5 Question Friday!

Hey, Hey everybody it is FRIDAY! This has seemed like the longest week ever, maybe cause i don't enjoy the 9-5 so much anymore. Don't get me wrong, i am so thankful to have a job since husband still doesn't have one but....i wish it were doing something else. And i think because i no longer LOVE it, its now become something i dread doing. But enough, i'm glad to have it and so be it for now. On to the fun stuff....Five Question Friday!

1. Did you have a favorite blanket or toy as a kid? If so, do you still have it? 

No on both counts. i never was one to have something that i had to lug around all the time when i was little. that's really weird cause now i've become a 'light hoarder'. i save all the kinds of things that i think could be potential scrapbooking material or might find their way into a quilting or craft project. i now need a bigger house, time to go through it all and sort/discard or time to actually do all the projects with these things. i would prefer the latter.

2. Do you dream in color?

i....think....i.....do. but i don't seem to dream very often so i'm not sure. i understand if you don't dream you aren't really getting  a good nights sleep, which could explain why i'm tired all the time. i went to the doctor a couple of months ago and everything checked out fine so.....not sure of the problem. boy i hate waking up tired.

3. How tall are you? Do you wish you were shorter or taller?

i'm short i guess - about 5' 2". i do wish i were a little taller, maybe 5'5"

4. If you could have anyone's (celeb or other) voice as the guide on your GPS, who would it be?

well first i'd have to get me a GPS. it sure would come in handy because i always seem to get lost. i would love it if Antonio Banderas would talk to me....i'd be taking many more road trips :)

5. Do you return your shopping cart to the corral or leave it wherever in the parking lot?

Now this all depends on how big a hurry i'm in and if its raining or not. i usually try to take it back to the corral thing or at least leave it so it doesn't accidentally start going and run into another car or something. because i would hate for that to happen to me. plus if that were my kid having to corral those things i would hate for him/her to have to go all over the parking lot on a super hot or rainy day to get them. i try to think of that too--but if its super pouring down rain well--that's why they get paid - to round those things up. 

ok, so now what are your thoughts? click on the button below to join the fun and have a fantastic weekend - make the most of what's left of summer. 

True Story (?) Tuesday

One of my many hobbies is genealogy and I’ve done pretty well on my mom’s side of the family thanks to my mom’s cousin. He is a writer and has written a couple of books about the history of the teeny, tiny town where my parents are from in Zacatecas, Mexico. In the books he includes details of some of the founding members of the town. Through these books I was able to fill in some of the blanks on mom’s side. My father’s side is a different story. The buck stops with my paternal grandfather and pretty much everyone is now deceased (including my father) that could help fill in some details.

A couple of years ago I was asking my Tio (Tio means uncle and he was one of the few remaining descendants on my father’s maternal side at that time), of the history of my dad’s family.  I first wrote of my Tio Nacho when he passed away a few months back. That whole side of the family can remember anything and everything. Unfortunately I did not inherent that gene. My sister did though, so unfair. Anyway when I asked him if he knew when the family might have come over from Spain he began to tell me about my great, great (I’m not sure how many greats back) grandfather who came over with his brother. They came upon this area of Mexico and decided they liked it. Both were single and still sowing their wild oats. One of them had what he thought was a great idea.

Now this is where you will see a typical macho-type behavior – he thought it would be ‘fun’ to see who could populate the town the most. Now since they of course both had the same last name (Martin del Campo – the whole thing is the last name), how would they distinguish between all these children and future descendants? Easy -  one of them would shorten the last name to Martinez. So all the descendants of Martinez would be from the line of one brother and all the descendants of Martin del Campo would be the line of the other brother.

How they kept track I don’t know. And horror of horrors did they go around impregnating every girl they came across? I surely hope not. Perhaps they just married and convinced their wives to have as many children as possible.  And then convinced their sons to do the same? It boggles the mind.

This totally makes no sense but what can you expect from a macho man? Tio Nacho could have totally been pulling my leg. However……It would kind of explain why there are so many families with these last names in that area.And the line has blurred on whether one is from the same line of family or not. So crazy.

As far as tracing my family history I think I’m doomed to failure.

What Empty Nest?

Most people’s children leave the nest when they turn 18. Some leave for college or travel the world and others just to be in their own place. I constantly read or hear about so many mothers upset about empty nest syndrome – feeling their lives now have no meaning and they have nothing to do since their children are gone. I envy those women with empty nests! My youngest will be graduating from high school this year and just like her older brother and sister – she will not be leaving to go off on her own. The same as it was for me and my two sisters – however unlike my mother who did not want us to leave and did everything to prevent it – I DO want my children to go out and spread their wings. Alas the economy among other things has kept them at home while they work and go to school. Grandma (my mom) is no help either constantly telling them they don’t need to go off into a dangerous world and should stay home until they marry, etc. as is the tradition in our culture. And while most moms would probably be thrilled to still have her “babies” at home – I am not. Having married young (19) to get out of the house and had children young (21) at the insistence of my husband, I was looking forward to some ME time and trying to improve the relationship with my husband and having some fun. Don’t get me wrong I LOVE my children but what once was a perfect house for a mom, dad and three small children is definitely not the case now that we are five adults. And to make it even worse we only have 1 ½ baths with the main bath only accessible from our bedroom! With everyone working odd hours and needing to take showers also at odd hours – needless to say it ruins the mood. And again the economy doesn't help making buying a bigger house out of the question right now. I long for the day when I can stay in my PJs all day Saturday….watch an R rated movie without feeling uncomfortable if the kids walk in during a sex scene….be spontaneous in the bedroom, living or kitchen for that matter….a whole day of uninterrupted work on any one of my many hobbies…be able to take off on a moment’s notice for a three-day fun-in-the-sun weekend. There is so much to do and see out in the world that I not only long for the day I have an empty nest but for the day I can retire from work to devote more time to experience everything. A great article in the New York Times sums it up best - http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/20/health/20well.html?em.

Ignorance......

I attended a seminar the other day where the speakers where the top earners at a leading wholesale distribution company - one lady proceeded to speak of how she expanded her business in mexico and the people she helped there. She then proceeded to mimic a mexican accent (to everyone else's amusement), explain how she had to remove all her jewelry while traveling to avoid being mugged (like we have no muggers here in u.s.a.) and that the person she sponsored had to conduct business literally under a table at a restaraunt while the rebels were invading oaxaca! She also went on to say that she had been offered pidgeon or iguana to eat and was surprised when she tasted a dish to find that it was worms and grasshoppers.....all this "hardship" she had to endure to grow her business to where it is today and be the success that she had become....Her tale was not done respectfully but in jest to get a laugh out of the audience. Why do people feel they have to make fun of what they do not know or understand? if mexico is such a third world country as she made it out to be, with rebellions and the like then why are their immigrants denied help and legal status when it is given to other countries such as el salvador, certain places from africa, etc. (of course this is another topic, i digress.) Her speech gave only emphasized that she helped that person for her own monetary gain and not out of the kindness of her heart, which is what she would have everyone believe. If only that person knew how she had been mocked and made fun of in front of thousands of people....this woman also showed how ignorant she really is and lacking of understanding for the culture and environment of others. I recently came across a wonderful web site (www.postcrossing.com) where you can exchange postcards with others from all over the world!! Through this site you can communicate and learn about others, their likes, dislikes, hobbies, their cities, families....it is such a wonderful endeavor....i equate this effort to be what perhaps those that started the olympics wanted for their endeavor - to learn about others, communicate and have others go away with new understanding and friendships.....check it out....