Life in the Middle Age Lane

After 9/11 everyone I knew was speaking about the senseless tragic terror attack on our country.  EVERYONE Flags were spotted in everyone's front yard, vigils, memorials, school and church programs, and on and on. After the second most deadly attack on our country in Orlando, I am not witnessing as much shock or horror from our citizens.  Have we lost our empathy or just simply have learned to live with the horror of it all.  Or worst, was it because the attack took place not in a preschool or church but in a gay night club.  I pray that it isn't the latter.  I pray that people aren't looking away or facing the horror of this because it happen to this community of people.  I pray that we all felt the pain of loss when this happen and did not lose our empathy towards others. This terrorist attack has been funneled through a sieve full of outcries regarding "gun control, hate crime against the LGBT community, Muslim hate" and so on.  If it wa...

I'm feeling a bit like Alice lately.  Ever since I can remember I wanted a family, I married at 19 and we immediately tried to have children.  Crazy I know, 19!! But God knew better and we didn't get Emilio until 4 years later, 7 doctors, and one procedure later. Shelby came at a time in my life that I was giving up on the traditional family and was thinking of just devoting my time to Emilio and possibly adopting a little girl.  I had a decent job and Emilio needed family.   The one constant I new for certain was that I wanted children.  I have failed at so many things in life but I just knew that I would never fail my children. So here I am childless..........wondering no, imagining how my life will turn out without having such a large responsibility.  I taught them to not speak to strangers but to be kind to all, to ask questions and not settle, to respect their elders but at the same time expect the same respect.  Regardless of the many mixe...

A new look...... As much as I love my family and they loved my long hair, I just could not take it any longer (pun intended).  So I went short and dark.  Which made my eyes look lighter, no I did not doctor the color.  I love the length and the feel.  I am very happy I took the plunge and cut it.  Excuse the selfies, if I didn't take pictures of me, there would be no record of my existence.    My mom turns 70.... My mother has always enjoyed playing bingo and going to the casinos.  I don't understand the lure of sitting at a machine and feeding it money but for some (actually a lot of seniors) this is a big thrill.  My mother's only wish is for her to be with her kids on her birthday, so I arranged for my brother and I to take her to L'auberge in Lake Charles.   Gorgeous hotel, loved the lazy river. Unfortunately,  my older brother doesn't have a good relationship with my mom so it was just us two, but it real...

When Shelby started Kindergarten and I was looking for activities for her to do, joining the local daisy troop in scouting seemed like a fun thing to do.  She would get to make friends with girls in her school and learn some fun things along the way. That was 13 years ago. Even though she was part of Troop 11012 for two years, she ended up joining 11054 in her 2nd grade year.  She had an amazing troop leader who breathed and bled scouting.  She was great for the young girl scouts who needed guidance and leadership.  Of course we all know that there does come a time when the girls themselves need to lead.  That is what scouting is all about; Empowering girls to gain confidence, leadership, and accountability with their community.  This is where I stepped in about 2010.  I was the co-leader for many years and an active troop mom throughout Shelby's scouting years. The past four years have been exciting, trying, lagging, frustrating, encouraging, ...

August 2011, first day at boarding school.  She was so excited to start her new adventure.  I can't believe we let her do this.  It was so hard on us, to not see her everyday, be at her school for every little celebration or event.  But here we are three years later and we did it!  We ALL did it!! As they say at Hockaday we are HOCKADONE!!! Shelby wore the traditional white dress that all the Hockaday Seniors wear for graduation.  The dress is voted on by all seniors and a fashion show with models of all sizes showcasing the dress. In the years past the seniors would wear white hats with flowers and carry a flower basket.  However being the centennial year the girls reverted to the original hats of pastel colors.  Shelby chose yellow, my favorite color on her. The ceremony was outside and very humid....look at me glisten and let's not mention my hair.  uhg! Hockaday has century old traditions that are truly southern....

What can I say about 2013?  I hope that I grew a little wiser, loved a little more, appreciated the diversity and difference in people more than before.  As with many things, I am still a work in progress.  I have been blessed with an enormous amount of good friends that I need to work on returning their love and appreciation.  Over the 47 years of life, I have been able to hang on to friends from different decades of my life. Each one molding me to be a better person, the couple of "friends" that I no longer have are the ones that affected me the most in seeing what my limits were and also my short comings.  I am most grateful for those failures. I can honestly say that this year was all about improving my relationships with neighbors, friends, and acquaintances.  Learning to say "no, that won't work for me" was my biggest challenge and still is.  But I am getting there.  I can't give 100% to all and the ones I should, my family is what sho...

What's going around on Facebook:   My friend  Tom Shanks  participated in a game where he is given a number (his was 17) so he had to tell 17 interesting things about himself. Because I liked it, he assigned me a number of 10. I will now attempt to list 10 interesting things about myself. it's just a journey of exploration. you don't have to change your profile picture or anything like that. 1) My name comes from a nickname that my mother was called as a child, her full name is Maria Herlinda and to shorten her name my grandparents called her Marylinda. She loved it so much, she name me that. 2) I was the first ever high school student to receive a "promotion" at my part time job at UnitedBank-Houston when I was 16 years old. They basically moved me from bookkeeping to the Real Estate department. My High School newspaper wrote an article about it. I think it was more creative writing then actual news  3) I moved to Houston from Chicago at the end of 7...

My first home was this 1968 doll house, which apparently cost a pretty penny since I could not afford any clothes.  As is evident from this picture.  Our son is much more fortunate with his first new apartment.  He had us over for dinner last night, mind you the dinner was provided by us but we did raid his wine cabinet and made ourselves at home until he arrived from work. Chinese take out from our favorite chinese restaurant Oriental Garden.  They have the best wonton soup there. Emilio's complete living room.....tada!  He still needs a few wall hangings and a side table but all in all this is all the kid needs. Our first movie night and dinner at Emilio's, breaking in the couch. John left oatmeal cookie crumbs in his area, so he did his part.  I was there that morning to greet the movers since Emilio had to work.  Sometimes I feel I need to charge for my services.

Just a short note on what I wish to accomplish this year. 1.   Be quick to listen, slow to speak 2.   Remember only the good in people and let go their mistakes 3.   Forgive but not forget my own mistakes, so I don't repeat them 4.   Believe that I too am important and should take care of myself If I remember these things, I should lose the weight, have a happy relationship with all, and touch other's lives in a positive way. A shock collar might be needed to ensure that I do not deviate from my goals .............

Lately, I have been taking inventory of my life and what I have brought to the table.  And more than anything have asked myself what I would like to change going into the second half of my life.  One thing is certain, I need to stop using so many hyperbole's. Seriously, I was raised to never speak of religion, politics or sex among friends.  But today's social outlets do nothing but speak of these three subjects.  Nothing seems to be off limits.  I have my firm beliefs and one of them is that I am not going to make anyone feel uncomfortable by imposing my views on them or even worse, making them feel their views and beliefs aren't important.  I hate confrontation and I value everyone's opinion, that is what makes this country amazing.  That an the diversity.  Love the diversity! Lately the whole chick fila media and appreciation day seems ridicules especially when so many thing are wrong with this country.  That being said, I did not a...