California Trip

Left Cold Minnesota to Sunny California!

I finally packed all of my things (lots of shoes and clothes) and left St. Paul to go to Pasadena, CA to meet up with Gigie, my aunt Carmen and Uncle Cesar.

I left the snow without any regrets.

Gigie came down to spend time with me before my big trip to Barcelona, Spain. It was Gigie's spring break and we had a blast. I rented a car and we drove all over Los Angeles. We visited UCLA because Gigie wanted to get to know the campus before her summer session begins. We walked a lot and explored all the campus. After that we went to Santa Monica and on the way back to Pasadena we drove all around L.A. I showed Gigie Rodeo Drive, we took Wilshire Ave. all the way to downtown L.A. I showed her where I met her dad, Ivanhoe Elementary School in Los Feliz and before we arrived in Pasadena we stopped and had dinner at an IN-n- OUT in Glendale. I guess for me it was great to visit all the places I hadn't seen in 20 years.

The following days we went back to Ojai to visit family and friends. It felt really good to see Willem, Joy, Adrienne and the gang from Oak Grove school where I worked and Gigie went to school. We then met up with some of her friends and my old students for coffee at the Coffee Connection.. old stumping grounds for all of us.

Allison, Alex and Felix they are so stinking adorable.... I miss these kids!

After we left her friends we visited Mike, Carrie, Nick and Quinten at their house. We had a great chat and joked a lot. Mike is really funny. The boys are so tall and grown up. I hadn't seen them in a year. I love this family they are always so welcoming.

Mike, Carrie, Nick, Quinten and I in fornt of their house in Ojai, CA.

Then Gigie and I met up with Timothy so we could go visit Grandma and Grandpa Hall. They are the most adorable couple I have ever met. They have always made me feel like their own. Grandpa especially, when I walk in the first thing he says, "Come seat with me".... he hugs and kisses you every time. I love being with both of them, we always have great conversations and laughs. I'm amazed how well they are doing, Grandpa is 94 and Grandma is 91 years old, and boy they are in great shape. If I ever get to be that age I want to look and act like them.

(After I wrote this Grandpa Hall passed away in July after his B-day)

Here I am with Grandma and Grandpa Hall.

It is especially hard for me to see this picture because Grandpa Hall passed away and this was the last time I saw him and I loved him like a father. Grandpa Hall was a very distinguished gentleman, always thinking of others with kindness, also he had the best sense of humor, but what I loved most about him is how special he made me feel. I love you Grandpa Hall and I'm going to miss you tremendously.

Isn't this the most adorable couple you have ever seen!

Grandpa and Grandma Hall got to celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary!

Amazing folks (like grandpa used to say)

After this visit I called Severo my adopted son (at heart)... he is the most amazing person in my life. He and I have developed a true friendship and I feel like he's my real son. We have been through a lot together. I'm really close with his parents and siblings. This family have been through it all and now the saddest thing is the passing of Eugenia, Severo's mom. She was a great person with a lot of charisma. Eugenia always had a great smile. Severo's dad "Joaquin" came to the restaurant to have lunch with us, we had so much fun laughing and remembering old times.

After this visit to Ojai, CA I went back to Pasadena, CA with Gigie and we spent some time together, just us girls. We ate at In-n-Out (of course)... we did some good shopping, we went to visit UCLA, drove around Santa Monica, and I showed Gigie, where her dad and I met and lived in Los Angeles, I also showed her the building where Tammy, Melissa and I lived before I married Timothy, also the school Ivanhoe Elementary in Los Feliz, CA where Tim and I met. I guess for Gigie this was kind of a new experience to learn about our history as a family in Los Angeles, CA. These are the moments that I love to share with my girls.

Next step of my traveling Journery...........Off to BARCELONA!

Back to St. Paul, MN to spend 4 months with Tammy and Kevin

In front of Tammy and Kevin's house!

So I finally made it to St. Paul, MN where Tammy and Kevin live. I got there just in time for Thanksgiving. We spent the day at Tammy's friends house. I met people from Minnesota and yes some people had the Minnesotan accent and some people didn't. It was a lovely Thanksgiving. My first one with snow on the ground.

Tammy loves taking these kind of pictures!

Here I am at Jenn and John's house for Thanksgiving...we were playing a hilarious game!

One of Tammy and Kevin's annual tradition is to go to Wisconsin for a Xmas tree right after Thanksgiving. What they did not tell me is that they go to a tree farm where you choose your tree and then cut it. It was a cold morning but we ventured out to Wisconsin and chose a tree and kevin chopped it down. I hadn't done that since I lived in LA with Timothy, many moons ago. I love that Tammy and Kevin are creating great memories and traditions and that I got to be part of this one.

Here we are at the Tree Farm in Wisconsin!

(you can tell it was freezing... my nose is so red)

The BIG SNOW.... WOW!!!! I've never been in so much snow in my life. Here's a little glimpse of the storm that came down in Minnesota, by the way it hadn't snowed this much in 19 years, and this was only the beginning.

Tammy, Lola and I during the Snow Storm....we decided to go out so I could experience what snow feels like when it's coming down.... but we never expected it to be so much in so little time.... for Lola (dog) it's not a big deal... I'm amazed how much she loves being out and playing in so much snow.

So, I asked Tammy if I could do a Snow Angel.. well!!! before she answered yes or no, I threw myself into the snow and sunk in so much snow... Tammy and I were laughing so hard that she couldn't pull me out even with the help of Lola (Tammy's dog).... What an experience?....

We spent all weekend inside all cozy, watching movies and I as always knitting and crocheting hats and scarfs fro everyone in the family (it's a winter tradition for me). It was such a bad winter that I ended up with 27 hats and I really don't know how many scarfs.

Spending time with Tammy and Kevin has been so wonderful, especially for me. I got to know Kevin better. Let me tell you, he is one nice guy, almost every Saturday in the morning he brought me coffee. He made dinners for us and always tried to make me feel at home and very comfortable. Kevin always has a funny joke that only I laugh at them.... (Tammy doesn't think they are). I had specially a good time getting to know my girl again as a married and responsible woman that she is. Tammy makes me laugh all of the time, at stores, walking the dog and me (hahaha), going to "The Mall of America", which we dislike very much and many other things that we did together. I don't necessarily like Minnesota in the winter because it's so darn cold, but I know my girl and Kevin are happy there and that makes me very happy.

Christmas and New Years at Shevlins in Minnesota

We spent Christmas and New Years with the whole family, and yes even Timothy came. We had a lot of fun together. The Shevlin's took us ice-skating and Alex is a master at this and any sport that he tries, Tammy taught all of us how to skate, if you don't know this Tammy was in a woman's Ice Hockey team in Ithaca, NY so we all tried it and liked it, some of us fell down (not me of course)...... it was a nice thing to do as a family.

Kids having fun!

Guess who fell!

Big sister to the rescue!

Tammy holding my hand when I needed it.... she's so sweet..always taking care of me!

We went to eat Mexican food in the World Market in Minneapolis, I guess we all have decided as a family that Mexican food is very important in our diet and family outings.

For Christmas Eve we all went to Midnight mass at Tammy and Kevin's church in Minneapolis. It was a beautiful sermon and very inspiring with all of the music and organ playing.

We took this Christmas picture before going to church... we all looked so nice!

Christmas morning came and Kevin prepared this awesome dish... Deep Dish French Bread... oh my God it is so yummy and fattening that we didn't care.. we ate it all... thanks Kevin for getting up so early to cook for us. So we continued our day playing games and cooking and getting along... which it doesn't always happen.... but I think my girls are all grown up and they do get along very well now....which that makes me very happy !

Me cooking and baking!

My traditional apple pie.....love it!

So Christmas came and went and so did Timothy..... then I celebrated New Years with the kids... what a night of fun, margaritas and dancing a lot.......

Time came to say good bye to my beautiful girl Gigie, she had to go back to school and then Alex left as well he had to go to work.... Melissa stayed for a month. She began professional make-up school in Minneapolis so she could expand her horizons.. I'm so proud of her for taking all the chances in the world that life has given her. My Melissa is so talented and professional. She finished school and I went back with her to Austin, TX to help her with the driving. We had so much fun, it took us 19 hours straight of driving. We talked a lot and sang a lot and didn't eat much because we really didn't stop, except for Dori (Melissa's puppy) going to the bathroom and gas for the car. I think the only real meal (if you can call it this) was McDonald's in Kansas before we got to Oklahoma, because I knew there no good eating places in the Oklahoma highway...I can't say all of the state is like that... but when I drove with Tammy we really didn't have many choices where to eat... it was either a 50's cafe or "Taco Mayo"... we chose the other and we couldn't finish the grill cheese sandwich or fries..... ugh...anyway that was a moment of venting... back to my trip to Austin.. I spent one week with Melissa at her house, because it was too darn cold...... the bad weather was following me. Melissa and I watched so many old black and white as well as period time movies, we had so much fun, we didn't even needed to go out of the house.

So it was time to say good-bye to Melissa and Texas, it broke my heart but I was on my way back to Minnesota. Yes when I got back it was freezing and cold. To tell you the truth I didn't miss it at all. I was glad though to be back with Tammy and Kevin. I had such a wonderful time. Though some times I did get a little bored so as you al may know me, I can't stay without doing anything. So I went and bought lots of yarn and crocheted and knitted a lot of hats and scarfs. Tammy was ready to kick me out with all of my yarn around, but oh when she saw what I had produced and how many hats, she forgave me. It was funny how Tammy kept telling me, "mom we don't need any more hats or scarfs"..... and I said..."but maybe Kevin wants another one"... so Tammy brings out a bin full of hats and scarfs that I had made them in the past.... she's so funny, when I finished the new ones she wanted them all. Love that Tammy.

Here I am knitting away!

There were days though that I felt I needed to exercise outside of the house, so one morning I got up early and went to shovel some snow. I wanted to help Kevin, he does all the snow shoveling at the Shevlin's... hahaha get it.....anyway here I am shoveling snow!

Loved it, it was great exercise.... I know I'm writing a lot about this trip, you have to understand I spent four months in very COOOOOOOLD☃ Minnesota....❉ ❉ ❉ but had a lot of fun.

One morning Tammy got up and had a great idea... she booked Kevin, she and I on a fun Saturday morning of "Rock Climbing".... she thought I better train because I was going on a Cruise ship to Barcelona and she was sure they had a rock climbing wall. So we went, took the class and climbed away.

Me climbing and having fun!

Kevin and Tammy doing very well!

Here I go again!

I think I've said enough about Minnesota, as you can see I had a lot of fun and I love my girls and boys a lot...... my family is the best!

Next trip... California!!!!!!

Trip from: Austin, TX to St. Paul, MN to Berkeley, CA to Pasadena, CA

Hello everyone,

After my trip to Mexico I made some decisions when I got back to Austin, TX. I thought about what I wanted to do in life and I decided that I wanted to travel. So I packed my house and I put all of my belongings (except; clothes & shoes.... very important things in my life) in storage. My girl Melissa, son-in-law Alex, my sister Rita and nephew Carlos helped me pack and gave me lots of encouragement to begin my new life. My daughter Tammy came down to Austin to help me drive to St. Paul, MN where she lives with her husband Kevin. It took us 1 1/2 days to arrive in St. Paul. We had so much fun talking, laughing and singing all the way there. Yes, we did have a flat tire in Oklahoma where there is absolutely nothing to see but open land and beautiful skies. A very handsome Highway Patrol Officer helped us. We arrived in St. Paul on October 17, exhausted but happy to be together. Tammy's house is beautiful, and Kevin and Tammy made me feel right at home, as well as Lola (the dog). After being in St. Paul for a week, I received a sad phone call, my beautiful cousin Laura had passed away and my aunt Carmen, who lives in Pasadena, CA asked me to come down and help her. On my way to Pasadena, CA I made a stop in Berkeley, CA to see my daughterGigie, who attends CAL Berkeley. We had so much fun together, we went shopping in San Francisco, stayed up late night talking and laughing. We walked around Berkeley and had a fancy Italian dinner. I love spending time with my girls.

Crossing the Oakland bridge to San Francisco

I finally made it to Pasadena, CA and spent a month with my relatives. It was hard to have this experience. One never expects to loose some one you love at such young age. Having this experience helping my relatives has made me stronger and has helped me realize that I can be on my own and be happy every moment of my life.

My beautiful cousin Laura

It was a sad moment for the whole family, but we will remember Laura as a kind person, whom always had a big smile and brought the family together, not just for her funeral but to all of her parties at her house. I really appreciate the effort she made when she attended Melissa's wedding in Austin. We will miss you Laura, but we'll always have you in our hearts and sweet memories.

Trip to the Orphanage in Aguascalientes

I visited this wonderful Orphanage in Aguascalientes. My friend Alejandra is a Board Member and volunteers at this Orphanage. Visiting this orphanage was the highlight of my trip. The children are so beautiful, I wanted to take all of them with me. The great big smiles and hugs that received when I was there. It filled my heart with a lot of warmth. I love volunteering and this was a great opportunity for me to do something nice for these beautiful children. Some day I will visit again.

Summer in Aguascalientes

I travelled to Aguascalientes to meet with my real good friend Alejandra and her beautiful daughter Cecilia. I visited 3 states in Mexico. First we went to Leon, Guanajuato where I bought a great pair of boots. We went with Araceli, Alejandra's friend she's a riot we laughed and had a great time.

Leaving for Mexico

I left for Mexico on a Saturday via Houston, TX. I was a little nervous about the trip and what I was going to find in Aguascalientes. Melissa and Alex took me to the airport as always I can count on them to be there for me.

Beginning of a Wonderful Journey

My life has been a life of big changes... and now I'm starting a new adventure.

I have been a wife, a mother, a sister, a friend to many people and

I have had a good life so far. I love being a mother to my three beautiful girls, whom I treasure with all of my heart. The two older ones are married to two wonderful guys, whom I adore, my youngest is attending college in California.

Why you ask I write all of this, it's because I want to tell a little about what my life has been so far and now I'm starting a new path in my life. A life with more freedom to do what I have always dreamed of doing, which is traveling and learning about different cultures and languages around the world. Now I have this great opportunity that I'm taking to do what I love. Ever since I was young girl I dreamed that I would travel and maybe work for the UN. I did not choose to do that, instead I got married very young and had children and responsibilities, don't get me wrong, I loved every moment of my life.

Well, I'm beginning this journey by putting everything away and getting rid of stuff I really do not need in my life (material stuff) and planning my trips.

The first trip I am taking is coming up in a week, I'm going to visit a really dear friend of mine, Alejandra and her daughter Ceci in Aguascalientes, Mexico. I know a lot of people there, and I'm excited to visit. I will meet up with friends I haven't seen in 25 years. I've known these friends for 40 years, since I was a little girl in Mexico City. It's like going to a reunion and seeing how their lives have turned out and what they have done in the past 25 years.

This blog is going to be a diary of my Wonderful and Exciting Journey.

Thanks for reading and let me know what you think so far.