I truly did want to go on this cousin cruise, but I could not justify the expense. I had recently returned from the Holy Land and did not want to burden Mike with this added cost. I prayed about it and felt comfortable to back out of the trip. I called my sister Norma to inform her of my decision. Norma tried to dissuade  my choice but I knew better. A few hours later, Norma’s daughter, Leah, announced that she would be paying for my trip. I tried to talk her out of it, but Leah asked me not to rob her of her blessing. Leah’s blessing did not surprise me because I know of her kind heart.

We were nine cousins in all, representing four different families on the Lopez side (mother’s side). Two sisters from the Coachella Valley, Nellie P. and Elvia, two sisters from San Diego, Nellie G.and Roxie, cousin Sally from Fresno, two sisters, Letty from Yuma, AZ, and Angela from Rancho Cucamonga, my sister Norma from Mesa, AZ, and me. We were on a slow boat to Ensenada, Mexico.

The Carnival Cruise facilitates everything for their guests, including an App that allows you to text. Only one cousin took advantage of this. I told everyone that I did not need this because I was boasting that I was a world traveler, and that my phone would automatically switch to a special service allowing me to text around the world if need be. My phone did switch but I could never use it; every text I sent returned with a failure message. So this so-called special international service slapped me in the face. By the time I figured out that my phone was useless, it was too late to get the boat App.

Our first night after dinner we went to a Karaoke bar. We were pretty much all to ourselves when we arrived.  Nellie P. and I performed a duet, and with the music blasting, it covered all the cracking in our voices. I felt like I could do this all night, so I convinced my cousin Roxie to join me on stage. We picked a Four Seasons song and kept losing sight of the lyrics;  we just sang the chorus. I’d turn to Roxie during the singing and say, “I hate this song!” We laughed and kept singing. Soon a large crowd had gathered. A really good singer took to the stage, a few were so talented that none of us dare go up again; some sang so badly that it made us feel like professionals.

The following morning, since we could not text, Norma and I  had to find which cabin our cousin Nellie P. was in. At customer service, they would not give us the cabin number, but allowed us to call the room. We wanted to meet the group for breakfast. Nellie P. was speaking English, but Norma did not really get the right name of the restaurant. Norma kept referring to the breakfast places as Seabiscuit, but I told her that was name of a racehorse. I thought I heard Sea Breeze. We were both wrong and ended up having breakfast somewhere else.

We all loved the Guy Fieri Hamburger stand; they were excellent. The dinners on the cruise were mediocre, but the service was impeccable! The wait staff called us by our first names, and twice they were part of the entertainment. They sang and danced, while we enjoyed the not-so-great meal.

Two nights on the ship we attended shows that were right up there with a Broadway production, as the singing and dancing were exceptional. These young entertainers are also part of the staff with other activities. While our younger cousins were dancing at pool side, some of the dancers were mixed in the group to help the guests learn the dance moves.

Early Saturday we arrived in Ensenada, Mexico. I looked out the window and yelled, “Land ho!” I had never been to this part of Mexico, and was pleasantly surprised how clean it is, and quaint too. Three of us, Letty, Angela, and me, decided to take an excursion to the La Bufadora. It is one of the largest blowholes in North America, and the first one I have witnessed.

Our tour guide mentioned a restaurant that was serving free margaritas with lunch. We wanted to try the fresh seafood, but we ordered way too much food so we were forced to order another margarita because the first one came in a shot glass. With the sea happily waving at us we were serenaded by young man singing romantic Mexican songs that our parents had enjoyed. We ate to our hearts’ content. Our tour guide mentioned that we had to meet at the bus by 1:00; we wanted to do some shopping,  but we only had 15 minutes. We did not really know what to purchase but I did consume. Why I bought a fake Louis Vuitton belt I cannot say; maybe because I thought that I had these great bargaining skills or was rushed in shopping. Either way, I’m never going to wear the stupid thing. I don’t like fake anything. It was great to spend this special time with Letty and Angela. Letty is a first-grade teacher and Angela is a psychiatric nurse. These sisters are so pleasant to be around.

This trip was special to us all, and the bonding and special memories we shared will keep us better in touch. Most of us are Facebook friends but this was so much better. I learned so many new things about my cousins: Elvia makes beautiful jewlery; Nellie P., aside from coordinating the trip, won best dressed; Nellie G., was the most popular because she was pulled from the crowd and serenaded by a young male singer in the band. Roxie and I tied for most time spent with God. Norma  downloaded the schedule, which kept us busy, plus tried to prove me wrong on all subjects. Sally was the healthy eater.  We laughed so much, and we did not need any alcohol to laugh out loud.

Thank you, my sweet cousins, for being so kind, and putting up with my sarcasm. Thank you for all the lifetime bonding. Our parents would be proud for keeping the Lopez family together.

When we returned, I had a big surprise waiting for me. Sonja and Russ moved on Friday, and I was so happy that I was out of town and unable to help. I don’t know if it was out of guilt, but I agreed to help Russ clean out the condo while Sonja puts things together in the new home. Dear Lord, what a big mistake! Every part of my body was sore. I tried to open a bottle of water and my hands cramped up so badly that if I could have, I would have driven myself to Urgent Care.

Before Mike left on a business trip, he asked me what the trip cost and told me he would reimburse Leah. This is how my husband rolls, and one of the many reasons I love him so much.

I rate Carnival Cruise, also known as “The Booze Cruise” a 7, but their staff is 10.

Psalms 133:1 NKJV

 

We celebrate Mother’s Day once a year, but we should always honor our mothers. On our way to brunch, as Mike and I were driving, we passed the Holy Sepulcher Cemetery. I could not believe how many people were visiting their mothers at the gravesite. I asked Mike if we could stop, because I wanted to take pictures for my Blog. Mike did not want to be late for brunch, but promised to bring me back. I got the time mixed up again for our reservation and we arrived 45 minutes early. I know it sounds like an excuse but due to my ADD and dyslexia, I can never get the time right. I also dragged Sonja’s family into it by giving her the incorrect time. When Lucas and Jacob arrived they headed straight to the chocolate fountain and dipped marshmallows and strawberries, and we were not seated yet. They got chocolate all over their new shirts.

Finally, when we sat down, William announced that he was just going to bring a bowl of chocolate to the table to do his own dipping. William’s face was covered in chocolate, and he must have eaten at least 10 chocolate-covered strawberries. I made the mistake of sitting next to Lucas; just looking at the mess of chocolate made me nervous. Mike did not escape the contagious chocolate mess, and some ended on the sleeve of his lime shirt.

As a family we enjoyed not only our meal, but our time out together. I shared my disappointment with Maddie, and excused myself for not being able to attend one of her performances.  Maddie looked at me and lovingly said, “Grandma, you need to cancel your plans!” How I wish I could, because Maddie’s singing brings me great joy.

As  is customary for our dinners, the girls all sat together. We had a lot of rejoicing and wonderful praise reports. Sonja and Russ are moving into their new home on Friday. Both Mike and I were worried that they would be staying with us; but thanks be to God, escrow is scheduled to close right on time. The good and bad news is that I will not be available to help with the move; I will be out of town. I did go over to help Sonja pack last week, but after watching her methodically clean out one desk drawer, I had to leave. Sonja read every piece of paper and kept asking me if it should be saved. I finally yelled, “I can’t take this anymore! Please, for the love of God, put it in the trash!”

When I went back to the cemetery, there were still plenty of people paying tribute to their mothers. Some sat quietly, some had huge family gatherings, eating and enjoying the afternoon at the gravesite of their mother.  I came across a stranger and asked him if he was visiting his mother. He said, “Yes.” I went down to visit the gravesite of a dear friend, and said a quick prayer. As I walked back, I noticed that the stranger was accompanied by a woman. The woman was gently cleaning the stone with granite cleaner, while the man was placing flowers in the metal vase. I introduced myself. I told them that I was a blogger and asked them if I could take a picture of them; they both agreed. Turns out that they were siblings honoring their mother.

I thought of all that my mother had to go through as a single parent. She had seven children, and what she accomplished with us was an amazing task. My father was rarely around for most of my childhood. In the first five years of my parents’ marriage they had five children, one each year! By the time I came around there was a three-year span, and when the youngest was born, another three years. I marvel when I think of how our mother raised us-how she planned our meals, washed mounds and mounds of clothes, there were no clothes dryers back then we had clotheslines instead. My mother’s life was not easy, but we never knew we were lacking because she taught us to appreciate what we had.

I was born with amblyopia on my right eye, and I can still remember my mother taking me on a Greyhound bus to see a specialist in San Diego, CA.  When I was five years old my mother arranged for me to have surgery.  She stayed at the hospital the entire time. I was prescribed special sunglasses to wear, but my brother accidentally sat on them the following week. The broken glasses were never replaced because it was too much of a hardship for my mother to return to San Diego.

I think of all single mothers, and what they must sacrifice to do what our mother did, and-especially single working mothers. They are the heroes of the world! Our mother was in her late thirties when our father checked out. She never dated because she understood her role as an example to us, especially to her daughters. She was decent in every sense, and wanted us to follow suit.

The Fifth Commandment in the Bible states to “honor your mother and father.” Some moms are not the greatest of mothers, and are difficult to honor, let alone love. This is the only commandment that comes with a promise. Why and how do you honor a flawed mother? All mothers are human, and some may have had poor role models, and are ill-equipped to be loving mothers. It does not matter what background your mother had, or how deeply your mother has hurt you, God is commanding you to honor her. The word honor means high respect, great esteem. If anything she gave you birth, and for that you should be grateful. Even if your relationship is strained, never give up on trying to honor her. When you honor your parents. you, in turn, will learn a great value in life. If you do not learn to honor your mother you will be lacking in love. We all need to understand what love represents. There is nothing greater than the love a mother has for her child; even a dysfunctional mother needs to be honored.  God made this a commandment because He knew parents would fall short.

Exodus 20:12 New King James Version (NKJV)

When you’re a Blogger, your business is on the streets. We need a new roof, so we decided to research getting solar paneling as well. No, we did not take a cold call from our landline; Mike is really doing his homework in exploring our options until we feel comfortable. Our current cable company came with an unsightly satellite dish, Mike asked me to inquire about going wireless in hopes of getting rid of the satellite dish. I procrastinated for several weeks, until Mike confronted me and asked if I had any information on the wireless cable company.

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I asked our daughter Sonja for her advice, and she told me, “Mom, you need to research online, and do not call because the cable companies are notorious for adding more than you need.” My reply was, “I’m not stupid!”

I did the online thing, and then the next step on their webpage was to call the company. I fell deep into the cable trap and got all tangled up in their offers. I explained the universal complaint, that we no longer wanted to pay the exorbitant amount, and that we needed the satellite dish removed from our roof.

For the next three hours, the conversation went to the Philippines, Atlanta, and back to the Philippines. Every single time someone got on the line, the first thing that came out of their mouths was, “Thank you for your loyal service, I am so sorry you are having trouble,” or “I understand your concern,” or “We are here to help.” Finally, I felt comfortable enough that I had secured a great deal, saving over half of what I was paying, plus the removal of the satellite dish.

Before I hung up, I asked the foreign representative, what channels I had. I was instructed to go online for the information. All that came up were kid’s shows, and religious programs (I love them), but other than that, I was stripped of mostly everything else.

Another phone call, and another three hours. After all the revisions, the savings were minimal. To add to this misery, every time I called, I had to get Mike on the phone so that he could give them permission for me to make the changes. So finally we were set, and the cable company was scheduled to come out later that week. In the meantime Mike canceled the original service for that day of the new service.

The cable man came later that week, and the first thing that came out of his mouth was, “This order was so confusing, I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do.”The first thing I asked him was, “You’re going to remove the dish, right?” His reply was “No! we never do that!” The kind cable man walked around the perimeter of our house and went into every room, including the attic. Then he asked me, “Why are you changing companies?” I said, “Because we’re paying way too much money.”

I don’t really know what happened next, but either the cable guy thought the job was going to take too long, or he felt compassion for my plight. He shared with me that if I changed the services to my name, as a new customer, the price change would be a lot less, and the change reflected on my new bill. When I heard this, I thought I’d died and gone to heaven. With the cable guy standing behind me, I called the company and changed everything to my name. But it was not that easy, it took a long time, and I had to get Mike involved again .

After canceling the second service, I had to reinstate everything in my name and schedule for them to come out. Another two hours with a foreigner, with the heaviest accent, I honestly could not tell if it was a male or female, so I made the call and kept referring to the person as Ma’am. After about an hour into the conversation with the transaction almost complete, she put me on hold. Then another stranger picked up the call. “Can I help you?” I cannot explain what came out of my mouth, but it started with me screaming, “LOOK, I HAVE BEEN ON THE PHONE WITH YOU GUYS FOR DAYS! PLEASE DO NOT APOLOGIZE! DO NOT SAY YOU UNDERSTAND! DO NOT REMIND ME OF WHAT A LOYAL CUSTOMER I AM! JUST TAKE CARE OF MY PROBLEM! I WANT A RESOLUTION!” I knew I was being recorded, and at this point, all of the Jesus that was left in me went out the window…I did the unthinkable and dropped the proverbial F-bomb. I abruptly hung up the phone and called another provider. I felt really convicted and regretted using foul language, so I asked God to forgive me. As much as I wanted to apologize to that person, it was impossible.

This was the weekend of the Masters and Game Of Thrones (Mike’s favorite programs), but not for us. No Hallmark for me, no EWTN either, just Mike and our elusive cat Prudie.

The new cable people were scheduled to set up the service at 3 PM on Monday. We were excited to finally get all of new stuff, with loads of channels. We waited, and waited until around 7:30 PM. Mike came downstairs to inform me that there were two mysterious-looking trucks parked in front of our home. I honestly thought we were about to get robbed. The door bell rang, and a man with a plain shirt said that he was from the cable company. Mike had to tell me to calm down, when I asked, “Do you work in the dark?” “No,” said the man. “Well then why are you here?” I asked. Mike told me he would handle it and for me to go away. He got in a bigger fight with them and asked them to leave. We were back at square one.

The following day I left for Israel, and left Mike to take care of this mess. I had changed everything to my name, and I did not leave Mike the password. Mike called me while I was in Jerusalem and I just happened to remember the password. After that day my phone went missing, and poor Mike was left with dealing with another incompetent cable company.

As far as I am concerned, either all cable companies are overwhelmed, or controlled by demonic forces seeking to destroy our lives. I will never change companies again!

When I returned from Israel just one thing was left for the cable company to complete, our landline. The young man that came that fateful morning was kind and filled with knowledge. I asked him if he attended church. These questions always get me into trouble, but it’s my manner of making Jesus small talk. He told me that his mother attended Catholic school but was no longer involved in the church. With great boldness the Holy Spirit fell on me as I told him that it was no accident that he came to service my home. I then shared with him that he would be coming back to serve the Lord with great power. I went on to say that he would get confirmation from his mother, saying that she too would announce that she would be going back to her faith. I took a deep breath and said a prayer that this was a message from the Lord. I continue to pray for him.

If this entire cable ordeal was to get the young man back to serving God, it was all worthwhile…one soul at a time.

My landline rings about 10 times a day, “Hello, Lynda, you told us to call you last year, we are working on your neighbor’s home and are a family owned- business, blah, blah, blah ” My reply, “Please take me off your call list!” Don’t judge us, we are old school and still believe we need a landline. I use it to find my cell phone regularly.

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