by Betsy | Jun 15, 2016
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...
by Betsy | Aug 2, 2015
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....
by Betsy | Jul 31, 2015
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...
by Betsy | Jun 23, 2015
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...
by Betsy | Jun 23, 2015
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...
by Betsy | Jun 23, 2015
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...
