St. George Pizza

 We had a fun dining experience over the weekend.  St. George Pizza in Huntington Beach is awesome!  Joining our son Tim and girlfriend Tiffany, we were right at home with the family atmosphere the restaurant provided.
     I've had lots of pizza in my lifetime, but I have to say that this pizza was a "cut above" (sorry, no pun intended).  We ordered the 'New Yorker' which was generously covered with sauteed mushrooms.  The crust was to die for-- crispy, yet with some bite into it.
     Definitely a must-try for anyone who loves a good pizza.  The best part of good food is the friendly service and attentiveness we received by owners George and Christine.  My only regret is that I live 60 miles away, otherwise, I would hit this restaurant every week for my pizza fix.
     If you have a chance, check it out... it's in Huntington Beach on Edinger at Newland.  You'll be glad you did....ENJOY!

Ady the Artist

Ady is my 7 year old granddaughter who has a flair for art.  Recently, she spent some days at our house, and did the posted water color of our house.  Her rendition is precious as I see that she is very detailed oriented and took the time to draw the panes of the front door window.
I am excited to see her develop her artistic talent.  She follows close behind her dad and brother, whose works I always enjoy.  Abel (Ady's dad) recently gave me an oil painting of a red '57 Chevy he did in high school.  It's going to be part of the 'Grandkids Red, White and Blue Room'.

Carter James' Cool Rugged Style

This is the look that I imagine Carter James, our newest little grandson due to be born in October to daughter Anicia and husband Brian will sport.  ( I copied the picture from a children's clothing ad.)  Just from what I see in his daddy and mommy, Little Carter is going to be spending time in the great outdoors.  Both parents are avid hikers and campers, and little Carter is going to benefit from their fun excursions that he will be a part of.

Can't wait to meet my new little grandson.  Boy, does he have an exciting life waiting for him!

Love,

Grandma

It's A Trip

With the upcoming events of the marriage of my youngest daughter Trish, and the birth of our newest little grandson to daughter Anicia, it's no wonder I'm pondering life's happenings, and reminiscing about my own journey.  I started writing a manuscript and here's an excerpt....


"…Marriage is part of my journey on earth.  It began with wedding plans -  a map of sorts;  necessary to-do lists, lots of paperwork (marriage license, name changes, social security number obtaining process, etc.); and many preparations that were necessary.  But, that was only the beginning!  So much more was to come—children, career changes, challenges, and age.


   But, there’s nothing more wonderful about being married.  If it were not so, would God have established this covenant?  Truly, His plan for marriage doesn’t fall in the category of what we see around us today—broken ones, sad ones, violent ones, distant ones…. This just isn't  what a marriage was designed to be."

David and me on a recent trip...

This November, I will be celebrating 37 years of marriage.  They have gone by surprisingly fast.  I am thankful that God allowed me to live this long to be able to see my own children getting married and having children of their own.  Recently, I was tickled when I see the delight in my granddaughters' eyes as they looked at my wedding dress I dragged out of a box.  My 7-year-old Ady even asked if she could wear it.  When I put it on her and had gathered several tucks with safety pins so that it would fit her snugly, she pranced around our backyard, complete with sister Camryn holding the train of the dress.  I just smiled (and yes, I secretly fought back tears).  This is because I know that it won't be too long from now when I will see my granddaughters in a real wedding gown, providing that God graces me with the years to see them.

Happy events lead to happy memories re-visited.  I pray for a happy marriage, and safe baby delivery for my girls this upcoming October-- (the 20th and 24th respectively).

Remembering Lydia

A few blogs back, I mentioned visiting Aunt Lydia on our vacation.  It's been a few weeks and life has given us a sad turn.  Lydia passed away a few days ago of pancreatic cancer.
I was shocked when I heard the sad news of her prognosis in late June, yet not surprised when I was told that Lydia had accepted her condition with grace and dignity.  These attributes are what defined her.  I prayed that she would not suffer, and prayed for those who loved her-- her husband, her son, and all of her siblings and extended family members.  I began to mourn myself.  You see, although this lady was the aunt of my husband, she was my aunt and friend, as well.
I met Lydia when I married my husband.  She struck me as a pretty and smart lady.  She smiled easily, and was friendly.  I learned that she was an accomplished seamstress, which fascinated me since I have had an interest in sewing since I was in junior high school.  She and her husband owned a car body shop, and once, I was able to see her sporting around in a classic 1958 blue and white Ford Galaxy.  I remember seeing her drive away on a bright Sunday afternoon from the place where we were visiting and thinking, 'Now there's a cool pair.'  ( Lydia reminded me of an Audrey Hepburn type complete with sunglasses and scarf.)
Later in life, Lydia would become an accomplished writer.  The way she told me, her father had asked his children to please write the history of their family.  Lydia responded to the request with her book, Azares del Destino (meaning Hazards of Destiny) which detailed her parents' struggles through the Depression, exodus to Mexico, and finally immigrating to the United States.
The last time we saw her, she was excitedly sharing her novel she was writing.  I read through her first two chapters and candidly told her that it was very good.  Lydia had a talent for writing without a lot of fluff; capturing the reader's attention immediately, and keeping the attention as her story continued to unfold.  This is a rare talent; yet Lydia, like everything else she did, managed to master it.
I will miss Lydia.  There's nobody else in my life whom I can compare her with.  She was one who I felt freedom to share my writings with.  I enjoyed getting her feedback, which I'm touched to say came as recently as two weeks before her death.  I had sent her a copy of my blog regarding my dad.  This is what she wrote back to me~

"Dear Gracie,                6/27/12
I really enjoyed your Dad's story.
Sounds like he was a great man and loved his kids a lot.
What a coincidence!  In my home we all called my father 'Apa'-- everyone of us kids.
Thank you.
I'm sending you 'Cindy's Dress' story I promised you when we were at your house.  Hope you enjoy it.
Love,
Lydia

(I really did enjoy her writing piece, and wrote her back to tell her.  I hope that she was able to read my brief letter, as I know that she was very weak when she received it.)

Enjoying Tim's Talents

My youngest son Tim has many talents.  He's good around people, a writer, surfer, artist, and photographer/film artist.  I'm sure there are many more things I am not mentioning, but you get the picture. He's also a terrific son.  He laughs at my corny jokes, listens without judging my words, and I can always count on him to brighten up my day when I call him or visit with him.

Today, I am showcasing his talent of filming and editing.  Tim has had a passion for the still and video cameras since he was in high school.  He took classes at the local community college while still in high school, and one of his pictures-- one of my dad hangs in our study, with many who see it admiring it, and surprised that it was shot by a then high school student.

I am enjoying watching Tim's latest posting of videos he's compiled.  I love to see the world through his eyes.  His videos move me to tears at times, and make me laugh as well.  I invite you to view them as well.  Just click on this link- Timmendez and enjoy.  HAPPY FRIDAY AND A GREAT WEEKEND TO YOU!

Red White and Blue Gone and Sunshine Remains...

                                                    ~ Night time picture taken by our son Tim
                                                              (reminds me of fireworks...) 

Our town just got through celebrating 4th of July.  It was a blast (literally), as our local celebration featured fireworks off Mount Rubidoux.  In addition, our street held a block party.  It was fun to congregate on our front lawn listening to patriotic music and smelling the scent of barbecue hot dogs.  Even my cat got into the festivities.  She's such a people cat... but I confess she didn't like the red, white and blue collar she had to sport.  It only made her mad; and what do cats do when they get mad?  Well, my cat scowls, and makes a speedy exit to who knows where.  But she resurfaced after the fireworks were done.... The loud booms are hard on the ears of our pets.

Surprisingly, our holiday was a pleasant 81 degrees.  Not so today.... we've been told by the news media that we should expect temperatures into the 100s by July 10.  That's okay by me.  It just means chilling in the afternoon with a tall glass of iced tea.  Living in my town for as long as I have has made me accustomed to high temperatures.  My only hope is that we don't have a power outage like we did in 2007 when on that July day, the temperature was 112 degrees.  We were without electricity ( including air conditioning and refrigeration) for over 24 hours.  Now, that was something I don't wish on anybody.

Happy summer days ahead....