Families March, Myrtle Beach, 4th of July, and Heavenly Bodies – and NYC (July 2018)

What a wonderful week!

 

In the span of nine days we participated in various activities and outtings that merit memoralizing with pictures. Each gets their own album:

[] We began by joining in the national march advocating to keep families together as they seek assylum entering this country.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/gK9KxABk9LUu3jii7

 

[] After the march we drove to Myrtle Beach to visit our good friends, Dave and Denise to see Dave act in a play at a community theater – and go to the beach.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/d6KSa9sxNLDBvr7x9

 

[] We came home in time to partake in the Takoma Park 4th of July Parade and later enjoyed the fireworks after visiting with neighbors for a cookout.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/RSPAaD9njJRGEbwD8

 

[] After resting for a brief couple of days we took Greyhound to NYC where we thoroughly took in the amazing exhibit at the Met – and Cloisters – “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination”. We also had a blast at the Guantanamera Restaurant.

Heavenly Bodies
https://photos.app.goo.gl/CkphtXpeKXQk8rSF9

 

Mexican Art at the Met
https://photos.app.goo.gl/iLwkXRisekrbBiL79

 

The Met, The Cloisters, and Misc NYC
https://photos.app.goo.gl/taX4gkqkbGCuo5Ry7

 

Guantanamera Bar
https://photos.app.goo.gl/3jzQftMwbTvuMmCy5

 

Three mini videos moments capture the fun:

Beach and Fun at Myrtle Beach Bar

 

Fun at Guantanamera Bar

 

Fireworks

 

All said, it was a wonderful week to celebrate GD’s birthday!

 

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(scroll down to links to pictures and videos)

What a wonderful time it was!

Sunday, May 27^th, 2018 we were blessed with the accompaniment of friends and family for yet another lechón.

This time we made some ‘adjustments’ to how we prepared and cooked the lechón that proved to work rather well. It made for a tastier, crispier lechón. As usual we bought a free-range never frozen lechón from Canales Meat – at the Eastern Market in D.C. But this time we over-injected mojo and cooked it slower – 5 hours before turning it over for an additional 1 ½ , and then let it ‘breathe’ for another hour. It made a difference in taste for sure!

We also set up the bar with mostly rum. And Salvadorian Tic Tac, Ethiopian moonshine, and an array of other libations from many parts of the world, along with beer, cola, water, and GD’s mojito, of course. And, we had the Legendary Dave-O D.J. provide awesome music to enhance the mood.

We arranged the yard as has become customary, with tents. This time we added a third tent to cover the lechón.  Earlier in the year we had covered the patio with brick – which made a major difference from the days when the area would turn into a mud puddle with the slightest rain.

And rain it did – the day before. A torrential downpour that turned the backyard into a swamp with waterfalls and all. The forecast indicated a 90% chance of rain for Sunday – the day of the lechón – so we had to prepare the inside of the house for the inevitability of rain… Yet the rain never came! God was good to us. (I think she likes these family/friend gatherings.)

The day-of we set up the Caja China at 6:30 a.m. and had the lechón ready for carving by 2 p.m. because of the expected rain (that never came.) Friends and family – including four dogs and many children – came by to enJoy the festivities. It was very cool to share with amigos from Senegal, Thailand, India, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, the U.S., and the Republic of Takoma Park.

No agendas. No timeframe. No set start / end time… Indeed, we lit up the stogies late at night, and sat around till after 1:00 a.m… Just a gathering with good folks to share stories, converse, catch up, and pass the time in good nature fun… Nada mas.

A wonderful time indeed.

LINKS:

• Original Invite
• Pictures (including some from Marla)
• Video set to music
• Raw footage of how to carve the lechón (thanks to Praj)

400 artists. 2 weeks.

Cuba came to the Kennedy Center for this amazing display of art from the island. We were fortunate to go to four events and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it… Such a paradox. So much talented Cuban artists – in and outside the Island. Yet, such a repressive government… Our challenge continues to be separating the people from the government, promoting people-to-people interaction, staying away from the politics, and enJoying the culture, life, and beauty that is Cuba.

The events we went to included:

• Havana Lyceum Orchestra with Ulises Hernandez and Ali Arango
• Aymee Nuviola with Dr. Ed Calle
• Haydee Milanes & Trio with Pablo Milanes
• Argos Teatro “10 Millones”

It was very cool to also enjoy free entertainment at the Millennium Stage before the show; and free ‘fiestas’ afterwards, with live music and more.

A FEW PICTURES

A SHORT VIDEO HIGHLIGHTING OUR VISIT

A MOVING VIDEO OF A PHOTO MURAL OF EL MALECON

 

(April, 2018)

It was extremely cool to have Ibri, Elina, Drake, Lucas, Victor, and Olivia visit with us for a few days. We had a blast! What a bunch of wonderful kids – and good grandparents 🙂

We visited sites, ate, drank, played, drank, visited sites, drank, and ate… A lot!

PICTURE ALBUM    2-MINUTE VIDEO

 

 

Tia, Tio, Carmencita and Julio visited to join us seeing IN THE HEIGHTS, starring Ana as Nina. We also were fortunate to dog-sit with Ollie!

It happened that the same weekend, the March for Our Lives took place. We enthusiastically participated.

(Berto had a great time too.)

PICTURES    

RANDOM VIDEO MOMENTS

PICTURES  (all)   

RANDOM VIDEO MOMENTS

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FELIZ NAVIDAD 2017

Here’s wishing you and yours a wonderful, joyous Holiday Season! 

… and wishing you the best of the four Fs of this Fiesta season: 

May you be with family, having fun, enjoying food, and practicing faith.

 

For us, this year – like every year – was special. “Especial“… And, yes, it revolved mostly around family, fun, food, and faith.

RR3 turned “uno“. (He is simply awesome.)

We saw On Your Feet for its final showing on Broadway. (Ana was magical – as always.)

We accompanied Toti (RR[1]’s bro) on his new journey with Luisa at their wedding. (And, rejoiced with Lini (RR[1]’s brother) & Mary’s growing (9!) number of grandchildren – and with Susana (GD’s sis) and Jose Miguel and Carmencita (RR[1]’s sis) and Julio as they join the rank of grandparents.)

We shared with Suzy and Ricardo at their wedding in Atlanta. (And hung out with Maria, Jessica and the (growing!) kids.)

It was so cool during the year continuing to see the familia grow and grow! (Thanks in part to Facebook we enjoyed seeing the pictures of the little ones.)

We visited Miami to check in on the dwindling number of elderly. (It was so heartwarming to see them.)

Our new Caja China proved to be a success. (We used it to do a ‘pavochon‘ for Thanksgiving.)

We were blessed with the opportunity to revisit Cuba; do a photo-safari in South Africa; and do Oktoberfest in Munich. (Traveling remains hobby #1.)

GD continues with her Yoga, Hallmark Channel, and reading her ‘novelitas‘. (And doing her part at the NIH with HIV/AIDS research at the Cancer Institute.)

RR[1] continues to do his thing with Silver Spring and Montgomery County. (And read books by Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Thomas Friedman – and the Pope – to re-energize for the year ahead.)

Our faith journey continues. (Reconnecting with old friends and experiencing the Exercises.)

And, we both continue doing what we can to connect with community near and far to #RESIST. (And invite you to do the same in 2018 in your community by engaging – and voting.)

Please visit our Familia’s Portal to see pictures of the many outings, celebrations, and more.

A decade of Feliz Navidad messages:

• 2007  2008  2009  2010  2011  2012  2013  2014  2015  2016

enJoy this beautiful Christmas card, which re-imagines the Holy Family in a contemporary setting, created by Everett Patterson. (Visit his site for explanation of the many symbols in the card.)

FELIZ NAVIDAD!

Rembe y Geraldina

It was truly quite an experience to share Oktoberfest in Munich (Germany) with RR3 and the family.

It was fun, real (Dachau!), and imaginative, (“Sleeping Beauty” castle.)

Lots of beer was drunk. But the good German food helped process it w/o getting too crazy.

Lots of bikes everywhere! Wonderful scale (a la DC.)

Nice weather. Good times!

PICTURES

• All
• Highlights

MOVIES

• The whole enchilada (16 minutes!)
• RR3 Moments
• BeerFun

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