I was born in May of 1955. At the end of that summer, which my family was spending in Varadero Beach, Cuba, as usual, a friend of my mom's came to visit to meet the new baby. Her name was Conchitica. [NOTE: "Concha" is the Spanish word for shell, as in a Conch Shell.] This particular "Concha" was the third in that descendency to receive the ...
“If everybody had an ocean…” or How I spent my summer vacation.
"If everybody had an ocean...across the U.S.A...." Crystal Cove, Laguna Beach. "...then everybody'd be surfin'....." The Montage Hotel, Laguna Beach. "...like Ca-li-for-ni-aaa..." San Clemente Pier, North Side."You'll see them wearing their baggies. Huarache sandals too..." ...
Ceasing from my labors
On this day, designed as a day of rest, this is where you'll find us.That's right. We'll be at home. Taking a break from the busyness of our lives. At least just for today...I will be stopping.Stopping my running around.Stopping to just sit.Stopping my compulsive list-making.Stopping to read a bit.Stopping to putter around the ...
Masquerade!
(Can you guess tonight's movie?) THE original suggestion was a simple one. PerHaps we can have AN end-of-summer barbecue for our residenT yOung thespians. They're here every Friday anyway. Maybe we can watch a Movie, too. Ah, but you know what can happen to the best laid plans OF mice and men... There was festive ...
Se dice…”Peet-sah”
Husband: "This is really good. What kind of pizza is it?” I make homemade pizza all the time, so that part doesn't surprise him. It's the distinctly Cuban flavor that gives him pause.... Me: “It’s a Cuban pizza, of course.” Husband: “Who are you trying to kid?? There’s no such thing as a Cuban pizza.” “No such thing??” ...
Para ti, mi vida
Since I started blogging a couple of years ago, I have noticed that whenever I am out in the world doing stuff with husband or kids or friends I am constantly thinking of how to tell the story. Seriously. Even going about my day and having random thoughts can be blog fodder. I make no apologies for this. This is my blog, after all. ...
“What did you learn in school today, kids?”
I know some people still think that homeschooling is a little unconventional. But today, our first day of the school year, was an absolutely normal school day for us. Here are the subjects we covered: Statistics: Probability:Sociology: Color Theory:Critical Thinking: (And thanks to Tactical Talent in the 3rd and Tripped the Light in the ...
Fashion Icon
August, 1960. Varadero Beach in Cuba. My beautiful sister, Miriam. According to the stamp on the back of the photo, it was just a few days after her birthday in 1960.She was so proud to be photographed on the beach in her gorgeous new Catalina Swimsuit - "Styled for the Stars of Hollywood." Catalina was the brand that supplied ...
It might have been easier to get cable…
I've mentioned before that we have chosen not to subscribe to cable tv in our area. And in our fair valley, that means No TV At All For The Darbys. It's a lifestyle choice we've made and we're okay with it, most of the time. But... Eric really, really, REALLY wanted to watch the Olympics...I'm so ...
Rock and Roll Babies and Uber-Dork Parents
Last night Eric and I went to a concert at nearby Verizon Wireless Amphitheater (which, after experiencing the marathon-length hike in and out of said amphitheater accompanied by hundreds of sloppy-drunken revelers, made us come to the cataclysmic decision that we would probably never go there for a concert again, but that's not important ...
