What I know

I make them take this same picture with me over and over.

Every single time we go to Disneyland.
And we go a lot.

The beauty is that they do it.
Every time.
For me.

My girls are pretty easy.
They love being on both sides of the camera.

The boys, however, take some coaxing.

I know that the things that I insist on documenting now will be meaningful to them later in life.  But I never say that. They think they are just indulging another of mom's silly whims.

I know that going to the park as much as we do, their Disneyland memories will all kind of blur together. But I also know that they will treasure these times. I know they will joke - "remember how mom always insisted on taking the Mickey face picture?" And I know they will share that sibling "inside joke" moment. 

But they don't know that I know all this.  And I will continue to play dumb. And insist on taking the picture. And I will know that what I'm really doing. . .  is making a memory.

And for that, I don't mind getting a little goofy. =D

Stopping once in a while

I know I spend a lot of time on my computer, but every now and then I force myself to just stop and look around.
I have a spot, too.
It's in the corner of our bedroom.
And there I am surrounded by things I love.

The coverlet was crocheted by my great aunt in the 1920's.
The brown wooden box on the high shelf was my Cuban grandmother's sewing box.
The books are whatever I'm reading at the moment and my Bible, of course.
The picture is of those beautiful cherubs by the artist, Raphael - because I hope to return to Italy one day.

I sit and think.
And read.
I write out lists.
And talk to God.
I remember my past.
I make plans for my future.
And write in my journal.
I stare out the window and listen to the birds.

Because I run a business.
Because I homeschool my kids and am with them 24/7.
Because I care for my aging mom.
Because I have so much I want to read.
Because I have so much I have to talk to God about.
Because I spend way too much time on my computer.
Because I need a place to just sit and think and just be.

In the sage words of Ferris Bueller:

"Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

Tutus and Time Travel

I'm working on a scrapbook entitled, "My Favorite Pictures."

That seems like such an obvious thing.  But I 'm a little slow on the uptake.  Of all the scrapbooks I work on, it had never occurred to me before to create one of just my favorite pictures.
(I know. I know... "Hello? McFly!")

As I'm sorting my pictures for the Library of Memories class I'm taking over at Big Picture Scrapbooking, I"m finding so many photos that I just simply love.
Some that need no other context or explanation.

This is one.

Spring, 1999. Eric walking 5 year old Lucy to her first ballet recital.

I could stare at this one all day long. 

Except for that whole pesky, blurry, tears-in-my-eyes thing.

Over-sharing

I'm obviously very outspoken about the things that I love.

The big things don't need to be spelled out: God. My husband. My kids. My home.

It's the little things that are telling.  Those little things that you might not guess about me when you first meet me. Or even if you have known me a long time. Those are the things that intimately describe me.

I am working on my "year in review" scrapbooking layouts, and I came across this one from a couple of years ago.

I would probably have to add a few more things, but the picture it paints is still pretty accurate.

I never used to scrapbook about myself.  My kids were always the subjects of my pages. They are so adorable and busy and it is fun to document all the things they do. Besides, I'm really proud of them all. And, scrapbooking life events is a no-brainer.

Telling about myself is more difficult.  Particularly things that are important to me. It has just been in the past 6 months that I have even begun to document my own story of  leaving Cuba and starting life in America. That has been the most difficult of all.  It seems like it would be boring to anyone who had not lived it.  But, I have found since I started this blog, that there are many of us who have "lived it." I'm in extremely good company here.

I have to remind myself that the people who love me care about my life and especially the little things. I remember this as I work.  This requires more thought and introspection than I'm typically comfortable with. And just a little bit of fearlessness. I could expound and explain each item, and it's not completely exhaustive, but I think I will just let the list speak for itself.  Here goes....

LITTLE THINGS I LOVE:

• Romantic comedies
• Noche Buena
• Jewel tones
• a great pen
• All things Cuban
• the beach
• My family
• quotes
• fresh HOT bread
• simplicity
• salsa music
• Lord of the Rings
• sentences that begin with: "when I'm an inventor..."
• scrapbooking
• guava pastry
• foot massages
• movie lines
• fonts
• Ancient Egypt
• 1928 Jewelry
• Victoria's Secret nightgowns
• the lake at 6pm
• illustrated children's books
• Perrier w/ lime
• Cafe des Riches for breakfast
• sleeping in
• Lucy's laugh
• My Rose Garden
• Prismacolor pencils
• Hanalei Bay in Hawaii
• Reading aloud
• The Improv

So... now you know. =D

Bet you didn't know...

I've got my mom with me this weekend.

That means, of course, that I'm cooking Cuban.  Preparing for Thanksgiving next week and looking forward to Noche Buena next month got me thinking of pork.  (That last statement totally makes sense to Cuban Americans.)

So I've got pork chops in the crock-pot slow cooking in mojo. As they cook,  the aroma of garlic and spices is filling up our home.  This triggers memories for my mom and makes her chatty.
She starts telling her stories. I know most of them, of course. I never tire of listening to them.

But every now and then she tells me something I never knew about her life.

I wonder, "how could I have known her all these years and not known that??"
Then I think that maybe it is that way with me and my kids, too. There are things they just don't know about who I am or what has happened in my life - the good and the bad.

So I am determined to tell my own stories on my scrapbook pages. I want my kids and their descendants to know me. I want them to know what life was like for me as a young exile growing up in a strange culture. I want them to know how important family has always been. I want them to know I care deeply about the people I love and the island of my birth.  I want them to know I had a sense of humor. =D

This is a great example of the pages I make now. The journaling reads:

Bet you didn't know...

• Most of my friends from 8th grade were also Cuban. (Mayra, Isis, Yoly, Carmen, Alina)
• I learned how to sew when I was 8 years old.
• I talk in my sleep a lot - sitting up with my eyes open.
• My dream job would be to do stand-up comedy.
• The theme song from the TV show, "Cheers," makes me cry.
• I secretly love to read political commentaries.
• I won a dance contest in high school. The prize was a Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young LP.
• My mother didn't name me immediately after birth. I was almost named Marilyn or Virginia.
• I've read "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy at least a dozen times - 3 times out loud!
• I've always collected things. (paper dolls, tin buttons, plastic figurines, Nancy Drew books, art supplies, matches, ashtrays, mugs, teapots, boxes)
• I sewed and beaded my own wedding dress.
• My favorite time to go swimming in the ocean is just before sunset.
• One of my photographs (a portrait of my sister, Alina) was displayed in "The Place Across the Street from the Hotel Laguna" in Laguna Beach.
• I played in the very first Gillis Beach Volleyball Tournament in 1970. (mixed doubles category - we were out in the first round)
• I ran into Jay Leno once at LAX. I had with me a People magazine, with him on the cover and a loaded camera in my bag. We had a long conversation, but I didn't get his autograph or even a photo. (silly me!)
• In 1960, I appeared on Cuban TV dressed as a bunny. (don't have a clue why)

Tell your own story. In your very unique voice. It will matter deeply to someone you love.