Seems it never rains in Southern California...

"Seems I've often heard that kind of talk before. It never rains in California, but girl, don't they warn ya, it pours, man, it pours".

It was raining when I first heard this song and I started crying. Being a native New Yorker, and having lived in New England, I'm used to all kinds of weather, but the rain, at times is overwhelming. The sun (thank God) shines bright occasionally, and I've learned to really appreciate it. I miss crisp New England winters, yes, it was cold, but the sun shone brightly. I'm a morning person, however, I must admit the rain does lull me to sleep at night.
Why this picture? Because that is just how I feel. Bing!, now boarding at gate '7th Heaven' to you guessed it, 'La Isla Bonita', the land of enchantment, Puerto Rico. It's not called 'rich port' for nothing. Before I came home, my sister said: "Get as much sun as you can, girl". I was in front of my father's house and it felt so good, like in 'Trip to Bountiful'. In my mind's eye, I could see and hear the sounds of Diana's children playing, and Aja, Steven, Joe, Jeje and Alex laughing and Wello & Wella talking, as I soaked in the sunbeams.
I don't miss those New York winters (or the subways), but I do miss my family. My dreams of Puerto Rico are so vivid, I can even feel the warm breeze. Hopefully, someday our California family will visit understand and appreciate my musing.

Meanwhile, all the leaves are brown and the sky is gray, I've been for a walk on a winter's day. I'd be safe and warm", be nice and warm, if I were flying out today, Puerto Rico dreaming, on such a winter's day, (Puerto Rico dreaming, on such a winter's day)...

Remember: Think Spring and you may just feel a warm breeze...Bing...

From Our(dreaming) Front Porch to yours, Ana & Andy.

Give us this day our daily bread

On Monday's our daughter-in-love does her weekly baking.

She sends a loaf over with Joe and the boys. Becky is teaching the boys how to bake and they are both doing a great job. The past couple of weeks, Joey and Davey have been really practicing. Joey is interested in becoming a pastry-chef. While visiting last week, he showed me a large baking book with lots of sweet pastries he hopes to bake. With excited taste-buds, while Joey flipped through the pages, I began to say, "Papi, look at this one and this one...!". They hope to bake many recipes in the future for everyone.
We all enjoy the fresh-baked bread that Momma, Joey and Davey bake for us each week. One of our favorites is the sourdough breakfast bread, we slather it with butter and Bucky-Jam. The home-made jam is delicious, from Becky's mom, Starla's, Christmas gift-basket. Why Bucky?, Joey, as a toddler, trying to say 'Becky' sounded out 'Bucky' and it stuck, cute, huh. This past holiday, we received a basket of jams to compliment our daily bread. Andy and I look forward to the post-Christmas treat every year. It's nice to be able to sit back, relax and enjoy fresh-baked bread with jam and hot a cup of tea after the holiday rush. I'm getting hungry just writing about it.

Tomorrow, Sunday, the Lord's Day, I hope it's sunny. I always ask the boys to pray for a Sunny-Sunday. Lord, let this breakfast bread give me strength.
We really appreciate all the effort put into this wonderfully-made gift of love.

Enjoying: Sunny-Sundays and fresh-baked bread, the best blessings yet.

Thank you 'Chappel' family...from Our "sweetly-scented" Front Porch...Ana & Andy

Thanks for the Comment...

First comments are so special, especially when sent with much love and enthusiasm.

Gracias por el commentario! to my nephew Steven and his new bride Suzette.

I had a wonderful visit with them July of 2006 at their wedding.
Surprised to see me, he stepped sideways and we kissed on the lips,it was so funny. His bride Suzette is beautiful, she looks like my sister Millie (her mother-in-law) when a teen.
During the ceremony, I sat with Wello in the back, and when he'd get confused I pointed to a puppy across the window, running in and out of a roof-door, he smiled in amusement we really enjoyed it. The ceremony was quick, then pictures were taken.
The church building had wooden antique-doors, like a puzzle, upon entering the bottom folded down like a draw-bridge, it was neat.

At the reception an Italian restaurant, the table setting was elegant and their choice of mint-green motif seemed so tropical. The band played a swift Latin beat, my sister and I were dancing in our seats! Yolanda, my sister's best friend, was celebrating with us also. Our father, Wello, wouldn't eat the delicious dinner set before him. He was a chef at the Americana Hotel in NYC and probably recalled some past mishap in the kitchen. We kept trying to coax him, but he refused.

Jonathan sang a beautiful love song to the newly-weds. And we visited with Steven's uncle, one of the Martell brothers. There were even babies, all one big happy family. We all had a great time.
When it ended, we received keepsakes of a small candle, a disposable camera and I always keep napkins, too.
My sister had a photo taken with our father, Wello ( my idea ), it came out beautiful.

Gracias, Familia en Puerto Rico, por compartir en un tiempo memorial. Thank you, family in Puerto Rico, for sharing memorable moments. I thank our Lord God, who blessed me with such precious memories, I will keep them in my heart forever.

God bless & keep you. Dios bendiga y accompane...

From Our 'Tropical' Front Porch...Ana & Andy.

Dreams & Decisions Determine Destinies

This past Monday Doctor Martin Luther Kings birthday was observed all over this great nation.

We watched The Oprah Winfrey Special, it was really good, I loved that she kept a historical perspective to it.
In other programs, it seemed everyone was jumping on the bandwagon.
For example: applying current causes unrelated to Doctor Kings 'original message' of civil-rights due to African-Americans: rights to vote, etc. I can respect and appreciate all his struggle for freedom with all the other Americans who joined him in that cause.

The Oprah Special was so poignant, in that it showed a little girl not much older than our own grandson being escorted into a school house,it touched my heart.
Like my mom always said "Don't deny anyone food or education".
A special place in my heart is held for the lady who christened me, she's of African descend. And no better co-mother(co-madre) could I have asked for in my formative years.
When I watch the movie 'Corina Corina' (starring Whoppi Goldberg),it reminds me of growing up among my black co-brother and co-sisters. We were so close(my earliest memory) I told her son Cholo,"Get out of the carriage,it's my turn for a ride".
I remember my hair being curled with a hot-iron, and being treated like a princess. Memories like the corners of my mind, memories of the way we were, and always should be with everyone and each other.

The Oprah Special continued with sad scenes of the past and some present surprises,too.
A Black-city lady met her white-country male cousin.Reminded me of city mouse meets country mouse. Also some families had remained together through out the years, adding precious closeness to their descendants.

Our children's destinies mat be determined by our decisions to teach respect and appreciation for content of character (and not color of skin).
Let the true legacy of Doctor Martin Luther King live on, that our children like Moses may see beyond to the promise land, of Godly freedom and righteousness.

From Our 'Heartfelt' Front Porch to yours... Ana & Andy.

The Trip to Bountiful

We had a beautiful sunny Sunday, yesterday. Really nice for a change, thank God.

After worship, we had Mexican brunch on rice, it was good.
Joe, Becky and the boys went to Sequoia Nursing Home in Fortuna,
for monthly worship with the elderly. We stayed with Isaac.

We watched the movie 'THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL', it was already in the middle. Originally written as a TV-play by screen-writer Horton Foote.
I read a New York Times article from 2007; he's 91 years old and still working. Geraldine Page played the charming leading role of a determined elderly Christian lady,'Carrie',returning to her home-town,'Bountiful', and her shared experiences during the adventure of a lifetime journey.
John Heard played her sincere son, Ludie, soft spoken husband of Jessie Mae,
the insufferable, controlling wife.
The premise is: Carrie runs away often and is returned home, to be spared seeing the ghost town of what Bountiful once was. She sees it as a journey back in time of treasured generations, away from the small suburban apartment shared with her son and his wife.

Filmed in Houston, Texas: era 1940's.
First scene begins with Carrie riding along side the young lady(Rebecca De Mornay),Thelma.
Both sharing travel goals, Carrie to the past,Thelma the future. Reminiscing, Carrie shares memories of telling her father:"I don't know why they call it Bountiful, nothing ever grows here!".
As the young girl listens,"and Father said, 'When your grandpa was young, he'd throw seeds and the whole land would bloom' ".
(Oh, how we questioned our folks as to why, and now we know and realize the reasons for their sacrifices).
Next at the bus depot (era signs in red), missing her purse & government check,the Sheriff is called. Told she's to wait for her son, Carrie comforts herself singing: "Blessed assurance Jesus is mine", Thelma encouraged, joins in. They say their goodbyes. Carrie sleeps overnight at the darkened station (depicts lonely abandonment).
The sheriff graciously drives Carrie to Bountiful,"Will you look at Bountiful's countryside"!,she said.Once there, she felt as if her folks would step out to the front porch and welcome her.
Ludie ,her son, arrives and shares( to her comfort) heartfelt memories of days gone by. Jessie Mae, concerned with her appearance, sets down rules.
Unscripted, (Geraldine Page) Carrie kisses Jessie's cheek!.
Carrie, sitting on the grass touches the dirt, appreciating the worth of love, and joy of seeing her folks' home once again.
As she walks back with Ludie and Jessie Mae, finding her check close to her heart, she laughs...(just like home, it had been there all along).

Geraldine Page won an Academy Award for her performance.
And the writer said.."It was a spiritual journey"...(It truly is)...Ana

From Our 'Bountiful' Front Porch to yours...Ana & Andy

Raindrops keep falling on our Heads

Good Evening-Buenas Noches

It's raining, it's pouring ...and the rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain.
Singing through this storm has helped, a lot. I remember once reading 'When it rains, God visits the earth (Psalm).
I love the Redwood Trees. Therefore, I need to appreciate and respect how God cares for the land and waters it, softening it with showers.(Psalm 65:9,10).
I remember when Joey was younger, he'd drop a quarter in a puddle in the parking lot, Oh no!. What a surprise in Spring, when he'd find it!

This recent storm is different from past years; we had awesome lightning and hail! The crackling lightning was so close, the parking lot lighted up!
I got so scared, off went the TV. The hail was quick, crunchy and pebbled against the window panes, oh baby! Last time it hailed was on a New Year's day. Davey was very small and he got scared, crying until he held a piece and said: "Ohh, cold ball!".
The rain has continued through out the week, both day and night.
I think of Noah's Ark and with animals, no less.
Blackie, our neighborhood cat, has been coming around sporadically,
it so happens a giant possum had been eating his nightly treat.
We'll feed Blackie during his day visits.

Good news...the sun finally came out yesterday morning (answered prayer), thank God. I took advantage, organizing paperwork in the warm sunbeams on the kitchen counter. My sister from Miami called, I used to tell her: "Send me some sunshine!", she'd laugh. I remember one time, birds swooped down and scared her; I said: "Girl count your blessings" as I visualized beautiful, colorful birds flying overhead.
I miss the tropical weather in Puerto Rico-70 degrees- with a cool breeze (I loved it); my sister who lives there was freezing!

Looking forward to Spring-Garden walking through our beautiful Victorian Village of Ferndale. I love walking to the library and reading a checked-out book on Our Front Porch.

Stay warm and enjoy sunny days...Ana & Andy

Create a Great 2008

This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!(Psalm 118) Happy New Year/Feliz Ano Nuevo!

I always love new beginnings, reminiscing on the past and looking joyfully towards a wonderful future of fellowship with loved ones and dear friends.
Farewell 2007, with it's unexpected concerns and changes.
Welcome 2008, we hope together with God's guidance, it will be great.
We spent New Year's eve quietly together at home.
We watched New York's Time Square, Hugs & Kisses (cried-old acquaintances shouldn't be forgotten).
My nephew, JeJe, faithfully called for good wishes, bless his soul.
Joe, Rebekah & the boys had the Flemings over, a wonderful christian family.
Davey enjoyed spending time with his new best friend, Isaac.

New Year's Day was beautifully sunny (answered prayer).
We organized & redecorated, then relaxed.
Began reading Gen.1 with Andy...In the beginning, God created everything and said "It is good"; (God is so good...thank you,God)
I'm trying to visualize what everything looked like new.

Sunday at Joe's, after worship, we watched TV 'America's Top 10 National Parks', it showed Old Faithful; the Redwoods and beautiful animals.
One of us said, "That's what it looked like during the creation!"
Joey and Davey kept saying "Wow, Awesome!".

Meanwhile(it's been raining), but good news loved ones and new friends are enjoying our blog. Thanks for your encouraging comments.


Hope everyone has a great 2008...
Remember Make a wish become prayer.

"For I know the plans I Have for you", says the Lord, "plans for your welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." (Jer.29:11).

Best wishes for a wonderful year, from Our 'New' Front Porch...Andy & Ana.