Mexican and Guatemalan Independence Day

Guatemala celebrates its Independence Day on Sept. 15 and Mexico's is on the 16th. Mimi and I wanted to go to Miami to the party that the Mexican Consulate organizes every year but it didn't work out. We still wanted to have some Mexican food so I decided to cook some pozole. It is a soup made with pork, hominy and chiles that you eat with some lettuce, radishes, oregano and lemon. It is cooked on special occasions and we love it. The one I made was ok, not the best but it satisfied our cravings. I also made a flan. Don was in Boston so Carlos, Titi and I went to Luke and Mimi's and we had dinner there. Roc tried it too. We also played loteria, a Mexican version of bingo, that Carlos loves playing.

Lisa's Bat Mitzvah

Don is back from New York. He went with his parents to Lisa's Bat Mitzvah. He said it was a great party and Lisa did very well. I am sorry we missed it but I decided to stay home with Carlos and Titi. It was going to be a very short trip with lots of affairs and I didn't think the kids would be able to sit through everything. It sound like everybody had a great time.

Carlos and Titi were very happy to see Don, they missed him a lot. Carlos baked some chocolate/banana muffins for him. He loves cooking. Titi was busy painting. She loves making crafts.

Guatemalan Charities

Somebody asked me about the charities we know in Guatemala. These are some of the ones we have supported. Don and I have met some of the founders and we can testify that they work incredibly hard to help people.

Project Safe Passage - Helps children and families from the Guatemala City's garbage dump http://www.safepassage.org/us/SafePassage.html
Orphan Resources International - Helps orphanages. They can receive material donations in the U.S. They also make Christmas boundles for the children http://www.orphanresources.org/index.html
Potter's House International - Helps children and families from the Guatemala City's garbage dump
http://www.pottershouse.org.gt/
Partner for Surgery - Help people get medical services, mainly surgeries for cleft lip and burns
http://www.partnerforsurgery.org/
Vamos Adelante
http://www.vamosadelante.org/
Foto Kids
http://www.fotokids.org/
Guatemala's Stove Project - Builds masonry cookstoves for Mayan families.
http://www.guatemalastoveproject.org/intro.html
Transitions Foundation - Helps disabled people
http://www.transitionsfoundation.com/Transitions_English/index.html
Casa Guatemala - Orphanage
http://www.casa-guatemala.org/english/frame2.html

Pictures

Don and his idol, Jerry Garcia

Playing with flour. We were going to make pizza but the kids started playing with flour and made a mess.

Pictures taken at Epcot

I was looking for something in my computer and I found these pictures.