I'm obviously very outspoken about the things that I love. The big things don't need to be spelled out: God. My husband. My kids. My home. It's the little things that are telling. Those little things that you might not guess about me when you first meet me. Or even if you have known me a long time. Those are the things that intimately ...
The Desires of My Heart
I love violets.The scent from the tiny flowers always amazes me.It probably has to do with my Cuban childhood. As I said in an earlier post, "all Cuban babies smell like violets." My mom has a patch of violets growing along the side of her house and she brought me a pot full of them two years ago. And they make me so happy. I keep ...
“I see Dutch people”
Yes, I am deliberately hiding behind that person who is a slimy version of my husband because of the trashy mini-skirted outfit I was wearing. No, I don't have any real tattoos. There's a perfectly reasonable explanation why we are dressed as trailer trash. We're just grateful we didn't get pulled over and then have to explain our outfits to the ...
Japi Niulliar
Celebrating New Year's - the Cuban way.You have to pay close attention now, because this is a little complicated. In preparation for midnight, you will need:12 grapes. (One for each month of the year) Champagne or cider. (to wash them down) A bucket of water. (representing anything bad that happened in 2006) And a suitcase. (that's if you're ...
Wise guys
I'm a sucker for smart guys.I always thought my dad was the smartest man I ever knew. And I believe he was...Until I met Eric. This is probably an "over-share," but here's what I find attractive in a man:Is he smart? Is he sensitive? Does he have a good sense of humor?The rest are all negotiables.My husband has these 3 ...
Dance as if EVERYONE is watching…
Besides taking our food very seriously, we Cubans enjoy our music even more. We are big fans of "old school" Cuban music. Particularly Celia Cruz and Beny Moré. My niece, Kelley, got married in May, and Amy (of course) filmed the wedding. Everyone you see in this is related to us somehow. If you've been reading my blog, you're probably ...
Too Much Christmas
We took the kids to a movie tonight. "Night at the Museum" - totally loved it. It seemed so strange to just sit and relax, but we sooo needed it. Because besides producing a short film, shopping and wrapping, shipping, and cooking, and doing a myriad other Cuban Christmas related tasks, we also celebrated with the other side of the ...
Cucufate Pictures Presents . . .
An explanation. My mom was in Miami last year visiting her big brother (she's almost 93 - what are these people made of??).She was helping him clean out closets and things and found an old box full of old 8mm and Super 8 film reels. There was footage of my parents back in 1950. There we were as small children playing in the sand in Varadero ...
My Big, Fat Cuban Family
Noche Buena.There were 32 adults and 6 kids under the age of six at the party. It was LOUD. As only a house full of Cubans can get. We all talk at the same time and try to make ourselves heard. Somehow we manage to keep track of all the conversations, even with all the multiple levels of voices. There was much laughter and chaos. The lovely kind ...
Bionic Women
What would I do without my helpers?Not only was our road trip to Portos a great success, but I got to spend the morning clowning with my girls. They are both so amazing. They have shopped and wrapped and filmed and edited and baked and cooked and put up with me through all of our preparations. All with extraordinary grace and poise. They haven't ...
