Monsoon Preview

This is what my sky looks like during Monsoon season.

When it is like this, there is usually a crayon box full of colored lightening that comes with it. Artistic lightening that creates curli-cues and letters in the clouds.

The letter Y is always my favorite!

They come in bursts of neon pinks,shocking orange and electric blues.

A small smathering of Mother Natures palette.

We play games with the lightening.

We ask yes or no questions.

We ask for messages from our dearly departed.

When the boys were younger it would go something like this

"Grandpa if you can hear me, show me a blue lightening"

and then we would all wait for an answer.

I can honestly say that Grandpa hasn't failed them yet.

Welcome Additions

Last night my oldest son went to do his laundry,at some point he texted me and said he had a surprise for me.I can't even tell you how many directions my mind went. I couldn't wait for him to get home to find out what kind of gift he could have gotten me at 9PM on a Sunday night. Well, as you can see from the picture above I have a brand new baby.

I didn't name her last night and this morning the name Lily popped into my head. Actually the name Lily Monster was what came to me,but since I'm a believer of names having a certain persona attatched to them, I'm a bit leery in giving her the "Monster" part. I called her Lily and she came to me. She is a beautiful blue/grey with bluish grey eyes. One of her wonderful features is that she is NOT a cry baby. We did hide her last night from Daddy & Lola (he still doesn't know yet that there is a kitty in the house) and we introduced her to her big dog-sister Lola.

I think they are going to do well together.

WHOOP I did it again!

I am entirely blessed this week. I just discovered that I won the Chocolate give away over at the Drollerie Press. Remember I had posted about it in my previous post.  I can't believe it twice in one week, Books and Chocolate. I am very grateful and filled with gratitude. Thank you dear Deena.  When I finally finish my book that's been about 35 years in the making perhaps I shall submit it to Drollerie and perhaps make my winning streak a trifecta.

 Like the lyrics in an old song 

~~ perhaps, Perhaps,perhaps~~

  A Soul infused with the attitude of a gratitude is a happy Soul indeed!

I WON, I WON

A couple weeks a go I entered a contest on the La Bloga website pertaining to a new book called Needles & Bones. Yesterday morning I was notified that my entry had one. YAY Me! I then got an e mail from Deena Fisher of Drollerie Press,in addition to giving me details about my Prized Copy of Needles & Bones she let me know that they are having a Chocolate Give away. So if you are interested and love Books & Chocolate then head over to here and try your luck. Just keep in mind,if you win, you have to share a piece of that Chocolate.

Surrounded by Beauty

This is my view of the last mile or so before hitting the dirt road that takes me home. Most of the time I share the road with Prairie dogs, Jack Rabbits,Turkey Vultures,Hawks and the occasional Coyote.

I was going through the pictures in my cell phone while I'm sitting at the front desk . Just as I hit on this picture I happened to look out the large plate glass windows to see the palm trees that line the street elegantly swaying to the cool Jazz playing inside.

The first thing to pop into my head was a voice saying

"You are surrounded by Beauty"

and you know what?

I really am.

Not just the physical beauty

but

Beautiful Hearts

and

Beautiful Souls.

I work in an Art Gallery and I am surrounded by Artistic Beauty.

I work with a Staff that is kind hearted, a special friend owns the shop around the corner and she is an amazing woman with a Beautiful Soul.

I have met people through my blog and social networks that I have never met in person,but you know just by the tone of their words,the kindness in their comments,their selfless sharing of their work that they too are Beautiful and surrounded in Beauty of their own.

For 13 months I've been in a medical nightmare, and like my girl FRIDA once said

"I AM NOT SICK,I AM BROKEN"

I too am broken,but today I finally took a moment to catch my breath and see that under all the scars and pain

I am STILL surrounded by beauty.

Please share with me what is beautiful to you.

Have a Blessed and Beautiful Day.

No Post Today but...

I worked all day and just got home. Dang! It's already 8:30. I did get the GREATEST! compliment today,although I don't think she realized how much of a compliment it was. PR Mom likened my posts of my Dad to the storytelling of one of my most favorite Authors. Victor Villasenor is a wonderful man and if you ever get to meet and hear him speak in person you will dredge up emotions you never knew you had.  I have always wanted to be a Writer ever since I was in grade school. When our school had Book fairs they would host an Author contest and the best book would be printed and sold at the fair. I never got first place,but once I did get 2nd. So PR Mom you made my day. 

I've always said I'll know when I've made it big when I get my 15 minutes of fame on NPR!

The Many faces of Dad

June 16th,1965

Buena Park,California

Looking through pictures for my Dad's Week, I noticed how much he changed over the years. People would say he looked like the 50's Crooner Bobby Darin or was it Rydell? Either way he looked like a singer named Bobby. There were times when he looked like a Hippie,a Hells Angel (sans Bike and Gang),like a mafioso,and a business man to name a few. 

The picture above is him and my mom at their Wedding Shower. Looking at my mom's hairstyle 2 words come to mind- Marge Simpson (I'm glad she doesn't have internet access,I can hear her already YVONNE! he he back to business) Up until now I didn't realize their shower was the day after her birthday,but what I do know is that I showed up a year later.

On a side note. My Dad was only 17 when he married my mom,his mother had to sign the license to allow him to get married. My mom would say she knew how much he loved her when he pawned his rims to pay for their wedding license. Romantic isn't it? 

Boy pawns kick ass car rims to marry girl. 

Fact- those weren't his rims,they were his brothers and Dad and his buddy's jacked up the car and took them while my uncle was passed out.

 How my Grandmother made it through without killing one of them is beyond me!

White Rock,California

Labor Day Weekend 1967

I don't know why,but this picture cracks me up. I guess it just screams Hippie to me. He's sitting on top of his Aunts Station Wagon with a mattress and what looks like a pool stick tied to the top. My dad loved camping any place any time. (Dad, what do you mean I can't plug my blow dryer in? ??) He loved fishing even more than camping. Growing up I can never remember not having a boat. 

I grew up a surfer/Punk chick on the sunny shores of California.

Verde River,Arizona

1971-1972 (give or take a year)

This was the Mafioso phase, Futures so bright I gotta wear shades! That's my mom,again with the Marge Simpson Do' . I'm the one in yellow,the other two are cousins. We would visit Arizona a lot and hanging at the lakes or the "Verde" is where we spent most of our time. My dad was a joker. My Aunt had 6 kids and when we would go to the lake we would all be piled in back of the truck and by "we" I mean cousins,dogs,Duck yes, my cousin had a pet duck that she would walk on a leash. He even wore a rhinestone collar. Hey I guess that's what ducks wore in the 70's. The worst visit? Hobo, the ages old family dog got sprayed by a skunk and guess where he rode on the way home? 

Yep, in back with us.

Funniest moment. The cousins chanting "we want Dairy Queen" over and over again. So dad finds a DQ and pulls up into the drive- thru. The cousins are cheering and giving each high 5's and when it's our turn at the window?

Yep, Dad just kept on going laughing like a mad-man.

There were some seriously pissed off cousins in the back of that truck that night.

Early 70's

In some lake,Somewhere

Doesn't he look like a Biker here? That's one of my God-parents many boats. I think this just help foster my love of Sirens. I swear I was one in another life. Maybe I inspired Homer's "The Odessy" This is the last picture at least for now. Have you had enough yet? Dying for that eye candy I promised? This has been fun and I really wish I could go back to those times on the water. Even more so since today is going to be 110'. 

Thank you for indulging my closet cleaning and thank you for the wonderful comments you have left.

Mud Pool

I think today is going to be filled with posts. This picture I wanted to share,because of a picture PR MOM had posted of 2 cuties in a tub. See PR Mom back in the day my cousins and I created our own pool. It was a dug out hole in my Tia's (aunt) backyard here in Arizona. My cousin filled it with water and I was expected (out of sheer courtesy of course) to, um swim in it. I think now days they call it a SPA and a mud bath is extra lol. By the way, I'm the one on the floor getting "washed off".

A Little Birdie told me

These are my very nosey Love birds and they couldn't wait for me to share my super-delish gifts I received in the mail yesterday. Forgive the quality of the picture,but I had to do the cell phone photography. 

A while back I did my first blog give away of a small Frida painting I had done and the winner was the very kind, and wonderful with words, Punk Rock Mom. I was very late in getting her prize out to her. I live in what we refer to as 'No man's land" and the post office is about 25 miles away (that's 1 way) and by the time I got the car it was always too late. Finally about two weeks ago I was able to steal the car from the kids and high tail it out into the big City and get her prize in the mail(carrier pigeons were being lazy that day). Punk Rock Mom has a wonderful blog that she lets me read and not only is she a fabulous Photographer,but she is one half of an amazing set of parents ( I wonder if I'm too old to be adopted by these two?) After PR Mom received her package she did a blog post about them and about me as well. It was so heart-fully written I even wanted to read my blog! 

I think PR mom should go into the PR profession .

 In my package I received from her and her beautiful daughter (if all little girls were as cute and smart as hers I'd sign myself up for 10) a Thank you card with one of her photo's that I love. You can see the little shoes above the gossiping birdies. I also received 2 pieces of art created by PR Mom & PR Baby. The one that says "GRACIAS" was done by PR MOM and the beautiful painting was done by the PR Babe,she must have ESP,because the colors of my painting match the gossipy little birds perfectly and that's where they will stay.

It was such a surprise and I am so grateful and happy to know that there are very kind people out in that mean old world!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart E & S!

SUPERDUPERWONDERFULLYDELICIOUS SUPRISES!

I received a most blessed surprise in the mail today and as much as I want to share it with you today, I want to post a picture of it also. So you'll just have to sit tight until tomorrow since it's my day off from the Gallery I can play all day! I just want this  person and her wee Lass cohort to know that I got their package and I just LOVE IT!!!! Lola and I send big FAT far-away Arizona desert hugs to two special people with big FAT caring hearts in the California desert! Thank You SO MUCH!  The rest of you will have to wait until tomorrow. See my posts even have "Suspense" ha ha.

Dad- The early years.

July 9,1947

Tia Honey,Mama Teechee,my Dad and Tia Kito

Watts,California

I didn't realize the back of this picture was dated until I scanned it, By today's date it's  3 days short of 62 years.  It is surreal to me,that I have out lived him by one year.

 My dad was born a blond hair, blue eyed boy on January 12,1947, that makes him about 7 months old in this picture. His dad was Aztec/Yaqui Indian and his Mom was Basque/Mexican. He was the oldest of five kids,he had 2 brothers and 2 sisters. My dad was born in Los Angeles and raised in Watts.

I'm not sure how old he was when they left. I Know after his parents divorced my Grandmother and the kids moved around a lot staying with one sister (my grandmother was 1 of 6 Garcia girls) or another. I know my Grandmother had a brother who died young of a broken heart on Christmas Eve and he passed away at the oldest of the Garcia Sister's House. I don't know much more than that. Ironically it seems that a Garcia can not leave this world unless it's a holiday. 

It's almost a Garcia trademark! 

Judging by his size in this picture I'm guessing it was around the same time as the one above,there is not a date on it. I can't tell if that's my Grandmother or her sister Nena.  I know that sometime around Junior high his family moved to Buena Park and lived with the oldest of the Garcia Sisters. That would be Frances,but they called her Pompei . Why? I have no clue as to why  these people had the nicknames that they did.(and yes, I have a nickname too, they called me Bonnie ugh!)  Pompei at some point in her life was a beauty Queen. 

Pompei (Frances) was the oldest,then there was Nena (Helen),Cata (catherine,my Grandmother)Licia (Alice,my Godmother),Honey (Mary) and Kito( Caroline) the youngest. Their brother they refered to as Tio Tomix (Thomas). Looking at the Garcia Sister's Family Bible there was another sister named Jinnie Lopez and above it is written "Out of Family". 

I don't know anything more than the name on a page. She would have been born before any of the Garcia Sisters or their brother for that matter. 

 Oh how I love digging Skeletons out of the closet! 

I hope all this makes sense. I can't figure out how to format the post so it looks right and I apologize for that. I was proofreading what I had and thinking about tomorrows post and I couldn't help but laugh at my Dramatic Family,we have; divorce,scandal,suicides! No wonder my life long dream has always been to become a published writer,I mean look at all I have to work with! I wouldn't need to make it up. lol.

So if you'll indulge my "closet cleaning" for a few more days I promise to reward you with a little Artistic eye candy. 

Is that a deal? 

Can we pinky swear on it?

20 Years 4th of July

August mid 70's

Tempe, Arizona

January 12,1946-July 4,1989

Twenty years ago today my Dad passed away.

He was only 42.

Things had been touch and go for a long time,

Everytime the Doctors would tell us the end was near he'd come out of whatever it was and start demanding chicken pot pies again. When he was well enough to come home he told his Doctor he wanted to go on vacation,he wanted to go to Arizona. When the Dr. finally realized my dad would go to Arizona with or without his approval he gave in,on several conditions. The Dr. wanted to know where the hospital was,who would supply his oxygen (to this day I cannot look at someone with portable oxygen) and a whole list of other things that had to be in place before he could leave California. My mom drove the 2 of them to his sisters house. They say when he was getting out of the car,with the help of her neighbor he said he was home and never leaving,

Indians know when they are going to die and they go home

or so I have been told. It was a Wednesday. It was not going to be a good week. That Friday my cousin killed himself,but his wonderful Wife failed to tell my Aunt until after he was buried,despite the fact that they lived in the same county. July 2nd my dad got sick and was taken to the hospital. A couple things about my dad, He loved the 4th of July and Christmas. He loved Arizona although he was born and raised in California,his Father's roots were in Arizona. The hotter it was the better he liked it. It was around lunch time when he convinced my mom to go down to the cafeteria to get something to eat.

Evidently this was a code word for leave so that I can die.

She wasn't gone very long and she said when she walked onto the ICU floor all the rooms were dark.

Except for his. His room glowed with an aura of Angels. She said she knew then he had gone. He was facing Camelback Mountain with a smile on his face. He was at peace.

The thermometer read 125'

It's been 20 years ago today and he's missed so much. I wonder how hot it will be today?

When my time comes will I remember to go home?

I've held on to the grief and guilt of a childhood gone wrong. 20 years of, if I knew then what I know now. A lifetime of If's and Had I's. Two decades of,you only brought this on yourself.

We were not close and I wish I could change that. Every girl needs her Dad and some days I really need mine.

This week I will spend honoring him here,I hope you don't mind. I think 20 years is long enough to hold on to the past. This week I will let it all go.

If you still have your dad call him,hug him,visit him and tell him you love him. I wouldn't want you to be sitting here 20 years from now writing this same post.

Somewhere over the Rainbow daddy we will meet again

Artful Discovery's

Tortillons or Tortillas

This looks like a drawing instead of a photo doesn't it?

I don't know if I've ever shared this,but I have a very curious mind. I swear it must be a Gemini thing. I have to know how things work,why certain things do what they do,why when you drive through Corona and are in Green River that on top of that big ol' mountain is a house.

I mean why would somebody just plop a house there?

 Just stuff like that. 

To drive my family mad.

The latest thing to catch my attention are those cosas, things up above. I kept seeing them everywhere,including my grocery store,heck I even found one in the house. I just didn't know what they were for,aside of knowing they had to do something with drawing. 

It was a conspiracy! 

It had to be

Today I forgot to pack my favorite drawing pencil so I popped into my grocery store on the way to work and picked up a drawing set. Besides the pencils,graphite,

sandpaper stick and various other goodies

 those thing-a-ma-bibbers 

(my youngests word,he could never say thing-a-ma- bob)

were included. 

So I took them out and walked back to my Boss's Office and said

 "at the risk of sounding like a complete dork what are these things and what do you do with them?"

 Keep in mind that I work in an Art Gallery.

He says "I don't know,maybe they are shaders or something" 

So I headed back up front and pondered that thought. 

Guess What??

That is what they are for.

I went buck wild!

A mad drawing spree ensued!

The sides of my hands were black from the lead,but I didn't care. I found a new toy!

A brand new paper twisted  toy! 

So on the way home from work,I stopped at the

craft store and bought a whole package of

paper twisted new toys. 

I drove home thinking of all the things I would draw and shade

with my super-sized Newsprint Sketchpad.

Guess what else happened?

I got home

Sat down

Ate some dinner

Got on the computer

and decided I'm tired

I don't want to draw anymore.

Story of My Life!

If you look really close at the picture you can see the Lips I drew. 

My youngest is in California and I was drawing kisses then pic- texting them to him.

Yes,I know,I'm an absolute complete dork. BUT

a complete dork with brand new paper twisted new toys Who no longer wants to 

play with them.