Sunday morning. Al is watching a football program. Mija is eating a snack. I’m sipping tea. I realized that my timing to start a blog is good as I have a lot on my mind. I’ve read various articles about blogs that say a blogger should have a focus. I suppose I’ll get there. Do I need to get there? Hmm. Perhaps.
I’ve been off work this week. Much happened. In the span of just a few days I made my annual trek to California from Texas to visit family, then returned back to relax for a few days before returning to work. I always try to visit around Mom’s birthday. Went on an immediate shopping trip with Mom. Every time I travel to California I visit a sports store so that I can replenish Al’s t-shirt collection. I made a few purchases that I knew would make him happy. Mission accomplished!
I found out that Dad was givining me his laptop, if I wanted it. (Well, yes!) This is a big deal. He and Mom will do this with various items…from vehicles to jewelry to mementos and everything in between. As I am not nearby it’s rare that I ever receive anything from them. I’m okay with that. The catch? I agreed to get Dad a copy of his extensive library of family photos. Piece of cake! The laptop has a 17” screen, and is rather light for its size. If I remember the story, my brother Raul and nephew Jason helped my dad figure out all the components and set it up for him. It’s not the most current OS any more, but that didn’t matter. As Raul said, “It’s an awesome laptop!” It turned out I also needed to buy new luggage as the laptop in its case was larger than the streamlined suitcase I brought. I travel a fair amount on my job, but for this trip I deliberately brought a smaller suitcase. Oh well! I know the new rolling duffel bag will get a lot of use.
The next day was spent at my sister Rose’s house celebrating Mom’s birthday. I took the laptop. Turns out, since Mom and Dad no longer have an internet connection, it hadn’t been connected to the web in over two years. Eighty-eight windows updates, and who know how many anti-virus updates later the laptop was current for its OS. Success! As a result of updating the laptop I had a great conversation with my cousin Glenn. He gave me a lot to think about in terms of Dad’s photo library. Would I put in on-line? I hadn’t given it immediate thought…and I admit I am still thinking about it… does anybody have any ideas? If you do, please post. In time I will decide. I suspect in the very least I will be using some of the photos in future posts.
The visit is always short but enjoyable. My family is growing larger. I visited with my aunt (who gave me some beautiful jewelry), in-laws, nieces, nephews, and cousins. At least 40 people wished my Mom a happy birthday. My brother David was not able to attend as he was studying for a certification. I completely understand that!
Mom’s birthday cake turned out to be a decadent chocolate monster! Words won’t quite express how luscious and yummy it was! My sister Alicia did a fabulous job of dishing out the slices to a lot of hungry people.
Another highlight was the air hockey tournament, especially when Mom played against my brother, Louie. The garage, dubbed “Hernandez Pavilion” was the scene of fierce competition. Who doesn’t get competitive when playing air hockey?
It always goes too fast. The other reason the visit felt short is that I typically get another day to visit a few people. That didn’t happen this time. The next day I would be driving to San Diego with Mom to visit Al’s family. Admittedly, I hadn’t seen them in a while. Al’s dad was in the final stages of his life. I knew I needed to make this trip. More on this in an upcoming post.
It was a lively time spent with family. They are a vibrant, fun group of people. The energy is often bouncing off the walls, as is all the laughter. They know how to gather and celebrate. I’ll be back again for another visit, but not for a little while. In the meantime I will have my memories of family, fun and chocolate cake.
I've always enjoyed writing and finally decided it was time to blog! As part of my profession I write every day, but I'm now trying to take the time to write creatively. My family and friends have been very encouraging as there is little that is written down in the way of a family chronicle. This is a favorite topic of mine! In addition to family history, I write about life, family, friends and faith. My husband is a full-time parent to our special needs daughter. I’ve explored this topic, too. I also enjoy music, crocheting, reading and relaxing with my family. I hope you enjoy what I have to offer!
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