Coffee Night

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Last night was "Coffee Night". Once a month I get together with my "core friends" - these are women with whom I've been friends between 10 and 30 years. I've known most of them for at least half my life. I'm blessed to have several groups of wonderful friends from different areas of my life, but these "girls" are my foundation.

For the last 11 years we've been meeting once a month at a centrally located Starbucks to spend 3 hours or so talking and laughing - there's lots of laughing. When we started "coffee night" my friends all had kids in grade school - I'm the only one in the group that doesn't have children - now most are in college, in fact a couple are Seniors in college! We've endured cancer diagnoses and treatments, illness, the death of parents and grandparents, vacation adventures, turning 40!, husbands turning 50, marriages on the brink and back, near nervous breakdowns and everything in between.

Basically we've experienced life - and we experienced it together. We know as we get older we'll have new experiences, some harder than others, but by now we know we'll do it together - and that will make it easier, more fun, and hopefully will bring us lots more laughter.

Patrick Swayze

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Patrick Swayze has died. Like Farrah, we all knew it was coming and like Farrah, death was a welcome relief from a terrible disease. There are several parallels with Farrah Fawcett's death earlier this year. Both enjoyed (endured?) enormous fame - but arguably more so for being beautiful than for being talented actors, both were diagnosed with types of cancer which are virtual death sentences, both outlived expectations, and both left my generation with vivid memories.

We all watched as, despite defying the odds and living almost two years after being diagnosed, the strong, handsome Swayze deteriorated into a man who looked decades older than his 57 years. In my mind's eye, however, he'll always look like Johnny Castle from "Dirty Dancing" (above) or Sam Wheat from "Ghost".

I smile as I write this because it takes me back to a Saturday night in 1987 - I was 24 years old - and for some reason all the girls from my group of friends were dateless, so we all got together for dinner and to see "Dirty Dancing". I remember sitting there and watching Swayze - who I was aware of from previous movies but who hadn't really registered with me - oh my God he was beautiful! Like, painful beautiful. And the dancing, his body, the music, all of it right there on the huge screen. We all followed the sweet and simple rich girl falls for boy from the wrong side of the tracks story, we thrilled to the dancing and swooned to the love scenes.

One love scene in particular - the one where Baby goes to a shirtless Johnny's cabin and they wind up making love. Remember? We don't really see anything other than him taking her shirt off to reveal a chaste white bra and then running his fingers along her body as they dance. To this day, I find that to be one of the sexiest movie scenes I've ever seen. Nothing graphic, just sensual and romantic and...sigh. And then the ending, his redemption in her father's eyes, their triumphant final dance where Baby finally gets the lift right! At some level we knew they probably wouldn't go on to get married, but they - and we - will always have that summer in the Catskills.

As we left the movie, one of my friends, usually very straight-laced and conservative, looking quite flushed cried out..."Ay! I need a Slurpee!" We all did...

And a couple of years later "Ghost" - plot-wise a better movie than "Dirty Dancing" - with equally memorable scenes by two ridiculously beautiful people - Swayze and Demi Moore. I mean really...who cries better than Demi Moore in "Ghost" with that lone tear streaming down her perfect cheek? And remember the pottery scene - again, incredibly sensual and we really see nothing? And then of course the final kiss where Swayze is all glowy.

From all reports Swayze was a kind, decent man. Loyal to his wife to whom he was married for 34 years - nary a scandal about him, despite being People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive in 1991. So I guess the last line Sam says to his wife Molly in "Ghost" just as his spirit is set free to go to heaven truly applies to the actor who so memorably portrayed him:

"It's amazing, Molly. The love inside, you take it with you."

I hope he in fact takes his love with him as he joins the constellation of bright stars who have left us this year.

Rest in peace Patrick Swayze, thank you for giving so many of us "the time of our lives"...

Question - When is a Cheetah a Chimp?

^ ^ above is a reasonable facsimile of what I was trying to draw ^ ^

Answer - When I have to draw one while playing Pictionary after imbibing in three "double" Appletinis.

See, it was my turn to draw and I swear I saw "chimpanzee", alas it was actually "cheetah". There were three couples and we were playing guys against girls, so when we were drawing, the boys got to look at the card. I kept hearing Hubby saying "is she drawing the right thing?" and I thought he was just making fun of my drawing skills.

Now I had the girls saying "monkey" but we couldn't quite make the leap to "chimpanzee". They didn't seem to grasp the *obvious* - I had drawn several trees and had the chimp jumping from one to another.

Of course there's also the matter that I don't really know what a chimp looks like. I think Tarzan's friend...OHMYGOD - ***LIGHT BULB MOMENT***! I just realized why I saw "cheetah" and thought "chimpanzee" - Tarzan's chimp was named Cheeta! DUH!

Seriously, I just realized this while I was writing it. I feel so much better now.

And don't "get all up in my grill" that a chimp isn't a monkey or doesn't look like my drawing - nothing I draw looks like what it's supposed to - that's my style. Yeah, that's it...it's a style called "hyper-unrealism" and I am its founder.

We'll Miss You Lucky

Today a dear friend of the family is being put to rest after a very long, very difficult, very cruel bout with MS and other conditions. He's actually a friend of Hubby's family - I got him when I got married. Lucky and his wife are my in-laws' "bestest" friends and they immediately adopted me. I've considered them family ever since.

How to describe Lucky?

Let's start with Lucky - the man of music. He was a school music teacher for many years, directed children's musicals, was a talented organist, piano player, accordionist, etc. As a child he even performed on the Ted Mack Amateur Hour! He had a beautiful singing voice and was a great choir conductor. He was very generous with these talents - be it in his church where he held several organist/choir director/choir participant positions in various churches - sometimes even those of a different faith than his, in community activites with kids, etc. In fact since my in-laws are the organist and choir director at the church where we got married, they obviously needed stand-ins the day of our wedding - so my uncle took over organist duties for my MIL and Lucky directed the choir in my FIL's stead.

Then there's Lucky the collector. His obit mentions that he collected coins and trains, but there was so much more. Before they moved from their old home to an adult community, Lucky and Trudi's house was a treasure trove of cool stuff! Everywhere you looked there was something interesting, be it a picture, or a knick-knack. I would love asking Lucky about something I saw because you could tell he loved telling the story that accompanied the object. And for your entertainment while you were in their guest bathroom, they even had a Merlin that still worked!

Next, Lucky the man who loved to laugh and make people laugh. I have never been a laugh-out-loud person, I mean I laugh a lot but usually chuckle or whatever, but with Lucky there were times when I would laugh so hard I would cry. They and my in-laws started playing a game they call The Dictionary Game which is very similar to today's Balderdash - only they've been playing it for over 30 years - where one player looks up a word in the dictionary and everyone has to write a definition for it while the looker-upper copies the actual definition, then everyone has to guess which is the correct definition. Well, I imagine that 30+ years ago they started out with good intentions and they actually kept score, etc. But as the years went by it morphed into who can write the weirdest or funniest definitions so everyone else will crack up and nobody even bothers to keep score anymore. A classic example of typical game play: the word is motmot - one of the definitions given (I think by Lucky) was something like "a traditional instrument played on backwards day at the Indian reservation". OK, maybe you have to be there, but this is pee-in-your-pants funny stuff - and mind you this happens with everyone being stone-cold sober. It didn't matter if Lucky was writing a definition, performing a dramatic interpretation of others people's definitions or just laughing that giggle/chortle laugh of his - it was physically impossible to not crack up.

His disease was long and difficult with many complications and truly debilitating conditions - but Lucky kept going and most of the time he did it with his humor at full throttle. Even when everyone knew he was in pain or uncomfortable or exhausted, you always got the big Lucky twinkly-eyed ear to ear smile.

And finally there's Lucky the family man. Lucky was blessed to have Trudi, an amazing woman, as his wife. When I grow up I want to be just like her. When they were together, even through the bad times during his illness, you just knew Lucky adored Trudi. I saw them as the mythical perfect couple who finished each other's sentences, knew what the other was thinking and who seemed to thoroughly enjoy each other's company. I'm sure there were difficult times as there are in any marriage, but their love was - and will always be - solid. As Lucky's condition deteriorated Trudi was steadfast in her commitment and devotion to taking care of him. But even throughout the illness, when he was able, they shared fantastic vacations - a riverboat cruise along the Mississippi, trips to Europe, all kinds of cool stuff.

And he had his daughter Heidi. Like Heidi, I was blessed to be the only daughter of an extraordinarily loving and supportive father. Lucky would have done anything for Heidi, she was the proverbial apple of his eye. I know exactly what she's going through now and my heart aches for her. When you have that kind of relationship with your father and then he's gone, regardless of all the love and support you still have, it's like your center suddenly shifts and everything is askew. That feeling will pass, but I know Heidi will miss Lucky every day and I also know he'll always be with her.

There's some wonderful music being played in heaven - maybe on an accordion, or a piano or an organ, it doesn't really matter. What matters is the spirit of the musician - a spirit full of love, laughter, strength and faith. Heaven is indeed "lucky" to have Lucky now, just as we were all lucky to have him as long as we did.

I love you Lucky, and I miss that I won't see you over the holidays this year. Thank you for being my friend.

Sidecar Saga

As you may remember, in March Hubby and I went to the Philly area for his sister's wedding. I had decided that my drink for the evening was going to be an old-school cocktail - the Sidecar.

However, when we arrived at the reception the bar had a menu of what they called "Featured Drinks" - various types of vodka drinks. I thought those were the only mixed drinks they would serve, so I *sacrificed* and proceeded to have a few "Appletinis". Then we toasted the couple with champagne, and of course with dinner I had red wine.

It wasn't until after dinner that I found out they made all kinds of cocktails. I immediately went to the bar and asked the nice man for a Sidecar. He gave me a blank look for a minute, then said that he had made them before but could only remember that brandy was involved. I had no idea what was in them, I just knew I liked them. The guy felt bad for me so he suggested a Brandy Manhattan, which replaces the whiskey with brandy. Again I *sacrificed* and had a couple of those.

When I returned to the reception area I immediately went to a friend of the family (one of my favorite people - he's just that fabulous!) who I thought might know the ingredients in a Sidecar. He's one of these people who should have been born in a different era - in his 30s but all about retro stuff...and debauchery. So you see, he was perfect! Sadly, he told me he didn't know. Dejectedly - while sipping on my Brandy Manhattan - I returned to my table and shared my tale of woe.

Suddenly, my brilliant computer god brother-in-law whipped out his...Blackberry (dirty-minded people!). He Googled the recipe! Just as someone at my table was writing it down on the back of the wedding favor engagement picture of the newly-married couple, the guy I had checked with earlier was at my side delivering the drink and a copy of the recipe on a wedding favor engagement picture! It turns out he too had "Blackberried" (is that a verb?) it and had given the recipe to the bartender. YAY!

Talk about synchronicity of brilliant minds devoted to the all important task of helping me get a cocktail. I have the greatest friends and family don't I?

Here's a picture of the hand-written recipe:

Needless to say - several Sidecars were subsequently consumed. That's me at the top of this post in my wedding finery and delicious Sidecar. Don't I look happy?

The Lola Shuffle - The "Spring Has Sprung!" Edition

Happy Spring!

Although Miami is green all year round we *do* have distinct signs of Spring, one of them being the flaming flowering of our beautiful Royal Poincianas. How I love these trees!

On another note, last night I had dinner with dear friends one of which I haven't seen as often as I should. We went to Panera and then to Starbucks and had a blast! She was recently laid off after working at the same job for over 20 years and is now in a state of flux. She's looking to change careers - isn't that exciting! It's a new beginning - so appropriate for Spring.

She was overwhelmed by decisions and choices and responsibilities and wanted friends' opinions. So we talked about that and about a million other things the way you always do when you reconnect with an old friend you haven't seen for a while...you seamlessly pick up where you left off.

It was really nice!

So Lola...go ahead and shuffle us up a nice weekend mix to get this party started...

1. New World Man - Rush
2. Rock Me Gently - Erasure
3. Con Los Años Que Me Quedan - Gloria Estefan
4. Makin' Whoopee - Ella Fitzgerald
5. I Only Want to Be With You - Dusty Springfield
6. Que Bueno Baila Usted - Beny More
7. My Sharona - The Knack
8. I Drove All Night - Cindy Lauper
9. I'm Gonna Make You Love Me - Diana Ross and the Supremes
10. Radio GAGA - Queen

Very nice...again, a lot we hadn't heard in a while. Good job Lola.

I hope everyone has a great Spring weekend...enjoy!

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Wait! When did they grow up?

In talking with a friend yesterday the subject of kids - specifically teenagers - came up. As you know I have no children, but most of my friends do and I was in the hospital either during or shortly after many of them were born. And frankly, I consider them sort of *my kids*. OK, not technically my children, but at the very least my nieces and nephews. In other words I love them and have watched them grow and become pretty amazing people.

This year, the oldest batch turns 19.

19!!!

What the hell? 19 is old. Well, for a kid. Not to mention how old it makes me (sigh).

Anyway, we were talking about how, despite some very, very minor mistakes they really are all good kids. Very good kids. When I read about the myriad of problems with "today's kids" I'm shocked and thankful that all that stuff is not a reality in *my* kids' lives.

Now, all of these kids went to private schools - as I did. I realize that private school, specifically in our upper-middle class "Miami Cuban" society, is almost a parallel universe to the *real world*. As I was talking to my friend I acknowledged that I had grown up in a pretty, pastel-hued bubble of a world, surrounded by friends and family, in small schools where everybody knew my name and feeling absolutely secure in the knowledge that I was never alone, that someone was always there for me, that I was always loved.

Then somewhere in my mid twenties reality hit. And it hit hard. It almost knocked me out. OK, wait. Despite the drama queen that I am, I'm not deluding myself into thinking I ever came anywhere close to "hitting rock bottom" - but it was rock bottom enough for *me*.

The thing is, I realize that when reality had the audacity to intrude in my rainbows and unicorns bubble it knocked me for a loop precisely because I lived in that bubble. So the question came up - is it better to raise a child in "a pretty bubble" only to have the snot knocked out of them at some point when they're older, or should you not protect your kids that much, should you let them see some of the ugliness of reality?

In my opinion - bubble away! As long as kids lucky enough to have the opportunity to live in a secure, nurturing and loving environment *know* that they're very lucky and don't take it for granted and don't feel entitled - I think it's OK. I'm not saying to spoil children by giving too much and expecting too little - I'm just saying that reality will eventually happen to them.

I know that I'm glad that when *the real world* hit me that I was in my 20s and not 14, or 17 or even 19. Maybe that's why it didn't break me.

19? My God - how is that even possible? I remember when she was all tiny and pink...when he was all scrunchy and shrieking. When did she become a beautiful young woman, and he a handsome young man? I don't want them to know too much reality just yet. I want to protect them for a little bit longer - not too much longer I know - but still, for a couple of more years maybe?

It's a beautiful day...

See the picture up there? That was today in Miami! Palm trees and a beautiful blue sky - temperatures in the mid to low 70s. I had a great Saturday. We drove out to Homestead, the agricultural area near Miami. It was Hubby, my friend Purplepassion and me.

First we went to "Knaus Berry Farm" - a farmers market run by "Dunkers" a German Baptist sect. They've been at the same location from November to May for at least 40 years. They're best known for strawberries and baked goods - particularly their cinnamon rolls - AMAZING!

Here's today's line for baked goods.

And look at the tomatoes, strawberries and veggies - YUM!

Afterwards we had lunch at one of Hubby's and my favorite Mexican restaurants. There's a large Mexican population living in Homestead, so there are a lot of very good, authentic Mexican restaurants. Later my friend and I walked around Downtown Homestead, checking out the antique shops, which I love doing.

While most of the country is enduring a horrifically cold winter, we are blessed in Miami to have days like today.

Lucky us!

A Year of Thanks

This is a bittersweet Thanksgiving for me.

It's my first holiday season as an official orphan. As you may know Mami died in February of this year. Since my father's death in 2003, we hadn't really done the traditional Thanksgiving meal with her. Her Alzheimer's made it difficult to go to a crowded party, and frankly, being Cuban, she didn't really miss the turkey and all the trimmings. Don't get me wrong, when I was a kid and up until my father died we always, always, always did Thanksgiving, either at home or with family - in fact due to my father's dealings with and travel to the United States (and the fact that he would use any excuse to gather with friends and eat), my parents were among the few who celebrated Thanksgiving in Cuba. In any case, with Mami we would usually take her to lunch during the Thanksgiving weekend and she would have her Thanksgiving steak!

Since we started not celebrating the actual Thanksgiving meal with my mother, we have been blessed to have dear friends who have adopted Hubby and me for Thanksgiving or Christmas Eve (we alternate holidays with my in-laws in PA). This year we will be going to our friends' house and giving thanks with and for them. I'll have some sweet potato mash - Mami's favorite Thanksgiving dish - in her honor. I'm comforted knowing that in heaven she and Papi will be dining with all their friends and family who are with them, Papi cutting the turkey (that was always his job - slice a piece, eat a piece, slice a piece, eat a piece) and Mami enjoying her super-rare Thanksgiving sirloin with fried plantains and white rice.

On the other hand what a year to be thankful! First the biggest blessing of my life - my husband - he drives me crazy, he keeps me sane, he picks me up when I fall, and he holds me when I need to be still - he is my life and my love and there will never be enough thanks I can give for him or to him.

Next the blessings of friends and family - these wonderful people fill my life with love and laughter. I am so much a better person because of them, I am so lucky. As an only child, these people are my tribe and my support system. And did I mention the laughter?

On the Sports front - let's give a big Thanksgiving shout out to the 2008 World Series Champions, the Philadelphia Phillies! WOO HOO! OK, that was mostly for Hubby, but he's happy and that makes me happy so - YAY!

And of course, what I've been waiting for since November 2000 - the end of the long national nightmare! We have a brand, spanking new President-elect! And what a President he will be! I am thankful for President-elect Barack Hussein Obama. I am so proud of him and so impressed by him and Michelle. January 20th can't come soon enough.

And I'm thankful for this Blog which gives me a chance to vent, ramble, rant, write, and share with old and new friends. And I'm thankful to you for reading my musings.

Have a safe, happy and blessed Thanksgiving with those you love. May next year find us with even more for which to be thankful.

Baseball and Lentils and Dumplings, Oh My!

I had a great weekend!

First of all the Phillies won both weekend games, putting us at a 3-1 lead! YAY! Hubby is over the moon!

Saturday, we woke up late and lolled around the house which is always fun. Then I went to a friend's house and learned how to make Cuban-Style Lentil Soup. The recipe will be up here in a couple of days - check it out, it's delicious! After we made the soup we had it for dinner along with a yummy pork loin, lots of wine and lots of laughter.

Sunday, some the Culinarily Adventurous Girls got together to go to an Armenian/Georgian restaurant - OHMYGOD - YUM! The food is similar to other Mediterranean fare, but it has a different twist to it. We had these Armenian Dumplings that were to die for. And again, wine and laughter with good friends.

Do you see a pattern here?

I hope your weekend was just as great!

Random Dots

• Last night I went to see David Sedaris "in concert". It wasn't a book signing at a book store, it was in a theater where he read from different sources. It was a surprise invitation from a dear friend, who advised that it was "her treat". How nice is that? It turns out to be exactly what I needed, a fun night out with a friend with whom I don't spend enough time. Before going to the theater we had dinner at her house with her 14 year old son who was a blast! We had bratwurst, macaroni and cheese, salad and my friend and I enjoyed a lovely Cab/Shiraz blend. We both realized it was the first time we had ever had macaroni and cheese with wine. It's a perfect pairing! Sedaris was fantastic. While I've read all of his books, except the most recent, I haven't liked them all - but he is fantastic in person. He's funny, irreverent, quirky, crude (but in a good way). If you ever get the chance to see him live, do so - it is totally worth it. and if you can do it with a friend all the better!
  


• While I was watching Sedaris, hubby was watching the Philadelphia Phillies winning the National League pennant and making it into the World Series for the first time in 15 years! YAY PHILLIES!



• Because of Sedaris and baseball, we DVRd the third and final (thankfully) Presidential debate. By the time I got home, watched the last 3 innings of the game with Hubby, watched the post-win celebration coverage and dealt with the plethora of calls from the in-laws in Philadelphia, we wound up watching the debate at around 12:30 a.m.. And then we watched the post-debate talking heads. I fell asleep after 4:00 a.m. - and woke up for work at 7:00 a.m. unable to pretty much move - my brain kept sending the signals to my body to move, but it didn't want to. After much cursing and sighing I finally dragged my caffeine-craving carcass into the office. Thus far I haven't fallen down, so I'm counting this as personal victory.



• Regarding the debate - you all know I'm an Obama supporter, so you know I think he won the debate. I will give McCain props for the first half hour - he looked good, made some good points and even got in a couple of good and fair jabs at Obama. Alas, then he started trying to rattle Obama and when that didn't happen McCain pissed himself off and went downhill from there. All the polls, except probably FOX News (DUH!) had Obama winning the debate handily. YAY!



• So about Joe the Plumber - no relation as far as we can tell to Joe Six-Pack - is not a licensed plumber. Oh, and the plumbers' union isn't happy with McCain's apparent appropriation of plumbers and in fact were the first labor union to endorse Obama. I don't know if that's important, but it amused me. Do you think Joe the Plumber knows about Andy Warhol ? Things that make you say hmmmm...

That's it for now...

Toni Morrison and Barack Obama

I just found Toni Morrison's Letter to Barack Obama that was published in The New York Observer on January 28. I had of course, heard that Morrison had endorsed Obama, but I hadn't read the letter. Phenomenal! Here's part of it:

In thinking carefully about the strengths of the candidates, I stunned myself
when I came to the following conclusion: that in addition to keen intelligence,
integrity and a rare authenticity, you exhibit something that has nothing to do
with age, experience, race or gender and something I don't see in other
candidates. That something is a creative imagination which coupled with
brilliance equals wisdom. It is too bad if we associate it only with gray hair
and old age. Or if we call searing vision naivete. Or if we believe cunning is
insight. Or if we settle for finessing cures tailored for each ravaged tree in
the forest while ignoring the poisonous landscape that feeds and surrounds it.
Wisdom is a gift; you can't train for it, inherit it, learn it in a class, or
earn it in the workplace--that access can foster the acquisition of knowledge,
but not wisdom.

Speaking of phenomenal women, I found Morrison's letter on Seamless Skin, a beautiful Blog by one of my favorite *cyber-friends* who in cyberspace goes by the name Karoda. Karoda is a wise, funny, caring soul whose colors she shares via her art, mostly quilts and fabric postcards. We've been *friends who've never met* for years now, and she remains someone whose voice I respect and enjoy.

A New Project

My friend purplepassion and I have embarked on a new project, because you know we don't have enough going on in our lives right now.

We want to collect recipes for traditional Cuban home-cooking and be taught by the "experts" - our mothers, grandmothers, aunts, older friends, etc. and then we want to preserve them and share them - hence the inception of a new Blog: Cuban Home Cooking ...Keeping the Tradition Alive. TA, DAAAA...

So Sunday 2/17 we met at the home of one of one of our best friend's mother - her name is Miriam, and she's fabulous. She taught us how to make Ham Croquettes - Cuban style. We had a blast! While we waited for the croqueta mixture to cool, we drank wine, looked at old photo albums, told and listened to stories, and basically just enjoyed ourselves.

Although this had been planned for a while it was particualrly good for *me* at this time to spend time with a "mom". She talked about stuff my parents used to tell me about and we talked about common friends, and about stuff I would've talked to my mother about.

At the end of the day we had croquetas to take home and the memory of an afternoon spent by women of different generations but with so much in common.

Anyway, please go check out the new Blog and tell me what you think!

The Lola Shuffle - "The Super Bowl Edition"

Although the teams that are playing in this year's Super Bowl are bth completely irrelevant to me, I want the Patriots to lose so that they don't break the 1972 Dolphins' Perfect Season .

The good thing is we're getting together with friends and always have a great time. One group of people will actually be watching the game and go to the bathroom during commercials and the half-time show, while the rest of us watch the commercials and half-time show and talk during the game.

Because the Dolphins' record may be brokwen this weekend, I think I should post the Dolphins fight song:

Miami has the Dolphins,

The greatest football team!

We take the ball from goal to goal,

Like no one's ever seen!

We're in the air,

We're on the ground,

We're always in control.

And when you say Miami,

You're talking Super Bowl!

(Chorus)'Cause we're the Miami Dolphins,Miami Dolphins,Miami Dolphins Number 1.

(Chorus 2)Yes we're the Miami Dolphins,Miami Dolphins,Miami Dolphins Number 1.

****************************
Go Lola...shuffle'em up for the '72 Dolphins...

1. Mi Tierra - Gloria Estefan
2. Jamming - Bob Marley and The Wailers
3. What Would You Say? - Dave Matthews Band
4. (Where Do I Begin?) Love Story - Tony Bennett (A classic so-bad-it's-good movie - great song though)
5. Band of Gold - Freda Payne (Oy! What a depressing song - can you imagine? She holds out until she gets married, and then on her honeymoon night her husband doesn't want to ñaca ñaca!)
6. Macorina - Orquesta Sensacion (not to be confused with the aberrant "Macarena". This is a classic Cuban danzon named after the supposed first woman driver in Cuba.)
7. Candy Everybody Wants - 10,000 Maniacs
8. Jailhouse Rock - Blues Brothers Soundtrack (it ain't Elvis, but it's good!)
9. Julie, Do Ya Love Me? - Bobby Sherman (Yes, Bobby Sherman - anybody wanna make something of it? Don't you laugh at me Miss Dixie Peach! You either Toni! You know he was hot...and I was like 7!)
10. I Shall SIng - Miriam Makeba (love her!)

Have a great weekend. GO GIANTS (only because you're not New England, otherwise bleh!)

Two Little Miracles

Amidst all the craziness that's been going on in my life I have been lucky enough to witness a wonderful event.

A friend with whom I work and his wife, with lots of faith and lots of hope, made the decision to initiate the adoption process back in June/July 2007. They applied to an agency where a friend from their church works. They went through the classes, background checks, home visits, paperwork, etc. Time passed and nothing happened. As 2007 drew to a close they were starting to believe it wouldn't happen, in fact they told each other "It looks like we're not going to have children" and they started to plan their annual summer vacation for 2008.

Through a series of events and conversations, my friend and his wife were told of a woman who had 5 kids - two of them infant twins - and needed to give up the twins, because she simply couldn't afford them. On January 3rd, my friend made an initial phone call to find out the details about the situation. Many phone calls later to lawyers, the birth mother, the agency's social worker and others, on January 9th my friends drove to Central Florida and came home with beautiful, 6 month-old fraternal twin girls. The lucky little girls are absolutely adorable, and the parents are beaming with happiness.

In just 6 days the lives of 4 people (plus extended friends and family) were changed forever! The clincher: the girls were named Faith and Hope by tehir birth mother! And, they were born at about the same time my friends decided to try to adopt.

Here they are, Faith on the left and Hope on the right.



These little girls are so blessed and have been greeted with so much love that their new dad was a bit overwhelmed the other day as he thanked all of us for the quick baby shower we put together for them. They had less than a month to prepare for not one but two babies - they had nothing! He told me that it hadn't been just us, but the new mom's workplace had done the same thing, as had members of their church along with their family.

What a way to begin the new year! I was lucky enough to see a miracle occur, one that has blessed four very special people.

The Culinarily Adventurous Girls Club

Have I ever told you about how a group of my friends and I get together once a month to try out new restaurants and foods? We call ourselves the Culinarily Adventurous Girls Club, (yes, I know "culinarily" is not a word - just go with it). We even let our boys be "honorary adventurous girls"!

If you have time, visit our web site and let me know what you think. Go ahead and explore - look at the pictures, check out the News Feeds we have some interesting stuff there, etc.

We have so much fun! We've been doing this for about two years and have enjoyed all kinds of cuisine: Ethiopian, South African, Korean, French, Indian, Salvadoran, Vietnamese, Mexican, Filipino, Bengali, Portuguese, Indonesian, etc. Obviously, in some cases the *adventure* is in trying a new restaurant rather than the type of food, but there's always something new to be discovered and tasted.

This is one of the ways I stay in touch with my friends regularly - we schedule time to just hang out, eat some good food, drink some good wine (or other things!) and just have fun.

Do you do anything special with your friends on a regular basis to maintain those important connections?

Noche Buena

It's Christmas Eve day. Last year I told you all about Noche Buena, so I don't have to do that again. Today I'm going to talk about how we're spending tonight.

When I was younger, my parents would either host Noche Buena and everyone would come to our house, or we would go to my godmother's house. It was always a big to-do, with at least 25 people and up to almost 40. As the years passed the kids grew up, moved away, got in-laws they had to visit, the older folks passed away, and my parents' generation got old and sick. I'm glad my husband was able to enjoy a couple of the big family Noche Buena celebrations before they stopped.

Since my father died and my mother began deteriorating, and because I'm an only child and don't have kids, we didn't really have a crowd with whom to celebrate. For a couple of years we got together with my mother and had a nice dinner, but now, she can't really stay up late and "being on" for too long overwhelms her. So, what we do is have a big Cuban Christmas day lunch with her at her favorite Cuban restaurant.

We are blessed to have one of my oldest friends who along with her "americano" husband host a big, loud, honking Cuban-style Noche Buena invite us to their home. So tonight we will be having a pit-roasted whole pig that's been marinating since yesterday, along with all the trimmings and lots of wine. We are so thankful that they have *adopted* us. They also have us over at Thanksgiving when we don't go to my in-laws' in Pennsylvania.

Now that Hubby has a more flexible schedule we plan to alternate between Thanksgiving and Christmas in PA. Whenever we're not there, my friend has issued a standing invitation to her house. That is one of the greatest gifts and one for which we are very thankful.

I hope all who read this are blessed to have at least one of that kind of friend.

I also hope everyone has a magical holiday full of love and laughter and that you get all the really important stuff on your wish lists - that's usually the stuff you don't write down and that can't be ordered on-line or gotten at the mall.

From me to you, dear reader..."Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night".

Fog!

OK, so here's the deal - we don't really get a lot of fog in Miami - and when we do it's like at dawn , not at 3:30 in the afternoon! We were leaving Philadelphia Park Casino and Race Track and had to drive in that mess! It freaked me out a little bit.

The casino was a lot of fun. Gambling recently became legal in Pennsylvania and the race track was one of the first places to open a casino. It's all slots and video versions of traditional table gambling. I wound up spending about $30 playing video blackjack.

Before going to the casino we had lunch at my favorite diner ever Club House Diner - it was awesome. And then after the casino, we had dinner with some of my in-laws' friends who I love to pieces, and we went to one of my other absolutely favorite places in the Philadelphia 'burbs Otto's Brauhaus in Horsham, PA (their web site isn't working).

After dinner we went to our friends' new apartment in a fabulous retirement community that made me wish I was 62 so I could live there. We played games and had a wonderful time. These people have become like an aunt and uncle and I enjoy spending time with them.

So...another wonderful vacation day. Hubby and I even got our picture taken with Santa - he was at the Diner!

Game Night!

Tonight I’m hosting Game Night at my house. This is something we came up with to replace our participation in a book club of which I had been a founding member and participated in for 10 years. Due to personality issues, many of us left the book club, but those that left decided we wanted to continue socializing on a regular basis – we had truly become friends. So Game Night was born. Only one Game Night participant wasn’t part of the book club, but she might as well have been.

Tonight there will be five of us, but we can sometimes be up to nine. We’ll be playing charades. The food is pot-luck and there’s always lots of wine as we find it enhances any game-playing activity. Actually, we find it enhances pretty much all activities.

We’re quite the boisterous, animated group – so it promises to be a fun, laugh-filled night with wonderful women. Just what the doctor ordered.

TRANSLATION – Esta noche soy la anfitriona de una Noche de Juego. Noche de Juego es algo que un grupo de amigas inventamos para reemplazar nuestra participación en un club de libros del cual yo fui fundadora y en el cual participé por 10 años. Debido a conflictos de personalidad, la mayoría renunciamos del club pero decidimos que queríamos continuar viéndonos regularmente, pues nos habíamos convertido en buenas amigas. Y de ahí la Noche de Juego nació. Solamente una de las participantes de Noche de Juego no participó en el club de libros, pero no importa.

Hoy nos reuniremos 5, pero a veces somos hasta 9. Esta noche vamos a jugar a las Charadas o Dígalo con Mímica. Cada una trae algo de comer y tomamos mucho vino, pues hemos descubierto que el vino mejora cualquier juego. En realidad, nosotras creemos que el vino mejora todas las actividades.

Somos un grupo bastante bullicioso y animado – luego promete ser una noche divertida, llena de risas y mujeres fabulosas. ¡Justo lo que necesito!

Dinner with Friends

When I woke up this morning I called a friend who had left me a message on my cell yesterday. It turns out she and her husband were alone for the long weekend having sent their kids away with her sister - she wanted to know if we wanted to join them for dinner. So we went to a great Vietnamese restaurant and had a great time, just eating and talking long after we were done eating...talking about nothing and everything.

Tomorrow night we're getting together with a bunch of friends for cards and hanging out. Rumor has it we're going to play poker. My hubby and another one of the men are going to be teaching us all how to play - that promises to be a hoot! Luckily there will be copious amounts of wine.

I really enjoy getting together with friends - be it a large group or just one or two couples. I have several groups of friends: what I consider my *core group* that I've known for over 20 years now, friends I made in my book club, friends from work, friends from hubby's work and friends I've made along the way.

Being an only child with no local family and with my husband's family also out of state, these people - particularly my core group - *are* my family. These are the people with whom I share both good and bad times, and who prop me up and keep me sane. They're the ones with whom we celebrate the major *family* holidays.

They're my *peeps* - I'm very, very lucky.