Dancing con Diwali- The Festival of Lights @BestBuy #bbydiwaligiftcards #ad

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free

Find this in the “Occasions” tab at www.bestbuy.com/egiftcard until November 15.

HolaHolaHola Beautifuls!

Part of the adventures and pleasures of life is opening one's mind and corazon to other cultures.  To learn more about my fellow Earthdwellers is interesante y importante to Babushka. We are after all, vecinos, and with social media and the internet, getting closer and closer cada dia.  Recently BB was introduced to the Hindu festival Diwali. Also known as the Festival of Lights, this holiday celebra the triumph of inner light overcoming spiritual darkness or ignorance, lo justo over wrong and lo bueno sobre lo malo. It’s a day of firecrackers, new clothes, sharing sweets con familia y amigos, celebrating the conquering of darkness by lighting small clay lamps and being filled with goodwill to todos.  

Beautifuls, as BB says in her bio, celebrates “the humaness” of all people. No suena esto, doesn’t this sound like, the activities, the feeling of our New Year Celebraciones? Vibes of newness, triumph,hope,celebration and love for others is what both are about. With more understanding of Indian Culture and global migration of people of Indian origin, the Festival of Lights has been celebrated in more and more countries. Although it’s mainly celebrated by Indian expatriates, in Australia and the Caribbean it is becoming parte del cultura general local.

This year Diwali cai Miercoles, November 11, 2015. Best Buy is helping to celebrate este festival with a special Diwali e-Gift Card, available online hasta Noviembre 15, 2015.  You can find this wonderful opportunity to share the feelings of love, hope and goodwill by going to the “Occasions” tab at www.bestbuy.com/egiftcard.

BB not loving the essence of Diwali? JU SO FONII!!! 

Babushka will be dancing in the lights,with the lights and for the lights within us all.  

image courtesy freevector.com

BB2U

P.S.  For those wanting to learn more about Diwali-

http://www.diwalifestival.org/

http://hinduism.about.com/cs/diwali/a/aa102003a.htm

Dear June- #JUSOFONII

HolaHolaHola My Beautifuls!

This is my ode/mental calendar/mental breakdown for June. Quee?? It's such a nice month says you?? JU SO FONII !!! The locura of the holiday season is nothing compared to my Junes.  At least Thanksgiving, Noche Buena/Christmas, New Years and Reyes have sales, and nicer cooler weather, not to mention at least a week between each other.  June for BB is Fuacata! Constant motion for Babushka.

Junio, the month of commencements- as in graduations, and the beginning of summer.  This is the month that sets the tone, is the point of speculation for the rest of the season.  This is the month where suntan lotion sales & bug repellants get their boost. Depending what the days of June bring is what we will buy/look forward to during verano.  And then there are those of us who live in Miami and have to buy the combo lotion... and stock in the local electric company.

Graduations, weddings, summer vacations.  Ok si, BB hears y'all say everyone's Junes have that, pero My Beautifuls, the powers that be decided vacations in June for Babushka were not to be.  Y'all ready for the Baile of Junio??  ::breathing deeply & at full lung capacity::  Aqui vamos! Here we go!!

Rinquincaya & PicaPica

Pre K/Kindergarten

The 4 grandbabies are one year apart in graduations, so con el favor de Dios, this will be a perpetual happening.

June 6

My Eldest & El Dr. 

The first round of birthdays.

Si, both mother and son share the same date- what are the odds?  

My Eldest jokes that she wanted to make sure no one forgot her birthday.  

June 13

although her papers say 10/2

La Tata

June 19

MAC  

FATHER'S DAY

http://bellasvitas.blogspot.com/2011/07/fathers-day-cards.html

He's not into being photographed, nor being in the blog, but I'm grateful for My Viejo just the same.

And there My Beautifuls is BB's June.

Hectic isn't it??  But then again, it's full of dates I'm so very happy to celebrate.

And at least I get 6 months to rest till the next round of celebrations...

; )

Babushka Besos a todos.  Cuidate.

P.S.  My niece's bday is on the 16th, but she's a newlywed, to someone in the armed forces, and I don't know if she wants her pics shown. 

So I'll just say HappyHappy 2 UUUUU here.

P.P.S.  For those of you wondering about the title, as per my last post, Babushka's trying to monetize/professionalize (is that a word) her blog. 

Hopefully you'll be seeing that hashtag-#JUSOFONII  All over!! 

 Y BTW y'all are welcome to use it too!

New Traditions- Thanksgiving 2012

"When a father gives to a son both laugh.

  When a son gives to a father both cry."

~Shakespeare

Hola Hola Hola My Beautifuls!  This year Babushka and La Tata spent the holiday at my son MarineMac's home with his lovely wife, her mom, her SIL, her brother's 5 children and my 2 grandsons.  Yep, a full house- and my son couldn't be happier.

MM- My son MarineMac

Our gracious hosts with their grateful guests.

La Tata glowing w/the family love- and her second cup of wine.

I promise you, there's a pie underneath that.

The love of this holiday was passed on from my mom to me and then to my trio.

A wonderful time was had by all and my son has started his own family traditions. 

And now I understand the Old Bard's quote.

MM is grown and it's time for Babushka to let go.

JU SO FONII!!!

Let go? BB added a new tradition- a family movie after the cena.

A new tradition to calm the crowd and the digestion.

They liked it so much they asked for an encore the next morning.

And so a new tradition was born and I am secure in knowing my son remembers holidays past and will instill the tradition of family gatherings for his family.  

What traditions do you follow? Who comes to mind?  

No matter the how or why memories are celebrated, it is the joy of the memory that brings about traditions. 

 It's the love of the moment that make traditions and brings life- and life,

Life; it is Bueno.

Babushka Besos a todos.  Cuidensen.

PicaPica's 6 and ready to party!- Day 19 of SMCSF 30 day blog challenge

Yesterday was the sixth birthday of  PicaPica, my son MAC's eldest son. And everyday he looks more and more like his dad. Oh si he does- even the XBox said so when it greeted my son while it was actually scanning PicaPica.  What's worse (better?) is that everyday he acts more like his dad too.  And better (worse?) is that MAC is incorporating some things I used to do to him.  Like: 

Little Bro Rinquincaya is looking and hoping there's one for him too...

Birthday Wakeup Donut!!

Loved doing this for my trio- it always brightened everyone's day and started it off with smiles.  No tired sleepyheads on birthdays.  My DIL said they actually got up quickly and laughing!!

Rinquincaya showing how old HE is.

A day of laughter.

Rinquincaya y PicaPica

Now really, shouldn't that be what birthdays are all about?

Babushka Besos a todos.  Cuidensen.

P.S. For those of you who think I'm counting the days until Karma comes for Puberty ::shudder:: .  

JU SO FONII!!!

and you know me too well.

; )

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.