Just shoot me.

The good people over at the OC Register (our local newspaper) had asked me to write something for Hispanic Heritage Month. We've had a relationship for a while now because my blog is listed in their Latino Life Section.

I was happy to oblige because, well, here on my blog I celebrate my heritage just about every day. =D

Then I got a call from the Features Editor (Shut up. I know.) who liked my piece and asked if they could print it and could they please send a photographer over to do a photo shoot with me and my family?

Umm....YES!

The photographer, Leonard Ortiz, was just delightful and pulled it together beautifully. He spent two (2!) hours lighting and shooting us.  He was very easy to work with and pose for and seemed to enjoy working with the Darby clan. 

So he took photos of us in the living room under one of my favorite Cuba posters. In my tiny stairwell (yes, all six of us!), the one with all the family photos on the wall. I think it took him so long because we were totally laughing together and being goofy (but that's not important right now).

There were quite a few of Photogenically Challenged Me standing in front of the American flag holding a framed photo of Papi.

Of course, Lucy had our camera on hand to document the documentation....

I'll let you know when (if?) the piece runs.

Meanwhile, I'm getting out the sandpaper....pa' darme lija.** ;-)

**"dar lija" (pronounced - "dahr lee hah") is a Cuban idiom that means someone is a little vain and so they "sandpaper" themselves. Like polishing wood.... 

I'm hoping to get one of the group shots he took to use for my Christmas Card this year. Is that resourceful? Or just lazy? (Either way, I feel sooo accidentally cool.)