July 30, 2012

SuperWhy Live Tour- A Review

Took my grandsons Rinquincaya & PicaPica to see the SuperWhyLive show yesterday and all I can say is- glad my DIL was w/me 'cause the boys were so excited you'd have thought it was Christmas!

PicaPica and Rinquincaya-  SuperWhy Masks



Naturally BB has been to children's live action shows before, remember my trio , but it's been awhile.  The special effects are so much better and lifelike that you can't help but be impressed and swept into the action.

From 2 D to 3 D

BB getting into the story and being totally impressed.

Rinquincaya roaring along with the crowd.


The live show incorporated the plot of the SuperWhy tv show along with fantastic and colorful musical numbers, giving each character a chance to shine and explain who they are and what their powers were.






It got so good BOTH boys had to sit on BB's lap!  




JU SO FONII!!! 

Ok, si, it's wider and taller - thanks to Babushka's Popa bag- nothing else.

  ; )



My boys were entranced, entertained and totally into it.

PicaPica totally groovin' the Rock Star number.





And speaking about rockin'- the finale was in the words of my boys-


AWESOME!!!!


So...was this entertaining enough for a 4.5 and almost 6 year old ever moving boys? 
Let's put it this way, PicaPica asked, "Babushka, can we come again tomorrow?" 




Babushka Besos a todos.  Cuidensen



P.S.  BB was compensated w/tickets to the SuperWhyLive Tour show, but all opinions are mine, Rinquincaya and PicaPica's.


P.P.S.  Here's the original post on the SuperWhyLive Tour in case you want to know more about it and when it's scheduled to be in your little corner of the universe.


July 25, 2012

My trip w/a drip to THE TRIP was A Trip- 2nd part of BB's Prequel to the American Latino Heritage Roadtrip

Ok si, yo se, what a major title-woah.  But then again my beautifuls, what a major viaje, on so many levels, is the American Latino Heritage Roadtrip! Now the major part of this of course is the driving. Considering I would be the driver in the adventure, I wanted to scout out the roads and chose to leave home Up North in The South via bus.  Que?? Solita- by myself? Maybe I'd end up with un estraño next to me?  JU SO FONII!!! Traveling solo was one of the reasons I look forward to someone else driving, and as far as a stranger sitting next to me... vamos people, it's not like BB's your average looking person either!  Realmente, I've always enjoyed my bus rides.  I get to rest, do a little bit of wifi, and meet the neatest peoplePLUS the extra hours let me pack an extra big snack bag.


2 little coolers plus other incidentals

 Knowing this was not the opportunity for Cuban time, I arrived at the terminal one hour earlier as they suggested. Esta bien, 50 minutes earlier than the departure time- for a Cubana that's like being uber early, don't split hairs ok?  This was the scene I found.



::sigh::  I'll never get used to American time.


Bueno, I was one of the last in line, but I made it!!  I got on the guagua, and almost fell with the weight of my snack bag because the driver hadn't placed the stepbox they usually add for us to climb onboard. Oh my. Apparently the driver was an ex-drill sargeant and wanted us to do exercise.  I say this because when he started stating the rules of riding, he was combo Major Payne and Kindergarten Cop.  De veras, truly, don't laugh! He even made someone stop talking because "he would not repeat what he was saying or answer any questions that he was addressing". Oh my!  Well, at least I'd be able to Feibu y Tweety during the trip.  Nana nina- nothing doin', no way.  This was a "white bus", an older vehicle without Wifi. No way!  They really should state that on the tickets- let us know which trips would be using the older buses. As if to answer my mental indignation, to show me it's age, or perhaps to cool me down, I felt something cold and wet fall next to me. 





For those that were worried someone strange would be sitting next to me, this constant wet yellow friend assured me plenty of snack bag space and ample leg room.  Not only that, but thanks to the very early departure time, I was able to sleep until Orlando where there would be a driver change and bus check. 

Viste? 
No hay mal que por bien no venga. There's always a silver lining.


Once in the Orlando terminal we had a layover where I observed the most curious thing.  Apparently homeland security believes riders and their bags should only be checked if they are going north of Orlando... guess they figured those of us going to Miami are used to the guns??

Anyway, we made a line to reboard and all joyfully met our new driver Mr. Crawford.  Si, he actually stated his name and put the stepbox for us!  Pobrecito Major KinderCop was probably grumpy because he had to wake up so early, and BB can certainly sympathize with that, but THIS is the bus service I'm used to.  For the most part, drivers and riders are very polite, helpful and friendly if allowed to be.  But as in all things, there are exceptions and the superlatives.  On this ride, el sobresaliente, the rider who caught Babushka's breath was Harvey. 



While waiting to reboard, a man who was ahead of me in the line offered to help with my bags and exchange places with me.  I was grateful and thanked him, but I assured him I was fine.  Now you cynics might think it's because I was old- and if you were here I'd give you a ::BOPASO:: - but no, he was being a gentleman.  I know this because I started paying attention to his actions and he was kind to everyone.  He even bought water for an Asian exchange student who didn't speak English very well and was on her way to a Miami student hostel.  By now you know BB has to speak her mind, especially when I see something that brings me joy.  At one of the last stops I asked him, "So what's your story?"  He looked me straight in the face and said, "I lost everything and I'm on my way south to start over again."  Wow.  As straight forward and true as his actions.  I explained to him about my Baile, and that I always picked someone to do a little write up about and because of his chivalry and kindness he was the one I had chosen.  His name is Harvey, from Louisiana, raised to be a gentleman; who "believes in being good to everybody and that only God can judge."  Thank you sir.  Your inner strength and actions inspire and are very appreciated.


Feeling good from my conversation with Harvey,
I went back on the bus and started assembling my third sandwich.



Queeee???  It's a 14 hour ride- don't judge.


Arriving before schedule, with a much lighter snack bag and well rested, I have to admit that overall I had a good viaje.  I picked my destination and let someone else do the driving. 


Sometimes that's the best way to live too.

; )




Babushka Besos a todos.  Cuidensen.


P.S.  Just realized Harvey's picture came out with lights around it.  I didn't put that there. What's the quote about entertaining strangers for they might be angels in disguise??  hmmm...

P.P.S.  Another realization.  If I needed a snack bag that size for 14 hours, what would I need to bring for a 7 day roadtrip?  Pssst, Chevrolet, ya got any Hybrid 16 wheelers I can drive??? 


July 21, 2012

Dare to Bare - It's only taken 500 years.

Top of Post:

This post is sponsored by Dove® ClearTone™ Deodorant - designed to visibly reduce underarm dark marks and even skin tone.




Of course when this was the fashion norm women didn't care or think too much about showing off their arms nor did they spend much time worrying  how to make their skin look good.  They just had to worry about raising the children and having meals ready on time.  Que? JU SO FONII!!! Ok si, maybe that hasn't changed much in 500 years, but I think we can pretty much agree that the amount of skin showing has increased in that time.  Or has it?

Are you one of the ones who hides behind wraps or under sleeves?  Do you put up with being uncomfortable because you're embarrassed by your arms? Por fa mujer- stop that!!  They're yours, be grateful for them and flaunt them.  Believe me, you'll attract more negative attention to yourself by the sweat pouring from your face than by any conceived notion you may have about showing your arms.  That's one of the reasons they used fans back in the day.  Not only was it for flirting, it also stopped the face fountain which was caused by the long sleeves. Truly. This is a well known historical fact. Oh yes it is.

Today we can be more comfortable in our clothing and with ourselves.  Take care of yourself more, pamper yourself more. Think about it- with the life you lead, who needs or deserves it more?  Joy is the first factor for radiant skin.  Notice I said radiant, not to be confused with glistening in sweat.  The second  factor for show off skin is hydration.  Here I confess to being a tad bit forgetful, but I've set the cell alarm to remind me of an hourly drink of water.  Too much sun can also damage our skin. Since I can not do without my a/c this ones no problem for BB. 

Those suggestions were the basics, but who wants just basics?  Babushka for one goes for the gusto, loves todo los hierros, all the extras life can bring.  Give me the creams and products that soften my skin a bit more, the ones that even out tones, and the ones that add that delish scent. Or how about those that leave us with the subtle shine?  Oh my yes! 


I've got plenty of skin, y people, it's like money. 
You take care of it and respect it, so you can then enjoy and  flaunt it!!


; )





Babushka Besos a todos.  Cuidensen.



I was compensated for this post by the Clever Girls Collective.com.
 All the opinions expressed here are my own.


Babushka's Bridal Beauty 101


This post is sponsored by Dove® ClearTone™ Deodorant - designed to visibly reduce underarm dark marks and even skin tone.





Sweetie and I set a concrete date for our wedding. Que? JU SO FONII!! Ok si, I'll be 50 and this will be my third wedding, but I still intend to celebrate the occassion and plan to be a very happy bride on the big day.  As we say in buen Cubano- "Mas sabe el diablo por viejo que por diablo."  The devil knows more because he's old than because he's the devil. In other words, experience counts more than anything else, so let BB's aforementioned qualifications help so you don't have a devil of a time on your big day.

First of all- BREATHE!!  You'd be amazed how many brides forget to do this.  Between the tighness of their gowns and their nerves, the phenomenon of blacked out brides is very common.

Second- speaking of nerves... what hasn't been done by now is out of your hands so chillax!!  You can only be in charge of yourself, and if you can't laugh of yourself, you're taking life way too seriously. Have something/someone on hand that always makes you laugh.

Third- Think only of the moment. What you truly have is now, and most importantly the NOW of the love you feel.  There are no guarantees in life, so cherish and fully enjoy the reason for the celebration.  The best decoration in any wedding is the  love radiating from the couple when they look into each other's eyes.

Only three steps.  Of course you may have to remind yourself of them constantly all through the day, but they're short so you can write them on a 3x5.  And please, sobretodo, never omit number one, 'cause without that there's no way you'll be able to do the other two. 

; )


Be happy my beautiful brides, the moment is yours.


 

Babushka Besos a todos.  Cuidensen.



P.S.  Amongst the swag given to BB during Hispanicize were samples of Dove ClearTone deodorant.  I was very impressed by the product and happily applied to write this for them. 

I was compensated for this post by the Clever Girls Collective.com.
All the opinions expressed here are my own.





July 18, 2012

Serendipity & Synchronicity- Si,Si,Si!!

Serendipity & Synchronicity, the two S Sisters.   Serendipity is the faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for.  Or as the Encyclopedia/World Book of the computer age Wikipedia defines it, a "happy accident" or "pleasant surprise"; specifically, the accident of finding something good or useful without looking for it.  Ahora Synchronicity is an apparently meaningful coincidence in time of two or more similar or identical events that are casually unrelated. Queeeee??? Ok si, she's the most complex of the hermanitas; I'll give you un ejemplo.

How could moving Up North to The South possibly help me go on a once in a lifetime dream trip highlighting my Hispanic Heritage? Who'd have thunk it? But it did, and I am, and I must thank the sisters for their part.  Here's the story in an espresso timeline, so try to keep up ok?

Moved to Tallahassee- joined TWAM when a call was made for Spanish speaking volunteer actors. JU SO FONIII!!!  Si, it had been almost 30 years since I acted, and si, my native tongue is Spanglish, pero here that's considered a fluent Spanish speaker, so I was in.  Thanks to TWAM I entered the world of reenactments, history, and a longing to socialize with other hispanics.  This lead me to find Hispanicize.  During an outloud dreaming session I asked the founder, Manny Ruiz what would it take to be able to attend Hispanicize 12, and he gifted me an entrance!!  That entrance led me to a presentation by travel bloggers, in particular Maria De Los Angeles who, with pirate garb on, had traveled around Florida visiting pirate sites  and writing about the adventure.  SYNCHRONICITY!!  I approached (ok, stalked) her after the talk was done and explained how I had wanted to do something similar by traveling to all the VivaFlorida500 events in costume. She was a dear, didn't laugh and even gave me some pointers! Not only did Maria not laugh, she invited BB to join her on a history making roadtrip about history- Latino Heritage to be specific. We would combine her journalism /travel experience with my costuming/acting to form an unforgettable team for an unforgettable trip.  SERENDIPITY!!


Serendipity and Synchronicity-
You go girls!!! 



And what exactly is this roadtrip the hermanitas have honored me with?


American Latino Heritage Fund -National Parks Original Group 2012



"visiting historic sites protected by the National Park Service
that honor the contributions of Latinos throughout American history."


Not only did the sisters introduce me to the wonderful aforementioned people and organizations, I'm working with major sponsors of the trip, the American Latino Heritage Fund, the National Park Foundation, Chevrolet- GM Diversity, and Verizon Wireless.

Considering the short time Babushka's been blogging this is a very big honor and I hope to do it justice, therefore... I will be burning up Tweety & Feibu with updates and if I'm not burned by the end of each day I will be posting here.  Si, yo se, I've been taking my vitaminas and resting up for the trip so I should be fine.

Y si no....

there's always cafecito Cubano.

; )



Babushka Besos a todos.  Cuidensen.




July 11, 2012

PBS-PowerfulBabushkaSpoiling , Gracias Super Why Live!!

During my last visit to Miami, I had the pleasure (the workout) of taking care of my son's boys Rinquincaya & PicaPica. In one of the few moments of rest - there's and mine, I asked them if they wanted to watch TV.  Ok, si, BB resorted to "el beibi siter electronico", but at least I switched it to PBS!  Of course I was waiting to hear protests, but instead I was met with two bouncing boys saying, "Yes, it's Super Why!"  Now you KNOW Babushka had to watch it with them porque any program that's educational and greeted with such enthusiasm by those two had to be good.  Y sabes que? Darned if it wasn't!

In case you're not familiar with the program, it's an animated series that teaches reading fundamentals to 3 - 6 year olds. Just perfect for my grandsons and it was a joy to watch them interact with the characters, guess the words, follow the plot - they honestly do like the show! There are super (reading) heroes, fairy princesses, flying rockets- who knew reading could be so active? Aha- that's probably part of the reason R & P like it so much.  Well, if they like it that much on television, imaginate what they're gonna be like when they get to see them in person!!  Yes, in person- the first ever Super Why Live tour is going to Miami, and guess who got tickets?!?! Oh si, Oh yeah.




Now you know my grandsons love their Babushka, but with these tickets I rise to the level of Super Grandma.  Queee?? You thought I was beyond bribing and spoiling?!?! 

JU SO FONII!!! 

We all know that's my privilege for having survived my trios puberty ::shudder:: .


Oh si, Super Babushka,
 flying through the air batting criminals y mal hablados with yells of

bopping them with her fan and giant Popa Bag. 


 Oye, that's not half bad... anyone have Marvel's number?


Babushka Besos a todos. Cuidensen.


P.S.  I'm sure there'll be plenty of air space, so for you who want to join me in my Superdom, just click on the Super Why Live Tour link, and for those in Miami, there's  $5 off on select seats. Use the code WHYATT when purchasing tickets online (in the promo box).  http://www.livenation.com/event/0D00489AB89E62E0 -


July 04, 2012

Gracias Tio Sam & Happy Birthday America

If you've been following Babushka you know I'm all about the positive, wonderful things in life. So if you think this is a political statement JU SO FONII!!! Ok, si, maybe a little, but mainly it's about gratitude. Gratitude to a country that welcomed and still welcomes my people from Cuba.


Mil Gracias to you mi querido USA,
 for as a first generation Cuban American I can never say it enough.




 I know what my fate would have been if you hadn't welcomed my family.



MY CHILDHOOD

Children indoctrinated into Communism


MY YOUTH

Control in all categories


MY SHOPPING LIST

Rations Book


STORES TO SHOP
Slim Selection




And though we are all children of immigrants,
I only need to look 90 miles away to see where I would have been

 and know what I would have done.


Exodo del Mariel



Feliz Cumpleaños America,  Happy 4th of July!
Celebrate your freedom with pride and cheer.

For my part, I'm adding gratitude to the celebration.




Bohemian Besos a todos.  Cuidensen.

P.S.  The photos were found on Pinterest, some on Cuban groups on Feibu.  Perdoname that I didn't find or write down the exact sources.  The author of the video is Gianluca Zanna, a former Italian Immigrant.