First Moment of Existence

March is National Women's History Month. Whom do you celebrate?

"For a long time I believe my first moment of existence is when I jump over a broom. I remember a house. I remember sunlight through a window..." - from Caramelo by Sanda Cisneros

For me, this window is my Grandma's small kitchen window, a weeping willow peeking in from it's left corner while we are kneading dough for flour tortillas in our hands, her hands twice the size of mine. She walks over to a drawer and pulls out a miniature rolling pin, the first gift I can remember her giving me. This moment one of the greatest.

Grandma in my kitchen many years later doing what she loves to do and cooking my favorite Thanksgiving meal!

Three generations in the kitchen: Grandma, Mom, and Me

Super Bowl Observations

The Giants were victorious against the Patriots this past Saturday! Super Bowl XLVI drew a record-breaking 111.3 million viewers. Some people don't care for football, some people shed tears at the end of the season. I'm not going to go all sports-fanatic-crazy on you, I just want to share three things from my Super Bowl experience this year:

1. I've written in the past about football and writing. I think athletes are similar to writers in many ways. Eli Manning is the perfect example. He's long been in the shadow of his older brother and is largely ignored by sports media. Does it look like it bothers him one bit? No. He's just there to play the game he loves. He works to perfect his game, ignoring the naysayers. He's never given up, no matter the pressure. He's at every practice and every game, no matter the weather or other obstacles he may face. He is like the writer. Doing something he or she loves. Dedicated, no matter what anyone says, no matter the lack of recognition for your talents, you know the drill. The underdog didn't give up. Neither should the writer. Eli received the MVP award for this Super Bowl. There's an MVP award waiting for the writer who doesn't accept defeat.

2. I wasn't all to impressed by the commercials this year. A handful made me chuckle. The Ferris Bueller tease made me wish there were a sequel coming up in the near future. I was disappointed by every other commercial portraying the woman as merely a sex object, and I lost count of how many women in bikinis or underwear I saw. But then there was the Clint Eastwood Chrysler commercial that set everything right. And for that, I am thanking a poet.

3. And we can't overlook Madonna's halftime show. Madge looks like she hasn't aged one bit since the early 90's. My grandmother couldn't help but comment on her appearance either, and it made for the quote of the night: "She sure is pretty, but I bet you she can't cook like we can." As soon as she said this, she gave my grandfather, then my husband, a good stare down. There's always hoping, Grandma! ;)

Did you watch the Superbowl? Why or why not? Anything you did instead?

Grandma on Family, Excess, and House Work

Grandma (in her favorite color) and Me

I'm happy to revisit my lunch observations/Grandma's advice posts this year. My grandmother is in her eighties now and I realize how precious this time I have with her is. All the years I've had her in my life have been a blessing, only now I am able to fully appreciate them how I should. And being in her eighties, she is a little spitfire and not afraid to speak her mind to anyone but she's also the sweetest woman I know. (Well, my mom and her are tied.)

She wanted a Whataburger Jr. (a Texas staple) for lunch today. She always says she doesn't want fries but I know she secretly hopes I order some because almost on every occasion, she finishes mine...Now, on to the advice, and in her words:

1. I don't care who it is that ever asks you if you get along with such and such family member, be it in-laws or your own family, even if you don't care one bit for them, you always lie and say, "Yes." Except for your own family, and then you can admit it if you trust them. (I got a good chuckle out of this one!)

2. Too much is just too much. OF ANYTHING. And only YOU can know when that is. Right? You KNOW. (This also made me laugh, as we were talking about all the traffic on the roads and somehow this made her think about other things she didn't mention, and I think it is applicable to too many things.)

3. A woman needs someone to help her around the house. I don't care what anyone says. You can't do it all by yourself and if your husband doesn't want to help you, then you don't feed him. That will shape him up.

Whose advice do you look forward to and cherish in your life? What is the most memorable piece of advice you've ever received? In my case, Grandma's second rule for the day doesn't apply when it comes to her advice.

Iced Tea, Old, Old Recipes, and The Way to a Man's Heart

I shared pecan chicken salad with my Grandma for lunch today. I also helped her put together her new recipe box and snuck in her recipe for her one-of-a-kind and top secret pie crust (she won't admit she is forgetting the recipe).  Sitting at her kitchen table, sorting through old recipe cut-outs, I felt like I was a kid again, just off the school bus, enjoying my afternoon snack with Grandma.  I'm still smiling.

Some lunch thoughts/observations:

1. Iced tea always tastes better when Grandma makes it.  I can't explain why.  It just does.  I even buy the same kind of tea and put it in the same kind of jug.  Maybe it's her ancient lemon/lime squeeze contraption that does it.  I don't know.  Refreshing.
2. I wish I could still buy Clabber Girl baking powder for 10 cents.  10 cents!  I wish I would've remembered to bring that little cut-out with me just to show you.  Instead, I remembered to bring some tasty cookie recipes instead.  From scratch.  Take that boxed mixes and pre-made dough!  (I researched this a little online and it looks as if these recipes are from sometime in the 1940's.  Wow.)
3. My Grandma says, "The real way to a man's heart is through his stomach.  Just look at your Grandpa.  He'd starve if I didn't cook or bake, and I realize it's my own fault!"  They've been married for over 60 years now and she still makes him a different dessert every night.  My husband gets dessert about once a week.  I've got some catching up to do! 

Wishing you a relaxing Labor Day and extended weekend!  

Haiku from a Tiny Tea Cup

I shared lunch with my Grandma again this afternoon and we talked over a bowl of her hearty caldo de res and finished it off with some flan.  While the food is always wonderful, the time with her is most filling. :)

Today, she was talking about her trip to Japan and the beautiful tea sets she saw. (She has quite the affinity for tea sets.)  Because she has so many as it is, she didn't want to buy another set and risk it being damaged on the trip back home, so she asked the lady if she could buy just one cup.  The lady went to the back and returned apologetically saying she could not sell her just one cup.  As my grandparents were walking out the door, the lady handed them a bag and smiled.  Once outside, my Grandma unwrapped it and found the cup and saucer she was eyeing.  What a sweet gift: one perfect little cup and saucer.  Although the picture makes it look rather big, it is tiny, adorable.  A cutie doesn't even fit in it!  She gave it to me today and said, "Now you have a piece of Japan in your home, mija." 

A haiku inspired from our lunch today:

Nomu

I can't see the green
of your leaves, but I taste tea
from your tiny cup.

Grandma on Men, Balls, Birds, and Hypocrites

My brother, My Grandma, Me, My Grandpa in Summer 2010

My Grandma is 85 years old.  As she gets older, she gets feistier and more opinionated, and more vocal about her opinions.  I love talking to her any chance I get.  She may give me the same story or advice from time to time because her memory is not as sharp as it used to be, but even when she repeats herself, it seems to me someone must have believed I needed to hear that lesson that day.

I enjoyed leftovers of red enchiladas and her incomparable refried beans for lunch with her today.  Once we served ourselves our "teeny" dessert of biscotchos and Sleepytime tea (she is not supposed to have any sweets), she told me she had lots of advice she wanted to share with me today.  I've recorded the advice in her words, minus the long explanations/stories behind the wisdom, because such wisdom I feel many can relate to and quite possibly get a good chuckle and a smile from today:

• "Don't give men too much freedom.  Give men enough cotton-pickin' freedom and they'll mess anything up.  When a man gets done with something, it is never the same."
• "Women have more balls than men."  (According to her, she has more balls than any man she's ever known, and if you don't believe her, you can ask my Grandpa.  He will set you straight.)
• "Birds are smarter than humans.  I put whole pecans for them in a pot every week and they come to find them.  They can eat a whole pecan by just poking one teeny little hole in them.  I'd like to see a human do that."
• "If someone tells you they don't like you, they are a better person than anyone who pretends to like you but you know very well doesn't.  We have too many "hypocritas" (with an emphasis on the o), that is Spanish for hypocrite, and anyone who doesn't like you, well, they can have a mass for you when you die."

Wishing you a cheerful Friday, Andrea