Mama Lupe

Mama Lupe

Mama Lupe When I was born, there was a problem with my mother’s milk and I wasn’t breast-fed. I had to go on formula. Unfortunately, no matter what anyone tried to feed me, I didn’t like it. My mother says I scrunched up my whole face and spit it out. Not having...
In a Heap of Trouble

In a Heap of Trouble

In a Heap of Trouble   When my father had to jump ship in Puerto Rico to save his life, in 1959, he sent my mother a telegram that said “I Love You Always”. This was their code for something had happened but he was OK. The next day it was in the news: Alberto...
December 1978 Vacation

December 1978 Vacation

December 1978 Vacation   December of 1978, my husband Tom and I headed down to the DR for Christmas vacation. We were both attending Tyler School of art in Philadelphia.The journey to the DR every vacation started with a train ride to New York City. Then a...
The Baby in the Bottle

The Baby in the Bottle

As soon as my parents got together again, my mother became pregnant. It seems every time they got back together, there was a new baby. My mother was about 5 months pregnant when she and my father went out for a drive. My father didn’t see a speed bump (in the DR they...
My Parents

My Parents

My Parents Rafael Alberto Arvelo Gonzalez and Ysabel María Irene Dalmau Pichardo My mother was the daughter of Alfredo Dalmau Rijo and Diana Pichardo Martinez. My mother’s father was a tycoon, who, among other things, represented and distributed Sinclair Oil Company...