On the things happening in my country

Prejudices, it is well known, are most difficult to eradicate from the heart whose soil has never been loosened or fertilized by education; they grow there, firm as weeds among rocks. Charlotte Brontë

It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows. Epictetus.

These days, my heart and mind have me in a rollercoaster of emotions. Fear, of course. Hope for the best. Annoyance. And pure, plain anger.

You see, the reactions from people here are as varied as the same emotions I've just mentioned, and it all sums up to education. And I don't mean the kind you get at school, but the kind you aquire in the normal course of your life through experience and common sense. Time spent in school is no guarantee of getting a proper education. Nor lack of schooling means you are dumb.

My job allows me to be in contact with people of all social strata, of every level of education, of every cultural background. Thus I've been subject to some theories SO varied... well, let me tell you about it.

1.- IT IS JUST A RUSE OF THE GOVERNMENT DESIGNED TO KEEP US IN THE DARK ABOUT THEIR OTHER MISTAKES, LIKE IN ECONOMY. A-ha. "Yes, we know you have a bad opinion of our job, so we are going to deliberately get you-and the whole world- sick, just to give you more reason to complain about our incompetence". Yes, that's probably the President's intent. Oh, and he probably has a mask factory too, so he wins all around. Duh.

2.- THERE'S NO PORCINE FLU! THEY ARE JUST TRYING TO SCARE US INTO BUYING MEDICINE SO THE PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES MAKE A PROFIT. (smacks her hand to her head) Sure, and the goverments of all the countries with inhabitants that have been infected are in on it! and the WHO too.

3.- THERE'S NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT, EVERYONE'S HYPOCONDRIAC AND THERE'S NO REASON FOR THE SAFETY MEASURES. Sure! now go kiss one of the infected in the hospitals will ya? I'm sure you'll be fit as a horse no matter what. Better make that an ass.

4.- (one of my favourites so far) IT IS A PLAN OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH TO KEEP PEOPLE OUT OF BARS AND DISCOS AND MOVIE THEATERS! What? I'm sorry, I usually am quite good at keeping a straight face when I hear nonsense, but I had to disguise my laugh as a cough and excuse myself...

to be continued...

Update

The latest fashion statement?


Pirate masks!


Well, at least that's what I told my girls they were. They have been quite obedient in using them whenever they have contact with other people.

Oh, and they are allowing Mass again!! whoo-hoo!!! only it has to be held outdoors and in spaces where you can sit a bit far from the person next to you. The death rate took a plunge, from 46 on Sunday to 3 yesterday. Thank you all for your prayers, and I'll keep asking you to remember us in your prayers, as well as the people who has lost a loved one during these days.

Not much to report, just wanted to show you my girls.

In (sligthly) higher spirits, your friend

Citlali Talina

About the swine flu

I've received a lot of emails from my friends, concerned about us here in Mexico. To all of you, thank you so much for writting.

I had decided not to post until I was in better spirits, and was going to wait out the disease before posting again, but in light of so many of you being so kindly concerned, I think I should let you know how we are doing.

I, for one, am scared. Ok, today a little less scared than yesterday when I heard the news that the disease had reached our state. Turns out that it hadn't, but it was regular influenza. Today I did not send BH to school, and about half an hour ago the Health Secretary decreed the closing of ALL schools in the country in an effort to shut the doors to any form of transmision of the infection.

So far, of the hundreds of deaths related to influenza only a couple dozen (only! ha!) are confirmed to be from the new virus. Most of the deaths occured in Mexico City, where polution is so high that people have very poor lung health.

I re-read what I'd written so far and can't believe how composed I look (in my eyes, at least). I haven't been able to sleep, and since the doses of vaccines are few and we do not have Tamiflu (that REALLY makes me mad!) there's no other way for me to protect my family than the regular measures: wear a mask, wash our hands frecuently and avoid crowded places. Can you believe Mass has been suspended? well, at least in the Church, as in the buildings. We can still hear Mass through the radio, but that is little comfort. It is now that I would gather more comfort from the familiar, beloved services. But sacrifices must be made. At least I keep telling myself so.

None in my hometown have been infected, but already you can see the streets with half the people you usually see around shopping. It is almost one pm, and I've only had ONE customer so far. I'm wearing a mask already, and feeling like Pilates since I'm washing my hands so often! (bad joke, sorry). None in my family are ill, either, so we are counting our blessings.

You know what scares me most? it's not even the disease, although it does frighten the heck out of me, but I keep imagining what would happen if there was a panic attack. As in, run for your lives, buy all you can , steal what you can't and let no one stand in your way. I really hate global catastrophe movies! I REALLY REALLY LOATHE THEM!!!!!!

I'm looking forward to the day when I can write to you and tell you it is over. Till then, I remain your very frightened friend in Mexico

Citlali Talina

*EDIT: more? not only the crisis, but the fever and now this?

I solemnly swear I'm up to no good

Well, actually, I'm up to a lot of stuff! but first, let me fulfill my promise and show you something that I marvel at:

Dear LH is learning to speak! and I love it when she pronounces a new word that I have not made an effort to teach her. I usually try to make her ask for her bottle by name, or her food, or some things like that, but I did not expect her to look at the comb, then say "comb", pick it up and start combing her hair! isn't it wonderful how babies learn?!

Little feet. I've always loved baby feet, but this are toddler feet. Where do they get all the energy? They jump and run and dance and tiptoe and are in perpetual motion all day long! Plus, those darling little toes!!

No, the camera did not go wonkers this time. That's the actual color. I put a white egg just for a comparison point. They are blue eggs. Sometimes, I get some that are so much bluer than these! Where do they get their color? why? Is is in the feeding of the hens? is it in the hen's pedigree? Oh, I better start calling the dish"Royal omelettes" instead of plain omelettes!

What are these? the newest aditions to my Etsy shop! plus I made some little hair bows, for girls and a pair for babies. Can you see me grinning all the way from where you are? cause my face aches from smiling so much!!!!

Unusual treats

Remember how I mentioned I have friends all over the world? well, some of them live literally on the other side of the globe, but today I had an unexpected treat: I could "visit" with one of them, who lives in *drum roll*

JAPAN.

We "talked" through our computers, we shared recipes and all. She's an awesome quilter! Hi there Tanya!

How cool is that! I remember when I was a little girl going to WDW and my favourite ride in Epcot was "the big silver ball", the name we kids called Spaceship Earth. Wow! I could ride it five or six times per visit! I liked it THAT much! I remember that back then it was "powered by AT&T", and near the end there was the future of communications: a living room in Anytown USA, a family with a child, maybe 10 to 12 years old, talking through a monitor with a little friend of asian apearance, and a bit further, the living room of the little friend in Japan, and you could see in his monitor the image of the other child (nevermind that in both scenes there was the same day time). I always found that fascinating. Wow, they could be miles and miles appart and still speak "face to face". And now? it is the most normal thing in the world!

I know, I know, I'm stating the obvious. But isn't it a shame that we no longer notice things like this? When did we stop marveling? I read a blog entry by my friend Tammie that talked about things that she was into. As in, things she noticed, things she loved. I really like when she posts things like that.

So today, I'm DARING my friends. I'm gonna post, each day, one commonplace thing or happening that I've ceased to notice, something that makes me wonder again. I DARE you to do the same, to try and look through child's eyes!!!!

Oh, and before you even THINK of mentioning it, I do not mean the fascination children often have with body waste!!!!!!!! EW!!!

And on other subject... Thank you all for visiting my Etsy shop!! and to those of you who added my store to their favourites! it's like being picked FIRST at the team in school! XD

What would I do without my friends?

Thank you, my friends, for your promt support about my baby steps in selling my stuff.

As I looked at the emails (Alessandra, Libby, you rock!) and comments and the ocasional gal who phoned me almost as soon as I had posted it, I realized I've come to rely on you for so many things.

You are the ones I trust with the negative stuff in my life. Like my monetary troubles. Or customer troubles. I know in you I have kind spirits that will listen and offer advice.

You are the ones that I show my (proud) efforts in the things I love to make. You become sounding boards, critics, cheerleaders and questions and encouragement flow freely back and forth.

You are the ones I tell about the antics of my whacky family. I have always been quite reserved about this subject, but I know you do not judge harshly in the bad times, and you laugh with me in the good ones.

You are the ones that I want to know about! I rush to your blogs, your emails, even your Facebooks because I am interested in you, in how you are doing. And I look forward to laughing, perhaps worrying with you, to share your story.

You, scattered all over the globe, from Japan and Australia to England, Spain, Mexico, United States, Canada, Italy ... all over the globe, indeed, are very close to my heart. You defy the laws of physics, friends!

You are my friends.

I love you all.

Oh, I forgot the reason I wanted to post twice today!!!! you see, I found a story that I enjoyed so much that I just HAD to share it with you! and then my fingers ran away with myself! LOL!

Oh oh oh! I'm so nervous!

Really like... freaking out! There, said like a true teenager. Cause I feel like a teenager. Trying to feign being wordly and knowing, and wise and mature... but I'm sure I'm no more than 13 years old today.

I put up my first three items in my Etsy shop.

:D and I can't stop smiling from the excitement, and I cannot ignore the butterflies in my tummy that come when I think NOBODY will be interested, and I cannot ignore the dizziness in my head when I realize I have put out to the world three very simple, very humble things that I made...

WOW. Talk about a rollercoaster of emotions. I cannot imagine what I will feel when (if) my daugthers go to college, if I feel this way about three little things.

I think I'm gonna go and drink a very large cup of chamomille tea. See you!

Do you have a crush on House MD? er, on Hugh Laurie?

I think you will like this clips...




He looks so young!

and he sings too! (no Susan Boyle, but he's ok... )



But Jeeves! JEEVES!!! he's hilarious!!!!!!! consome and lemon squash indeed!

More on Susan Boyle

this woman's voice is truly incredible!!!!



Need I say more?

Car issues and talking religion with strangers.

This is not my Mushu, but one of it's twins. Mine has bars and a silver dragon

So yesterday was my day off, and I took the oportunity to take my car to the dealership for it's annual service. Actually, for the vacation package ($85) rather than the full service (don't have the money for it rigth now, and at a starting price of $520 plus verification hologram (the hologram and it's corresponding verification I DID get) I'm gonna wait a litte. Plus it takes two days, and I only had one. My brother had to take his car too, same make, same model, same year, only two weeks "younger" than mine, and since we would be car-less in a big city, we wended our way towards our cell phone service dealer offices (we both had to change our devices) and then to a mall.

First, let me tell you how it never stops amazing me how some people seem to think that everybody's time is of no importance but theirs. There was a woman in the line that was very amusing. She was about five spots in the line before me, and before HER there were about 10 other people. She was even tinyer than me, and she kept tapping her foot, stretching her neck in order to see if the clerks were free, looking at her watch... Then suddenly, when a customer left his spot at the clerk to go to the cash register (they usually have to come back with the signed and sealed receipt and exchange it for their phone) she left the line and went to ocupy his spot! well, rather she crawled under the belt like thingies that form the lines, crossing under, over and in spite of all the other people before her, who were too stunned to see such a display of bad manners to do anything! there was a collective gasp and she looked smugly at the line... only to be told by the clerk that he was not free yet, but if she would PLEASE go back TO HER PLACE in the line, they would be very very pleased to serve her. We all smiled, all of us left behind by this midget of monumental ego. And when she became beet red and left the office huffing and puffing, we all began to clap and cheer the clerk! now was his turn to become all red, and smile a bit sheepishly. I tell you, the way some of us treat these nice clerks is embarasing. I can just imagine the ammount of people that do what that woman did, and how they have to muster their patience and be polite in the face of rudeness.

You want to know what her hurry was? well, my brother and I ran into her, leisurely shopping. There was no sale, no one was with her, and she seemed to be in no hurry to go anywhere else. The gall of some people! Well, at least I moved up one spot in the line and my new phone does not lose my contacts like the (extremely beat up, formerly owned by two other people) war phone.

Oh, and guess what happened! I was prepared to buy a very inexpensive, very fugly phone. My finances are very very bad but I needed a phone. And then I got a surprise, a major surprise. My brother asked me what phone did I like. Then I showed him the one I was going to get, and he looked at me as if I had lost my mind. "no- he said- I want to know what phone you LIKE". So I pointed to the Blackberry Bold.

Then he told me something that I did not understand, and I asked him to reapeat it. And then he repeated. "Dad gave me money to buy you the phone you want. ANY phone you want. " and then he proceded to lead me out of the cubicle so I would not know how much he was going to spend in the phone.

Talk about a shock. Now I am staring at my brand new phone, a phone I would NEVER had bought but am so glad that Dad gave to me. I was playing with it almost the whole three hours that we waited for our cars because they did not have them in the time that was initially agreed.

Which brings me to this. There was this young man sitting in a nearby table in the waiting area at the dealership. He was reading, which by itself is not very usual among the youths in Mexico. But the theme of the book! the title was "Habla un Exorcista". "An exorcist tells (his story)".

Now, I'd already read that book and another that I like even more, and the reactions from people who see the titles are almost always shock. Or disbelief. Or open judgment, and let me tell you, I see that I do not pass the judgement! Usually, they think the book is about satanism. As in, I want to worship him. BLECH! But this young man seemed to be reading it with great interest and gusto. So we (this guy, my brother and I) started talking.

And talking. And talking. Until his boss called him to his duty (ouch! sorry about that, Sergio!) But it was so nice to find someone who is more than superficially interested in religion, and to be able to speak openly, and exchange information about books and experiences, that it was one of the nicest things from that day, Blackberry included. I had happened to buy this book for my Dad :

It was to be a thank you gift, but it turns out he already had it. It figures. So I kept it for myself. The book is a book of memoirs, and so far- pardon me- it is hilarious! it is INTENTIONALLY hilarious too! this guy does not take himself even one tenth as seriously as he takes his job . He is one of the main exorcist in the Catholic Church today, and he is the writer of Svmma Daemoniaca, that in spite of it's title, is a very nice, very hope enhancing book.

But if I were to doubt if his job is hard, I only have to look at past photos of him. This easy going, funny man has aged so much in the years I've known him (yeah!!!!). His hair is completely white, despite him being 41. His health has failed as well. But he keeps on.

Whew! what a day I had! and then it was time to return home, to pick up my girls from my mother in law (I missed them so much!) And so, the day ended.

Inspiration.. Or SUSAN BOYLE ROCKS!!!!

BELIEVE. WORK HARD. DARE.

(words on a wall in the gym I went to as a child)

And if you doubt the effectiveness of these words, watch this video... I've become a fan!!!!!! she's wonderful! not only in her performance, but also in her presence of mind when they sneered at her. I would have totally lost it and made a fool of myself. Susan Boyle, you are a hero!

When I was in College, I was understudy for Fantine, and I loved the song. She sent shivers down my spine while I was watching the video.

Yes, I can do what I want...

GIVEAWAY ALERT!!!!

My friend Alessandra at Just Be Happy is having an awesome giveaway!!!! sail away to her blog and enter for a chance to win one of the gorgeous prizes!!!! she is so talented!!!! YAAAAYY!!!

The bags are super cute, and the necklaces... oh my! come to think of it, get over to her Etsy shop. All the things she makes are absolutely delicious!!!!!!

Well... why are you still here? :D

I've been busy making these

41 made and asembled! only 439 to go!!!!!!
Pardon me while I go sit.

Edit: I just realized I did not take the photo with all the squares... I made six more squares after I took the photo yesterday. And the photo is dizzying!!! sorry guys! I tried to turn it around but my habilities with Blogger only go so far!!!!!! The squares are 6 inches and I am using the same colors in both, only reversed in the squares, so one will have LOTS of Raspberry pink and the other will have a LOT of blue.

It's funny how everyone that knows what I'm making is asuming the pink one will be for BH and the blue one will be for LH. I had not decided which would be whose, but yesterday that I spread them for the photo (it was so HARD to get a decent photo!!!) my daughters kept pulling one piece each... wanna guess who wanted which?

I love my girls

My girls love to pose for the camera.


And really... they are SOOO camera worthy. LOL!!! Mother crow speaking! hehehe! but seriously... I just love these girls!


BH is full of imagination, she's never still... unless you ask her to look at the camera


LH was so excited to have her photo taken. Can you see the anticipation in her eyes?


They were having tons of fun catching bubbles


Ok, you see, I lied before. She CAN sit still. Mom says that's the expression I have when I'm lost in thought too.

Did I tell you I love those girls?

Hey, if you have a little girl....

... or if you are a little girl or a big girl with a little girl's heart, check out this cool giveaway!!! the accesories at Every Little Detail are super cute, and the hairstyles at The story of a Princess and her Hair are WOWZA!

Go check'em out!

but really, I want those for myself and my girls. So maybe just stay here, will ya? ;)

Kiddin!!!! (or not)

Daylight savings time... ouch!

Does anyone else in the world have such strong opinions about DST? It seems that in Mexico it rivals economy issues, health issues and education issues. Heck, it may elicit stronger responses in people than say drug fight or other crimes. It seems that about half the population thinks it is the best thing since sliced bread and the other half thinks it is yet another scheme of the government to steal from us. (?)

Still, we moved our clocks forward last night.

So this morning, I am a bit more slow than usual! hehehe! My hubbie had his monthly Adoración Nocturna guard (if you are Catholic, you know what I mean, and if you are not... well, a group of men- the Night Worshipers - stay up all night in the Tabernacle, like an army guard, praying for all mankind, accompanying Jesus in the Host. The women have their watch too, but it is during the day) and I was alone at home with my two girls... who decided that they were not going to sleep early. LH usually is knocked out aroung 9 pm and BH around 10... but it was 11:30 pm and BOTH were up!All the lights were out, they had had their baths, they had said their prayers... and they were laughing their little heads off with some private joke (keeping mommy up when she already had one less hour of sleep for the night). Then they BOTH came back to my bed and finally fell asleep. So did Mommy, after carrying them back to their room.

12:00 pm. DH arrives and I wake up (I'm a bit of a coward so I have a VERY light sleep when he is away at his guard) and we start talking, then I drift off to sleep only to be awakened like five minutes later because DH found a leaking bottle that one of the girls had left in his side of the bed. Get up, change the sheets. Go back to sleep.

3:00 am. BH wakes up and comes to the room. I wake up. BH clims to our bed, and falls fast asleep (and fast is the word here! were our rooms a bit further appart we would have found her sleeping in the floor halfway to our room!) We wait till she falls asleep and (shame on me! hehehe!) I pretend to be asleep so DH takes her to her room.

3:30 am. LH wakes up (sort of) and starts crying for her bottle (which she decides she doesn't want). It takes me a full five minutes of frustration to notice... I had given her an EMPTY bottle! duh! So I go back to the room, fix her a new bottle and give it to LH, who promtly takes two, maybe three gulps of milk... and then proceeds to turn to her side, bottle cuddled like a doll and falls asleep.

4-ish... can't remember exactly the hour. BH wakes up again and comes to the room. I give up and tell Rodrigo to let her sleep here

5-ish. LH wakes up again, crying, and I don't know how -all blurry- she ends up at our bed. Suppose DH picked her up and brought her to the bed to calm her down without fear of dropping her when he fell asleep.

6:45 am. My alarm goes off. I open one eye, slam my fist on the alarm clock and mumble incoherently before dozing off again.

7:30 am. I wake up, alarmed, check the hour and make a mad dash to my bathroom and closet to get ready for 8 am Mass...

...and right now, I'm kinda siding with those who think that DST was designed to make our lives miserable. Good thing in a few days, my internal clock will have readjusted itself. Meanwhile, bring on the chocolate, the coffee and my Diet Coke!

Last friday...

My new sandals, a present from my hubbie for no reason other than me being so beautifull and perfect- HA!

At Dr. McTiny's office, my nutriologist,

Dr. McTiny: Hello CT, how did you do these past two weeks?

CT: Umm... Well, I got a lot of crocheting done (Dr. McT glances sideways at me from her computer screen, then turns around to give me her full attention. She knows what's comming next, our bi-weekly two woman version of the Three stooges. I'm not telling you which one am I)

DMT: Ooookay... how about your diet? did you follow it? (looks straight to my eyes, past the ocular globe, into the brain... I'm sure she'll 'tsk-tsk' in her mind when she finds that Special dark Hershey's I had a few days ago...)

CT: Well....

DMT: Well?

CT: It's been a crazy couple of weeks

DMT: Crazy how, exactly?

CT: you know, crazy, new job, the girls are ill...

DMT: Did you exercise? (I nearly choke in my attempt to stiffle a laugh)

CT: New job, the girls are ill...

DMT: did you sleep your eight hours? (clearly, this woman has not lived in the same house with a one year old and a two year old or she would have realized the futility of her question)

CT: New job, the girls are ill...

DMT: (looks blankly at me. She knows me. We have know each other from outside the clinic for a long time, so she can call my s**t when she hears it, but since BH is with me, she seems to think twice and decides against it. Little pitchers have big ears and she knows BH will repeat it to potential customers, family and whoever wants to hear plus their neighbours cat) Get on the scale

Now, DMT is a sweet woman, tiny, slim (as every nutriologist SHOULD be but not always is - and I know a thing or two about it) with a sweet, small voice, but when she says those four words it's like the voice of Judgment... and somehow I think I will not be found wanting... the opposite rather in this instance, and that is not a good thing. Nope.

It's not a good thing either when dumb objects start shaking in fright in your proximity, and I could almost swear before a judge and jury that the scale was doing precisely that. Or maybe it was me. I stepped on it and closed my eyes. Meanwhile, BH is playing kitchen with all the mock food DMT has in her office, and asking DMT if she can stay and help her heal people.

So for the veredict. I went up one pound. One greasy, mean, chocolatey, torta -milkshakey-and-pizza- and-icecream pound.

But, can you blame me for not following a diet to the letter when I have to serve stuff like THIS everyday? well, can you?


Good thing my new sandals (which my hubbie has made for me, made, mind you, not bought) fit me no matter what weight fluctuations I may be experiencing these days.