Familia

Reflections on Mamá Toni’s 90th birthday

The day after Mamá Toni’s 90th birthday party, I was at my mom’s house. I got nosy checking out the cards and gifts while Mamá Toni rested on her couch. I couldn’t help it. I found this great photo on the stack. It was a gift from one of her nieces.

The inscription on the back (translated): Rafaela Bermudez, Paulita Saldivar, Petra Bermudez Saldivar and the family dog, Sporty. Taken in Casa Blanca, CA at the home of Antonio Bermudez in the year 1938. [Mamá Toni says Casa Blanca is near San Bernardino.] Rafaela is a niece (or cousin). I assume she was Tío Antonio’s daughter.

I was really glad I saw the photo. I’ve seen a photo or two of my great-grandmother Petra, and a couple of photos of Mamá Toni with her parents and siblings. However, I’d only seen Paulita in a grainy photo with the rest of the family. (See below.)

Paulita passed away shortly after the photo with Sporty. I always found the story rather tragic. She was the baby of the family and the 7th of Petra and Juan’s angelitos who passed away in infancy or early childhood. To make it more tragic, my great-grandmother Petra died a few hours later in the afternoon. She was only 38 or 39 years old. I’m not sure if the same illness afflicted both mother and toddler. Mamá Toni was only a teen, maybe 16 or 17, when her mom and baby sister passed away. Although Mamá Toni had an older sister, Simona, she was the one who had to step up and fill her mother’s role around the home. I believe Simona was already married and had left home. Mamá Toni had to care for brothers, little sister, and her father. I’ve never heard her complain about this moment when her life turned upside down.

Petra had 9 children who lived to adulthood (above), 7 passed away in infancy/childhood. I’m reminded of this every time I’m in my grandparents’ bedroom and see the large poster board depicting the family tree circa 2003.

My grandma’s line of the family is the shortest one — and I thought I had a big Mexican family. It’s nothing compared to some of Mamá Toni’s brothers’ familes. The last time we had a family reunion in 2003, there were over 800 descendants from Juan Saldivar and Petra Bermudez’s union. Amazing.

Last time I was in Zacatecas in 2005, I found this photo of my grandmother at another relative’s house. She’s seated and holding my eldest aunt/madrina Chilo. To her left are my great uncle Sabas and great aunt Josefa (she died young too). I believe the year was 1944 or ’45. Mamá Toni was 22 or 23.

She’s changed a lot since then but she’s still hard-working, kind, faithful, selfless and always willing to put her family first. She’s been doing it since she was a teen — at least!

It’s no wonder we love her so much.

Boda

Are we there yet?

I don’t know if I’d be stressing this much if these next few weeks weren’t also some of the busiest at work. I thought I was being smart by picking a date at the end of the summer and during the gap between summer sessions and the fall quarter.

At least we have help. Lots of it.

I’m grateful for the family and friends who are going way above and beyond for us. Sean and I are lucky.

(Note, the only thing that’s accurate on that Wedding Wire screengrab is the countdown. We have may more than 1 RSVP, the numbers that begin our budget are not zeroes, and we’ve done a lot more on our checklist.)

Boda, Randomness

August of this year

Status updates:

1. Still not running much. I think the only miles I’ve run in the last few weeks have been while doing intervals at the end of my NROLW workout.

2. I completed stage 2 of NROLW. I didn’t like stage 2 as much as stage 1. I purposely kept the weights lighter and might’ve sandbagged a bit. Additionally, I began using the gym at work (same as the one the students use). I like the convenience of the gym being 5 minutes away. Plus, there’s no excuse not to go when it’s 5 minutes away and I already have my clothes with me. I like the facility, but the weight room gets just as crowded as my local 24 Hour Fitness. At least it’s bigger and more well stocked with the weights I need. Another downside os the lack of some equipment (e.g. a low step). Since I used different gyms, I wasn’t that consistent with workouts. I took a week off from stage 2 and 3.

3. I started stage 3. Workout A kicked my ass. I’m still sore two days later.

4. There’s some vanity to my change in workout plans. I tried on my dress while meeting with a tailor. I fit in the dress, but didn’t like the look from behind. My butt looks fine thanks to all the lunges and squats. My upper back? Not so much. It’s not just the wedding dress. I really would like to fit in to half of my clothes (especially my business casual dresses).

5. Wedding planning is coming along. It excites and worries me that we’re less than 6 weeks away. Even though I feel like we’ve gotten a lot done, I know there will be stuff to do at the last minute, but I want to minimize the rush in the final days. Things we’ve done lately:
– Bought accessories for the ceremony (unity candle, lasso, ring bearer pillow, etc)
– Bought dresses for the flower girls (not those above, that’s too frilly)
– Selected and bought our wedding bands, fixed my engagement ring
– Planned out the liturgy (readings, prayers) for the Mass and met with the music director/organist to plan the music. My dad helped out here since he’s very familiar with the music selections.
– Applied for a marriage license
– Found a tailor, took in my dress for some minor alterations
– Found someone to do my hair, need to work out details
– Bought my shoes and some accessories for the bridesmaids

6. Work is going well, but it’s overwhelming at times. In my old position I had very few moments where I needed help. After six years, I had figured things out and due to the cyclical nature of the program/academic year I was sort of on auto pilot. That’s not the case in the new job. I’m not complaining. I like the challenges and opportunity to learn new skills. The trouble is that while I’m trying to learn a new job, I’m still filling in the tasks of my old job since a new person hasn’t been hired.

Corriendo, Deportes

Silver for Leo!

Two things made me very happy yesterday:

1. Seeing Mexico beat Japan in the semi-finals to advance to the finals in men’s soccer. Mexico will face Brazil in the finals on Saturday morning (7 PDT).

2. Seeing Leonel Manzano win silver in the men’s 1500m race. He went from about 10th place with one lap remaining to passing up several men for a surprise second place finish. Leo’s is the first American to medal in the men’s 1500m since 1968. He also set an American Olympic record for the distance. [Replay of the race here.]

I didn’t start following professional running until last year, maybe the year before. I was looking around the USAAF website’s diversity page and checking out their list of Latino athletes. Leo Manzano was there. I looked him up and immediately took a liking to him just based on the Guanajuato roots. Mexicans are really big on home state and hometown pride. I added him to my short list of running heroes.

As a four year old Leo migrated with his family (sin papeles according to some stories) from Dolores-Hidalgo, Guanajuato to Texas. That migration story reminds me of my father and his family. Dad was just a couple years older when my grandparents uprooted the family from Salamanca, Guanajuato to south Texas.

I was nervous as I watched the runners lined up yesterday afternoon. I found it endearing that Leo crossed himself and said a quick prayer. He may be one of the fastest Mexicans out there, but he’s not that different from the rest of us. (Okay, his pre-race ritual does make him a little different.)

I teared up watching Leo’s amazing kick. I would’ve yelled and high-fived someone, but no one was around. I settled for fist pumping.

Reading stories about the race and watching post-race interviews made me even happier for him.

About his faith

“I felt like I was 10th or 11th,” he said. “I knew I was in the back. I just kept praying, saying, ‘Heavenly Father, help me. Push me. Give me the strength to keep going.’

“My kick has always been there. Ever since I was maybe 12 years old, I’ve had this major gift from God. I guess sometimes it’s just been kind of overlooked.”

In an interview with Flotrack he admitted to being very religious. He talked about his short prayer and said, he felt a surge of energy for the kick in the final 60 meters or so.

I could relate. I’ve felt something — adrenaline, energy gel kicking in, God, spirit of my grandparents… who knows — kick in late in a race and help me to finish strong. I even made a line from a hymn I heard in Mass my motivational mantra (“we will run and not grow weary / For our God will be our strength”). It worked.

About his roots

Leo admitted in post-race interviews that he planned to hold up the flags of his adopted country and birth country if he won gold or silver. Sure enough, he took the American flag first and then held up the Mexican flag while jogging his honor lap around the stadium.

The U.S. is my home, and I wouldn’t change it for anything,” he said. “But my roots are still in Mexico. I love both countries. They both have a piece of my heart.

I think it’s fitting that Leo won silver. After all, his roots are in a state with a silver mining history.

Comida

Coctel de camarón (shrimp cocktail)

Shrimp cocktail (or coctel de camarón) is my go-to dish for potlucks and summer cookouts. It’s always a hit. Who doesn’t love shrimp and avocado?!

I took it to my cousin’s pool party on Sunday and came home with an empty container. My cousin Juan (the host) was sad he didn’t get any. That was probably because my mom was trying to hide it behind the tostadas and bowls of tortilla chips.

When I posted the photo on Instagram, a friend asked if I’d share the recipe. I obliged. There’s several ways to prepare coctel de camarón,

I learned it from my mom years ago.

Ingredients
1 lb shrimp (I use frozen deveined shrimp, thawed of course)
1 avocado, diced
1/2 lb imitation crab (optional)
1/2 red onion, diced
1 cucumber, peeled and diced
Cilantro, chopped (about a handful)
8 oz can of tomato sauce
1/2 cup of water
2 tbsp ketchup (I’m guessing here, I never measure)
1 tbsp Tapatio (see above)
2-3 limes, juiced

Directions
Mix all of the ingredients except for avocado in a large bowl and let chill for about an hour. Add avocado when ready to serve. If you do it too early, it might get mushy or turn brownish. Add as much avocado as you like. One is usually enough unless you really love avocado. I added 3 small avocados to the dish this time around and no one complained. Well, my cousin Chrissy did, but she’s allergic.

Serve on tostadas or in a bowl with a side of corn chips. Keep a bottle of Tapatio or other salsa on hand for those who prefer something spicier. Recipe serves 6-8, if serving size is ~1 cup. Beer is optional.

Note: The cocktail could be more soupy if you like, just add more liquids. Omitting the imitation crab would do the trick too.