Proverbs 27:9 New King James Version (NKJV)

⁹ Ointment and perfume delight the heart,
And the sweetness of a man’s friend gives delight by hearty counsel.

We met Anthony when we were a young family. We traveled to Pueblo, CO, because Mike was looking for a chip fryer to make tostadas and Anthony’s family had one for sale. Mike was 26 years old and Anthony was 20. When Anthony picked us up at the airport he insisted for us to stay at his home. I was a bit apprehensive because he was a complete stranger. I tried to get Mike’s attention to give him the “no” look but Mike had already agreed. After we settled in, Anthony said he was going out.

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To give you an idea, Anthony lived in what we considered the sticks, where back yards go on for miles; this was country living.

Anthony was single and he was partying until the wee hours of the morning. When I woke up, he was sprawled out on the couch. My children were hungry, we had no car, and he had cereal but no milk. I called Mike into the bedroom and we had a quiet argument, in a concerned whisper, I explained to Mike. “Why are we here? I told you that this was not a good idea! We are like country prisoners, and the worst part is that we don’t even have a car!” Mike tried to calm me down but I was too upset, saying, “You need to wake him up and we need to go to a hotel!” By this time my arms were crossed and locked against my chest.

It was midmorning when I heard Mike wake Anthony up. This was Anthony’s normal life, and it was no big deal, Anthony was moving slowly, telling me that he was going to take us to the best breakfast in town. My thoughts were, “Whatever!”

We drove past what seemed to be acres and acres of corn fields, when suddenly Anthony turned into a driveway of someone’s home. “Now what!” I thought. “Oh, my Mom and sisters are making breakfast for us, you’re going to love their cooking,” He said. I remember what I was wearing that day because it was so conspicuous, city clothes in a small farming town. As we walked into a room full of strangers wondering why I was dressed like that. I wanted so badly to lock eyes with Mike to give him “the stink eye” but he steered clear of my view. My maroon shirt with coordinating top, and mule heeled sandals was not ideal for a breakfast with a family of strangers who were mostly dressed in jeans and hiking boots.

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The green chili over eggs and potatoes was the best and the comfort food made us feel welcome. I will always remember this day as being the worst and best day of meeting Anthony.

Through the years we have remained friends, and Anthony’s wife Laurie and I would become good friends. Both Laurie and Anthony were free spirits, with combustible personalities, and together they were the best stand-up comic show ever. We loved being around them. Anthony and Laurie had two sons, Aaron and Marcus. These boys spent many summers with us in California, and Mikos spent several summers with them in Colorado. We were vacation buddies as well.

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We decided to take a vacation with our friends to Ixtapa, Mexico; the trip produced many memories. We once went off the grid and had lunch at a local place in an outdoor patio. I can’t remember if it was shrimp or lobster we were eating when a one-eyed stray cat came up to me. My heart was filled with pity, so I tossed a piece of fish to the cat. What happened next was the biggest catfight over the fish. About ten cats were waiting in the wings, and they most likely used the one-eyed cat as a decoy to tug at the hearts of American tourists in order to get their daily fish fix.

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You’d think we learned our lesson, but no, the next day I wanted soup, and while I was eating, my spoon scooped up a full chicken foot, with long hanging toenails. I know that this type of soup is common in this part of Mexico, but I could not acquire the taste, or get the image out of my head.

The waters of the Pacific Ocean were not that hospitable to us, either. We all got whipped and chopped around. I remember my head hitting the bottom of the ocean floor and feeling my neck get twisted like in the movie “The Exorcist.” I thought for sure that I would suffer for the rest of my life, but thank God, I was just sore for a few days.

Our flight going home was delayed by 6 hours so we were stuck at the airport in Zihuatanejo. I remember watching laborers building a wall one brick at a time, almost like counting sheep. The monotony of waiting was making me crazy, but thank God for clean restrooms.

Both Mikos and I caught the virus from our ancestor, Montezuma. On the way home from the trip we both sat next to the bathroom on the plane. The following day Mikos had to pitch for his baseball team. He held back good pitches, due to Montezuma’s curse. So I guess we could categorize this as being a trip from hell, but it was fun to be with our friends.

Mike and Anthony both owned tortilla factories, and were members of TIA (Tortilla Industry Association). The group had annual meetings and we always got together with Anthony during these events.

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Our friends attended both of our children’s high school and college graduations. Anthony attended both of our kids’ weddings as well. One of Anthony’s sisters even named her daughter Ciriza (our last name) but spelled it differently, Cirissa.

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Anthony never stops talking, and he is funny. He calls you out on everything possible, and has a memory of a dolphin. His facts are seasoned with vivid, descriptive, recollections that awaken that dormant thought in your brain that is in agreement with him. Poor Mike never gets a word in, and I’m forever attempting to prove him wrong.

With Anthony’s new business, he has shared that he will be making regular trips to California (pray for us). We wish our friend well with his CBD’s (cannabidiol oil) business and look forward to more memories.

Proverbs 18:24 New King James Version (NKJV)

²⁴ A man who has friends must himself be friendly,
But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

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I was ten years old in 1962 when McDonald’s first introduced the Filet-O-fish sandwich. Lou Groen, a franchise owner of Mc Donald’s in Cincinnati, Ohio, came up with the idea. The population in the area of his McDonald’s was 87% Catholic, and during Lent his restaurant was suffering because the Catholics were abstaining from eating meat. Mr. Groen, himself a practicing, Catholic was being hit hard on Fridays during Lent, with the profits averaging $75 a day.

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Mr. Groen presented the idea of a fish sandwich to Ray Kroc, the CEO of McDonald’s, but Mr. Kroc did not approve. Instead Mr. Kroc wanted to introduce the Hula Burger (grilled pineapple with cheese). The two men agreed to have a contest and whoever won would get to introduce the new sandwich at McDonald’s. The rest is history, and the Filet-O-fish became part of McDonald’s permanent menu in 1965.

Del Taco also provides beer-battered crispy tacos and also shrimp tacos during Lent.

Chick-fil-A joined the ranks with their fish sandwich, and is also offering meals of fried fish fillets. These meals are only available during Lent at participating restaurants.

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Arby’s has a new Cajun Fish sandwich, along with their regular fish sandwich. Many other fast food establishments have fish on their menus during Lent.

Every Friday during Lent, we support our local parish, St. Norbert, in Orange, CA. The Lenten fish fry is only $8, and it is delicious, helping to fund the 8th grade students for their trip to Washington, D.C. On that same day at 7:00 P.M. is the Stations of the Cross is celebrated.

The Lord has an influence over all these large corporations, whether it be for profit or to meet the special needs of its consumers God is in the midst, because Lent is a power season.

How is your Lent going? Mine is lacking in several areas, discipline and love having been a challenge for me. When I fail to do what is right before God, my general behavior is to put on an oversized pair of boxing gloves and beat myself up. I am a normal person seeking what the rest of the world may appear to be unattainable. I want to draw water from the well and offer it to Jesus, I want Him to speak to me and let me know when my walk is going in the wrong direction, or when my steps become unstable. I want to be convicted of all the offenses I have committed, but mostly I want my conscience cleared and my path straightened in order to continue my Lenten journey, and to feel His holy presence.

My Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for loving us unconditionally. It does not matter what stage of our walk we are in, or how we perceive others, You take us as we are and say, “Come to me, and I will give you rest…” Thank You, Lord, that whenever I get distracted and fail to do what is right before You, You meet me along the path to redirect me towards You. Forgive me for all of my transgressions, and allow me to enter Your holy chambers with a pure and contrite heart.

Amen

Matthew 11:28-30 New King James Version (NKJV)

²⁸ Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

I don’t know about you, but I drink everything through a straw. I prefer the strong unbendable plastic ones, I use them to drink my iced tea, water and sodas. My husband always has a chocolate shake at In n Out, and no paper straw is going to endure the thickness of that drink.

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I understand the importance of being green, and will do my due diligence to comply with Mother Earth. So now why do we need to use metal or glass straws? When and how did that happen? I find this to be intrusive, and unsanitary, and cleaning a straw uses up water, right? And aside from that, we’re going to need a special tool for cleaning!

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The thing that bothers me most is how corporate America has gotten all up in the business of doing the right thing for all the wrong reasons. Starbucks announced that they were doing away with plastic straws, but don’t worry, they will sell you an environmentally safe straw. Aren’t the lids from their coffee made of plastic? I never purchase coffee from this establishment for two reasons: they are hypocrites, and their products are way too expensive. College students should consider using the money wasted on a Frappuccino to pay for a large portion of their tuition. I am grateful for one thing, though, that at any time anyone can use their facility without making a purchase. I do praise God for that.

I know, I know…the terrible plight of the sea turtle that suffered the unfortunate fate of a straw stuck up its nostril. I watched the video and prayed for a successful outcome. I honestly breathed a sigh of relief when the the last particle of the straw was extracted. I’m an animal lover and do my part in contributing to the betterment of their health.

Psalm 95:5 New King James Version (NKJV)

⁵ The sea is His, for He made it;
And His hands formed the dry land.

I once saved a bee from drowning in my pool. No video, but It really did happen. I noticed a lifeless bee while I was swimming laps, so cupped my hands to remove its body from the water, and much to my amazement, the bee showed a sign of life. I gently placed it at the edge of the pool and continued with my laps. I kept a close eye on the waterlogged insect, and with each lap the little guy was drying out. At one point, I thought I was going to have to put him out of his misery because one of wings was missing. Turns out that the wing was still drying and stuck to its body. The strong-willed little creature mustered enough strength to live. Finally, after about a half an hour, the bee flew away. Since that day I feel that no bee will ever sting me because I am a bee whisperer.

In California we have to adjust to many new laws each year, and last year we were forced to purchase our plastic bags whenever we go grocery shopping. This was a huge problem for me because I really recycle bags, I use them for cleaning the litter box and most importantly, for packing lunches for the homeless. It totally messed up my system. I rarely bring a bag with me when going to the grocery store because I need the bags, so every time I go to Ralphs or Sprouts, I pay the extra ten cents for more bags. Sure, I have plenty of those fancier bags from companies promoting their goods, but if I bring my groceries in from the car, I do not want to walk back to the car to put the bags back into the trunk. That drives me crazy!

I will use plastic straws responsibly until they are no longer in existence. I never litter! As a matter of fact that is my biggest pet peeve!

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Are we such a terrible human race that is out to destroy the world? No! So stop teaching our kids that nonsense. Teach them first to love God, and then teach them to become responsible, in the caring of Mother Earth. Don’t turn them into militant mini green people; they already are so confused about all the other useless stuff we throw their way.

The City of Orange provides a huge recycling bin for our personal use. Not everything goes into the landfills; we sit on recycled park benches, and use recycled toilet paper. Little by little we are making an effort to improve our environment. We are working toward mulching every possible piece of trash for the purpose of cleaning up our planet.

The poor plastic straw will be extinct, because according to scientists, it takes over 400 years to decompose. To the average person, this has “Fake news” written all over it. We can’t say, “Another one bites the dust,” because these straws will outlive us by many generations.

Soon I will no longer be able to say, “May I please have a straw with my drink? Otherwise all the ice will hit my face.”

Numbers 35:33-34 New King James Version (NKJV)

³³ So you shall not pollute the land where you are; for blood defiles the land, and no atonement can be made for the land, for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it. ³⁴ Therefore do not defile the land which you inhabit, in the midst of which I dwell; for I the Lord dwell among the children of Israel.’ ”