The Best of MBFCF in 2009

Everywhere you hear about and see the flashbacks, the nostalgia, the reminiscing about the past year.

Well, today I look back on this blogging year and some of my favorite posts. (Yes, I do have favorite posts and lots of others that make me wring my hands and wonder why I do this in the first place, but that's not important right now.)

Actually, it's tough for me to choose my favorites, because I write about the comings and goings and uber-geekiness and silliness of my family. For the most part, I usually write from my heart about whatever is on at that moment. And that continues to be the Reason I Blog.

But here are the Highlights of MBFCF for this past year. (As voted on by a panel of Myself. =D)

Enjoy!

1. Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

 

The time I was contacted by the producer for umm... Ramie Toliver. *sigh*

2. Pure Imagination

 

In which my son becomes the Greatest Candy Maker of All Time and leaves mom in a puddle of tears.

3. "Funny, but you don't look Cuban."

 

Celebrating my mom's 95th birthday with party hats and great style.

4. Breakfast of Champions

Café con leche. That is all.

5. No 'Flux capacitor' needed

 

In which I run smack-dab into an icon from my past in the unlikeliest of places: Washington, D.C.

6. Como Su Ritmo No Hay Dos or What Cuban Music Heaven Looks Like

The night we got to see Andy Garcia up-close and personal at the Conga Room.

7. Miles of Smiles

 

I just really like that picture and all the comments that you shared on that post.

8. Pastelito Delivery Service

Me, Desi Arnaz, Jr. and my Pastelitos de Guayaba in the same area code, at the same time. =D

9. How Many Cuban Girls Does it Take to Get ONE Photo?

 

I laugh out loud when I remember this moment. So glad I caught in on film and blogged about it.

10. Gonna buy five copies for my mother...

The day my coming-to-America story came out in the O.C. Register. (*she wrote, proudly*)

11. My Man, Ron

An unforgettable visit to the Reagan Ranch.

12. Measuring Life

 

Celebrating MBFCF in this year's Christmas video.

These were just some of the highlights of my year. I think that 2009 will go down in history as the year in which I Blogged Once Again. =D

Thank you all for allowing me to share the ups and downs of my big, fat, Cuban family with you. I look forward with great anticipation towards 2010 and all that it may bring.

Prospero Año Nuevo!

Getting the Party Started

The beginning of December (last week) always signals the countdown to Christmas. And as I've said before, we don't usually decorate our house or even put up a tree until closer to Christmas. (Yes, ours is the "dark house" in the neighborhood for most of the month, but that's not important right now.)

But just because we don't start decorating, doesn't mean we don't start celebrating!

We went to Disneyland last week with my BFF, Pam and her husband, Pastor Gene and their daughter, Mary and grandaughter, CJ. Our friends live over 250 miles away and we only get to see them when they come down to Disneyland which is, of course, the perfect place for us to hang together. In fact, Pam and I have been hanging out at Disneyland (particularly at Christmastime) for over 30 years now.

That's me, Pam & Gene. Circa 1977 on the porch of one of the facades on Main Street. I remember it was the year they opened Space Mountain and besides Christmas shopping, and taking our Christmas Card photo in front of the Disney tree, we went specifically to ride Space Mountain.

I have a pretty good memory for these things. Which is why I told Pam, "We need a photo right here on this spot."

She agreed.

I love that in spite of time and distance we are still friends. Disneyland friends. Best Friends, Forever. =D

We had such a great day. It was not too hot and not too cold and we rode rides and ate and watched parades. All the same things we used to do so many years ago. Only now, maybe a little slower. (Shut up.)

 

I think our kids love the thought that maybe we were both young once and they kind of like that sense of shared history. You know, like, "Mom was once young. Who knew?" =D

So we rode my favorite, the Jungle Cruise.

 

Pastor Gene and Adam braving the wild jungle adventures.

 

I do I love the Jungle Cruise. Except for the part where my kids like to point out that I'm as old as this particular elephant who has been showering here since Disneyland opened in 1955. Sheesh!

 

Which makes me think, "Hey, I look pretty good for my age...."

 

Here we are at the top of Tarzan's Treehouse. Somewhere I have videotape of us bouncing up those stairs to get there. This day it took us a while to catch our breath. Ha! But we got the photo!  (I just wanted proof I had done all those stairs.)

The day culminated with the lovely parade and the magical moment when they light the castle and shoot off fireworks and it snows! Can it get any more magical than that???

 

The fireworks! Stupendous! Made me cry. (they always do!)

How much more magic can I stand? We got to kick off our Christmas celebration at Disneyland with some of our favorite-practically-like-family friends. Adam bonded with their grandaughter, CJ. They were so cute together.

 

And of course, by the end of the night, I was able to get my four kids in a photo together rockin' the castle in the background. (Which was a main event for me.)

 

Aren't they just adorable? CJ liked how they looked away and wanted to do it too.

 

I like how the balloon happened to escape into the photo too. A nice touch. (Look at CJ's face, she was really working it!)

 

And of course, The Pensieros and the Castle.

What a practically perfect day.
Glad I got to share it with my best friend, forever. In my favorite place. With my favorite people. It just doesn't get any better than this.

Hi Pam! Love you MORE!

So you see, even if we don't have decorations up, the celebrations have already begun.

Merry Christmas!

All Desi. All the time.

So we went to Vegas and Boulder City the week before Thanksgiving to see the fabulous Tormé Sings Tormé show. It was absolutely delicious and satisfying in every way. 

First of all Steve March Tormé's tribute to his incredibly talented dad (Mel Tormé) was both exhilarating to watch and yet tugged at the heartstrings as he sang while showing video of him with his dad.

For the sake of full disclosure, when he sang a medley of I'm Wishing (the Snow White song) and When You Wish Upon a Star, (with the family photos projecting in the background) the tears were flowing freely. What a gift!

Of course, my favorite part of the show was when Desi got up and took to the Conga drums.(See him right there behind Steve? *sigh*)

 

I love that they knew each other as kids and are still friends today.

 

After the amazing show, there was a lovely reception for the band at the Dam Hotel, (=D) where we were staying.

It was there that I got to give the lovely Miss Amy (Mrs. Arnaz) her MBFCF mug.

 

And also got to visit with her husband, My Friend, Desi Arnaz, Jr. (*blushes*)

The last time we visited I had taken Desi some of my famous pastelitos de guayaba. He enjoyed them so much he thought that maybe we'd be interested in buying the newly vacated restaurant space across the street from their theater. 

He's quite the convincing salesman, too. "Just think! I could walk across the street whenever I got hungry and have Cuban food!"

Okay, so maybe I was tempted, a little.

(Actually, my mind started racing forward in total I Love Lucy fashion in which Lucy and Ethel come up with some harebrained scheme to start a business - how apropos, right? - and I began to think that maybe living in Boulder City and opening a Cuban restaurant there wouldn't be so bad, and since we homeschool and Eric works at home, we could live wherever we wanted and we do so love Desi and Amy, and I'd get to see him... All. The. Time. But that's not important right now.)

So Eric and I talked about it and fantasized a little....

 

Until we remembered that it gets to be 120 degrees in the summer in Boulder City The Dam City.

So sorry, Desi, mi amor. =(  

But thanks again, Desi and Amy for a fabulous weekend. We'll definitely be visiting again! (And yes, I'll bring you some more pastelitos. MUAH! <--Cuban kiss.)

He Danced With Me

The following post has been brought to you by the lovely and talented (and oh-so-humble) Kikita.

About 10 years ago, when I was an adorable teenager who didn't remember much of the Spanish she'd spoken as a child, I saw the movie "Dance with Me."

It was magical. There was a beautiful Puerto Rican guy (Chayanne) who was playing the part of a beautiful Cuban. He went to a dance studio and taught a "professional Latin dancer" how to "feel the music."

He took her dancing and they ordered mojitos.
That was the moment I decided that: "one day, I want to try a mojito."
At this nightclub they went to, there was a live band that I just loved.
I remember thinking, "I would love to see that guy in concert."

Later in the movie, they go back to the same club.
It's a longer scene and there is a different singer.

When I saw it I thought, "I would love to dance with people like that. Ooh, that guy in the vest is cute! I would love to dance with him."
And I thought, "She's awesome. I would love to see her perform live too."

Secret wishes, hopes, and dreams that I never dared to tell anyone. I just kept them deep inside and they would bubble up every time I watched the movie.

As I got older, I moved some of those secret wishes to the "it's never gonna happen" shelf. Yes, when I turned 21 the first drink I ordered was a mojito.

Yes, I HAVE been dancing in places where I felt like I was in that scene in that movie, but most of the time I don't feel that way. Most of the time, I'm just happy to be dancing.

And then it happened.
The guy singing in the first nightclub scene is Ricardo Lemvo and I got the chance to meet him when he played at the Conga Room. I couldn't believe my luck!

About a week later, I got an email from my dear friend Ziva. Having had so much fun at the Andy Garcia concert last year, she took me up on my offer to join her and Henry at another concert . . . This time, it was Albita.

Who is Albita? Aside from a fabulous and fun Cuban singer, she also happens to be the lady who was singing my favorite dance scene from "Dance with Me."

SHUT. UP.
I KNOW!

So, tonight is the night. Tonight yet another of my secret wishes is coming to life. Tonight is a dream come true.

Does it stop there? OF COURSE NOT!

Earlier this week, I decided at the last minute to go out dancing "just for an hour or two." While I was there basking in the music, someone taps me on the shoulder and says, "May I have this dance?"

This "tipo" looks vaguely familiar, but I can't place him. Regardless, I wanted to dance so I accepted.
"I'm Rudy."
"Hi Rudy, I'm Kikita."

As soon as we started dancing I knew this guy was good and was just hoping I could keep up. I did. He looked a little surprised that I did (and I don't blame him, I was a little surprised too, but I'm not the one who got thrown off by the blond hair).
We thanked each other for the dance and got on with our lives.

(For the record: This is NOT Rudy. Rudy is beautiful. This is just a representative photo of me dancing. This person couldn't really dance, but I could! Look at my lovely arm extension. But, as Mami would say, that's not important right now.)

What's your point, Kikita?

It turns out that this "Rudy" guy was one of the dancers in my favorite scene, the scene with Albita singing . . . he was the guy in the vest.

It's official. Dreams CAN come true!

At least that's what Disney always says.

Thankful - November 21

Today I am thankful for ... the many wonderful people that I have met, just because I blog. 
I know. Shut up. ;-)

Pumpkins. Food. Costumes. Food. Candy. And food.

There are so many things about our Halloween celebration that I love.

I love the dressing up and the treats. I love the combination of purple, orange, black, and green (It's all very 60's mod to me, but that's not important right now).

I love the cute decorations. (These were from a particularly brilliant last minute pdf. download thanks to Elle's Studio.)

How cute is that hanging banner thingy?

And these adorable treat bags? Totally inspired.

My mom was helping us fill them. That's her under the blanket. Let's just say that our personal body temperatures are in conflict right now. (I keep my house at an arctic - according to her -  72 degrees.) ;-)

I love the fun, if sometimes stressful, party preparations. And I love cooking for a houseful of appreciative and hungry teenagers.

But my most favoritest (<---that should be a word) thing about Halloween are pumpkins. Excuse me, jack-o-lanterns.

So I always get a big pile of pumpkins and that's the first thing our guests do. They get to choose a design and carve a pumpkin.

 

And believe me, once they choose their pumpkins, they get down to the serious business of carving.

 

I figure the pumpkin carving activity is a great ice breaker (not that this particular group needs it - they are, seriously, the BEST group of teens).

But with their hands and brains occupied (and a very cool Halloween music mix playing in the background) they start to relax together and they get to be social as they talk and laugh and compare designs. Added bonus: the adults hang out in the background and we get to enjoy each other as well.

 

And of course, they start to loosen up and quickly become their wonderful silly selves.

This is what happens when teenage boys encounter latex gloves...

All that pumpkin carving takes tremendous energy and so they build up an appetite. (Which always makes me happy because that means I have People To Feed.)

 

I love when they all finally get into their costumes. How sweet is this? Jonathan is the black thing with the big hands in the center. He's supposed to be a Nazgul. But you'd have to be a Lord of the Rings geek (which we are) to get it.

 

They cruise up and down our street for the Ritual Candy Collection while we set up the Great Darby Backyard Movie Theater.

Last night's movie was the classic "Young Frankenstein" with Gene Wilder. (One of my all-time favorites. I used to work at a movie theater when I was in college and it played for something like 32 weeks and so I know it completely by heart, but that's not important right now, either.)

I have the greatest most generous friends who baked (!) and added to the volume of Sugar Consumption. (We live in a peanut-butter-and-jelly type neighborhood and always have a ton of trick-or-treaters, so most of the candy in the bowls was gone by the end of the night. PHEW!)

But my most especially favoritest (<---it's a good word!) part of our Annual Halloween Extravaganza is the moment when the ice-breaker-party-activity-of-the-early-evening becomes...

The Most Awesome Jack-O-Lantern Display of the Neighborhood.

 

PS. It goes without saying that a good time was had by all.  ;-)

 

"I laughed. I cried. It moved me, Bob." ~ Larry the Cucumber

It's a Dead Man's Party

I have a love/hate relationship with Halloween.

I love the kids in costumes and carving pumpkins and all that but I kind of hate the creepy/ghoulish stuff. We never got to do any of this when I was little. At least until we came to the U.S. That's when we began to get involved in the dress-up-and-beg-for-candy novelty that is Halloween.

But my friend, Wendy embraces all that is good and scary about Halloween. And I appreciate that about her.

She and I met while working on sets last year for A Midsummer Night's Dream. Our daughters were both in drama.

Wendy's flair for the theatrical is evident when you first drive up her street and see that her house is decorated (I use the term loosely because what she has done goes way above and beyond mere house decor)  in a scary circus/carnival style with a graveyard on the roof and a classic 1969 Cadillac hearse parked in front of the house haunt.

Her attention to detail is phenomenal and everywhere you look there's a token of what scary adventures lie ahead. In fact, it has a certain Disney-Haunted-Mansion vibe going for it.

(Yes, that's Jon getting his Joker on - in keeping with the theme. =D)

Her pièce de résistance is what she calls The Haunt, which is a scary maze enhanced by strobe lights and black lights with frightening surprises along the way.

As much as I appreciated her creativity and hard work and the drama of it all, I was very reluctant to walk through the maze. (Yes, I'm a big chicken/coward/wuss/insert-insulting-word-of-choice-for-fearful-here.) Wendy, who was unfazed by my personal cowardice, offered to lead us through in broad daylight and without the special effects. I say "us" because I made Eric, Jonathan and Amy walk through in front of me. (I know. Shut up.) =D

No scary clowns.....yet.  (Except for Jon, of course, but that's not important right now.)

They taunted me enough that I caved in to peer-pressure (Peer-pressure is a terrible thing!) and decided to brave The Haunt after dark. Actually, I was impressed with Wendy's creativity and was, frankly, more curious than anything. And yes, I'm well aware of what curiosity did to the cat.....

So, the intrepid Darbys enter The Haunt...

Actually, I'm not even in this picture. Amy was just holding those glasses up to make it look like I was. Ooooh, how cool is that amazingly scary invisible-man effect?

We survived (but just barely).

Look at how deeply terrified we all look here in the funhouse mirror room...

Either that, or my concealer eye make-up EPICALLY FAILED.  =D

If you live in So Cal and are looking for a most excellent, scary Halloween Haunt, here are the details:

"Killer Klowns KarnEvil"
open to the public
on Friday, October 30th and Saturday, October 31st, 2009.
15432 Florence Circle, Huntington Beach, CA 92647

Everyone is welcome! (Even you fraidy-cats like me.)

Pastelito Delivery Service

The temperature has been in the double digits around here. So cooking has been a pretty low priority. If I do cook, it will usually involve the crockpot and rice cooker and me NOT in the kitchen for hours.

But last week, I baked! Yes, BAKED. And I'm not just talking about the day I spent too much time in the sun. (That's a story for another day...) ;-)

I made a big batch of my fabulous Pastelitos de Guayaba (homemade guava pastries). 

What on earth could have possessed me to go into the kitchen, let alone turn on the oven, you ask?

Desi, of course. (*be still my foolish heart*) My friend, Desi Arnaz, Jr. 

You see, I had promised to make him some pastelitos and the last few times we've been to Vegas (he lives close to there) we were unable to connect. But this time, his lovely wife, my sweet friend Amy encouraged us to come. They'd just be getting back from a trip, and he'd probably be tired and un-shaven, but would love to see me.

Could I possibly be deterred by a such a small detail as a vacation beard? Besides, all I heard was "... Desi would love to see you."

So I baked.

And, along with my Amy, drove through the Nevada desert in 110 degree heat to deliver the pastelitos to my friend (and teen crush, but that's not important right now. *she blushes*) Desi Arnaz, Jr.

 

He tasted them right away. (Notice the sign that says "JOY" directly behind him. Coincidence? I think not.)

 

He declared them to be delicious.

Desi: "Would you like some?"

Me: "Can you stop me?"

I have to reiterate what a delightful and fun-loving (not to mention, immensely talented) guy he is.

And of course, I'm grateful to dear Amy who took time out of her busy schedule to take us on a tour of the charming town of Boulder City, where the Arnaz's own and operate the Historic Boulder Theatre. Amy blogs over at Insights from The Magic Tutu. (If you stop by and say hello, be sure to tell her Marta sent you. =D)

The Two Amys. How adorable are they??

So, the Pastelito Delivery was a success. We're grateful once again to the Arnaz's for their gracious hospitality.

And once again, I forgot for a moment that he was the son of TV and Cuban Royalty. Until he asked if we liked his T-shirt. The one with the picture of "Mom."

I know. Shut. UP.  ;-)

Monday Blog Hijackery or "I've known Marti for longer than I haven't"

It's Monday. Which means it's time for another Blog Hijackery. (Yay!!)

Because you know that I am all about documenting my life, and I have such great friends, I thought this would be a fun way to do both. So Monday Blog Hijackery was born.

This one courtesy of my BFF, Pam. Her blog is called It is no bad thing to celebrate a simple life. (That also happens to be one of our favorite quotes from Lord of the Rings, but that's not important right now.)

I was twenty years old when we met and became insta-friends. We worked as cashiers together at a local movie theater and then both married young and hung out together as young-married-twenty-somethings before we had kids.  (She was the one who introduced me to my first husband, but I don't hold that against her because that produced Amy and Adam. =D)

My kids call her their Fairy Godmother because she is so amazingly generous to them and loves all four as her own.

When I asked her to hijack my blog, I had no idea she would write such nice things about me. In fact, I'm a little embarrassed. But I love that we share more than half a lifetime of memories. Her husband, Pastor Gene, is the one who brings me The Daily Hanford Train Report.

So every day we talk, we text, we Twitter, we Facebook, we send photos and emails and we continue to share life - the cyberspace way.  =D

******************************************************************

I've known Marti for longer than I haven't

First of all, I had to share this picture.  I don’t know why, but I am so cute!  We were looking for pecans for pecan pie in 1961 in South Carolina but this was before I knew Marti…

(bet she makes a great pecan pie, Cuban style, of course.)

 

I met Marti, my BFF, in 1975. I’ve known her for 34+ of my 52 years,  Marti is my oldest (time known, not to imply she is old) and dearest friend.   We keep in almost daily contact.

Marti has always been a great cook and amazing “good time” person.  I remember eating her Arroz Con Pollo on this day (And YES he invented wearing water shoes before they became popular, but that is not important right now).

I know you have read about her parties, but what you might not know is that she gives great gifts and is always creative.

 

Above was one of her gifts to my husband, Gene.  See how useful!  (Hey Marti, digging the seal picture in the background!  Remember that?) 

I think my favorite gift she gave me was this...

 

She mailed this to me! She could have been the author of the new campaign!  (Balloons popping out of surprising places-that was her idea YEARS ago, but that's not important right now.)

Here is Marti and my husband, Gene in 1979 at our little cabin in Running Springs.  You see? She has that same great smile! 

Looking at a picture of Marti’s smile always makes you smile, doesn’t it?

 

One regret I have is that we don’t live closer.  If we lived closer, she would plan all my parties! I could stop by and visit!  We could go to Disneyland everyday!

That was my favorite picture of us!  Here’s the tale... 

She texted me and said it was a DL day!  I was so excited because my husband and I were there.  I didn’t want to tell her we were coming because I truly hoped we could surprise her. 

When she texted that she was there I was so excited.  We kept texting her back and asking where she was!  She didn’t answer.  (Must have thought we were so annoying.) 

Finally she wrote back and said she was just getting off the tree house!  We just happened to be resting at the River Belle Terrace!  My dream had been realized.  Now, hopefully she was still there and the text was not too late in getting to me.  There she was!  I was able to go up behind her and just stood, invading her privacy by getting very close.  She looked annoyed at me then realized it was me!  That was the photo!!!!!  I love it! 

I do use her for encouragement when I am down, and I am so thankful for that.  She never judges me, which is a wonderful quality.  She is always there to listen!  Marti, I so appreciate that, more than you will ever know.  You’ve enriched my life in countless ways.  Thank you for the privilege to hijack your blog! 

Here’s to another 35 years!  Kisses!

*************************************************************************

Thanks, Pam! You totally made me cry. I love you.

Intensive Train-ing. ;-)

I'm a collector.
I have that bone in my brain that says that if a thing is good, more of it would be better!

And of course, you know I'm all about documenting my life and my kids and my family and my friends.

I'm the one who agonizes over which photos to frame and put in albums and which to store. I have drawers full of video tapes from weddings and Christmas and summer days and performances. So much to document, so little time!

So when I receive videos and pictures on my phone from people I love, it's like two worlds colliding.

"I must save this," says the collector. 
"I must somehow document this moment," says the historian.

What to do?

In this case, these are videos sent to my phone from my great friend, Pastor Gene. I've written before about how the train thwarts his progress every day. What I love is that he still sends me the Train Report practically every day. And what he doesn't know is that I collect those videos and I upload them to youtube.

I do this, so that today, on his birthday, I can document this fun little tradition that we have. We've been documenting and sharing the train tradition for awhile now.

See? Collect and Document.

Here's Pastor Gene and his Hanford train:

See? I think that was about a year ago.
Here's another:

And one more:

I have dozens of those and they make me happy every single time.I'm not going to share my entire train collection with you today. These are just the highlights of a video text I receive every single day, which I value and cherish. There are dozens of others. These are my favorites.

This next one, he actually coaxes his granddaughter, CJ to greet all of us Darbys. It was a magical moment.

See? I collect these. Moments of love and of joy and to me it's pure comedy.

So thank you, Gene. For sharing your every day frustrations and triumphs, the good, the bad and the small town life. We love spending a tiny bit of our day with our good friends, and that ridiculous Hanford train!

Thanks for sharing so much of yourself. You are God's Gift to us. And we love you very much.

Happy Birthay, Gene, our friend.