My girl. Sleepy. Her first day of Elementary School. She’s 5 years and 9 months. And, art happens in the strangest of places. Like, under the church pew in the kitchen. I allow a few shoes to collect there, but it got a little out of control in the last days of vacation. Maybe because [...]

click to enlarge. it’s worth it. So ya, se acabo the school year. What a delight. Maria got to sleep in until 8:30 a.m., and I myself didn’t roll out of bed until nearly 8 a.m. It is Saturday, but I hope the trend continues. We both have been dragging. And, while I am all [...]

When Maria was 2-years-old, she and her father were outside digging in the dirt. She found a worm and was poking at it with a small trowel.“One gusano,” she said.My husband says that just as he was going to tell her to be careful not to hurt the worm with the trowel, she said: “Two [...]

My nena was once nicknamed “Cowgirl” by her father. She was a tough little fireplug who wore pants and t-shirts most of her first three years and then she discovered sparkle and skirts that spin. “Cowgirl” is no more. She’s still a tough chick, but a chick who toughs it out in dangly jewelry, tiaras [...]

my Mother’s Day Card, 2009 It is Sunday morning, on Mother’s Day, and I am resting after a dad- and daughter-created breakfast of pancakes and scrambled eggs. I think I want to go back to sleep. But, the girl wearing silk roses in her hair and a yellow tutu sitting next to me, likely will [...]

It was the 1970s and I was between the ages of four and 12 when my family lived in the Miami version of the Boonies — Perrine. It was a haul to get there, down U.S. 1, past the Miami Serpentarium, endless pine trees and not much else. En casa del rayo. The family next [...]

My horoscope (Leo, of course) told me last week I should stop being such a dilettante. To pick one thing, cohopio, and stick with it so that I can excel. I laughed out loud and thanked the gods for sending me such a timely message. My fingers are in many pots at the moment and [...]

My girl welcomed me home last night with a very big and happy hug.My husband made arroz con pollo for me, so that when the door to our house opened it smelled divine. I was in Denver this week working and visiting good, good friends — a double bonus trip. And triple bonus, I got to [...]

Saturday mornings, when the house is quiet and I have no where I need to be, I fire up the Netvibes reader and wander around blogs I love. It’s a lovely way to start the weekend. Crema catalana recipe from Laylita. Heaven.Latina.com reveals Latino celebs on Twitter.10 reasons why it is good there are more [...]

Maria is leaving little altars everywhere. I write about them today at Parenting.com. from the post: “You see, when you grow up Cuban in Miami and your neighbors sacrifice goats to please the gods, a few relatives and friends channel dead people, and your aunt leaves offerings of rum, sweets and tobacco on an altar before a 4-foot-tall [...]