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“Wow, she is so sad!” That was my therapist’s response after I shared some of my childhood photos from El Salvador. I’ve always wondered why I look that way in most photos. My childhood wasn’t unhappy, but perhaps parts of me were. I was two years old when my mom left El Salvador to immigrate
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¡Bienvenidos a Frida’s Cafe! I started this blog in 2010. I wanted to express my thoughts and opinions as a single woman in her late twenties. At the time, I was focused on my career, volunteer work, enjoyed solo traveling, and running. I enjoyed writing about all of it including sexuality, feminism, my personal journey
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In my last post I wrote about time and making time to do more of what brings me joy. After taking a life changing step last month, I have been focusing on using my time intentionally. I take time to think and practice self-love. Reflecting during this time has allowed me dig deeper, get out
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Time. What would you do if you had all the time you usually spend at work? Do you ever give it some thought? Imagined it? If you haven’t, you should! Our adult time is usually divided between work, family, and all life’s responsibilities that keep us moving ahead. Days look different for each person. For
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11/9/24 I still remember the excitement in Gael’s voice when he shared, he would be running for student government last year. He had these big ideas to make things better for his classmates. We worked on his poster together that included his ideas and reasons why they should vote for him. He also prepared a
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Do you know who the unicorns in your life are? For me, unicorns are those individuals in our lives who stand out- make a difference and are rare. This week marks a year since one of my all time favorite unicorns left the earth. The photo above is in my fridge and still so hard
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I’ve never connected with a piece of art in the way I connected with this painting. When I saw it on a wall at a gallery this summer I was beginning to discover something about myself. I saw myself in the woman in the middle of looks like a tornado. I connected with it because
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I’ve always struggled with my emotions but never really understood why. I’ve always felt like I live on an emotional roller coaster. A constant up and down- highs and lows. The lows at times have felt too heavy to bear and found myself in a very dark place. I became more aware of these emotions
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The balancing game with school aged kiddos is year round but summers tend to bring an extra layer of crazy to the game. It starts with planning months ahead to jumping from camp to camp all while trying to juggle work and other activities. For us, this summer for was busier than the norm due to
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10 years as a Mama. Seems like forever, and yet, not really. I can close my eyes and remember the smells, the sounds, and the way every corner of my body felt the day Gael was born. I remember feeling a deep love unlike anything I had ever felt. I also had a new appreciation
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What is privilege? What does it look like? How does it feel for you? For me? We all have some version of it in our lives. I have been reflecting on my privilege. The privilege to be here – to have opportunities others that look like me may never have. So many kids didn’t survive
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It has been a while since I’ve done this. Write. Write like I used to. Raw, imperfect, honest, and messy. I cannot remember the last time I wrote for this space. Oh yes, it was when I left BakerRipley four and a half years ago. I wrote about the people and their impact in my
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It has been too long since I’ve written in this space and as the year comes to an end it’s time to change that. I have been procrastinating for too long but this is good time for me to stop making excuses for not doing something that always brought me so much peace and joy.
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No, I do not always have it together. Most of the time I do not. It may come across as if I do, cute photos on social media, outings with friends, dinners etc. Friends say; you are doing so well or ask, how do you do it? My thoughts, you have no idea! If you
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The day I found out I was pregnant wasn’t at all how I would have imagined it. I didn’t feel how I thought I would feel. I cried so much but not because I was happy, I was terrified. The circumstances were not ideal for a baby, the relationship wasn’t what a relationship should be
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Earlier this week I felt something I don’t remember ever feeling before—the pure innocence of love. I was seating on the floor with Gael like we usually do when we get home from work. He was playing on his corner and I was seating there just watching him when out of nowhere he turns, sees me
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I had vision of the perfect Christmas photos with Gael. I wanted them to be in our home and as natural as possible. Well, they are in our home and very natural alright! Our photos are the opposite of the perfect holiday photos I’ve seen posted on social media lately and I’m okay with that.
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#Naphopomo is officially over and although I started a little late I’m proud of myself for posting 27 straight days. I really enjoyed the practice because it got me back into photography and on a regular routine of writing. I have to thank the wonderful Karen Walrond for introducing me to Naphopomo and encouraging me
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It is hard to believe today he is 10 months, just 2 months shy away from being 1 year. I remember the days when I could take a photo with that zebra to show his growth from month to month. Now it is hard to get him to stay still. He crawls non-stop, stands on
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Last year life didn’t look or feel like this. I’m thankful for the changes Gael has brought into my life and all the little things he helps me value. He brings a different perspective, humility, hope and love I’ve never experienced. I’m thankful for this every single day. The photo above is a tradition I
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Today I had lunch by myself. This is a rarity for me nowadays. I used to do this all the time. Times have changed. When you are a parent eating becomes a rushed activity even more so when you are doing the single parent thing. I love eating with my little guy but I also
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A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to take photos at the Neighborhood Centers (NCI) grand opening of their Leonel Castillo Community Center located near downtown. I hadn’t posted any of the photos because I was waiting to give them to NCI. This is one of my favorite photos of the day. I noticed
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Today was one of those days the weather fits the mood- cold, rainy and gloomy. There have been a few clouds that have made the last few days a bit of a struggle for me. Do you ever have days when things don’t seem to go right? You try so hard to make things better
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My kid does have a great smile and I cannot get enough of it. I love how he giggles at random sounds and silly faces. I love that he thinks I’m funny and gets super excited when he sees me dance like a crazy person. I love how his eyes light up as soon as
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I love watching the Houston skyline after the sun sets. The Sabine bridge is one of my favorite spots to admire our beautiful city lights. There’s something magical, almost poetic about the way these illuminate the sky. The buildings, lights and sky make a perfect trio on a winter night. This photograph was taken as
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Tonight Gael and I hosted a dinner for a small group of friends at home. This was a first for me. I’ve never really had more than one friend come over for dinner. It was really nice. It’s was our usual sunday breakfast bunch- Rafa, Pau and Ale. I managed to cook a pretty decent meal
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I met Mike Segal this morning during a visit at Ben Taub Hospital with my Mom. He came into the waiting area and said, “at 11am I’m going to have a support group in this room. I would like to tell you my story.” My initial thought was, “oh great, what’s this guy going to
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Today I decided to do something out of the ordinary while Gael spent time with Dad. I took a dance class for the first time in a very long time. If you know me well, you know I love to dance. I wanted to be a dancer when I grew up… I still do! The
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I’m always impressed with people that are able to create beauty with their hands. Tonight I attended the Taste of the Texans event where HCC had a booth displaying design work by one of the professors along with delicious sweets. The photos below show you a before and after. It was great watching the designer
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Gael gets excited when we visit Tota on sundays. She tries to sing to him and he just stares. I love watching them interact because I never thought she would get to see one of my kids. She used to say, “You need to hurry up and have a baby before I die.” She
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A dinner with a great group of friends will always be a win on a Saturday night. Gael and I did just that last night. Gatherings like this are great reminders of how great are good ol’ hangouts, and conversations with friends. I mean, LIVE hangouts!! We don’t do this enough in the age of
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Give a kid a flash light and this is what happens! Tonight Gael and I did our usual Friday date night. I took advantage of the nice weather and took out to Market Square in downtown. I think it’s pretty amazing how kids love the simplest things. There’s no need to buy the most
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This is the smile I got to enjoy this morning. Actually, this is the smile I get to see every single morning. I said it on my first #naphopomo post and I don’t mind saying again and again! One of my favorite things about Gael is the fact that he wakes up with that same smile
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Tonight I got some much needed adult time with my lady friends April and Ericka. We have made it a habit to meet every 2 to 3 weeks for a nice dinner out. It is our version of “ladies night out “minus the heavy drinking and clubbing. Gael is usually the 4th guest but tonight
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My favorite subjects to photograph are children and the elderly. I always something pure, innocent and beautiful when taking their photographs. This is why I was so excited to be able to photograph my friend’s parents earlier this month. I finished editing and delivered photos yesterday which means I can finally share some of them
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Today I ran on my own for the first time in a long time. I think last time I ran alone was when I was a few months pregnant. It was only for 20 minutes and not at all the pace I used to have but it felt great. 20 minutes was all I could
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I decided to take advantage of the perfect weather on Sunday and take a walk in the park with Gael. My favorite sight from the walk was the photo above. A couple brought their hammock and took a nap by the bayou. I must say I was a little jealous of their awesome idea and
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Helen Guerra is one of the most caring individuals I’ve ever met. She cares for my Gael during the day while I’m at work. Helen is not just Gael’s babysitter but she also has become a part of our little family. Her care for Gael goes beyond the 8+ hours she keeps him, it never
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With the weather change comes pan dulce for me. I find comfort and much needed warmth in eating a piece of pan dulce with a cup of Cafe or hot chocolate. I don’t think I’m alone on this because the Panaderia was pretty busy when I visited last night. what about you? what brings you
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This was my view on the way to my car this evening afterwork. There’s something magical about sunsets that can make any day so much better. The reflection against the building was a great reminder that beauty can be found in the most unexpected places. This photograph was taken as part of #NaPhoPoMo (National Photo Posting
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It is amazing what happens when we begin to pay attention. My eyes and mind were much more aware of the surroundings today because I knew I needed a photo for this post. Both were more open. I noticed the shift when I walked out the door with my camera (and baby) on hands just
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Lately, I’ve been paying a bit more attention to posts online, especially those that offer tools for struggling bloggers like me! One of my friend’s posted a link to Blogher.com NaBloPoMo post on Friday. Her headline caught my eye: Today is the first day of NaBloPoMo, “National Blog Posting Month. Bloggers commit to posting once a
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One of my favorite childhood memories may sound a bit morbid to some but very normal to others. I loved the time of the year when Tota would take me to the cemetery to spend the day at my great grandmother Mamita’s grave. November 1st in El Salvador, like in many other Latin American countries, is a
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Last week I attended the Domestic Violence awareness program at the Houston Area Women’s Center shelter and it was powerful to be back and be surrounded by survivors. It felt like home and it reminded me of the important work advocates at the Women’s center do. I also realized that although I may have left,
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Do you ever have days when you have so much to do it is hard to get anything done? You feel like your mind is racing faster than a race car and there’s only so much you can do to hold still. Things begin to happen so fast and your only wish is to stop
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I’ve had major blogger’s block for the last 6 months. For me, blogger’s block is when you cannot get yourself to click the publish button. My blogger’s block is not due to lack of inspiration or motivation. I’ve actually written quite a bit and even started journaling again. This blog was inspired by a journal.
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Today someone reminded me of something I wrote a while back and encouraged me to read some of my posts from a few years ago. Some were very powerful and inspiring. I was transported and wondered what happened to that voice– my voice. A voice that dared and encouraged me to embrace my different. I
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Originally posted on Frida's cafe: In English! Un padre es alguien que esta constantemente presente, demuestra amor e inspira- yo no recuerdo a mi padre así. El para mi es un tanto extraño y al que mi corazón se reusa llamar padre. Es por esto que nunca escribí sobre el hasta hoy. Tal vez sea…
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Father’s Day is not a holiday I’ve ever celebrated. My father has never been a part of my life. It was his choice not to be. I do celebrate my mother because she has been mother and father for my brother Carlos and I. There are so many women who have to play both roles
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Let me take your photo and help Amigos4Learning distribute supplies, uniforms and shoes to children in Nicaragua. Part of my summer last year was spent in the Granada, Nicaragua with a group volunteers who donated their time to make a little bit of difference in the lives of children. We painted and decorated a three room
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Last summer I had one of the best experiences of my life when I traveled to Nicaragua. It was just what I needed. It was my Eat, Pray, and Love. You can read some of the highlights of the trip here! Shortly after the trip we got together to talk about the project and the
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Her body vibrated in a way she had forgotten. She was tickled in strange places when he held her by the waist and moved her hips to the rhythm of the music. He introduced his hands to the small of her back and his fingers felt her soft skin She trembled. She felt euphoria when
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Su cuerpo vibro como hace mucho no lo hacia. Sintio cosquillas en lugares extraños cuando le apretó su cintura y movía sus caderas al ritmo de la música. Metió su mano debajo su camisa, y resbalo sus dedos suavemente por su espalda. Ella sintió euforia al sentir su aliento Sus pezones mostraron presencia sin pena
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I wrote the post below 3 years ago- somethings have changed and others remain the same. One thing i’ve learned is that we work for people and it is people that truly make a difference in our jobs. It is great to have people who push, support, validate and encourage you. I’ve been lucky to
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Es tu novio? ¿Están saliendo? ¡Harían una bonita pareja! Estas preguntas y comentarios son frecuentes cuando la gente me ve con amigos del sexo apuesto. Muchos asumen que algo debe de estar pasando. ¿Por qué es tan difícil creer que una mujer y un hombre pueden ser sólo amigos? ¿Por qué automáticamente pensamos que algo debe estar
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What can you do for me? She asked me and I had to ask myself the same question. She had been raped a few hours before by one of her John’s. She has worked the streets since her teen years. what could I do for her? who was I to sit there and say anything
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“are you guys dating? you guys would make such a cute couple!” It seems I hear this more often than I care for in reference to some of my male friendships. The assumption: There must be something going on! Why is it so difficult to believe a man and a woman can be just friends?
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English ¿Cuando fue la ultima vez que hiciste alguna locura que te excite y haga que tu adrenalina suba? algo que te haga sentir como si fueras un joven de secundaria, algo que te hada sentir vivo, feliz y lleno de energías. ¿Cuando fue la ultima vez que hiciste algo sin planearlo ni esperarlo? Y
Frida's cafe
Life as I see it
Frida's cafe 