My daughter Brenna and I recently attended Magda Menendez鈥檚 retirement party. After 43 years, Menendez retired as the administrator of the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation. According to its website, 鈥淢AOF provides social services for infants through seniors and is one of the largest n…
I believe we inherited it from my dad鈥檚 side of the family. It鈥檚 the need for all our family to be together.
It started as a normal non-football Sunday morning at my home. I had just returned from church. My daughter Nikki, her husband, Carlos, and Brenna were in the living room relaxing and playing movie roulette on the television. Movie roulette is where you spend as much time looking for and dec…
I don鈥檛 remember which lame excuse I used to get my adult daughter Nikki to ride with me last Sunday morning. I think the pretense was to grab her favorite extra hot sugar-free Annihilator coffee from Dutch Bros.
It wasn鈥檛 anyone鈥檚 birthday, or someone鈥檚 anniversary, or, thank goodness, a funeral. It wasn鈥檛 a Super Bowl party, or even a World Series game.
The usual grammar, composition and literature would not be taught in English class that April day in 1968. When Mr. Miller, our South High School English teacher, walked into his classroom full of soon-to-be graduating seniors, his usual jovial approach was replaced with a somber and palpabl…
I always thought the red Santa Express mailbox in our entryway was only one of many Christmas decorations that filled our home. To my joy this mailbox would serve to be like a family time capsule that would offer a unique peek into the growing personalities of my children and grandchildren.
I have one. I know my memory isn鈥檛 accurate, but this is how my heart remembers it.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know very many good men. But Nino was one of them,鈥 said a friend at Nino Macias鈥 graveside services last week.
It鈥檚 an immediate mood changer.
In 1963, when I was in the eighth grade at Golden State Junior High School, I was 13 years old and in the early phase of learning about girls.
May I please be in the room when you try to explain to your children how we used to take film from our cameras to a store to have it developed?
Please tell me I am not the only one with the following reoccurring dream while in high school:
The question I am asked most often by the few readers I am blessed to have is: Did the Wavehogs go camping again this year?
For one night at the Hollywood Bowl, they were the self-proclaimed 鈥淔abulous Four鈥 who were the backup singers and dancers for Janet Jackson. At least that鈥檚 how Janet made them, and all 1,200 fans, feel at her June 10 sold-out concert. According to my daughters Brenna and Nikki, my daughter…
I know my neighbors have been curious.
To some, today is the official start of summer, with pool parties, barbecue and neighborhood celebrations. Memorial Day sales are everywhere. To others it stirs up a complex range of emotions from sorrow to pride and reverence to grace.
Sometimes life has a strange but welcomed serendipity to it. Life will give you a chance you never even knew you needed until it happens. Such is the case when I first met Blair Pruett.
鈥淟ike sand through the hourglass鈥o are the 'Days of Our Lives.'鈥
It鈥檚 happened three times since Susie, my bride of 40 years, passed away more than nine years ago.
Please let me introduce you to Naomi Roby Duenas.
To those who knew Vernon Espinoza, it is easy to explain and believe this story of eternal love for Aurelia, his bride of 62 years. Vernon and Aurelia have five children, 14 grandchildren, 28 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great-grandchild.
Smoke detectors blaring, popping confetti-filled balloons, barbecuing outdoors in torrential rain and the noise level of a Chuck E. Cheese would minimally describe this last three-day weekend celebration with my family.
I saw a great post for the start of our new year. It read: 鈥淚鈥檓 opening a new gym called 鈥楻esolutions.鈥 It will have exercise equipment for the first two weeks in January and then I will turn the gym into a wine and beer bar for the rest of the year.鈥
Loyalty, honor, fidelity, commitment and tolerance.
With a touch to his mother鈥檚 headstone at Historic Union Cemetery, my Tio Willie said an emotional goodbye to his mom.
My total and complete unawareness that the 鈥淗ocus Pocus鈥 franchise had become a pop culture phenomenon reminded me of the imbecile I can be and classmate Molly Flannigan.
Spending time alone with each of my children and grandchildren is always a gift.
For most young adults, turning 16 is a very important milestone. Schoolwork, stress, body image and getting your driver's license are common sources of worry for young adults. For 16-year-old Samantha Parrilla who attends Cesar Chavez High School in Delano add "mediastinal b-cell non-Hodgkin…
Many came via the GET bus. Some were dropped off by family or a friend. Chaperons and caretakers brought others. And there were a few who drove themselves. And even fewer walked. For many in attendance, barring any health issue, nothing was going to stop them from coming. That鈥檚 how importan…
I can鈥檛 remember my mother鈥檚 voice.
His long face and sad eyes told me my 10-year-old grandson, Ry Ry, was having a difficult day. I sat next to him on the picnic bench to find out what was wrong. He was feeling jinxed because of his multiple mishaps on our recent camping trip to Morro Strand Beach.
No matter their age, everyone I asked has one 鈥 a favorite 4th of July celebration memory.
鈥淣o matter how much love we give him, we can鈥檛 make him better,鈥 lamented Pamela Aguirre, mother of critically ill 3-year-old Nathan.
My birthday was Wednesday, June 1. At my age, and even though he comes knocking every morning, I won鈥檛 let the old man in. And as my friends remind me, I am now playing the back nine of an 18-hole golf course.
How do you combine the love of your favorite National Football League team with the love of helping your community? Ask founder of the local Raider Crusaders, Lorenzo Lerma.
It was my daughter Nikki and son-in-law Carlos鈥 first trip to Washington, D.C.
My favorite daughter-in-law, Yvonne, recounted a recent dinner conversation between herself, her 15-year-old daughter, Ms. Haley, and 9-year-old son Ry Ry.
People were cleaning up from the reception, moving tables and chairs and preparing for the dance soon to follow. It was late afternoon, and the Salon Juarez Hall in 优蜜传媒 was full of wedding party guests.
My cousin Vicky invited my brothers and sisters to her home in Visalia. She recently lost her parents and had a few items she knew her Mom and Dad, our Tia Rusty and Uncle Joe, would want us to have.
I knew the exact moment when I had made the right decision.
You may not be familiar with the term 鈥淭ejano music,鈥 but I鈥檓 willing to bet you have heard and perhaps even enjoyed a version of this unique style of music.
鈥淒o you want to build a snow man? Come on, let鈥檚 go and play.鈥
In the spirit of the holidays, I submit my 鈥5 Days Before Christmas鈥 wish list. This is my feeble attempt at revising the traditional 鈥12 Days of Christmas,鈥 a famous holiday song about receiving gifts from your 鈥渢rue love.鈥
It was unusual to see social media explode with so many messages of sorrow, bereavement and sadness. A multitude of accolades usually reserved for popular politicians, people who held positions on civic boards, or a high-profile community activist were instead homages for Tony 鈥淐ongas鈥 Herna…
It was 1961. I was in sixth grade and our student body elections were announced. I decided to run for safety chief of the Casa Loma Elementary School Council. I don鈥檛 believe you can find student safety chief on any current school councils at most elementary schools. You can find a plethora …
In a completely calming yet menacing tone, Rod Sterling, host, and creator of "The Twilight Zone" TV series, welcomed you each week with, "There is a fifth dimension, beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground be…
This is a father-daughter love story divinely arranged by happenstance, serendipity, or fate.
I decided to find out if people I know knew the real meaning of Labor Day.
