The simple things in life make me happy

Today I woke up to a quiet house.  I love a quiet house but I miss it being noisy.  I miss Abraham playing his guitar and singing.  I miss Lala turning up the radio and singing along to her favorite songs. 

When I was growing up I alway had music on ALWAYS! My dad is not much of a music person and I think I get it from my mom because ever since I can remember she has always had the radio on when doing house chores, cooking, crafting etc.  She has always listenend to music. 

I remember riding in the car and it being so quiet! I never liked that and always told my dad to "TURN UP THE MUSIC"  He thought that it was cute and would turn the radio on.  We always listenend to Spanish music.  My mom loved her English music too.  I remember she would listen to the Beatles, Kenny Rogers, Air Supply and many others. 

Yesterday I decided it was time for me to buy a radio so that I could put it on top of the fridge so that I could have my sanity back.  I enjoy listening to music, ALL music.  I am not predjudicial at all when it comes to music.  If it has a rhythim and you can dance to it; I'm all for listening to it!!! I installed the radio and couldn't wait to try it out.

I turned on the radio found a station and sat at the kitchen table and enjoyed the joyous sounds that were coming out of that small little black box.  Oh the simple things in life make me so happy!! 
I think that if there were a day that there was no music; I would die of depression.  I think music makes things come to life.  Makes a house a happy home, makes a party a party, makes it so that when you have chores or things to do you can do them and do them with style!!  :)  hahahaha  I mean style because who hasn't danced with the broom while cleanin, who hasn't danced with the mop, who hasn't experienced the euphoria of the music running through your vains and making you feel so ALIVE!

With this post I am going to include my son playing his guitar.  He might just die because I am putting it up and has told me to NEVER and I quote NEVER share his music with the world but why wouldn't you want to make someone elses day by playing a beautiful song.  You never know.......this one little gesture might change the way someone thinks and helps them take that step towards HAPPINESS!!

So next time you see me and I'm rockin out in my car or you drive by and happen to look in my window and I'm dancing; you will know that the simple little things like music make me very happy!!

Have a great day......I leave you with this short clip............I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

What makes you think you're any better?

Why are there people that think they are better than everyone else.  You know these people.  They make everyone else feel like shit so that they can get some sort of sick pleasure out of it.  These people that do and say things to put you down...well I know of one person and I'm going to talk about him tonight. 

He has this facade that he is such a great person but deep inside his soul he is a monster.  He treats everyone at work like shit.  He speaks to people about his workers like they were animals.  He yells at them and says "that's the way you have to talk to these people."  THESE PEOPLE!! Who the hell does he think he is? What kind of people does he think he is?  Calling them stupid for simple mistakes that you and I would make.  Instead of speaking to them like human being he speaks to them like they were animals.  Why?  I don't know why, I just think it's because he is an ugly person.

It's crazy! I just don't understand why he thinks he's any better.  He used to be a regular joe shmo! well until he formed his own company.  Now he thinks he is "the man."  I have nothing agains people who want to progress, I think that's such a wonderful thing to do.  I just don't like it when they start thinking they are better than everyone else. I think that he has just gotten greedy.  He thinks that he has to work his 2 guys to death so that he can get more money.  He doesn't really have any respect for his co-workers. 

At work he is swearing dropping the F-bomb and calling everyone stupid and just belittling everyone he comes in contact with, but he goes to church every Sunday and pays his tithing and pretends to be this great person. What a hypocrit!!

If there is something that I can't stand more than anything is FAKE ASS PEOPLE!!
There are times  that I just want to say things to him but I bite my tounge out of respect for my husband.  I could tell him off and be just as big a jerk as he is but I think about it and say to myself.  "don't swoop to his level, it's not worth it."  I just hope that one day he realizes that what he is doing is wrong.  I hope that with all the times he goes to church something sparks him inside and makes him change the way he is. 

"Poor unfortunate soul..."  From the Little Mermaid Movie, its the 1st thing that popped into my head.

Ceci

Little things that I love

I don't know if I have mentioned this before but I LOVE taking pictrues.  I enjoy that art.  I love taking pictures of anything and everything.  I want to purchase a nice digital SLR camera but haven't really decided what to get.  It's between a Canon or Nikon.  I have friends that LOVE both and I have a Canon Rebel that is 35mm and I LOVE it too.  I guess it will all come down to the price.  Who knows; but in the meantime I am taking pics with my little Olympus Stylus 1030SW. 

This picture was taken from my moms back yard.  I really like the way this picture turned out.

A rusty old nail.  So rusty.. :)

This little guy was crawling out of this rock.  My mom has a lot of garden snakes in the summer and I thought I would snap a shot.  I love how I got him while he was slithering out.

A little further out.....

Love how I got this shot.....one of my favorites.

This one is a litte out of focus but what could I do...the snake was practicaly licking the camera...

now back he goes.

Away he goes......

another flower shot...my mom really liked this one.

Another flower shot. 

It's a great camera and I love the way it works.  There are some things that I would love to capture with a digital SLR but I'm happy right now with what I have. 

I hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them.  Nature is so beautiful!!

My wonderful Mother

Today; August 25th, 2011 is my mom's birthday.  She is one of the happiest people that you will ever meet.  She is such a great mother, a great grandmother and she will always be my greatest friend.  She loves to listen to music while she cleans, she loves to sing and she loves going to church.  She prays a Rosary every night and is always sending blessings our way.  She is an excellent cook and she has so much patience I don't know how she does it. 

She has shown me how to be strong when things are really bad.  She has shown me what hard work is all about.  If it wasn't for her I don't think I would be the person I am today. 

This is my mom; she is making tamales.  One of the best tamales you will EVER have I can guarantee you that!!  My mom was born in Aguascalientes Mexico.  She is part of a big family.  She has like 10 brothers and sisters.  She was raised in Mexico and left Mexico when I was 2 months old. 

We grew up in Elberta (Utah).  We lived on the orchards farms and my dad worked for the LDS church.  My parents both are hard workers but I remember my mom would make tamales and flour tortillas to sell so that she could have a little extra money to buy us Christmas.  She would also sell wonderful homemade Pan Dulce.  Soooo gooood!!  While my dad worked my mom always stayed home with us.  She always kept the house clean and always had lunch waiting for my dad when he would come home to eat.  She would make sure that our homework was done.  She didn't understand a lot of it but she always sat and helped us.  She always told us school was the most important thing in this life.  She said that without school; you will never really do anything with your life. 

Here is a picture of ...Jose Luis, Mom, Danny, Dad, Abraham and Me.
My mom got really sick recently and we had her in the hospital for a week.  I was really scared and I felt so helpless.  Javier would always tell me "Tienes que cuidar a tu mama...solo tienes una."  I took that too heart.  It's true; you do only have one mom and if I don't take care of her who will.  I remember visiting my mom and she would be asleep.  I always thought that she was having a bad day....it was more that.  My mom was really sick.  It turns out that she was suffering from Colitis and diabetes.  I took her to the doctor and got her all better.  I am greatful that my mom is still here.  I love her with all my heart and I could not imagine my life without her. 

Happy Birthday mom!! Te quieo mucho!!

Im in a tornado

Do you ever have those days where you feel like you are being stretched to the max?  Where you are being pulled in different directions and everyone and everything needs something from you.....well this week that is how I feel.  It's not bad to feel wanted but I think I need to put a stop to all this madness! I need to learn to say "no" every now and then. 

With kids getting ready for school and me working some overtime shifts I feel like I have been spinning in a tornado for the past few days.  I think with the 3 days that I do have off I am going to dedicate them to me.  I will relax, sew, try out my new camera that I hope to buy and cook for my family. 

Have a great week everyone and take it from me; do something for yourself today, even if it's just to take 5 min and sit under a nice big tree in the shade and enjoy the things around you.  Rock out in the car on your way home or get home and take a nice looooong hot bath. 

P.S.  I can't wait for the first day of school.  I love to hear the stories that my kids have to tell me, teachers, students, classes etc.  Love it all!!

Another year older....another year wiser!

Another year older, Yes.  Another year wiser, Perhaps.  Today is my 35th birthday.  I had hoped for a mariachi band singing "las mananitas" outside my window this morning, but I will settle for the text that my dad sent me early this morning...12:45 to be exact wishing me a happy birthday. 

I am greatful that God has given me this opportunity to be on this beautiful earth and to spend time with my family and my friends for another year.  Hopefully I will be around for many more years to come. 

A little bit of my background.  I was born in Aguascalientes, Mexico....beautiful place.  I came to the U.S. when I was 2 months old.  My mom tells me the story of how we crossed the border and I am amazed that we made it; back then the border wasn't so guarded as it is now, but it was guarded.  She tells me that we had to climb a huge wall; well I wasn't doing any climbing obviously, but she says that a friend of my family carried me up to the top of this huge wall.  Then to my surprise my mom said that he had to drop me down to my parents.  WHAT!! I laughed because  I thought she was kidding.  "No joke" she says!!  I kinda sat there for a few seconds thinking about what she said.  "mom" I said, "what if dad wouldn't have caught me?"  she answers; "its a good thing he did."  *laughing* Can you believe that!!

Yes I migrated here to the US and I'm proud.  I'm proud of my parents who took the initiative to come to this great Nation and start a new life, a better life for them, for me and for my brothers. 

Happy Birthday to me!!

looking back at the past

I've done a lot of soul searching lately.  I have been thinking a lot about when I grew up.

I grew up in Utah.  Went to Payson High School where there was not much of a diversity.  You had ALL the white students and you had your few Latinos.

I mostly felt like the outcast in school; first of all because I was Mexican and because I felt like I didn't fit in.  It was a little hard growing up being me.  My skin color was different, my religion was different my language was different and I felt like people didn't really WANT to get to know me.  I had a lot to offer then and I still have a lot to offer now.

It's funny because I didn't want to be Hispanic when I was young.  I wanted to have long blond hair and pretty white skin like everyone else.  I wanted to be able to wear the cool pastel colors of make-up and look great in them.  How crazy is that!!!  I don't think I have ever admitted that let alone admitted it to my friends but it's the truth.  Now I look at that and think it's crazy that I wanted that.  I'm proud of my brown skin and my dark black sexy hair and even proud of my beautiful brown (no tan needed) skin.  :)

Why am I writing this down?  I have had some concerns with my kids and school last year and even with their friends and honestly I don't really want my kids to go through what I went through growing up. I have told my kids that they should NEVER EVER be ashamed of who they are and where they came from or the color of their skin.  I think it's easier now for them.  I only say that because there are a lot more Hispanics in Utah; not only Hispanics but Polynesians, African American, Samoans and other cultures in Utah. My kids speak Spanish and English.  We talk about everything and anything I answer all their questions honestly and never hide anything.  I think now there is a lot more diversity in Utah and it's not so hard to teach them our traditions and teach them to not be ashamed of where WE and THEY come from.

I leave you with that for today.................

Dreams

I recently had a friend who suffered a great loss.  His mom passed away and even though he still is not opening up about it; I feel a need to help him.  He has not said how his mom has passed and I respect that decision.  I jut want him to know that I am here for him.

I never knew his mom and have never met her but I have seen pictures of her.  I went to the viewing and I felt so sad.  I just couldn't imagine losing my mama; with that said I have to let you guys know that I had a dream about him and his mom.  I don't know why exactly.  I never ever dream of anyone; especially anyone that I have not met.

In this dream, I was the person looking in.  Kind of like the movies, where you are overhearing a conversation or looking at people and they don't know you are there.  This was that kind of an experience.  I'll paint the picture; my friend and his mom were sitting on a bench under this big huge tree.  They were holding hands and they were talking.  I couldn't hear the whole conversation but they seemed very happy.  I think I was walking towards them because I was getting closer to them.  As I approached them I could hear his mom telling him that things were going to be ok and that she was fine, I saw a very happy expression on her face but at the same time a little worry maybe because she knew that her son was suffering.  None the less, it was such a peaceful surrounding I wanted to stay forever but just like that; the dream was gone. I was transported to another place.  What other place I couldn't tell you.

Again I really don't have any dreams.  I guess in some sort of way maybe because my friend is so saddened by his loss she wanted to communicate to him that she was ok.  Why she chose me I don't know but I am glad that she did.  I'm glad that I have the opportunity to tell him that his mom is ok and that she is with him.

I think God works in many mysterious ways and I just think that sometimes we need to sit back and listen to what he has to tell us.

With this I leave you with this quote: “Love is stronger than death even though it can't stop death from happening, but no matter how hard death tries it can't separate people from love. It can't take away our memories either. In the end, life is stronger than death.”........Author unknown