Bye Bye 2011 - Hello 2012!

I read all the year reviews of Lizzie, Sandy and Mia. So here's mine:

 January: was an OK month. Working at Jersey. Just taking it easy. Went to Kaiser to learn about PD.

 February: It didn't start well,on February 4th I had to call 911 because Marvin had really low sugar (hypoglicemia) and passed out. Had to take him to ER. Feb 18 Sandy and Tristan came down for our Anniversary (46 years). The next day Lizzie came too. We all went to Cha Cha's. I got an iPad. It was great to be all together.

 March: Nothing much going on. My last Kindergarten class was something else. I will not forget my last field trip with them to the farm!

 April: April 4th, Marvin had his catheter inserted for PD. April 13 was Open House, also was the day Mia came to visit. Norbert picked her up.April 15, Mia and I went to school to do the Easter egg hunt. I got called from the office Marvin was in pain and we had to hurry home and I took him to ER. A few days later Norbert took Mia to a beach tour. April 21, Happy 71st Birthday Marvin! Sandy and Tristan are here, they went whale watching with Mia. Mia also cooked Swedish meatballs, Lizzie came the next day. Mia left the 29th. I wish things had been better during her stay.

 May: Celebrated Mother's Day and Day of the Teacher. Thanks for the presents and the love :) A highlight, Barcelona FC won the European championship! I watched the game, soo great! Ended the month with a limo ride with the K kids to Huntington Beach :) Marvin started the cycler.

 June: Retirement Tea for Little Lake. Marvin came and so did my friends from Jersey. Lizzie came over for Father's Day. Last day of school and end of year lunch. I was given presents and books. We had my retirement part at El Cholo. It's hard to retire after so many years, especially because I loved my job and my kids.

 July: It was a good month. Marvin and I went to eat out many times. I had root canal! Tristan came over at the end of the month.

 August: Sandy and Tristan to Disneyland. Marvin to ER August 27th. Peritonitis. He will now be on hemodialysis.

 September: Marvin at the hospital for 2 weeks. After being released, had to rush him to ER the next day. Another week at Kaiser. on the 20th, a visit to his doctor sent him back to ER for his heart. Last week of September was totally emotional.

 October: Another terrible month. October 6, on a visit to urgent care, Marvin fell off his walker while I was pushing it and I was pinned underneath. Back to ER but released after check up. Next week he was feeling pretty bad and on the 13th the ambulance had to come to take him to the hospital. Was diagnosed with an abdominal abscess. He was released Oct. 27th. On the good side, Sandy, Tristan and Marty came down and built a ramp for Marvin in the backyard. Looks good.

 November: Marvin has been doing pretty well, we had Thanksgiving dinner at home with Lizzie and Norbert. From the Claim Jumper.

 December: Marvin has his good and bad days...he's pretty weak after dialysis most of the time. He had a procedure at Kaiser to have a fistula on the 30th. Lizzie came over Christmas Eve, and also Dewey, Mary, Bettie (Lee was sick), Christina and Rick. It was very nice. Today, the last day of 2011, took Marvin to dialysis, cooked salmon for dinner, and then Marvin went to bed. It's almost midnight and here I am writing :)

 This year I have read 90 books.

 Here's hoping for a healthy and happier 2012. Love and thanks to Sandy and Marty for all the help this year, to Lizzie for coming often to visit and helping out, .it's been very appreciated. A special thanks to Norbert, he's been a great help. And Marvin...hang on..things will get better :)

Christmas Eve and day

Nostalgia

When I wrote the blog on my birthday, I wrote about the house where I was born, and on a whim, decided to check Google Earth and check the address. It was bittersweet to see the neighborhood, the houses, the church where I was baptised and had my First Communion... After a while, I decided to check on houses for sale at that neighborhood. Imagine my surprise when I saw that "my" house was for sale! it had some prictures and I have posted one above. It looks different because it's been painted and spruced up, and the ivy and some of the greenery is all gone. It is for sale for 2 million euros!!!! I wish my parents had kept it! lol Here's some black and white pictures of how it looked when I lived there. Even then, it was in a prime neighborhood and it was a really nice house. In one picture Nuri and I are holding our palms on Easter day, in the other one, we are with yaya, my father's mother :)

It's my birthday!

I was born a few minutes after midnight on December 17, 1943. I am now 68 years old.
Here's the earliest picture I can find of myself. It was during my baptism at the Bonanova church. My godparents were my father's brother, Juan (who's holding me in the picture), and my godmother was my mother's sister Carmeta.
 My full name is Maria (maternal grandmother) Josefa (my mother) Carmen (my godmother) Leonor (my maternal godmother)
I was born at home, Passeig Guell 14, in Barcelona. It was a very nice house in a very nice neighborhood. In the house lived my mother and father and my maternal grandmother (yaya), and my sister Nuria.
Because we were very well off at that time, we also had a live in maid and a nanny. We had a car and a chauffeur. My father worked in textiles, I am not sure what his position was exactly.
We lived there until I was 5 years old. I still remember living there. The reason we moved was because my father decided to partner with a friend and sell Spanish wines to South America (that was shortly after WWII). It was supposed to make him and his partner very rich. It didn't work as they had planned, and he lost a lot of money. With no money coming they were not able to keep the help, or the house , which was rented out.
We moved with an aunt of my grandmother, she was a widow with a son Joaquin. They lived in a small house in the country in what is now a hip place called Taxonera. It was a BIG change especially for my mother.
I remember living there and having fun with Nuri and Joaquin, running around the fields and climbing trees. We only stayed there less than a year.
My parents rented an apartment in the area of Putxet. Roca y Batlle B. I lived there until I got married.
And here's my earliest picture, I was a few days old.

What's going on with my blog????

I am not sure what's happening with my computer, or with this blog, or with Google.... But here I am again with the original A Kinder World. I will try again tomorrow and see how it goes :)

November 30 -End of the month

It has been fun writing every day. Good job with it too Sandy!!! And Lizzie, even though you didn't write every day, the posts you wrote were interesting and informative. I also enjoyed your posts Mia.
It is hard to write every day, one runs out of things to say, but it's a good way to keep in touch. I love reading all your blogs. I don't comment on all posts, but read and enjoy each and every one.
So I will make a point to write at least weekly, or whenever I have something to say.
And I will be looking forward to your posts as well :)
Love you all.