Jackie, Me and the Ghost I come from an island where people are more in tune with the unexplained. People pray to their ancestors for guidance. Many people in my family and somewhat attuned with a strong intuition and, in some cases, a connection to spirits, or some...
Mount Dora Center for the Arts In 1985 I was the founding director for the Mount Dora Center for the Arts. In those days, the Mount Dora Art Festival was 14 years old and was being managed by a group of volunteers who called themselves the Mount Dora Cultural Council....
Lee’s Garden In the 1980’s, Connie, my mother-in-law, lived on Lake Gertrude, a beautiful lake in Mount Dora, Florida. In the early 80’s Mount Dora was a sleepy little town, mainly a retirement community. For the most part, if you saw anyone younger...
My Mother, The Early Years My mother was born in San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic, on October 20, 1926. San Pedro de Macorís, a city now known for producing baseball players, was, in 1926, the leading economic boom city of the island, and was going through...
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 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...
