get assistance from Matt, age 8, who aspires to be a chef. Here’s a photo:
(you can just see Matt behind Larisa)
Once the devout and nominal Catholics returned home, we settled into comfortable conversations in and around the kitchen while the pizzas cooked.
The guys engaged in Man talk . . . at one point I yelled out “I need a Man” (to take out the trash) . . . the only one to come to my rescue was 8 year old Matt!
Shelly and Larisa caught up on what’s been happening:
OMG! Is Shelly wearing a Christmas themed sweater? They say that eventually we all turn into our mothers . . . but really, there are better ways ! (LOL).
Controlled Chaos in the Kitchen!
After we were all sated on pizza and beer (except for the boys, of course) we sat around a bit. Ross and Matt couldn’t wait to open presents (neither could I!!)
Here’s Ross trying to pick out what he’ll open first.
Great shirt, Matt!!
Opening presents with the Sanchez family is a highly ritualistic event (Mister Man couldn’t believe how long it took). We all take turns, the present is opened with high expectations, and then everyone ooohs and aaaahs over the item. Fortunately there was plenty of beer and wine to keep the evening going.
Some highlights:
What every goth guy needs — a nutcracker. My mom has made it a custom now to get a nutcracker for Nathan.
Grandma and Grandpa strike a pose.
No more tears! Mister Man found onion cutting goggles for Larisa — I wonder if she’s used them yet.
Buckwheat Pancake mix for my dad all the way from War Eagle Mill in Arkansas – it was the only thing he specifically requested for Christmas. [check out their website at http://www.wareaglemill.com%5D. Mister Man and I stop at War Eagle Mill every time we are in Rogers, Arkansas — great gifts, grains, and stuff!
Shelly gets a new Christmas Sweater (hey, it goes perfect with her Micky Mouse Crocs!)
Clearly, Nathan spoils Larisa rotten!
These two are too cute!
Just a few photos from Christmas — there are a lot more. This was a very special time for me since I hadn’t seen all my family in one place for a couple of years. It was wonderful to be “home” — not so much in the locational sense, but that warm comfort zone of being together and appreciating each other as family and individuals.
Well, that’s all for today’s blogging. Maybe more tomorrow.
Dear Readers,
Get out your black lingerie or fetishwear to commemorate the passing of one of the great icons of the 2oth century – Bettie Page. We must honor the woman that made fetishism & BDSM look fun and wholesome!
Bye bye, Bettie . . . we’ll miss you!
I’m very disappointed that Obama has chosen Hillary over Bill for Secretary of State >:-( Not only does Bill have better creds, he is a negotiator and peace maker – I think Hill is a tad hawkish.
But, at least we will have Bill at home working as Secretary of Commerce. I hope that Obama recognizes that Bill pulled a lot of Latinos off their nalgas to get and vote for Obama! Nevertheless, it is amazing how quickly Obama is setting up housekeeping and working in a proactive manner to address the myriad problems our nation is facing. GWB, on the other hand, is lamest lame duck ever. At least he has had the good sense to just stay out of the way!
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I haven’t posted for a while . . . that whole Thanksgiving thing kept me busy or recuperating! Mister Man and I avoided the mall on Black Friday. Instead, we were online for the entire day doing our shopping. What a relief! No crowds, no fist fights in the parking lot over the closest spot, no waiting in long lines to sit on Santa’s lap! We had a tiny bit of snow on Friday as well — just flurries really. But enough to make it feel like Christmas time. We did venture out Sunday night to pick up a new flat screen TV! I ordered the TV, a cabinet, and DVD/VCR player online — so all we had to do was pull up in back for loading. But NOOOOOO, Mister Man continued to scan the TVs and decided that we really NEEDED a 40″ fancy ass model instead of the much less expensive 32″ model we had originally selected. I think with men, there is no TV screen that is large enough!
So, now we have this behemoth in the living room . . . . but, the resolution is FAB!!! I guess he was right on that one (shh, don’t tell him I said he was right, he’ll gloat for days!).
Well, that’s all for today. I’ve got a ton of grading to do . . . TTFN!
Praise the Gods and Goddesses! Mr. Man and I sat glued to the television watching the returns. It was more than I could really take in. I had held back, not expecting this transformative moment in time. As a child, there were few people of color on TV, there were no Black History or Hispanic months; our greatest leaders were assassinated before I was even aware of anything outside my own family. I’ve lived through the fears of the Reagan years – during the time when I feared my (ex)husband could be deported back to his country of origin to face death squads. As a college student I helped to designate my university a nuclear free zone because at the time nuclear war was still a significant threat. As a college student, I knew where the nuclear fallout shelter on campus was; my greatest nightmare was actually SURVIVING nuclear war. I’ve been discriminated against for being female, Latina, mouthy, and just plain out of line. My parents lived in a segregated world — but they did not accept the limitations society tried to force on them. For all the countless humiliations heaped on people of color, women, sexual outlaws, the poor, and people with disabilities, I believe that tonight’s election results will have a positive effect. I am beyond words tonight and have hope that there can be a different future. I cannot express how I feel right now; I am speechless at the power of the people — the power of collective activism to mobilize for change.
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