New Year babies

My son's brindle Boxer, Einstein, is the proud papa of six gorgeous pups. I thought they'd be more naked-looking, but they all have beautiful coats already. The mama is a fawn boxer, very pretty. While he was here, my son showed me a video of the "wedding,"  from their courtship, flirting, racing around the property together and chasing toys, to the final consummation in the living room.


I know, here I am deeply involved in a shelter for homeless, neglected dogs, and I'm pleased about a litter of puppies. I do hope Einstein's novia isn't going to be bred repeatedly, but I have no control over that situation, and  I'm not sorry these little guys came into the world.

On The Road Again!

OK, so I lied, last months trip to California was not the last one as I thought, the one coming up this week will. Seems that I will be receiving the new year there. I will be leaving Thursday right after work. For the record, I am being abducted, taken, kidnapped by a wonderful woman and I just couldn't resist and in my weakness I had to say take me, take me. lol Seems to me it will be a great way to start the new year.

Without letting old chapters in the book of life fade, I am ready to try and start writing some new ones. As life goes on it is my duty to make sure it is not wasted, we have only but one life and as I learned last year a fragile one at that. So as my sister in law stated the other day, I am ready for 2011. I am ready to see what adventures it brings, I am ready to enjoy it with my wonderful family, I am ready to open up myself to new horizons and to shoot for the stars if possible.

Life goes on and so do I. Being a "choir boy" at church has given me tremendous help in getting reacquainted with my faith, my church, but most importantly with my God. As crazy a fool that I am, I realize that without God we are nothing and being close to him made 2010 easier for me to handle, all of a sudden things were not as obscure as I thought they would be, and every day as I wake up I can totally see that there is a bright light at the end of the tunnel because no matter what the sun continues to rise every morning.

So it is with new expectations that I welcome this trip, going with my BF, one that has been a very important in my life throughout this year makes it so much sweeter. Now if she would only like to stop everywhere while traveling like I do it would be a big plus, but alas it seems that there won't be any detours or unscheduled stops because while I am a "the getting there is part of the experience" she is "the let's get there already... and fast". lol Ummmm!

Soooooo... I wish you all my family and friends a very Happy New Year! May it be full of nothing but good things, fun, health, love, peace. Let's pray for the economy to get better, and for the people to unite. Stop the hate, promote good will. In my experience these are key elements to having a good and happy life.

Love you all and have a terrific but safe New Year's celebration.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In many ways 2010 was a slow year for me but if I had to get a theme for what's to come, I think it would be this:

On the road again
Just can't wait to get on the road again
The life I love is making music with my friends
And I can't wait to get on the road again

On the road again
Goin' places that I've never been
Seein' things that I may never see again
And I can't wait to get on the road again

On the road again
Like a band of gypsies we go down the highway
We're the best of friends
Insisting that the world keep turning our way and our way

Does this template make me look fat?

On Christmas Eve the Capt and I visited a friend whose house has a spectacular view of the bay, to watch the Lighted Boat Parade. I had assigned myself the challenge of photographing the boats from this great vantage point but the results weren't exactly what I had in mind. I tried the Night setting. The Sports setting. The Fireworks setting. I steadied the camera on the concrete wall, but still the act of pressing the shutter caused a little movement. Oh, well, I thought some of the shots were interesting abstracts anyway... Obviously I need a tripod.

Christmas Day we were at the Yacht Club for dinner. Sounds so la-de-dah, doesn't it? Actually it was the cheapest deal in town: bring a salad or dessert, pay less than $7 per person. No prep, no cooking, no cleanup. Door prizes. Hugs from friends we haven't seen in a while. A Christmas tradition in the making.


Now my mind's on the New Year, thus the change of "outfit" for this blog. And then it'll be changing again after Jan. 1.


Prospero y feliz año, amigos. Have a prosperous and happy New Year, my friends.

Christmas

This is what makes my Christmas happy.
I did have a Merry Christmas, I am blessed to have my mom, my kids, my grand kids, and pretty much my entire family here with me. It is inevitable that as the family keeps growing customs change, right now the one pillar that continues to keep us together is my mom. She is fundamental in my life and I for one have been enjoying her as much as I possibly can.

If I think back, I cannot remember a Christmas without my mom. Yes there were a few during the time that some of us were here in Arizona and she still remained in California but that would not last because my parents made the wise decision to move here to be closer to us.

It is said that parents have kids and that it's our responsibility to raise them good and to eventually turn them lose to make a life of their own but no where it says that we have to be apart so I too continue to enjoy them as much as I can while I have them close to me. I know people that aren't as lucky as I am in that their kids and grand kids leave miles and miles away and they only get to visit once or twice a year if they are lucky.

Thank God and some very smart people for the Internet, at least now they can stay in contact through pictures and even through video. Still, not the same as having those little bodies so close to you that you can hug and kiss them at will.

Although I spent Christmas Eve with my family Christmas Day I spent by myself, something I had not ever done before.

I hope your Christmas was as blessed as mine was.

Granpa and Arielle.
Grandpa and Atallie.
My beautiful niece Marya and I.
Here I am with my sister Elena.
Michelle and I sandwiching Diego.
Here I am with my nieces from Church and fellow choir singers.

Santa and Sarah

Three years ago, a little boy and his grandmother came to see Santa at the Mayfair Mall in Wisconsin. The child climbed up on his lap, holding a picture of a little girl. "Who is this?" asked Santa, smiling.

"Your friend? Your sister?'" "Yes, Santa,' he replied. "My sister, Sarah, who is very sick," he said sadly.

Santa glanced over at the grandmother who was waiting nearby, and saw her dabbing her eyes with a tissue. "She wanted to come with me to see you, oh, so very much, Santa!" the child exclaimed.

"She misses you," he added softly.

Santa tried to be cheerful and encouraged a smile to the boy's face, asking him what he wanted Santa to bring him for Christmas.

When they finished their visit, the Grandmother came over to help the child off his lap, and started to say something to Santa, but halted.

"What is it?" Santa asked warmly.

"Well, I know it's really too much to ask you, Santa, but ..." the old woman began, shooing her grandson over to one of Santa's elves to collect the little gift which Santa gave all his young visitors.

"The girl in the photograph... my granddaughter well, you see ... she has leukemia and isn't expected to make it even through the holidays," she said through tear-filled eyes.

"Is there any way, Santa . any possible way that you could come see Sarah? That's all she's asked for, for Christmas, is to see Santa."


Santa blinked and swallowed hard and told the woman to leave information with his elves as to where Sarah was, and he would see what he could do. Santa thought of little else the rest of that afternoon.

He knew what he had to do.

"What if it were MY child lying in that hospital bed, dying," he thought with a sinking heart, "This is the least I can do."

When Santa finished visiting with all the boys and girls that evening, he retrieved from his helper the name of the hospital where Sarah was staying. He asked the assistant location manager how to get to Children's Hospital.

"Why?" Rick asked, with a puzzled look on his face.

Santa relayed to him the conversation with Sarah's grandmother earlier that day. "C'mon.....I'll take you there." Rick said softly.

Rick drove them to the hospital and came inside with Santa.

They found out which room Sarah was in. A pale Rick said he would wait out in the hall.

Santa quietly peeked into the room through the half-closed door and saw little Sarah on the bed.

The room was full of what appeared to be her family; there was the Grandmother and the girl's brother he had met earlier that day. A woman whom he guessed was Sarah's mother stood by the bed, gently pushing Sarah's thin hair off her forehead.

And another woman who he discovered later was Sarah's aunt, sat in a chair near the bed with a weary, sad look on her face. They were talking quietly, and Santa could sense the warmth and closeness of the family, and their love and concern for Sarah.

Taking a deep breath, and forcing a smile on his face, Santa entered the room, bellowing a hearty, "Ho, ho, ho!" "Santa!" shrieked little Sarah weakly, as she tried to escape her bed to run to him, IV tubes intact. Santa rushed to her side and gave her a warm hug.

A child the tender age of his own son -- 9 years old -- gazed up at him with wonder and excitement.

Her skin was pale and her short tresses bore telltale bald patches from the effects of chemotherapy. But all he saw when he lookedat her was a pair of huge, blue eyes. His heart melted, and he had to force himself to choke back tears.

Though his eyes were riveted upon Sarah's face, he could hear the gasps and quiet sobbing of the women in the room.

As he and Sarah began talking, the family crept quietly to the bedside one by one, squeezing Santa's shoulder or his hand gratefully, whispering "Thank you" as they gazed sincerely at him with shining eyes.

Santa and Sarah talked and talked, and she told him excitedly all the toys she wanted for Christmas, assuring him she'd been a very good girl that year.

As their time together dwindled, Santa felt led in his spirit to pray for Sarah, and asked for permission from the girl's mother. She nodded in agreement and the entire family circled around Sarah's bed, holding hands.

Santa looked intensely at Sarah and asked her if she believed in angels. "Oh, yes, Santa... I do!" she exclaimed.

"Well, I'm going to ask that angels watch over you." he said. Layingone hand on the child's head, Santa closed his eyes and prayed. He asked that God touch little Sarah, and heal her body from this disease.

He asked that angels minister to her, watch and keep her. And when he finished praying, still with eyes closed, he started singing, softly, "Silent Night, Holy Night.... all is calm, all is bright..."

"The family joined in, still holding hands, smiling at Sarah, and crying tears of hope, tears of joy for this moment, as Sarah beamed at them all.

When the song ended, Santa sat on the side of the bed again and held Sarah's frail, small hands in his own. "Now, Sarah," he said authoritatively, "you have a job to do, and that is to concentrate on getting well. I want you to have fun playing with your friends this summer, and I expect to see you at my house at Mayfair Mall this time next year!"

He knew it was risky proclaiming that to this little girl who had terminal cancer, but he "had" to. He had to give her the greatest gift he could -- not dolls or games or toys -- but the gift of HOPE.

"Yes, Santa!" Sarah exclaimed, her eyes bright. He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead and left the room.

Out in the hall, the minute Santa's eyes met Rick's, a look passed between them and they wept unashamed.

Sarah's mother and grandmother slipped out of the room quickly and rushed to Santa's side to thank him.

"My only child is the same age as Sarah," he explained quietly.

"This is the least I could do." They nodded with understanding and hugged him.

One year later, Santa Mark was again back on the set in Milwaukee for his six-week, seasonal job which he so loves to do.

Several weeks went by and then one day a child came up to sit on his lap.

"Hi, Santa! Remember me?!" "Of course, I do," Santa proclaimed (as he always does), smiling down at her. After all, the secret to being a "good" Santa is to always make each child feel as if they are the "only"child in the world at that moment.

"You came to see me in the hospital last year!" Santa's jaw dropped. Tears immediately sprang in his eyes, and he grabbed this little miracle and held her to his chest. "Sarah!" he exclaimed.

He scarcely recognized her, for her hair was long and silky and her cheeks were rosy -- much different from the little girl he had visited just a year before.

He looked over and saw Sarah's mother and grandmother in the sidelines smiling and waving and wiping their eyes.

That was the best Christmas ever for Santa Claus.

He had witnessed --and been blessed to be instrumental in bringing about -- this miracle of hope. This precious little child was healed.

Cancer-free. Alive and well. He silently looked up to Heaven and humbly whispered, "Thank you, Father. 'Tis a very, Merry Christmas!"

Christmas goes to the dogs

 More notes on the progress at the new canine center. We are not calling it a shelter because a legal shelter requires a special license in Mexico, involving mountains of mind-numbing paperwork. Kristin is jubilant over response from local supporters:


Christmas has come to the dogs in a big way this year! They will be having a very nice Christmas dinner thanks to the generous donations we have received. Canned food is such a rarity and I think those shiny cans are just beautiful. They have cookies, rawhides, and new toys as well as new rugs and bedding! They are quite comical to watch when a new toy or bed comes in. It's a mad dash to lay claim to the treasures. 

 After experimenting with various dog beds, Kristin came up with generous-size steel frames, stretching burlap sacks over them and securing them with heavy-duty plastic ties. Blankets are laid on top. "These hold up better than anything we've tried, and we can just hose them off," she says. Ten of them have been constructed so far.

...and here's a bittersweet story about a chocolate lab and her litter. She has been scavenging from garbage cans because the neighbor who had more or less "adopted" her refused to feed her.


We have been feeding that poor skinny street lab every morning. She came dragging over today with her feet and legs FULL of cactis. I had one of the construction workers hold her down and I pulled them out with pliers... Kiko went over to the owner to get the puppies only to find out they are all gone... Later the workers told me he threw them in the garbage can. They took all of them and they are all in homes. One man said his is eating canned food and the other guy said he has two of them and he and his wife are bottle feeding them. 

I dosed the mother with a worm/parasite treatment and hit her with a big shot of vitamins and minerals. She is emaciated and very stressed without her babies... Later she managed to exit the center. I just let her go as she always returns in the mornings. I will get a better hold on her tomorrow. In any event, someone has already spoken for her and she is considered adopted. I have her on a medical hold and she is not going anywhere until she is spayed. I do not spay any animal that is in heat or nursing so it will have to wait a couple of weeks. She should fatten up a little by then. She is a sweetheart. The "owner" claims she isn't really his. He said she just showed up after hurricane Jimena (September 2009), and that is also her name...

 Ho, ho ho! Someone delivered hefty bags of kibble yesterday, along with cases of canned food, a real treat for these foundlings

The best news is that today and tomorrow Kristin and her husband Kiko will be able to stay home and celebrate Christmas, after having hired a caretaker over the holiday. 
  
...I am speechless in regard to the support, compassion, and friendship we have encountered this past week. I can't tell you the joy I feel when I look up and see a smiling face at our gate, holding a bag of dog food or a dog bed. It's been a while since these dogs have had a cookie and I laugh out loud at the site of them enjoying them so much.

State of the City: 2011

I’m sorry to see 2010 come to a close. It was the year I got both engaged and married and switched from teaching high school English back to full-time copywriting. I traveled, I lived, I lounged, and I ate. But I’m certainly excited to see what 2011 has in store.

Houston tends to fly under the radar of the national food scene, but that’s alright by me. Yes, I loved seeing Bryan Caswell on The Next Iron Chef this year, and it’s cool to see Houston on John Mariani’s list of Best Restaurant Cities, but I think our food scene rather benefits from the relative national obscurity. After all, the Bayou City has been setting off culinary fireworks left and right this year, thanks to generally amiable attitudes from kitchen compatriots and diner darlings alike. No pressure, little drama; just a friendly competitive spirit.

Here are a few reasons I enjoyed the 2010 culinary air around town.


MORE LOCAL DIVERSITY
In one especially eclectic week last summer, I ate Serbian, Filipino, Moroccan, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Mediterranean food... in addition to my usual fare. Recently I had Ethiopian food for the first time in eight years, and then went next door for a post-meal pupusa with bubble tea. Friends like Dr. Ricky and Jay Rascoe introduced me to Hot Pot, Peking Duck, and the wonderous array of taco trucks. Maybe the diversity, itself, isn’t new, but perhaps our growing desire to seek it out is.


MORE BEER DINNERS
Wine is typically the chosen buzz agent at fine-dining establishments, but this year the beautiful brewsky stepped into the foreground. We began flocking to beer-loving places like Petrol Station and Liberty Station, and restaurants began offering fancy-pants beer dinners. I attended the Southern Star beer dinner at VOICE in May, but was sorry to miss those Stone Brewing beer dinners at Vic & Anthony’s, among others. Perhaps this also reflects our growing preference for casual dinners and comfort foods.


MORE COLLABORATION
It’s not just restaurants and breweries working together... Chefs are sharing kitchens, too, wowing eaters by combining culinary repertoires. There was the Lazy Summer Repast featuring chefs from Chez Roux, Bootsie’s, and the Just 8 Project. Shortly after that came the 10-10-10 dinner: 10 courses and 10 drink pairings from Seth Siegel-Gardner, Justin Yu, and David Buehrer, held at Paulie’s in Montrose. Pastry chefs Plinio Sandalio and Rebecca Masson even held their own collaborative dessert tasting.


MORE LOCAL INGREDIENTS
Houston has never been known as a local food mecca, but that’s starting to change as restaurants citywide are spotlighting our local bounty on their menus -- or even growing their own. Eh, we’re no California, but Texas does have a surprising girth of local foods in the form of Gulf seafood, local cheeses, area beers, and Texas tomatoes, peaches, and grapefruits. Look for them on menus citywide, area farmers markets, or at the soon-to-open Revival Market. Hooray!


MORE FOOD TRUCKS AND MOBILE STANDS
The City of Houston is notoriously hard on food trucks, but the community is beginning to prosper despite the strict regulations. Now that a few are up-and-running, they’ve created a kind of support group for one another, offering tips and advice to the newer ones making a go. Everyone’s a winner now that we have stands like Melange Creperie, the Eatsie Boys, and Oh My Pocket Pies. Even some of the brick-and-mortar restaurants are going mobile -- like Hubcap Grill, Armando’s, and Sylvia’s Enchilada Kitchen.


WISH LIST FOR 2011
Yes, it’s been a banner year for lovely H-Town. And my calendar’s never complete without a list of selfish requests for the year to come.

1) A continuation of the trends from above. Why not? I like where we’re headed.

2) A return to dessert. With all the savory hullabahoo this year, we seem to have forgotten about dessert. Gone are the days when I checked out the dessert menu first to decide whether or not I needed to save room.

3) More pop-up restaurants. The Just August Project opened our eyes to culinary possibilities, creative cheffery, and a new type of dining. More, please!

4) More vegetables. Some of my most memorable dining experiences this year (in Seattle, San Francisco, and Denver) included vegetables in starring roles. I want more of this in Houston, though places like Haven, The Grove, and Bootsie’s are close.

(A plate at OIMBY, a feast made almost entirely from locally sourced foods.)

Tribute To a Most Wonderful Woman

...Wife, Mom, Daughter, Grandma, Godmother, Sister, Aunt, Cousin, Friend and everything in between.

I wonder if she still uses the name "Sancha Melchor" up there in the celestial FaceBook network and still doesn't want to be found? Ja, ja, too late because we all know where she is and we all continue to "bug" her with our endless requests and to rely on her and her always wise advice.

Written with my kids in mind but meant to be shared will all of you my family and friends.

One year has passed and swooshed over my head. Where did it go?

Last year after attending Ducky’s birthday party, weak as she was, Sylvia decided she wanted to have her nails done, so together we went to the Salon and not only did she get her nails done but she also got a pedicure. I sat next to her getting a massage while we commented on how lucky we were.

We were all broke and some of you were already saying you felt bad for not having presents for us. The funny thing is that I remember both of us telling you how we were getting the ultimate Christmas present from all of you, and that was the fact that as different and weird you all are in a nice kindda way we just loved how all of you get along with each other. Yes, we know there are conflicts once in a while but for the most part you always conquer them and then move along.

I am sure she is still very happy because you guys continue to be nice to each other, and rely on one another, which is what being a family is all about. One thing I can assure you is she always thought of family being first otherwise she would not have helped you all as much as she did, and yes sometimes even behind my back if it involved money. Sneaky woman wasn’t she.

Today marks the first anniversary of her passing to a better life, and let me tell you that I personally think she is doing an awesome job as an angel. I hear she took care of three wonderful kids before sending them to us. She manifests herself through the rain every 22nd day of the month (except maybe last month as she took a day off cause it was her birthday month) and to date has come to visit many of you through your dreams.

This only tells me one thing and this is that GONE SHE IS NOT, her body is but not her heart and soul. She is as present today as she ever was, not a day goes by that I don’t see her photo and say goody bye as I go to work, I practically quote her everyday, thank her for teaching me how to cook so I don’t starve, see her when I see Nichole and Michelle, specially Michelle whom at times is like a mini her, and sometimes even when looking at Kika, spooky yes I know, but so true. And I won’t say anything about the correlation of Juan and Diego, but you all know what I am talking about.

Regardless of what the future may bring for me one thing is for certain my past will never ever change, that is documented and archived and filed in my memories so that I can always carry it with me wherever I go and yet have readily accessible as needed. And trust me I have 31 full years of those memories, which I know will last me for the entire rest of my life. Yes, in my life new memories will be made but the old ones will never die.

I ask of you to think of one little word, one that was on top of Sylvia’s list at all times. She thought of this as the most important part of life as she told it to me repeatedly. So please think of it, disseminate it, think it, talk about it, and then live it. Of course I am talking about the word “FAMILY”. I present you the word, but you guys have to give it meaning by your actual actions. I am hoping that you will find out that “family” is more than just a word in the vocabulary.

This morning I attended the 7:00 a.m. mass at St. Vincent de Paul as it was intentioned for Sylvia and as much as I like al padresito Jorge as Maryita calls him I was pretty happy that it was Father McCaffrey whom presided the mass. I thought it was only fitting.

I won’t lie to you I too miss her dearly, I miss her voice, her food, her jokes (which were few and far), her dancing, her scent, but most importantly her presence. But I have also accepted this as God’s will and I won’t question his judgment. So I made the decision to somehow have her with me every day in my thoughts, in my heart, and in my soul, this has worked for me and has kept me sane.

Sylvia and I had vowed to return to our church and to be a part of it. We initiated our bible studies, she had agreed for me to be a part of the choir and to get involved. She said she would even go back to St. Vincent de Paul. Wow, those were tough decisions for her and yet she knew it was time for us to do it. She told me she felt the importance deep in her soul. I intend to honor her by continuing what I am doing, and I invite all of you to join me. The Christian formation our church offers is not only necessary for our family but it is essential. It defines who we are in our faith in God and in Jesus Christ.

By the way the 8:00 p.m. Christmas Mass on the 24th at St. Vincent de Paul will also be for her. Those of you that can and would like to attend are cordially invited. Plus our choir will be singing so that night I will dedicate my singing to Baby Jesus and to her. Last year she made it a point to invite all of you so this year I carry her wish by doing the same.

So today as we all reflect and feel sad for her absence honor her by celebrating her life, a life that was full of great advice, of good wishes, and plenty of love towards every single one of us and imitate her to the best of your abilities. I am sure she wants her legacy to be carried on and passed to all her grand children, nephews, and nieces. Don’t miss her but carry her with you, and if you have the need to cry let them be happy tears as she is now resting next to God in a way better life, and just let her do her job from up there. As I said before so far she has made an exceptional job and I don’t foresee her stopping any time soon.

Love you all.

P.S. On her behalf have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Camping with dogs

I mentioned that there was a local movement here to create a shelter for homeless/stray dogs.But a similar center has already been established, that we're going to support, rather than duplicate their efforts. My friend Kristin and her very patient husband Kiko have a small property to which they've added fencing, a trailer, a concrete pad and several other improvements. While our group was having meetings and firing off emails to each other, K&K just went ahead and did what had to be done.


Kris was always the go-to person here when people had unwanted dogs. They dropped off puppies in the middle of the night at her Canine Center, where she was offering boarding, grooming and selling pet supplies. The overhead at that location finally became too much and they had to close. The new property, while smaller, was a gift from an inlaw. But things haven't come easily to K&K, as you'll see in this email she wrote yesterday to our organization.


Outreach is part of their efforts, too. Every morning they drive out into the desert to leave food for the feral dogs living there. Often unwanted dogs, even puppies, are abandoned in the desert to fend for themselves. And they don't limit their kindness to the four-legged needy. Here's their story:


We are not actually even open yet but we have had dogs just pouring in. In the past four days we had 7 puppies dumped/dropped at our new lot... The good news is that six of the seven pups have been adopted! (The remaining pup, a female, is pictured here) That doesn't always happen so we are very happy about that. December typically has the highest adoption rate. 

This is our current situation. We have several dogs in the shelter besides the one pup. We do not have adequate staff and are not in a position to hire anyone at this time. We have one young man that is basically stuck there 24/7... Most days we have no one to cover for him and at this time we have no one else to cover the night shift. I hate to burn him out and I can see that is coming VERY soon. 

Kiko and I also sponsor a church in one of the little towns here. We are doing our best to get over there and do the food bags and that kind of thing so we have been running back and forth doing that. 

...I guess our most pressing need at the moment is finding someone who would be interested in just hanging with the dogs for an hour or two at any time of the day. They wouldn't need to do any work other than playing with the dogs. At least that would give all of us a chance to eat a normal meal at least once a day. We are trying to walk the dogs twice a day as well. We have one lovely couple who have been coming everyday and taking them on their afternoon walk. We had never met them before but are certain they are angels. 

As far as the construction of the center goes, we are trying really hard to get organized right now. It's just total chaos. We didn't expect to be found out until we were ready to start taking dogs again but the dogs always manage to find us...

When we have water we will need to pour a slab for the washing machine that just died a slow, painful death. 

 Our neighbor is requesting that we build a block wall to seperate us from him. He has been very supportive and is in fact, our only source of electricity. However when someone goes behind his building it upsets our dogs and they bark quite a bit. We do our level best not to allow the dogs to bark and disturb anyone. This is the reason for the 24 hour staff. Everywhere I look there I see things I need to get done. I think we are already so tired it's hard to determine what to do next.

We do not have power, water, or sewer yet. It's sort of like dog camping. We have had several people drop bags of dogfood off and for that we are deeply grateful. We don't have everything we would like to have for the animals but we are doing our best to meet their basic needs. We care very deeply for the animals and know that there are so many more who are in desperate need of care. We have several stations in the desert and surrounding areas and at this point I am going out at daybreak to feed and water... I hope to be of assistance in getting the spay, neuter, and vaccination clinic going when we are settled.


Tune in tomorrow...

Spiffed up for Christmas

I'm always slow to get into the holiday spirit, partly because I feel overwhelmed by all the sham for at least a month. Then something kicks in: a certain song (the Hallelujah Chorus works every time), a certain smell (cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and clove, or else fir trees).  An occasional craving for a hot toddy.  I can tell the mood is coming on when I start to clean up the house, put up my chili pepper lights and spiff up my blog.  I come up with little surprises for the Capt but I can never wait until Christmas Day to spring them on him. That's the trouble with gifting him with something he really needs or wants, I begin to feel cruel for holding it back from him. He needs that fleece vest NOW, he's cold!

What leaves me cold: the frantic visual and aural clamor in stores, Santa Claus in all his manifestations, the usual articles about how to avoid holiday stress and avoid social stigma by buying just the right gifts.  Constant reminders that thefts escalate here during the season, because the have-nots all want to provide gifts for their families too. The notion that Christmas is really just about increasing the luxuries and bling in one's life, thus driving us to buy more shiny stuff, rich food and gadgets. 

I've gone from avoiding Christmas entirely (easy to do if you're out in the Pacific on a boat with someone of like mind), to throwing myself into a tizzy a few days before the 25th, which is hard on my wallet and inner peace (who did I forget?) Now I'm looking for some balance, and giving myself the gift of a few (carefully selected) new experiences. Learning carols in Spanish. Treating my nose to wonderful spicy baking aromas while reminding myself to give away most of the results.


Would you believe, for instance, that I've lived my whole life without getting involved in Christmas cookie mania?  I made up for that yesterday when I invited Maya, 10,  over to make gingerbread cookies we decorated with icing.  She's been saying for weeks she wanted to repeat our last very successful cookie project, so I dug up some recipes and she brought over her cutters, which she's been dying to use since last spring. I made up the dough ahead of time since it had to chill, and we rolled out a batch. We cut out moons and little houses, fish and hearts, put them on to bake and because my convection oven repeatedly blew the power strip, they ended up baking far longer than they should have. Definitely turned out al dente. But we had a great time mixing up colored icings. She's fascinated with the process of combining red and blue, red and yellow, blue and yellow and all of the above... We tried using the frosting bag I bought, but the frosting wouldn't hold its shape. Tasted pretty good, though. These may be the ugliest Christmas cookies ever produced, but we were satisfied, and the Capt. enjoyed them too (especially since I had to put off making lunch until after the cleanup).

Whenever I used a word she didn't know, she'd look it up on my computer. And vice versa. So I learned that the Spanish name for my favorite color is verde azulado. A handy thing to know.


She had no apron and was wearing a blouse with flowing sleeves, so she took a plastic bag and cut holes in it for her head and arms, tucking the sleeves inside as they do for school painting class.


Qúe lastima, today Maya, her family and their Yorkie Akira leave for Mexico City for Christmas. I'll miss her birthday and worry she'll come back a blasé teenager.  I won't get a chance to sing carols with her and teach her "Las Mañanitas" on the guitar. But she has asked to make cupcakes when she comes back, so I'll spend the time looking for recipes, and maybe doing a little kitchen testing. And make her an apron.

The Culinary Camaraderie at Kata Robata

It’s fantastically awesome to see that there’s so much *fun* going on in the kitchens around town. Truly, the restaurants are thriving these days are the ones that don’t take themselves too seriously and continue to step up their games by playing with flavors and techniques. They love it, we love it; it’s textbook win-win. One only need follow Randy Rucker (of Bootsie’s Café) or Carlos Rodriguez (of Vic & Anthony’s) on Twitter to see an endearing sort of kitchen camaraderie going on... It’s the kind that spills from the kitchen to the dining room via a freight train of fabulous food.

I wouldn’t have pegged Seth Siegel-Gardner and Manabu Horiuchi to have that sort of Be/Fri relationship, but the pair is making sweet, sweet gastronomy together at Kata Robata. Hori is a classically trained sushi chef from a small town outside Tokyo. Siegel-Gardner is a Houston native who has honed his cheffery at next-level places like the Fat Duck in London at C-House in New York. Each is a culinary genius in his own right—and now they’re combining their knowledge and packing a serious one-two punch for Houston diners to enjoy. For a limited time.


Below are some photos from my omakase experience at Kata Robata last night. All of these items are from the recently overhauled menu, which you should try as soon as is possible. Siegel-Gardner will be sharing the spotlight at Kata Robata for the next few months before possibly moving on, so the time is now.


Honey mussels from British Columbia. The one on the left has a light citron vinaigrette and char roe; the one on the right has a cucumber vinaigrette and ponzu. Simple, smooth, and totally flavorific.


House smoked salmon served with puffed salmon skin, thin sliced pickles, and a purple cabbage reduction. The puffed skin adds a nice measure of savory.


My favorite dish of the night: Grilled sushi rice topped with smooth uni and a rich togarashi lardo, served with a poached quail egg. Mega flavor fireworks with every bite.


A paper-thin slice of dehydrated short rib. Below is the rest of the dish: Perfectly hydrated Akaushi beef short ribs with broccoli stems and toasted nori yogurt. Amazing.


Barbecued unagi under a pile of powered bone marrow snow. Supine in the background is a slice of foie gras studded with stripes of unagi sauce. Pure decadence.


Fresh toro tar tar with wasabi vinaigrette, kumquat cream, and crunchy gobo chips. Simple and light, a beautiful mix of textures, served with just the right accoutrements.


Salmon and lightly fried softshell crab studded with Korean barbecue powder and togarashi. On the other side of the plate was the pork belly roll topped with hardboiled egg and a seedless slice of jalapeno.


Shockingly light puffs of doughnut: A coconut one lies in the foreground. The ones in the back are filled, one with sweet potato and the other with red bean paste. A stunning way to end a stunningly delicious meal.

No Santa Claus?

My son sent me this and I really love it. I still believe in Santa Claus and his magnificent power to make children and grown ups alike happy.

I believe in Santa!

What? No Santa Claus?

I remember my first Christmas adventure with Grandma.

I was just a kid.

I remember tearing across town on my bike to visit her on the day my big sister dropped the bomb: "There is no Santa Claus," she jeered. "Even dummies know that!"

My Grandma was not the gushy kind, never had been.

I fled to her that day because I knew she would be straight with me.

I knew Grandma always told the truth, and I knew that the truth always went down a whole lot easier when swallowed with one of her "world-famous" cinnamon buns. knew they were world-famous, because Grandma said so.

It had to be true.

Grandma was home, and the buns were still warm. Between bites, I told her everything. She was ready for me. "No Santa Claus?" She snorted...."Ridiculous! Don't believe it. That rumor has been going around for years, and it makes me mad, plain mad!! Now, put on your coat, and let's go."

"Go? Go where, Grandma?" I asked. I hadn't even finished my second world-famous cinnamon bun.

"Where" turned out to be Kerby's General Store, the one store in town that had a little bit of just about everything. As we walked through its doors, Grandma handed me ten dollars.

That was a bundle in those days. "Take this money," she said, "and buy something for someone who needs it. I'll wait for you in the car. "Then she turned and walked out of Kerby's.

I was only eight years old. I'd often gone shopping with my mother, but never had I shopped for anything all by myself.

The store seemed big and crowded, full of people scrambling to finish their Christmas shopping. For a few moments I just stood there, confused, clutching that ten-dollar bill, wondering what to buy, and who on earth to buy it for. I thought of everybody I knew: my family, my friends, my neighbors, the kids at school, and the people who went to my church.

I was just about thought out, when I suddenly thought of Bobby Decker. He was a kid with bad breath and messy hair, and he sat right behind me in Mrs. Pollock's grade-two class.

Bobby Decker didn't have a coat. I knew that because he never went out to recess during the winter. His mother always wrote a note, telling the teacher that he had a cough, but all we kids knew that Bobby Decker didn't have a cough; he didn't have a good coat. I fingered the ten-dollar bill with growing excitement. I would buy Bobby Decker a coat!

I settled on a red corduroy one that had a hood to it. It looked real warm, and he would like that.

"Is this a Christmas present for someone?" the lady behind the counter asked kindly, as I laid my ten dollars down.

"Yes, ma'am," I replied shyly. "It's for Bobby."

The nice lady smiled at me, as I told her about how Bobby really needed a good winter coat. I didn't get any change, but she put the coat in a bag, smiled again, and wished me a Merry Christmas.

That evening, Grandma helped me wrap the coat (a little tag fell out of the coat, and Grandma tucked it in her Bible) in Christmas paper and ribbons and wrote, "To Bobby, From Santa Claus" on it.

Grandma said that Santa always insisted on secrecy. Then she drove me over to Bobby Decker's house, explaining as we went that I was now and forever officially, one of Santa's helpers.

Grandma parked down the street from Bobby's house, and she and I crept noiselessly and hid in the bushes by his front walk.

Then Grandma gave me a nudge. "All right, Santa Claus," she whispered, "get going."

I took a deep breath, dashed for his front door, threw the present down on his step, pounded his door and flew back to the safety of the bushes and Grandma.

Together we waited breathlessly in the darkness for the front door to open. Finally it did, and there stood Bobby.

Fifty years haven't dimmed the thrill of those moments spent shivering, beside my Grandma, in Bobby Decker's bushes.

That night, I realized that those awful rumors about Santa Claus were just what Grandma said they were: ridiculous. Santa was alive and well, and we were on his team. I still have the Bible, with the coat tag tucked inside: $19.95.

May you always have LOVE to share, HEALTH to spare and FRIENDS that care....

And may you always believe in the magic of Santa Claus!

Just say yes

In the interest of a richer, fuller life, I've been promising myself I'll do something I've never done before, anytime the chance presents itself. Opportunities are be abundant just lately, and I've made a point of saying "Yes!" to as many as possible. It's been keeping me pretty busy, but most of the results have been better than expected.


Last week our cooking club launched a Gingerbread Project: we got together on Tuesday (for the basic structure) and Saturday (for the decorating). My gingerbread dwelling was a doghouse that I gave my neighbors for Christmas.

It wasn't an unqualified success. When I was glueing my first attempt together, I was too impatient to wait for the icing to harden sufficiently, and it collapsed in my hands. So humiliating. So Mary built me another one, what an angel!

Then I started a website for the club, and all the details of the Gingerbread Project appear on the landing page.


It was a doghouse because I have dogs on the brain lately. I'm on the fundraising committee for a new community group planning to establish a shelter for stray and homeless dogs and cats. The goal is not just to warehouse the critters, but to immunize, neuter, medically treat (where needed), exercise and socialize them, so we can eventually find them homes. A number of individuals have succeeded with this process, and hundreds of dogs have been adopted in Mexico and the US through their efforts, but there's never been a centralized location here where the animals could be kept until now. There's a shelter in Alamos which we plan to visit after Christmas, for ideas and inspiration.


So this will be another first for me: I've been involved in community activities, but never the fundraising part. To tell the truth,  I always avoided it. The prospect is daunting, but considering that our first fundraiser is just over a month from now, there's no time to be daunted. We're planning to organize a procession to the local church for the Blessing of the Animals which always occurs January 17 in Mexico. I hope to have a logo created, leaflets printed to distribute and t-shirts for the volunteers to wear. There are so many firsts involved in this project I haven't even thought of them all yet!


So if I don't get back to this blog for a while, I want to wish all of you...

Feliz Navidad y Próspero Año Nuevo!

Blessings

It's sad to see how we take things for granted. Because God is being good to us we don't realize how fortunate we are, but then you sing up to sponsor a kid or a veteran for Christmas just so that they can have a present to unwrap and it kind of put things in perspective. When you get your "star" (in this case a sheet of paper) the first thing you see is a number, mine was D133B, and yes after that there is a name, my veteran's name is Joe but weather it's easier or more convenient I would hate to bee files as D133B and would prefer to find my file under "J" for Jose or Joe.

Another year is gone. Another Christmas is here! And I can't help but wonder where did the year go? What happened to it? It slipped right through my hands in what seemed like a blink of an eye. I have mentioned this before, now that I am older I don't like my years to disappear quite this fast except they do not ask me for permission. The days just come and go it seems at will.

So hopefully this sweatshirt/long sleeve t-shirt my veteran chose will be easy to find.

In the meantime, this is the best time to reflect on all of our blessings, on our families, on our health, and on those things that we don't want in our lives, like unemployment and poverty. Let's pray that things change for the better and our politicians finally see the light and do as they are expected.

Otherwise, we will become a number in the long lines of poverty. A lot of us can probably live with the essentials but it's gotta be hard to live with nothing. So do your part and if you are one of the lucky ones working as I am do not complain about your work conditions, about not getting a raise, about how not getting along, because even with all that many of us are probably way better off than most. I prefer to look for the positives and not the negatives, it just makes my life so much easier.

Through The Years

So I finally started a YouTube page to post some of the song vides my friends and family as well as myself record. Here I attempted to sing the Kenny Roger's classic "Through The Years.

I also intend to record as many songs as I can from our church choir and I will upload them little by little as they are available. Yes, the choirboy has been very active and is heading to his firs anniversary as a choir member.

If you want to visit my you tube page follow the following link and put it in your favorites so you can visit often, trust me I am trying to add something everyday so that there's always something fresh and new to be found.

http://www.youtube.com/user/MrJoeCool918?feature=mhum

South Mountain Park

This is what you see as you enter the park.
The other day on a lazy Saturday afternoon with nothing better to do we decided to cruise down to South Mountain Park. I been living in Phoenix for the past 20 years and I had never been there. Sure I see it from the freeway every single day but for the first time we actually went into the park and up the hill to see Phoenix from an eagle's eye.

Almost at the entrance you will find The Ponderosa Stables, for some $35.00 an hour you can take a horseback ride into the park. I'm thinking this definitely may be something to do in the near future.



Scenes from Ponderosa Stables at South Mountain Park.
Going up to the top takes a while. The road is nicely paved but it's narrow and with lots of curves easy to go down the cliffs if distracted. It is also a nice biker destination but again me being a biker I rate this ride as a ride for experienced riders, no rail guards on the road can easily spell disaster.

Ride carefully and this is one heck of a good ride to take.
Now these are my kind of horses
Once up the top you can see the whole valley. Phoenix is a pretty city that really isn't too big. If you are driving on I-10 you can enter Phoenix and leave it in less than an hour. You'll have a clear view of Downtown Phoenix, the Phoenix Airport, the West Valley and even Scottsdale. Really a nice view in every direction.



The view from the top of the mountain is breath taking.
Can't believe one misses so much without even thinking about it. I had been missing this for 20 years and it's only a 20 minute drive from my home. I wonder what other interesting places I am missing. I think I will start a list of places to visit around me.


Looking at the horses and just plain looking pretty.




Scenes from South Mountain Park.