CocoGarcia

Hooray for Holidays!

I love the holidays.  I just can't help myself. The anticipation of festivities, joy, family and community celebration, food, music, singing, services, spiritual rituals and even all the gifting.  Tamales and pasteles, christmas trees and hannukah dradles, grass under my bed for gifts from the three kings, new year's eve, mistletoe, ornaments, gift wrapping, midnight mass, lighting candles, advent, arroz con leche, majarete.  I love the holidays for all the good we engender, for the gentler spirit we release.  I love the holidays for its pure joy.  Happy holidays!  May yours be joyous.  I'm working on extending the Puerto Rican tradition of holidays that go from November through February to the entire year.

At the Beach with my Sister

Jackie Tapes Not to be Missed!

Do not miss the recently released recordings of Jacqueline Kennedy's 1964 conversations with Arthur Schlesinger Jr.  What a wonderful way to appreciate this remarkable woman's role in modern history and her take on the world from her perch in the White House.  Jacqueline Kennedy's notable intelligence, wit and thoughtfulness emanate from this publication.  It also gives such a strong sense of the constraints on women in those times, something of which we would all do well to remind ourselves.  Kudos to Caroline Kennedy and her family for having the courage to release these until now vaulted valuables.  What a thought provoking backdrop for pondering the mess we're in today.  Where has our civic pride gone?  Our sense of social justice?  Our humanity?  Difficult times ask much of us.  We need to step up.  People before us worked to hard for us to sit back.  We need to step up.

Unplug, Recharge, Sleep

Yes, unplug, recharge, sleep. These recent words of Arianna Huffington in this month's Vogue caught my attention, and for the obvious reason. I need all of the above.  I too have much ahead for which I wish to be at my best. And you?  Time for a homemade bowl of soup anyone?