Welcome to Maoist Orange Cake. Each week one of our Divas posts a thoughtful (but not necessarily serious) essay on whatever calls forth her Voice or strikes her Fancy. We invite you to join us wherever the discussion leads.
Motto of the MOC: Sincere, yes. Serious? Never!

"I would also like to add that ‘Maoist Orange Cake is possibly the best name for a blog ever. Just my twopence." -- The Sixth Carnival of Radical Feminists, 1 October 2007


The Twelfth Carnival of Radical Feminists is up at The Burning Times blog and mentions one of our posts, Helen 'Wheels' Keller, for recommendation. Orangeists spreading our zest!

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

AREN'T THEY LOVELY? -- by Shadocat and Feminista (Grandmas)

MOLLY ALICE O'ROARK


All 9 pounds 8 ounces


21-1/2 inches of her





ALFREDO JOAQUIN PASCUAL-DAMIAN

Alfedo Joaquin Pascual-Damian was born to my daughter Shakira Pascual-Lopez and Sergio Damian on 8/3/07 at a hospital outside Portland, Oregon. At just over 5 months, he weighs a healthy 15 lbs. He is cheerful, smiles a lot, and can sleep through most anything. Joaquin has 5 young (ages 8-13) tias (aunts) who help their mother Aracelia with his care.

14 comments:

Liza Cowan said...

She's cute as a button. Mazel tov, to all of you.

kat said...

she is indeed a very charming little creature! Congrats!

shadocat said...

Thank you. thank you, Liza and Kat!
Now I can't wait to see pictures of baby Joaquin from my sister "cool grandma",Feminista!

silvio soprani said...

Shado,

Molly seems more animated than your typical new-born. She just has a very jolly, enthused sort of vibe; not the spacey, "What-am-I-doing-here-and-what happened-to-the-ocean-and-the-heartbeat?" look babies often have after their rude arrival in our realm.

It is wonderful for you that she is so local! This grandma envies you much!

I am so happy for all three of you!
Love, Silvio

little gator said...

She does look much more aware and cheerful than the average newborn. and cute too!

About the "free firewood" quote- I foudn the following written on a radiator int he Concord Ma public library:

"Free the bound periodicals!"

silvio soprani said...

Little Gator,

Your found quote reminds me of a feeling I have often at the library: most of the books are down in the basement, inaccessible to the public unless you request them from the librarian.

This is not because of censorship; the library has run out of shelf space. Instead of letting the patrons wander willy-nilly among the stacks in the basement, they are off limits to all but the expert librarian.

The effect of this is that fewer and fewer of the old classic books are routinely put on the shelves.(The most-often-checked-out works are given priority, in some weird system I have not figured out yet.) As each year goes by, scarce resources are competed for by the entire pool of authors, not just my favorites.

I am glad so many new authors are garnering the public eye, but I miss being able to browse through ALL the various titles of Agatha Christie, Charles Dickens, E.M. Forster, Jane Austen, Sara Caudwell, Ngaio Marsh, and John Mortimer, to name just a very few of my favorites.

I suppose it is good for me to see other authors' names by accident and make a few new friends. It is just unsettling to realize that during the last 30 years, many new favorites have cropped up, and there just isn't room on the shelves!

kat said...

I'm just back from "The Golden Compass."
I'd love to discuss if anyone else has seen it.

ugh...must go to work tomorrow....hate mondays....

shadocat said...

thanks again all, for the baby props--she IS very alert and animated. She was an emergency C-section baby---all my daughter had was an epidural, so I wondered if that had anything to do with it? Of course I'm her meemaw so I think she's a genius.

Kat I want to see "The Golden Compass" so bad! Wish I could discuss with you...already putting the books on my Xmas list.

kat said...

Shado--does your daughter sing or play music or anything? I have no scientific proof for this, but a friend (and fellow singer) recently had a baby who was super alert, reacts to music and could fixate on people all the way across the room from the day she was born. We think it's cuz of hearing and feeling her mum for all those months....

The Dark Materials books are soooo wonderful. I hope you love them as much as I did!! While you're at it, add Pullmans other trilogy (The Ruby in the Smoke, the Shadow in the North, the Tiger in the Well). They're more obviously for younger readers, but still super well written, and about a strong female protagonist.

I know, I know, I can't shut up about these books.....

Congrats again on the grandma-dom!!

shadocat said...

Now that you mention it, Kat, my daughter DID play music all the time, and (I forgot this) actually READ to the baby before she was born. So maybe???

Real Live Lesbian said...

Absolutely precious!

shadocat said...

RLL; Thank you very much!

Jana C.H. said...

There is a thread about Golden Compass two articles down from this one, just waiting to be revived.

Jana C.H.
Seattle
Saith Napoleon Bonaparte: Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich.

silvio soprani said...

Feminista,

a belated comment to say what a striking portrait of your daughter and her family! The contrast between the proud father and the tiny (but striking) little baby! Absolutely beautiful.