XMAS Day

 Christmas Day is always extra special since it's my mom's birthday as well (who more appropriate to share Baby Jesus' birthday than my very religious mamma?)

So, celebrating my mom's 69th along with the holiday was just my immediate family at my parents' home in Bonita. A yummy mimosa brunch, followed by a late-afternoon tamale lunch, games, stories, and the unveiling of the annual family and grandkids gift: a top-of-the-line foosball table. We felt this was a great gift as we grew up with 2 foosball tables as Xmas gifts when we were kids. Of course they were extremely cheap versions but I'll tell you - - we played those things with heads, legs, handles falling off until the whole table buckled down and died. As one can imagine, even though the grandkids all play soccer and said, "wow" - - the Uncles and Aunts took it over right from the start playing 2 on 2. I don't know how my sister Ceci talked my mom into letting us keep the big thing at her house but it is definitely great to have!

  I was extra pleased this year because my boyfriend Patrick was in town as opposed to last year. He had joined me the night before for XMAS eve and then came in the afternoon to my mom's house with his daughter, Ciara and Fred-the-Basset. Any time being able to spend with my entire family as well as P and co. is a rare and true blessing to enjoy.

 
I love my big Martinez family so much. And I love my little Merritt duo so much too. I'm a blessed gal :)



Click below on slideshow for more pics!

XMAS 2007

XMAS Eve

 

It was a lovely XMAS eve hosted by cousins Leslie and Conan with Baby Blake at their swanky pad in La Mesa. Even with a questionable rendition of "O Holy Night" and the Chargers Game on in the background, we managed to evoke the true meanings of Xmas - love, family, thankfulness and Faith.

 

The food was worth the bloat - especially the Mexican tamales, baked potatoes, and walnut/pear/bluecheese salad. And Leslie even dug into her Mexican roots and turned out a scrumptious, light Tres Leches cake...ummmm!

 

As always, we missed those who couldn't attend (there was a smaller Araiza contingent gathering in Northern California )- you all were missed! As Tiny Tim said, "God Bless us, every one!"

More pics to come!
Click below on Slideshow!

XMAS Eve 2007

Sunset Sights

Brrr...it was SO cold - but worth it!!!

Live! at the Grand Canyon

more Youtube video from my Pentax Camera - here we are in the cold and wind at the Grand Canyon. Patrick, exhibiting behaviour akin to his Basset Hound wanders off the trails without a care as to getting lost. Anything in search of the perfect subject matter to photograph!

The Accidental Tourist

The digital Pentax camera that P bought me, forcing me to retire 1.5 years ago the held-together-by-tape old 35mm camera I had been using for over 10 years - has a small recording memory that I try to use when I think about it. I have a few videos posted on youtube (under 'elsamart' of course) and I also post them on here. They may be short, they may be shakey, but they are, at least, another memory (I love memories) captured for me to look back on fondly.

Here is an accidental video from Machu Pichu, Peru (October 2006, see previous blogs). You can see on P's face the good patience he has towards such a dorky, technology-challenged girl friend... he he he

Final day - Sedona

Alright, alright. I know: I am very far behind in blogging these last 2 months. The ironic thing is that I have tons of subject matter in my head to write about, but it's been busy lately. That or my pretty, but blind eyes were just not letting me be on a computer for more than a few minutes without the utmost pain.

 

So, back to the 3rd and final day of Patrick and my roadtrip to Arizona. We woke up to a beautiful, crisp but not freezing like the previous morning in Sedona. After a hearty meal we set out to do some hiking and picture-taking.

 

I have to admit I like a bit more warmth like my previous trip, but the rocks were still red, and P was happy with the clouds in the sky which gives his pictures some extra texture.

 

Admittedly, we didn't spend enough time in Sedona to enjoy it as much as I did the first time I had been there. P was duly unimpressed with the supposed 'vortexes' and twisted trees (resulting from their energy) - - saying it was all new-age believers and Democrats that believe that stuff hehehe. Before we hit the road home we stopped at a very cool store with knick knacks and home decor imported from Mexico, Asia and also made right there from the Native Indians. We lost ourselves in that place for an hour - I bought 3 small, brightly colored overpriced wooden Mexican crosses - I love stuff like that. Ethnic, bright - cool... An enjoyable time with a quicker drive home. So glad we did our little getaway.

 

The Grand Canyon

Once we finally left the Salton Sea and got lost by taking a few wrong turns which led us to having a GREAT, inexpensive buffet lunch at some obscure El Centro casino - - Patrick and I continued our road trip to Arizona via 'the road less taken'. Patrick really believed that mapping out our own mapquest road map (more or less by crow's flight) was going to be much quicker than the map it originally gave us using main freeways. I pointed out that it said it was about 2 hours longer driving according to the map, but Patrick responded that also according to the map it said that it was only about 40 miles longer which shouldn't be that bad.

Well....it turns out it DID take a lot longer and a harder trip on my little 1.5 cylinder Scion XA hatchback (which we opted to take due to my excellent gas mileage). We had to cut through many miles of twisty, slow mountain turns which really slowed us down - but the bright side of it all was that we got to see the little towns off the beaten track. P and I love seeing that kind of stuff! :)

 

For example, taking the long route we went through the main street of a lovely, small town with a big square and town hall lined with trees. The buildings on the main drag were old-fashioned brick with cool pubs and older hotels with tons of character. We both agreed we would have loved to get out and walk around had we more time.

Another treat was driving (not too far from Sedona) the town of Jerome. An old mining town, it is amazingly built into the side of a mountain - you'd have to see it to really appreciate it. Not only that but it was ridicuously quaint, with a touristy, nice small main street and, of course, a spectacular view. It kind of felt like the suburbs of San Francisco.

 

Enough chit chat of the drive - we finally pulled in that evening to our hotel - the Best Western - I recommend it for location and amenities. Starving we drove into the main street of Sedona - I've been there previously (see blog) and know my way around decently. At 9pm, it was freezing - with a biting wind - in the 40s and hardly a person in sight. A far cry from my previous trip in the warm spring time.

Still, we had a good Oaxacan Mexican meal and walked the shops that were still open before hitting the hay for our early rise.

 

Which brings me to our day at the Grand Canyon! Less than 2 hours away, it was a must-see - my 3rd time there and P's first. Boy, was it cold, though! Whew! The sun was out most of the time, but it was very windy and cold. Everyone walking around had on mittens, hats and scarves.

P, of course, with his new lenses and camera was ready to take pictures. We went to several different viewpoint locations where we could then walk off by ourselves so to get away from the crowds.

But my favorite stop was at a lookout tower that wound itself up 4 levels and had great painted murals inside and offered fabulous views outside. I highly recommend going there. There is also a great giftshop right there as well as access to trails.

Unlike my last suicide trip where my ex Italian and I spontaneously (and stupidly) decided to hike in 1 day in the heat the entire trail down to the Colorado River and back - - Patrick and I only descended a couple hundred feet down the South Kaibib Trail. Stopping to sit on a rock and take in the scenery at one point I turned to him and commented, "Now after doing the Inkan Trail in Peru, I see a big trail and I just want to keep going no matter what." He agreed that one day with more time we'd love to hike and camp at the bottom of the canyon - it will be a strenuous one, but I am pretty determined about doing it.

In a race with the sun going down we rushed to a viewpoint that was recommended to us. Patrick really was hoping to get great shots of the sunset but unfortunately it was a little bit of a let-down in that the sky didn't change the colors this time of year that it does in the summer. Still, we had a fabulous full moon - but, boy - did the temperature drop in a snap!! Suddenly it was low 30s with a stinging wind that kept us chilled all the way back to Sedona - even with the heater on full-blast. It was a colder wind than normal we were told - but it didn't stop our adventure to one of the Seven Wonders of the World!

 

Click on slideshow below!

Grand Canyon

Road Trip - continued (Salton Sea)

 

After visiting "Salvation Mountain", we headed a half hour away to the Salton Sea and Bombay Beach. We had been there previously last spring (see blog here), but P really wanted to get some more shots again, so we took that detour.

Unlike last time, it wasn't hot nor was present the putrid rotting stench. We went back to the exact same spot at Bombay Beach and then moved on to Mecca Beach where there was a cool, abandoned motel and empty pool.

 

It still never ceases to amaze me that even that early in the morning we were not alone - other photographers were there as well. And the whole place still gives off the cool, but erie feel of a ghost town or David Lynch movie-set. I've heard rumours that they are going to try to spend a lot of money to clean it all up and give it a 2nd life as a holiday, weekend and water resort akin to its hey-day in the 50s and 60s. They have a lot of work to do... :)

 

click on slideshow below for more pics!

Salton Sea, CA

One Man's Work is His Salvation

 

True to my gypsy blood, I had been remarking to Patrick the past few weeks that E was 'jonesin'" for a little getaway out in nature. I truly develop wanderlust when I haven't traveled or seen something new for a couple months. Thus, we planned a little road trip over Thanksgiving weekend.

After a lovely Turkey Day at my sister, Sara's house - where Patrick painfully ate too much and told me that I should load up on the fat as well since it was going to be cold where we were gong - P and I woke up at 4am the next morning and set off east towards Arizona.

We had been there before, but P wanted to take pictures again with his new camera and lens at the Salton Sea before heading farther east. What P didn't tell me was that we were making a nearby stop first to the town of Niland to see "Salvation Mountain". I had never heard of it before and curiously kept asking questions as we drove out past the nothingness of the tiny, dusty town looking for it - finally stopping to ask for directions. P mischievously assured me I would like it and that I would know it the minute I saw it.

Well, not minutes later did I gasp at suddenly glimpsing an extremely colorful, if large HILL, (not mountain) off the dirt road against a barren backdrop of desert, dusty nothingness.

True to Patrick's words, I knew we had arrived the moment I saw it. "Extraordinary!" I breathed happily as we parked our car while an older gent in denim shirt and jeans greeted us.

 

I had no idea what to expect and was so pleasantly surprised that the man, named Leonard Knight, welcomed us so graciously and told us he'd love to give us a tour. And so he did. We found out that 24 years ago he came out to the desert from Virginia to build a hot air balloon. It rotted in the sun and instead he found himself mixing the natural adobe clay of the hillside with straw that that could be painted upon when dry. 100,000 gallons of mostly donated paint and 24 years later stands "Salvation Mountain" or "God Mountain".

Complete with colorful 'flowers', an igloo, a yellow brick road, and 'waterfalls' this gentle man used art and nature - everything besides the paint and straw he finds growing or abandoned in the desert - to spread the message of God's Love..

Prayers, biblical verses, and religious phrases were painted everywhere. With a quiet but joyous pride he showed us everything and told us (in a gentle humble manner) how they came out to film from National Geographic and how he has been honored by a couple art museums.

 

A lean, but hardy man, Mr. Knight hobbled about slowly showing us everything, pointing out his favorite things and explaining how his 'museum' was made.

The day before had been Thanksgiving and he said he had had roughly 150 visitors - compared to the normal daily 80 or so (!). Schools, churches, and photographers, alike, evidently come to this spot to see his creative and happy work. It was just an amazing project for one man to have done alone and left us feeling so good and warm inside.

Even though it wouldn't have bothered me one bit, he wasn't preachy at all, nor did he even ask if we believed in God. He was just a simple but lovely older man who loved that people came to see his work and you can find him there every single day giving tours or slowly painting and mixing adobe with straw.

After giving him a cash donation, he graciously handed us a short 10 minute DVD he even had professionally made of the Mountain, a few postcards and even a jigsaw puzzle of the place. He might be a simple, kind man, but he was a great promoter of his art!

What a truly lovely man - living off nothing and happy in sharing God's love with all that visit him. A true inspiration :) A great start off to our long weekend...

Click on slideshow below for some more of Jesus' Love!

"Salvation Mountain"

Birthday Shout Out: Yolanda

 

Ay, Chihuhua! It's the last one before another Big One! Felicidades to my wonderful friend, Yolanda Martinez on today her birthday! Yolanda and I met a couple years back modeling in bridal shows and since then have become closer through the trials and tribulations of being a 30-something Latina powerhouse. Your strength, inner beauty and friendship are greatly appreciated, Mujer! Echale ganas :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

 I consider myself the type of gal who takes nothing for granted and is truly appreciative of everything that I have. After spending a lovely early morning tea with my 2 dear friends from college - Diana and Beverly - I am reminded once again how much I love the few close people in my life.

Whatever my true opinion of ol' Chris Columbus coming over and raising havoc amongst the native American Indians - I still take this day as an extra-special day of giving thanks and reflection for my relatives, my health, my Faith in God and in myself, my close friends, my sense of humour, my compassion for others, my kitty Jordy, my country home I am renting, my music and my Merritt family.

May God Bless us all and have a safe and wonderful time with our loved ones! 

Thanksgiving-eatingTips

Thanksgiving and the Holidays parties are in full swing and because I am always so aware and proactive about my health I wanted to put out Elsamart's Tips for Eating during The Holidays.

It is said that the average American gains 7-10 extra pounds from Thanksgiving to New Years Eve. Seven to ten, ya'll!!! You are talking to a 35-year-old woman who is in better shape and a size 4 compared to my college early 20s when I was, at my curviest, a size 10. I changed my eating habits, cut out red meats and upped my workouts from just jogging to yoga, pilates, weights, kickboxing and more. When the holidays approach I feel like I am one of the few who don't dread gaining weight, or ever worse: trying to lose it. It's all about knowledge and discipline. And respect for your health and body :)

Avoid: Cured meats laden with salt and desserts containing large quantities of white flour and sugar are just the type of holiday favorites no one needs. They’re the foods that give us a sense of heaviness and drowsiness after we’ve consumed them. If you feel like falling asleep after you’ve eaten, that’s a very good barometer that you ate the bad, over processed food. Some people call it the 'food coma'. I have to say that I have NEVER felt this way after the holidays. I might be tired due to other reasons, but certainly not wanting to pass out from eating too much.

Balance: As usual, moderation is the key. Go for more fresh foods, such as vegetables, and less highly processed foods, such as a supermarket pie. Which is not to say you can’t eat a piece of pie. It is said that if you have good veggies and protein on the table and there’s not a lot of cream and butter on them then yes, have a dessert, it’s not going to tip you over the edge. If you have three desserts in one day, that’s going to tip you over the edge. (editor's note - I am DEFINITELY having about 3 different, if small portions, of desserts tomorrow. Maybe even ... -gasp- 4!!)

Control: It’s not unusual for people to eat a whopping 2,000 calories in one sitting over the holidays, especially when it comes to Thanksgiving meals. Experts say there’s just no excuse for consuming that much food. Take the skin off your turkey, skip the gravy and stuffing, forget the butter on your mashed potatoes, and show a little respect for yourself! Especially when it comes to that other holiday indulgence – alcohol. If you are going to drink - try red wine (which is healthy for the heart, at least, and watch out for those high calorie fru-fru drinks!) Or even better - be the designated driver and limit yourself to one drink only!

Knowledge is power! Be thankful for your health and body! Drink lots of water before eating to fill you up and try to take a walk that evening to help your food settle.
Best Wishes to my readers...

Hot Mamacitas walk the Runway for Mama's Kitchen

 I have one thing to say: "Chanel! Chanel! Chanel!" whew! This Fall I did a show benefiting the organization Mama's Kitchen (which delivers meals to those affected by AIDS). Staged by the superb fashion guru, Leonard Simpson it was held on a hot, but gorgeous day on the rooftop of the Westgate Hotel in downtown San Diego.  As usual, Leonard got us top of the line designer clothes to wear, as well as great accessories, hats, giant poodles and another breed of dog I can't even pronounce. There was even a trio of ballet dancers from California ballet company. Lots of fun and fabulous - it's hard not to feel great in his shows and benefiting yet another local cause. "Work it out!"

Mama's Kitchen Charity Runway show

Click above on photo album for more photos AND click on link below for a short video clip of the show - - go to "what's Hot playlist", scroll down and click on "Mama's Kitchen" and then click on 'Glimpse of the Fashions' Icon. Can you guess which one is me in black? Hint: the hips, ya'll dem Messican child-bearing hips are a giveaway...
http://www.letsplaydowntown.com/LPD_front_page/Navigation/Link_Nav_San_Diego_frameset.html

"Pretty in Pink"- Runway for a Cause..

Been working a lot of Fall runway shows lately. In September I was hired again this year (see blog from last year here) to do the Charity Runway show for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer/La Jolla MD Spa gala. Held again at the lovely La Jolla hotel, La Estancia, we again showcased Danish designer, Isabell Kristensen based in Monaco.Unlike last year - she wanted us to also do a bathing suit and lingerie (eek!) portion of the show. Well, after much hub-bub and me trying not to eat carbs for a week (I already barely eat carbs), I was chosen to only have to wear 1 bathing suit and no lingerie... the rest were regulated to the younger models from ages 17-24.
Even better - the day of the show, they took me out of my 1 bathing suit and gave it to an African American model with better.... um..assets.Plenty of money was rasied for a great cause and I wish I could have seen the look on all the umm, mainly Caucasian older affluent crowd, when the show started and some girls with thongs came out. Whew!

Click below to see yours truly "work it out" and open the gown segment of the show :)
http://video.nbcsandiego.com/player/?id=157252
AND to see some more footage including some familiar faces from elsamart's blog and some of the bathing suits and lingerie please click on link below and click on each icon box to view the short video clips.
http://www.letsplaydowntown.com/SanDiego/SDFashion/PrettyinPink/media_Frameset_PrettyinPink.html

Es Asi -

Es asi que me considero:

Sonriente, Fuerte y sobre todo - Apasionada...

What do you get when...

,...you take a mansion, some friends, some work, a million dollar+ budget, Chris Issak and a bunch of talented theatrical people during All Hallow's Eve?
A kickass Halloween modeling job in an elaborate costume with some of your best modeling friends!

Fallen Angels

Click on slideshow above!

Happy HOLLOW-WEENIE!

Soprano Soars to New Heights with Circus

http://www.univision.com/content/video.jhtml?cid=1317242&channelName=Videos&_requestid=100611

Last week was such a difficult week for many here in San Diego and other parts of Southern CA due to the fires. I have been feeling sad for so many and definitely not up to writing on my blog.

That said- it's time to bring back a little bit of joy into our lives. Yesterday I received this from the mother of a young Latina actress, Denisse Gonzalez, whom I toured part of the country for a few months back in 2000 in the National Tour of the musical, "Selena Forever". Denisse played young Selena and already had an amazing voice for her age. She is now singing with Cirque De Soleil - what an honor!! - and performing around the world. Her mother sent this video clip of her interview recently on Univision. I imagine Denisse must be about 18 now and is as stunning as her voice - but I will always remember her as the young Selena, playing with dolls, singing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and making us laugh with her vocal impersonations of Cher and Celine Dion.

Best Wishes and Congratulations

THIS is Why I Evacuated at 2am...

This is what I saw of Mt. San Miguel heading my way last night. My understanding is that the Harris Fire is not completely contained and I still need to be careful tonight for shifting winds. The smell of fire burning and my sore eyes are pretty bad. I really need to get a mask for breathing - will use a bandana for sure tomorrow. Still scary to look at even in a photograph...

San Diego Fires: The Aftermath

The view of Mt. Miguel taken from the bedroom window of my 2-story house. When I decided to leave at 2am last night the entire hillside in the background was a wave of flame working its way down the mountain - I could feel the heat.

 

Let me clarify, please - - the fires in North County and east of me are still very much out of control and dangerous. This blog is only about the Harris Fire on Mt. Miguel that was affecting me in Rancho San Diego, 2 siblings and their families in Rolling Hills/Eastlake area as well as my parents' home in Bonita.

After a very long night I allowed myself 1.5 hours around 7 this morning to sleep after evacuating to my boyfriend Patrick's condo in central San Diego. By God's good grace the winds this morning in the Southbay were not as strong as they expected and firefighters were at last able to contain the fire.

At 4pm I brought Jordy-the-cat back home and took pictures from my house of the 3 smoldering spots at the foot of the eastern side of Mt. Miguel which, last night had engulfed the mountain in one giant wave of flames that led me to leave voluntarily and others imperatively.

The following picture shows a close-up of the biggest last hint of active smoke from the previous night and morning at the bottom of Mt. Miguel probably less than 10 miles away from me.

 

The newish housing community of "The Pointe" off Jamacha were mandatory evacuated. They sit below me and are separated by a canyon that leads directly to my back yard. That is why I knew if they were leaving, I needed to be careful. At the time this picture was taken - they still hadn't been allowed back in.

 

A shot of my small backyard which stops at about 10 feet embankment of ice plant (great for helping deter fires!) and then opens out to a large canyon (refer to the top picture).

 

A little after me, my brother Ben and his family received the good news that they also could return to their home. The visibility is bad, my eyes are stinging something awful but I am much more relaxed tonite and plan to sleep now that my family is out of danger. That said - there are still several fires burning out of control this evening and 1000 homes lost so far. My prayers are with my community. God Bless each and every one of us.
A very red, eerily beautiful sun shown late afternoon....