A BB Encore: Cubanos, Comida, y Chistes- La Tata's 90th?

HolaHolaHola Beautifuls!

This post was originally shared in 2012. 

Thankfully La Tata is still with us and will be celebrating her 93 (or 94) birthday.  Enjoy the party!!

On Saturday our family celebrated La Tata's birthday.  From a family of 12 children, La Tata is the sole survivor.  That, and the fact that she's much loved and just turned 90 made it a full house.  Imagínate, get that many Cubans together...

Master of Ceremonies was Nicanor Gonzalez,
 La Tata's first cousin on both mother's and father's side.

What can I say- it was a very small town. 

Nica was chosen because he's the chief of chistes (jokes) and an orator extraordinaire. 

 PLUS he's the one who's known La Tata the longest and is her best sparing partner. 

Among La Tata's many accomplishments is the well known fact that she had my father when she was 5.

Truly- otherwise how could she have been 29 yrs old for so long?

; )

During his homenaje he announced that we were all there under false pretenses. 

La Tata was in fact 92 years old, not 90 as she claimed. 

 Let the sparing begin!!!

      

 " ¿A esta edad me voy a quitar años?"  

"At this age I'm going to take off years, lie about my age?"

"La costumbre Tata, la costumbre."  "Habit Tata, it's habit."

Due to the reputation of both, we didn't know who to believe, but in reality it didn't matter.  We were family, together, having fun. We danced, squeezed babies and caught up on each other's lives. Que?? JU SO FONII!!! No, not everyone has Feibu y Tweety.

Besides, as I said before- get that many Cubans together and you're gonna have


COMIDA

Close up of the cake.  There were 2 other banquet tables filled with food.

CHISTES

Being Dignified with our Must Have Fans

Dignified? Who are we kidding?!?!

but most of all-

LOTS OF LOVE

Epilogue: 

After returning home, I asked La Tata what was the best part of the day.  "Well... it was such a wonderful day. The family all together, the food, the presents... but if I had to pick one thing, I'd say the best part of the gathering was it was for my birthday- not my wake."   ahuh  now you know where I get it from.

Babushka Besos a todos.  Cuidensen.

P.S. This year La Tata wants a road trip!!  Oh Si she does. 

So off to Tally with fun stops along the way.  Stay tuned to see where she wants to go.

La Tata & the UHF America’s Health Rankings Senior Report

*This is part of a sponsored campaign with Latina Mom Bloggers and United Health Foundation, pero como siempre- as always, the story and expressed opinions are BB's.  

HolaHolaHola My Beautifuls!

Do you remember my post about the S Sisters? Bueno, they've once again danced into BB's life joining my grandmother, La Tata and my Hispanicize friends United Health Care .  Thankfully she's back home and for being 90 or 92 she's doing remarkably well, however the scare did prompt me to read the UHF America's Health Rankings Senior Report more diligently than I would have otherwise and I found many points in it valid and part of our daily lives with La Tata. Go ahead and click on the link- excellent information in there.

English PDF Files

In the report they mention tobacco use, inactivity, alcohol consumption, and poor diet, as some of the contributing factors in bad health in seniors.  Here we are lucky, La Tata rarely smoked, and though she does like her wine from time to time and I have to challenge her to walk a little more, as I mentioned, she's remarkably well for her age, and as far as poor diet... please, she's Cubana.  So on those counts we're doing well. There is one area however where Babushka must battle daily with her, and it's one topic Latinos don't speak of too often and I think that may be part of the problem.

Having been one of 12 children, an entrepreneur, a world traveler, La Tata was not ready to live a slower and more isolated life.  As in most modern households, everyone has work or studies outside the home and La Tata would find herself alone for more hours as the years went by; she fell into a heavy depression.  To say BB was scared and saddened when I saw her like this a year ago is an understatement.  It's not age that makes the old act old, it's the frustration of not being able to do what they used to do, which then turns to feelings of helplessness and being unneeded.  They lose social contact because of embarassment - in La Tata's case she doesn't like to go to parties because she wouldn't want to show up in "old lady shoes" which are the only ones that she's comfortable in.  How do we combat this?

As a family we make sure to call her daily, visit at least weekly, and make sure she knows she's still a very valued and special part of our lives.  Of course having the great,great grandchildren give her giant hugs and kisses over the phone lights up her disposition instantly.

Taking her out works wonders too.  

Nobody likes to be cooped up in the house all the time and in La Tata's case, the louder and more festive the place, the better it is.  

For some unexplicable reason she's always in better spirits and health when she's "de Farandula". 

Cuba Nostalgia- she ♥♥♥ this! 

Special Occasions

Memorial Day & with her son going out to eat for her birthday

Let them Lead and be who they used to be.

La Tata leading the way to do some grocery shopping,

getting a perm and then her nails done.

Make sure they laugh at least one good belly laugh a day.

How'd you think I came up with JU SO FONII !!!??

Show them they're needed, vital and still useful.

La Tata will show me how to play Spanish Cards and help me w/my Spanish whilst I read outloud.

Note: To counteract all the news, programas escandalosas, y novelas, I pick a book with positive affirmations/messages.

But most of all, show them they are loved and not alone.

Rinquincaya "loaning" his best friend to La Tata so she wouldn't have to be alone and afraid in the hospital. 

 From the report:  "Older Hispanics (28.2%) were less likely to rate their health as excellent or very good than were older Whites (42.8%) or Older Asians (35.3%) 

Hispanic older adults are expected to become the largest/ethnic minority of those aged 65 or older by 2019.

Now is a critical time to study senior health at the population level because we know that America's senior population will grow by more than 50% in the next 15 years and that Americans are living longer but sicker lives."

Bueno, I don't know about the stats, or the other Older Hispanics, but if La Tata lives to 2019 we will be blessed, and if she lives another 15 years- 

Babushka's bottling up her DNA!!

; )

Enjoy your elders now, help them and you live longer, more productive and enjoyable lives.

The memories & love never grow old.

Babushka Besos a todos.  Cuidensen.

*This is part of a sponsored campaign with Latina Mom Bloggers and United Health Foundation, pero expressed opinions are BB's. 

El Dr., My Gentle Soul is now 6.

El Dr.- 6 years old

El Dr., my eldest grandson, turned six on June 6th.  Yes, he was born 6/6/6.  I know what you're thinking, but in reality he's the gentlest, shyest child.  Queee? JU SO FONII!!! Yes he's related to BB.  Ok si, definitely takes after his dad's side of the family.

Maybe it's because he was born with so many medical problems, maybe it was because he was overwhelmed by the family he was brought into, or maybe it was always to be his way, but this child has a soul of gentility.  He prefers the quiet to chaos and being with La Tata above all things.  Have you ever seen a 6 year old play all day with a 90 year old and be thoroughly in heaven doing so?  A truly special child. Not that he doesn't like children his age or parties mind you- especially when they're for him.

And yes, he can be the typical child when asked to 

"Smile for the camera just one more time."

But his true essence, his utmost joy (besides being with La Tata) are babies.

You can see it in his eyes, hasta el alma brilla- even his soul starts to shine. 

::sigh::

 Allright, maybe he's more pediatrician than plastic surgeon material.

; )

But whatever the material, it's good, it's gentle, 

and it's growing up way too fast.

Babushka Besos a todos.  Cuidensen.

My Son, Madre's Day & The Miami Tunnel

5:30 a.m. my son pulls into the driveway, hands me a hard hat and says,

"Happy Mother's Day Ma." 

Ok, si, we never were the typical familia.

BB raised her trio to believe in themselves and in what they were doing, to love what they were doing- or at the very least, to find something to love in what they were doing.  In all instances do things with heart, from the heart, and always- with gusto & passion! 

Another lesson I tried to stress was the importance of homemade gifts.  Que? Does that mean BB would turn down cash or a Starbucks GC?  JU SO FONII!!!  What better complement to a homemade card than having one of those tucked inside?  Seriously though, and once again, presents with heart, from the heart.

And so my son, knowing that BB loves twofers (that's two things for the price of one) was going to give me a peek at what he was doing, a tour of his latest job, the Port of Miami Tunnel, and the greatest homemade gift a child can give to their mother- time together.  

Naturally Babushka was thrilled when Marine MAC, that's one of the nicknames I have for my son, called to inform me that although he had to work on Madre's Day, he wanted to spend some time together and would pick me up. He wanted to give me a behind the scenes look of the news making tunnel. Oh Joy!  At 5:30 a.m.  Oh. Joy.

At the port the tour begins. With camera and fan in hand, hard hat in place and visitor tag on lapel, BB tries to keep up.  Being my son, and a military man, my son knows only two ways to speak.  Either he's detailed and extensive, or short and to the point.  Extremes Are Excellent. Thankfully he started off detailed, but once Mr. Sun started to heat the air and he saw BB's fan a fury MAC knew it was time to switch to monosyllables, just naming the parts of the equipment.  The following pictures were not the only pictures taken during the tour, but being 5:30 a.m.,a mom, and non mechanically inclined, these are the photos most important to Babushka. 

MM and BB at the beginning of the tour

What a mother likes to think about... 

  

 Bueno, at least they'll have some fresh air...

At the end of the tour, BB draggin' and a fannin'

waaayyy behind MM

Escorting me to the end of the tunnel, my son said he loved me- with heart, from the heart.

I couldn't have asked for a better Madre's Day.

Babushka Besos a Todos.  Cuidensen. 

P.S. When BB started the blog MM didn't want  his pic showing, for this post he said yes.  Another gift from my boy.  Handsome devil isn't he?

P.P.S.  On the way to the port my son explained that due to traffic and the heat being heavier later in the day he decided the beginning of his shift would be the best time for the tour.  Oh he knows me too well, como si lo hubiera parido.  ; )   

P.P.P.S. Later in the evening, MM's sons, my grandsons Rinquincaya and PicaPica, and my DIL came by with dinner for me and La Tata.  Oh si, one of my best Mother's Day ever. 

OJO There may affiliate Links in this post, 'cause BB's gotta have her cafe.