tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89340515290677667372024-03-12T19:03:00.150-05:00Odilia's Magic RealmStories told by my mother and other relatives about the family and retold by me. Some of the stories are my own experiences as I was growing up in the Rio Grande Valley. Storytelling was big in my family and I do not want it to die.Odilia Monrealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14580528683961464378noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934051529067766737.post-66501779783004697762013-04-27T17:18:00.000-05:002013-04-27T17:18:23.429-05:00Vacation TripI had a wonderful vacation with my youngest son, his wife, and my grandson, who was celebrating his sixth birthday. We went to Brownsville and stayed a whole week filled with great fun, in spite of some of the knee problems that flared badly for me. We went to the Gladys Porter Zoo, which I hadn't visited since 1979, when I took my four children who were then 3 top 8 years old then. the zoo is really a magnificent place and Jacob, my grandson really loved it all. I got my arms painfully sunburned, but it was a wonderful experience. <br />
We went to Roma, Texas where we visited with my cousins, Nazario Junior, Rosalinda Garcia, her husband and son, and Eva Hinojosa. We had a wonderful visit with my mother's two sisters, Elvira(89) and Isidra(97). It was incredible to be able to see my aunts after many years.<br />
In Brownsville we went out in a boat to the Gulf to follow the dolphins. They were simply amazing! We even got to see what could be hauled in with a net. We saw a small crab and a butterfly ray, which we got to hold in our hands.<br />
We even got to use the pool. in front of our condo. I got in once and did my exercises in the water and even got to jump. the rest of the family used the pool several times. It really was great!Odilia Monrealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14580528683961464378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934051529067766737.post-86151967994602764262012-08-07T14:29:00.001-05:002012-09-16T23:38:58.754-05:00Plastic and Crocheted purse<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">Many years ago I found instructions in a magazine for a crocheted little girl's purse using Joy dish washing liquid bottle. The bottom part had to be cut off and have holes pierced all around the edge. Then yarn was used to make the upper part using double crochet stitches and crocheted strings were used as closure at the top. It was not only a purse, but a small baby cradle for a little doll. all you had to do was fold the upper crocheted part over the plastic part, covering it into looking like a baby basinette for a baby doll. I recently got an empty Suavitel softener bottle and it looked so beautiful and blue that I decided to make another one now for my grand daughter. </span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">I marked and cut the bottle using an exacto knife and scissors to get the bottom ready and got carried away with the leftover pieces for other future projects I have in mind--a dragonfly, two butterflies to be used as necklaces(information will come later) and even some parts to be used with a dragon and even earrings. I then used an awl to pierce holes all around the edge 3/8 of an inch away from the edge and with 3/8 of an inch between holes, I then intended to start the crochet part but realized I had to prepare further the edge before I could use a crochet needle. I used a large upholstery needle to "bind" the edge with a spiral stitch (in and out with the needle in a clockwise direction). I then did the same stitch in the opposite direction(counterclockwise) and finished the whole thing by looping the yarn over the top of the stitches by inserting the needle as shown under the two stitches as they touch. This procedure leaves a loop between stitches that can be used to crochet the top, without having to insert the crochet needle into the pierced holes, which would enlarge the holes and make them look ugly. Crochet double crochet stitches all around until the desired length is attained. Remember the top part has to be able to cover the bottom part when turned down. Crochet single crochet strings to insert at the top to close it. You may add tassels to the strings. Strings should be inserted through the same spaces but in opposing directions so that they can be pulled from opposite sides to close. I soon realized that since the Suavitel bottle was so big, this might end up being my purse and I will add crocheted flowers on the plastic bottom to make it better!!</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">Start two double crochet stitches in each space for four rounds, then one double crochet and one chain skip a double crochet and double crochet in next one all around for three rounds, then one double crochet, chain two and kip one double crochet and double crochet in next one for one round and the last row one double crochet chain two and another double crochet in each double crochet for one round and tie off.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">For the two ties, chain until it equals the edge of top with about ten inches more, then chain on each chain for second row to make a stronger chain and insert through larger holes in second to last row at top and tie off at the side(the long side...do the same thing with the other tie in the opposite direction as shown.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">There is a closeup that shows how the strings are inserted, besides the the overall look of the strings completely inserted. There is a picture showing the purse fully closed. I decided to crochet a bottom with a light brown yarn to simulate a trellis on which to attach some crocheted flowers in addition to the simple way i had done the small ones before. I crocheted a chain with 13 stitches and then single crocheted all around the chain using three single crochet stitches in the first and the last stitch of the chain to round the ends. The second row of single crochets had two single crochets on the first and third single crochets in the end chain. I then did double crochets on each single crochet, but on the rounded ends I had two double crochets with three double crochets in the middle of the rounded ends. The second double crochet row had two double crochets, chain 5, skip two double crochet and then two double crochets in next one, but have four spaces of skipping only one double crochet in each rounded end for a total of 19 pairs of double crochets; The next row, slip stitch on two chains on the five chain loop and single crochet in the third chain or the middle of the chain five, chain nine and single crochet in the third or middle of the next chain five, continue around until until you finish the round with a total of 19 loops of chain nine. Slip stitch to the middle of the chain nine and single crochet in the fifth chain, chain 12 and go all around. then slip stictch to the middle of the chain 12 and single crochet in the middle and chain 13 and continue that round and then add a last one using the sme chain 13 all around. On last row, slip stitch in the middle chain of the 13 chain, single crochet and chain 6, single crochet in the middle of the next chain 13 and repeat till the end. Using a large quilting needle and a long piece of yarn connect with a slip stitch the chain 6 to the to the Vshape stitches that were done on the puched holes to hold the bottom of the crocheted bottom to the crocheted top.</span></i>Odilia Monrealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14580528683961464378noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934051529067766737.post-55808933934037118342012-06-30T22:07:00.004-05:002012-09-01T14:00:13.708-05:00More Info on My Grand ParentsGrandfather Miguel Lopez was born about 1865, because he was 19 when he married in 1884, and he died on May 3, 1933 and was buried in Los Saenz, Texas. His father's name was maximo Lopez and his mother's name was Paula Escobar. His grandfather's name was Jeronimo Lopez.<br />
Miguel's first wife was born in 1871 and died about 1909 or 1910, and was buried in Los Saenz, Texas. Her father's name was Martin Fuentes and her mother's name was Cipriana Sanches. She had a brother named Santos Fuentes, who moved to Weslaco in the 30's, when my mother lived there too.He had only one daughter, who graduated in Weslaco High and married a man from Zacatecas named Zamarron. She had one son, Andres Zamarron , born February 18, 1945. he was raised by his mother because his father had a previous family in Zacatecas, who came and took him back to Zacatecas. Jose Andres, called Andy, lives now in Woodlands, California and drives 18 wheelers. he only knew my mother and Tia Fita and now that they are dead, he only knows me as family. He has never met all the other second cousins he has. I have been trying to get him to come and meet everyone else.Odilia Monrealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14580528683961464378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934051529067766737.post-78233632554824992942012-06-30T21:47:00.003-05:002012-09-01T14:01:52.794-05:00Grandfather Miguel Lopez and His ChildrenOn the back of my grandfather's wedding license, someone with a beautiful handwriting wrote the names and some information of their children.<br />
Miguel Lopez and Josefa Fuentes got married on August 25, 1884<br />
So according to the information on the wedding license, these are the names of their children:<br />
<br />
!. Maria Lopez, born November7, 1885<br />
Padrinos-Agustin Escobar y su esposa que va a ser, Casiana Escobar(bautisada 12 dias despues de nacida)<br />
<br />
2. Victor Lopez, born October , 1887<br />
Padrinos-Juan Saenz y esposa Victoria Garza<br />
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3. Donato Lopez, born August 7, 1890<br />
Padrinos-Sebero Martinez y Filomena Martinez (22 days after birth)<br />
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4. Fortunato Lopez, born October 14, 1892<br />
Padrinos-Eduardo Martinez y Tomasa Moreno (22 days after birth)<br />
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5. Antonio Lopez, born January 14, 1894<br />
Padrinos-Juan y Apolonia Lopez (22 days after birth)<br />
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6. Santos Lopez, born November 1, 1897<br />
Padrinos-Uvaldo Ybanez y Juana Lopez (2 months after birth)<br />
<br />
7. Esbarda Lopez, born October 13, 1900<br />
Padrinos-Leandro Martinez y Placida Saenz<br />
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8. Maximo Lopez, born November 6, 1901<br />
Padrinos-Severo Martinez y Cipriana Flores (3 months after birth)<br />
<br />
9. Jose Lopez, born January 17, 1904<br />
Padrinos-Jose Salinas y Isidora Barrera<br />
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10. Petra Lopez, born January 31, 1906<br />
Padrinos-Salome vasquez y Eulogia Lopez<br />
<br />
11. Josefa Lopez, born Julu 17, 1908<br />
Padrinos-Inez naranjo y Petra Rosalez<br />
<br />
12. Miguel Lopez-this date was not posted-both mother and child died in chikldbirth<br />
<br />
It had been said by my mother and her sister that there was another son born who died at childbirth. he was about the second or third child, named Maximo too, but since he died at birth, they used the name again later, as seen in the list on the back of the certificate. Josefa Fuentes had been 13 when she married Miguel, who was 19, and they had 13 children in all.<br />
<br />
Miguel then married Reyes Mena (21) and had 6 more children:<br />
<br />
1. Nazario Lopez<br />
<br />
2. Fabian Lopez<br />
<br />
3. Isidra Lopez<br />
<br />
4. Isabel Lopez<br />
<br />
5. Elvira Lopez<br />
<br />
6. Virginia Lopez-born August 27, 1927<br />
<br />
One of the middle girls was a twin and her sister had been given to the oldest girl of the first family, Maria, but for some reason they took her back but she died as a small baby. need more information on this.Odilia Monrealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14580528683961464378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934051529067766737.post-17886266501152117452012-06-29T23:11:00.001-05:002012-06-29T23:11:18.613-05:00My AshesWhen I die, I do not want to be buried anywhere. I have never owned property in my whole life why should I own any after I die? Besides I have seen too m any bones disturbed after death for countless reasons. Some bones have been stolen for evil purposes and witchcraft and some just because someone needs the land for something else. I prefer to be cremated and have my ashes divided and placed into four small ceramic containers and given to my four children. Each may do as he or she pleases with my ashes and it is all fine with me. Either keep me or throw me away where ever they please, whether it is the ocean, land or even flushed down the toilet. But no one will ever complain that I was buried close to one child and far from the rest. No complains at all!Odilia Monrealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14580528683961464378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934051529067766737.post-20227626679512129282012-06-29T23:00:00.000-05:002012-06-29T23:00:12.489-05:00My Singing ChildhoodIn 1952, I used to sing at the top of my voice and to dance too. I had soaked up a lot of songs and dance ideas watching Mexican movies. I even had my own little costume for my performances. I had a beautiful orange skirt with a an old gold yellow blouse with elastic at the elbow and large sleeves. I collected bottle caps outside the corner store, took out the cork inside, put them on the bottom of my skirt and then replaced the corkback in holding the cloth of the skirt between . They made a sound when I danced and I loved it.At that age it was my dream to be a singer and dancer when I grew up, but my mother soon erased that dream from my mind. She said only bad women, or sluts, sang and danced so I stopped dancing and singing In fact when I went to school and we sang, I found out I couldn't even carry a tune at all.<br />
Later in my life, when I was about 47, I discovered that although I could not sing at all any songs, when I went back and tried to sing the old songs I used to sing as a child, I could still sing those but not new ones. My favorite singer in my childhood was Luis Perez mesa and I think sing his songs or similar ones but not new ones!Odilia Monrealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14580528683961464378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934051529067766737.post-58938095822266169732012-06-29T13:25:00.002-05:002012-06-29T13:25:36.479-05:00The Earrings of My GrandmotherI fell so guilty for not having stayed closer to my aunt Fita, but I didn't want her to worry about all the problems I had in my life. she had done the best she could for me and I felt I had not lived for the high potential she had in mind for me.<br />
But I am very lucky to have spend a very happy week with her one year before she died, not knowing it would be my last time with her. I had a wek off and decided to go spend it with her beginning with the dqay of her birthday. I took a bus to the Rio Grande Valley and even had time to spend a few hours visiting with my cousin Celia because of a stopover in San Antonio.<br />
I arrived in Weslaco at 6am and was able to take a taxi to my aunt's house, where she had breakfast waiting for me. She was very happy to have me there and we enjoyed our time together very much. Although we did talk a lot during that visit I never got to ask her a question I had always had in my mind--whether she was my real mother. I somehow always felt she was my mother, but might have let her sister raise me because she was unmarried when I was born. I guess I will never know the truth for sure.My aunt did live with my mother after her father died until she got married about 6 months after my birth.<br />
The following year she fell and injured her hip and was hospitalized. The doctor said it was not serious at all, but if I wanted to go see her it would make my aunt very happy. Then I talked to my aunt and what she said made me decide to go see her. She told me that she had taken her earrings off and that she had given them to the woman who worked with her. She said Belen would save them until I got there. I felt my aunt knew she was going to die and I immediately started packing a small bag to go. Her earrings had been placed in her ears when her mother died since she was the youngest daughter. She always told me that the earrings would belong to me upon her death, but used to tease me that I would have to take them off her AFTER HER DEATH. Because she never took off her earring even to take a bath, the people at the hospital knew her well and allowed her to keep her earrings on. That she had decided to take them told me I had to go see her while she was still alive.A couple of hours later, as I was running out to catch the local bus to the bus station, I got a phone call from the hospital--my aunt was dead! I demanded to talk to the doctor who had told me it was not serious but was unable to talk to him. I called my local cousin to tell her the shocking news and she and her husband decided to drive there for the funeral and I went with them. My youngest son and my daughter went with me too.<br />
As soon as I walked up the steps to my aunt's apartment, Belen immediately gave me the earrings because she had promised my aunt to give them as soon as I arrived!Since I had to use the bathroom after our long trip I immediately put on my aunt's earrings, knowing that is what she would want. As soon as my other local cousins arrived, they asked where the earrings were and I was able to show them on my ears. Many seemed to feel they had a claim on them since they had belonged to our grandmother, but since my aunt didn't have any children and I was always very close to her like a daughter, my aunt always said they were mine. she felt they should then be passed on to my daughter. Today I feel that if my daughter never has any daughter to pass them to, they should go to Alyssa, my first grand daughter.<br />
My aunt always felt I should have them first before I passed them on to my daughter as I had intended because I didn't have pierced ears, but my daughter did. So at the age of 36, I finally pierced my ears. I did it myself, and then pierced the three more times for a total of 6 piercings. Because I had a problem with one of the piercings I ended up with seven-a lucky number I felt. I love earrings. At the age of 67, I even pierced the upper part of my ears but it was so painful I took off the strings and lost those piercingsb ut got a present of an ear cuff.Odilia Monrealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14580528683961464378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934051529067766737.post-10217878440434331152012-06-16T14:54:00.000-05:002012-06-16T14:54:32.547-05:00My Aunt Fita's Devotion to MeMaybe because I was an only child, I never seemed to understand the weird relationship between my mother and her sister. They were only a year apart, and my mother was older than my aunt. My aunt always lived close to my mother, even though my mother argued with her all the time. Only once did my aunt move away to live close to the relatives of her husband, but it only lasted some months and she was back in town. My aunt always seemed to silently forgive her no matter what my mother said or did. Every morning, my aunt would come to our house before she left for work. Most of the time she walked, but if she was going to be picked up, she was picked up at our house. She always had some trinket or something for me, and when I started going to school, she always gave me some change. Sometimes she even walked me to school if my mother couldn't.<br />
As I started growing, she would be burdened with stuff when she came home about 2 or 3pm, even when she was walking. Because of her I was keeping up-to-date on all the things that were happening in the world. She would bring me newspapers. magazines, comic books and even hard cover books. I was an avid reader and my aunt's efforts were never wasted on me, because I read every bit of all she brought me. Just how well I kept up with everything was made very clear to me the other day when I heard the news talking about Queen Elizabeth's Coronation sixty years ago when I was only eight years old and I remembered it so well, having read so much about it when it actually happened, even though we didn't have a TV. At eight years old, I knew what was happening in the world, and in faraway England.<br />
I feel so guilty for for not staying close to my aunt in my later life after I got married, although I did write often and called her all the time. My life was too complicated and had too many problems and i wanted to spare my aunt worries. I did not want her to feel that she had to help me with my problems, especially the financial ones. But she always sent me boxes full of things, and in my effort of looking out for my kids first, I came to rely on her to provide my own personal underwear and things such as purses, . combs and brushes. <br />
After she died, I realized that she had never stopped trying to help me in any way she could. She left me two huge trunks full of blankets, tablecloths, sheets, towels and even trinkets to decorate the house. She left everything to me, including her washing machine, which was the first I ever had. But she left such an empty space in my heart and I have missed my Tia Fita so much. She died in 1993, I still wake up sometimes on Sunday mornings thinking about calling her!Odilia Monrealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14580528683961464378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934051529067766737.post-66744200418706894192012-06-16T14:09:00.001-05:002012-06-16T14:09:24.878-05:00My Cousin Idolina<i><span style="font-size: small;">Sometimes I think about my childhood and I remember so many things. One of those very vivid memories is about the day my cousin died in 1948, when she was only six months old</span></i>. She had always been a very quiet baby and was not very active, I remember hearing my mother question my aunt about the lack of development in Idolina, because she didn't seem strong at all and did not move much or even raise her head at all. Maybe because of that, she died suddenly of what seemed just a minor illness.<br />
My aunt arrived one day in a taxi, crying because the doctor had told her the baby was dying and nothing could be done. Assuming it might be some serious illness, my mother was very angry at my aunt for bringing the dying baby to our house, since I was only four years old. my aunt assured her that it was not contagious and she stayed in our home until her baby died before the end of the day.<br />
I remember that day in detail. We lived in a small house, with wooden partitions dividing the house into three living areas. The partitions did not reach the ceiling and there were no doors between the three areas. The two doorways to the living room had heavy flowered curtains and I was hidden among the folds, seeing what was happening.When the baby died, a table in the living room to arrange the baby for the wake, in the manner I had seen several times when other people had died in the neighborhood. My aunt sat in a chair, crying as she dressed her baby in her best clothes and laid her on her best little blankets, while my mother screamed at her that she should let other women do this preparation, while dealing with her grief properly. I cried silently seeing my aunt's crying, but even at that age understood that my aunt would want to do everything herself because she loved her baby.<br />
I soon realized that my father being a carpenter, was making the little casket for my cousin. The next day after and all night wake of friends, relatives and neighbors, the funeral director came to take Idolina to be buried in the cemetery.<br />
My aunt never had any other child. She had married at thirty six and had already lost two babies before Idolina-one an early miscarriage and the other three days after birth. when Idolina died she was 40, but never had another baby. She just dedicated herself to being my other mother and I owe a lot to her all my life until the day she died in 1993. I feel that she made me the way I am by contributing everything she could to my learning esperiences.Odilia Monrealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14580528683961464378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934051529067766737.post-70265686684629785272012-03-24T21:15:00.003-05:002012-03-24T21:19:34.261-05:00Update<span><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"></span></span><span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;"><span style="color: #660000;">More than a year has passed since I have posted here because the pain of losing my cousin Tina was still too vivid in my mind. I still miss not being able to call her to discuss something with her. Every time I told her I had lost a few pounds, she would say"but it doesn't show. You're still the same size." </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;"><span style="color: #660000;">It is indeed very ironic that I actually lost 40 pounds in the first months after she died and now the difference can be seen so plainly. I have finally hit the way to keep those pounds I lost from coming back Every day that I put on a new dress to fit my new size, I think of Tina and I wish she could see me now--I was able to lose and keep it off. Besides continuing my usual exercise routine, I had many months of physical therapy and laser treatments on my ailing knees and my back which had started giving me lots of pain. Even after the physical therapy had ended, I have not gained any pounds back. I have now started going to the 24hour Fitness gym to exercise on the stationary bike like I used to do in the physical therapy. I was able to use my Silver Sneakers card from medicare and medicaid for my gym membership. I have been doing so well that I have lost 12 more pounds this year in the months we have had and it has made me very happy. but of course I've had to adjust my clothes again. I have had some setbacks but have not gained any pounds back, at least not permanently. For instance of I gained two pounds, I lose them very soon again. I have kept the joy of being able to wear my new clothes</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;"><span style="color: #660000;">One of the biggest setbacks was a strong and painful bout with gout on my left foot. I had thought I had a broken big toe on my left toe, but a blood test proved I had gout and now I am taking medication for gout. But one of the good results of my new way of eating has been that I am now taking only two pills for the high blood pressure instead of three as I did last year. I hope with good eating and good exercise, I may be able to drop another pill and maybe both. It would be wonderful if I could stop taking all medication eventually.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;"><span style="color: #660000;">oh, yes and one thing i have been doing that has helped me to keep weight has been to eat an orange with each meal I eat. There is supposed to be something in the orange which helps me digest the food instead of keeping it as fat!! </span></span>Odilia Monrealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14580528683961464378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934051529067766737.post-57315096108914916292011-02-18T18:02:00.003-06:002011-02-18T18:39:17.463-06:00My Memories of TinaMemories can be very painful. This morning, I finally allowed my mind to go back to memories of my recently diseased cousin Tina, or as I usually called her "Tia Tina". Her daughter Janie is just a few months younger than me and when we were growing up I called her mother, "Tia Tina". Eighteen years ago when I arrived here in Fort Worth, I arrived at her home, spend the night there and she helped me find an apartment and even helped me to return the U-Haul truck I had rented to come here. As we became close and talked to each other on a daily basis, she reminded me of the fact that she and I were really first cousins and wanted me to call her just Tina, not "Tia Tina". I spend years living on the same block and even later when I spend two years in Dallas because of a job I had, we still continued our close friendship and communication. I did a lot of sewing for her, making her clothes, such as pants, coats and even night gowns. At first she would pay me for my work, but since she had the habit of giving me things she felt I would like and that she had found in her shopping trips both to the discount stores or thrift stores, I eventually stopped charging her for any work I did for her. Even when I lived the two years in Dallas, I would visit her on some weekends or even mail her her stuff I had made for her. I did a lot of crocheting things for her, including some white doilies for her tables in the living room.<br />She also did a lot of crocheting and sewing for herself. She had great pride in having a beautiful home. She had good talent in home decor and her three bedroom home is a wonderful example of that. Her home always had wonderful carpets, great furniture and terrific things such as cabinets full of elegant tableware. She had a wonderful and complete tea set among many of her beautiful things. Just remembering how beautiful her home always was when I visited her, made me burst into uncontrollable tears. I haven't and I don't think I'll ever be able to visit her beautiful home after her death, because it was such a wonderful expression of the kind of great person that she was, and now her home is still there but she is gone!Odilia Monrealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14580528683961464378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934051529067766737.post-89585789889002996332011-02-16T17:51:00.002-06:002011-02-16T18:11:59.566-06:00A Different PossibilityAfter reading a blog on how people with multiple personalities may sometimes have different diseases with each personality and that often the disease and the symptoms may completely disappear from the same body depending on the personality in charge of that body, I have come up with a completely different answer to the question of the problem with my mother. Maybe my mother was not the victim of witchcraft, but merely suffering from multiple personalities! If she did have different personalities, it may have been the reason that doctors never were able to get positive proof that she had epileptcy if her personality changed. This theory may also answer other problems that my mother seemed to have. Maybe all her health problems changed when her personality changed. Because the doctors never seemed to prove any of her other symptoms of other diseases, the ended up just giving her tranquilizers instead of solving her problems with healing medicine. She ended up being senile early in life and couldn't even recognize me at all. She used to be a very active person with many projects in sewing, arts and crafts and gardening. She was a very inspiring person until she changed so much and became senile.Odilia Monrealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14580528683961464378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934051529067766737.post-15583200520918249362011-02-16T16:09:00.002-06:002011-02-16T17:40:48.235-06:00Possible or Impossible???There was a time in my mother's life when she had some seizures that seemed like epileptic seizures but may not have been. Doctors were unable to diagnosis what the trouble was and it eventually worked itself off and she had other problems but not the seizures.<br />It was a scary time for me, because I was a small child and when these seizures happened when she and I were alone, I knew the drill well---run to the back fence and scream to a neighbor across the street. She then came over to be in charge after calling the ambulance for my mother to be taken to the hospital and she would stay with me until someone else or my father came home. I must say the neighbors were very helpful to our situation, but it was still very scary to me at that age.<br />I still have a big question in my mind about this time. What was it that my mother actually see just before she had these seizures? I guess we will never know for sure.<br />My mother used to say that she would see the face of a woman coming towards her, getting closer and closer until she passed out! I remember that just before a seizure she would start praying and staring at an area in front of her and she would as for water. Sometimes the prayers and the water she drank seemed to do the trick and she would be all right after a while and sometimes she would go into a seizure, falling on the floor and biting her tongue and bleeding,<br />It was a hair-raising experience for me, because I could feel my mother was seeing something or someone and the worst part was that I could feel a presence, an entity and I could feel how it got closer to her. Even now more than 60 years later, I still feel my hair on the back of my neck.<br />Besides going to the doctors, my mother tried to get all the help she could get. I remember that one day we went to a psychic healer in Edinburg. I don't remember her name or title, but I do remember the house we went to talk to her. It was a simple wooden house in a regular hispanic neighborhood. It seemed to be a one room house and the waiting area was separated from her inner area with a curtain that was a huge American flag. It seemed to look very impressive. There were many people in the waiting area, but we eventually made itr into the inner area. I don't remember details about the woman, but I do remember most of what she said and I do remember she had what I recognized as Catholic altars all around with many images and statues.<br />I do not remember if ashe was reading cards, but she did have a lot to tell my mother. She told her that a woman had done some witchcraft on her because the woman wanted my father. According to the healer, the woman had gone to the cemetery and stolen some human bones and after doing her spells and things had buried them under my mother's front steps. She even told my parents that they had later built a cement area where the steps had been but the bones had stayed under the doorway into our home. She gave instructions as to how to get rid of this evil bones. My father was supposed to dig them out and she said that the bones had decomposed into some yellow matter that looked like rust, which he was supposed to remove and burn thoroughly without my mother being near. <br />I still remember my father, destroying the cement steps and digging out the rusty dirt and removing it from the area, but for some reason he did not burn it. A few months later, my mother was showing my father where to plant a new tree in our back yard, and accidentally back her leg into a bushel basket holding some trash and cut the back of her leg with a big broken piece of window glass. The cut was huge, about 4 inches long and just about as deep and had to go to her doctor after hours to get it sewn up. They later realized that that was the place my father had left the rusty dirt that was supposed to be bones. Who knows how much was true but i do remember it the way it happened? Was it witchcraft?? Who knows for sure?Odilia Monrealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14580528683961464378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934051529067766737.post-85144924992151971032011-01-14T14:29:00.003-06:002011-01-14T16:01:06.395-06:00Tina's Funeral<span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 0);">Death is sad! Death brings sadness to everyone involved, whether by blood or just friendship. Death leaves a big empty space in our everyday lives. Death leaves a lot of pain.<br /><br />Today I went to my cousin Tina's funeral and it was beautiful, but of course, very sad!! There were a lot of people at the church....the casket looked impressive in its glossy gray color! It really looked magnificent! It was a very cold morning with a gray cloudy sky, but thank goodness no rain! The chill in the air penetrated deep into my bones, making my knee problems worse then they usually are.( I just got a cortisone shot on my left knee on Tuesday, three days ago.) The cemetery looks beautiful with the wonderful trees, tombstones and the Fort Worth skyline in the background. Tina's casket was covered with a huge bouquet of big huge red rosebuds, forming a rosary of red roses on a green cushion of leaves and greens! It really looked so very beautiful....she would have loved it!! After the uplifting words of the priest, we had a chance to say goodbye by spreading a little dust on her casket from a small stone container provided. After condolences were given to the immediate family, relatives and friends stood around and talked about they experiences and memories with Tina before staring to leave. I was very slow making my way back to my car because the ground was very rough and uneven making it difficult for me to walk. I was using my cane and holding on to my son's hand. I looked back for a final look and realized the men had lowered her casket into the ground. Whether I am ready or not, I have to accept the fact that Tina is gone, leaving a huge empty space in my life.<br />Since I arrived 18 years ago here in Fort Worth, she had been a big part of my daily life. I was remembering with my son on my way out of the cemetery the details of our arrival. She had given us instructions of what exit to use, but we missed the exit and ended up downtown. I called her from a public phone and she drove downtown so we could follow her to her home. We slept at her house and the next day, she found me a small apartment where we lived until she told us of a house right across her house, where we lived for some years. Even when we moved to other parts of Fort Worth and even during the two years we spent in Dallas, she and I were visiting each other often and talking on the phone at least twice a day. Sometimes we went to the Thriftstore together or to eat together to celebrate her birthday. Tina was really a wonderful person! Tina, I miss you so much already!!<br /></span></span></span></span>Odilia Monrealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14580528683961464378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934051529067766737.post-44905032580779587142010-09-19T11:43:00.000-05:002010-09-19T11:47:48.541-05:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2PUQEJSuhyphenhyphenQr9cIROVFUtGmDSD8pct88N1b1inh_2rFduChwIlTIiYmgigusTlFCsRwwVbBxzgR6ss5pVw82YXx9ayQGf_Wzlc3G4BD7KTgT5eS4rK-L4Sm-AV3xpxiWv4S8B0BTomhJ-/s1600/Picture+402.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2PUQEJSuhyphenhyphenQr9cIROVFUtGmDSD8pct88N1b1inh_2rFduChwIlTIiYmgigusTlFCsRwwVbBxzgR6ss5pVw82YXx9ayQGf_Wzlc3G4BD7KTgT5eS4rK-L4Sm-AV3xpxiWv4S8B0BTomhJ-/s400/Picture+402.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518667237882785650" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDTOVzIYlgpQC-vIwlUSV7ZzmD4whj-YGaQeEiNcVjJrfq8Pw3qOWumpdcroWMmOAl0ezSYt1jartH6Hg7wckFHYCm2lA1z3CXNgP9FGONai64g1UIVqFbh8_9_4w-_odC88PSdlkJSb7H/s1600/Picture+388.jpg"><img style="display:block; 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margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcapaUEi7tNcostdQPcYh14tWSrXo0ihFBGo3y9vsfCJs8uN83Z_oHNanj_uhCXfdPo7BTwtIBolno6hmrxRaxZWxWqCzU9XONodhPi-b9rR3njXJKBjgX9TIOqfzTDc2l7ZaBqm4Gb0eq/s400/Picture+417.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518667228865954434" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1zjU0K72LbRZrgopsD9LZuQy32tWYe4D7KIYnSUIq3A6EMsU7vWf3BQXwbBy1awcczdWBcd3fQsCL7-h2MLLbFJ2ua7nEH7cqC1ukKuNtBxJJPNgtKLvIlGRNjZu2ZR-RA1imnuddzRt8/s1600/Picture+421.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1zjU0K72LbRZrgopsD9LZuQy32tWYe4D7KIYnSUIq3A6EMsU7vWf3BQXwbBy1awcczdWBcd3fQsCL7-h2MLLbFJ2ua7nEH7cqC1ukKuNtBxJJPNgtKLvIlGRNjZu2ZR-RA1imnuddzRt8/s400/Picture+421.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518667223807389410" /></a>Odilia Monrealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14580528683961464378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934051529067766737.post-36066719866289327742010-09-19T11:37:00.000-05:002010-09-19T11:41:56.394-05:00Odilia Monrealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14580528683961464378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934051529067766737.post-90209173357647110342010-09-19T11:30:00.000-05:002010-09-19T11:36:16.613-05:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9b2fOPueDRR5TBWCIBL4_38IZl4_Yx_KgnuqifmOmTuHaQg8MaX3hTXVHMIGjFXnzfrz6Dl2Kb6SxdrFMiU0FFz4qiZSiOLJ0dLbUPi9cCYEXuvWOGVHYaEIhb2TD7XzmmVOILMljhhH4/s1600/Picture+401.jpg"><img style="display:block; 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margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn7J_s-JT_JnEOp1mX7-8OwTXqADUc3H1fjeetbX7jhgI9dSnJxdyqN6MS9zLqzexbz1nV_bVu__jTOlHEHYKRneicRUomxWgnedQST1jo5HCvCSHYmSdjXBxMQD1lh5egPGhlr9RbmXVL/s400/Picture+398.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518664324545666706" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3l8TeMUCAQeYU341jzgvd7Tr8fwSe-pU0HDzzFOWBaPBHE3aYYlekBoxgE1fRobsAUkNhyphenhyphenHmZ5YQjrISNLjqrttFrz71TrOKykXwaeRpCH5QAH3TpKZIbvb3cMMOssR8YJY7h2K04yZE3/s1600/Picture+376.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3l8TeMUCAQeYU341jzgvd7Tr8fwSe-pU0HDzzFOWBaPBHE3aYYlekBoxgE1fRobsAUkNhyphenhyphenHmZ5YQjrISNLjqrttFrz71TrOKykXwaeRpCH5QAH3TpKZIbvb3cMMOssR8YJY7h2K04yZE3/s400/Picture+376.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518664316860909362" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZv2BJ9Zpt_j2M2fb0MUqfSfrZZ9NK16OmKPiSZDTrAykYdV0Vt5jkQh0v7lYCSfDrG9WdSOTuVXPmPak9hg8bOW0dy3Entpjt-nLGnOjNefgIXXqNr1OtHfrri7qbMv4vrh_VrebB0HN9/s1600/Picture+374.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZv2BJ9Zpt_j2M2fb0MUqfSfrZZ9NK16OmKPiSZDTrAykYdV0Vt5jkQh0v7lYCSfDrG9WdSOTuVXPmPak9hg8bOW0dy3Entpjt-nLGnOjNefgIXXqNr1OtHfrri7qbMv4vrh_VrebB0HN9/s400/Picture+374.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518664314514654658" /></a>Odilia Monrealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14580528683961464378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934051529067766737.post-5283475476574269042010-09-19T11:21:00.000-05:002010-09-19T11:29:27.247-05:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBJazmckHCHgiIY8fB_1hsdL_c7YATwAfcpLCCaSU7WZ6HrgI-t9LADxBTVRbQ-y30-By76RyoKAURccH4vdkTnmqTP935hU3_9CttKSPUQQv0tyoDRWeS6fSOUFthJ5hyphenhyphenTYKdcmtlV_4a/s1600/Picture+373.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBJazmckHCHgiIY8fB_1hsdL_c7YATwAfcpLCCaSU7WZ6HrgI-t9LADxBTVRbQ-y30-By76RyoKAURccH4vdkTnmqTP935hU3_9CttKSPUQQv0tyoDRWeS6fSOUFthJ5hyphenhyphenTYKdcmtlV_4a/s400/Picture+373.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518662543073502418" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3UerX0xS7n_pTg-tlfi-caPnWxF67A6HVc519MgzRWIjr2D-MvndyywNo5QkQGR7AzPoID29ckGoR3Y6GW6P6qW42KpmnJNscljwlNIGjEZWyRwTnaB-qoedBz96tj2qSeSPsONahEOk5/s1600/Picture+378.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3UerX0xS7n_pTg-tlfi-caPnWxF67A6HVc519MgzRWIjr2D-MvndyywNo5QkQGR7AzPoID29ckGoR3Y6GW6P6qW42KpmnJNscljwlNIGjEZWyRwTnaB-qoedBz96tj2qSeSPsONahEOk5/s400/Picture+378.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518662542881365634" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUbvabx0Z-RWXUA0cXBi__kk9O1Q3i_-xN8ew1NCztFOaOqUo9CAYsoI-PqtmtyfiW7AfrMDu0BOG8OESyl6TJyqHdosR77h38snLDz8ex3AR8oN8MWUmv5acw9ALcmJUigYuiV0Xd8R5T/s1600/Picture+377.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUbvabx0Z-RWXUA0cXBi__kk9O1Q3i_-xN8ew1NCztFOaOqUo9CAYsoI-PqtmtyfiW7AfrMDu0BOG8OESyl6TJyqHdosR77h38snLDz8ex3AR8oN8MWUmv5acw9ALcmJUigYuiV0Xd8R5T/s400/Picture+377.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518662536378698722" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu9N1BPfDzXgNcwQywJ4ARXKGMYQ_a-u-tXZvwRapVIE8_oaH934pUWYeoJm3b1043NQkbKhVxT2yDDqPFKGMXTAEsTTXYhAtnSrToW-br32wx5akB5Zsg-hH4raSJetBw_nxV-Mur1WJ7/s1600/Picture+384.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu9N1BPfDzXgNcwQywJ4ARXKGMYQ_a-u-tXZvwRapVIE8_oaH934pUWYeoJm3b1043NQkbKhVxT2yDDqPFKGMXTAEsTTXYhAtnSrToW-br32wx5akB5Zsg-hH4raSJetBw_nxV-Mur1WJ7/s400/Picture+384.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518662537286899298" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrctZwji-0vhQKqSCpYlFbFRW9seAqrX6-ZHHNq03m7P2imbHyp6hb14YaUYt83jSR3mqw9p8imNxpjC3t2nCBBslX3NsFI0GLCh-4pW8kK8E2lejalAz0KKWLj36fVp-nOxteCIohZ9c0/s1600/Picture+392.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrctZwji-0vhQKqSCpYlFbFRW9seAqrX6-ZHHNq03m7P2imbHyp6hb14YaUYt83jSR3mqw9p8imNxpjC3t2nCBBslX3NsFI0GLCh-4pW8kK8E2lejalAz0KKWLj36fVp-nOxteCIohZ9c0/s400/Picture+392.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518662530524338722" /></a>Odilia Monrealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14580528683961464378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934051529067766737.post-1739215682756969262010-09-19T10:14:00.003-05:002010-09-19T10:30:41.742-05:00Rick's Wedding-July 17, 2010In July, my youngest son, his girlfriend and her little three year old son, traveled by car with me to my second son's wedding in Corpus Christ, Texas. My second son, Miguel Ricardo, or Miguel Rick, had been living in Louisiana with his girlfriend Sierra and their two children, Alissa Riley(4) and Dylan Michael(1), and they got married on July 17, at Corpus Christi, Texas, in one of the gazebos near the beach. They came accompanied by Sierra's father and step-mother, her grandmother, and her young cousin and it was a small family wedding but very beautiful and romantic. They both seem very much in love and it seemed so perfect in every regard. I had a wonderful time meeting my grandson Dylan for the first time and enjoyed being with both my grandkids, besides being with my son and his beautiful bride and her immediate family. In spite of bad health I truly enjoyed the weekend--it was simply marvelous! <br />The beach was really awesome with all the boats and scenery. We had a wonderful dinner at Chili's after the wedding, but we were having such a great time we forgot the wedding cake. We did take many, many pictures and they all came out wonderful. We all forgot the bride's bouquet, but the bride's wedding gown was stunning...the bride was stunning too!Odilia Monrealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14580528683961464378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934051529067766737.post-57424538910783534612010-05-30T23:14:00.003-05:002010-05-30T23:25:03.747-05:00Breakfast at my Cousin Tina's<em><span style="color:#ff6600;">Tina and I always talk on the phone and she had invited me to eat "gorditas" several times and I finally was able to actually go this past Sunday for a sort of brunch. "Gorditas" are corn tortillas, hand made and cooked on a grill, or comal. as the tortilla cooks, it kinda of rises up and then it can be cut witha kinife to use the hollow to fill up with meat, sort of like the pita pockets. The lady that made them is really an expert at Mexican cooking and she sometimes come to help my cousin with the housework. They really were great and i enjpyed getting together with those two ladies and reminicsing about the family and Mexican food while we ate...great Saturday morning! My son really enjoyed it too.</span></em>Odilia Monrealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14580528683961464378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934051529067766737.post-57325159892290400952010-04-15T22:25:00.003-05:002010-04-15T22:25:43.695-05:00Odilia Monrealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14580528683961464378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934051529067766737.post-9635540108977835122010-03-27T17:11:00.004-05:002010-03-27T17:54:19.655-05:00Fifteenth Birthday<em><span style="color:#990000;">I always adapted things to my own ways, because I liked being creative and I did not like adapting to the ways of others, if they did not work for me. When I was in 8th grade, my close friends and I were feeling a little out of place with all the "quincianera' celebrations taking place that year because they were very extravagant, beginning with the dresses being very expensive and beyond our budget. We couldn't be the "damas" or maids in those celebrations, and some girls who were our friends ended up with "damas" they hardly knew, but who could afford the dresses. </span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#990000;">When my 15th birthday came up, I didn't want to have strangers around me as maids..I wanted my friends and only my friends celebratng with me. Instead of choosing one color for the 14 girls to dress the same, I decided I wanted them to use whatever they had already making a variety of colors like a rainbow. I didn't care what they wore, but I cared that I would choose and have my closest friends around me celebrating together. Some of them didn't even have a celebration of their own, so this was their celebration too. It was simple but beautiful in our eyes, and that was what was important. None of my friends had to feel left out.</span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#990000;">I did have one problem for a while, because my best friend and neighbor was only 10 years old and at that time maids were usually 14, or very close to 14 or 15. At first her mother said no, but I found a way to get past that. I invited her mother to be my "madrina" or godmother and then she felt compelled to say yes.</span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#990000;">I still needed one more girl a couple of weeks before my birthday and my mother stopped to talk to a neighbor and she found the last girl because the lady had a granddaughter. At first, I was not too happy, because I hardly knew her since she was only 13, but it was ironic that we later became like sisters for the rest of our lives. In fact, I am still friends with about half of then now that I am old.</span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#990000;">My fifteenth birthday was beautiful. My 14 maids walked in to the strains of music with me flollowing and then my godmother. I was so proud of my friends with their pastel promlike dresses of net or lace in pinks, blues, greens and violets--a pastel rainbow. After the solemn mass with all of us receiving communion, we went to my house where we had cake and chocolate and played games, laughed and played music and danced to rock and roll. My mother did not allow boys, but we had some fun anyway. My friends and myself were still not boy crazy yet...we were just starting to notice them!</span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#990000;"></span></em>Odilia Monrealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14580528683961464378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934051529067766737.post-32582596678016222822010-03-27T16:48:00.002-05:002010-03-27T17:09:30.346-05:00Tortillas<em><span style="color:#993300;">Weslaco was unique in its way in the 40's. The milkman may not have gone to too many houses in my neighborhood, but the "tortilla" man did. Every morning between the hours of 10am and noon, the "tortillero" drove up to the curve and the housewives were ready to buy packages of corn "tortillas" fresh from the local "tortilla" factory. The "tortillas" were still hot and they were were the best I have ever eaten. My mother always bought some for our lunch, which usually consisted of Mexican rice or "fideo" made by her, with refried beans.</span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#993300;">Then about 4pm, she would make wheat flour "tortillas". She never measured anything that I could see. She just put some flour in the bowl, added some salt with her fingers and some baking powder with a spoon, some lard and poured the water and mixed. Her "tortillas" always came out perfect every day. She rolled the out on a flour board, with a wooden rolling pin from little balls of the mixed and kneaded dough and cooked them on a big iron skillet with a heavy lid. Her "tortillas" were big, bigger than most other "tortillas I had seen being made in other houses where they were cooked on an iron "comal"( a flat grill).</span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#993300;">When I arrived home I would have a tortilla with coffee to hold me till suppertime at about 6pm.</span></em>Odilia Monrealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14580528683961464378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934051529067766737.post-86636659889588061172010-03-22T20:10:00.002-05:002010-03-22T20:56:43.599-05:00<em><span style="color:#993300;">My early education from Kindergarten to 8th grade was at St. Joan of Arc parochial school in Weslaco, Texas. In retrospect, I feel it was the best education anyone could have had, because those nuns gave me a very strong core of learning</span></em>Odilia Monrealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14580528683961464378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934051529067766737.post-27366529355459071362010-03-22T19:51:00.002-05:002010-03-22T20:09:11.188-05:00Offering Flowers in May<em><span style="color:#990000;">When I was seven years old, we had a beautiful thing happening every night for the month of May each year in our Catholic Church named St. Joan of Arc. The church had the rosary each evening with little girls offering flowers to Our Lady at each mystery. Little girls dressed in white with their first communion dresses and veils and carried bunches of flowers from their garden. They lined up at the door and at each mystery, they walked in with beautiful singing to deliver the flowers to the altar where teen girls took the flowers and placed them on a table. These young girls would then collect the flowers from the table and take them back to the door to be randomly distributed among the little girls who would walk again to the altar with them. At the end of the rosary, the flowers were then placed in large vases in from of the huge statue of the Virgin Mary.</span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#990000;">This beautiful ceremony was repeated every night until the last day of May, when one little girl was chosen to crown the Virgin Mary. i think this was a beautiful ritual and I was one of those little girls who participated. To this day, everytime I smell real flowers or a garden, I remember those beautiful evenings in church giving homage to the Virgin Mary.</span></em>Odilia Monrealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14580528683961464378noreply@blogger.com0