A few months ago, my son, Jonathan (16) breathlessly runs in. "Mom, you've got to see this!" He then proceeds to show me the following movie trailer:Explosions! People in peril! ! MARVEL SUPERHEROES ! ! (Win.Win.WIN!) He knows (because I've told him repeatedly, as I have all four of my kids) that I was a nerdy ...
Entertainment
I have something to tell my BFF (A Giveaway)
When I was in college in the 70's, I also worked at a movie theater. I was the Day Cashier. Impressive, no? I would work my little day shift because my classes were at night. The Night Cashier did just the opposite. She came in as I was ready to leave for the day. We usually overlapped about half an hour. Each day, we would talk for that brief ...
For the love of Belle – Beauty and the Beast in 3D
When my daughter, Amy Kikita was young, she was completely enamored with The Little Mermaid, as probably most 7 year olds were at the time. Ariel was spunky for a princess and went after what she wanted. I think she identified with those qualities. Years later, Disney gave us Beauty and the Beast and when it was available on VHS, we promptly ...
12 Days of Cucufate
Every year at Christmastime, I make it a point to find a really fun live show to enjoy with my girls. It's one of our favorite traditions and it has become kind of a big thing. We start searching for shows and tickets early in the fall. And we fret and argue and try to choose a really fun show. This is what happened the year when Amy ...
Classic.
My dad and most of the Verdés side of the family grew up playing multiple instruments. He loved, loved, loved any kind of music, but was an afficionado of classical and played both the piano and the cello. As much as I love my salsa music, oldies, and classic rock, I love listening to classical when I'm working on an art project. I think it ...
Cuando Sali de Cuba – Video Giveaway Winners
I hope you are all loving the Cuando Sali de Cuba stories as much as I am. I feel so honored that I can give so many of you a place to share. It is my hope that the stories of how and why we are exiles will finally be told and get some traction. The films I'm giving away today are a must-see for Cubans everywhere. Please visit the Voices from ...
Real Steel (A Winner!)
I just realized that the title of this post works on multiple levels. Dreamworks Pictures' Real Steel is a winner of a film (in the best possible sense) and I've chosen a winner for the prize pack giveaway. (I crack myself up.)I suppose you could say this is a win-win situation then, but that's not important right ...
Real Steel (A review and a giveaway)
The following movie review is brought to you by Lucy R. Darby: If anyone asked you if you’d like to go to Walt Disney Studios to see a pre-screening of the new Dreamworks Pictures movie, Real Steel, starring Hugh Jackman…It would behoove you to say yes. (Thanks, Dreamworks!) Based on the trailers, I nostalgically dubbed it the ...
The Circle of Life – Lion King 3D and Eternal Disney Uber-geeks
Back in 1994, I took Amy and Adam to the premiere of the Disney film, The Lion King at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood. This was obviously before Lucy and Jonathan were born. We all loved the film so much that we couldn't wait to own it when it was released on VHS. (Yes, this is waaay back in the day.) A few years later, when we added ...
Ten years later. I will never forget.
Ten years ago at the end of September of 2011, my daughter and Amy went to New York City. We were there exactly two weeks after Muslim jihadists flew airplanes into the World Trade Center buildings and left a gaping hole in the New York skyline and in our collective American consciousness. The wreckage was still smoldering and burning and the ...









