Tag Archives: isabela

Friendships 

Hey there, my friends! I apologize for the little hiatus the last week and a half. My best friend (since the 6th grade!) was in town last week visiting so I didn’t quite get around to my blog. 

We had a great visit and little Gabriela absolutely loved spending time with Tia Amee (who is also her godmother). It was so nice to just hang out and talk. 

  
 

Spending the day in San Juan at Barrachina restaurant


We’ve been friends since the 6th grade but there have been a few times where we lost touch with each other and eventually reconnected. Between various moves (me to Phx, back to StL, BACK to Phx, then to Dothan, and finally to PR; Amee from StL to Cupertino, CA), getting married, and finally children (my one to her three beautiful kids), our lives have been crazy and complicated but we always manage to touch base and catch up. Our conversations are sometimes few and far between but when we do talk I really feel connected to her. 

Mojitos at Achè Bar

This is her second visit to PR and she’s pretty committed to visiting at least once a year. That just makes my heart happy that she really enjoys spending time with us. And I guess it doesn’t hurt we live in a tropical island. 😉 We had a great ‘girl’s night’ while my dad watched Gabi and it just brought
back memories of what we used to do when we lived close to each other. It was a perfect night that capped a perfect visit of beach time, food, and a lot of conversation. 

 

Clmdo Restaurant in Isabela. Hands down one of my best meals yet on the island!

 
 

Amee said she wanted a lobster , so we got her a lobster from one of the fishing boats

 

Over the years my circle of friends have gotten smaller and now that I think about it, it was for the better. At 37 years old (yikes!) I think my values and what I truly feel and believe in have changed over the years. Some friends have evolved and fit into my little worldview and some have not. And that’s okay, too. I truly feel that everyone who has entered my life, however brief or for the long haul, has had an impact on who I am today and  I appreciate every single one of them. It doesn’t make them any less important. 
I’m in a new stage of my life, as a mother and living in a new-ish foreign place and I’m hoping to make friendships here that will also help me grow and widen my worldview. 

Amee is an amazing friend, mom, wife, woman that I really do look up to. This past week was exactly what I needed to refuel my engines. I cannot thank her enough for not only her visit but also her friendship. 

So if you’ve got a friend that you’ve been missing or have gotten out of touch with, reach out and say hello. 

Have a great Sunday, my friends. ❤️

 

circa 1995/96. Amee’s senior pics. We were such young pups.

  

2015 and still looking good! My ebony to her ivory. ☺️

 

Thursday Beach Series

i just realized that I never posted last week’s beach Thursday. I can totally blame that on mom brain, right?

So let me digress a bit: last week we tried out pork pinchos (kebobs) using this Asian style marinade. I was worried after making the marinade because I’m really not a measure-er (is that a word?) and I thought maybe it would be too salty or too sweet. I normally tend to worry about under/over seasoning. 

Turns out I worried for nothing. They ROCKED! We gobbled them up so fast that I didn’t even take a pic of them! Total fail. I was able to catch this little one snoozing away while We enjoyed an aguacate that our vicino (neighbor) brought over for us. Can anything beat a just picked avocado!!??

  
Alrighty, now we’re up to date! Today the beach is quiet (school started — YES) so I think the beaches will be quiet again during the week. And it’s the most beautiful blend of blue, turquoise, and green hues I’ve seen in awhile. Here’s a pic but it really doesn’t do it any justice. 

  
We have also added to our list of gear as well. Like we really need more, right? I was commenting to my father the other week that it would be helpful to have another table to put the cooking essentials on, rather than just have them haphazard  on a beach chair. We have a Table in a bag, kind of like this (but I don’t think we paid this much for it) that has worked out great. But the grill takes up most of the space and left us with our plates on our laps. Not very convenient. 

And then we came across this little gem, which seems perfect (pic below). So we’re trying it out today, along with a variation/combination  of a few recipes I found online that basically consists of about 3tbs soy sauce, 2tbs brown sugar, 1tbs lime juice, pinch of red pepper flake, and a glub of olive oil. Marinate overnight, then skewer in the morning and cook till cooked through. They were so moist that it was even overlooked I forgot to do a dipping sauce. 

La nena is knocked out asleep right now after her bath and a quick feeding. The new contraption worked out great. Us adults are partaking of a cocktail and I think the husband is bringing dinner home. Score! There may even be a rain shower off in the horizon. I’d say it was a pretty damn good day! 

Now prepare for a photo blast. Sorry!

 

my little chiquita and me. it was a good day!

  

my favorite things.

  

our spot!

  

our new addition. still figuring out where to put things.

 

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Never be within doors when you can rightly be without ~ Charlotte Mason

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