Thanksgiving Bread: The feature film

The lost Marina files

Don't worry, Marina, we're not leaving you out.

Look what I just found.

Ella's photos may be cute and all, but this stuff - even without sound - made me get weepy in ways I didn't know were possible.

Happy Birthday Ella

Dear Ella,

This is you on Nov. 24, 2007:



Here you are on Nov. 24, 2008:



And this is you on Nov. 24, 2009:



Aren't you just amazing?

No pictures, please

Me and Ella avoid the paps.

Keep trying

I'd like to show off my latest kitchen achievement:



Why, yes, that is a roast chicken with broccoli flourish. Did I buy that at Windmill Farms? Not this time.

Last weekend, I learned how to handle a raw chicken, how to remove slimy things from its body, how to stuff the empty space with lemons and garlic and how to turn it over while piping hot.

I obviously did not do this by myself. My friend, who makes amazing Thai food and acts like it's no big deal, is teaching me how to cook.

And, okay, she's the one who handled the slimy stuff. And flipped the hot chicken. And cut the broccoli. But I am totally confident I'll pull this off when I try it on my own ten years from now.

Nachas*

I didn't think I'd be the type of parent who would put those "my child won student of the month at Smith elementary" stickers on my car. But then I got these two notes on the same day and I was so mushy and proud, that it seriously made me question my future actions.

Here's Ella's:



This proves what I've been saying since she was born, that Ella's the nicest person I know.

And then there's Marina's.
Her class is The Bears and she was Bear of the week. Here is her little Q&A:



*For those of you who don't speak Yiddish, nachas means "pleasurable pride, especially in your child's achievements."

Miss Tijuana

Because everyone is asking, here is the photo my artist friend, Derrik Chinn, took of me for his exhibit, "Quien Quiere Ser Miss Tijuana?" (Who wants to be Miss Tijuana?)

He assigned eight of us different neighborhoods and dressed us up all Almodovarian. I got an area called Chapultepec, which is where I spent a good part of my teenaged life. It's also sort of a fancy neighborhood, hence my gold dress, which also happens to be my original prom dress.
Anyway, the show opened in Tijuana over the weekend and it was spectacular. If you check his site some time this week (and are not offended by sexy comic books) I'm sure he'll post more photos.

I didn't win the crown but it was the closest I've ever come to being a pageant girl.
Gracias, Derrik.

Halloween aftermath

Untitled

Because no words can describe how I felt when this happened:



For those of you who don't get it, clicky clicky.