Welcome!

[Maria Sanchez]

Welcome to ABLA on NING! Please introduce yourself.

[Zulmara]

I am an educational consultant with expertise in multicultural/multilingual education. I have authored numerous articles for education (please google me, Zulmara Cline for more info). I am a curriculum expert, and have studied leadership extensively. I am also a poet, short story writer, and working on a piece of fiction. I received her Ph.D. from the University of California and currently head up my own online business, EZ Bilingual with a colleague from Nicaragua, Eduardo Estrada Montenegro.

My website address is www.ezbilingual.net. The mission of the EZ Bilingual is to facilitate the biliteracy efforts of parents and teachers, especially those in dual immersion schools. The site is dedicated to providing research, curriculum, and instructional practices that will allow parents and teachers to help children reach their goals of proficient reading and writing in both English and Spanish.

It is still under construction, but there are AWESOME bilingual stories from Nicaragua on the site ready to purchase. You can get an ebook in English and Spanish for $15.00. The site is PayPal and credit card ready.

[julie zarate]

hello, ladies.

my story is rather boring compared to zulmara's but here it is:

i'm a 37 wife and mother to a 14 year old son [my heart, my savior ... he saved me when i didn't know i needed saving ... changed my life, my outlook, my purpose]. my husband and i couldn't be more different, yet made for one another. he's the baby of a large family from a small town in michigan, i'm the oldest girl in a family of five straight out of the Houston ghettos. together we balance one another and i think that's the secret to our successful union of 19 years. :) the two of them are my greatest supporters and without their blessings, their patience and their help, i couldn't pursue my lifelong dream of creating art.

we're a two income family, i work for a small law firm full time and when i'm not spending time with the family or taking care of business, i'm working at creating. my thirst for wishing to try any and all types of art is never quenched. [i was just researching what it would take to learn how to make custom cowboy boots!] my motto is "if they can do it, then why can't i try?" you have to start somewhere, you know.

that was my approach with art. ever since i was a child, i've been doodling. i always knew it was what i wanted to do. but coming from an impoverished urban background, i didn't have many opportunities to pursue it [though my family was very supportive in every way they possibly could]. i took to teaching myself. i'd go to school an hour early so i could spend time in the library and draw pictures of the models in magazines. when i wasn't doing homework [er ... i always shirked homework] i was drawing. my notebooks were covered in doodles. my older brother bought my first set of art supplies [i still have the very first sketch book].

this sort of learning continues to this day. i used to gauge my success on how closely i could reproduce a subject ... when i began painting, it was turning to well known artists like diego rivera and paul gaugin. from each reproduction, i learned something from that artist. a techique, a philosophy on color, balance, lighting, ANYTHING. after a while, i realized that i wanted to be more than just a "copycat", so i sought to find my own style. it is still developing. and even if you can't see it, i know that all my "teachers" [yepes, kahlo, mucha, van gogh, lempicka, etc.] have imparted me with a bit of their wisdom. the best i can do to honor their tutelage, and to be true to myself, is do the best i can with what i have learned.

[Zulmara]

que cool are you...you are not boring by any stretch of the imagination...

ADELANTE!!! mi amiga...

Zulmara

[Sandra Fernandez]

I am a writer by training and desire, a PR professional by trade. I work at staying creative and putting my words out there via the 'net. So far, nothing outstanding has happened except I am happy with my work and every once in a while I get an email from someone who agrees.

Looking forward to interacting and collaborating with others on this space.

[Isabel Mandujano]

Hello, my name is Isabel Mandujano. I have two adult children and have been a single mom for over 10 years. My daughter just graduated from college and my son recently graduated from high and moved in with his dad. My daughter still lives with me and is currently looking for work. I am also currently looking for work. I am looking forward to going back to school part time this fall. In the past 30 years I have worked fixing computers both the hardware and software for a major computer company. I was laid and feel a little lost at this time as to what direction I want to go in. I am engaged at this time and have a lot of support from Ted. I love art and I love Picasso. I love mosaics and stained glass. I like to keep busy with painting, and my little arts and crafts stuff I do until I can get around to starting another painting. My goal is to sell at least one of my paintings, so far no luck. My love is painting so I will keep on. I would like to write short stories about the past happenings in my life some day. My website is artbyisabel.com. I want to learn more about blogging and sharing my story so I hope this will help me get started in the right direction. I would also like to meet other people like and unlike myself.

[Veronica Escudero]

Hi Maria - I'm so happy to be on board. Your web site is great. Thanks for inviting me.

Veronica Escudero