Beach Mama

New Kitty!

2009-09-19T17:50:00.000-07:00

Thursday morning, I was at my mother's cottage when someone knocked on her front door. When I opened the door the FedEx Lady was standing there holding a little kitten. She asked me if I would hold the kitten while she drove away, because the little guy kept crawling under her truck and she was afraid she'd run him over. So I took the cat and watched her drive away.

The rest is history...

Within 5 minutes he was named Roethlisberger.

Within the hour he was at the vet getting a flea treatment.

And the next day he had an appointment for his shots and tests.

And that is how we came to have a 3rd cat.

So here's the newest addition to the family!

Roethlisberger

aka Big Ben, or Kitty

Summer and Savings

2009-07-25T10:46:00.000-07:00

Reality has finally hit home. DH's paycheck as an intern is going to be, as Dan Rather would say, 'tighter than wet jeans.'

Which got me searching for some frugal lifestyle tips...

Enter the Southern Savers blog!

OMG! This blog is amazing! I have already totally organized my coupon binder and printed out TONS of coupons from the internet. I'm even going to buy 2 Sunday papers!

Did you know there are families out there that feed themselves on about $100 a month!?!??! And no, they aren't strictly vegetarians!

Check this out when you get a chance: http://www.southernsavers.com/

I'm totally psyched! Can't wait to start shopping, er, I mean saving!

and talking about psyched! Holy Mama! Check this out!

Why, oh, why must we wait until November?!??!?

Super Bowl 43!

2009-02-02T07:53:00.000-08:00

OMG I can't believe I haven't blogged since NOVEMBER! WTH!

I have a sleeping dude on my lap, so I'll be brief!

THE STEELERS WON!!! So Awesome. So Stressful! So proud of Ben! So dissappointed in Harrison.

Yeah!

XO to all!
Suzy

TWILIGHT EVE!!!

2008-11-20T06:11:00.001-08:00

T'was the night before Twilight and all through the house, Beach Mama was surfing and moving her mouse.

Can you believe tomorrow is TWILIGHT! I am so there! I might have to see it twice this weekend! EEEKKK!

If you haven't purchased the soundtrack then GET ON IT! I love love love it. Listening to it all the time.

Here is a new music vid of one of the songs!
Enjoy!

Paramore - New Music - More Music Videos

Count Down to Twilight

2008-10-16T07:45:00.001-07:00

OMG NEW TWILIGHT TRAILER

2008-10-16T07:33:00.000-07:00

BOOK CLUB!!!!

2008-10-07T05:06:00.001-07:00

Hi All,

My good friend Sabrina suggested we start a book club. After getting turned on to the Twilight Series, and my entire family catching vampire fever, I feel a hankering for another good book.

Hence, the BeachMama Book Club is born!

Our first official selection is... REVOLUTIONARY ROAD by Richard Yates

I've scoured the web and the cheapest copies are available at Amazon.

And, as an added bonus...

It's been made into a movie starring KATE WINSLET and LEONARDO DiCAPRIO!

Slated for release December 26, 2008!

Preview the movie/book here!

So get your copies! We begin reading October 17th!

Cheers!

Getting Healthy!

2008-10-01T12:42:00.000-07:00

Ok, so here is a talky blog...

Links:

Reach your Goal with Self :http://www.self.com/goal/welcome

Clay's Gay and I'm Happy

2008-09-24T06:17:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a week! I finished my first paper for my US History class. I'll publish it here for all to read. But first...

Clay Aiken announced to People Magazine that he is Gay. Ok, so maybe this is a big deal to the world b/c the rumours have been circulating for years. Maybe it's because so many people are surprised that someone would stay in the closet for 29 years. Maybe it's because so many people are backward and need to get a life.

So Clay is gay. So what. I like him. I always have. I always will (unless he becomes a serial killer. It would be difficult for me to be a fan of a serial killer.) I don't care who he dates, what cereal he eats, or how often he clips his toe nails.

So grow up people. This is the 21st century. People are queer, they're here, so get over it!

sheesh...

Now on to my paper...

THE MARROW OF TRADITION BY CHARLES CHESNUTT

If you haven't read the above book, DO IT. You will have your eyes opened to race relations in this country. It was written 100+ years ago and is still as valid and important today as it was when it was published. You can't fully see our present or look into our future without knowledge of our past.

Did you know that in 1898, the only successful coup d’état of a government in the United States of America occurred?

Out right murder and massacre flooded the streets of Wilmington, NC. And it happened the day after the November election.

And you know what?

No one did a single thing about it.

Not the government.

Not the military.

No one.

And the legacy lives on…

It made the Rodney King riots of 1992 look tame. The death toll is still undetermined, these 110 years later. Unknown numbers of African Americans were murdered in the streets by white supremists. The majority that were left, were run out of town.

Here's my paper... I may edit it once I get feedback from the TA. Please don't plagiarize my paper. Stealing is beneath you...

The Marrow of Tradition and the Use of Novels as Historical Sources

In the Marrow of Tradition we follow three families; their experiences and intimate beliefs on race and society. The book covers a pivotal turn of racial politics in United States History.

These three families: the Carteret’s, Delamere’s, and Miller’s are forced to examine their long held beliefs in deeply personal ways through violent environments. They are exposed to their own hypocrisy as well as their own noble (or ignoble) truths.

Through these families, American readers, being a multi-racial people, living in an immigrant country, are able to freely examine our own deeply ingrained feelings. The medium of the fictionalized historical novel allows us to do this in a slightly less intimidating way allowing us to safely and honestly examine our own attitudes. In essence, Chesnutt allows us to be the lynch mob as well as the lynched.

Fictional Wellington is a city on the dawn of integration. The absolute power that white plantation owners and the white wealthy families once held has been diminished and given over to a more wholly democratic system. Former slaves and free men have been enfranchised and now hold some political offices.

The emasculated southern white men, who have lost a war, and now some of their power, are searching for reinstatement of their full authority. They soon find that violence and anarchy is not beneath them. On Election Day a coup d’état is planned and it quickly spirals into a murderous riot. All the families are affected. They each experience the full
horror of the day (though perhaps none so much as the Miller family) and are painfully forced to re-examine honor, equality and humanity.

The Rape Myth

At this time, in turn of the century America, the rape myth was an incredibly powerful rallying theme for uniting white Americans and especially essential to the white man’s perception of his own supremacy. Chesnutt demonstrates through his writing that as dominant as the rape myth is, it is, it is still, truly a myth. He expertly conveys a range of views within the white race regarding black men – from Quaker raised Ellis, and moral Old Delamere, through the range of the spectrum to its darkest fringes with the crude and violent Captain McBane. The belief of the deep ingrained savagery of the black race seems to be at the root of the white characters predjudice, in varying degrees, excepting the Philadelphian, Dr. Burns and the honorable Old Delamere.

Major Carteret:

Mr. Delamere had grown old, and had probably lost in a measure his moral influence over his servant. Left to his own degraded ancestral instincts, Sandy had begun to deteriorate, and a rapid decline had culminated in this robbery and murder,--and who knew what other horror? (181)

Lee Ellis:

…but as to negroes, they were as yet a crude and undeveloped race, and it was not safe to make predictions concerning them. No one could tell at what moment the thin veneer of civilization might peel off and reveal the underlying savage. (119)

A powerful example of the influence the rape myth held is seen in the reaction of the ‘Big Three’ (Major Carteret, Gen. Belmont and Capt. McBane) to an editorial about lynching and consensual inter-racial relationships published in the local black owned newspaper.

"This article," said Carteret, "violates an unwritten law of the South. If we are to tolerate this race of weaklings among us, until they are eliminated by the stress of competition, it must be upon terms which we lay down. One of our conditions is violated by this article, in which our wisdom is assailed, and our women made the subject of offensive comment. We must make known our disapproval." (86)

This article referenced above, is based on the true-life editorial written by Alexander Manly in 1889. In it, Manly denounced the concept that sexual violence was solely a black phenomenon. He also goes on to write what many readers of the day would find to be highly explosive comments, “We suggest that the whites guard their women more closely, as Mrs. Felton says, thus giving no opportunity for the human fiend, be he white or black.” (Alexander Manly” 407) and then again, “Don’t think ever that your women will remain pure while you are debauching ours. You sow the seed – the harvest will come in due time.” (“Alexander Manly” 408)

The ire raised in the novel by the article coupled with the robbery and murder of Mrs. Ochiltree explodes when attached to the idea of the rape myth. Conclusions are immediately drawn when a black man is accused of the crimes. “The criminal was a negro, the victim a white woman;--it was only reasonable to expect the worst.” (182)

Throughout The Marrow of Tradition, Chesnutt offers readers his own wisdom in the form of the omniscient narrator.

for knowledge and wisdom are not impartially distributed among even the most favored race. There were ignorant and vicious Negroes, and they had a monopoly of neither ignorance nor crime, for there were prosperous negroes and poverty-stricken whites. (79)

African American Diversity

The diversity within the African American community in Chesnutt’s Marrow of Tradition is vast. He seems to like to play on names. We have Janet Miller, an educated woman of mixed racial background, contrasted with Jane Letlow, an uneducated emancipated house slave. They are vastly different in appearance as in their speech. Janet Miller is a virtual mirror twin of her fully white sister Olivia Merkell Carteret. Olivia is held up throughout the novel as the picture of ‘Southern White Purity’, and Mammy Jane, as refered to by the whites, nearly worships her and the whole Merkell family; never is this made so startlingly clear as at her death. (297) She has bought into the notion that the black race is inferior and should be subservient to the noble high class white race. Jane is, not surprisingly, racist against some within her own black race. She has ingrained this into her son, Jerry, who succumbs to skin and hair bleaching in an attempt to be white. (244)

While Jerry Letlow might try to bleach away his blackness, another black character, Josh Green, revels in it. He is a proud black man, courageously defending his honour and that of his people, even to the death. (309)

In stark contrast to the working class black characters, Janet Miller’s husband is a highly educated doctor. Arguably the most educated person in all of Wellington. He works tirelessly to lift up his people and the community. Interestingly, Chesnutt has made Dr. Miller very light in complexion. “In the dusk his own color, slight in the daytime, would not attract attention.” (294) We know that Dr. Miller is the son of a free man, grandson of a slave (who bought his own freedom) and that he could probably pass for white. This coupled with the fact that his wife, Janet is often mistaken for her paler half-sister, Olivia Merkell Carteret, could be argued in evidence that a colour line is really an illusion. It lends credence to the idea of a specter for humanity where one can find solace in many colours and creeds, rather than the impossible and unsophisticated theory of separation between black and white.

All of these characters are essential in The Marrow of Tradition, as are the diverse array of white characters, to reinforce the verity that character, integrity, morality and honour are not divided along racial lines. They ebb and flow throughout humanity, heeding no notice of race, gender, or class.

Relationships between Whites and African Americans

The inter-racial relationships are complex, confusing and contradictory in turn of the century Wellington. However, I believe that they are quite realistic and historically accurate. Chesnutt himself is of a mixed race heritage and having lived in both the North and the South throughout his life, and perhaps at times, being mistaken for a white man (my own conjecture based on photographs) he may have experienced both sides of this complicated relationship. For example, Major Carteret’s feelings on the black race range from annoyance to dreams of genocide (245) to wishing to rescue his house servant from death in exchange for his own life. (305) The sincerity of his wish is questionable. Certainly his actions in the preceding 300 pages seem to indicate he would behave otherwise!

It seems the majority of the white characters in The Marrow of Tradition either look upon the black race in general with distain, and are most comfortable in keeping black society as subservient as possible. There are of course the exceptions to the rule. Old Delamere rescued his servant Sandy’s family and eventually freed them, before mandated with the emancipation proclamation, and loved and raised Sandy with pride and respect (I suspect a benevolent ulterior motive here: with Old Delamere’s grandson and Sandy looking so much alike as to be interchangeable when ‘made up’ similarly, could not Sandy be Old Delamere’s grandson too? (173)

Interestingly enough, some of the older, former slaves, seem to count their former Masters as friends, even discounting others within their own race. It would appear they’ve exchanged a racial divide for a caste system. Jane Letlow feels many within her race are beneath her and others need to be kept in their place. Her son, Jerry, advocates the lynching of an innocent man and feels more respect for Major Carteret, than the more liberal Mr. Ellis, because he refuses to shake Jerry’s hand.

Mr. Ellis had once shaken hands with Jerry,--but Mr. Ellis was a young man, whose Quaker father had never owned any slaves, and he could not be expected to have as much pride as one of the best "quality," whose families had possessed land and negroes for time out of mind. On the whole, Jerry preferred the careless nod of the editor-in-chief to the more familiar greeting of the subaltern. (29)

The more educated and middle class African American characters seem to tread a fine line. They are in a constant struggle to better the lives of their fellow African Americans while staying safely within the rules and boundaries of southern white society and occasionally crossing into dangerous territories as necessary.

Dr. Miller:

It was a veritable bed of Procrustes, this standard which the whites had set for the negroes. Those who grew above it must have their heads cut off, figuratively speaking,--must be forced back to the level assigned to their race; those who fell beneath the standard set had their necks stretched, literally enough, as the ghastly record in the daily papers gave conclusive evidence. (61)

Dr. Price:

It had been easy to theorize about the negro; it was more difficult to look this man in the eyes--whom at this moment he felt to be as essentially a gentleman as himself--and tell him the humiliating truth. (74)

Dr. Price:

He really thought him too much of a gentleman for the town, in view of the restrictions with which he must inevitably be hampered. There was something melancholy, to a cultivated mind, about a sensitive, educated man who happened to be off color. Such a person was a sort of social misfit, an odd quantity, educated out of his own class, with no possible hope of entrance into that above it. (75)

"That is the situation," added Miller, summing up. "Their friendship for us, a slender stream at the best, dries up entirely when it strikes their prejudices. There is seemingly not one white man in Wellington who will speak a word for law, order, decency, or humanity. Those who do not participate will stand idly by and see an untried man deliberately and brutally murdered. Race prejudice is the devil unchained." (194)

The inter-racial relationships are thorny at best, inhumane at worst and prickly in general. One topic I wish to address is something that I found simultaneously offensive and odd from Mr. Chesnutt’s novel. All of the educated African American characters are light skinned and many could pass for white, while the more subservient and subversive characters are of a darker complexion. I can’t help but wonder why he would do such a thing. Perhaps he can relate more to this physicality because he himself was fair skinned. Yet it almost seems to play into the white supremacist belief illustrated throughout the novel by the very characters we are supposed to dislike. Why do the most successful, educated, kind, patient black characters come from mixed heritage, or at the very least have very light skin? I am uneasy with this representation of the successful black person, and wonder if Chesnutt is trying to imply that lighter skin is somehow superior. I hesitate to fully embrace this idea, since it is at such extreme odds with what he is trying to convey throughout novel.

The Marrow of Tradition as a primary historical source

While Chesnutt’s novel is a work of fiction, I feel it serves an important purpose for relating history in an easy, entertaining and memorable manner. His text is rich with characters and powerful prose, at times almost lyrical and poetic. Once read, The Marrow of Tradition will stay with you for the rest of your life. It is an incredibly effective teaching tool. As a primary source, it relates the complex social structure of the early 20th century South through the use of characters and their relationships. Chesnutt wrote his novel shortly after the massacre on which it is based, and within two years The Marrow of Tradition was published. Nearly all the public events, the article that helped to incite the southern whites, unjustified lynching, the public massacre and government overthrow are historically accurate. Chesnutt had strong ties to North Carolina, the state in which the massacre occured. He was born in North Carolina, raised in North Carolina, and taught in North Carolina. The day after the Wilmington, NC riot he wrote to his publisher:

Nov. 11, 1898

Dear Mr. Page:-

I am deeply concerned and very much depressed at the condition of affairs in North Carolina during the recent campaign. I have been for a long time praising the State for its superior fairness and liberty in the treatment of race questions, but I find myself obliged to revise some of my judgments. There is absolutely no excuse for the state of things there, for the State had a very large white majority. It is an outbreak of pure, malignant and altogether indefensible race prejudice, which makes me feel personally humiliated, and ashamed for the country and the State. The United States Government is apparently Powerless, and the recent occurrences in Illinois in connection with the miners strike to emphasize its weakness. (Browner)

Once he decided to write about the Wilmington riot, Chesnutt was in an advantageous position for he could interview his own relatives who had survived the massacre. Thus having been given a first hand account he has provided us with a detailed description of that day, and the atmosphere in Wilmington leading up to the disaster. (Merriman, par.7)

It would be misleading to assume that The Marrow of Tradition is a perfect representation of the past. It is written by one man, with no official collaborators. It is a fictionalized account, that is to say, not historical truth. And as un-biased as I’d like to believe Charles Chesnutt to have been, no human is perfectly un-biased. After all, this is a highly personal tragedy as evidenced by his words in the above quoted letter.

That said, The Marrow of Tradition, I believe, passes any historian’s litmus test as a useful primary source, so long as it is used in conjunction with other primary sources and historical events referenced within the text.

Works Cited

.
Browner, Stephanie. “The Wilmington Riots.” The Charles Chestnutt Digital Archive. 2001.
.
Chesnutt, Charles. “Alexander Manly.” The Marrow of Tradition. Eds. N. Bentley and S. Grunning. Boston: Bedford/ St.Martin;s, 2002.
Chesnutt, Charles. The Marrow of Tradition. New York: Penguin, 1993.
Merriman, C.D. “Charles W. Chesnutt.” The Literature Network. 2006.
.

Matt Damon on Sarah Palin

2008-09-18T08:54:00.000-07:00

I have to agree with Mr. Damon on this one. It is terrifying...

Tina Fey as Sarah Palin = FREAKIN' HILARIOUS

2008-09-15T06:46:00.001-07:00

Hi Bloggers,

If you haven't seen this, watch it. Try not to pee your pants!
xo
BeachMama

Extreme and G

2008-08-25T05:42:00.000-07:00

the article has been published by the Herald Standard in Pennsylvania.

Check it out here:

http://www.heraldstandard.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20085259&BRD=2280&PAG=461&dept_id=468569&rfi=6

The Wheels on the Bus...

2008-08-25T05:39:00.000-07:00

Twilight Saga Shopping

2008-08-23T07:05:00.000-07:00

Ahhh....

Edward...Bella...Jacob...Bella...Edward...Bella...Jacob...Edward...Bella...Jacob...Edward...Bella...Jacob...
I have just finished Breaking Dawn!

Don't worry, there are NO SPOILERS HERE.

If you haven't heard about Twilight, or Stephenie Meyers, Google it or search her on Amazon.

Or if you are too lazy click here:

Twilight ... $6.04

New Moon ... $11.99

Eclipse ... $10.99

Breaking Dawn ... $12.64

Stephenie Meyer official website

Okay...

Now for those of you who are into the series and the new converts I've driven here...

Check out these unique handmade Twilight inspired items, made my fans and available for purchase at Etsy.com. Each item has a link to the shop where you can buy it.

Bella's Bracelet
$20.00

link to Bella's Bracelet

Made by BeachMama
Exclusively at Etsy

Inspired by Bella's Bracelet

Sterling Silver Necklace
$24.00

Link to Necklace

Made by BeachMama
Exclusively at Etsy

Necklace Detail

Eclipse Ring $90 Link to Ring

Sterling Silver Oxidized texture with a 14k golden moon...
Top concave disc is about the size of a quarter.
Size 7 1/2 May be sized up to 8
Custom sizes happily made.

Made by Emaa Jewelry
Available Exclusively at Etsy

Vegetarian Vampire T-Shirt $21.99
Link to T-Shirt

embroided in the twilight font in silver surrounding the double V "fang" logo on a black Jerzees t-shirt.

Sizes available: S, M, L, XL

Made by Bowed Over
Available Exclusively at Etsy

Twilight Series Quote Pendant $22.99

Link to Pendants

All quote necklaces are done in the same format with silver toned chain and vibrant red fresh water pearl "blood drop"

Made by Wicked Gems
Exclusively at Etsy

Run with Vampires Bracelet $30.00

Link to Bracelet

Sterling silver chain with a sterling silver oval tag engraved with "I run with Vampires".
It also has a red enamled apple.

Made by Millie5328
Exclusively at Etsy

These are just some of the best of the best of the Twilight inspired items on Etsy.
I may post more soon, but be sure to read the books and search on Etsy for more!

Happy Reading!

Creative Juice

2008-08-14T10:30:00.000-07:00

While visiting my mom we've been watching a show on th DIY network called Creative Juice. It's one of those crafty shows that I want to hate, but just can't. Yes it's campy and the hosts can be a little corny, but that is all part of it's charm.

Today, Mom and I made bling rings. You know the rings that have loops on the top and you attach all sorts of beads and charms... I never made them before b/c i thought that I wouldn't like to weat them. WRONG! So fun and very cute, and we learned from our good friend Cathie Filian at Creative Juice.

Curious about Cathie, I googled her. She has a fun blog here at blogger: http://cathiefilian.blogspot.com/ and she is a fellow Etsian: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5105005

Cathie, if you're out there and come across this blog, you have 2 new fans!

Your Virtual BFF!

Beach Mama

Blame Stephenie

2008-08-07T15:51:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know I was supposed to post a video for your reycled paper purse, and I made the video... But something totally wonky happened to the video when it was downloading from camera to computer and now it is completely messed up. I was so bummed that I haven't been able to bring myself to recreate the thing.

Plus

I saw Stephenie Meyer on Good Morning America.

Where have I been?!

And if you don't know who she is, where have you been?

Apparently she's written a series of books about a love struck couple with some serious issues. Okay, he's a vampire. But it's not a freaky weird creepy series. It's actually very good and very addicting.

I've spent the last 3 days speeding through Twilight (book #1 of the 4 book series) and now am on to New Moon. Ahhh.... So good. So fresh. So unique. Pick them up, you won't be dissapointed.

I cannot wait for the movie. 12/12! ARGH! so far away. And based on the previews it looks awesome and so true to the book. The lead is Cedric Diggory from Harry Potter and Goblet of Fire movie. I had a crush on him then and now my heart is all aflutter!

So i will get the video started on the paper folding soon. And with any luck I won't encounter the same technical difficulties as before.

Read the book y'all! TWILIGHT! It's a little slow at first, but stick with it, you'll be glad you did.

ciao for now!
xo
BeachMama

July 30, 2008 - Pool Day

2008-07-31T07:49:00.000-07:00

Wednesday

2008-07-31T05:19:00.000-07:00

Dad’s Dinner Night

Every Wednesday night is my Dad’s night to cook. Mom has the evening off and Padre-man brings something home. Tonight we had Chinese. Move over Campbell’s, it was Mmm Mmm Good!

I’ve mastered the paper folding purses and will begin to teach you tomorrow.

In the meantime, you need to cut 288 pieces of paper.
144 of these are your purse colours (try to use ads and pictures from magazines that don’t have a whole lot of white or text).
The other 144 pieces of paper can be text or anything else, you won’t see them at all.
You also need to cut 144 pieces of cellophane.

All of these pieces of paper should measure 2 ½ inches x 6 inches. For the cellophane, you can use crystal clear page protectors. If you use standard size protectors you will be able to get 12 pieces of 2 ½” x 5 ½” rectangles.

Cut these out and once you are finished cutting, grab a roll of scotch tape, a giant plastic needle or giant rounded tip embroidery needle; and either embroidery floss or fishing line.

In summary you need:
144 pieces of colourful magazine paper; 2 ½” x 6”
144 pieces of paper, 2 ½” x 6”
144 pieces of page protectors, 2 ½” x 5 ½”
Scotch Tape
Embroidery Floss, or fishing line
Giant Plastic or Rounded Tip Embroidery Needle

Meet me back here tomorrow and I’ll teach you how to fold your paper and start weaving together one of these AWESOME pocketbooks!

Ok, so back my life in Charleston…

As many of you know, my dear Mom has been getting really healthy. I am trying to follow her every move, b/c I desperately want to get healthy too. I weighed in Sunday morning at 255 ½! OMG! PEOPLE! That was a shocker. Remember, I’m 6 feet tall, but DAMN! That’s a lot.

Monday I weighed in at 252 ½ , Tuesday I forgot to weigh in before breakfast… and today I was (drum roll please!) 249 ½! Woohoo!

I’ve been more active here, but I need to step it up. I’m dying to get on my bike and ride to the pool and round the ‘hood. Haven’t gotten it together for that yet. Yesterday we packed the kids to the beach. It was so hot! Whew! Plus I was the family pack mule. I swear, I carried 95% of our stuff, including, chairs (4), umbrellas (3), a bag with towels (4) sunscreen, water (3 bottles), and extra clothes, beach toys (think multiple buckets, shovels etc…) It is a miracle that I made it. Sheesh! We parked ourselves too far from the water, it was low tide and it was like a mile from the dry sand to the water, okay not a mile, but a really long way and I was already pooped from dragging this gear from the car, across the street, down the boardwalk and into the sand. It was a beautiful day, but next time we are definitely bringing less crap and setting up shop closer to the water.

Today we checked out the pool.

It was so nice! I think we will have to make a daily trek to the pool I can def. bike there. It’s in the ‘hood so there are no real busy roads. The Pool is actually 3 pools: a little 1 foot baby pool, a 3- 4 ½ foot amoeba shape pool and a large rectangular lap pool. We hung out mainly in the big amoeba pool. The Little Mermaid swam, actually swam, and without complaint! Little Dude had fun going form me to Grandma and back again. And he found particular pleasure in following Little Mermaid around and annoying her. But she secretly loved it, you could tell, it was her entertainment. At one point, Mom and the kids had a mini conga line going. Very cute.

We are all getting a little tan, in spite of the sunscreen.

Ok, going now.
Don’t forget your supplies!
XO
Beach Mama

McDonald’s McDumb@$$

2008-07-27T19:39:00.000-07:00

Today was the last day I will buy anything from the fast food establishment known to the majority of the world as McDonald’s. Yes, you heard it here. Feel free to point at me and scream if you see me even eyeing some greasy fries. I have HAD IT! McDonald’s has long been my least favourite of the fast food franchises. Today they have solidified their placement at the bottom of the list. In fact, as I inferred, they are not even ON said list.

What has happened that this mecca of fried would be deliciousness has so disgruntled Beach Mama as to be banished from her world? Well, it began years ago, when on a road trip. This first egregious incident happened at 8:30 in the morning. We pulled into a McDumb@$$ for some quick drive-thru breakfast. The Dude and I had been extolling the many virtues of a certain breakfast pancake style sandwich and decided to pick one up. Remember, it is 8:30 am. We were informed by the barely coherent attendant that they were no longer serving breakfast. WHAT!??!!?!? Yes. This particular restaurant began serving breakfast at some ungodly hour and decided, that, well, 8:30 am is a fine time for lunch. What – you don’ crave a floppy grease soaked fish sandwich at 8:30? How about a Big Mac. But, by all means, DO NOT try to order a egg and cheese biscuit and heaven forbid you want pancakes.

Ok, so that is what began my loathing that is McDonald’s, now known to me and my faithful bloggers as McDumb@$$. I decided to write this off as a twilight zone-esque anomaly.

Onto today…

We slept in a bit and by the time we were packed and ready for travel to Charleston, SC it was after 11. So the Dude and I decided to drive through a McD’s for some LUNCH. Little Mermaid got a Happy Meal, and Dude and I got sandwiches. Little Dude also got a Happy Meal. First, we nearly didn’t get our drinks b/c the window cashier was shirking her responsibilities. Then, we parked to check our food. Good thing too, b/c we were missing an order of fries. So Dude went back into the grease bucket to get the fries. When he got back we realized we were given any napkins. SHEESH! Good thing I had some extras stashed in the glove box. Oh, I also forgot to mention that the health code rating was a mere 90. That’s out of 115 folks. Yup. You KNOW we sucked down some e-coli with our cokes.

Ok, whatever. It wasn’t until we stopped for a bathroom break that Little Mermaid discovered she never received her apple dippers with her UN-Happy Meal. ARGH!

So we carry on. Later in the afternoon Dude was thirsty and Little Mermaid was hungry, still upset about her AWOL apples. So like a good father, Dude pulls into a McDumb@$$ drive-thru to order said apples. He also orders a vanilla milkshake for himself. Notice I wrote ordered and not got… We are pulling onto the road when Dude goes to take a satisfying slurp of his coveted VANILLA shake. Wait. Not vanilla. STRAWBERRY! UGH! NO! SAY IT ISN’T SO!
It wouldn’t have been SO bad if these last 2 incidents had happened on different days. But for this to happen in 2 separate McDumb@$$’s, in 2 different states, on the same day?! No, it’s fate. I’m clearly not supposed to buy from these people. I can quit while I’m ahead. No bolt of lightening needed. I get it. Moving on…

Finally we get to Grandmum-mum and Grandpa-pa’s house in Charleston. The Dude and I unpack the car while the G-rent’s play with the G-kids. We have sandwiches for dinner. I brought my first vegetable from my organic garden. A beautiful green bell pepper. Aahh! So good! Should have taken a picture. Oh well.

Then my Mom (aka Mamasita or Grandmum-mum) had planned a mini birthday party for me. Complete with hand delivered invitations to the Dude, Little Dude and Grandpa-pa (aka Padre-man, my Dad). We took pictures and Little Dude helped me blow out my candles. Some were trick candles, yeah, those never get old. The cake was funfetti. G-d I love those. So colourful and happy. I opened cards and presents. Got a cool candle warmer. Looks sort of like a mini crock-pot and it holds those great big candles in glass jars. I never, almost never, light candles. I too often forget their lit so now I use warmers to melt the wax and get all the scented loveliness in the air. I also got some warm vanilla sugar scented bath goodies in a super cute basket. And school supplies. I love school supplies, and I’ll actually need them this year, as I’m going to be taking a class at UNCG this Fall.

The Dude and Padre-man played Bocce Ball, Little Mermaid served play tea and I cut out paper strips for that paper purse project. Oh yes folks, I’m on the verge of a break through!

It’s been thoroughly great evening at the ‘rent’s house in SC. Mom and I hit Wal-mart for some groceries tonight and now we are all going to bed. I’m pooped. One of these days I’ll catch up on my sleep…

Later Gators!

2008-07-26T17:52:00.000-07:00

What a busy day! After running around in a whirling dervish looking for kitty Dramamine, getting the van packed and kids ready, and parent’s lawn mowed and an attachment for the stroller at the store, and being denied kitty Dramamine from the vet’s office after looking at EVERY pet store in Winston Salem and checking the cats into the hotel we FINALLY made it to Carowinds Theme Park.

We caravanned with the V-C family, Sabby, Big D and Little C. Also, Jack the Dog. He chilled with our cats in the La Quinta. We stopped at the Wendy’s outside of the park, b/c it was lunch time by the time we drove up to the park, and why pay $15 for plain stale hotdog when you can get Wendy’s for 1/3 the cost? Huh? Why? WHY I ASK YOU!

You know the economy is bad when someone steals fast food. The Dude picked up our order and as he was filling the cokes SOMEONE ACTUALLY STOLE OUR FOOD! What is the world coming to? At least Wendy’s replaced the food for free. Good Grief!

Then we had to park in lower Slavonia because every single other spot was taken! Except for the VC family, someone happened to pull out of a primo spot, right next to the handicap parking. So we had to hoof it, but they had to wait for us.

The men split to ride roller coasters and the women and children chilled in the kiddie section. We rode the Dora the Explorer train; I rode the Flying Dutchman’s Revenge (think Sponge Bob Square Pants.) with the Little Mermaid. She also rode her first roller coaster! GO HER! I was so impressed! I HAD to buy the photo of us on it, as evidenced below.

I am so proud!

The weather was great. Overcast, warm, not hot, and just enough spritz and sprinkles to keep the locals at home and the lines short, but not enough to close any attractions. By the late afternoon Sabby and I were sticky from the humidity so we made our way to the water attraction side of the park. We met up with the men and hit the big wave pool the kids wore life vests and bobbed along with us (yes Mom, we held onto them – they weren’t just free floating on their own!) The Little Dude LOVED it. He was having so much fun, he didn’t even complain when an unexpected wave smacked him in the face!

We stayed at the pool for a long time, until about 5:30 and then the men split for some water slides and the women and children marched on to the neighboring sprinkler park for the little-uns. The water park closes at 7, so after the guys showed up, we took turns going into the locker rooms to change back into dry clothes. Now it was the mama’s turn! Sabby and I left the kids with the men and skipped over to the best roller coaster at Carowinds – After Burn (formerly known as Top Gun). I don’t know why they changed the name… my esophagus hurts just thinking about the word after burn. Like heart burn or something else equally unpleasant.

We met up with the men and the lines were so short we took turns watching the kiddies so we could ride the roller coaster with our hubbies. I got a great pic of Sabby and Big D. We rode in the front, and now I’m spoiled. It was AWESOME! I felt like I was flying!

After much more walking and then forcibly removing the men from the extreme rides we began the long trek, cross country to our van. Since we were staying in Charlotte, we wanted to go to our FAVOURITE NC restaurant… Mert’s Heart and Soul. The BEST cornbread and soul food EVER! Don’t believe me? Come and try it. Go on. The cornbread will make a believer out of anybody.

Now it’s midnight. The VC family is on their way home. Little Dude and Little Mermaid are asleep and I can barely keep my eyes open.

Time for bed.
Ciao for now!
Xo
BeachMama

Ecoist

2008-07-24T22:56:00.000-07:00

Okay,

Today I want to talk about recycling and more importantly, up-cycling. What is up-cycling? Well, look around you. I’m sure you have some things around your house that can be reused as some thing beautiful and new. While in the Dulles airport at Washington D.C. I came across a most remarkable item. Of course I bought one…

Isn’t it beautiful?! 100% recycled and a tree has been planted in my purchasing of this lovely person. And, my crafty brain is already picking apart this lovely pocketbook and reconstructing it for my own purposes. Once I figure this out I’ll be sure to add DIY instructions.

In the meantime, check out ecoist.com. You’ll be glad you did.

Now I’m off to bed. Sorry it’s a short blog tonight. Tomorrow we are going to Carowinds. Should be a fun day!

C
Ci
Ciao!

Birthday Girl!

2008-07-23T17:55:00.000-07:00

Monday is a blur. We woke up at 4:45 and got home in the USA after midnight. We had a great visit with Banana, the Dude’s sister, at the Washington DC airport.

Oh, here’s a quick and dirty story about our return. On the flight to DC from Bogota, the Little Mermaid spilled a full cup of orange juice all over herself. We had checked the bags in Manizales so we wouldn’t have to deal with them on the way back home. This means that we had no clothes for the poor Little Mermaid to wear. I gave her my huge (even on me!) Juan Valdez hoodie. Yes, his face is TOTALLY on the front. It was a big sacrifice on my part. But, as Ned Kelly said, such is life.

When we got to DC, after going through customs, getting our bags and re-checking them, going through security and walking to the ENTIRE other end of the dang airport, we were able to look for new clothes for the Little Mermaid. Why didn’t you just get some clothes out of the bag once you picked them up – you ask? Well, the baggage guys in their infinite wisdom zip corded our bags shut. We didn’t have any scissors and were unable to open them! ARGH!

So, we were looking for clothes. Did you know that there is an entire men’s suit store in the DC airport? Look in the B gates, like B 40 something. BUT there is not 1 article of clothing for the lower half for ANYONE else in the ENTIRE FREAKIN’ AIRPORT. I know. I looked. Thank goodness I have mad skills when it comes to clothing design. My mom would say that I have mad skills at rigging myself up, but I disagree. It’s art Mom. Art. I looked for the cheapest t-shirt I could find. $9.99 at a newsstand. Yup, I bought it and asked the cashier if she had any scissors. She asked the manager and the manager went back into the secret room where they scan your retina to make sure can you be trusted with scissors in the airport and then came back with a pair for me to use. What I’m going to tell you next is shocking – at least to the ladies at the register. I unfolded that bad boy and cut across the body of the shirt, just under the armpits. Then I cut a strip off the raw edge of that newly cut tube. I snipped the strip so that I had 1 long strip and a tube of shirt. I shoved the cropped off top in my shopping bag. Then I cut a little hole in the hemmed bottom of the t-shirt tube. I threaded the strip through that already turned over and hemmed bottom, flipped it upside down and viola! The Little Mermaid had a skirt! TA-DA. Then I got her a shirt and she was ready to take off that screaming hot Juan Valdez sweatshirt hoodie.

The Little Mermaid was very happy with her new ensemble and modeled it all over the airport. You would have thought she was wearing Versace!

On to my birthday…

On the drive home from the airport, the kiddies were asleep and the Dude and I sang Happy Birthday to me. We quickly crashed and slept until late the next morning. I woke up to the sweet smell of Colombian coffee. Then we went to our local pizza place, the Mellow Mushroom for lunch. Ah, so good! AND there is a new frozen custard shop on 4th street! So of course we hit that. Did you know that frozen custard has half the fat of ice cream? It tastes so much better too!

The Dude surprised me with a trip to Greensboro! UNC-Greensboro! I got information on starting towards my Master’s in History. As of today, my application is in and my transcript has been ordered!!! I’m a college girl again! Check it out. The school colours are blue and gold, like my first high school, and the mascot is the Spartans, like my graduating high school. See, it was meant to be.

Then we went to this super cool bike shop and got a chariot for my bike. This way I can stick it to the man and ride my bike with the kids to the grocery store instead of driving and buying gas. SCREW THE MAN!

PLUS, I got both Barack Obama books on CD, read by Grammy winner and Future President Obama himself. And the Dude got me the Netflix attachment so we can watch the free Netflix movies on our TV instead of crowding around our laptop! CHA! SEE?!?!? THE BEST BIRTHDAY EVER! Plus a Lemon Charlotte Royal cake from Whole Foods. It tasted like a combination of cake and Lemon custard. AHhhhh! AND pink champagne!

I didn’t even care that we had a major storm that knocked over tons of trees blocking street access all across Winston Salem! Or that our power was out until the next morning! I had the best dang birthday ever!

Neener neener.

Colombia Soy Yo!

2008-07-23T06:49:00.000-07:00

Domingo

July 20th is recognized as Colombia’s Day of Independence. There were marches and gatherings for peace all over the country. In the center square of Manizales throngs of people marched in celebration of liberty and in protest of the FARC – demanding the release of all hostages. We watched the speeches and the beauty of a mass dove release. It was beautiful; the doves rose in a mighty swell before the imposing Manizales Cathedral. While blank eyes of stone saints saw the people’s prayers ascended to heaven, silence filled the square.

In the late morning we decided to spend some of our last day in the country. A friend of CC had a small farm with animals so we drove 45 minutes to Santagueda. One of the highlights of Manizales is the weather. It’s really perfect. It never gets too cold and never gets too hot. Santagueda was freakin’ HOT! As we drove through the area, I was starkly reminded of the tacky touristy section of Myrtle Beach. CC confirmed my suspicions. We passed horse back riding, open air fast food style restaurants, a mini water park, go karts and 4 wheelers. After a short ride down a very bumpy dirt road we arrived at CC’s friend’s house.

A few changes had been made since CC last visited. The animals were gone. All of them. Not even a dog. In their place was an outdoor snack and drink bar with a tented area to sit in the shade, bouncing castles, a pool (which had been there before) and a large slope roped off containing a giant clear ball, large enough for a person to fit inside. They decided to sell off the animals (although a hint of their scent still lingers) and convert their country home into a summer fun bed and breakfast type inn. It looks like a great place for a little weekend get-a-way with the kids. But my G-d it was hot! Little Mermaid bounced until she just couldn’t bounce anymore. She was a hot sweaty mess! And the Dudes played with a sort of tetherball-ping pong apparatus. Thankfully, we didn’t stay too long, or we would have withered away from heat exhaustion. After about an hour we drove home for lunch.

Lunch was the Colombian Soup we’d had at the Lady in Red’s house (minus the capers). It was good, we even had some rice pudding, that Sandra had made (the family’s housekeeper). It was PHENOMENAL! I’ll have to google it and try a few different recipes. I was totally stuffed and took the Little Dude upstairs to nap. Well, no nap happened! The Dude came up and we hung out and watched the end of Fool’s Rush In on the television. I played on the computer and edited some more videos.

The rest of day was very low key. Everyone sort of hung around and relaxed. Just as I began thinking that it might be about time to settle the kids in for the night, a crowd of people bombarded the house! Nearly every person we’d met over the last 10 days came to say good bye to CC. It was so sweet. Both her brothers, the Lady in Red’s family, the Good Witch’s family, and the Sister in Law with Izzy and the Little Dude’s girlfriend. (as it turns out Izzy called home crying, begging her mother to drive the 3+ hours to pick her up and bring her home. She wanted to see her auntie one more time, CC thinks she wanted to play with the Little Mermaid again!

I had just burned 2 cds with all our photos from the last 10 days for CC. The house was hopping; I just couldn’t let the opportunity pass without documenting it for CC. People kept rolling into the house. It’s was a like a scene from It’s a Wonderful Life! I finally had to get to bed around 11. I mean we ARE leaving at an insane hour tomorrow for our first of 3 flights home. As it is, it’s 11:22 pm. The Little Dude is asleep, I think the Dude and Little Mermaid might be in bed and I can still hear people downstairs visiting. But I recognize almost all the voices, so I think it’s just family now.

Time for me to hit the sack. It’s going to be LOOONG day tomorrow!

Adios!

Tio's Menagerie

2008-07-20T16:10:00.000-07:00

Saturday

This morning I worked on videos while the kids watched Spanish Disney and the Dude and CC went to a cobbler to have his new sandal adjusted. The back strap kept sliding off. When they returned we loaded into the car, with Abuela – CC’s mom and drove just to the outskirts of town where her uncle, her father’s brother, lives.

As we left the city I noticed that several the hillsides near residences are terraced. The slope is so steep, definite a landslide risk. But each terrace has a cement trough along its length to help move the water down the hill without saturating the land.

CC’s uncle is a priest; he and his 2 sisters live in a breathtaking house built into the side of a hill. Abuelo has 5 siblings, 2 are deceased, and the remaining 3 live in this spectacular home. One of the sisters is developmentally disabled and remains in pre-speech toddler state. Once they were able, the brother and sister took her out of a living facility to live with them. The house has detailed wood paneled ceilings, stain glass sun lights and stain glass windows.

Tío (the priest uncle) has a small menagerie of animals. He has 3 dogs, a Collie, a yellow Lab and a black mutt. Three very loud parrots, a great big tortoise, and a cute monkey named Pépe. He raised Pépe and Freddy the tortoise from babyhood. I’m not sure about the other animals.

For lunch we had a very traditional Colombian meal called ????, or ‘tray’ translated. It consists of a large plate with different mounds of food, next to and on top of each other. There is rice, beans, fried plantains, assorted meats, arepas, sweet potato slices (baked) and cheese. It was good, but a challenge with the Little Dude. After that, as if it weren’t enough, we were served a refreshing milk soup/drink with cooked corn kernels and I’m not quite sure what else. It was very different than anything I’d eaten before, but I liked it. With the soup/drink came two sugared guava fruit jellies. Like a gummy candy. Then we had café and visited. There is something about Abuelo and Tio. The Little Dude just loves them! And they’ve been charmed by him as well.

CC’s phone began beeping; it was time to pick up the Dude’s sandals. So we said goodbye and left paradise.

Later, CC and I left the Dude and niños at home, watching a movie on Disney. We had some last minute errands to run. I got some more goodies for Little Mermaid’s class next year. CC was stocking up on Colombian brands of soap etc… to take home and use in the USA. We went to 3 different stores looking for her shampoo. Everywhere we went they only had the conditioner. What is weird, is they didn’t have ANY shampoo for her brand. ONLY the conditioners. When we got home her mom started calling places to see if they carried it. She must have called more than a dozen stores and NONE of them had it in stock. Very very strange…

We had a grilled chicken for dinner with potatoes and arepas. Almost an All-American meal! Some things are just universal.

Me and Senor Valdez

2008-07-19T07:31:00.000-07:00

Friday afternoon

CC’s neighbor owns and runs a café/ pastry shop called La Suiza. She is Colombian and her husband is Swiss, hence La Suiza (the Swiss). After the Little Dude’s nap we went to La Suiza. We each had a different dessert, The Dude had tea and tiramisu, CC had a coke and a chocolate/ hazelnut/ raspberry pastry, Little Mermaid had milk and a thick brownie and I had passion fruit ice cream and coffee. My helado (ice cream) had whip cream on top and 3 stick cookies. Little dude ate the cookies and whipped cream.

After our tasty desserts, we walked over to Juan Valdez, my new crush. Good thing for the Dude that Juan is just a character. We bought coffee beans and Dude got a polo style shirt. As Dude paid, the kids and I walked around on the café patio. There was a trick bike show and several vendors with handmade goods set up on the street level. The trick bike show was pumping Latin music with a heavy beat and the kids danced on the patio. They were so cute! Yup, I’ve got videos. I’ll be loading all that stuff as soon as I get back to the states. The internet keeps timing out on me here.

The vendors varied from lame to very cool. Some were selling candles, other jewelry. I really liked the handmade paper boxes. I think they were made from recycled cardboard, shaped and glued together. Then painted and embellished. I’ll have to try making those at home.

It was pretty dark after all our walking around so we headed home. Once there, CC, the Dude and Little Mermaid went to a local fast food restaurant to grab some food for dinner. While they were doing that, I set up some of the videos that I had edited for us to watch as we ate.

By the time we were done watching videos and looking at pictures, Little Dude was totally grumpy. It was time for bed. He fell asleep quickly and I flipped through the channels on the TV. I found The 40 Year Old Virgin with Spanish subtitles and the Dude came in to watch some of it with me. It’s pretty funny to read the Spanish translation of what they are saying!

Later gators!

Sun, Snow and Serpents

2008-07-18T12:39:00.000-07:00

Wow! Finally! It only took 7 days, but the sun in shining, the sky is blue and it is CALIENTE! (Hot, gringos!) This morning, we took a little walk up the hill to see the 3 snow capped mountains. But we weren’t fast enough and by the time we got to a viewing place, the clouds were rolling in. I did manage a couple of pictures where you can see some snow on the mountains. Que lastíma! Hopefully we’ll get another opportunity before we leave. Snow capped mountains are called los nevados in español.

We stopped at a playground on the walk back home and the kids got to play. It was very wet and after a big chocolate lab started peeing on everything we left. Gross me out. His, and yes I know for a fact it was a he, owner was right there, just smoking a cigarette. I mean honestly, it’s one thing if a stray dog pees at the kids’ playground, but when an idiot owner deliberately brings her mongrel to a KIDS PLAYGROUND with CHILRDEN PLAYING and lets him run wild… C’MON PEOPLE!

When we came home the Little Dude and I took a shower. I wanted to take one last night but was just too tired. And the Little Dude had been stripped down to his diaper, at the playground, b/c he had mud all over his clothes. We dried and dressed and loaded into the car for a little surprise. CC drove us to a Museum and Protected Park at the top of a hill next to Manizales. Our tour guide was named, get this, Fabio. He was cute. Not like Fabio the model, but normal cute. And he gave us our tour in English. From the main building you could see all of Manizales. I took some panoramic pics. I can’t wait to be able to play with my photos!

The museum is the oldest in Manizales, 80+ years. It is very small and contains taxidermy animals and insects. 80% of the species are native to Manizales, 15% are native to Colombia and 5% are from other parts of the world.

We saw the most beautiful butterflies. Some bigger than your hand, down to itty bitty teeny weensy ones, the size of your pinky nail. And the spiders were totally freaky. I’ll probably have nightmares. We also saw a huge anaconda skin; it looked about 15 ft long. Yeah, it was a BABY! Cha! The idea is that you walk through the museum then tour the forest and see how many different species of insects and birds you recognize. But, since we’ve had rain EVERY SINGLE DAY there is the threat of landslides, so the forest is closed.

They have a little enclosed play area for los niños. They had a ball pool – The Little Dude was in HEAVEN. And an enclosed trampoline, and 35m slides. The kiddies had a blast. We took lots of pics and videos. We started to get hungry so we came home. Just as we pulled out of the Park the clouds rolled in and it started to sprinkle. Perfect timing!

So now I’m upstairs with the Little Dude while he sleeps. The Dude and CC went to her cobbler to tighten a brad on his new sandals and the Little Mermaid is playing in the other room. We had white fish (probably Tilapia) with rice and potatoes in a saffron coloured sauce. It’s called Widower Fish. Not sure why, but I love fish, so I was happy. The Little Mermaid even got second helpings on fish!

Soon, Dude and CC will come back and then CC and I will run some errands.

More later Amigos!

Cuidad y Campos

2008-07-18T07:36:00.000-07:00

Thursday

This morning for breakfast we had Colombian chorizo (sausage), arepas, and bread. The sausage was different than any sausage I’ve had in the US. I think it might be beef sausage? Once we were all dressed and ready we headed out to visit the in-laws that invaded us the other day.

Manizales is beautiful because there are clusters of neighborhoods on the surrounding hills and mountains. Today we saw the natural beauty of Colombia. It was breathtaking. Rolling mountains; some so tall that the tops were covered with waves of clouds. Bamboo everywhere, I’d never seen bamboo growing before I moved here. And it grows throughout, covering hillsides with its soft heathery leaves. Then we drove through the coffee plantations. I didn’t get to see Juan Valdez but the plantes café were very cool.

It took us about an hour to get to the next city, Pereira. We stopped to shop at the mall. CC of course found 2 people she knew! I’m telling ya, we can’t even go to another CITY without her finding an old amigo. Maybe she should run for office! After several frustrating experiences I finally found a skirt and a pair of pants, capris actually, that fit my GRANDE American frame. I really needed some pants because I’ve been wearing the same skirt for 3 days. The housekeeper offered to launder our dirty clothes, so we gave them to her. No one in Manizales owns a dryer. Every house has an enclosed area with lines to hang laundry to dry. 3 days after the wash and my jeans still weren’t dry. It doesn’t help that it’s been raining every single day! My skirt that I’ve been donning is white and it is looking a little less white after 3 days of constant wear, particularly around los niños.

We stopped at a restaurant in the mall to eat lunch, the big meal of the day. I had some grilled meat, with a few fries scattered over smashed fried plantains. CC ate a bowl of assorted grilled meats mixed with rice. The Dude had some sort of thick stew with grilled meat and fries. Little Mermaid ate….a hot dog. Little Dude ate a few papas fritas (French fries) before he over turned the bowl onto the Dude’s lap – ketchup and all! The Dude was not happy. So I quickly ate my food and then took the kids for a walk. The Little Mermaid ate an ice cream cone earlier. Chocolate, of course. And she dripped it all over her dress, of course. So she changed into a skirt and shirt we bought. Then once CC and the Dude finished their meal, we went to find a new shirt for the Dude. He was covered in grease and ketchup.

Once the shopping was complete and the Dude had changed shirts we got the car, and drove to the next town, where the in-laws live, Carteagua. Cartagua is a small town, that is known for it’s sewing and textile industry. There were vespas and bicycles everywhere, like mosquitoes! And they seem to have to regard for their lives b/c they will cut right in front of a van or car without thinking twice. We also saw several horse drawn carts in the town, though I didn’t get a picture of one. Qué lastima!

We pulled up to the house and saw the whole gang, minus Sis. She had to work! The visit sort of turned out to be a cruel joke on the Little Mermaid. Shortly after we arrived, the family (kids and grandparents) were going on a 3 day holiday to Cali, 3 hours away. They left and took the Little Mermaid’s friend, CC’s niece, Izzy, with them. The Little Mermaid cried and cried. “Why didn’t they warn us that Izzy was going to leave after we got here?!” CC cried too, because she probably wouldn’t see her niece for a year. So the two sad sacks hugged and sat in a chair comforting each other. The Sister in Law dropped the vacationers a taxi station and returned with Little Dude’s girlfriend, the 14 month old baby. We visited a little bit and got a tour of the house.

After some milk and cookies we hit the road. We had a long drive back and it was already beginning to darken outside.

Los niños slept for a good bit of the ride. The sun set and it was as dark as a road in the Pennsylvania Mountains! I got a pretty good photo of Manizales at night. We’ll have tobsee how it turns out. About 30 minutes from home we stopped to eat b/c Little Mermaid was STARVING. She ordered a plain hamburger with fries, I had two mini empanadas and the Dude ate a sandwich. Little Dude danced to the music playing over the speakers and snacked on some fries.

We finally got home and after a quick greeting to Abuela we crashed! It was a great day, but a tiring one!

Grande y Pequeño

2008-07-18T07:34:00.000-07:00

So, where were we?

Ah sí, the Dudes are asleep. Charlotte has stopped giggling and is playing with some miniature animals she bought during our last outing, whilst watching Disney Español.

CC and I decide to hit the shops downtown. The two of us drive to pick up her friend, the Good Witch, and we all go downtown for shopping! I began to feel a little uncomfortable walking down the sidewalk with these 2 ladies. They are maybe 5’2” on a good day, and I’m 6 feet tall. Every Colombian we see is only as tall as my shoulders. So, we are walking and EVERY SINGLE PERSON stops what they are doing and looks at me as I walk by. Then every once in a while I hear some one whisper “Grande” as I walk past. On the outside I appear confident and am just going about my business. On the inside I’m having a real mental battle. Part of me wants to run and hide, and the other part of me is thinking, “Screw them! This is who I am!”

I remember when I was a young girl, my family lived in Sicily. My dad, Padre-man, has always told me to never be ashamed of my height. When we would walk around the towns and markets of Sicily we were generally the tallest folks around. Padre-man told us to keep our heads up and faces forward, not to look down at the ground and avoid people. One of his favourite sayings is from Eleanor Roosevelt, “No one can make you feel inferior without your permission.”

All of these memories are rushing over me as I walk with CC and the Good Witch. The ‘screw them’ attitude won out. Everyone, and no, that is not an exaggeration, EVERYONE still stared as I walked by and I still heard grande at least twice a block. I laughed and told the girls that I was going to start saying pequeño to everyone who called me grande. (FYI: Pequeño means small) I didn’t actually say that to anyone, not out loud at least. Someone needs to set a good example.

We went to a little shop with all kinds of hand made pottery and Colombia knick knacks. I bought a couple Colombia bracelets for the kids and miniature chiga. A chiga is a bus, similar to the kind that the kids rode in VillaMaria. I’m going to make an ornament out of it for our Christmas tree. Yeah, I’m that good, and I think ahead. Most of the time. Then we hit a candy store, I bought some SuperCoco lollipops for Charlotte’s class next year. They are made here in Manizales. We also went to a grocery store for COFFEE! I bought lots of bags of different kinds, and I bought some chocolate bars used in their hot chocolate and I can’t leave out that all important ingredient, PANELA! I asked CC what exactly panela is, it is made from sugar cane. It is not refined like our white sugar, and it still has the sugar cane colour and taste. They are sold in all sorts of sizes and styles, from ‘instant’ granules to big thick cow pies. Yup, you know I bought those cow patties!

By the time we were finished with our spending it was nearly 5 o’clock and we were expected at the Lady in Red’s house for dinner. After dropping off our purchases and picking up the Dudes and Little Mermaid we drove to LIR’s house (that’s Lady in Red, amigos). All the ladies we met yesterday are college friends of CC. The LIR has a 9 year old son. He is SO CUTE! He attends a bilingual school here in Manizales and once he warmed up to us (which took all of 2 minutes. We maybe giants, but we’re gentle giants!) he began to speak in English. His English is excellent. NO ACCENT! The Little Dude loved playing with a big boy. They played with matchbox cars and transformers. The LIR is so thoughtful; somehow she procured some girl toys for Little Mermaid. At first Little Mermaid played with an anatomically correct niño (that’s baby boy, gringos). Then she switched, as she always does, into veterinarian mode and began focusing on the stuffed animals.

As an aside…
The other day I learned that CC’s father is a veterinarian and a lawyer. After he finished vet school in Colombia he attended a school in Oklahoma (I think it was Oklahoma State?) where he specialized in large animals, like cows, horses etc… Later, back in Colombia he returned to school and became a lawyer. He practiced both professions, simultaneously until he retired. Maybe he and the Little Mermaid can talk about life as a vet this evening!

Soon the LIR’s husband came home. He is a mild mannered bespectacled man, much like certain Dude I know. He’s also a doctor. Like a certain someone…

We sat down to dinner and had an incredible time. We ate a traditional Colombian Soup. It was a clear broth with a chunk of corn, some yucca and potatoes. There were bowls on the table, one with shredded chicken, one with Latino evaporated milk, and one with capers. You add as much of each item you’d like. Then mix it all together and enjoy! We also, had CC’s favourite Colombian food item – Arroz con Leche. It’s sort of like a coconut rice pudding. Muy Bien!

It was a great evening. The kids had a BLAST! CC really has some wonderful friends. We didn’t want to leave, but, everyone has work in the morning and kids to get to sleep.

Buenos Noches!

Rude Awakening

2008-07-16T12:42:00.000-07:00

I had a restless night last night. Don’t know why. Sometimes it just happens. It’s just as well, because if I were having a good night’s sleep I would probably be really pissed right now.

At 5 am this morning I heard a boom that brought me wide awake – immediately. Then I heard the bangs. At first I thought they were gun shots, but they were too regular, like fireworks. Then I began to hear sirens and some distant voice on a loud speaker. This continues for over 30 minutes. Little Dude and Little Mermaid slept right through it all. As the sirens and, now, honking grew closer I went to the window and asked the Dude if he was woken up by it all. He was. I walked down the hall to find CC walking up the stairs. “What’s going on?” I asked. She smiled and shook her head. Today is the day of the Virgin of CARmen the saint of conductors and drivers. It’s true folks, you can’t make this stuff up.

Well, once I’m up, I’m up. So I sat in bed, downloading pictures from the camera, typing up the previous blog, making videos that I can’t upload and watching American TV dubbed in Spanish. I did find this really cute priest on channel 5, Padre Chucha. He was talking about the FARC and the kidnapped. Sunday is Colombia’s Independence Day, and they are planning a huge rally in the city square to demonstrate solidarity against the FARC. This seems to be a fairly common occurrence in Manizales. This small city in the mountains is known for its colleges and universities. And you know how students like to rally and protest. Go on, check for Manizales on YouTube and I’ll bed you’ll find a video of an Anti-FARC rally. Pretty good thing to rally against, actually.

Ok, back to the parade. The noise continued on until about 5:45 – 6:00. Later that day, at more civilized hour I asked CC why in the world were they parading at 5 am? She answered, “Colombia is a very Catholic country and on special days people celebrate. They begin at 5 am because that is sunrise.”

After breakfast we, the Dudes, Little Mermaid, CC and myself, drove to downtown Manizales. At the main square there are two very beautiful, very historic buildings. The first is a grand cathedral. It is over 80 years old. It looks very dark and gothic on the outside. Absolutely stunning. Inside are statues of saints and loads of stained glass. I took LOTS of pictures. Now, if only I could get them loaded online!!! ARGH! Darn you slow internet!

Across the square, directly across from the cathedral, is the Governor’s Mansion. This building is about 86 years old. CC spoke to the people in protocol and got us special permission to photograph the mansion and we were even invited to the top floor where the Governor’s office is located. Very cool! We didn’t get to meet the big man though, but I was very impressed nonetheless. The mansion is more like an office building. I don’t know if there is a personal residential wing for the governor, or if it was the residence of the first governors. Now it is mostly used as a government building. I took loads of pictures. The building is creamsicle orange, maybe a little bit darker, with white trim. There is all sorts of fancy scrollwork and medallions on the walls and ceilings. The middle of the building is a courtyard with a big beautiful palm tree. Ah! So magnificent.

While we were touring the mansion, we heard another parade; I was able to video the procession. There was a marching band and a team of priests dressed in white holding tall candlesticks. And, of course, CC found someone she hadn’t seen in years and they hugged and talked. I’m telling you, the woman is popular. And I get to be her friend, nanny nanny boo boo!

On our walk back to the car we stopped at a shop and bought our super touristy t-shirts. The Dude lucked out though. He got an embroidered polo shirt. Excuse me!

We came home and had something that looked an awful lot like leftovers, which is totally fine. But it was masquerading as an entirely new meal. Basically, it was pot roast stew, minus the liquid and adding some arroz (that’s rice to you gringos).

The Dudes are napping and the Little Mermaid must be bored playing with her things, b/c she’s down here giggling hysterically while I type. So I’m going to wrap this up and I’ll type more later…

C
CI
CIAO!

Muchas Amigas

2008-07-16T07:55:00.000-07:00

I think that CC must be the most popular person in all of Manizales. Everywhere we go at least 3 new people find her. Even when she’s driving, if we’re at a stop sign someone will holler out to her. It’s weird but cool. Like being with a celebrity.

Today was a first though. Things are always rather tranquil at the house of CC. Today, while Jack was still napping, and after CC came back from visiting her aunt and uncle, CC, her mother and I were sitting around the table when out of the corner of my eye I saw a car pull up the driveway. “Un Coche.” I said. “Donde?” they replied. “In the driveway.” (yeah, my Spanish is not THAT advanced. C’mon!)

CC went to the front door and peeked through the key hole. Then she opened the door and who should come into the house but 8 people! I recognized CC’s sister-in-law and los ninos. The entourage consisted of her parent’s and siblings. Two sisters and 1 brother. They were a lot of fun. I never felt so at home. If you’ve ever been to a meal or event with my family (and my extended family) then you know what I mean. It got real loud, real quick. Just as we were getting settled in, the door bell rang. The oldest sister (we are so much a like, I swear we were separated at birth) and I went to answer it and try to figure out how to open the door. Yes, I already told you, it IS that complicated.

Three women were standing there and Sis and I were like, ‘yeah?’ They started talking rapid fire and I began to slowly back away. Were they trying to sell us something? Convert us to some new religion? CC’s mom beckoned them in. Apparently they are college friends of CC and they just dropped in to say hi before she left. Now it got really loud. Mom – you would have loved it!

After much visitation and lots of hugs and photos someone said that magic word, OBLEAS. If you aren’t familiar with obleas, scan down and read about them. It’s worth it. Everyone packed into their respective cars and the plan was to meet on the hill where one can find the best obleas. When we got there, the car with CC’s friends arrived, but the car with the relatives was nowhere to be found. Thus begins the freak-out of 2008. CC had her friends calling on their cell phones trying to get in touch with her sister-in-law. For 20 minutes we can’t get a hold of anyone. Finally someone picks up SIL’s phone. She’s left it at the house! Turn that freak out meter up a notch. CC calls her brother but the reception is really bad and the friends are frantically dialing numbers. Well, somebody got a hold of someone. The Relative Car stopped for gas. Then SIL realized her phone was at the house, so they went back for it. By then it was getting dark, so they decided to drive home (they live about 90 minutes away).

Well, the freak-out cut into prime oblea eating, thus, we went to a restaurant to eat. Little Mermaid had a hotdog, on a bun with ketchup. The Dude ordered empanadas (not as good as the Iglesias. Maybe they were touched by G-d?) I told the girls that I wanted something authentic and Colombian. I ended up with a plate with a layer dish on it. Think pizza but oblong and no sauce. The dough was a huge smooshed plantain that was lightly fried. Then add a thin layer of patty (I think beef), add some bacon (oh yeah, this was SO NOT VEGAN!), cheese, shredded chicken and… wait for it… SHRIMP! Oh my…

I’m not sure what it is called but I ate it all. And it was good. And I don’t even feel guilty.

Plus the other ladies had them too. Except CC. She ate a hotdog.

Little Dude was inconsolable for most of the meal. We tried to feed him and offer him drinks. The Dude walked with him. I held him and walked around. I put him in the sling. Dude changed his diaper. NOTHING WORKED. Then one of the girls offered to walk around the restaurant with him. TA FREAKIN’ DA

She must be a witch. Because she cast some sort of magic spell over that baby, and the rest of the night she was the only one who could make him happy. If she is a witch, she’s a nice one… like Hermione. And she’s pretty.

After our dank (that means good, rookies.) dinner the Lady in Red (she was the friend in the Red Suit) and Little Mermaid and I walked across the street to a mini-mart. We looked at the cool Colombian candy. She told us all about the different treats. Including one that is made right there in Manizales. Little Mermaid picked a couple of things out and I actually paid. I understood the cashier and everything. I even gave exact change! I KNOW! Snaps to me.

Now we are home again. We are all going to bed. Tomorrow evening we are going to the Lady in Red’s house for dinner, or something. And I think CC is going to take us shopping again. I still need to buy coffee!!!

Oh, by the way, Juan Valdez is invading AMERICA! You lucky ducks in New York City are the first to be blessed with a Juan Valdez Café. I highly suggest you go and get some kick @$$ coffee. It puts Starbucks to SHAME!

Ok, more later!
Ciao

Rain Rain Go Away!

2008-07-15T12:50:00.000-07:00

After breakfast and once CC returned from the dentist we went to a school where CC lead a boy scout troop on Saturdays, before coming to los Estados Unidos to teach. It is a Catholic school that teaches preschool through high school. In the two years since CC left, the school has undergone some major transformations. They are now focused on becoming a bilingual school and are actively recruiting American teachers. It is a very large and very well kept facility.

There was playground in the back, so Little Mermaid and Little Dude ran around and played a bit. Soon our stomachs were growling, so we returned home for lunch. CC wanted to take us to a large fun park after lunch, but just as we got in the house the clouds descended and Manizales was deluged. So the park was out. Lunch was Arroz con Pollo. Chicken and rice. It was tasty; apparently it is CC’s favourite meal. The chicken and rice were all mixed together, as were some vegetables (peas, carrots, green beans). In the afternoon, Little Mermaid and the Dude watched Spanish TV in our bedroom. CC went to visit her aunt and uncle, and Little Dude and I stayed downstairs. By some miracle I was able to connect the laptop to somebody’s wireless server and attempted to upload some pics and vids. It is a painful process, as the connection is so slow the computer tends to time out before the uploading is complete! ARGH!

The adventure of the afternoon was the spilling of the bucket of water.

I have to set the scene for this properly. The only people around are Little Dude, CC’s mom and me. She’s reading the paper at the table. FYI: her leg was operated on this spring and she can’t walk too well. All of a sudden we hear a SPLOSH sound. Little Dude has dumped over a bucket with water in it! Sandra, the housekeeper, has left for the day. Once the lunch time meal is finished she is gone. So I jump up and head for the kitchen looking for some towels. CC’s mom is talking a mile a minute in a language I don’t understand and is limping after me into the kitchen. She gets to the kitchen door and I say, in my best American accent, “Do you have any dirty towels?” Did I mention that CC’s mom doesn’t speak a WORD of ingles? I point to the paper towels and she shakes her head, I think she was laughing at me. She goes out to the enclosed patio and comes back with a mop. I grab it and head to the mess. As I’m going THE FREAKING TELEPHONE RINGS! CC’s mother is limping in the kitchen and I have 2 problems. 1- I don’t know how to turn on the phone, 2 – Should I figure out how to turn on the phone I have no idea what to say! So I grab the phone and run back to the kitchen. Then I dart to the mess. Which really isn’t that bad of a mess. I mean it’s water and it spilled on a tile floor. So I try to absorb the water and spread it around. The mop gets most of the water, but the floor is still wet and slippery. So I take the mop back to the kitchen (limpy is to the dining room table now, no doubt telling who ever is on the other line how crazy Americans are!) and grab a handful of paper towels. So I end up on my hands and knees trying to dry the floor that just doesn’t want to dry. I look up to find Little Dude, all 20 months of him, pushing the mop back to me from the kitchen!!! I really don’t want the floor to be wet; I can just see CC’s mother going spread eagle and breaking something.

In the end, CC’s mom didn’t really care about the water. She kept saying how cute the Little Dude is pushing the mop (she’s kind of difficult to understand, but sometimes I can figure her out.) and how precious he was looking for the turtle. I just smile and nod and continue on my hands and knees working to get the floor dry as a bone.

So that was the big to-do this afternoon. Don’t know what, if anything is in store for us later. I’ve brought the Little Dude upstairs for a nap and I’m lying on the bed next to him.

More later muchachos!

Shopping!

2008-07-15T08:22:00.000-07:00

Well I don’t know WHAT I was thinking when I wrote that CC’s brother was freakishly tall. Maybe he just looked that tall compared to the other small people waiting at the airport. But he is maybe 5’7 on a good day. Probably only 5’5”, really.

Monday!

CC bought the Little Mermaid some cereal, b/c she’s not really into the whole Colombian breakfast thing. The rest of us ate large pancake size arepas with a Colombian cheese melted on top. Muy Bien! I’m not sure if the cheese is goat cheese or made with olive oil – but it reminds me a little of a very mild feta, not crumbly though.

Once we are all showered and dressed we headed downtown. It was sort of a wet day, so we didn’t do a lot of sight seeing, but we did hit a downtown mall! The Dude finally found some sandals. He’s been wearing the same Teva’s for 8 years and they are barely staying together! The Little Mermaid got some super cute shoes for escuela and at a girly store called YoYo one of the retailers spoke perfect ingles. So we had some fun there. Little Mermaid got a cute white jean skirt with sparkly studs on it and a darling pink/orange plaid jumper. I finally bought something for myself – some turquoise plaid canvas shoes. I love them, they are slip-on flats.

The Little Mermaid was starving, so we headed to the food court. It was dominated by the oh so Colombian pizza, hotdogs, and hamburgers. Little Mermaid ate pizza, I found an empanada (not a good one) and then we headed home.

The main meal in Colombia is lunch. Breakfast is pretty light. Lunch is huge and dinner is nearly non-existent. I kind of like this philosophy.

For lunch we had the Colombian version of Roast Beef Stew, Sancocho. YUMMY! They also made a guava juice drink. Pretty good – though not my favourite beverage.

The Little Dude took a nap (before lunch) and after lunch the Dude and I joined him. The Little Mermaid watched Disney in Spanish.

After our siesta we came downstairs to find CC in the living room visiting with a friend and former co-worker. Her English is perfect. Even a US accent – slightly Californian. I asked her if she’d ever studied abroad and she said no! She learned it all from school and TV! WOW!

We all piled into CC’s car and went to a beautiful shopping center in Manizales. It is built into a mountain so the views from the windows were amazing! First we hit a Juan Valdez out door coffee shop. Juan Valdez is branded like Starbucks in Colombia. And the coffee is, obviously, top notch! I was able to get on the Juan Valdez wireless system and publish yesterday’s blog. Though it proved too slow for pictures.

After our coffee break we walked to the mall for SHOPPING! First we hit a grocery store. CC’s mom needed some things and the Little Dude needed butt crème, I needed hair conditioner and the Little Mermaid needed detangle spray. We walked the multilevel mall and the Dude finally found a pair of jeans, the Little Dude got a pair of cute sufer dude shorts and I bought a cool black/grey shirt. At the top of the mall is a cinema and play area for kids. The Little Mermaid jumped until just couldn’t jump anymore on the netted trampoline. And the dudes shot basketball hoops and played a race car video game. By this time the sun had set. And we began to meander down to the ground floor. We made one more stop at a book store. The Little Mermaid got a Barbie movie – Mariposa – in espanol and a Strawberry Shortcake colouring book and story book. The colouring book is pretty cool. It has tracing paper between all the pages so you can trace the image and have 2 to colour! MUY BIEN!

We came home, happy and exhausted. After a small snack of sandwiches, we hit the sack.

The other day I asked CC to let me cook with her so I could learn the recipes for the food we’ve been eating. She smiled and told me that she doesn’t cook. Doesn’t cook! Over the weekend when her sister in law and los ninos were visiting another woman magically appeared in the kitchen. I asked CC who she was and it turns out that she is her brother’s family’s housekeeper/ nanny. On Monday, after CC’s brother’s family returned to their town another woman mysteriously appeared. Again I asked CC who she was, and she is her parent’s housekeeper! She prepares all the meals, keeps the house and does laundry.

Each morning I make our beds and make sure all of our things are picked up. Well, after our adventures on Monday when we returned to our rooms, I noticed the beds had been re-made. I guess I didn’t do it right! LOL! I have to say, it is nice not having to cook. CC’s sister-in-law was able to focus all her attention on her children and family. The housekeepers are sort of like part of the family. We all help out, clearing the table, setting the table, but sometimes, the help we offer (ie: making the beds) is not that effective.

TUESDAY!

This morning CC was able to get a dentist appointment. A couple of teeth had been bothering her and she wanted to get it checked out. The Dudes and I ate Migas for breakfast with hot chocolate – I figured out what that magical fragranced taste to the chocolate was. Panela water! Panela is a sugar brick that is used in a variety of ways. It reminds me of molasses. For the hot chocolate, panela is dissolved in water as the water simmers on the stove. I don’t know the ratios yet, but YOU KNOW I’m going to find out.

The Little Mermaid slept in, which is a good thing. While the Dudes and I visited with Senor Tortuga, Abuelo, CC’s father, came down stairs and went out for his morning constitutional. Every day he goes for a long walk. I don’t know if he has a destination, or just exercises. The Little Dude and Abuelo have a special bond. They just love each other! Well, The Little Dude didn’t get to Abuelo before he was out the door and by the time I figured out how to open the door (yes it IS that complicated) Abeulo had disappeared down the street. I had to deal with a minor breakdown at that point. But breakfast was served and disaster was averted.

I observed the most precious moment between the Little Dude and Abuelo. Last night Abuelo was standing on the front stoop looking out at the night. I was bringing the Little Dude to everyone for good night kisses before I took him to bed. When we got to Abuelo, he leaned close to the Little Dude and whispered something in Spanish to him. Immediately the Little Dude opened his arms to Abuelo and he took him from me. My Spanish is not great, but I was able to figure out that Abuelo was showing the Little Dude how to say good night to the day and welcome the night. After several minutes of cuddling and talking, Abuelo gave him back to me and we went upstairs to bed.

VillaMaria and Miss Universe

2008-07-14T14:48:00.000-07:00

How in the world did Ms. Kosovo with her alien-esque hair style make it to the top 10?
Yeah. I’m watching Miss Universe as I type.

ANYWAY!

I left you yesterday when we were on our way to a playground. It was small and cute. There is A LOT of bamboo growing wild all over Manizales. There was a cute patch along side the park. On the other side of the playground was the neighborhood Iglesia (church). There seem to be small Iglesias everywhere. We saw people walking to the service from the neighborhood. CC attended the service and we stood outside on the church patio with many others listening to the priest. The pews were packed! Also, outside, some church ladies were selling food. I ate the BEST empanadas in the world! They put mine to SHAME! So good! Once it started to rain we, CC’s sister in law the kids and the Dude and I, headed for home. The service was nearly complete and when we got home, CC soon followed.

Lunch was a Colombian version of spaghetti and chicken. A chicken broth soup was the precursor to the meal. We drank a traditional Colombian drink made from tomates de arbol. I know it sounds like tomatoes, but it was white and tomates de arbol are a local fruit – not our vegetables.

The Little Dude was cranky, even though he ate a lot, and when I tried to get him to sleep, he absolutely refused. So the 11 of us packed into 2 small cars and headed for the country. We hadn’t really counted on the rain, so our adventure turned into a car tour. We did stop at the main square of the Villa Maria. The kiddies got a mini bus ride that was powered by Fred’s two feet. Fred being the guy pushing the kid size bus around the square 3 times. Then the rain picked up and we were off to our next adventure.

CC showed us the schools in which she taught, as well as the local university she attended. We drove through the country and downtown Manizales. We are planning to walk around and take pictures another day. However the rain did not keep us from the highest point of the city. The rain subsided so we were able to walk around and I managed some pictures of the stunning view.

On to the food!

Obleas: A layered tortilla size treat. SO GOOD! First you take a flat round crispy wafer-like tortilla. Smear caramel sauce on one half and strawberry sauce on the other half. Then sprinkle unsweetened coconut shavings on half and a light mild crumbly cheese on the other half. Top this with another wafer. Add some fruit, sliced strawberries and cut brevas (a fig type fruit) in caramel sauce. Finally, lightly drizzle a white sweet sauce over the fruit and viola! Perfectamente!

Bunuelos: An egg shaped donut type cake - deep fried like a donut, but so light and just a hint of sweetness. Very very good!

Kumis: A yogurt type beverage. Not my favourite drink. It has a slight fermented taste similar to kefir (found in health food stores). Kunis must be an acquired taste.
Ok, I was typing this up as I watched the Miss Universe pageant on Colombian TV.

Miss Venezuela? Are you kidding me? It was TOTALLY between Miss Mexico and Miss Colombia. How Miss Russia beat out Mexico, with her unbrushed hair covering her face, I’ll never understand. The competition was between Mexico, USA (my unbiased opinion – even AFTER she fell flat on her booty), and COLOMBIA! Cha! Once USA and Mexico were out, it HAD to be Miss Colombia!

In the words of GOB (Arrested Development – rent it, watch it, love it) “C’mon!”

With that rant you know how my day ended. We came home, full from our food adventures and watched the pageant. Now, in my disgust I’m going to bed.

CHA!

Manizales

2008-07-13T08:52:00.000-07:00

Hola mi familia y amigos!

Yesterday we arrived in Manizales. We had an amazing Colombian breakfast in our lovely hotel, the Habitel of Bogota. Arrepas (sp), tamales, cafe and hot chocolate. I was even brave enough to try papaya juice, not my favourite drink. Arrepas are traditional maize pancakes, the tamales had some lima beans, maize and some meat - ham maybe? I´m not a Colombian Vegetarian. Hey, when in Rome...

The coffee was good, the waiter asked me if I wanted it in American style, I said si. So he put milk in it. The milk was hot, not cool, which I found interesting. The Little Mermaid had Hot Chocolate. It was amazing! I can´t put my finger on just what is different about it. I think it is stronger and less sweet, but there is this amazing aromatic quality to it. hmmm...

Before I go any further, I would be remiss not to mention the OUTSTANDING service we received on our flight from the US to Bogota. We were given all the refreshments we wanted, plus 2, yes TWO hot meals. Plus, the alcoholic beverages were FREE. They even had a ´house´´airline wine!!! No I didn´t get a drink - but I should have! I needed one! The attendants were extremely polite and very affectionate towards the children. An unaccompanied minor sat next to me and he was so sweet, playing with the Little Dude. I wish I could let him parent´s know what a wonderful boy they have. 25F I´m talking about YOU!

Ok, now back to yesterday...

The hotel took us to the airport and we checked in and went through security. It was a lot like US security, but we didn´t have to take off our shoes. The Dude thought that was interesting, but I mentioned that they probably have not had someone try to blow up an airplane by lighting his tennis shoe!

We waited in an open terminal for about 30 minutes then boarded our propeller winged puddle jumper. Looked just like the ones in the US. The flight was a little loud, as those small planes often are, but it lasted less than an hour. As we flew into Manizales the beauty of the land was evident. Mountains and hills, dotted with houses and small towns. As we deboarded the plane I could see our hostess, CC, through the window in the airport. She was there with her baby brother, who is a giant in Colombia, probably 6´3". Also CC´s niece was there, a mere 9 months younger than the Little Mermaid. We loaded into 2 cars and drove to CC´s family home.

Manizales is very hilly. Much like San Fransico! On our way to her home, we passed a WAWA of all things! I laughed and told her that we have WAWA´s in the NorthEast. Philly and NJ! It´s a small world!

CC´s house is beautiful. Her parent´s are selling it, b-c as the 3 children are grown and on their own, they hardly have need for a 6 bedroom house! They have a lovely atrium with exotic plants and Señor Tortuga who lives in the indoor garden. It is a 2 level house, with a bedroom and full bath on the 1 1/2 floor. There is lots of light and many religious artifacts throughout the house. The walls are white, the ceiling is made of lovely honey coloured wood, as are the floors. Once we settled in CC ordered Chop Suey. Let me just say the chinese food in Colombia is better than ANYTHING I´ve had at home. The rice that came with the meal definately had a colombian influence. But we all really loved it.

Soon after lunch, the Little Dude had a nap the Little Mermaid and her new hermana played and played. CC´s parent´s took a siesta and CC, the Dude and I all sat in the livingroom chatting about our flight, food and politics. Obama seems to be a favourite in Colombia, even though McCain visited here just before the FARC hostages were freed.

Once the Little Dude woke up, we all walked to a little shopping mall. Our first order of business was a store that is not unlike Target. I bought the girls matching nightgowns for last night and Jack got a new pair of shoes. I wanted to get some clothes for the kids, but EVERYTHING has english printed on it, whether what it says makes sense or not. The Little Dude also got a new cup, because we forgot his in los Estados Unidos.

We came back home to find CC´s sister in law and baby niece at home. The baby is about 4 months younger than the Little Dude. They kept hugging each other. So the kids played and the Dude and I and Abuela (CC´s Mom) watched some fútbol on tv. A major Colombian star was retiring last night. It was touching to see his speech with tears and sweat in his eyes. The field was littered with confetti during the game. I don´t know how they were able to play!

For dinner we ate the equivelant of hotdogs/ sandwiches. It was ham, onions, cheese and maize sauteéd and rolled up in a tortilla, with potato chips on the side. Muy Bien!

Then is was off to bed for the Little Dude. We cuddled up in CC´s old bedroom and flipped through the channels, finally settling on LOS SIMPSONS. We watched about 2 1/2 episodes of the spanish speaking Simpsons, at one point with the Little Mermaid and her neuvo hermana in bed with us!

Sleep was deep and full.

Now we are all dressed, fed (Migas = a traditional Colombian breakfast of arrepas scrambled with cheese and eggs) and on our way to park where the kids can play and get rid of their wiggles. At noon we have a church service and then after lunch we will spend our afternoon in the country.

More later my virtual touristas!
Adios!

Bogota

2008-07-12T04:59:00.000-07:00

Ahhh.... Vacation time!

We are finally in Bogota, Colombia! Let me just say, the Colombian people are not only beautiful, but they are so welcoming and kind. Nearly everyone here speaks English, and WELL! Almost no hint of an accent. It sort of makes me feel ashamed, because it seems the only people who are bilingual in the USA are immigrants or 1st and 2nd generation Americans. I'm really motivated to learn Spanish now!

The flight from DC to Colombia was LONG and hard. It was totally full and I was stuck in a middle seat, with the Little Dude, away from the Little Mermaid and the Big Dude. Actually, I was in the row across from them. And there was THIS WOMAN! Argh! Yes, I'm talking about YOU Ms. 25C! She was sitting with my family and she was travelling with her son, who was a little younger than the Little Dude - maybe 18 months. She looked like a lizard and her son looked like a hobit. I only say this, b/c she never offered me her seat. So the Big Dude and I had to communicate by shouting over her and passing things infront of her. PLUS, the Little Dude had to stay with me the ENTIRE 5 1/2 HOUR FLIGHT! He was crying b/c he wanted to be with his sister and daddy so I gave him to the Big Dude at the beginning of the flight and the flight attendants told us that due to the number of oxygen masks, there could only be 1 lap child in a 3 seat row. AND since Gollum and her spawn were there, THE LITTLE DUDE COULD NOT! Now you see my frustration!

Well, it's over now. We are in our BEAUTIFUL hotel. We breezed through customs. The Colombians really cater to families, so we were placed in the short line. Woo-hoo! And since we had not any checked bags (thank you - idiot american run airlines), we were able to walk right past the throngs of people waiting for their items, and right into the capable hands of our escort from the hotel. SO GREAT!

We checked in and got to our room and CRASHED! The room is huge and the bed is comfortable. The Little Mermaid is still asleep and the Dudes are at breakfast. I’m about to hop in the shower.

We have to get back to the airport for our flight to Manizales, Colombia. So excited! This leg of the trip is only an hour and then we will be able to relax with our friends in the city on the mountain!

More later!
Adios!

Appalachia, All Good Things and Amazing Vintage Finds

2008-06-28T08:56:00.000-07:00

So I'm back from my grandmother's country home in Pennsylvania. I love it there. It still feels like spring in southwestern PA, so it was a fun, chill visit.

The Little Mermaid and the Little Dude had a great time. Especially since TLM found a friend her exact age. They were instant sisters. I love going there, even though I'm a beachbum at heart, the mountains are in my blood. Too much history there to ignore. It's strange but I definately get a sense of peace and calm as soon as I drive into West Virginia and especially once I cross into PA. I HAVE to put on my John Denver and serenade the kiddies as we drive through.

I took lots of pics and once I download them I'll share through my Flickr account. I'm hoping that some turned out well enough to sell on my etsy site.

I found some AMAZING vintage finds at the 'boutiques' too... They are listed on www.goodearthpaperie.etsy.com. Here is a little preview...

But now it is back to reality. Little Mermaid is downstairs playing with her long lost toys and the Little Dude is sitting next to me trying on a construction helmet. It's time to get to work on some fun new projects! I'm opening another Etsy Store: AllGoodThings... Nothing listed yet, but I think I'm going to use it showcase my 20+ years of sewing experience. I felt it necessary to start new shop, b/c the beachmama shop is eclectic enough and I don't want to confuse my 'green' store goodearthpaperie by adding sewn art. Plus it seems that most of the stores I come across on Etsy are dominated by one craft/art/theme. I'll post and let you know how it goes...

Which reminds me...

I'm getting ready for a new craft video! If there is anything you'd like to see, please let me know and I'll make one! I think I'm going to name my video series... Sew Suzy, So Me! But it's not exclusively sewing. ARGH! I'm still working on it. ideas are more than welcome!

Later Gators!

Click me!

2008-06-05T06:04:00.001-07:00

Save the Rainforest!

2008-06-05T05:52:00.000-07:00

Little Chic-a-dee

2008-05-08T12:51:00.000-07:00

Ugh. Ugh. Double Ugh.

I've been waiting to post with a great video craft blog, or cool project. But lately it's been difficult enough just getting the kids dressed and the Little Mermaid's hair brushed.

I did manage to finish the mural in the kiddies room. Well, it's not TOTALLY finished, but it's complete enough for them to move in.

I have 20 days until my 10 year college reunion. hmmm..... Not sure what to think abou that. I need a hair cut. And I was going to start running 5ks this spring. Well, maybe I'll pick up the 5k in the fall.

I'm going to start a series of v-blogs on crafting techniques. I'm open to ideas. Future how-to blogs will include: paper envelopes, recycled paper beads, finishing beads with wire... various jewelry techniques....

So keep an eye out.

ALSO! I am getting healthy. I'd like to drop 50# and I'm already down 2! woo-hoo!

And I want to slow down and enjoy life more. For example, right now I'm in the backyard with my kids. The Little Kahuna has stripped himself down to his birthday suit after getting soaked with water.

It's a perfect day here. Hope it's rockin' where you are!

Wedding Recovery

2008-02-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

Well, we are back. I am almost fully recovered from the whirl-wind wedding weekend! It was amazing to see all the friends and family that I've been missing. Surfer Girl's new hubby's fam is cool too.

I'm adding pics to flickr and the happy couple is still on their cruise. I'm trying not to be jealous. But it is hard...

I'm just about fully unpacked. There are a few odds and ends that haven't found a home yet but I'm working on it.

Not one to sit still, I'm onto the next project! The kid room! I only got a couple of hours painting in this last week, but as soon as I finish this blog I'm getting back to it! My Little Mermaid and her bro are itching for their 'space' back. I'll take some pics today while I'm in there painting the mural. In the meantime - don't forget to order your super cool cookbook!

cheers!

The Recipe Shower Cook Book!

2008-02-04T10:15:00.000-08:00

Here is a fuzzy preview. I've been unable to get the resolution just right, but you get the idea...

Recipe for LOVE

2008-01-30T06:05:00.000-08:00

It's taken me weeks...

But I finally finished it!

For those of you who DON'T know, my dear sister - SurferGirl - is getting married next weekend. SurferGirl lives in Hot-lanta and I am a couple states north. My mom and I decided to have a recipe shower for her, since we and all our friends and family live in different states!

It's been months of collecting recipes and photos. Then editing them and designing the coolest most kick-ass cookbook EVER. Ok, well, I think that the Joy of Cooking officially has that title, but my little cookbook is way cuter.

You can find it here:

So cute and cool. I hope they love it and I hope the famn-damily loves it too. Feel free to buy your copy today!

I should have one copy at the wedding, and would LOVE it if contributors partying with us in the islands would sign their pages for the happy couple!

The little dude is asleep, so I should get some work done. I'll get back to my cute crafts etc... soon. This book has taken all my time and now I have to pack for the tropics and get ready for

SUPERBOWL SUNDAY! Go GIANTS! man i hate the pats. i hate them so much!!!

cheers!

BeachMama

Skinny Bitch and Kashi

2008-01-27T07:35:00.000-08:00

Well, I've done it. I've taken the PLUNGE!
I
am now
vegan.

I've been a veg for a week and a half now. And despite an upset stomach last night, I've never felt better.

For all you who are thinking, VEGAN? WHAT THE HECK IS A VEGAN?!

A vegan commonly refers to a person who does not eat any animal by products of any kind. Period. No milk, no cheese, no meat.

WHY IN ALL THAT IS GOOD AND HOLY WOULD SOMEONE DO THIS???!

Well, quite frankly, this has been a long time coming for me. I've never been a big meat eater in the first place. And over the last year or so I've come across some pretty startling research. Don't worry I'm not going to try to convert you. This is my journey, you can look up the info for yourself if you feel so led. I will just say this, buy organic and if possible, from a local butcher who does the dirty work himself. AND FOR THE LOVE OF BESSIE, AVOID FACTORY FARM PRODUCTS LIKE THE PLAGUE!

Ok, so now you know this, you should also know that I'm human. Not perfect. And I didn't sign my meat eating rights away and join some strange religion or cult. So if you see me eating sushi, or animal products, don't hate. This is a process. But I've been vegan for almost 2 weeks and honestly don't feel like I'm missing anything or craving non-vegan stuff. I'll keep you abreast of my food discoveries.

EBAY IS A PAIN!

For those of you who found my blog via ebay. I will no longer be selling on Ebay. It should be known as FEE-bay. Talk about double dipping!

Let's charge you for listing something. Then, we'll charge you for "extra" stuff in your listings. And hey, wait a minute, your listing actually SOLD? Well, we want a piece of that too. Whoa Nellie! You used PayPal... We own that and we'll gladly take a nice chunk of that. What's that you say? They paid with a direct transfer from their PayPal account to yours? No, that USED to be free. But we got wise to that, yes, well, we're taking an extra piece of that pie too.

If you know me, then you know I rebel. I can't help it. Blame my parents. They raised strong women who won't be caged in. So let me enlighten you to wonders of ETSY!

Since watching the AMAZING documentary called The Corporation, I've rebelled against corporate america. I try to buy things that are crafted by people. For example, My son's shoes are hand made in Minnesota by Bambino's. A stay at home mom who makes the most beautiful shoes EVER.

See. I TOLD you. Don't you wish your little bambino had turtle toes too?

Etsy is wonderful. You pay 20 cents to list and sell an item. Period. No funny business. No catch.

I will still be using PayPal. It's just too darn easy and universally accessible.

Ok, now on to my FAVOURITE THINGS and BeachMama's latest happenings...

Fav thing #1
Kashi Heart to Heart Cereal.
Yum crunch and wild blueberries. Need i say more?!?!

Fav thing #2
MY ELECTRIC BLANKET
I am a cold weather wimp. I admit it. I loathe winter weather. My dear husband, Moon Doggie, in his infinite wisdom got me an electric blanket for Christmas. Oh how i love to snuggle up in bed with the blanket on HIGH!

Fav thing #3
THE MOVIE: ONCE
If you love british movies, and even if you don't, you'll love this one. The write up on the box makes it seem like a Music & Lyrics movie, (which I also love) but this is NOTHING like Music and Lyrics. trust me. Watch this movie and you'll be hooked. The music is awesome.

Now to answer some of your questions from my fan mail!!!

1. What is the last book you read?
Technically, it was Junie B Jones and Meanie Jim's Birthday.
But MY last book was Skinny Bitch and Jerome Bettis' biograhy "The Bus: My Life in and Out of the Helmet"

2. What was the last movie you saw?
I can't remember the last movie I saw in a theatre. But we watched Balls of Fury last night. Not my fav movie. The night before we watched Operation Dumbo Drop. Pretty good.

3. What song are you listening to a lot these days?
Hmmmm.... I guess technically it is John Denver's Annie's Song. I'm singing it at my sister's wedding next weekend, and I've been practicing b/c my voice has been really scratchy and messed up for like a month. I just hope I don't croak it out and ruin the ceremony.

Ok ciao for now my little conch shell lovlies!

Beach Mama's Craft Corner!

2007-11-13T12:38:00.000-08:00

Here it is, the very first video craft!

Sorry I've been MIA for so long! I promise not to neglect you any more!

More soon!
xo
Beach Mama

No Thrift Store Thursday...

2007-10-04T08:51:00.000-07:00

Well, we, the Groovy Family, shot our wad at the local fair last weekend, so there is no shopping today... But I can show you something that I got last week.

But, first things first!
HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN FABRIC PUMPKIN!!!

You will need:

Fabric (any type will do - but not felt)
Embroidery Needle
Sheers
Pen
Embroidery Floss
Batting/ Stuffing
Felt
Something round (Plate, bowl, etc...)

Place your round object on your fabric
Trace & Cut

Thread your needle with a long length of embroidery floss.
Fold over the raw edge of your circle &
sew and running stitch all the way around your fabric circle edge.

Pull the thread ends together slightly to gather the circle edges up forming a bowl.

Stuff with batting. Use more for a firmer pumpkin, less for a squishy pillow.

Pull the threads taut & tie closed securing with a double knot.

Thread your needle with a REALLY LONG length of embroidery floss (at least 3 feet)
Knot the end of your floss and thread needle through puckered opening.
Push all the way through pumpkin to the center bottom.
Pull thread all they way through.
Pull thread around pumpkin, over the top and back around to the bottom.

Push needle through bottom to top opening.

Keep feeding needle from bottom to top creating the pumpkin segments.

You will make 8 segments in your pumpkin.

Pull thread through top opening and tie off thread by securing to fabric edge and knotting off.

Cut a piece of felt large enough to fully cover puckered opening.

Stitch felt piece to top of pumpkin.
The felt should be larger than the puckered opening
and when secured, felt to the fabric,
you will want to have loose "extra" felt in the middle for the stem.

Knot off your thread but don't cut it yet.
Instead, thread needle under felt towards middle of felt top.

Feed needle through middle of felt pulling the extra loose felt up.
You will need to repeat this about 5-6 times to get a nice little stem.

Knot thread and cut near needle.
Knot loose thread ends together to make a loop for hanging

ISN'T IT TOO CUTE!

I told you you'd love it!

Now get to work making more super cute pumpkins!

But before you go - let me show you my prize find from last week's thrift store run!

Vintage glass ornaments! Woo-hoo!

'tis the season at the thrift stores!!!

Ciao for now!

Pumpkins Anyone?

2007-10-03T09:20:00.000-07:00

It's been almost a week since I wrote BUT I HAVE SO MUCH TO SHOW YOU!
First, I want to show you the hankies I embellished...

I stitched an Erma Bombeck quote: "Humor is a spontaneous, wonderful bit of an outburst that just comes. It's unbridled, it's unplanned, it's full of surprises." It will be available in my Etsy shop Then I made one for me with my monogram and some SEASHELLS!

Then Little Mermaid drew a picture and I stitched that onto a hanky for her...

After that, the halloween fabric was on SALE! So you KNOW I couldn't resist. I made a shimmery spiderweb cloth with 1 yard of sheer fabric and a 1/2 yard of cotton. Then I added a plaid grosgrain ribbon at the hem. LOVE IT!

And now for the PUMPKINS!!!!!!These will all be for sale in my etsy shop and tomorrow I'll show you how to make your very own! No Pattern - this is all from my own brain & hands.

They are so easy to make and you don't need a sewing machine! You'll get addicted!
The little baby pumpkins are too cute! And then! I found this website, vistaprint.com and got some free goodies along with my new business cards!!! All I bought were the cards, the sticky notes and stamper were free and I got to design them myself!

Whew! That's a lot. I'm going to make more pumpkins now and TOMORROW you get to make some too!

Ciao for now!

Treasure Hunting!

2007-09-27T14:53:00.000-07:00

One of my all time fav things to do is treasure hunt. My latest find was from one of the local Goodwill Thrift Stores. Of course it is beachy!

It was filled with a half burnt candle and burnt wax slopped all over. So I heated it up to get the wax off and cleaned that bad boy up! I LOVE MY NEW GLASS CONCH SHELL!

Today stopped at another thrift store before I picked up my Little Mermaid from school. Not much to report but I did get a few linens and a tea towel.

While looking through some eco-friendly articles on Etsy I decided to try living without (well, GREATLY REDUCING) my use of the papertowel and facial tissues. -Until I get a bidet the TP stays!-

Here are my linen finds for today.

Tonight I might decorate them a bit and show you the results manana!

Save the Earth!

First Blog!!!

2007-09-26T10:05:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Beach Mama Blog!

Here is where I will talk about all things fun and crafty. Sort of a craft journal/ personal diary type thang. I never could figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up, and still don't know... so I do EVERYTHING! I'm addicted to fabric and learning new things all the time...

I love to...

sew

cook

paint

quilt

design

take photos

play with images in Photo Shop

sing

laugh

walk

scrapbook

read

swim

watch Steelers Football

BE AT THE BEACH

I don't know how to:

knit - really. I can knit and purl but a scarf is as complex as I've ever gotten.
crochet
basket weave
focus on anything but the tv during a Steelers game
build a space rocket

So that's a little about me and why I'm blogging. Later Gators!