There were only about a dozen or so houses in the tiny port town of Manatí, Cuba in the early 1930's. This one held a family with the last name Perez-Puelles. The father of this household was the customs official of that little town. He was my grandfather. The few residents of the town were all connected because of their service in the shipyards. ...
celebrate
Cuban Americans. versions 2.0 and 3.0
Mother's Day at Alina's house. I'll save you the trouble of counting. There are nineteen people in this picture. My big, fat Cuban-American nieces and nephews, and grand-nieces and grand-nephews (phew).The oldest (my mom) in the center, is ninety-three. The youngest on her lap, is three months old.Eleven out of sixteen cousins ranging in ages from ...
Labor Day
Even though she is 93, my mom can still describe, in great detail, (as most mothers probably can) exactly how many hours she labored with each one of us.Serious mom memories.I'll just hit the highlights, but here's what I remember (vividly): Amy - 36 hours (back labor). Adam - 18 hours. Lucy - 17 hours. Jonathan - scheduled ...
Leaving a Legacy
My mom taught me how to cook when I was about 8 years old. She taught me how to read a recipe, measure ingredients, grease a pan, boil water - stuff like that. As I got older, the process became a little more complicated. During the summers, my sisters, Miriam and Alina, and I would take turns cooking. We rotated between table setting, ...
Yes, but can we please see some credentials?
I run a state of the art Bed and Breakfast which is open 24-hours a day, year-round. I also provide these additional services . . . I am: A teacher.A nurse.A psychologist.A seamstress.A caterer.An event coordinator.A laundress.A chauffer.A moneylender. But they just call me . . . "Mom." =DHappy Mother's Day! ...
Apio Verde
Today is my sister's birthday. Hi, Alina! Happy Birthday! She shares this day with our cousin Ricardo, who still lives in Havana. Sometimes their birthdays coincided with Mother's Day and the frenzy of celebration was mind-boggling. In this picture, Alina and Ricardo get center stage, although being older, he was quick to understand and act ...
Salvador y Coca-Cola
This was how we celebrated birthdays back in Cuba. These are my sisters and me at different ages. (If you're really curious, just count the candles on the cakes) There was always a big, beautiful, almost-too-perfect cake from a fabulous bakery.We always got a fancy new dress (think linen, satin, ruffles). By the time I turned four (in the last ...
I’m Luz’s Daughter
Today my mom turns 93. Last year we thought it would be fun to throw her a surprise party. When she came through the door and we yelled "Sorpresa!" we had a moment where it occurred to us it might not have been such a great idea to surprise the 92 year old like this. LOL But she loved it and immediately rose to the ...
Stopping once in a while
I know I spend a lot of time on my computer, but every now and then I force myself to just stop and look around.I have a spot, too.It's in the corner of our bedroom.And there I am surrounded by things I love. The coverlet was crocheted by my great aunt in the 1920's.The brown wooden box on the high shelf was my Cuban grandmother's sewing box.The ...
Sit Long. Talk Much.
When you come to my home this is almost the first thing you'll see. Anyone who knows us, knows we really mean it. The Bible talks about hospitality being a gift and that we should be eager to practice hospitality because as it says in Hebrews 13:2 - "Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have ...
