May...

In progress.... I'll finish my thoughts later...

Mother's Day

Made a cake for mom and picked fresh flowers from our garden because instead of a bouquet of flowers, we got her a bouquet of King Crab Legs for a BBQ.

M had his last show as an Undergrad. He will be graduating from the Uof R this Sat. We are so proud!

My baby ran a 10k this week. It was his first race ever and low and behold, he won the bronze medal in his age group. Whoo Hoo!

Dingo wanted to run, but was not physically ready to do it this year. He is a little Pudgy-Muffin. We are going to get him ready for the 5k next year. My mom and I are going to enter it next year. We were inspired as we watched the runners come across the finish line.

Descanso Gardens

My photo has been published on Schmap.com .
Something small, but still makes me proud.
It takes a bit to load. Scroll down to "Descanso Gardens"
The picture is of a Dragon wall water fountain.

Nature at it's best...

Wikipidia

"Comb honey is produced by honeybees in a hive. The bees fill the hexagon shaped wax cells of the honeycomb with honey and cap it with beeswax".

My husband works at the University of California Riverside and was able to bring home fresh honey today. We placed skewers through the comb and let it drip into the glass bowl.

Random photos, roses from our garden.

Our kitties

Day of Rest

I wanted to get outside early today. By 7:00 I was watering the plants, preparing for the heat. There were hardly any cars out. A soft breeze swept past me and the chimes calmly played a morning song. The birds swooped down picking up bugs to eat, grass strands for nest making and played in the water from the hose. Ladybugs, wasps, moths, butterflies and a praying mantis all crossed my path at one time or another. This is my get away. My place of meditation. I put all of my thoughts, troubles and lists away... and instead I dream.

As I watered I trimmed back the plants. I cut back some rosemary from around the apple tree and took it in. To much of my surprise, my husband had breakfast ready for me. He made me a garden omelet with the fresh Rosemary I cut, tomatoes, cilantro, green onions and yellow chilies. What a wonderful morning.

UCR

rejuvenation!

I stopped by the Chicano/Latino Youth Conference at UCR. Wow! I remember when I used to teach at them as a student presenter. It was nice running into the "professional" presenters and the people who run Chicano Student Programs. They are all people I went to college with. It was a positive experience.

Mazzy and Zuko

Our babies at play

Last Night

We went out to dinner with M &M. This is their quick get away.

Below are pictures I took on the drive home. The sun was setting and we decided to go home via city streets. We went through 3 local cities to get home. I wanted to just cruise.

Audit time

Monday- a social event after work.... cancelled. Thank goodness.

Tuesday - An auditor flew in to LAX to come and see what we (I) have done with our programs and how we where helping even out the playing field for our clients. He interviewed me for over 2 hours. He walked around from office to office talking to management, clients and admin. assistants. Then that same afternoon he accompanied me to my annual review of my department by our company. It's like doing a dissertation every year.

Wednesday - Social Event with clients in the afternoon and a Board of Directors meeting in the afternoon.

Thursday- Huge client function... set up by another person...I delegated. We get there and ....oh... opps.... she had the wrong date on the tickets. It's tomorrow! Everyone goes home. I asked for the date. I asked for the time. I even made some of the fliers for the event. Payment went out of my budget. I asked again for the dates. The one thing I did not ask to see was the actual paper with the confirmation number and date on it. She runs a large office like me and we have done events together in the past. oh well. I also had another cooperate big wig fly in from Colorado. They were here to meet with another division and wanted to stop by. She has "heard things" about me and my staff and wanted to check it out. Everyone preformed with flying colors. The one question that was asked was... with all the changes, restrictions and lack of communication that have been occurring in our company, why are we so positive and productive. The answer, we as a group decided to be proactive, positive and create change... move forward with what we have. Self sufficient. That would be the Miss America answer.... I just want to take over the world and if there is not a way.... I'll make one. ; )

Friday-Event with clients, this time it will be the right date.

Saturday- Event with clients.

Sunday- REST

The meeting

Karel meets his new brothers...

Then runs from them.

Chicana Falsa, Chicana with out a cause...

I had the pleasure of seeing Michele Serros, author of "Chicana Falsa", speak the other night. Something that she said really made me think. She read an excerpt out of her series of writings, her tia called her a "Chicana with out a cause". These 5 words rang through my body with a chill. I feel that I'm now a Chicana with out a cause. I feel like this at work. I feel like this when I get home. Then it took me to the next thought... what if I am living the cause and don't even know it. I think that I have matured in mind and spirit to the point where I can take it to the next level. I might not be out there marching, wearing my "Chicanita" shirts, or going to rallies, but we do attend social events that promote cultural for the youth of our area. We attend scholarship dinners to raise money for the future, we help the community through our jobs. Support local Chicano artist that are up in coming and various others in simimlar ways. It's the next level. I'm doing what others have done for me.... I'm am one of those adults that I used to look to and say... "I want to be able to afford to do that... afford to give back."

My life is and what I do with it to help others is now my cause...