In October of 1961, having been in the states for about 8 months, we found out about the delicious custom of Halloween. At first there was the confusion of why we would be dressing up: "Is it like carnaval? Is there a parade we get to ride in?" ("Pardon me..... but your Caribbean roots are showing.") It was exactly like a Jerry Seinfeld ...
Archives for October 2006
This is Halloween.
We are preparing for Halloween around here. It has been unseasonably hot, but we are undeterred. We live in a wonderful peanut-butter-and-jelly neighborhood. There are tons of kids and everyone decorates their homes with jack-o-lanterns. And as a friend pointed out yesterday, Halloween is one of the few times we experience actual community in ...
Beisbol and Urban Legends
HEADLINE: The Cardinals ended a 24-year World Series title drought with a 4-2 win over Detroit in Game 5. That's baseball speak for "the World Series is over and the St. Louis Cardinals won." I like baseball. I'm Cuban. I'm pretty sure it's a federal mandate of some sort - "if you're Cuban, you must like ...
Cuban-Americans. Version 2.0
I get compliments on my kids. People say they are charming and handsome and pretty and funny and well-mannered and talented and smart. I always say, "thank you," and secretly take a bow. (as if I could really take credit for their accomplishments - I'm not that delusional) For the most part, I'm still in "active ...
Was it worth it for the apple pie?
I went because it was important to him. He doesn't usually do stuff with me and the younger kids. But today he wanted to take us to Julian, California. Just for the day. Adam is 20 and his real life doesn't include a mother and siblings. This is why we made the extra effort to go with him. (that, and we took Eric's Mustang) Julian is a ...
Las Hermanitas Verdés
Because some of you were curious. Here is our "recently arrived from Cuba" picture. I can see that we obligingly smiled for the camera, but I can also see past the smiles to the pain and confusion we were experiencing. My sisters, from left to right: Miriam, Ofelia, Alina and Helen. That's me with the mop of curls clutching my ...
Easily entertained…
I know this is going to sound shallow, but I went to Disneyland last night to have dinner and see the decorations.... WITHOUT MY KIDS. I know. I know. I was raised Catholic and I don't know who did it, but I know someone declared this to be a Mortal Sin. (I can see myself writing: "I will not feel guilty" - 100 times on the ...
I won the lotto!
Well... if there had been a lotto for a million dollar husband... Eric is smart, funny, and hard-working. He knows me. And I can genuinely say, I feel cherished. He is intensely dedicated to God and to his family. He is a great and loyal friend. He is our greatest treasure. I might have lied a bit. I didn't actually win any ...
“If you teach a man to fish…”
We're often asked about our decision to homeschool our children. It's a complex answer. And it's not completely about education. It's more about our relationship with them. "It's a lifestyle of learning," is what we usually answer. Although explaining that would take volumes, too. I was sorting pictures ...
Because we can…
It's fall in Southern California and of course, you know what that means... Right. Wetsuits! While I'm thinking October and pumpkins and planning Halloween costumes, the weather here is in the 90's and Eric is taking the kids surfing. (notice his shirt says, Cuba Libre! =D) It's like living in some kind of parallel universe. Right now all the ...
“Are you making arroz con pollo?”
I'm picking up my mom for the weekend. Her presence here changes our routines in a variety of ways. For Jonathan, it means giving up his downstairs bedroom, because she has trouble getting up stairs (he's ok with that). For Eric, it means sharing my attention and practicing his college Spanish (which is really pretty great). Her visits ...
“Ju got some ‘splaining to do..”
Lucy's piano teacher is trying to keep her challenged. He has started her on Beethoven and I love to listen to her trying new things each Wednesday when he comes over for her lesson. Imagine my surprise when, after playing "Fur Elise," about 20 times, I hear the familiar opening notes of... THE CUBAN NATIONAL ANTHEM!! "What? How? ...
True Confessions
I have moments when I feel superior. It's true. I confess. I had one of those yesterday. Before I make my confession, I have to add this: it doesn't take much for me to feel superior. Now here's the caveat - I feel superior only to myself. (ha!) It takes very little for me to exceed my own expectations. I love the feeling. I then begin to ...
The Enabler.
Hello, my name is Marta, and I'm an Enabler. ("Hi, Marta.") I would have denied it, but the proof is overwhelming. Oh, I come by it honestly. My family is quite extensive and full of enablers. I am surrounded by people who do things because of my personal influence. And possibly they resent it, but I'm not ...
A Wrinkle in Time
(with apologies to Madeleine L'Engle) It's funny how the most unrelated moments kick your memory into gear. In this case, it was something Daisy said. She is my niece's daughter, which makes me her Great Aunt. (I just like how that sounds - Great Aunt Marta) Daisy and Jonathan play together every week. They play dress up and Legos and ...
Smart Cubans
This was on my desk this morning. Eric found it last night. (It used to reside on the back of my old Toyota Corolla. ) Last night Amy, Adam and I went to see a play called 'Sonia Flew' at the Laguna Playhouse. It was a complex story of a young man wanting to go to war shortly after 9/11. His mother, Sonia had been sent to America after the ...
