Looking back

For the past few weeks I have been moaning & groaning because my oldest nephew (who just turned 13) is WAY into brand names, more so than I ever was in middle school.  Everything is Hollister, A&E or AF.  I think it's ridiculous, but I know I went through that phase as well.  But I also know if my mom gave me back then $80 for clothes and I could either get 2 brand name shirts or 4 off brand cute things, I would go with the cute things.  Perhaps that's just the girls advantage... that we can get cheap, cute things.  In comparison, if my mom gave me $80 today I would pay a bill.  Sad, but true.

Anyhow, I have been nagging on Matthew about his need for name brand clothes.  But then I think of myself with this very computer I am typing on.

I have been a PC user all my life.  I know MS Word like the back of my hand, I get to  anything & everything on Internet Explorer.  I know shortcuts and even the codes to write the Spanish accents and what not.

But then I had to go and buy a Mac.  Why did I buy a Mac?  Quite honestly, because they look cool & they seem to be on the upswing.  I love my clear case for it, and how the apple glows on the front of the laptop.  I love the dock at the bottom and the fact that I can slip my camera's memory card right into the laptop and it transfers my pictures.

On the other hand, I still can't figure out how to cut & paste paragraphs, how to maximize my browser page or re-set my home page.  I even make the font bigger when I'm browsing the web somehow & I have no clue how I'm doing it.

But how I love that glowing apple!

The point of my story is that people in glass houses should now throw stones.  I should not lecture Matt about his brand name clothes when I got a brand name computer & have no effin' clue how to use it.

On to other things...

This past weekend with the death of my grandpa was a tough one, but also a bit of a blessing.  I cried more than I've cried in awhile, I stared at my grandpa in his casket and regretted that I didn't know him better.  I watched my grandma C cry endlessly and when I seemed to have found my own composure, I crumbled all over again watching her...I think the only time she wasn't crying was at the end of the luncheon.  She lost her partner of 68 years; I cannot even imagine.

The blessing came in the fact that his passing united our family.  I have 36 first cousins and close to 70 second cousins.  I got to see some of them for the first time in YEARS.  I had cousins to cry with, laugh with and just be around.  It's such a consolation to know these people are your family and they know exactly what you are going through.  They loved grandpa just like I did and are grieving him too.  And in that, we have each other.

Can I also just mention that how incredible it is that because of the union of my grandparents, Sijifredo & Clara, that over 100 children have been born:  my aunts, uncles, dad, cousins, brothers & nephews.  If that isn't a show of the glory of God, I don't know what is.