Thanks, everyone for your comments and entries and for “liking” IMUSA USA on Facebook. I always read through each and every one of your comments and I love that we all have one thing in common: We love the smell, taste, and warmth of brewing coffee.The winner of the IMUSA Bistro 4 Cup Espresso and Cappuccino Machine and an 4 Cup Espresso Set ...
Keeping the Faith – A Giveaway
There have been a lot of twists and turns in my personal life (and in the country at large) this past week. It's times like these that send me looking (running!) for comfort. Because I'm Cuban, I can usually find my comfort in the kitchen. (Don't judge me.) A fabulous sofrito, a perfect arroz con pollo a la chorrera, or a sweet flan ...
Why the Right to Vote is A Very Big Deal to Me
I was born in Havana, Cuba. My family came to America in early the 60's to escape the communist takeover of our beloved island home. We were called “refugees.” For our first five years in this country, we were Cuban Refugees. Sometimes we were called “Exiles.” There was never any shame attached to this. We would have stayed in Cuba if the Castros ...
NaNoWriMo is ON!
For the uninitiated, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month.(Pronounced "Naa-No-Rye-Moe.") It's basically Creative Writing on Steroids. The challenge is to write a 50,000 word novel in one month. And so, both amateur and professional writers take to their keyboards and write. My people have been using the book, No Plot? ...
October 31st.
I've been saying from the beginning of this month that I was too tired to "do" Halloween this year. I insisted that they were getting too old for this. (Notice I didn't say the "I" on that one? I know. Shut up.) Let's just shut off all the lights and sit upstairs in the dark and watch movies and ignore the ...
Cuando Sali de Cuba – Ada’s Story
Marta here: I have more stories than I could fit into just one month. I am going to share them once a week. Thank you all for having the courage to share the details of the most difficult time in your life. Today's story comes from Ada. Being able to leave Cuba after just having had surgery was worth the risk.by Ada Owens My mom, my dad, my ...
Is Anybody Listening?
It's barely 5:30 AM. I'm in the uber-hip offices of NPR in Los Angeles waiting to be called into the studio. I'm cooling my heels in the lobby as I wait to be summoned into a recording studio to tape a segment about my recollections of the Cuban Missile Crisis. October 22, 1962. I was only 7 years old and my family was living in ...
Remembering Papi. Resolviendo – Cuban style
My dad was an Electrical Engineer. A Cuban Engineer. Which made him brilliant and innovative with just a touch of Mad Scientist to him. When we first arrived in this country, someone had given us a very old, very used, five foot tall refrigerator. We were grateful to have it, since we arrived here with nothing. A gift of a large appliance, no ...
Cuando Sali de Cuba – Edilia’s Story
Marta here: My heart was aching as I first read Edilia's story. Imagine being a newlywed in Castro's Cuba and looking for a chance to get out and start a new life. By Edilia Beltran Pinero My full name is Josefa Edilia Beltran Bermudez de Pinero. I was 13 years old when Castro came into power. I did not understand much ...
Cuando Sali de Cuba – Silvia’s Story
Marta here: Silvia shares her story today forthe first time. It was very emotional for her to travel back in time to those last painful years her family spent waiting for the Freedom Flight that would bring them to the America. I'm grateful to Silvia's daughter, my online friend, Maribel, for convincing her mom to finally share her ...
