No Such Thing as a Tamale
A tamal on top of other tamales. At Christmas time, we Mexicans often become more focused than usual on tamales, so I'd like to share a public service announcement from Pocho.com. This is what I've been saying for years: the singular of "tamales" isn't "tamale." It's...
First Christmas after Mother’s Death
This will be the first Christmas I spend without my mother alive. I wonder if others have experienced anything like this with their parents: while I remember good times with my mother, she was abusive to me even into my adulthood, making me relieved when she died. My...
Thanks for Not Having Kids!
A writer thanks those of us who didn’t end up being bad parents
Kids, Pregnancy and “When Are You Going Start?”
We're all aware that it's risky to bring up the following topics: politics and religion. We also tend to avoid, by silent agreement, topics like money and how much weight someone has gained. How about we add another red flagged subject to our don't-even-bring-it-up...
Pink Christmas Tree!
Okay, the tree isn't pink, but every single ornament is. Pink is my favorite color and now that I live on my own again, I can do anything I want with my apartment. This photo shows enough of the room so that you can see that this tree isn't big. I wanted a tree that I...
Christmas: Don’t Grow Up
Many people who celebrate Christmas see it as a time of great expense, thankless effort and having to get along with people they can't stand. It's a time of ill-fated expectations, endless holiday tasks and extra responsibilities. People who experience the holiday...
How to Avoid Family for the Holidays (without Lying)
This is a revision of a piece I first posted in December 2011. Family gatherings are fun, pleasant and filled with love and respect, especially during the holidays. I offer the following suggestions merely as a public service for that small, practically non-existent,...
Horror Movies with Christmas in Them
Do you love horror movies? Are you looking for a good cinematic scare while also getting into the mainstream American spirit of this season? I've been absolutely binge-ing on horror movies over the Thanksgiving weekend, so here's some guidance. Many horror...
I Hate Myself No More
A month ago, I began reading Dr. Joe Dispenza’s Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself: How to Lose Your Mind and Create a New One. It explains how our thoughts and feelings affect our physical and material state. He basically says that with focus and meditation you can...
I Prefer Physical to Emotional Pain
I had my usual dental checkup last week and my dentist told me to see a periodontist. I've had no pain, sensitivity to hot or cold or discomfort in my teeth whatsoever, but he said my gums looked dangerously receded, so I made the appointment. The periodontist...
IMPACT Self-Defense for Women
You can take the IMPACT Core Program in a weekend. This past weekend I spent Friday night, all day Saturday and all day Sunday attending a weekend workshop on how to defend myself against an assailant, even though I don't live in a lot of fear about that. I've been...
MOST COMMON NAMES IN THE UNITED STATES
This is why divorce won't lead me back to my spinster name: "REGINA MARIA RODRíGUEZ:" This graphic is from Slate's article Why Aren't There More John Smiths in the U.S? Do you see that name that's sixth from the top, "Maria Rodriguez?" Two thirds of my given name is...