Heidibella in the Tropics

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to my Dad, and to all the Dads out there who give their kids a hero to look up to. You are my hero, Dad! I LOVE YOU!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Merry Christmas!

May all your Christmas wishes comes true! Feliz Navidad!

The Perfect Cup

The cup in which I drink my coffee in the morning is very important to me. It's the way I start my day, and it sets the tone. If I'm going to serve someone a cup of coffee, I try to think what kind of cup they would want. People have different preferences for things and those preferences also apply to coffee cups. My Mom, for example, preferred tall, thin cups with a very thin lip. She wouldn't drink coffee in any other kind of cup unless she was away from home and didn't have a choice. My brother-in-law, thegorum, drinks his first cup of coffee in a nice large mug and then for his second serving sometimes he prefers a smaller, thinner cup (like the ones my Mom loved). Thegorum and my sister bellafoto have their special Sunday mugs that are big and have famous paintings printed on them. To them, those mugs mean it's Sunday...a day when you can take the time to sip the coffee, not gulp it down. A day when you can drink your coffee in bed with a movie.

One of the reasons I like to go to the New York Bagel Cafe in El Cangrejo is that they understand this concept, and part of the experience of having coffee there is that you get to select the style of cup you want to enjoy your java in. I have one kind of cup for weekdays, and an entirely different cup for weekends or non-work days. I like a very specific kind of coffee cup. The shape is sort of an upside-down tear drop with a medium sized lip and a handle resembling half of a triangle. My perfect cup is embodied in my holiday cup, which I start using officially on Thanksgiving Day...today! It's an event for me, a transition into the holiday season. Soon the day will come when I'll have to put my holiday cup away, but for now I get to enjoy my coffee in the perfect cup.

In celebration of our beloved departed...

Happy Halloween

September Santa Sighting

I'd like to announce that today, September 16, 2007, was the first official Santa sighting of the season. It seems like each year it's earlier and earlier, but I've never been able to document it. So, now I've recorded it for posterity, and next year when it's Christmas in July I'll have proof!

Happy Easter!

So how did you celebrate Easter? I got up bright and early this morning and did prep work for some Easter baking. I cleaned the kitchen first thing so that I could start with a spic and span working space. I took the butter and the eggs out of the fridge so they would be room temperature when it was their time to work their magic. The supermarket is a wonderful place at 8:00 am. No lines, everything quiet. We were invited to brunch at my mother-in-law's house, so I decided to take some cupcakes and banana bread. Gabriel couldn't tell what my Easter cupcakes were supposed to be. Can you?

Happy Valentine's Day!

It's fun to receive Valentines isn't it? I thought I'd post my favorite one to share with you.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

To making it happen

We spent our last day of 2006 at the beach, the highlight being the breathtaking final sunset of the year that reminded us of what a beautiful country we live in.

We asked everyone trivia questions on happenings from the year 2006 and had prizes to help people with their resolutions: a book for those who vow to read more, a resistance band for those who resolve to finally get in shape, a guide to friendship for those who yearn to strengthen those bonds, and recipe booklets for those who plan on spending time in their kitchens in lieu of reaching for that take-out menu. We rang 2007 in by watching the amazing fireworks display in Punta Barco which we could see perfectly from where we were, accompanied by James Taylor singing Auld Lang Syne.

I'd like to make special mention of my cousin, Jorge, who saved the day by selflessly picking up some balloon arrangements we had forgotten in the city. You rock George Henry. Happy New Year to all...make it happen in 2007!