Make a lot of noise

And so that my brother and sisters always remember to make a lot of noise for Luca, I made them these bags...

Y para que mi hermano y mis hermanas siempre se acuerden de hacer mucho ruido a Luca, les hice estas bolsas...


That have these bells inside...

Que tienen estas campanas dentro...

Juana

Juana came to spend the week with us. She is part of the family since she has been working for my parents for almost 40 years. She usually doesn't travel anywhere so she was really enjoying herself in this trip. She knows a lot about agriculture so she was telling me what everything was around here, which I enjoyed a lot.

Juana vino a pasar la semana con nosotros. Es parte de la familia ya que ha estado trabajando para mis padres desde casi 40 años. Normalmente no viaja a ningun sitio asi que estaba pasandoselo muy bien en este viaje. Sabe mucho de agricultura asi que me estuvo contando lo que es cada cosa por aqui, lo que a me me encanta.

I decided to make her a bag when I went to Ikea, she helped me choose the fabric and yesterday while the two of us where enoying a few hours of quietness in this huge house alone, without children, I made her the bag I promised. I like it, and she liked it too. She said, no more plastic bags.

Decidi hacerle una bolsa cuando fuimos a Ikea, me ayudo a elegir las telas y ayer cuando las dos nos quedamos solas durante unas horas disfrutando de la tranquilidad de esta casa enorme sin niños, le hice la bolsa que le prometi. Me gusto, y a ella tambien. Me dijo ya no usare mas bolsas de plastico.


And it's hard to tell but there is a gingko tree in the memory of my husband in the back of that window. Today is 11 months after his accident, he is not here but we always find him somewhere around our lives.

Y no se ve facilmente pero hay un gingko en memoria de mi marido en la parte de atras de esta ventana. Hoy hace 11 meses de su accidente, ya no esta pero siempre le encontramos en algun lugar de nuestras vidas.

Trip to ikea

After a couple of relaxing days in this house...

Despues de un par de dias relajantes en esta casa...


And after giving some of the hand made presents using fabric from ikea...

Y despues de darles algunos regalitos hechos a mano usando tela de ikea...


We decided to spend the day at ikea. I found this crafting room and I envisioned it in my future house...

Decidimos pasar el dia en ikea. Encontre esta habitacion de manualidades y me la imagine en mi futura casa...

About being part of a big family

When I talked to the doctors last week they told me, just make sure you enjoy and rest in Spain and make sure he hears a lot of noise, taking about how to deal with Luca's limited hearing problem. I thought to myself, well this won't be a problem, we are a large family and there is usually more noise that one can handle. And here we are, 13 people hanging out for a week. Kind of crazy, but really fun and definetely lots of noise.

Cuando hable con los doctores la semana pasada me dijeron, solo asegurate de que disfrutas y descansas en casa y asegurate de que oiga mucho ruido, hablando de como asumir el problema de limitada audicion de Luca. Pense, bueno, no creo que eso sea un problema, somos muchos y suele haber mas ruido del que uno esta acostumbrado. Y aqui estamos, 13 personas conviviendo durante una semana. Un poco de locos, pero muy divertido y desde luego mucho ruido.

My sister built this house where we are and they moved in a day before we arrived. There are still many things missing and the ceilings are quite high. There are lots of windows, but no curtains, everybody in the town can see what's going on here, but that doesn't bother me. However, the fact that the noise of our multiple voices all happening at the same time has an eco is really disturbing. We can't even understand what we are all saying so it has been challenging having conversations. Nevertheless, since we are all quite expressive it's been amusing, plus we are all trying to do some body language and also sign language for Luca.

Mi hermana construyo esta casa donde estamos y se mudaron un dia antes de que llegasemos. Aun hay muchas cosas que faltan y los techos son bastante altos. Hay muchas ventanas, pero no hay cortinas, todo el pueblo nos puede ver, pero eso no me importa. Lo unico, es que el ruido de nuestras voces todas al mismo tiempo se oye con eco y eso si me molesta. No entendemos lo que decimos y es un desafio tener conversaciones. Aun asi, como somos muy expresivos es bastante entretenido, ademas estamos intentando comunicarnos con expresiones y con el lenguaje de os signos por Luca.

And here are some views of this house and from this house. I will tell my brother to continue taking pics, he has a good eye for it.

Y aqui van algunas vistas de esta cosas y desde esta casa. Le dire a mi hermano que continue haciendo fotos, tiene un bueno ojo.

Deja vu

It's been almost 9 years since the last time all my siblings and parents got together. The fact that we are spread all over the planet and that we had someone in our lives from a different country made it even harder to get together. In just 4 more days we will be back together again.

Han pasado casi 9 aNos desde la ultima vez de que mis hermanos y padres nos reunimos. El hecho de que estamos dispersos por todo el planeta y de que teniamos a alguien en nuestras vidas de otro pais hacia las cosas mas dificiles para reunirnos todos. En solo 4 dias mas nos volveremos a juntar.

This time it will be different because our families have grown, we have our new little additions that will make the trip to Spain even more interesting. We are no longer brothers and sisters and parents, we are mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles and grandparents. We have shifted our "titles" thanks to the children.

Esta vez sera diferente porque nuestras familias han aumentado, tenemos nuestros pequeNines nuevos que haran el viaje a EspaNa aun mas interesante. Ya no somos hermanos, hermanas y padres, somos madres, padres, tias, tios y abuelos. Hemos cambiado nuestros "titulos" gracias a los niNos.

Now, I am unfortunately one who knows how life can change in just a matter of hours. It did for me, for us, a little over 10 months ago. And today again, our lives have changed, not in such a dramatic and terrible way, but not in a good one anyways. We have a new challenge that Luca and I need to deal with in the coming months, probably years and probably for life. Luca has a problem but at least we think there are some solutions. Fortunately we live in a college town where there is a very good hospital with the best specialists that we could run into for children with medical conditions. We are lucky after all to live in the present time where technology could really make a difference in the life of a person. It was hard to face once again another doctor today and put all my senses out there to try to comprehend and absorb all the news he was giving us. A deja vu in a way but at least my little man seems happy and lively.

Pues bien, yo soy por desgracia una persona que sabe como la vida te puede cambiar en cuestion de horas. Por lo menos me cambio a mi, a nosotros, hace un poco mas de 10 meses. Y hoy otra vez, nuestras vidas han cambiado, no de manera tan dramatica y terrible, pero no de buena manera de todos modos. Tenemos un nuevo desafio que Luca y yo tenemos que afrontar en los proximos meses, aNos, probablemente de por vida. Luca tiene un problema pero por lo menos pensamos que tiene algunas soluciones. Por suerte vivimos en una ciudad universitaria donde hay un muy buen hospital con los mejores especialistas que nos podiamos topar para niNos con problemas de salud. Tenemos suerte despues de todo de vivir en el momento en que vivimos donde la tecnologia puede marcar una gran diferencia en la vida de una persona. Fue dificil volver a estar cara a cara con otro medico hoy y poner todos mis sentidos ahi fuera para intentar comprender y absorber todas las noticias que nos estaba dando. Se repitio la misma situacion pero por lo menos mi hombrecito parece feliz y muy alegre.

Another quilt to remember someone we won't forget

The advantage of living in a college town is that you meet so many interesting people that you can relate to, with so many different cultural backgrounds that it is really enriching. I wouldn't trade this to being in my hometown all my life with the same things that I am used to just because I am not willing to take the risk to change my life for an uncertain one.

La ventaja de vivir en una ciudad universitaria es que encuentras a tanta gente interesante con los que te sientes identificada, de tantas culturas distintas que es muy enriquecedor. No lo cambiaria por quedarme en mi ciudad natal toda mi vida con las mismas cosas a las que estaba acostumbrada solo por no querer arriesgarme a cambiar mi vida por otra desconocida.

The disadvantage is that people come and go, the goodbyes are part of this life we live here. It was hard back when I was 15 years old and I had made "friends" after spending a month in a foreign country and I had to say goodbye after sharing so many exciting moments discovering an unknown place. Then it was harder when I was 18 years old because I really made some friends after spending 10 months in this country. And then again it was hard at 27 after sharing moments of not knowing what's going on constantly for 3 consecutive years in another country. The friendships became stronger as I got older, but every time it was easier to say goodbye. Maybe because I have already had the chance to meet some of my friends from when I was 18 and 27, so at the end you realize that this is not a goodbye, just a see you soon.

La desventaja es que la gente viene y se va, los adioses son parte de esta vida que vivimos aqui. Fue muy duro cuando tenia 15 aNos y habia hecho "amigos" despues de pasar un mes en un pais estrangero y tenia que decir adios despues de haber compartido tantos momentos excitantes descubriendo un lugar desconocido. Luego fue aun mas duro cuando tenia 18 porque ahi ya hice algunas amistades de verdad despues de pasar 10 meses en este pais. Y luego de nuevo a los 27 despues de haber compartido momentos de no saber lo que pasa constantemente durante 3 aNos consecutivos en otro pais. Las amistades fueron mas fuertes segun me iba haciendo mayor, pero cada vez se hacia mas facil decir adios. Quizas porque ya he tenido la oportunidad de encontrar a algunos de mis amigos de cuando tenia 18 y 27 aNos, asi que al final te das cuenta de que no es un adios, simplemente un hasta pronto.

I said see you soon to one of my friends from my department, that then became part of our quilting group. All of us, friends at Minerva's circle, made her a quilt for her to remember these special times we spent together. She was touched by our present, and we will not forget this night.

Le dije hasta pronto a una de mis amigas de mi departamento, que entonces se convirtio en parte de nuestro grupo de quilting. Todas nosotras,las amigas de Minerva's circle,le hicimos una quilt para que se acuerde de estos momentos especiales que pasamos juntas. A ella le emociono nuestro regalo, y nosotras no olvidaremos esta noche.

If only all days could be like this one...

Si todos los dias pudieran ser como este...


We had a wonderful visit with Julie this past week. We went to the beach, to the lake and enjoyed ourselves in parties around here and just at home or at the village. We are going to miss here around here. I made her a bag, worked on it just before she had to take the plane! but I finished it, custom made for her and her needs. Hope it's just what she had hoped for.

Tuvimos una visita muy buena de Julie esta semana pasada. Fuimos a la playa, al lago y disfrutamos en fiestas por aqui o en casa y en la villa. La vamos a echar de menos por aqui. Le hice una bolsa, en la que trabaje hasta horas antes de coger el avion! pero la acabe, hecha a su gusto y para sus necesidades. Espero que sea justo lo que ella queria.

Scones, faces and spontaneous parties

Since Julie my sister in law has been here visiting, I have been cooking like a mad woman. Yesterday I made an indian themed dinner for her, chicken tikka, garbanzo beans with garam masala, turmeric rice and cole slaw (that's just the only american touch). It was pretty good, and with leftovers, even better so we didn't have to cook for lunch today. I have also been perfecting the blueberry scones recipe I got on the village newsletter, with orange glaze...mmm they were pretty good. Here is the picture.

Desde que Julie mi cuNada ha estado aqui visitandonos, he estado cocinando como loca. Ayer hice una cena india para ella, pollo tikka, garbanzos con garam masala, arroz con turmeric y cole slaw (ensalada de col que es el toque americano). Estuvo muy rica, y con restos, aun mejor para no tener que cocinar hoy a la hora de comer. Tambien he estado perfeccionando mi receta de pastelitos de arandanos que saque del periodico de la villa donde vivo, con glaseado de naranja...mmm estaban muy buenas. Aqui va la foto

Luca is communicating a lot lately but only with expressions. Where does he get them? From me? Am I like that? I wonder many times if he is the way he is as a result of all the time he spends with me. Am I like that a bit? Interesting...

Luca se esta comunicando mucho ultimamente pero solo con gestos. De donde los saca? De mi? Soy asi yo? Me pregunto a menudo si es de la manera que es como resultado de todo el tiempo que pasa conmigo. Soy asi yo un poquito? Interesante...

And today it was such a wonderful day, morning at the lake...why don't I go there every day or at least once a week? it's a nice quiet place, it's free, there is a lake (with alligators) where one can swim, sand to play with and picnic tables, and millions of insects that don't bite. Overall peacefulness and beauty.

Y hoy aqui fue un dia estupendo, por la maNana en el lago...porque no voy alli todos los dias o al menos una vez a la semana? es un lugar tranquilo, gratis, hay un lago (con caimanes) donde uno puede nadar, arena para jugar y mesas de picnic, y millones de insectos que no pican. En resumen un luga pacifico y bonito.

But the best part of it was that I decided to make another of my already succesful paellas. It was supposed to be for the three of us, but then we started running into neighbours and when I realized there were 9 people in my home eating paella, salad and deserts. Wow! such and unexpected party, and we were all so happy! It's like when people are wondering how to spend the evening and then one starts making something and everybody else joins and then we wonder why we don't do this more often. Days like this make me love even more the place where we live and the people that live around us.

Pero la mejor parte de hoy fue que decidi hacer otra de mis ya exitosas paellas. Se suponia que era para los tres, pero empece a encontrarme con vecinos y cuando me quise dar cuentar eramos 9 en mi casa comiendo paella, ensaladas y postres. Wow! que fiesta mas inesperada, y estabamos todos tan contentos! Es como cuando la gente se pregunta que hacer una noche y entonces uno empieza a hacer algo y todo el mundo decide unirse y entonces nos acabamos preguntando porque no hacemos esto mas a menudo. Dias como este hacen que me encante mas el lugar donde vivimos y la gente que nos rodea.

Minerva's circle anniversary

I haven't had a minute to sit this week and tell you about our community group first anniversary. We had all the excitement of the anticipation of this important event all through the previous week. Some of us found a few minutes here and there to make something special for the raffle, like the stuffie below that I made and Luca happened to win, because it is always nice to get some little unexpected prize, and I am glad that most people that came to our meeting last Sunday did get something and who knows, maybe they will be excited about it and ready to come to our meetings and try. I even had an interview in the newspaper and it came out on Tuesday in the campus edition of the local paper. Of course they got some information wrong, as they always do, but important message went through: to reach others and encourage them to join us, the more the merrier, we think.

No he tenido ni un minuto de sentarme y de contaros sobre el primer aniversario de nuestro grupo de nuestra comunidad. Estabamos emocionadas por la anticipacion al evento todas la semana anterior. Algunas de nosotras encontramos un momento para hacer algo especial para la rifa, como el muNeco de abajo que hice y Luca gano, porque siempre es agradable recibir pequeNos premios inesperados, y me alegro de que la mayoria de la gente que vino a nuestra reunion el Domingo pasado consiguiera algo y quien sabe, quizas se animaran y empezaran a venir a nuestras reuniones y probar. Incluso me hicieron una entrevista en el periodico y salio el martes en la seccion del campus del periodico local. Claro esta, pusieron algunos datos equivocados, como siempre, pero lo importante es que el mensaje salio: llegar a otros y animarles a que vengan, cuantos mas mejor, pensamos.



Claudia described it all very well and with few words in her blog.

Claudia lo describio todo muy bien y con pocas palabras en su blog.

I hope to be around to celebrate many more and carry our friendship, inspiration, support, and skills for a long long time.

Espero estar por aqui para celebrar muchos mas y llevar adelante la amistad, inspiracion, apoyo y habilidades durante mucho mucho tiempo.

What language should you learn?

I saw this in Gisele's blog. I thought I should do it too since I enjoy learning different languages so much. And this is what I got, a language I don't know other than a few words. Interesting...

Vi esto en el blog de Gisele. Pense que debia hacerlo tambien puesto que a mi me encanta aprender otros idiomas. Y esto es lo que saque, una lengua que no conozco mas que algunas palabras. Interesante...

You Should Learn Chinese

Surprised? You shouldn't be - Chinese is perfect for an ambitious person like you. You're a natural entrepreneur, and a billion people are waiting to do business with you!

What Language Should You Learn?

And since I have been translating my blog for a while from English to Spanish, I have been using a part of my brain that I wouldn't use otherwise. I haven't used Spanish in a regular basis for so long that sometimes I realize that my translations are literal...not very real...specially because I usually talk to Spanish speakers from all different countries. But I have decided that I could use this translating skill I have in a professional environment. And therefore I have decided to get better at it and make a living out of it. That means, I have a lot of plans for my near future, exciting.

Y como he estado traduciendo mi blog durante un tiempo del ingles al espaNol, he estado usando una parte de mi cerebro que no la usaria de otro modo. No uso el EspaNol a menudo desde hace tanto que a veces me doy cuenta de que mis traducciones son literales...no muy realistas...sobretodo porque suelo hablar con personas de habla hispana de muchos paises distintos. Pero he decidido que puedo usar esta habilidad que tengo para traducir en un ambito profesional. Y por eso he decidido mejorar en este campo y vivir de ello. Eso quiere decir que tengo muchos planes de futuro, que emocionante.

And an update on my pictures. Good and bad. I got the software, I found the lost pictures but I was able to recover only some of them, maybe more than 70%. So I am happy and sad, because I can see what I have lost, which I wasn't able to see before, I couldn't believe I had so many pictures! But I least I recovered many images of fond memories of these recent years.

Y un adelanto sobre mis fotos. Bueno y malo. He conseguido el software, encontre las fotos perdidas pero solo pude recuperar algunas, quizas mas del 70%. Asi que estoy contenta y triste, porque puedo ver lo que he perdido, lo cual no podia verlo antes, no me podia creer que tuviese tantas fotos! Pero por lo menos recuperes muchas imagenes de buenos recuerdos que de estos ultimos aNos.

And this is an image of me with a shirt I made when I first started sewing, when I really had no clue how to sew. I recovered this picture. I like seeing my yellow wall from my previous apartment. It was like the sun coming into my living room.

Y esta es una imagen mia con una camisa que me hice cuando empece a coser, cuando no tenia ni idea de como hacerlo. Recupere esta foto. Me gusta ver el fondo amarillo de la pared de mi apartamento de antes. Era como el sol entrando en mi sala de estar.