Happy Cumples, BB! — 64 and Wanting More

 

Babushka had taken a little breakesito during the hot summer months. Meaning September wasn't hot here Up North in The South?  JU SO FONII!! Of course it was, pero it was also BB's Bday mes, so palabras and parties were in order. Aqui, the article written for Conexion Florida, a previous hardcopy, now online publication.  Moviendo con los times...

Hola,Hola,Hola Beautifuls!

Another birthday is here.. What was the win this year?

The answer came surprisingly fast.

Babushka made it to another year.

That's the win.

Sí, Beautifuls, some years are like that.

Sweetie has been gone three years. Then Pedro passed — Sweetie's cat, the last living piece of her husband BB still had. One Adios inside another.

Casa BB hasn't cooperated: a leaking techo, mold, electrical problems, and a crumbling trailer — all maintained on about $900 a month from a widow's pension.

Then Roxy needed a transmission. The warranty? Did Nada. The actress had one gig. Type 2 diabetes joined the cast, too. Gracias a Dios, it's controlled.

So where's the fabulous?

Finding the Fabulous in the Familiar does NOT mean pretending everything is fabuloso.  Loss hurts. Money worries are real. Roofs leak. Carros break.

It means viendo valor in the diario: café, music, laughter, a timely call, y familia.

BB's two girls live with her now. Sometimes Mama is the caretaker; sometimes she is cared for. Accepting care es parte de  family, too.

None of that repara the roof, brings Pedro back, or fixes Roxy. 

Pero it helps make some dias lighter. Perhaps that's enough.

At 63, BB loved, lost, worried, laughed, cared, was cared for, found the Fabulous inside the Familiar — and kept dancing.

Another year. Estás aquí.

Beautifuls... Still Here. 

ESO!!!

Happy Cumples BB.. 

And mucho, many, más.

CUIDENSE

BB2U

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.  

Time Traveling- Florida's Spanish Legacy, Past, Present and Future

Oldest European Colony in North America-  San Agustin

446 already?  Why it seems like just yesterday Don Pedro Menendez got off the boat.  Sorry, I'm Cuban, I had to say something about getting off a boat.


In all seriousness, BB loves this kind of stuff.  Re enactments, hands on learning, dressing up in costumes and playing a part- me pass up a chance to do esto?   JU SO FONI !!!

Kristin King & BB

As part of a theatre troupe "Theatre with a Mission" -  under the wonderful direction of Ben Gunter and for Mission San Luis ( www.missionsanluis.org )  we were invited by the marvelous group Florida Living History (www.FloridaLivingHistory.org) to help them with their re enactment.  Let me tell you- they take their history seriously.  These people know their stuff!!  There were encampments, cannons, flags, and fun-   lots of it.  


           PROCESSIONAL MARCH TO WELCOME DON PEDRO MENENDEZ 

Oh the pomp and pagaentry!  You know I love it, but you know what I love more?  AIRE CONDICIONADO!!!  Don't know how the people of yore did it, pero let me tell you,  BB was bushed and baked.  Nada de termino medio- I was well done!!!  Pero I will definitely be back for more... in December.  Those dedicated souls of the Florida Living History will have another re enactment then, and I can't wait to attend, but para ahora I had my taste of the past- now homeward and onward to the future.

And what a promising future it is!  Come Thursday, September 15, up here in the South we will commence to celebrate National Hispanic Month with the THLPE and partake of the mingling, the networking, and of course, the PARTYING!!!  

Patrocinado por el Tallahassee Hispanic Latino Professionals & Entrepreneurs, we are well represented by this group of  enchanting, enlightened visionaries who believe our views as latins enhance this country.  

Spanish visionaries seeing something special in this land -  see the connection?  

 Oyé, me quedó bien.  

Babushka Besos a todos.  Cuidensen.