Last Weekend of 2013

Friday Night Lights

Yesterday, Friday, I got to come home early.  It has been a very odd work-week.  We worked Monday, had Tuesday and Wednesday off (yay!) and back to work Thursday and Friday.  There were precious few of us at work those two days and we were most assuredly not on all four burners.  Next year, I am taking the holidays off.  Period.  Thankfully I was able to leave early both days, thanks to my boss.  Friday, I was particularly antsy and bless my boss who picked up on my mood and told me to go home whenever I wanted.  Five minutes later, I was on my way home.  It was about 3:00, or so, traffic was blessedly light.  Lit my candles, popped a blueberry pie in the oven, ah, bliss.  No matter how bumpy the day, the minute I am home, I breathe peace.  My kits around me, pie bubbling in the oven, it started raining and I thought "Perfection!"  Wrote a bit.  Called some friends I hadn't called in a while.

 

Yummy Jammies

Is there anything more comfy than being in one's pajamas earlier in the day than usual?  I swear, I could LIVE in my pajamas.  Don't know who it was that said "All one really needs is a divinely appointed and comfortable bed!" but I so agree with that.  Took a few pictures.  Remembered the salmon I'd bought at the beginning of the week, with pesto basil butter, yum!  As soon as the pie was done, in went the salmon.  I made a lovely little tomato, spinach, mushroom salad with sun-dried tomato and garlic vinaigrette.  When the salmon was done, I arranged it prettily on top of the salad, then plated the other fillet and called my neighbor.  They are always feeding me, I figured it was time to repay their generosity with something from my kitchen that's not chocolate-covered!  I remembered a bottle of wine my friends from Talley, Miss Jodie and her hubby Alan, brought down when they visited in the Spring. Opened the bottle, let it breathe.  Made a note on my "To Buy" list to look for wine glasses like Olivia Pope has on Scandal.  Yes, I admit, I am obsessed with that show.  Tried the wine.  Oh, my!  So good!  Had a glass with dinner while watching Miracle on 34th Street, the black and white version with Natalie Wood.  I think there is a colorized version, but I prefer the original in black and white.  If that makes me an old fogey, so be it.

Java Love

Today I got up, had my first cafe con leche (have I said how much I absolutely LOVE my Keurig?), wrote, read, watched the latest 007, Skyfall (wow, intense).  I kept expecting one of the supposedly good guys turn out to be a traitor, but nope.  Didn't expect it to end the way it did though, although there was a good bit of foreshadowing, still I thought they were just throwing red herrings in.  But nope.  Those chase scenes, wow!  Spent a good bit of the afternoon going through Hollye's blog, http://www.thesilverpen.com, looking for recipes.  I love her "Friday's Fixin's" posts, they are delish and healthy.  Watched "The Secret" on NetFlix, it's really quite interesting and ties into my Mom's theory of projecting positivity and focusing on the positive, the good, the Light.  I really believe her attitude is what gave us a longer time with her than what was originally given.  She was, is and will always be a major source of inspiration for me.  
Anyway, dinner time rolled around and I thought, hmmm, I still haven't used all of those lovely mushrooms I bought earlier in the week, there's some spinach left and also lovely grape tomatoes, one salmon fillet from last night, I'm going to invent something!  Put on a pot of boiling water and pitched some pasta in there.  Chopped up the tomatoes, mushrooms, some onions, drizzled some EVOO into another pan and added them into it, shredded the salmon and added it in, remembered I had sour cream, boom!  A generous, VERY generous dollop, added to the pan with the mushrooms, salmon, etc. in it.  Some half and half and then I remembered the wine.  Ah!  The wine!  Poured myself a glass and added a good dose to the pan.  Let the whole thing simmer, scenting the cocoon, for a bit.  By now the pasta was al dente, drained it, tossed it into the pan with the salmon, mushroom, tomatoes, etc. and mixed it well.  Oh, my!



Miss Jodie's Cheesy Cornbread Muffins

I am planning a traditional Southern menu for New Year's Day, Hoppin' John, cornbread, along with brownies and cookies and cakes and pies, oh my! Because what would the Cozy Cocoon be without the scent of something sweet perfuming the air? New Year's Eve, however, it's a shrimp, cheese and fruit tray, along with champagne and bunches of grapes, 12 in each bunch.  I may do traditional Southern for New Year's Day, but New Year's Eve, it's Cuban tradition time, 12 grapes to be eaten precisely at midnight and a bucket of water pitched out the front door.  One year I doused a neighbor that was walking up to our front door, oopsies! I rarely talk about my memories of Cuba.  It is a feeling difficult to describe.  Those memories are preserved, if you will, like one of those perfect little scenes in snowglobes.  Only someone took my snowglobe and shattered it all to pieces and no matter how much my parents tried, they could never put it back together.  The strongest memories are those of the holidays.  I don't know why. But they are the best memories.  Of all my family gathered under one roof, sitting around the dining room table, talking, eating, passing plates of food around.  There was music and laughter.  Tobacco and lemony cologne scented the air, along with "lechon asado" and always laughter.  Rollicking, rolling laughter.  My parents dancing a "danson" down the hallway.  My grandparents joining them.  The huge tree in the living room twinkling with miniature, multi-colored lights.  Another one in my bedroom.  Both with these amazing Nativity scenes which encompassed entire little towns, sheep grazing on real grass and my Dad grumbling about how long it took to set it all up.  I am an American, but I do remember and hold fast to my Cuban roots. 

Well, I have rambled once again.  Tomorrow, it's off to market to pick up the New Year's Eve/Day ingredients.  Definitely will be buying more salmon, I'm making it a point to eat HEALTHY in 2014.  Lots of salads, fruit, zip red meat except for once in a blue moon.  More salmon.  More red wine.  Gallons of water.  Barbie Breakfasts on weekends.  Did I mention wine?  Mimosas are a menu staple.  Krispy Kreme donuts once in a blue moon.  I know, I know, not the healthiest of indulgences, but they take me back to a cold night long ago and far away, when I spoke English in public for the very first time ... to order "one dozen glazed donuts, please!" at this marvelous donut emporium in L.A. which had a huge donut on its roof.  I wonder if it's still there.  We got our treats and headed home to dunk them in my Mom's cafe con leche (she made the best).  In speaking with one of my friends this afternoon, we commented what a bumpy year it has been all around.  We've had health scares, lost loved ones, it's been like walking a tightrope at times, trying to stay focused on the good, the positive, the Light.  We both agreed it is way easier to drift into the dark, but we are too stubborn to give in, thank you very much.  Yep, it's been a bumpy year, but we have made it through.  God willing, we'll make it through 2014, may it be filled with health, joy, faith, laughter, good friends, good food (and wine!), chocolate (a must!), antiquing, adventures, learning, treasures yet to be discovered.

I've got my DVR set to record the Rose Parade.  I do hope everyone will be watching, it's a tradition at my home.  Wishing all the Happiest New Year.  Remember, be kind to each other, keep the faith, look for the Light, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming and BELIEVE!

Believe! Cookie Jar

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Candlelight

Well, children, it has been a lovely Christmas!  Yesterday friends came over, everyone dressed in their holiday finery.  Hugs, chocolate cake, presents, cats running around getting into wrapping paper, candles scenting the air.  Followed by a deeeeeelish dinner with my lovely neighbors, everything was SOOOO good!  Presents were opened, it was Minion Mayhem.  Must confess, I love them.  Best thing of all was sharing Nochebuena with this wonderful family, seeing the look of pure joy on their youngest's face when she opened her presents, their oldest giving her parents a hug when she opened her presents, their tree twinkling merrily.  We feasted and talked, talked, talked. Food for the tummy, for the heart, soul.  We took our elderly neighbor a Christmas dinner plate, which I know he enjoyed.  They walked me home, I changed into my pj's, lit my candles once more and settled in to watch Christmas movies.  What did we do before DVRs?

Beautiful Miuri and Her Lovely Family

 

 

Miss TippyToes and Her Beloved Minions

Handmade Peruvian Nativity Scene

Love my PJs and Angel Pin!

Today I woke up feeling sludgy, weeks of averaging about 4 hours of sleep a night finally caught up with me.  Got up, had my morning cafe con leche and got right back into bed.  The felines approved, they snuggled right in, yawning, stretching and then curling up.  Have spent a snoozy, relaxing day.  Watched Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer for the bazillionth time.  Never gets old.  It's a Christmas tradition!  Had a very late brunch, yummmm!  Oh, yeah, totally a Pajama Day! Especially since I am sporting my spiffy, wonderfully cozy, soft as a baby's blanket new pajamas, pale pink and printed with little cats running all around. Have I said I love my neighbors?  I do, I do.  They love me, they feed me and got me the coziest pajamas ever!  I must have been good this year, because Santa has been just lovely, comfy cozy pajamas, a gorgeously glittering angel pin, a beautiful print I'd been eyeing for months from Most Marvelous Magical Fairy GodMother She of the Whimbles, deliciously scented sniffies, monogrammed accoutrements and towels for my powder room from my lovely co-workers, a most marvelous present from my lovely (yes, I know, I use that word a lot) boss, scented candles galore, two days at home in the middle of the week, family to share with, we are blessed, we are blessed, we are blessed.  Watched scads of schmaltzy Christmas movies.  Dashed off an email to my lovely boss, who I have not called thinking she may be resting.  I do hope she is feeling better and a much-planned trip can take place.

Cozy Comfy Sofa

Time to hit the sheets, tomorrow it's back to the office, but hey, it's a two-day work week!  How lovely is that?  Oish, I am so nicely nested in my cozy comfy sofa, maybe I'll just snooze a bit right here.  Ooooh, this weekend is a Fairy GodMother Weekend!  Must bake a lemon/caramel/white chocolate pound cake AND Snickerdoodles!  Combined with a Pajama Day, now that's a recipe for a Perfectly Wonderful Weekend.

Wishing all a peaceful, joyous Christmas!  Until next time, be kind to each other, keep the faith and BELIEVE!

Christmas Eve at the Cozy Cocoon

Reason for the Season

Friends dropping by, cakes in the oven, cookie dough chilling in the fridge, cats getting their whiskers singed because they poked their snoots into pine-scented candles, frosting to make, wishing I had my Dad's recipe for the "mojito" for the "yuca," as mine never tastes quite as good as his.  Holiday tunes fill the air, reminding me of the saying "Make a joyful noise!"  Neighbors calling about what time dinner will be served.  The Nativity scene looks quite beautiful in the candlelight.  I look around my cocoon, my kits all snoozing in one furry lump after having noshed, tummies full, they snore away.  My heart is full.

Photos of babies growing up much too fast.  "All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth" playing and reminding me of driving around one Christmas Eve blaring along at the top of my lungs, unaware the car windows were down, oopsies!  Which, of course, explained the funny looks and smiles from other drivers.  Chocolate cake frosted and ready to go.  Cards signed, sealed and stuck on corresponding presents.  Coordinating who is riding with who for Midnight Mass.  Guava cheesecake and champagne on order for New Year's Eve.  Old friends calling, new friends chatting.  Frances Schultz' Christmas post, http://www.francesschultz.com/9561, Christmas Blessings and the Met's Creche (photo below), arrives in the email at just the right time.  The creche is truly spectacular, the tree with its angels, most wondrous.  Took me right back to Christmases from long ago and far away on a beautiful island.  Sweet, magical memories.  We are blessed, we are blessed, we are blessed.

Wishing one and all a blessed, joyous Christmas!


Photo from Frances Schultz' blog

Two Years Ago Today ...

First Day Home - 12/23/2011

Two years ago today, on Friday, December 23, 2011, Bella Bella Smokey Noella came home.  I had lost my two girls, Rosie and Cata, a little over a month earlier.  A very dear friend had been emailing me stories about kits up for adoption, but although they all were wonderful, I just was not ready.  Then she emailed me about a little girl up for adoption for almost a year.  She had been at her vet's since February.  Her parents had dropped her off to go on vacation and, tragically, both passed away.  There was a picture attached to the email, of a chubby, wide-eyed tabby.  Her name, Smokey.  At first I said no, thank you.  But something about those eyes just grabbed me and refused to let go.  Christmas was around the corner.  The idea of that little girl spending the holidays all by herself, waiting to be taken home by someone, just burrowed into me.  So, I called the vet's office and made an appointment to go see if I liked her.  They were very nice at the vet's office, but I could hear the doubt in the vet's assistant voice.  Apparently various people had looked at her before and changed their minds.  I thought, what in the world would make this little girl so difficult to place?

"The Look"

Halfway to the vet's office I made up my mind, Smokey was coming home with me.  Period.  I stopped at a Pet Supermarket, bought a carrier (Sherpa, very cushy-comfy-cozy), litter box, litter, food, two feather fishing wand thingies and a squeaky toy.  Got to the vet's office, everyone was so nice and happy someone was willing to "take a look" at Miss Smokey.  It was obvious they were very fond of her.  I filled out papers, showed my i.d. which if I remember correctly, they photocopied.  I liked they were so thorough, showed they really cared about her.  They warned me she was not a "lap cat" and usually did not take to strangers. She was 10 years old and people want only kittens.  I said I thought that was pretty unfair.  Same goes for kids up for adoption though, once they are past the "cute" stage, it's really hard to place them.  I think that sucks.  The vet assistants told me she did not like to cuddle and she was a "plain" tabby.  I told them I didn't give a fig what she looked like, she was going home with me.  The waiting area was empty, it was late in the afternoon.  There was a large crate with a sign saying "Take Me Home, Please" or something along those lines.  Good grief, that was where she spent her days.  Sitting there, seeing other cats, dogs, whatever, arrive with their parents and leave with them.  While she waited.  That just broke my heart.  I sat down to wait, they had taken her inside to groom her a bit before presenting her to me.  They told me, again, she probably would not warm up to me.

Lavender Girl

Well, the door opened and they brought my girl out.  I held out my arms and they put her in my lap, she was bigger and heavier than my girls, but I held up my hand and she head-butted me, purring.  The girls at the vet's said she had not done that with any of the others that had seen her.  I said, well, that's because she was waiting for me!  They asked what I was going to call her and I said she was used to Smokey, Smokey she would stay, I was just adding Noelle to her name, since she was coming home at Christmas.  She was great to hold because she is declawed on all four paws.  Had never seen a cat declawed on all four paws, but no scratching!  We put her in the carrier without a hitch. Last time THAT happened, she now grows extra limbs whenever a trip to the vet is called for.  I think it is a trait shared by most felines.  They really loved her at the vet's, making me sign a form saying if I decided I did not want her, I would take her back to the vet's and not turn her over to Animal Services or some other type of shelter.  I readily signed, no problem.  The office manager helped me taker her in the carrier to my car, along with a big bag of food, "She's very fond of her food" she told me.  Yeah, I got that, she was (and is) a hefty little girl.  Solid.

Got home, unpacked all her stuff, let her out of her carrier, put some food and water out for her.  She walked around, sniffed everything, jumped onto the dining table.  Sniffed some more.  I changed into my comfies, turned on the t.v., there was an NCIS marathon on and I settled in.  Soon she hopped onto the sofa next to me and, I swear, watched t.v. next to me.  I took a few photos of her.  She settled in.  It was all good.  My girl was home.  Bedtime came along, she got in bed with me and snoozed.



Made You Look!

The next morning I could not find her anywhere.  Now, my place is a whopping 576 square feet.  It's perfect for me, but there's not a whole heck of a lot of room to hide in.  I figured she was hiding under my bed.  No problem, I could peek under there.  Hanging upside down, trying to see under my bed, I almost broke my neck and had one heck of a time hauling myself back up.  Decided she would come out when she was good and ready.  Went and got myself a cafe con leche.  It was Saturday, the 24th, Christmas Eve.  Since the 25th was on a Sunday, we got Monday off.  Giving me three days at home with my new baby girl.  Perfect.  I lit my candles, mixed up a batch of brownies, started to watch a holiday movie, all was cozy and sure enough, about an hour or so later, out came Miss Smokey, calm as you please.  She gave me a sideways look as if saying "Ha!  I saw you almost break your neck!  Made you look!" before hopping onto the sofa and settling in next to me.  She put one paw on my lap and placed her head on top, purring away like a little motor.  Yep, I was in love.  I had been pretty blue about losing my two girls, Smokey made me see the bottle half-full again. I call her my little heart healer.

Groom n' Snooze Time

In the months that followed we got used to each other and developed our little routines.  I discovered she likes wet food for breakfast and dinner, but also likes a bowl of dry food to snack on during the day.  If the water in her bowl is not fresh, she will sit by it and give you "The Look" until you put fresh water in there.  She is persnickety about her litter box, sitting in front of you after she does "her business" once more giving you "The Look" until you scoop and clean.  She grooms herself fastidiously after eating and likes a nap afterwards, having a tendency to sometimes fall asleep in the middle of a particularly lengthy grooming session.  I have a picture of her doing just that.  Cracks me  up every time.  She is a master thief, she'd give Bilbo Baggins a run for his money, having once stolen an entire grilled cheese sandwich when I turned my back for just two seconds!  Dragged it under the dining table and chowed down, making little smacky noises as she ate it.  And, yes, she ate the whole thing.  Grooming and a long nap followed.

Her Royal Feline Highness

She has proven herself to be loyal and comforting.  Sticking to me like glue when I have been under the weather.  Picks up on my moods and unfailingly makes me feel better, whether I am wheezing, dealing with tummy troubles or just plain blue.  She is a very serious girl, until she sees a ribbon fluttering or one of her feather wands, then all sense of decorum flies right out the window.  She loves clean sheets right out of the dryer, rolling around my freshly-made bed while making happy kitty noises.  Her favorite meal is Fancy Feast Turkey and Giblets, followed by anything with salmon in it.  She is my love.  Tolerates my hugging her and calling her my Fuzzy Love Muffin (I swear she rolls her eyes when I do that).  Loves to sleep perched on my hip.  Does not appreciate it when I move around in bed, patiently waiting until I settle in once more  and then perches on my other hip, muttering what I am sure is in kitty-ese "I do wish you would stop this turning over, it is interrupting my beauty sleep, you inconsiderate human!"

We were quite happy, just us two, until this summer when first The Boys arrived.  All was fine as long as they were tiny and contained in their kennel.  Once they were big enough to walk around without possibly getting stuck under things, well, there was a bit of an adjustment period.  But she soon showed them she is The Boss.  Then Miss Millie came along almost at the end of summer.  Maybe because she's another girl, she took to Miss Millie a lot quicker than she did to The Boys.  Taking Miss Millie under her wing, as it were.  When she feels The Boys are playing too rough with Miss Millie, she will march over to them, smack them and then take Miss Millie away, giving her a thorough bath.  Almost as if saying "There, there, now you are all nice and clean again.  They won't bother you any more!"

After losing my girls in 2011, I never really expected to fall so much in love with an opinionated little girl, with very elegant whiskers and a most defined personality.  But I did. I am eternally grateful to my friend who sent me the email and to the vet's staff who took such good care of her.  I realized losing my girls, who had very long, happy, well-loved lives, opened the path to Smokey coming into my life.  I call her my Bella Bella Smokey Noella.  Every night when I get home from work, I open the door and she is there waiting for me.  I go "Bella, Bella!  There's my beautiful girl!" and she prances and preens, welcoming me home.  The Boys and Miss Millie stay in my room, door closed, when I'm not home, giving her full run of the rest of my nest.  I always make sure to spend a good long while just with her, we watch a little t.v., she has dinner in peace and snackies afterwards.  I make sure she knows she is my special girl. She is, after all, my Fuzzy Love Muffin and I am ever so glad she chose me.

Bella Bella Smokey Noella and Me

He's Making A List

Christmas Light

"It came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes or bags!"... Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! "Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas... perhaps... means a little bit more!"
~Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

A little over a week or so ago I was speaking with a friend, we had finally managed to coincide which is a rare coincidence.  Usually our conversations consist of voice mails back and forth, an email here and there.  But that day the planets aligned and we had an actual conversation.  Which was lovely, but something she said stuck with me and, frankly, put me in a bit of a Grinchy mood.  I made a comment to the effect that, wow, we were finally speaking with each other as opposed to listening to voice mails!  She responded with "Well, you know, how it is these days, people see the caller i.d. and ignore the call, they'd rather text."  Which kinda left me thinking, wait a gosh-darn minute, you mean the times I've left a voice mail, she's been ignoring my calls?  As one of my favorite bloggers, Hollye Jacobs, likes to say WTF?  I mean, I know we are all busy these days, but, shoot, you mean to tell me you can't pick the phone up ONCE?  At least to say, listen, I'm a little busy right now, can I call you when I have a minute?  This is someone whose friendship goes back decades.  I don't know, maybe I'm being ridiculous, but that comment just stuck in my craw.  Then I thought about that poem about people being in one's life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime.  Maybe our season wound down and I just did not realize it.  Don't know.  It just left me a little deflated, for a while anyway.

To add to the general phhhhttt-someone-let-all-the-air-out feeling, a few days later day I got a lecture, well-meaning, but a lecture nonetheless, about my weight.  Again from an old friend whose agenda rarely coincides with mine. This is another friendship whose season I really believe has passed, it's just taken a while for me to realize it.  But it's like we are on very different paths now.  This visit went something like this, Friend:  "So, you like my new bracelet?"  Me:  "Yes, it is beautiful!" She: "So, what new jewelry have YOU gotten lately?"  Me:  "None, but I have been writing and painting a lot on weekends, I love doing that!"  She:  "Oh, painting, phhhhttt!  Sweets, I don't want to insult you, but have you gained MORE weight?"  Me:  "Well, I had breathing issues and was on prednisone for a while."  She: "Can't you do something about that?  I think you use that as an excuse to eat." I mean, REALLY? Oh, yeah, because being on steroids is just SO much fun, I get cranky and hungry and did I mention cranky?  Believe me, Cranky Barbie is NOT pretty.  But I breathe!  I don't know about you, but to me breathing is a GOOD thing.  By the time the visit wound down, I was ready to start banging my head against a wall, because every single negative vibe that I do battle with on a regular basis was alive and well and tap dancing in my head.  Two hours of hanging out with this friend and I'm starting to think the bottle is half-empty, instead of half-full, ya know?  Definitely not feeling Christmasy at this point, oish!

But I digress.  This is supposed to be a post about Santa.  He is, after all, making a list and checking it twice.

This Thursday one of my favorite blogs (Rx For the Soul) had a new Thankful Thursday post, A Merry Thankful Thursday, which included a quote from one of my favorite Christmas movies, "It came without ribbons, it came without tags!  It came without packages, boxes or bags!"  See above for the complete quote, I love that blog, always brings a smile to my face ... and my heart.  How the Grinch Stole Christmas is required viewing at the Cozy Cocoon during the holidays.  Seeing it quoted in my friend's blog just gave me the warm fuzzies.  Really, if you are ever feeling a bit off, or just need a bit of cheer, click on this blog, I guarantee you will feel 100% better, http://rxforthesoul.thesoulsentinel.com.  Hmmm, reading the post brought back some wonderful memories of what Christmas is really all about.  I felt the Christmas Spirit's wings gently tap me on the shoulder, reminding me to enjoy, savor, be.  Pitch the negative vibes, grab on (and hold tight) to the positive ones.  I clicked on another favorite blog, http://www.francesschultz.com and searched for Christmas.  Eureka!  Did the same with Hollye Jacobs' blog, http://www.thesilverpen.com.  Eureka, yet again!  Okay, so it was all I could do to NOT start blaring out Christmas carols right then and there.  The Somber Ones would not have approved.  But driving home that night, the radio was playing Christmas carols and, yeah, I sang right along.  Not even the inevitable and unavoidable traffic snarls on the 836 and 826 could dampen my mood.  Got home, parked my car and got out singing Jingle Bells, I'm not sure my neighbors appreciated it, maybe they thought I had hit the spiked eggnog, NOT, but I sure felt a lot better!



Apple Pie ... Deeeeeelish!

Today I took a page from Hollye's blog and took a Pajama Day.  It has been blissful.  My Boys (Moose and Little Bit) are recovering from "El Big Snip-o" yesterday, which was a blessedly short day at the office giving me the chance to pick them up and then run some long-delayed errands with them in tow and they provided a darn handy excuse to cut some of those errands short.  Amazing what having two cats with you can do for visits you really do not want to make, but nonetheless have to.  Anyway, today has been a wonderful Pajama Day, lit my Fresh Balsam candles, made a wonderful brunch, mimosas, yay!  Settled in for a Grimm marathon (love, love, love that show), baked an apple pie, totally loving my cozy nest and it smells soooo good, did a bit of Christmas decorating ... ho, ho, ho!  Spent the better part of the afternoon watching schmaltzy Christmas movies and savoring some marshmallow caramel hot cocoa, surrounded by snoozy felines.  Perused the news and found some truly heartwarming stories, such as Shoeshine Man Retires After Donating Over $200,000 in Tips.  The shoeshine man's name is Albert Lexie.  Google him, I dare you to not get the warm fuzzies.  Then there was this one, which just grabbed me by the heart and squeezed, Boy from Iconic Wartime Photo Pays It Forward at Christmas.  Christian Golczynski was eight years old, when he lost his Daddy.  The photo of that little boy struggling to hold back his tears as he was handed that flag was all over the news.  It just broke your heart.  I don't know if you remember the photo, I sure do and it is heartwarming to see what this young man has done.  Go to http://www.asoldierschild.org.  Honestly, if I ever whine again, smack me upside the head, okay?



Sometimes we tend to get so wrapped up in the presents, the buying, the malls and the traffic, we forget to breathe, relax, just be.  Enjoy the season, remember the real reason for it.  Presents are great, but remember the why of the season.  Family, joy, hugs and laughter.  Remember to take a breath, be still, just be.  I say that a lot, don't I?  But try it, please.  I have to mention, yes, again, my friend who took over for Gina.  Her emails are always perfectly on point.  Here is an excerpt from one of her recent emails, a piece entitled Be Still, by Joyce Meyer:  "We need to learn to be quiet inside and stay in that peaceful state so that we are always ready to hear the Lord's voice.  Many people run from one thing to the next.  Because their minds don't know how to be still, they don't know how to be still.  At one time, I felt I had to find something to do every evening.  I had to be involved and on the go, being a part of whatever was going on.  I didn't want anything to go on that I didn't know about.  I was not a human being, I was a human doing."


Reading the blogs, news about the shoeshine man and Christian Golczynski, my friend's email, singing Christmas carols, remembering to be still and just savor, all these have affirmed, yet again, my faith in humanity.  It is a choice.  I choose to "Believe!" The Christmas Spirit is alive, healthy and flourishing.  Its Light cannot be diminished, obscured, dimmed.  No matter how many naysayers are out there, you just have to Believe and keep on looking for the Light.  The very reason we celebrate this most joyous season, look for the Light even when you feel whooped, pooped and shwooped, like all the air has been let out of you, when you start feeling a little Grinchy (and we all have those moments).  Close your eyes, take a deep breath, grab ahold of a good memory and look for the Light.  Trust me, you will find it.  I choose to Believe, I hope you will too.

 



Christmas Tunes

I emailed one of my Talley peeps earlier today, telling her I'd baked a pie and had been hearing what sounded like a tiny horn being played and what do you know, had found this wee, rotund elf hopping around my dining table and sent her two pictures.  She wrote back saying I should have a piece of pie and have the wee elf play some Christmas tunes.  If that isn't a marvelous example of "Believe!" I don't know what is!  Bake a pie, glitter something, make cookies with your little ones or by yourself while singing Christmas carols at the top of your lungs!  Make a joyful noise!  Enjoy, breathe, be! Try to be a human being, not a human doing.  Take a drive through your neighborhood and bask in the beautiful holiday lights.  Say happy holidays to people you don't know.  Some will return your greeting, some won't, some will be downright grouchy (and even try to lecture you, I ignore those and keep going my merry way), others will just stare (sigh).  At any rate, you're bound to brighten someone's day.  You can also say "Bah, humbug!" to the grouchy ones.  Yes, I know, that's poking at the bear.  Sometimes you just hafta!
 

Well, in my neck of the woods it is way past 11 p.m.  Time for sleepers, tomorrow there's decorating to do, brownies, chocolate cake and cookies to bake, candles to light and friends to welcome for the aforesaid goodies and hot cocoa with plenty of marsh-a-mallows (as my Dad used to say) and a peppermint candy cane stirrer thrown in for good measure.  Until next time, be blessed, Believe and keep the faith!  Remember, he's making a list and checking it twice, gonna find out who's naughty or nice!

 

Holidays - Choose to Believe

Santa Ready for Take-Off!

I have many Silver Linings in my life, all sizes, shapes, colors, count my favorite blogs (my Trifecta + One) as some of them.  This past week was a bit bumpy, to put it mildly, decided to make today, Saturday, a Pajama Day, thank you, Hollye Jacobs!  Woke up earlier than usual when the workmen remodeling the unit next door arrived. Much whirring, sawing, thumping and bumping ensued.  Made my (first) cafe con leche ... have I said how much I love, love, love, no, really, LOOOOOOVE my Keurig?  You just pop the Kcup of your choice in there, push the button and voila!  Hot javalicious perfection. It even makes hot chocolate! Popped a blueberry pie in the oven because it makes my nest smell sooooo good, chocolate cake will be baked later in the day, in honor of Mami's birthday which was this past Thursday.  But I digress, yeah, I know, what else is new?  Fired up the computer and checked my emails and there was a new post on Hollye's blog.  Mind you, I have not met her (yet, someday I'd love to meet her and Frances Schultz, two of my all-time favorite humans), ANYWAY, her post is called Finding Joy During the Holidays, it's lovely, her posts are (without fail) insightful, brilliant, they make you think, laugh, appreciate.  It's like a wonderful meal for the soul.

Christmas Treasures

Anyway, where was I?  Oh, yeah, sorry, bobbled and weaved, so I'm reading Hollye's latest post (and loving it) and see a link at the bottom to another post 15 Choices that Lead to Finding the Silver Lining in Life .  All I can say is ... Wow!  She posted it on May 14 of this year, HOW did I miss it the first time around?  My Mom's philosophy of life right there on my computer screen.  How serendipitous I should find this post today, the weekend we would have celebrated her birthday.  What a lovely, lovely Silver Lining.  Hollye writes, Because finding Silver Linings is indeed a choice*, here are 15 choices (that I try to make each day) that lead to finding Silver Linings:

1. Express gratitude for what you DO have in this moment.
2. Smile often.
3. Be playful. Put a bounce in your emotional step.
4. Take breaks from technology.
5. Express love, even to strangers.
6. Sleep.
7. Look at challenges as opportunities to learn and grow.
8. Eat healthily, but treat yourself.
9. Focus on the present.
10. Exercise.
11. Be open to change.
12. Do what makes you happy.
13. Simplify.
14. Don’t “Should” on yourself.
15. Decide that – no matter what – you will find a Silver Lining.

*That is my Mom's philosophy in a nutshell, you choose to see either the light or the dark in life.



Santa's Truck

Which brings me to the reason for this post.  Bet you thought I'd lost track of it, right?  Nope!  I'm focused, I may bobble, duck and weave, but eventually I do arrive at my point.  Which is, people are always complaining about how the holidays have gotten so commercialized and stressful and there's no time to enjoy them.  Which is silly.  You choose whether to buy into the commercialism which leads to going nuts-o at the mall meaning Stress, with a capital S.  And that's why you have no time to enjoy.  Period.  End of discussion.  It is a choice.  The stuff that's out there (albeit on sale now) is there the year-round, it's readily available, the electronics, the games, the toys, the ... STUFF.  It's like humanity loses sight of the real reason, and no, I'm not getting preachy and going all "Jesus is the Reason for the Season" although, yeah, He really is.  But we lose sight of what the holidays really SHOULD mean.  They once were a time for the family to gather, to bake, decorate the tree, spend time together doing stuff (NOT going lulu at the mall).

In our house the holidays were special, yes, we did the "lechon asado" (roast pork) and the traditional Cuban meal on the 24th, sometimes on the 25th we would do the traditional American meal (always with black beans and rice somewhere in there), we would put the tree up and decorate it on my Mom's birthday (December 12), until she was diagnosed and then we switched it to Thanksgiving weekend.  And we loved getting just the right present for everyone and Christmas Day we were like little kids, giddy with unwrapping to find surprising delights Santa had left under the tree.  But it was not really about stuff, it was about time.  Spent together.  Sharing.  Sitting in the candlelit living room, admiring the tree.  The tree was the main deal.  Time spent together was the focus, it is what makes memories.  These are some of my favorites:


Mom and Her Favorite Elves

Memory:  Holiday Season 1985.  My best friend's girls were still little and my Mom was taking care of them.  One morning they rushed into the house and then just stopped and went "Oooooh!"  They stood there mesmerized, with these huge eyes of wonder looking at the the Christmas tree we'd gotten the night before.  It wasn't decorated yet, it was just the tree standing there in all its glory, all fresh, green and smelling of the forest (or how one imagines a pine tree forest smells).  The look on their faces was, as the commercial goes, priceless.  Pure joy, belief and wonder.  Oh, I do hope those two little girls, now beautiful young women, know how much joy they brought into our home.  Silver Linings, absolutely.  They were mine to love and play with, have picnics in the middle of the living room, make cakes in the microwave oven, make cakes from "scratch" and egg salad sandwiches.  They were joy personified.

Memory:  Summer of 1986.  I came home with a vicious headache, the girls were there watching cartoons and I plopped down on the floor with them, being with them always made my headaches less painful.  After a while I fell asleep on the living room floor and woke up to both of them sitting on either side of me, patting my face and going "Ya, ya, ya, Barbie."  Same as we did to them when they were feeling bad.  And, yeah, you got it, my headache was gone, those two were (and still are) something special.

Tiny Hand Prints Bandit

Memory:  Holiday Season 1986.  While cleaning the living room wall unit (getting ready for "Nochebuena"), I find a set of perfect, tiny chocolate hand prints and my Mom says "Leave them, they are perfect."  They were my goddaughter's little hand prints from some filched chocolate.  The hand prints stayed there a long, long time.


Memory: Thanksgiving 1989.  Mom is in the hospital with an infected cat bite which became complicated due to her compromised immune system from the chemo.  She is doing well, but not well enough to be sent home.  I have a late Thanksgiving lunch with her at the hospital.  Later when night falls, I go over my best friend's parents home, which is really like my second home, I sit at the table for some coffee and Mom R. goes to the kitchen and comes back with a plate.  They saved Thanksgiving dinner for me.  In their home I find kindness, laughter and love.  They were then, are now and always will be, my own.

Honorary Grandma and Her Girls

Memory:  Christmas Eve 1987.  This was the year my Mom was diagnosed, in late August.  Her oncologist's comment to me was "If you get to Christmas, make it a good one."  And we did, we did.  Christmas Eve my parents and I trotted over to my best friend's house for a big party they were having.  Went to Midnight Mass with Mom and my best friend's parents, we leave the big Nochebuena shindigs for just a while to attend mass, it has always been my favorite mass of the year.  When it comes time to join hands for the Our Father, Pop C. grumbles about having to hold hands with someone he doesn't know and who knows if they've washed their hands and why does he have to  hold hands with them anyway?  I start laughing because he sounds like the Grinch personified, but he's really a big teddy bear with a kind heart.  The priest is NOT amused at my laughter.  Which makes Pop C. make yet another comment.  I laugh again.  After another fulminating look from the priest, I muffle my laughter, barely.

Joy, Pure and Simple

Memory:  Christmas Day 1987.  We were so happy to get Christmas with Mom, just over the moon, silly happy.  Christmas Day she was feeling good, we take pictures sitting by the tree, she says something completely silly and we both laugh like loons, my Dad snaps a candid shot of us laughing. Pure joy captured.

Memory:  New Year's Day 1994, Mom has a rough morning but is feeling good by early evening and sits on the sofa to watch a comedy movie, La Risa en Vacaciones.  She sits between me and my Dad, the only lights on are the vanilla-scented candles and the Christmas tree.  We are sitting there, just us three, laughing at the silly antics onscreen and I feel this peace wash over us.  It's a moment of joy, contentment, complete and perfect.  And I know I will never, ever feel this way again.  But I am oh, so, so grateful for it.  For them.  For us.

Santa's Office

Memory:  Christmas 2004.  My first Christmas in my cocoon.  A few days before I had gotten a big box from my Tallahassee friends, full of presents and all bearing a note "Do NOT open 'til Christmas!"  So, I make my big Christmas breakfast, put on Christmas music, open my presents and I feel loved.  Snug and safe in my cocoon with my feline progeny all around me, I am happy.

Long Ago and Far Away ...

Memory: Fall 2005.  My goddaughter comes over with her father.  I bake brownies.  I have not seen him since he divorced her mom and I'm ready to light into him, I was good and ticked off at him when I learned about the divorce and all that preceded it and all that took place after.  But the minute I see them walking up to my door, the minute I hug him, all anger goes poof.  All I see is a very dear, old, once trusted, friend and I am taken back to a time long ago and far away.  He refuses to eat any of the brownies, I don't know if it's because he really doesn't want any or he's afraid I've put something in them ... which, have to admit, did cross my mind.  We sit and talk, look through photo albums which captured just a smidge of a lovely, innocent time in our lives.  When my best friend and I would go off into the wide blue yonder and have adventures, sometimes with the kenders, sometimes on our own.  We'd return to their home and feast on goat fricasee (the only time I ever ate goat knowingly) and drink cheap beer, which once led to a belching contest. Yes, that's right, three adults, two of them parents, sitting around the dining table belching, it's a pretty picture isn't it?  And the girls were laughing and laughing not believing the "grown-ups" were engaging in such behavior.  Having been prepared to find an enemy, instead I found my old friend and it felt right, like finding an old sweater you like to wrap yourself in because it makes you feel cozy, warm and safe.  There is no bitterness or anger, just little ghosts of laughter and dancing, beach barbecues and singing Day-Oh while floating on the water in a big circle.  Of doing tequila shots having completely forgotten it was Good Friday and making a promise to the Father that if He gets me home, I will never, EVER do tequila shots again.  To this day I've kept that promise.  No tequila shots for this girl.  Although I do still have a fondness for Margaritas,  Mango Margaritas being my current favorite, ha!

Beautiful Boy

Memory:  Christmas 2010.  I pry myself away from my cocoon and go visit my beautiful girl (my goddaughter's sister) and her husband.  They welcomed their firstborn, a boy, that summer and I have not met him yet.  Arriving at her house, I am greeted with hugs, love and laughter.  She brings the baby over to me and puts him in my arms.  I feel my heart break and expand at the same time, holding this child of joy, born of the little girl I've loved as my own from day one.  She has grown into this amazing, beautiful, loving woman and I am grateful to have them all, still, in my life.

Memory:  Christmas 2012.  My neighbors invite me to Nochebuena dinner at their house.  I bake little cheesy corn muffins and brownies.  We sit around the table, eating, talking, and I feel at home, with family.  We take pictures and I am smiling from ear to ear in all of them, not my best look, but you can tell I am happy.

See, moments like that, you can't buy, they just happen, they are the epitome of Holiday Silver Linings.  So, enjoy these holidays, try to downplay the stress factor, spend time with your loved ones, trim the tree, bake cookies, share a meal, set up the Nativity Scene, go to Midnight Mass, as I've said, it is my favorite Mass of the year, write a letter to Santa, buy a toy or two or three for one of the many toy drives held this time of year, use those little coupons at the cash register where they add $2, $3, $5 dollars to your tab and it goes towards a food bank.



Mom's Birthday 12-12-1992

Make a conscious choice to find and keep the magic alive. Choose to Believe.  Believe in the joy, the magic, the sheer beauty of all those lights twinkling and lighting the darkness. Light the candles, make a gingerbread house, deck the halls. It's not about stuff, it's not about running up a huge credit card(s) bill, it's not about "having" to buy a present for someone.  Sure, presents are great, particularly if they come from the heart, not from some misguided sense of obligation.  We should not feel obligated to give presents.  Presents are about joy shared.  Time spent searching for that perfect present for someone, whether it's a wild extravagance, or something simple but you know they will love.  But, really, the season is not about any of that.  We need to take the "gimme, gimme, gimme!" factor out of this season.  It's about family, friends, time shared, heck, time MADE, carved out of our oh-so-busy schedules.  It's about joy and love, hugs and laughter.  It's about faith.  You know what they say about faith, it's the belief in something you can neither touch, hear, see, taste, smell, but even so you are still darn sure of it (although to me Christmas smells like the incense they use at Midnight Mass, which without fail makes me sneeze earning me a VERY stern look from my priest).  That is faith to me and those memories, the memories of times shared, of laughter and music and love and Christmas trees, those memories are the real Silver Linings of the holidays.

 

Okay, I am signing off, my neighbors were coming over tonight to help me trim the tree, I've baked a chocolate cake and it's been cooling on my kitchen counter while I write and write and write some more.  However, I've postponed the tree trimming/hot chocolate and chocolate cake festivities until tomorrow afternoon, the new meds are slowly taking effect, but have made me just a bit dizzy.  I have felt way less pain today (yay!) and may have pushed the envelope a little too much, with the baking and the cooking and the cleaning, I do love to putter and fluff!  So I am hitting the sheets right after I post this.  Remember, he's making a list and checking it twice!  Until next time, be blessed, keep the faith and BELIEVE!


Making a List, Checking It Twice!

 

12/12/24

Dear MiaMamma,

Today would have been your 89th birthday.  Somehow, I just know you are celebrating in Heaven, having chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, drinking champagne from one of those champagne glasses you love, the flat, wide ones, I always liked the slim ones, the bubbles last longer, but you loved the flat ones because you said more bubbles got to tickle your nose.  You are dancing the night away with Daddy. There's a song by Carly Simon, Like A River, that has a line that asks "Are you dancing with Benjamin Franklin on the face of the moon?" I love that song, the imagery it contains is just beautiful, and it reminds me of you and Daddy dancing down the hallway of our house in Cuba, one night you two were going out on the town. Now I close my eyes and can see you two dancing among the stars.  You are wearing a Christmas red dress with a skirt that's all flowy and billows around when Daddy twirls you, diamonds sparkle at your ears and on your shoes, Daddy looks quite handsome in his tux.  Best of all, you look happy, healthy, like you are having the time of your life.  If someone had told me I would go this long without hearing your voice, I would have told them they were out of their minds.  But, here we are.  I do miss you and Daddy so very much.  In fact, the other day I went into major pity party mode.  Then thought, okay, this accomplishes nothing.  Look at what you have, what you had, take joy, count your blessings.  You taught me to find joy in the smallest of things, in the everyday of life, that a cafe con leche and buttered toast make even the lousiest day better, oh, how you would love my Christmas present for my nest, a Keurig with all the bells and whistles, it even makes hot cocoa, and to always believe in Santa Claus. You taught me to look for and hold on to the magic.  You instilled a deep, unshakeable, abiding faith in me, that tells me one day, one day we'll get to see each other again.  You made "special" days over-the-top special and dusted with fairy dust (explaining my fondness for glitter) and day-to-day life magical. You were a walking, talking example of the "Believe!" theory, no matter what curve balls you were thrown, you found the magic and still Believed.

Yesterday I went to Publix and bought all the ingredients for REAL chocolate cake and REAL chocolate frosting, but just in case I also bought a boxed mix and ready-made frosting.  My kitchen now holds Hershey's Cocoa, real butter, powdered sugar, cake flour, the best vanilla extract!  Eggs!  Well, I always have eggs.  You know me and my thing about ALWAYS having breakfast fixings in the pantry. This weekend, I'm sorry, I really did want to do it today, your actual birthday, but I am wiped by the time I leave work, but this weekend, I am getting a REAL Christmas tree, the neighbors are coming over and we are filling the tree with a bazillion tiny white lights, I'm baking that chocolate cake (REAL or mix, but one way or another, there WILL BE CHOCOLATE CAKE), I'll light the candles and we'll sit around admiring the tree and munching cake.  Maybe we'll order Chinese. We'll toast to your memory and talk and laugh, sing Christmas carols, take pictures.  You and Daddy were a joy and a blessing in my life.  I miss you every day, but I know one day we'll see each other again.  I feel you and him around me all the time, MiaMamma, and Abuelo and Abuela.  I'm grateful, oh, so very, very grateful for the many years we had together.  For each and every second, the good times.  The bad times, they made the good even sweeter.  Our time together, all those years, nights under the stars, listening to fairy tales, of Abuelo playing his violin, days floating in those crystal clear waters with Abuela calling from shore to make sure I did not float away, of dancing ballet in the sand wearing a tiara on my head and twirling madly in my high-top sneakers because I never did like the feel of sand on my feet. Even when all grown-up and dealing with illness, you still managed to find the joy.  Do you remember the afternoon we came back from Tia's house, we'd gone to pick up chocolate pudding she'd made and just as we got home it started pouring.  We didn't have an umbrella in the car, so we decided to just wait until it stopped pouring and then we looked at each other and went for the pudding ... WITH OUR FINGERS like little kids!  There we were laughing and licking our fingers and Daddy comes out of the house with this huge umbrella, tromps over to the car, saying "If you think you're going to sit there and eat ALL of it, oh, no, no, gimme!"  That memory always makes me laugh.  Those days, full of magic and wonder, they were the real present.  The best present.  Ever.  Time spent with loved ones, that is the very best present of all.  I am truly enjoying this holiday season.  Your and Daddy's favorite season.

Happy Birthday, MiaMamma, to quote Tina Turner same as last year, you were ... simply the best.

 

Okay, enough reminiscing and visiting memories. Time for sleepers, as the Whimbles say. There are two new magazines waiting for me and some very sleepy felines expecting bedtime snackies. Until next time, hold your loved ones close, remember why we really celebrate this most magical time. Enjoy your loved ones, spend time together (it really IS the very best present), bake cookies, put up the tree, fuss with the lights. Be blessed, keep the faith and take joy in this season of wonder. It is, as they say, the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

 

Carly Simon – Like A River Lyrics

Dear mother the struggle is over now
And your house is up for sale
We divided your railroad watches
Between the four of us
I fought over the pearls
With the other girls
But it was all a metaphor
For what was wrong with us
As the room is emptying out
Your face so young comes into view
And on the back porch is a well-worn step
And a pool of light that you can walk into

I'll wait no more for you like a daughter,
That part of our life together is over
But I will wait for you, forever
Like a river...

Can you clear up the mystery of the Sphinx?
Do you know any more about God?
Are you dancing with Benjamin Franklin
On the face of the moon?
Have you reconciled with Dad?
Does the rain still make you sad?
Last night I swear I could feel you
Moving through my room
And I thought you touched my feet
I so wanted it to be true
And in my theater there is a stage
And a footlight you can always step into...

I'll wait no more for you like a daughter,
That part of our life together is over
But I will wait for you, forever
Like a river...

In the river I know I will find the key
And your voice will rise like the spray
In the moment of knowing
The tide will wash away my doubt
'Cause you're already home
Making it nice for when I come home
Like the way I find my bed turned down
Coming in from a late night out.
Please keep reminding me
Of what in my soul I know is true

Come in my boat, there's a seat beside me
And two or three stars we can gaze into...

I'll wait no more for you like a daughter,
That part of our life together is over
But I will wait for you forever
Like a river...

I'll never leave, always just a dream away
A star that's always watching
Never turn away
We'll never leave, always just a thought away
A candle always burning
Never turn away
The moon will hide, the tree will bend
I'm right beside you
I'll never turn away