June 20, 2009

Waiting to Exhale

My mother has had numerous, interesting visitors over the past week. Almost daily, someone stops by from the local Catholic church. Then there were the two lovely, elderly ladies, who came to sing songs to her. Yesterday, a woman with an adorable poodle stopped by for a visit. How did they know my Mom loves dogs more than anything? Then yesterday, an elderly man, a total stranger, stopped by and asked if we needed anything. Ice? Food? Someone to talk to? He would stay as long as we'd like, although we'd never met him, although he didn't even know our names.

My mother is in a hospice center, and she will pass away soon--perhaps in the next few hours. At 81, she has lived a long, interesting, and sometimes difficult life. But for the past six days, she has been treated like a princess. Nurses and volunteers come in the room to stroke her hands, and even brush her hair. This morning they smoothed her long, curly, gray locks into a high bun on her head, making her look like an old ballerina. The staff comes in and calls her "mama", and tells her she must have been "a real looker" in her day, with her little, heart-shaped mouth.

We wait. We nap, we watch television, we drink hot coffee by the truckloads. "It won't be long now. It's finally her time," they tell us. We pray she will find the gate, and join her parents and siblings, who we picture waiting patiently for the youngest child of eight to arrive in heaven. We pray for peace. For her moment of peace.

If you are looking for a charity, let me recommend, with all my heart, the Hospice Foundation of America. Medical professionals are in the business of helping us stay healthy, and even of saving our lives. But it takes an extraordinary type of person and organization to help you make the transition from life to death comfortable, when the time comes.

Posted by L.C. at 10:29 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Filed under: Aging Parents

May 30, 2009

Makeup Tricks for Women Over 40


I recently saw some photographs of myself from an event, and I was shocked. "Why didn't anyone tell me my makeup looked like that!?!" I asked my family. "I have way too much foundation and blush on!"

It occurred to me that my daughter hadn't noticed and that the boys in my life will never notice such things, so I had to take it upon myself to master the art of applying my own makeup to perfection. Or at least better than I have in the past. I wasn't sure where to turn, so I turned to the place I knew would have advice for women my age: More magazine, and I found this article: Beauty Tricks to Master by 40 - MORE Magazine. Let's hope I don't have anymore episodes of looking like a clown in public, in the near future.

Posted by L.C. at 06:57 PM | | Comments (0)
Filed under: Beauty/Fashion

May 17, 2009

Twit (or is it Tweet?) Your Way Out of a Job

Okay, who didn't see this one coming?

A man who had been offered a job at a large corporation was recently in the news because he couldn't keep his big mouth shut on Twitter--the latest Internet craze. This poor guy's identity has apparently been revealed, and his big faus paux ridiculed, all over the Web. Twitter gets you fired in 140 characters or less, on msnbc.com, seems to support my position that it's all just gotten to be too much. Do we really need to what our friends and colleagues are doing at all times?

And now, for the quote of the day, from said msnbc article noted above:

Never post anything you wouldn’t say to your mom, boss and significant other. Alas, if that message hasn’t sunk in by now, it never will.

Posted by L.C. at 05:43 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Filed under: General 40ish | Meaningless Gab | News/Media/Studies

May 14, 2009

In the News: "Renew Your Faith in People" Edition

Need to renew your faith in people these days? Some recent stories might just do the trick:

  • Talk about trying to pay your debt to society. Recently, this story appeared on msnbc.com: Inmates baby-sit tot found alone on highway. Perhaps they haven't completely made up for their crimes, but I'd say it's a good start.
  • In these tough economic times, who would turn down $10,000? Check it out: Michigan lottery winner gives prize to charity. Hopefully, good karma will bless him for this generous act.
  • A group of college students spent their Spring Break not doing what you'd expect, if you were expecting them to be partying on a beach. Instead, they spent their time spreading their faith in Daytona Beach, where college students have gone for decades to indulge in some very unholy activities. Read about it in: What would Jesus do on spring break?


Posted by L.C. at 05:27 PM | | Comments (0)
Filed under: News/Media/Studies

April 13, 2009

Latin-Inspired Gifts on etsy.com

There once was a time, particularly as an early teenager, that I was getting a little tired of the "Latina-ness" of my life. Since my parents are from Cuba (and my father is half Spaniard), we spoke a lot Spanish at home, listened to salsa and merengue music, ate lots of Latin food, and generally were surrounded by my parents' culture. By the time I was in college, I was ready to break free a little.

Fast forward about five years, and I had graduated from college and moved to Georgia. I searched high and low for the best Cuban/Caribbean/Mexican restaurants, and was always excited to meet young professionals that spoke Spanish, so I could practice my other language a bit, which I feared I would lose after I moved away from my family. So I guess it's true--you don't really miss something until it's gone.

Now, I have a young adult daughter who loves the culture that makes up 50% of her gene pool, so I am often on the lookout for Latin-inspired gifts. For instance, I got her the tank top pictured above from one of my new favorite etsy.com shops ChulaMichele. (Chula means "cute" in Spanish.) Also on etsy, I found these wonderful, Latin-inspired items you might want to check out:

Posted by L.C. at 01:51 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Filed under: Shopping

April 06, 2009

In The News: In Touch With Feelings

Here's a look at some recent news that focuses on feelings and emotional health:

  • Feeling lonely? Genes might be at fault: This cnn.com feature says new research shows a connection between genetics and loneliness.
  • What Happy People Don’t Do: Want to be a happier person? Watch less TV and socialize more, for starters. This New York Times article talks about research that focused on the activities of happy people, instead of just demographics like many previous studies.
  • Tackling Depression with Meditation: One of my favorite publications, Utne Reader, delves into the topic of using meditation as therapy for depression.
  • The Luckiest Man Alive?: Also from Utne, this feature looks at a man who travels the world looking the secrets of happiness in some seemingly unlikely places.
  • The monster inside my son: There is no love like the love of a mother for her child. So what happens when your autistic child becomes violent? What can you do with that sort of pain? This Salon.com article tackles the topic.

Posted by L.C. at 07:20 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Filed under: Health | Reviews



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