My brother, sis-in-law and nephew visit Mama

I could tell that Mom was in very good spirits this evening when I phoned her to chat with her as I usually do. She informed me that my brother, Rudy, visited her along with his wife, Yolanda, and their youngest son, Jacob. My brother came to her rescue and installed her ac unit in the living room. The very one that I was wracking my brain over in trying to figure out how I could do it or whom else I could ask to install it for us. The Lord does work in mysterious ways indeed. I am relieved over the fact; such a minor detail that should have been so much easier. It worked out for the best as my own brother had difficulties installing it. I would probably not have fared as well neither. After that, my brother and his family had a mini prayer session with Mama in which my nephew, Jacob, apparently led the prayer. Mama was so happy. My sis, Betty, and Billy showed up as well. I am not sure if they were there when they prayed or not. My sister Betty also had a prayer group over at Mama's house yesterday and that also seemed to have done a lot of good and made Mom happy as well. My brother and my nephew are supposed to return to Mom's tomorrow (Fri) to mow her lawn and to remove the weeds. I hope they do show up, but am grateful and happy that they did show up tonight whether they had done anything or not. Their presence is very valuable to Mama (as it always has been). The things they did do for her tonight was indeed icing on the cake. I miss my brother and his family (we all do). I just really hope we see them more often going forward. I hope they do realize that they are missed and needed and not for what they can do for Mom, but for their company and just to join in on our family events. It would make our gatherings that much better.

Thanx to my sister Betty!

I spoke with my Mom today as I usually do each day, often multiple times. She was doing well. The only thing that bothered me is her lack of being able to ask certain ppl for help. I know how she feels; it is awful to ask for help. It has been very hot and seems to be on the verge of getting worse this week so she wants her coolers installed, and who can blame her. I would have done it Sat after the wedding shower but was not able to do so. If I had taken a change of older clothes yesterday I certainly would have installed the one in her living room. Eva and I asked if we could prep the one in her room, but she said "not yet". Maybe I should've ignored the good clothes and just installed the one in the LR. I had hoped today would bring someone over to assist her, but no one could. At least not the ppl who actually know about it. I do believe my family is better than that and more reliable so if she were to ask many different ppl, I just know someone would come out. Maybe I should ask for her. In saying that, I want to write down in this particular blog how wonderful a gesture it was of my sis' Betty to go to our Mama's to clean. She did some detailed cleaning of the rooms that Mama cannot do right now. We keep up hopes that after the Specialist sees her and starts her regimen of meds, Mama will eventually revert back to the Mom we know; the strong one who fends for herself. Not that none of us want to help her or won't, but Mama is too independent to rely on others for too long. She wants her mobility back free of anyone's physical help and esp free from assistance of any medical apparatus (s).

So, in closing this blog for today...Thanks a million to Betty for stepping up to the plate as she has been doing for a long time now. All siblings are doing their share as they (we) can. Thanks to the Lord for another good day.

Final thought...we hope to bring Mama back to Midland soon to stay with Sara and I for a few days. I know Mama misses Lucky and we pray he does well and that his own Dr's find him well enough to come back home without complications of any sort. I asked Mama if she wanted to visit him, but she hesitated in a manner which drew us to conclude that she would like to, but not immediately. Besides, I would not take her until we know how she will react to her treatment first and foremost. I just know all will be fine, though!

Happy 17th Birthday to Dominique

Best wishes and may you receive all those things your dreams hold dear!

*erica's wedding shower today as well, more below*

Erica's Wedding Shower...just pics (lots of 'em)

(click on pics for larger view & open in a new tab or window for better viewing & listening results)

Mama goes back to Big Spring

After 5 days of having Mama in Midland, she was ready to get back to her home. Sara and I went ahead and took her back this morning and decided that we could wait to run our errands later in the afternoon for the party we were hosting tonight for a couple of Sara's college friends. The party details are on my poli blog>>>

http://doraspoliticalblog.blogspot.com/

Anyway, Mama seemed happy to be home. My sisters had her house spic and span so that really made her happy as well. It looked nice. Before Sara and I came home, Sara thought she would cook some pork chops for us. They were delicious. It saved Mama from having to cook them later in the evening as she said she had a craving for them (so did I, they were great!). If I could bring Mama back with me to my home here in Midland on a permanent basis, I sure would. If I knew for sure she would be happy being here and be okay with us selling her home in Big Spring, I would, but she would not be happy doing that. I know she loves me and such, but her home is indeed her castle and I would never do anything to hurt her so I will always respect her wishes. I cannot wait to see her tomorrow when we pick her up to attend Erica's wedding shower over in Coahoma. It will be lots of fun. It always is when our family gets together. Not all of us can attend, but most will. I plan on bringing Mama back with me to Midland as soon as she is ready to spend a few days away from her home again. I hope that time is by next week. Plus, it will give me time to rid our house of the ant problems. Not many were out tonight during our party with Sara's friends and that was good so maybe the chemicals are finally working and we can have our home ready for Mama's next visit. We do love her so. She's an awesome Mom!

Mama in Midland for a week...staying with Hernandez Family

Josie and I brought Mama back with us on Monday. Short story about that below. I am gratfeul to my sister Josie in the care and attention she so lovingly gives to our Mama. It makes me feel really good knowing Mama is at Josie's home because nothing is lacking over there when it comes to comforts of the home (food, love, entertainment, special attention). I try to do the same for Mama when she is here except this time around we (Sara & I) have an ant infestation and we are at a standstill about how to deal with it short of having to pay for an exterminator to come out and such. I am certain all will work out here with the ant problems; I am not so worried about it as much as it bothers me not being able to host Mama over here for fear that she may get bitten by an ant or ants and for fear that she may get ill with the chemicals we have currently sprayed. I just really want to thank Josie for stepping up to the plate as she has done with Mama. Josie has been awesome. I do not believe that we (siblings and all family) should leave Mama alone going forward. Her current condition warrants that she gets plenty of assistance navigating around difficult locations (her home or otherwise) or while walking long distances. She tires quickly and her legs are weak and frail. I am certain, with true faith in my heart, that Mama will get better as soon as her treatments begin for whatever actual diagnosis she receives from the Dr on May7th, 2009. She has long endured too much strife in her lifetime to have further complications hinder her healthy life. As much as she has done for her own children, grand-children and great-grand-children, it is time everyone stand up to the plate. As much as everyone wants Mama to get better, there is not a whole lot of movement going around as to whom will do what for her and when. It seems as if it is a matter of ignoring the issue and allowing someone else to stand up and do things for Mama. Well, that has to come to an abrupt end and very quickly. If Mama is to improve as I believe she will, she needs all of us to pull together to fight for her while her ability to do so has weakened. We need to set schedules to decide who will take Mama to Dr's appts, to pay bills, to cash her checks, to buy her groceries, etc. And all the while, we need everyone to remember that Mama cannot move as quickly or as much so be mindful of that and be patient and extra attentive to her needs. If we fail this test which I believe we are currently under as a family, the end results could be awful. Too awful to write so I refuse to do as such. Mama needs our help now going forward. How will we respond. I know for myself how I will respond and Mama is indeed a priority in my life as she has been for many, many years. I cannot be happy living some life of wealth if my Mom is not so I do not need that wealth. No job has ever been more important than my Mom and the last one I had almost killed me, but as much as it paid me and with all the great beenfits I had, never did I allow it to become more important than my Mom. I am not as worried about the family stepping up to the plate because some have done so already and I believe the rest will do the same as soon as a family meeting is called. We are pretty fantastic as a family and have never failed to come together when needed. I just believe that some need a friendly reminder or an update that the time has arrived when Mama needs our help more than ever. This task is not open to failure...I will not allow it, I will not accept it and will kick things up a notch for myself if need be to ensure Mama is properly taken care of...we love her dearly so the assisting her part so be a piece of cake.

Family time...Shopping with Josie and Mama on Tues.

Tuesday started off with the 3 of us going to a consignment store which recently opened up in town over on Front st. It had nice things...we bought a little here and there. Sara accidentally took my debit card so I was not able to purchase the things that caught my eye, which was a good thing. I kept my expenditures to just the necessities (groceries). Mama bought a few items there and at other stores we went to that day. We shopped at Lane Bryant (for the curvacious women such as moi), Kato, and headed over to the all important Wally-World. The store where everyone eventually needs to shop. Before we headed out, they brought me over a breakfast potatoe burrito. It was good and an indicator that we were headed towards a long day of shopping, which is was we did. We kept in mind that Mama gets a bit tired quicker than usual so we shopped according to her schedule. She is a real trooper. Not a bother at all as she seems she is and has told Josie and I that she is and we try hard to convince her that she is never a bother and will never be a bother to us. It was a fun day. We laughed, joked and just had a blast. We just slowed down a bit, but it is good to slow down from time to time to enjoy life and especially to enjoy our loved ones. Just to remind ourselves to "smell the roses". I came home and reflected on the day we had had, the three of us and was so happy and grateful.

Family time...Shopping with Josie and Mama on Weds.

Today we started off a little earlier. I made sure I had my debit card..."tada - charge"!

We headed for the mall. We went to Bealls and then to Dillards. Trying not to tire Mama out too much or too quickly, my dear sister went the extra mile and drove around the outside of the mall so her and Mama could park near the entrance to each respective store so that Mama did not have to walk the inside of the mall. I decided to walk it, though, to get my thoughts together.

Mama found the prettiest dress at Dillards and then we matched it up with some nice shoes and an elegant hat. Very appropriate for the wedding in June. She is going to look beautiful. I hope no one says anything negative about any of it (the oufit) because we looked long and hard before finding this particular one. Sometimes ppl talk before they think. There are just some things that ppl do not need to say. What good does saying something to someone do if you know it is going to hurt their feelings. It is never a good thing to say something to someone because one believes "they should know about it". If it is going to be hurtful, DON'T say it. Keep it inside. Anyway, that is my thought for the day. Back to the nice shopping trip of today with Josie & Mama.

After the mall, Mama took us to eat lunch at La Mission. It was good; we had the buffet. A wee bit cold was the food, but still good. It was the company we enjoyed the most as we continued to laugh and joke. I made Mama laugh because I said 'why is it that food always tastes best when you don't have to pay for it'. Usually I am adamant (as is Josie) to pay for our own meal and to also pay for Mama's meal, but she really wanted to pay for our lunch and we could tell it meant a lot for her to do so - so we agreed. It felt good for us as well to allow her that. It makes one happiest when treating others to meals and such. I welcome it and just hope others don't ever take advantage of Mama's kind heart...I say this for obvious reasons.

After the nice lunch, we went to a resale shop near the downtown area, something ???Treasures. Following that, Josie took me back to that consignment shop where we went yesterday where I had seen those knick knacks so I purchased them and Mama decided to get a couple of really pretty outfits. Sexy Mama! We love Mama.

Then we headed home. Josie had made some soup prior to leaving the house so they went home to eat some of that for supper, and I lucked out as well as Josie later brought me some to my house in the evening. It was "delish". It was the best "soap" I ever had...that is an inside joke between Alex and me. Thank the Lord for another good day.

A day with Mama!

Today was spent with Mama in Big Spring. My sister Josie invited me to drive with her to Big Spring this morning so we could be there in time for Mama's Dr's appt (Dr Kup-?-?-?-?-wicz). Our sister Aurora was the one with Mama at the Dr's office. Josie and I arrived just in time for the results of her blood work. Later, after running some errands with Mama & Aurora, we were treated to a nice lunch compliments of Mama. Mama had menudo and the rest of us had the stew meat burritos; it was all very good. The neighborhood restaurant is quaint and quiet, like a true neighborhood restaurant should be. We did not eat there, but we did wait inside for the food and it was nice "chat time". Josie and I walked over there just to enjoy the day and to have a nice walk and to meet up with Mama & Aurora. Our sister Betty joined us for lunch as well once we went back to the house. Our other sister Eva came over later in time for dinner as did our niece Felicia. Mama and Josie made a nice dinner; it was delicious. Later in the evening, my other niece Erica joined us all as well with her own Mickey D's dinner in hand. We were all awaiting the priest from a local catholic church (Immaculate Heart of Mary) to come over to Mama's house for a prayer service to help Mama overcome her current ills and to help us all come together in faith and spirit to help her out and each other out. He (priest) is the one presiding over Erica and Nick's wedding in June. He was very cordial and funny. Erica asked him to come over and he graciously agreed to do so and we were all very glad. My other niece Michelle came over during the service with her 4 girls. It was great to see them. It had been too long since I had personally seen them and I hope they know how much they are missed when they are not present at family functions.

Mama came back to Midland with Josie and me for the week to get some R & R; I will take her back home Friday in time for Erica's bridal shower on Saturday which will be hosted by all her colleagues at her bank. I took pics before we all departed this evening after a fantastic day at Mama's house. Keep reading more below...

PICS FROM MAMA'S HOUSE

...Pics are of my sisters and nieces. I did not take one of Mama therefore I made it a point to not have my pic taken either. Not that I mind because I am and have always been more of a "behind the scenes" type of person...(ala French filmesque) "Mis En Scene". My sister Aurora had to work and is obviously not in the pics, but my other sisters were, they are: Eva, Betty and Josie. The nieces who were also present are: Erica, Felicia, Michelle, Dominique, Celeste, Mari and Ari. I did not denote who they are just basically who was there for the pics and such. Hope you enjoy...Michelle and her girls in pic above...aren't they some beautiful young ladies?!!! I may be biased but I do declare that all of my nieces and nephews are goodlooking. Just as John Travolta said in his movie "Face-Off"; he said 'woowee, 'you good-looking'. Per the pic below, I think Erica is holding onto the plate to signify the absence of Aurora as she was told to do by one of my sisters who shall be nameless. Funny, joke, ha, ha!

Alex is 15 today!

The Hernandez family spent the night at our house. It was lots of fun. My sister, Josie, convinced my brother-in-law to stay as well; originally it was to be a type of "girl's night". Even our cat, Caty, is female. It took a little persuading on my sister's behalf, but eventually Jabier agreed to stay so they could be here in the A.M. with Alex. Alex's 2 friends stayed the night as well. They came for the pizza party last night and stayed until noon-time today. Ally left first then Danielle. They are both a couple of nice young ladies. Very smart and witty and fun to have around. I am glad that my niece, Alex, has such good friends. We all still missed Marissa. It was also nice to have had my other sister, Eva, my other dear niece, Felicia, and my brother-in-law, Wero all come to the party last night. Today we all awoke with laughter and good humor on our side. The grown ups had coffee and I had water. Funny how I never did acquire a taste for coffee. Maybe lattes or the occasional cold coffee drink (frappuccino/Starbucks). We munched out during the morning and early afternoon. The girls stayed up late as teenagers often will do. They went to bed a little before the adults woke up, but were up in record time having had just a few hours of sleep. Alex received a nice digital camera from Sara. She used the video mode to record a short movie of her friend's Danielle and Ally. It was hilarious; if I can get a copy uploaded onto my notebook, I will post it here. We were saying we were putting on YouTube...it was that funny. The two girls were chasing one another around like a scene out of the movie Scream. They did 3 laps around our great room and during the 4th time, Danielle accidentally falls to the floor. We were in stitches. The kind of thing that you either had to see in person or view the video to fully appreciate. Alex was the producer/director/photographer. I am going to convince her to get her own blog so she can keep track of those grand events which will be starting "fast & furious". By the way, her friends are taking her to see the movie Fast & Furious tonight. Alex just loves those movies. Anyway, that is what happened today. Sara and I were invited to go with the wedding party (Erica's wedding this June 13th) later today to pick out flowers for Erica's bouquet, but we were just too tired. I would have liked to go, but my body kept insisting I stay home and rest. After a week of house repairs and updates (painting, installing tile, putting up molding), we were ready for a break. Alex's party was a motivating factor in us completing the tasks we had for the house. We were happy to host the 2 day event. Anything for our nieces and nephews for certain. It is quiet in the house right now. After a couple hours of nap-time, we are getting ready to prep dinner. I am in the mood for some Spanish paprika fried chicken so that is what I am cooking as soon as I log off. We are really missing my family, our family. Which reminds me that we could not travel out-of-town today to see Sara's uncle Rain or even to see my Mom. If we had gone to Lubbock to see Rain while he is here visiting from San Antonio, we were going to go to the bi-annual Texas Tech garage sale. It started Friday and runs through tomorrow. An event that would have been awesome to take Alex and her friends to had we planned things, but what was done to celebrate her glorious birth was pretty fantastic in itself so we are all pleased. I am glad everyone had a good time and was thrilled to see Alex enjoy herself as she did. She is a great person. I am so proud of the person she has become...intelligent, witty, mindful of other's feelings, respectful, and ambitious in not just her school-work but with extra-curricular activities. She recceived a beautiful electric guitar for Christmas and is learning to play it. She is also in an advanced choir in her high school (Midland Lee). One of the top notch high school choirs in the state. Her UIL competition for May is fast approaching; we cannot wait for that as it will be in Dallas. Looking forward to it.

Thanks to good friends!

My awesome friend, Barbara Higbee, from Fort Worth, lined up an interview for me with a big wig with Homeland Security in the west Texas area. He is a friend of her and her hubby (Phil)and was also their neighbor until he moved to Big Spring several months ago. I have a tentative pre-interview with the Texas Alcohol Commission district manager next week. Sounds great. Been trying to get my foot in the door, per se, with the federal government for years.

Alex's Birthday Party, she will be 15 tomorrow

Tonight was the actual party with a small group of family and friends. We had a nice time. Josie and Jabier provided the pizza, veggie tray, ice cream and cake and lots of other goodies. Helping us celebrate were Eva, Wero, Felicia, Sara, Dora (me), Josie, Jabier, Danielle and Ally. Two of her other friends were unable to attend; Erica and Marissa. I never met Erica, but do know Marissa and she is a real riot and was sorely missed. She has been a good friend to Alex for quite some time now. Below are some pics of tonight's party at our house.
Alex is becoming one beautiful young lady and so intelligent as well. She has an affinity for music ... she sings in the all popular Midland Lee Choir and is currently learning to play electric guitar for the band she has brought together in hopes of "making it big"! Never tell Alex she can't do something or she will just prove you wrong.

She is the spitting image of her Mom! O.K. she also looks a lot like her Dad!

Above are the extremely proud parents, Josie and Jabier with Alex. Below are tio Wero, tia Eva, Alex and tia Dora...we were so very glad & happy that they (Wero, Eva & Felicia) were there at the party to help us celebrate as we did that evening.

Alex and tia Dora and I am also very proud of Alex.

Alex and (tia) Sara who has literally and figuratively seen Alex grown up into the awesome young person she is. ' Seen her grow up since Alex was about 2 years old.

Again, another pic of me and Alex holding a pic of us taken back in 1998 when Philip graduated from Coahoma High School. We were enroute to his graduation party that evening. Wasn't she just adorable (rhetorical question)!!!

Alex and her 2 friends, Danielle & Ally and her cousin, Felicia.
Pic below is of Felicia modeling the dress she will wear at Erica and Nick's wedding. Felicia is the honorable maid of honor. Her sister's true best friend. Felicia is also a beautiful young lady. She is truly a stunning person and just as intelligent. I am so proud of her as well for the way she has endured many of life's ups and downs and for the way she has always come out on top.

My sister Josie and I surfing the Net via my notebook which has become my third hand. The notebook that is...ha, ha, ha!