Starting out the New Year was not fun. I had caught a cold on December 30t and lasting until November 6th, so ringing in the new year was not a happening this year only a warm blanket and lots of Nyquil oh the joy.
December was very busy, more busy than years past. Work flow was good spent lots of time with friends and family. Since my birthday is in December (the 17th) usually there is the lunches and dinners but this year I wanted my friends to join me and do something different. It was perfect timing this year as Josefina Lopez and her troop were putting on their annual “PMS Sisters” extravaganza!
If you never ventured over to Casa0101 located in the heart of Boyle Heights, well your missing some pretty good local talent. P.M.S. “The Pinche Mentirosa Sisters” in “Kiss my Mistletoe” is just one of many plays put on last year by Ms. Lopez and her crew. P.M.S. is a fast-paced theatrical comedy featuring vignettes that unabashedly tackle society’s taboos and celebrates the camaraderie of women.
Staring and written by Josefina Lopez, Miriam Peniche, April Ibarra, Blanca Melchor, with the participation of Adrian Gonzalez and directed by Hector Rodriguez. P.M.S. once again had us rolling in laughter and leaving the show with big smiles. Next time the gang brings out the P.M.S. gang make it a point to get your bootie over Casa0101.
After the show Josefina was kind enough to invite us to her after-party-xmas party just down the street from the venue. There we eat, drank and all had a festive jolly good time. I usually am in bed by 9:00 but this was my special evening and having had such a great time at the play, it was a pleasure to be amongst the cast and guest of Casa0101. Dancing into the nite I got my weekly shot of exercise. At one point the DJ span “Dancing Queen” at which point I noticed Josefina dancing away and decided to show her what a real dancing queen dances like!
A few days before x-mas our gang got together here in Eagle Rock to make some Tamales! This time of year never goes by without us getting down and dirty in the process it takes to make them delicious corn meal delights! Ruthie from Buena Vista Furniture had to be the chingona of course, nothing will be done unless she has the final OK. So I thought we were going to do them on a Friday, so I got everything ready… no one came so I put everything away then I get a phone call from Ms. Buena Vista telling me it was Monday… Ayi Dios.
Monday, Eagle Rock, California 9:00 a.m. I am waiting for the ladies to call/come by. I had all my meats prepared, my masa ready to go, my olives, my drinks…everything. Time kept ticking, ticking, then I get a phone call from Sandra Ponche asking if Ruthie was there, I told her no and it’s now 1:30… so she called and so on and so forth and finally Juana Medina shows up at 3:00! The first of many who eventually got her. So the group was all together by 5:00 and we started tamaling away.
Needless to say, making Tamales this year with an all women crew was a lot of fun and I can’t wait till next year to do it all again… this time I will trick them with them time so they get it right!
Christmas Eve. This year was different than most as it’s the first time I was not with my whole family for many, many, years. My sister Rosa moved with her family and my mother to Buckeye, Arizona a few years ago. Last year we drove there, this year because of the rain we all stayed home. My sister Alice and my nephew Richard though were here and come over to enjoy the Tamale eating and drink. Joining us were Cita and Ricardo our two musically gifted and stars of “La Victima”, and our very, very good friend Steve Rodriguez. It was a fun nite as we sat around and enjoyed enough other’s conversation and had some damned good food.
Christmas Day. Our friend Irene Diaz and Seung Park stopped by to meet Ricardo and Cita. They are going to be working on a project and this was the perfect time for them to meet each other as it’s rare for everyone to be in the same place at the same time!
After some chatting we all ventured into the van and headed over to Clifton’s for some good ole Christmas Day breakfast. Pancakes and sausage, Menudo, Chilicillias, eggs, food, food, food!!! Well it was worth the extra pounds. Downtown is so beautiful and it was nice to spend Christmas morning there with friends.
Well as I opened with, New Years I was down with a cold. I am concentrating on finishing up projects, starting new projects and making 2011 a joyful, healthy and successful one. So here’s to the New Year. May we all find peace and success!
Finally, February is National Black History Month...
Black History Month is an annual observance in February, celebrating the past and present achievements of African Americans. In February 1926, Dr. Carter G. Woodson, founder of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, proposed the establishment of "Negro History Week" to honor the history and contributions of African Americans to American life. Dr. Woodson, known as the "Father of Black History", chose the second week of February because it commemorates the birthdays of two men who greatly affected the African American community: Abraham Lincoln (February 12) and Frederick Douglass (February 14). Negro History Week became Black History Week in the early 1970's. In 1976, the week-long observance was expanded to a month in honor of the nation's bicentennial.
Black History Month is sponsored by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). The Association was founded in 1915 by Dr. Carter Woodson--historian, teacher, author and publisher. Each year the Association designates the national theme for Black History Month. In 2011, the association's theme is "African Americans and the Civil War” in honor of the efforts of people of African descent to destroy slavery and inaugurate universal freedom in the United States.
Please visit Diversity Graphics and browse through our website and select the many materials that will help your business, school, place of work, or organization celebrate Black History Month!
Diversity Graphics National Black History Month Poster [BP11] 13" x 19" poster are $5.00 each.
