MOTHER’S DAY FUNNIES. I’m posting these fun pics up to liven up your day. I’m taking the day off from blogging tomorrow…I’ll see you back here bright and early Monday morning. Enjoy your day Mamas! 
Reasons for why people run in different countries
FUNNY PICS FRIDAY!
I wish you an amazing week-end. Thanks for stopping by and to all of my followers: YOU ROCK!!!!
” I shall not pass this way again-” -Eva Rose York
Reading is fundamental to a good education. Homeschooling allows kids to explore the wonderful world of books on their own and at leisure. I’ve yet to meet a home schooled kid who says they hate reading. On the other hand, I’ve met countless of public school kids that hate reading and they associate reading with school only. I once had a small group of my kid’s friends over at my house and they asked me what I was working on. I told them I was writing my first book and they wanted to know more about it. I had an excerpt of the book printed out and I asked them if they’d like me to read some. There were some takers, and others said,” But this isn’t school.” WOW! that was an eye opener for me back then. I find it amazing that in many homes today, people have more shelves filled with DVDs than with books. I know about the Kindle and all of those devices that can store a gazillion books. However I still believe nothing beats the feel of holding a book in your hands and turning the pages. Get ahold of that book you’ve been putting off and read it today!
Let's Read!
-Eva Santiago copyright 2012
Technology is simply amazing. I wonder at times what heights technology will reach by the time I have grand children. I have a lot of family I have never met; some are in the USA, others in Colombia, my country of birth. I really didn’t think I’d ever meet some of these relatives. That is until recently when I traded in my lap top for a new one with a web cam. When I brought it home my kids were so excited because they informed me that now I’d be able to Skype. I decided right away to Skype my brother whom I have not seen since I was 2 years old. After that I couldn’t stop. Last night I met my niece for the very first time. Another miracle because up to this point I only knew of her by being friends on Facebook. It’s such an amazing feeling to look at someone I’m related to and it’s like they just dropped in for a cup of coffee and a chat. They say technology is shrinking our world and I agree. No longer do I write a letter and snail mail it to Colombia and wonder if the person will ever get it. Now, if I want to, I can chat face to face with the ghosts from the past. Now, that’s the kind of progress I like. So I dedicate this post to my beautiful niece Johanna…it is so GREAT to finally meet you!
-Eva Santiago copyright 2012
DID I DO THAT?!
-EVA SANTIAGO copyright 2012
We are a nation of immigrants. I’m proud to say that I’m an immigrant as well. I came to The USA in 1976 and I thank God everyday for bringing me here. My aunt Blanca came here in the 1960′s and established herself with a job as a secretary in Chicago; once she was settled in she began to work on helping many of her brothers and sisters come here with their families. My aunt Blanca is one of my one personal heroes because if it wasn’t for her starting the whole process, I don’t know if I would be here today.
Another personal hero of mine is my uncle in whose house I grew up. He came to the USA in 1968 with his new wife. He was a young doctor in Colombia and he gave it all up to come live here. He followed his sister Blanca to Chicago; his first winter here was rough; coming from a tropical climate like Colombia, he had to endure the great Chicago blizzard of ’68. Not only that, he had to really start over career wise; he would go to night school to learn English and in the day time he had to work hard to pass his tests in order to get his MD licence so he could practice medicine here in the US.
My uncle had made a very comfortable life for himself by the time I came to live with him and his family. 2 years after I arrived, he joined the Air Force. THAT was so amazing to me. He chose to give back to this great country of ours by serving in the armed forces and I have always been very proud of him for that. I don’t know of too many people who would give up their comfortable life style, an established medical private practice and all if its accoutrements to serve in the military like this special man did. He gave back to a country that gave him almost everything.
So today I salute my family members who have served and are still serving in the military: Uncle Frank, Mireya (sister), Diego (brother), Kelli, Tracy (brother-in-law), Frank (cousin), Joe (father- in- law, deceased), Kristina (Niece), Larry (brother-in-law), David, Don Sr. ( deceased ).
I also salute and thank all of my friends who are currently serving and who have served this great land of ours in the past. I can’t name them all because they are too numerous to name..you know who you are! Thank you for being the brave men and women that you are who keep this country free from the claws of oppression. God bless you and your families always!
Please refer back to my earlier posts and read what this challenge is about so that the later posts make sense. 
Day 8 Question #8: What is the oldest keepsake in your possession?
Answer: I tend to ”travel light” so I don’t hang on to a lot of stuff. A long time a go I heard someone say that if you have stuff that you haven’t looked at or used in the last 6 months, that it’s time to get rid of it. Ever since I adopted that way of thinking, it has made for less of a cluttered life.
So today it was easy for me to answer this question. I have a sterling silver pin that I was given on my last day in Colombia. I had been living with my great aunt Clarissa for a few months as I waited for the legalities of my coming to the US to be finalized. That morning, she took me to a cabinet where she kept all of her fine silver pieces. After looking a round for a bit she found this brooch and she pinned it on my collar. I was 6 years old at the time and I never understood why she chose such a nice piece to give to a little kid. That pin represents the end of my life in Colombia and the beginning of a new life with a new family for me in The States. I love wearing it because it reminds me of my roots.
Please refer back to my earlier posts and read what this challenge is about so that the later posts make sense.
Day 7 Question 7: As a youngster, whose house did you always look forward to visiting?
Answer: My Abuelita (Grandma) Isabel’s house was the best place ever! She would always greet me with a kiss and a hug and then she’d press a $2 bill into my hand. She would tell me to spend it or save it; now that those $2 notes aren’t around, I wish I would have kept them. She was a seamstress and there were times when I’d sit by her sewing table watching her work; she’d tell me all of the stories of all the dogs she had owned when she lived in Colombia. Her two favorite canines were named Trambia, after the street cars that had just come to Bogota; and Nylon, after the popular lady’s fashion accessory of her day.
Image via Wikipedia Bogota
At times Abuelita would tell me stories of my father; he was her youngest of 11 children. I learned a lot about him through these brief times of sharing.
Abuelita Isabel had a sweet tooth bar none. She would keep a tin of cookies, Lemon Coolers were her favorite. Once I entered her bedroom she’d give me a few from her cookie tin which she kept close to her night stand. At other times she would sit in her easy chair in the living room eating Tootsie Rolls and drinking glass after glass of water. To this day, when I eat candy, I wash it down with a big glass of water.
I always hated going home after spending time in Abeulita’s house; because her home and presence gave me comfort. Things were cold in the home I grew up in.At Abuelita’s house the whole atmosphere was warm and welcoming, much like the afghans she crocheted for her 32 grand children…I still have mine and on the coldest of nights I take it out and wrap myself in it, still feeling her warm embrace. 
Please refer back to my earlier posts and read what this challenge is about so that the later posts make sense.
Day 6 Question # 6
What is one family vacation you have never taken but would still love to take one day?
Answer: This one was easy! I dream of taking my 4 kids to Colombia because that’s where I was born. I left Colombia when I was 6 years old and I want my kids to see where I came from.I love Colombian food; there are fruits in Colombia such as cherimoyas,( also known as Custard Apple and Bullock Heart)
mamoncillos (Spanish Lime),
Curuba, found only in Colombia (Passion Fruit),
and other exotic fruits that you can’t find in the U.S. so easily. If you do luck up and find some, they are either too expensive or they never ripen properly. That would be one of the main reasons to go there with my kids, so they can experience Colombian culture. The picture below is my birth place, Medellin.
