A few years ago, thanks to the magic of the internets and because of a series of happy accidents, I got to meet one of my Cuban childhood crushes.
In fact, you can read about My Adventures with Desi in the Blog Category that has his name, Desi Arnaz Jr. (I know I could change the category name to "My Adventures with Desi." I don't, because I just really like seeing his full name on my blog * sigh*, but that's not important right now.)
It's Mr. Marta's-Childhood-Crush's Happy Birthday today. =D
Dear Desi,
I wish you the happiest of birthdays today! Much love and good wishes!
Besos,
Marta
P.S. I promise to make you some of my famous arroz con pollo and maybe some more pastelitos on my next visit.
Feel free to leave Desi a birthday greeting on this post. I know his wife, my friend Amy will make sure that he sees it. ;-)
As you know if you've been reading this blog for a while, we have homeschooled our kids. I often say that one of the reasons we have chosen to homeschool is that we're not as concerned about their academics as we are concerned about their character.
We have attempted to teach them kindness, thoughtfulness, hospitality, and generosity - high values for us - mostly by modeling them as best as we know how. Because, seriously, has anyone ever learned these kinds of things by being lectured?
During this time of year we love participating in Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas Child in which we thoughtfully and lovingly fill up a shoe box with gifts for a child on the other side of the world. We pray for our small recipient as we do so. We look forward to this small act of charity every year.
We get to go and shop for little items to put into the shoeboxes. As we're shopping, we think about what would bring a child joy.
"These trucks, Mom. I would have liked them as an 8 year old. Very cool."
"Let's get this little doll with an extra outfit. I think she's very sweet."
"Crayons! Modeling clay! Watercolors! YES!"
Shoeboxes are collected at various churches all over the country and then packed and disbursed to different places to kids around the world. What's very cool about this is that we get to track our shoebox to see where it ends up
From the Samaritan's Purse Website:
National Collection Week: November 14 - 21
Use an empty shoe box (standard size, please) or a small plastic container. You can wrap the box (lid separately), but wrapping is not required. Most importantly, pray for the child who will receive your gift.
Determine whether your gift will be for a boy or a girl, and the child’s age category: 2-4, 5-9, or 10-14. Print out the appropriate boy/girl label by downloading the artwork to the right. Mark the correct age category on the label, and tape the label to the top of your box.
Fill the box with a variety of gifts that will bring delight to a child.
Please donate $7 or more for each shoe box you prepare to help cover shipping and other project costs. You can give online by using our “Follow Your Box Donation” option, or you can write a check to Samaritan’s Purse (note “OCC” on memo line) and place it in an envelope on top of the gift items inside your box. If you or your family are preparing more than one shoe box, please make one combined donation.
Place a rubber band around each closed shoe box and drop off at the Collection Center nearest you during our collection week, November 14-21.
For locations and hours of collection visit our Drop-Off Locations page where you can find the nearest place to take your shoe box by entering your ZIP Code or you can call 1-800-353-5949.
You can also send your shoe box gift to: Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child 801 Bamboo Road Boone, NC 28607
Our kids have all grown up to be very generous people. I say this, not to brag but as a matter of record. Apparently the lessons were picked up somehow. My theory, then is correct. Character values are more "caught than taught."
Do you support any charities? Tell me.
{Disclaimer: Samaritan's Purse is a charity we believe in and support. I have not received any compensation from them to write this post. It's my privilege and pleasure to tell you about them.}
When I mention to someone that I've just met that I'm Cuban, the first thing they do is recall the only other Cuban person they've ever met. Then next thing that happens is that they ask me if I know them.
Most of the time I don't, but being Cuban, we do manage to find connections in the oddest places. See this story.
Just as often, I meet someone whose only exposure to Cubans was that they remember "a Cuban kid came to live with a local family in the early 60's."
What they're unknowingly referring to is Operation Pedro Pan. During the early days of the Cuban Revolution that destoyed so many lives, parents desperate to save their children from the communist takeover sent them unaccompanied to the U.S.
This heartbreaking chapter in our exile story is not very well known outside of Cuban circles. There were 14,048 unaccompanied minors placed on airplanes, some never reuniting with their families.
My brother was one of the lucky ones. He was 15 and it was the day after Christmas 1960 when he was sent to the U.S. on the very first Pedro Pan flight. He was taken in, along with dozens of Cuban kids by Father (later Monsignor) Bryan O.Walsh until our family was reunited a few months later.
This rememberance card was given to my brother by Msgr. Walsh during his stay at St. Raphael Hall.
This weekend members of Operation Pedro Pan Group will mark the 50th anniversary of the airlift that brought 14,000 unaccompanied minors from Cuba to the U.S. with a Mass of thanksgiving on Sunday, Nov. 20, at 3 p.m. at Immaculata-La Salle High School in Miami.
The Mass will be celebrated by Archbishop Thomas Wenski and will be followed by the dedication of the original La Salle building in honor of Msgr. Bryan Walsh, the Catholic priest whom the Pedro Pans consider their “foster father.” The building will be renamed the Msgr. Bryan O. Walsh Humanities Pavillion.
The Mass and rededication ceremony will come at the conclusion of three days of Pedro Pan-related activities, Nov. 18-20. On Friday, Nov. 18, Archbishop Wenski will kick off a day-long conference on “Pedro Pan: A 50-Year Perspective,” with a reflection on the legacy of Msgr. Walsh.
Neither my brother, nor my mom ever talk much about this painful drama in our family life. I, personally, can't imagine the agony of separation from my kids in this way. My guess is that members of this particular group would find it difficult to relate to others unless they, too, experienced the same pain.
Today, my mom (97) says she mostly remembers the relief and the gratitude. But even after 50 years, the look in her eyes says she feels the pain accutely.
When I share the story of how wonderful it was to be able to serve our very brave troops in this small way, people often express that they would love to do something to help.
This video explains exactly what CWtT.org is all about. (At the 4:02 mark, you may recognize this Cuban blogger talking about the importance of food and family, but that's not important right now.)
I speak for myself and my family when I tell you that not only was it a privilege to provide a Cuban home-cooked meal for our warriors, it was one of the best and most fun experiences I've ever had in my life. (No exaggeration.)
If you're serious about wanting to help, here's your chance to give back just a little to those who have risked their lives for the very freedoms we enjoy and for the most part, take for granted.
Cooking With the Troops is all about providing comfort to our recovering warriors and you can help support them by making a contribution to their wonderful organization. Please consider giving. Every little bit helps.
As a Cuban refugee whose family came to America with nothing but what we could carry, I'm especially grateful. Today, I proudly salute all of this nation's veterans during times of peace and of war. You, who have served and bled and died for my freedom. I don't take this lightly. Thank you for your sacrifices.
If I were to write about The Royal Wedding, I’m sure you’d be (rightly) thinking about the wedding that took place just yesterday, April 29, 2011 in England between Prince William and his lovely bride, Kate Middleton.
Back in the day.... July 29, 1981, the Royal Wedding was all about the young (19!) and beautiful Diana marrying Prince Charles.
Back then, I lived in a tiny apartment that was a block from the beach in San Clemente, California and it was July and everyone loved coming to the beach and so, The Royal Wedding (televised live starting at 2 am) became A Reason to Have a Slumber Party at Marta's.
My mom and sisters all came over and we opened up the hide-a-bed and unrolled sleeping bags and made copious amounts of food that included a homemade wedding cake to watch the festivities - “Wasn't her dress just amazing? Is it really only 5am?" *yawn*- from across The Pond in the middle of the night.
Wedding Malfunction 1981: Remember when the archbishop said, "Charles Philip Arthur George," and Diana flubbed the name, "Philip Charles Arthur George?" No? Well, I do. That was the highlight of the ceremony. ;-)
Here's a commemorative box (do you know that I collect boxes?) from the Big Event that I got in London. There was obviously no online shopping in 1981:
*momentarily wonders what Commemorative 1981 Royal Wedding souvenir would fetch on ebay in 2011* My mom was 67 then and Queen Elizabeth II was 55.
Queen Elizabeth II at the Royal Wedding 1981:
I remember my mother proclaiming (in the authoritative manner that an older Cuban woman possesses):
“I look much better than she does. And I would definitely never wear that stupid blue hat.”
I don’t even have photos of our original Royal Slumber Party because well, we didn’t document everything. Photos still had to be developed and we just didn’t take as many. (I’m sad about this.)
Remember that this was 1981. The notion that every home would have multiple or portable (!) computers, cordless mobile phones with built-in camera and video recording capabilities would have seemed absurd to us.
The words internet, laptop, and Google didn’t even exist.
So, the idea that thirty years later, in 2011, there would be another Royal Wedding and that I’d be watching it with my 97 year old mother, and my teenage daughter, and that 85 year old Queen Elizabeth would still be reigning (and that I'd be writing about it for public consumption), well, the whole scenario seemed completely absurd.
And yet... there we were.
Wedding Malfunction 2011: Remember the moment when Wills is struggling to slide the ring onto Kate's finger? Of course you do. It was only yesterday. =D
So, I’m hanging with my mom, and she and Lucy and I are watching what we will now refer to as The New Royal Wedding, (Or La Boda Real on Univision - with commentary from Luza's favorite, El Gordo, of course. And no, we didn’t do the Royal Slumber Party this time - it’s been 30 years, people. We are all 30 years older, but that’s not important right now...) when suddenly she spots QE2 entering Westminster Abbey.
Queen Elizabeth II at the Royal Wedding 2011:
My mom, Luza:"¿Quien es esa vieja en el sombreron?" Translation:“Who’s that old lady in the big hat?” (I have to interject here that my mom is 97 years old. I don’t want to have to point out the obvious, so I decide to just answer the question.) Me:“The Queen. She’s 85.” Luza:“I look much better than she does.....and I would definitely never wear that stupid yellow hat.”
I'm sitting at my breakfast table with Jonathan noisily slurping the last of his cereal and Lucy busily writing out notecards for a school assignment. My life is extraordinary in its ordinariness. (<--Is that a word?)
We're in California. Earthquakes happen here. We usually just "roll with them." And then there was Japan. We've all seen the breathtakingly sad are images from the earthquake and the ensuing tsunami.
I picture families at breakfast tables much like our own getting on with their day when the tragedy struck.
And my heart breaks from the devastation and from the feeling of impotence.
What can I do?
We have so, so much.
So I am joining hundreds of other bloggers today in a day of silence, for Japan with love. (Technically, I should have posted this yesterday and been completely silent today, but I'm posting now since I just found out about it, and I'm Cuban. Silence is tough for us, but that's not important right now.)
Bloggers from Utterly Engaged and Ever Ours have organized to raise money for Japan. All donations will go towards emergency shelter and lifesaving supplies via Shelterbox.
From the Shelterbox donation page:
We've all seen the images and videos rolling in of the devastation from the Japan earthquake and tsunamis. While aftershocks and tsunami scares are still happening days later, the nation is in for a long long road of recovery. So far, the death toll is estimated to be 2,800. In just one town, 9,500 are missing. Not only do the survivors have to suffer the loss of loved ones, but as temperatures fall, electricity, water and food are now scarce to none. Many have tried to go back to their homes and to start picking up the pieces, only to find the tsunamis have plowed their homes down and there is literally nothing for them to come home to. Convenience stores have lines hours long and a limit of 10 items to each person. The second crisis has only begun and so many are left helpless.
We are not ones to sit and do nothing. While as much as we'd like to hop on a plane and fly there to help with the search and rescue, the immediate need for help for those in Japan is the dire need for shelter. This fundraising page is specifically geared to help with that. Utterly Engaged and Ever Ours have handpicked ShelterBox as the organization to donate to.
ShelterBox provide emergency shelter and lifesaving supplies for families around the world who are affected by disasters at the time when they need it the most. Each large green ShelterBox is tailored to a disaster but typically contains a disaster relief tent for an extended family, blankets, water storage and purification equipment, cooking utensils, a stove, a basic tool kit, a children’s activity pack and other vital items. A whole box costs $1,000 (US), so we're hoping to raise enough to send 5 boxes.
Please join us. We know it won't save the nation, but we strongly believe every little helps. Whatever you can contribute, we truly appreciate.
My beautiful friend, Ana Quincoces, has authored an equally beautiful Cuban cookbook. (I say equally, only because the pages are filled with fabulous photos of both her and her food, and I can't think of which is more gorgeous, but that's not important right now.)
I know what you're thinking. And yes, she is even more lovely in person. She also happens to be an amazing woman and a good friend. So when this Hottest Chef contest began and Ana asked me, I was eager to help.
So I quickly jumped on Facebook and asked a thousand of my closest friends (=D) to please vote for her.
Ana easily won the competition in Miami and came in second in the Nationals. Felicidades, mi vida!
I'd like to think it was the "embullo" of all the voting MBFCF readers that secured her win. Either way, true to her word, she sent me some of her autographed cookbooks as a Thank You to give away here. I know! Generous, right?
Of course, for those of you that don't know, Our relationship goes back to the day she found My Big, Fat, Cuban Torrejas recipe and asked if she could include it in this very same cookbook. ("Claro que sí!")
Very cool, right?
For those of you who don't know torrejas, they are a Cuban version of stuffed French Toast. (I have a sudden craving for Guava and Creme Cheese....)
So, I have, not one, but two cookbooks to give away today. (Thanks, Ana!)
In order to enter the drawing for a chance to win this gorgeous Cuban cookbook, please leave a comment on this post answering the question below:
If I was a chef, I would be famous for my _____________. (Fill in the blank.) Your answer can be a fantasy or an actuality, but please remember this is a family blog.
Leave a comment on this post and I'll choose a winner on Thursday, March 3rd at 11:00 am Pacific Time.
Can you guess what my answer would be? =D
Also, if you're not already a fan of My Big, Fat, Cuban Family on Facebook, please click this link or the one up at the top right of this site and LIKE it. That way, you won't miss any of the relajo!
I started this new year with great hopes just like everyone else. I don't usually make resolutions, but I do choose one word that I think helps me clarify my intentions for the year.
For this new year, I've chosen the word, FOCUS.
I can sometimes be Felony A.D.D.* (*So easily distracted that it should be against the law. =D)
I'm working on documenting my word along with Ali Edwards and am taking her online class as I work out how this word will apply to my life this year.
Then, 2011 actually began....
And I have started out the year with some personal health challenges. (No, I'm not going to blog about this stuff. I don't particularly want to write about it and you don't want to read about it. Just trust me.)
So, I am forced to spend the next few weeks FOCUSING on my health which leaves me to blog sporadically, if at all....
Once I am able to FOCUS on my health and get myself back on track, I won't be as distracted and I will be able to FOCUS on blogging and telling my stories once again.
Thanks for understanding.
(If you don't already do this, you are welcome to subscribe to my RSS feed so that you can see when I post again, or you're welcome to peruse my extensive archives and amuse yourself until I'm feeling better.)
I've got lots of great plans and things I am looking forward to sharing, so, please don't go away.....I'll be right back. ;-)
My husband, Eric and I had the wonderful opportunity to see and hear George W. Bush at the Saddleback Civil Forum last night. (We regularly attend Saddleback Church, but that's not important right now.)
He was there, by his own admission, to "shamelessly peddle my book,"Decision Points.
What was wonderful about the entire evening was that the format was very casual and Pastor Rick asked him some personal questions about what it takes to be a successful leader. He came off as smart, articulate and passionate. Words that are not often used to describe George W. Bush.
He was completely comfortable in his own skin and it showed. He spoke of his father's unconditional love for him and about his personal faith in God and how those things definitely affected his decision making during those 8 years of crisis and wartime when he was in the White House. He spoke candidly about how his alcohol abuse was destroying his life. He referred to himself as a sinner saved by grace. I loved that.
The evening was tarnished by a few Code Pinko types who attempted to disrupt the atmosphere by shouting at him from the audience. W deadpanned to the crowd about how these people needed to get a sense of humor. The shouting was drowned out by thunderous cheers and the disruptive attendees were quickly escorted out of the building.
There was lots of joking and fist-bumping between Pastor Rick and W. And there was lots of sustained applause and a couple of standing ovations. Say what you will about him, but there's no denying the man is a true patriot.
I loved his self-deprecating wit and that he began the evening by joking about people's reaction to the book, saying it has been "a slight shock.… A lot of people didn't think I could read, much less write."
He spoke of his wonderful parents. Of the uncertainty of leading this nation in grief after 9/11. Leading being the operative word.
My first takeaway, was that here was a man who was a True Leader. I didn't always agree with his decisions, but I never doubted his Character. He just wanted to do the right thing and made those tough decisions humbly and fearlessly.
My second takeaway, was an autographed copy of his book. ;-)
I'm not a professional journalist and this post is not about politics. It's about how I was personally impressed by a decent man doing his best to trust God and effectively do the most difficult job on the planet.
