Hanging In

So what - it's like day 15?? Still hanging in there although I have to be honest - I haven't been following the plan to the letter. But I'm definitely not eating like I was before I started. And my blood sugar is still better so thank goodness for that. I'm watching Bridezilla and one of the Bridezillas is named Magdalena. It used to be that I was the only Magdalena around. And now I know 2 others in my own life plus there's this chick. And every time they say her name I get this strange feeling. When I was younger, I hated that my mother called me Magdalena. Especially when she called out the window for me to come in..."Mag-da-LAY-na!!!" I always preferred being called Maggie. But as I got older I really started liking my unique name. And now that my Mama has passed, I love it even more. I went to Catholic school and everyone from there always called me Magdalena - nicknames weren't allowed. That comes in handy because every once in a while I'll run into someone who looks familiar and I won't know where I know them from until they say my name - if it's Magdalena I know it must be from Catholic school. I miss my Mama. I can't believe that she's been gone 9 years! It seems like only yesterday and yet there are times when I feel like it's been forever! I wish she could be here to enjoy our new house and her 3 grandkids. Max has her eyes! I love that he has her eyes. Baby J is a little light-headed blue-eyed cutie - like the 3 girls we used to babysit for whom my mother regarded as grandchildren. Angelina is a Mini-Me so it would have been cool to ask her how similar we truly are. You know - it's really sad but there's like only two people alive in the whole world who have known me since I was a baby. That would be my God-Mother, Tia Maddy and her sister Tia Carol - and they live in Mexico. My Mom, Maddy and Carol were buddies in High School, I guess. They worked at the 1964 World's Fair. They apparently frequented the Mexican Pavilion a lot. That is where my Mother met my Father. He was a musician with the Mariachi band which was representing Mexico at the pavilion. They met, fell in love and soon, Mom, Maddy and Carol went to Mexico to live. Maddy and Carol met other Mexican men and they married them and have been living there ever since. I was originally going to be named after Jacqueline Kennedy Onasis but at the last minute my mom decided to name me after Maddy and Carol, although she decided to "Mexican" the names up - hence Magdalena Carolina. My mother and father didn't work out but I was already on the way and Maddy and Carol were there to help my mom get through the challenging time. I really need to call Tia Maddy - before it's too late. I had been in touch with her about 5 years ago and her step-daughter, Lila, sent me all her girl clothes for Angelina. That was very sweet. Lila is in fact my oldest friend - the only friend I'm still in contact with from my years in Mexico.