Wednesday, January 23, 2008


Dear Reader,

Much of my life has been spent laughing and playing with these hysterical women. I am so happy that their blood is my blood.

Here's Momma Mia y La Abuela in their classic mode.

In this video my mom really really wants me to help her with her computer woes. She's writing about what it was like for her to grow up in the Antonini compound in Argentina (where she was spoiled rotten). She doesn't want us kids to forget that Don Juan Antonini would let anyone in need come stay at their campesino. Don Juan would assign the drifters crazy nicknames such as "the leaky sink" or "the can of worms hobbler" so that when the police came around asking about so-and-so he could honestly answer that he didn't know them. All i remember from those days was that my Nona (the woman who raised Abuelita) would take out her false teeth to try and freak us out and she would steal my mom's nice dresses and refashion them into adorable outfits for me. Nona died right before my little sister Tammy was born. She was weak for a while and then she'd get better and would tell us about her delightful conversations with Tammy's spirit. She was the first (but not the last!) to describe my sister as sunshine.

There are so many stories and when i feel colorless i just ask Abuelita or my mom to TELL ME MORE.

thanks for letting me tell you a bit.

This post is also an invitation. If any of you ever want to drink yerba mate, play cards, and learn choice phrases in castillano...

a big beso on your cheek,
la media gringa

p.s. i am so proud of being half-latina. and if one more person complains to me that Provo pioneer neighborhood schools are being overrun with spanish speakers as if its a bad thing...(ok, only one person has said that to me and then apologized.)


16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ay por favor!

If someone said that to me I'd be livid. I'm just waiting for the day, (because just like you, media gringa, I can 'pass') for someone to say something like that to me. Te voy a dar la paliza de tu vida!

Hmm, instead of hoping for a beatdown, you're welcome to come talk to my abuelita any time as well, she loves visitors.

Otra media gringa

Anonymous said...

It is fun to see what you remember. Nona took MY Moms dresses to make dresses for me. The rest is correct and I am delighted that you value our heritage. Again thank you for helping me with this project. I promise to keep it up. I love you like crazy. MM

Anonymous said...

azucar,
our abuelas should get together!
and i'm always surprised that i can "pass". i kinda wish i couldn't pass.

Mom,
nona, abuelita, and YOU made me the cutest outfits and i will never forget. nor do i forget how sneaky and FUN you all are. and i remember my super beautiful red shoes. i was in love with those shoes. seriously.

Anonymous said...

Reading this just made me warm. XOX

Anonymous said...

I want to be a media gringa. Soy pura gringa! (with a dash of Romani gypsy)

Anonymous said...

Your mom is so beautiful. I miss seeing her. Give her a hug for me.

Anonymous said...

i'm having a memory of you bringing some yummy yummy food to a 'party' at joe's house...maybe tamales? probably not...but it was something very good that maybe your mom made? sorry my memory is so poor, i'm just associating you with yummy latin food.
-pamo

Anonymous said...

andi- whatever your heritage you sure are spicy and that dash of gypsy makes perfect sense.

pamo- it may have been empanadas or gnocchi? i know i made empanadas for bruce smith. and baklava. my memory is lacking. but those were good times.

Anonymous said...

pamo, i think i remember now! it was empanadas. katie rojas was there too. do you remember her? and some other girl i really liked who was from latin america and we talked about how a woman's worth was measured by her skill at empanadas and we were standing next to joe's sink. FLASHBACK!

Anonymous said...

Is your abuelita here? Does she go to the senior events for the spanish-speaking community? Or, as we like to call them, Las cenas. If she does, I bet she knows my abuela.

Anonymous said...

ok now that you say empanadas that must have been it and i actually have an empanada recipe that i've not been ambitious enough to make as of yet, but perhaps i CAN prove my worth and make them! and then if they don't turn out i'll ask you for lessons.

and what is with the dolls on the right of your blog? i want to see them but i can't and they look cool and i don't know what they say!

yes, katie rojas, yes, i remember.

Anonymous said...

azucar,
abuelita lives in Indian Hills. Where are the dinners?! I'll let her know!

pamo,
anytime you want to make empanadas let me know! for reals!

the dolls were my art making outlet for a while and then i used most of them for a fund raising campaign for the food and care coalition. we mailed them to people all over utah valley asking for $ for the new shelter they want to build.

and i'm not kidding about the empanadas. what's your recipe like?

Anonymous said...

Hey - I'm depressed. I think I need some serious art. When can I come by?

Anonymous said...

andi,
come by as quick as you can. that box of art will cheer you UP. It is Saturday morning 7:18 and you can come by anytime starting now. =)

Anonymous said...

aaah. so nice to drift into your latina life for a moment. you are soooooo lucky.

and i so wish i lived close enough to occasionally partake of your radness.

Anonymous said...

dear b,

i totally wish you were near. cause you are cool and i like you mucho!
xo!