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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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There’s no one like my Mother! Dora Estela was born in El Salvador August 20th in a year I won’t disclose because she will kill me! At 9 years old, my Mother graduated from being a girl to an adult when she began working in the cotton fields. In El Salvador, like in other Latin
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Anoche volví a soñar contigo Esta vez mientras dormía Te vi claro Te vi bello Te vi como si fuera real Y no se en que momento cambio todo En que momento mis ojos te vieron diferente No se en que momento perdí noción En que momento perdí conciencia Anoche volví a soñar contigo Te sentí
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Can you imagine being without your phone and Internet for more than 5 days? We did just that in Isla Ometepe in Nicaragua this week and it was pretty wonderful. I was surprised to not have jumped on the first opportunity to reconnect when we first arrived in Managua today. All I was wishing for was
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I walked into to the hospital; the hall way is filled with nurses and doctors. I ask and I’m directed. I open the curtain and she’s lying there rolled up in ball. Her husband is sitting there. I go straight to her… she looks up and smiles. “Hi, I’m with the Women’s center.” She leaves
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Y me preguntas si quisiera Me preguntas si deseo lo mismo Preguntas si me gustaría ¿Y quien te dio ese poder? ¿Que te haz creído? Sin pensar Sin conciencia Sin remordimiento Sin siquiera imaginar lo que significaría ¿Y quien te dio ese derecho? A hacer y deshacer como se te venga en gana A que
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Is it ever just sex? I have asked this question to women and men and the answer can vary. Some men say it can be for them (not all the time) and wish it were the same for some women. Some women say they could and in my opinion pretend it would be easy to
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“Los niños de Nicaragua y su alegría es medicina perfecta para el Corazón” The kids from Nicaragua and their joy is the perfect medicine for the heart We are going on our third day in Nicaragua and so far it has been a magical and humbling experience. On our second Day we visited the 5
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It’s a rainy beautiful night in Granada Nicaragua! Our group is sitting in a circle sipping on some Flor de Cana rum (super cheap here!) and toasting for our safe arrival to this Central American beauty and gearing up to kick off the school project tomorrow. Oh, we ran into the pit-bull master in the
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Original English version Este próximo fue publicado en el Periódico La Voz, mi primera vez! El original fue escrito en ingles y es un poco mas largo. Este esta basado en el libro “Maybe he’s just not that into you.” ¿Le importas? Alguna vez te has preguntado, ¿por qué no me llama? ¿Por qué no tiene
Frida's cafe
Life as I see it
Frida's cafe 