Memory Lane Friday - 8th Grade

Before I begin this week's Memory Lane Friday post about Eighth Grade, I'd like to give a big thanks to Lisa at Two Bears Farm. She's been hosting Memory Lane Friday for quite some time now, and it's been something I've looked forward to on a weekly basis. I also want to thank her for inviting me to join in, way back when (my first Memory Lane Friday post being February 27, 2010!!).

Anyway, I just wanted to thank her, since, after this week - and for the time being - she's taking a brief hiatus from hosting Memory Lane Fridays.

Okay, so this week's Memory Lane Friday theme is Eighth Grade. There are a few things I distinctly remember about Eighth Grade.

The big one is that in the spring, just a couple months before I was to graduate from Eighth Grade, I fell off my horse, Chico, while we were jumping, and I broke my collar bone (if you're interested, you can read about the incident here). I remember having to wear this padded support thing around my shoulders, and some girl in my class came up to me (practically getting right up in my face), asking me, "What IS that thing? What's wrong with you?!" When I explained what had happened, she backed off, apologized, and asked if it hurt. Hahaha! What a question. Why, yes! Yes, it does!

Of course, because of this accident, I couldn't go to my 3rd and final summer at Culver's Upper Camps. I was really disappointed by this, but the good thing is that I ended up going there for high school, beginning later that year, in the fall - one of my best experiences! (You can check some of my other Memory Lane Friday posts for a few of my stories from Culver.)

Another thing I remember from Eighth Grade was winning a writing contest! We were supposed to write about something chocolate-themed, and I had this whole elaborate chocolate farm story going. There were brown cows that gave their farmers chocolate milk, as well as chocolate Willy Wonka-inspired streams across the farm land, and other sorts of fantastic, gooey, chocolatey things. The prize? Two one-pound Hershey chocolate bars!! Yum!!

Oh, and this was the year that my family's Finnish au pair, Minna, got me into my first R-rated movie (Beverly Hills Cop).  Now that was fun!

Speaking of our au pair, she and I always had a fun time going on adventures (like going to Beverly Hills Cop). She was usually responsible for getting me to my riding lessons in the afternoon, often taking lessons, herself. I think she even took me to a few horse shows, too.

Horse shows were a lot of fun, and oftentimes, my friend Leslie and I would be at the same shows together. By the time I got to Eighth Grade, we had a tradition going. On the eve of a horse show, one of us would spend the night at the other person's house and clean tack (the saddles and bridles), and polish boots. We would typically watch the movie International Velvet, while preparing our stuff for the next morning. And, of course, we'd try to get to bed at a reasonable time, considering how early we had to get up the next day.

Then we'd get up, get to the show grounds to prepare our horses; then we'd show, show, show. At the end of the day, she and I would head out with her parents to a local pizza joint for a celebratory pizza! So much fun!

This is me at a horse show with Chico. It was not 8th grade (6th, I think?), but it's the best horse show photo I have of myself while showing Chico. Photo ©Rick Bate.

Anyway, those were the big highlights that I can remember from Eighth Grade!

Memory Lane Friday is hosted by Lisa at Two Bears Farm. Please click on the "Memory Lane Friday" button below to read her entry, as well as other contributors' posts:

Memory Lane Friday - No Theme, 15 Jul 2011

Earlier this week, I was antsy about getting on the computer and writing this week's Memory Lane Friday post, but Andrew had a paper to write (it's due today), so I had to wait. I could've used my laptop, but I'd rather just use the desktop while at home, know what I mean? It's where my photos are saved, websites bookmarked . . .

Anyway, we have another "No Theme" Memory Lane Friday week, and I'd had a couple different things I wanted to write about. But a conversation I had with Livie the other night over dinner, as well as a great quote I recently came across made me change my mind.

On Wednesday, I just did not feel like preparing dinner, then deal with the after-dinner cleanup. Plus, I was really craving BBQ. And since Andrew would be working later than usual that day (and would pick something up to eat for himself on his way home), I asked Livie if she wanted to go to the local BBQ place.

"Yes, Mama!! Let's go get BBQ!"

So, off to the BBQ place we went!

She ended up getting the chicken strips, BBQ baked beans, a piece of corn bread, and a chocolate milk. I got the pulled pork (with sweet BBQ sauce), BBQ baked beans, a piece of corn bread, an amber bock beer, and an apple crisp to share with Liv.

At some point (and I don't remember what led up to this question), Liv asked me, "When Uncle Hector was still alive, would he like a restaurant like this?"

Momentarily surprised by the question, I explained, "Why, yes! Yes, he would. He would like the food, a beer, and the ambiance."

After explaining "ambiance" to Liv (you know, since that's not exactly a 5-year-old word), she then asked what I thought Hector would've ordered. I figured he'd probably order the ribs or maybe the pulled pork, the BBQ baked beans, and definitely a beer. There's just something about beer and BBQ, right? Besides, when beer was a beverage option, that's what he normally would've chosen.

We then continued eating in silence (deep in our own thoughts) for a few moments (or perhaps mostly just enjoying the food). It was at this point that I'd remembered a quote by an author whose work I'd been introduced to in my Native American Literature class. The author's name is Leslie Marmon Silko.

After the semester ended, I looked up her bibliography online to get some book ideas. It was during this internet search that I came across this quote attributed to her:

When someone dies, you don't get over it by forgetting; you get over it by remembering, and you are aware that no person is ever truly lost or gone once they have been in our life and loved us, as we have loved them.

Definitely a fitting quote based on the conversation - right?

A few moments later (maybe a minute or two at the most) she pulled me out of my thoughts by asking, "What did you say Uncle Hector used to call me?"

"Kitty Cat."

"Kitty Cat?!" (She had a sly grin on her face, now.)

"Yes, Kitty Cat. Do you remember that?"

"I think so. . . . Do you know what I would call him now, if he could be with us?"

"I have no idea. Tell me! I'm curious!"

"Rooster."

Hahaha! I don't know where that came from - I guess because he called her an animal nickname?

 Anyway, I've gotta add some photos of them, right? Well, here are a couple photos of the two of them over Thanksgiving 2008, when Liv was 2 years, 9 months old. We were at my parents' house for the holiday.

Uncle Hector and Liv pose for a photo in my parents' kitchen.

Liv's being silly for the camera as they pose for another photo.

Memory Lane Friday is hosted by Lisa @ Two Bears Farm. Please click on the button below to read her entry, as well as other participants' contributions:

Memory Lane Friday - Cookouts and Barbecues

This week's Memory Lane Friday topic is "Cookouts and Barbecues."

I've loved cookouts for about as long as I can remember. There's just something about eating outside, eating food that was prepared on a grill that makes everything just so delicious. And fun!

Back when my grandparents lived in El Paso, TX and I spent lots of time with them (as a very young girl), I can remember an occasional cookout at White Sands National Monument. My cousins and I would be out on these fantastic white sand dunes playing (and "sledding") and working up an appetite, while somebody would be preparing the meal on a grill (which the park had for public use).

We'd all be famished by the time the meal was served. It didn't matter if it we were eating hot dogs or something much fancier, it was always downright tasty!

I took this photo of White Sands a few years ago, when I lived in New Mexico.

I can also remember times as a student at Culver Academies, that we equestrians would have a cookout on the Riding Hall terrace, overlooking the parade field and Lake Maxinkuckee. Typically, a few of the riding instructors would man the grill and cook steaks (or burgers, or whatever) for us during one of these cookouts, all of us teammates having a good time, enjoying the company and the food. 

Those didn't happen too often, but they were fun when they did happen. 

When I was older (after college and also while I was in the military), I'd sometimes visit my grandparents and have the opportunity to grill steaks on their backyard grill. Oma would usually be inside, fixing a salad and/or other side dishes while I was outside tending to the steaks. Sir Rafa would sometimes accompany me outside to "supervise."

Occasionally, we'd even eat outside on the patio after I finished grilling the steaks.

This wasn't too often, so I tended to really appreciate it when the opportunity arose.

While in the military, we'd occasionally have unit cookouts, with family members invited. It was always about the camaraderie, getting outside and enjoying some downtime together . . .and it was also about the food, of course.

Andrew and I would also grill a lot (steaks, chicken, veggies, burgers, hot dogs, whatever) when we were stationed just outside Boston, especially when the weather was nice. I'd gotten a nice Weber grill as a "present" for both of us as an anniversary gift our first summer there.

We loved getting jalapeño/cheddar burger patties from the meat department at a specialty grocery store down the road from the base. They were so delish! 

However, the last time I ate tried to eat one of those burgers . . . well, it wasn't pretty. Andrew had just been deployed and my mom was out visiting me and baby Livie (who was about 3 months old at the time). 

I'd picked up some of those burgers for my mom and myself. But after I'd fired up the grill, Livie decided it was time to nurse, so I went upstairs to nurse her. My mom offered to throw the burgers on the grill and prepare them for us, so they'd be ready by the time I'd finished nursing Livie.

But she was is not a griller . . . she'd left the burgers on the grill too long, turning them into charred little hockey pucks. So sad. 

Of course, there were also times when we would go out for BBQ, like to a BBQ restaurant for a meal - like my whole office (such as when I was stationed in Tucson - we'd go to a place called Jack's BBQ - I think I even took Andrew there once when he came out to visit). It was always fun getting out of the office for an hour or 90 minutes and having some tasty BBQ. (Of course, we'd also go out for sushi for lunch . . . but that's another story.)

Speaking of BBQ . . . there was this BBQ place Andrew and I found when we were stationed in the greater Boston area. It was down the block from the ballroom dancing studio in West Newton, where we took weekly lessons. This place, Blue Ribbon BBQ, was AWESOME!! 

They have the best, best, BEST baked beans. To this day, they are my favorite baked beans, ever!! My mouth is totally watering, just thinking about this place (and their baked beans). I usually got either the pulled pork or the pulled chicken to go with the beans - you know, so I wasn't just eating baked beans. 

Most weeks, we'd go there for dinner (either before or after our lesson, depending on what time our lesson started - the dancing lesson and dinner ended up being our "date night"). When we ate there, I always said, "the better the BBQ, the messier it is," because I usually dripped BBQ onto my clothing when we ate there. So if we planned on eating there (instead of the pub down the street), I'd need a spare shirt to change into (in the studio bathroom, of course), because I usually spilled BBQ sauce (or baked beans) on myself.

Another favorite BBQ place of mine is called Dinosaur BBQ in New York (NYC and upstate NY). I've only been to the one in Syracuse - a couple times while I was active duty with other members of my unit, as well as a time Andrew and I were on a road trip and spent the night in Syracuse. 

As soon as he and I checked into our hotel, by the way, I insisted we go to Dinosaur BBQ for dinner, for both the food and the ambiance. 

If you click here, you'll see that a lot of bikers stop there. It made Andrew a little nervous at first, for some reason, but then he realized it was all okay! 

Besides, not only is their BBQ awesome, they also have the most delish fried green tomatoes . . . and the desserts? I love their key lime pie and their pecan pie! Yum!! 

And now I am so incredibly hungry for BBQ!!

Memory Lane Friday is hosted weekly by Lisa at Two Bears Farm. Please click on the button below to read her entry this week, as well as other participants' posts:

Memory Lane Friday - 7th Grade

*Note: Here I am with today's Memory Lane Friday post. Due to some computer/internet issues, I wasn't able to post earlier. But here it is, finally!*

This week, our Memory Lane Friday theme is "7th Grade." I don't remember any specific thing about 7th grade, other than really enjoying and doing well in my English class, sorta-kinda enjoying math and science, and taking piano and riding lessons after school.

What I do remember in detail, though, is the summer after 7th grade. This was my second summer at Culver's Upper Camp. This is where I ended up going to high school, but they have various camps during the summer, and they kept us kids super busy all the time. For those of us in Upper Camps (ages 13-17), it was 6-weeks, where we had 4 class periods in the morning and a couple in the afternoon. Then we had various activities in the afternoon and evening.

My second summer there (between 7th and 8th grades) was a blast! I ended up having my horsemanship classes in the morning - 2 back-to-back (each horsemanship class being 2 class periods each). Then in the afternoon, I had a photography class (also a 2-period class).

Looking back on it, this was an awesome set-up, and not just because I got to do two of my favorite hobbies. I'd ride in the morning, all morning, basically, and wrap up just as it was getting super hot. Then I'd head back to my dorm, shower, then head to lunch with my "deck" mates (we girls were set up in "decks" - each deck occupying a particular dorm - and had a whole leadership system, similar to the boys' military system). Then I'd spend the afternoon learning a bit about photography (back in the days of actual film), then heading out taking photos. The best part of taking my photography class in the afternoon? I'd spend the hottest part of the day in the cool, dark darkroom developing film and creating prints.

Anyway, I remember that my instructor for my second block of riding was CSM John "Sarge" Hudson (who was also there during the regular school year). He was an Army vet, and great horseman. While he was hard on the troopers (the boys in the troop, which is the cavalry unit), he was pretty lenient with me.

As soon as we all assembled in the office, Sarge would give us our horse assignments. If he sensed I didn't particularly agree with my horse assignment, he'd ask me who I wanted to ride (usually a horse named Black Lightning), and typically agreed to let me ride that horse instead of my original assignment.

Sometimes we'd ride in the ring. Other times, we'd head out to the pasture where there were cross-country jumps and we'd ride around. Usually, if we were out in the pasture, he'd let me go off and jump whatever I wanted to jump, while he taught the troopers basic horsemanship. (He'd keep an eye on me, though, and sometimes call me over to demonstrate one thing or another to the less experienced riders in the class.) And once in a while, he'd take us on a trail ride - sometimes through the woods, but occasionally ending up at the Dairy Queen in town. Half of us would dismount while the other half would stay mounted and hold horses. The dismounted half of the class would head into the DQ and get ice cream for all of us, then we'd all stand around on the grass, enjoying our ice cream.

I remember a specific day when it started pouring as we were putting our horses away after class. I didn't have an umbrella, rain jacket, poncho, or anything that would keep me dry as I walked across campus to my dorm. Sarge came up to me as I stood in the doorway looking out at the sheets of rain pouring down. He told me to follow him to the office, which I did. He got a big, black, plastic trash bag out of the utility closet (one that hadn't been used, obviously). He cut a head-sized hole in the bottom, a hole in each side, and slipped it over my head. Voila! A poncho! And just like that, he sent me on my way.

And for photography later that afternoon? Since it was still raining on and off throughout the day, my instructor sent me to the gym so I could take some indoor "action" photos of an intramural basketball game. I spent most of the time taking photos, and then about 45 minutes in the darkroom.By the way, I had an old Nikon camera that my dad had given me, something similar to this.

The Riding Hall at Culver, circa May 2009. I took this during my last "Alumni Weekend," which was my 20-year reunion.

Detail of the Riding Hall, circa 1988-89 school year. Note the crest, which is the BHT (or Black Horse Troop) crest.

This is Black Lightning, one of my favorite Culver horses, circa 1988-89 school year. Sarge said he was an Appaloosa. He had a spot on his belly, and one near the base of his tail, plus the face markings.

So there you have it. Not specifically from 7th grade, but during the summer immediately following 7th grade. I think that's close enough.

Memory Lane Friday is hosted by Lisa at Two Bears Farm. Please click on the button below to read her entry, as well as other contributors' posts:

Memory Lane Friday - Father's Day Edition

This week, my Memory Lane Friday post is about my dad, in honor of Father's Day. You can see what I wrote about him last year for Memory Lane Friday by clicking here. You can also read about how he led us in a memorable family vacation (including eating at a Mexican restaurant called The Irish Camel) by clicking here.

My dad is the kind of guy who likes a good adventure, from skiing in "The Greatest Snow on Earth" in Utah in the winter, or zipping along the waters of Lake Ozark, MO in his boat in the summer.

He's always up for seeing a good action/adventure movie (like Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Terminator, etc.) or something hysterical (like Animal House, which reminds him of his own college days).

He's the one who used to take me deep sea fishing when I was younger. I was always the better fisherman (fisherkid?), though. Let's just say his vestibular system caused him to spend less time fishing and more time, uh . . . leaning over the side of the boat, providing chum, if you know what I mean.

My vestibular system worked just fine, so I spent my time fishing.

Anyway, my dad is also the guy who likes to take long Sunday drives. He's got a couple motorcycles, so when the weather's good he likes to take one out and drive all day. (Sometimes he goes on motorcycle trips with my brother, Joe, but that's another story.)

I remember one time when he invited me to go with him. I don't ride motorcycles (only horses), so I hopped on the back of his, and he and I rode around all afternoon. It was a lot of fun.

He can definitely be depended on to be a part of a fun situation!

Here's my dad, "Nonno," (which is "grandpa" in Italian), making "horns" behind Livie's head.

Here he is during a visit to New Mexico holding baby Livie, October '06.

He's doing "the handoff" when Andrew and I got married in 2002. This photo: ©Brad Baskin.

Here's my dad at my wedding reception. This photo: ©Brad Baskin.

He's taking a nap in my living room. He can take a nap just about anywhere!

Memory Lane Friday is hosted weekly by Lisa at Two Bears Farm. Please click on the "Memory Lane Fridays" button below to read her entry, as well as other contributors' entries: 

Memory Lane Friday - No Theme

Well, we've got another no-theme week. So I think I'll take advantage of that and relay a conversation I had with Livie while we were in the car the other day.

See, I have satellite radio in my SUV. Liv and I like to listen to various types of music while we're driving somewhere, one of them being the occasional "Broadway" song.

Well, the other day, a song from the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, came on (the calypso song). Now, I've seen this show 3 (or 4) times. I've seen the professional touring show 2 (or 3) times and then I saw my local community theater's performance. So I like listening to this show's songs when they're played on the Broadway channel.

So . . . the second time I saw the professional touring show was in the early '90s in Chicago. I think it was at the Chicago Theater. Anyway, my mom, brothers, Uncle Hector, my grandparents, and I went to see the show. I was really excited because it was a fun show to watch, with all the great songs, dancing, costumes, and such. And it starred Donny Osmond as Joseph, so that made it particularly fun - seeing a famous person perform and all.

So when Livie and I heard the song on satellite radio, I told her about the second time I saw the show.

Here's what happened. When we all got to the theater and went down the aisle to find our seats, I ended up next to Hector. At some point during the show, he'd made a comment about Donny Osmond's hair, and how he wasn't used to seeing Donny with "long" hair (it was about shoulder length).

I told Hector that it was a wig. I'd seen the show before and knew he'd come out for the curtain call without the wig. Plus, I'd seen him on TV doing a live interview just a few days prior, and saw that he was sporting his usual short hair.

But Hector didn't believe me. Every so often, he'd whisper a comment about how it was Donny's real hair, not a wig. He just couldn't get over Donny's long hair. I kept responding, "I'm telling you - it's a wig." But he just did not believe me. He kept insisting it was Donny's real hair!

So at the end when the actors came out for the curtain call, there was Donny Osmond with short hair! Hector and I looked at each other and laughed. All he could say was, "You were right! It was a wig!"

Livie got a kick out of this memory. She wondered a couple things, though. She wondered why Hector didn't believe me at first. And she wondered why a man would wear a wig. I told her that sometimes men, when they're acting, will wear wigs, just like ladies do (like Abuelita occasionally does when she ballroom dances). And as far as why Hector didn't believe me at first? Well, I explained that the costume and makeup people did a great job helping Donny get ready; that's why Hector thought the wig was real. They helped him make sure everything looked just right.

Since this post was about sharing a "Hector" memory with Livie, here's a photo of the two of them together. She was about 9-months-old in this photo.

Please come back next week when the Memory Lane Friday topic will be either another "No Theme" or "My Dad."

Memory Lane Friday is hosted weekly by Lisa at Two Bears Farm. Please click on the button below to read her post, as well as other contributors' posts: 

Memory Lane Friday - 6th Grade

This week's Memory Lane Friday topic is "6th Grade." For some reason, I'm not remembering anything specific from school for 6th grade. But I'[m pretty sure the horse memory I'm thinking of was from my my year in 6th grade. Yes, of course, I have to write about an equestrian memory . . .

This memory is from a spring horse show toward the end of the school year (probably over a whole weekend), or maybe during the course of a few days, right after the school year ended.

I had my gray horse, Chico; he and I made a great team. We were so in tune with each other, he'd become known as a "push button" horse. That means that you could basically just think of what you wanted him to do, and he'd do it, with only the slightest of cues from the rider's (in other words MY) legs, seat, and hands.

Anyway, we'd gone to this show in town, and I was so excited. It was basically down the road from the stable where Chico was boarded, so we didn't have to trailer him and stay in a hotel overnight (which was fun - don't get me wrong, but sometimes it was nice to show near home). And it was a BIG show, which made it even more exciting.

Well, one of these days of showing, Chico and I were in an "over fences" class, meaning that riders would go into the ring one at a time and jump a combination of fences (or "jumps"). This particular class was a "hunter class," being judged on how nice and smooth the horse went around the course; if it looked like the horse was super easy to ride around the course, then the rider did it right.

I memorized the course, and then Chico and I headed into the ring, when they called my number. We were going around nice and smooth. Now, I'm not sure exactly what happened next, but Chico and I came around a corner to a fence mid-course, and for some reason (probably mostly rider-error/maybe part horse error), Chico refused the fence. He basically just slammed on the breaks right before the jump. That caused me (at 11-12 years old, or thereabouts) to do a somersault over his head, landing on my back, right onto the little flower box right that decorated the front of the jump. I landed on that thing just above the kidney area.

It knocked the wind out of me, of course. And it startled me, more than anything else. As I tried to sit up, I saw a familiar face running toward me. It was my dad. He had gotten off work and had headed over to the show area in hopes of watching me ride a bit. I'm assuming that since my mom was there watching, she had sent him out to see if I was okay.

I was okay, of course, after catching my breath, my pride taking the most damage. My riding instructor had caught Chico, and led him back to me. Once I got up and indicated I was okay, my dad left the ring, leaving the pep talk to my instructor. She told me to get right back on, which I did (with a leg up from her). I don't remember the pep talk, but I do remember being ready to get right back on, in hopes that I could finish the course.

She told me to trot right over to the judges' stand to ask if I could take that one refused fence before I left the ring. I was nervous about doing that, but I didn't question her. I just did it, lightbulb going on over my head, realizing I wouldn't be able to finish the rest of the course - but hoping I could do just that one fence.

I remember asking, "May I jump that one jump before leaving the ring?" and getting a "Yes. Good job getting right back on, young lady."

So I went and did that one jump Chico had refused, and then trotted out of the ring. With a quick "I'm okay" to my mom and dad, and a "What now?" to my coach, I was told I could head back to the barn and put Chico up for the night (remember, this show was near the stable where we kept Chico). That class had been my last of the day.

As I rode Chico up the path from the show to the stable, I suddenly started crying. I was really upset that I'd fallen off. Okay, it happens sometimes, and I wasn't hurt, but it was the last class of the day. I was crying with disappointment at how I ended that day of showing.

Anyway, I guess I was also crying because I was a pre-teen and, well . . . you know how hormonal and upset pre-teens can get, right? I was just plain upset!

I did, however, wake up the next day with a big, ol' rectangular bruise on my back. I was actually a bit sore from the fall, but it didn't affect my ability to show the next day.

Here's a photo from that very same show. It was a day when I'd won some ribbons, and for one class, even some money for coming in 3rd or 4th place! (I remember a check having been stapled to the back of my ribbon.)

This was in the day before we were required to wear ASTM/SEI riding helmets. Photo ©Rick Bate

Thanks form stopping by and reading today's memory. I appreciate it. Come back next week when we have another "No Theme" Memory Lane Friday!

Memory Lane Friday is hosted by Lisa at Two Bears Farm. Please click on the button below to read her entry, as well as other contributors' entries:

Memory Lane Friday - Family Legends

This week, our Memory Lane Friday topic is "Family Legends." Well, I decided to take a cue from Lisa over at Two Bears Farm, and use a bit of my grandfather's memoirs as this week's "Family Legends" entry.

My grandfather, Rafael, was known as "Rafa" to his family. (I called him "Sir Rafa," but that's another story.)

Anyway, Sir Rafa's younger brother is Fidel. His nickname is "Chino" (which is also another story).

Here's a bit of background: Sir Rafa and Uncle Chino were newspaper boys when they were young, selling papers in downtown El Paso, TX. When they finished selling papers for the day, they'd occasionally treat themselves to supper before heading home: usually a couple hot dogs and one soda (in a bottle) with two straws. They'd use a few spare nickles and/or a couple dimes they'd earned from selling papers.

But once in a while, they'd buy a different treat. . . .

***

(This is an excerpt from a section of his memoirs he wrote in 3rd person. It's from a chapter called, "Chino and Rafa - Newspaper Boys".)

On the ground floor of the Gateway Hotel was a small, but very fancy bakery shop. The boys thought that everything sold there was very expensive, so the only thing they could do was to look at the goodies in the window display. Sometimes they wished they could buy something there, but they didn't dare go in there.

Chino and Rafa used to pass by there every night on their way home.

One day, Chino told Rafa, "Let's go into the bakery and buy a bag of 'pieces.'"

Rafa wanted to know, "What do you mean - 'pieces'?"

Besides, a place like that was very expensive. The people going to that shop [were very well-dressed,] and most of them drove up in big cars, so they must be very rich.

Chino then explained to his older brother that [broken cookies] weren't sold to the "rich" customers[. Instead,] they put the broken pieces in paper bags. These bags of pieces were for sale to anybody for ten cents.

So Rafa said, "Let's do it," and they walked into the bakery.

Since Chino knew about [the "pieces,"] he said, "a bag of 'pieces.'" The young lady behind the counter handed the boys a small bag full of pieces, and Chino gave her a dime.

On the way home, the boys ate most of the broken cookies, but left some for their mother, and a few pieces for Poppi, [their dog].

***

Here they are as very small children, long before they became paper boys. Uncle Chino is the little one sitting on the chair. Sir Rafa is the one on the left.

Memory Lane Friday is hosted by Lisa at Two Bears Farm. Please click on the "Memory Lane Fridays" button below to read her entry, as well as other contributors' entries:

Memory Lane Friday - No Theme

We've got another "No Theme" topic for Memory Lane Friday this week. I had a whole post written out, photos included, but decided it was much, MUCH longer than I'd wanted it to be. Plus, I'd suddenly had an idea for a different post, so I changed my mind, deleted the old one, and wrote this new one. Okay, this one is still kinda long (but not nearly as long as the post I ditched).

Thought I'd take you through a brief photo tour of Mescalero, NM, and a place I love visiting - The Inn of the Mountain Gods (adjacent to Ruidoso, NM). This place has been in Ruidoso (well, actually on the Mescalero Apache Reservation) for a LONG time. However, in recent years (maybe early- to mid-2000s), it was closed for renovation. It looks FANTASTIC now. It has a beautiful, chic restaurant, sleek bar, a casino . . .

Well, back in the day, my grandparents had taken my cousin and me there for a few days back in the late '70s. My cousin and I had played attempted to play tennis. I'd had lessons at home, but she'd never picked up a racket. So it was basically a session of laughing and goofing off.

She and I had also gone horseback riding - a trail ride through the beautiful, cool New Mexico mountains. She rode a buckskin named Buttermilk, who, at one point, slipped on some mud and went down on his behind, in kinda the same position as a sitting dog. My cousin didn't fall off, but she sure did have a surprised look on her face! Big, round eyes. Big, round mouth.

Anyway, back to my story . . .

So, when Andrew, Livie, and I still lived in New Mexico, my mom would come to visit us about once a month. The closest major airport was in El Paso, TX. So naturally, she would visit my grandparents for a few days before heading up to Alamogordo to visit us. Then she'd head back to El Paso to spend another couple days with Oma and Sir Rafa before heading home (usually staying in the area for about a week, total).

Well, one of her visits brought her out over Easter weekend 2007. Andrew and I had a couple days off (Friday - Sunday) . . . or maybe we had just taken leave, so we could hang out and relax.

Anyway, my mom agreed to care for Livie while Andrew and I headed to the Ruidoso area (about 45 minutes away) for what we now call a "Mommy-Daddy Adventure" (or "Mommy-Daddy Venture" as Livie pronounces it). We would stay at the Inn of the Mountain Gods on Friday and Saturday nights, and my mom and Livie would stay in El Paso, at my grandparents. We would all return to my family's house in Alamogordo early Sunday afternoon. I think Andrew and I had agreed we'd be back by around 2 PM.

Andrew and I had the BEST time. We'd gone to their "Big Game Sports Bar" after we'd checked in, so we could have a late lunch. It has sort of a rugged feel to it, like you've just come in from the wilderness. The next day, we leisurely wandered around Ruidoso, checking out local art stores, coffee shops, and the like.

On our second and final night, we ate at their fancy restaurant, with the big, beautiful mountain views and the sunset against the gorgeous skies. The most memorable foodie part was dessert. We'd ordered Bananas Foster, which, of course, is "set on fire" tableside. The cool part was when the server set a long, curly-cue orange peel on fire. Everyone in the restaurant watched, oohs and aahs all around.

Here are some of the photos from that weekend.

We're on our room's private balcony.

Here's our view from our room's balcony.

Here's a very small portion of our room (there was a whole "living room" just out of view).

These are a few of the horse sculptures at the Hubbard Museum of the American West, in Ruidoso Downs, NM.

Yes, we were in the mountains, and it actually started snowing in April!

Here are sculptures of Native Americans, outside the resort.

 

This is the huge viewing area in the lower part of the lobby. It was BEAUTIFUL!

And the same view from our balcony, once the weather cleared up.

Memory Lane Friday is hosted by Lisa @ Two Bears Farm. Please click on the button below to read her post, as well as other contributors' posts.

Memory Lane Friday - Mother's Day

For Memory Lane Friday this week, we had a choice of what to write about: Mother's Day or 4th Grade. I've decided to go with the Mother's Day theme. And yes, this is going to be a pictorial journey honoring mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers.

 This first photo is of a girl and her grandmother, obviously. Oma and I are walking somewhere. Judging by the outfit Oma is carrying for me, we're going to get my portrait taken. I know this because the date on the photo is July 1973 (I was about 2.5 at the time) and because I have professional portraits of myself in that outfit from - you guessed it - July 1973. Sir Rafa took this photo of Oma and me.

My Oma and I are headed out, El Paso, July 1973.

Now here I am with my mom.  My dad took this photo. This was immediately after my Air Force OTS (Officer Training School) graduation at Maxwell Air Force Base, in Montgomery, AL. I was facing the sun, hence the sun squint.

My mom and I are at my OTS graduation, Montogmery, AL, 19 Nov 1999.

Okay, here's another photo in the "moms and kids" section. Baby Liv and I are home together in the Boston area; she's almost 3 months old here. Yes, this was the period where I hadn't bothered to brush my hair after groggily getting up in the morning.

Here's Livie and Grandmamá (and Grandpapá on the left) at the party we had after Livie's Baptism. Grandmamá is obviously overjoyed; this is one of my favorite photos of the two of them.

Olivia's Baptism party at the O' Club, Hanscom AFB, MA, 22 Apr 2006.

Here's another grandmother/granddaughter photo. I took this photo soon after Livie and I moved from the Boston area to New Mexico. We'd just gotten to the area, and hadn't yet bought/moved into our house in New Mexico. My mom had helped me and Livie travel to the El Paso/Alamogordo area. She had scheduled a few days in El Paso to visit, before heading home. I took this photo in Oma's kitchen. This, by the way, is one of my mom's favorite photos of her and Liv.

Olivia and Abuelita in El Paso, 25 Jun 2006.

 Okay, here's the great-grandmother/great-granddaughter photo! I took this photo of them at my Aunt Lily and Uncle Joe's house in El Paso on Veterans' Day 2006. They had invited us (Oma, Sir Rafa, Andrew, myself, Livie, and Uncle Hector) over for dinner. I can't remember if it was a Veterans' Day dinner (since Sir Rafa, Uncle Joe, Hector, Andrew, and I were veterans), or if it was because my birthday was the next day. Maybe it was a just-because dinner. Regardless, it was a fun time and a tasty homemade meal, thanks to Aunt Lily.

Oma and Olivia in El Paso, Veterans' Day, 2006.

Now I can't forget a photo of Aunt Lily (the Great-Aunt, and a great aunt) and Livie!

Aunt Lily and Livie!

Happy Mother's Day to Oma, Aunt Lily, Abuelita, and Grandmamá!

Memory Lane Friday is hosted by Lisa at Two Bears Farm. Please click on the button below to read her entry for the week, as well as other contributors' entries.

Memory Lane Friday - No Theme

I think that since it's another "No Theme" week, I'll post a photo of a place that I love - my grandparents' house on Blue Ridge in El Paso. I have the best memories from spending time with my grandparents here.

Sir Rafa took this photo 30 years ago, in April 1981.

I love all the memories of Blue Ridge - Oma's famous breakfasts: huevos con chorizo, or pancakes, or avena (oatmeal) . . . playing in the back yard . . . their neighbors giving us juicy, green grapes from their back yard grapevines . . . the piñata I had for one of my birthdays . . . sparklers in the back yard on the 4th of July . . . the list could go on.

Anyway, I love this photo of spring in El Paso. I love Sir Rafa's expertly manicured lawn, the Italian Cypress trees (on the right edge of the photo, and the left side of the house).  I love the fact that I can look at this photo and remember great times with my Oma and Sir Rafa.

Memory Lane Friday is hosted weekly by Lisa at Two Bears Farm. Please click on the button below to read her Memory Lane Friday entry, as well as other participants' posts.

Memory Lane Friday - Earth Day

Somehow with all my schoolwork piling up as we head towards the final month of the semester, I completely forgot about writing a Memory Lane Friday post last week.

But this week I'm here! It's partly due to procrastination, partly due to my needing a break from the mountain of reading that's making me feel cross-eyed!

Anyway, this week's topic is "Earth Day."

We don't do anything specific for the Earth on "Earth Day." But we do try doing things every day.

For example, we try to recycle on a regular basis. Our community has limits on what they'll accept in our recycling bin every week (they collect the stuff in the recycling bin every Wednesday morning along the trash). But we make sure to put what they do accept in our blue recycling bin so they'll collect it every week. They usually accept paper/cardboard, aluminum cans, plastic (like bottles, but not plastic bags). They don't take glass, so Andrew has to take that separately to the recycling place on Saturdays (usually every 2-4 weeks). 

We also like supporting local farmers' markets, buying fresh, organic produce, or buying organic stuff at the grocery store (like organic milk, yogurt, and certain fruits, like apples or grapes).

Our favorite is the Downtown Des Moines Farmers' Market. 

Downtown Farmers' Market sign, 2010

  Check out these great flowers!

Flowers, Downtown Des Moines Farmers' Market, 2010

We usually come home with some great produce from the Downtown Des Moines Farmers' Market.

Whether I'm buying stuff at the farmers' market, or at the grocery store, I do my best to bring reusable bags to tote my groceries home. I'd say I'm good at remembering to bring the reusable bags most of the time. But once in a while I forget.

Livie and I also have a few reusable, BPA-free plastic bottles that we try to use on a regular basis for our drinking water.

We try to also save energy, which is not only good for the planet, but good for our wallets. So we make sure that the lights and/or TV are turned off when we leave a room, and make sure the thermostat's set at a reasonable level based on the weather.

I'm sure there are some other things we do that I'm just momentarily forgetting. But you get the idea . . . 

Please come back next week when the topic is another "No Theme."

Memory Lane Friday is hosted weekly by Lisa at Two Bears Farm. Please click on the button below to read her post for the week, as well as other participants' posts:

Memory Lane Friday - Second Grade

This week's Memory Lane Friday topic is "Second Grade." I've talked about 2nd grade before when we had "A Favorite Teacher" as the topic. But that was a year ago, so I'm going to repeat a bit of info.

When I was in second grade (at least I think it was second grade and not third), we had a teacher by the name of Mrs. Hunter. She was SO kind and calm. The class loved her. I remember that her room had a little reading nook. There were big fluffy pillows in one corner, and a curtain you could pull around yourself (like a curved shower curtain) so you'd have a cozy little reading area to read quietly. I always loved that corner of the room.

Anyway, the thing I remember most about second grade is that Mrs. Hunter had a pet skunk named Daisy! She was very docile and cute, and the whole class thought she was great! Daisy's scent glands had been removed, so she wouldn't get anybody stinky.

Sometimes Mrs. Hunter would bring Daisy to school and it was SO much fun. We were always so excited about our class "mascot" on the days she came into school.

Striped skunk photo by Tom Friedel (from Wikipedia)

Her husband was an EMT and he came by one day to tell us about a day in the life of an EMT. We got to go outside and see the ambulance, which was cool.

Another day, she had a classmate's mom and older sister come by with one of their Arabian horses for a sort of "show and tell," teaching us a bit about horses. Again, this was another one of those outside lessons (obviously).

Having already started riding lessons, I thought this was awesome!!

Arabian horse photo by Aline Sagrabelny (from Wikipedia)

Mrs. Hunter also had our whole class over at her house one evening, where we made ice cream in one of those old-fashioned ice cream makers - the kind where you've gotta use the salt and the big ol' hand crank. We all got to take turns cranking the ice cream maker. It was a blast. And the ice cream? It was delish!

She couldn't have made school more fun than that!!

Please come back next week when the Memory Lane Friday theme is "Third Grade."

Memory Lane Friday is hosted by Two Bears Farm and the Three Cubs. Please click on the button below to read Lisa's post, as well as other contributors' posts.

Memory Lane Friday - No Theme

This week's Memory Lane Friday is another "No Theme" Week.

It's been a long week (I'm wiped out from school and then driving to my parents' for a long weekend), so I figure I'll post a few photos and let them speak for themselves.

I picked a few from New Mexico; I found some cute ones while I searched for that quail photo I posted a few days ago.

Here they are . . .

I took this a couple weeks before Livie's first birthday. I had to get her ready one morning before leaving for work, and she'd fallen asleep after I'd changed her diaper on my bed. So I let the two of them sleep a bit longer while I got myself some breakfast. But I had to take a photo first.

Sleeping beauties

These two photos were taken in our back yard in Alamogordo, New Mexico during the summer of 2007. We had gone outside one afternoon because a storm was moving in. We wanted to enjoy the momentarily cool weather and the "New Mexican perfume" that the rain brings in the southwest. 

I don't remember what Livie was so excited about, exactly . . . maybe it was the rain.

In our back yard in Alamogordo, NM, circa summer 2007.

In our back yard in Alamogordo, NM, circa summer 2007.

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