A Wonderful Christmastime

One week til Christmas and this right here is the very best part of it all for me: The preparations. The houseful of busy Christmas preparations. 
The crossing stuff off lists.  The anticipation of the happy and surprised looks.   Christmas music playing and busy people in the house.
The girls call out for us to look at a particular clip they're working on.
We call them into the kitchen to taste the batch with the dark rum.

Adam is making Creme de Vie for everyone we know -  my job is tagging and bottle decorating, which suits me just fine right now. The cookies were labored over earlier by Lucy and Jonathan and their cousin, Cody, at Grandma's House.

Lucy is a goddess when it comes to wrapping. Red & gold paper. Red and golden bows.
We're all kind of working on our own contribution to Christmas, separate, yet together.

And then. . . that bouncy Paul McCartney Christmas song comes on and Adam yells out something about the Bunny Hop and the next thing we know we're all bouncing around the living room.  Bunny Hop.  You know.  Step twice to the right.  Step twice to the left.  Jump forward, then backward. Then Hop, Hop, Hop.  In a kind of conga-line formation.  We were just doubled over with laughter and could barely breathe, but just kept right on bunny hopping in our formation and I didn't want to interrupt the Bunny Hopping to take pictures.  You'll just have to trust me on this. 

It was the most perfect Christmas moment.   And it wasn't staged or choreographed.  But it was like a really great scene out of a really great Christmas movie. 

I love it when life just happens.  I am so damn lucky. ;-)

We used that song for one of our videos a few years ago.  It shows Christmas through the years. Please enjoy. (kudos to my Amazing Amy, once again.)

Yes, that's Andy Garcia in our family home movie. =D

It's a week before Christmas and I find this taped to my studio door.  What on earth. . .?

Oh yes, it's crunch time.

You see we (Amy, Lucy and I) make a Christmas film every year.  We take all our home movies and set them to music and cut the clips together and give it a fun title and ta-da! it becomes a family keepsake.  Okay, so the process is a bit more complicated than that.

The movie making branch of our family is Cucufate Pictures. (it's just us, but it sounds cool, doesn't it?)  And really Amy is the glue that holds this movie crew together.  She's just amazing at taking home movies and turning them into a thing of beauty.  Lucy is her loyal sidekick hero support.  I just try to push my weight around and get them to employ my suggestions - for that they let me call myself the Director. (I like that. It makes me sound taller, somehow. . .)

We're in full Christmas video making mode now.  Yes, we're ready for Christmas otherwise, but we Must. Have. The. Video.  The rest of my big fat Cuban family is expecting it and we don't want to disappoint.

So the girls have been working feverishly on this year's production and it's going to be amazing (as usual).

I thought it would be fun to add a few of the segments to my blog this week for your holiday blog viewing pleasure.  (and so you can ooh and aah about how talented my girls are and how fun my family is. =D)

Amy cut together this sweet piece showing the men in our family at various ages and the title of the home movie they appeared in.  It's just an extra added bonus that Andy Garcia just happens to be a part of this clip. (Yes, I had to lean on her a little.  You'll find that under my job description as The Director. ;-)

Enjoy!

Counting the days . . . or making the days count?

Today's advent activity:
Churros, Hot Chocolate and The Grinch.

I cannot even tell you how cool this whole calendar thing has been. There's already so much anticipation!
They've already established rules:

1) They open each box together.

2) No peeking ahead.

3) They immediately tell Amy and Adam what the activity will be and ask them to join us.

It's so awesome how it's making us focus, not just on the coming of Christmas, but on making some really great memories together and celebrating each day. 

I love that.

So, I made the churros and the hot chocolate (and took my bows =D).

And then we watched How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Why that movie? (Because I'm a total dork, that's why. But that's not important right now. =D)

At the very end, and just before the credits, the director, Ron Howard, dedicates the movie to:

His mom, ". . . who loved Christmas the most."

(Shut. up. I really want to be that mom.)

I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.

NOTE: This post will make sense to die-hard Tolkien fans and LOTR uber-geeks (and you know who you are and in which case you'll love the links on this page) and will merely amuse the rest of you. =D

In September of 1973, the author J.R.R. Tolkien died.  As usually happens with notable literary or artistic figures, after their death there is new interest in what they did in life. (I'm noticing this now with the recent death of Pavarotti.)

Meanwhile, back in 1973 . . .

I had just graduated from high school and my sister, Miriam gave me the gift pictured here.
It's The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien.  (can you say, "prized possession?")

What, you are asking yourself, are they doing on the table??
And what, you ask again, are those little figures on top of the books?
Or maybe you are thinking, the uber-geek strikes again!  and that would be totally true.

I read the books for the first time in 1973 and was completely captivated by the amazing story and characters.  (This was the Harry Potter of my day. =D)  I still read the entire trilogy about once a year.  I have read them aloud to each one of my kids.  Yes, the entire trilogy.  Out loud.  Multiple times.  And I never get tired of it.  And yes, I take full credit for turning my family into Hobbit-lovers and Elf-friends (and uber-geeks).  =D

But why are there books on the table?

Because, today is Bilbo and Frodo's birthday.  And every year on September 22nd we have a party. 
No way!  WAY.

I usually make some kind of beef with a side dish of mushrooms. 
There is usually a basket of small apples (for Bill the Pony, of course) and an assortment of Lembas bread.  (I warned you that I can be an uber-geek, didn't I??) 
I make placecards with our Elvish names on them. (I'm Ireth Vanimedlë in case you were curious. =D)
And we play Lord of the Rings Trivia (the little figures are from that game).
Amy helps decorate and always brings her life-size standee of Legolas.
We always watch the first movie, The Fellowship of the Ring (Extended version, of course), and clap loudly when Bilbo says,

"It is no bad thing to celebrate a simple life."

We take a break at that point to have cake (it's a birthday party, after all).  ;-)

Why all this nonsense?
I started doing this about six years ago as a homeschooling exercise for Lucy and Jonathan, but it was such fun and we all got so into it, we continued doing it every year and even began inviting friends (mostly Adam's friends, who thought the whole thing was so geeky that it was cool) and family (Hi Nat and Katie!).

Because as goofy as it all sounds, it has become A Tradition.  And it is our traditions that set us apart as A Family. 

And for that, I'm completely unapologetic.

"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us." ~ J.R.R. Tolkien

Happy Birthday, Bilbo and Frodo. =D

We didn't even get sANDY. ;-)

So stinking hot here!

It was really even too hot to think about fighting the crowds and Labor Day weekend traffic to get to the beach. I know. I can still barely believe I'd give up a beach day...

But we cranked up the a/c and made it a point to move as little as possible.

We just hung out and read and watched a movie.

Ocean's Twelve.

That's right. The one with Andy Garcia and . . . those other guys. ;-)

Because it was just too stinking hot. 

And Andy's just sooo darn cool. =D

The Double Feature

My mom was with us this weekend.  She's a pretty good sport about lots of things.

We thought it would be fun to have her join us for a movie in our outdoor theater. We were hoping she'd get a kick out of the drive-in feeling.

I chose "An Affair to Remember" with Cary Grant and Debroah Kerr. I knew she would at least recognize the actors and I also knew I would have to be sitting in the back (Eric and the kids voted) with her so that I could translate the words during the movie. (did I mention she's 93 and pretty deaf?)
So we get ourselves settled into the chairs with warmed up blankets for added coziness.
And I start the yelling explaining.

Then she gets a little agitated.
Yes, she has seen this movie before.
When it first came out in 1957.
With my dad.
In Havana.
At a drive-in.

My dad loved going to movies. He preferred the drive-in because he could smoke and roll down the car windows and he could talk and ask questions and discuss good points. He loved the double feature.  No, she couldn't remember what was playing with this.  But she remembers seeing This Movie at the drive-in in Havana. 

I've never once heard of this. Drive-in? Double Feature? In Havana? Who knew?? I went slack-jawed and was completely taken by surprise as she described the scene to me.

1957. My young parents at the drive-in.
All the kids were farmed out to various relatives.
He was 46. She was 43.
Their lives would be turned upside down in a few short years.
But that night, they were watching Cary Grant put the moves on Deborah Kerr.
And they were together.
And life was good.

How is it, I ask you, that I could have chosen the exact movie that took her back to pre-revolutionary Havana? And basically re-created an event in her history?
This was a God-moment if there ever was one.

I cry anyway when they just start playing the theme music to this film.
I weep when Cary Grant finally figures out that Deborah Kerr didn't stand him up when she was supposed to meet him at the top of the Empire State Building, but that she is indeed crippled and it's Christmas and she tells him, "It was the nearest thing to heaven; you were there!" (you're just going to have to see it; there is no way to explain this all. If you have seen it, you know exactly what I'm talking about.)

I could see the tears rolling down her cheek in the glow of the screen.
I was weeping myself.
Just for a moment, it was 1957 and my parents were young and they were at the drive-in in Havana.
And life was sweet and full of promise.

And I wept some more - for what might have been.

NOTE:
For continuity, we watched "Sleepless in Seattle" tonight - because it makes reference to "An Affair to Remember."   

We did it in honor of my dad.

He just loved the double feature.

Would you believe...?

I'm constantly thinking of stuff to do with my family.  I think it's because I feel like I've got so much to share with them. I want them to have so many wonderful experiences and to appreciate life.

I take my job as a mother pretty seriously.  I'm smart enough to know that the choices I make today, the things I say, the things I do all affect the next generation - for good or bad.
I love listening to El Trio Matamoros because it was my mom's favorite music.
I have Fiesta dishes because they remind me of my childhood in Varadero.
Likewise, my kids all listen to The Beatles and U2 (=D).

They love movies and plays and books (because we obviously do).  We can take them to any restaurant and they will try new foods, remembering the "at least one bite" rule.
Many times when I tell them a story about my childhood or teenage years they just roll their eyes.
But I know they are listening. And they are pretty much open to the things I share with them.

Knowing that I grew up in the 60's and 70's, they listen to me tell stories with the kind of concentration they might have if they were witnessing a train wreck.  Horror, shock, confusion and amazement.

"Is it really possible," they are thinking, "that my mom could be such a dork?"

The answer is a great big YES!
And if you know the difference between CONTROL and KAOS, and what "The Cone of Silence" is,  you might almost be as dorky as me! ;-)

UPDATE: Lucy says that the nuances of this post will escape some people. So, to clarify: there was a TV show called "Get Smart" in the 60's. Don Adams played Secret Agent Maxwell Smart (hence the title of the show).  This is the trailer for the movie, "Get Smart" which comes out next year. He would always say, "Would you believe....?"

There. Happy now? =D

My Big, Fat Cuban Outdoor Movie Theater

Okay, so.... The Darby Backyard Movie Theater ROCKS!

I know you were curious.
(I may never come back inside again. =D)

Movies and popcorn under the stars.
The picture is crystal clear.
The sound is perfect.
The whole scene is just idyllic.

Makes me want to have a party. (actually, just about anything makes me want to have a party - I can't help it. I'm Cuban. Entertaining is in my blood.)

Tomorrow is Adam's 21st birthday. S0 tonight there will be a big, fat Cuban celebration at our house.  Adam has invited a dozen of his friends, whom I'll be feeding and entertaining.

I am serving Pan con Lechon, Mariquitas and Matervas. Pastelitos de guayaba for dessert.
And because it's a party for Adam (Class Clown in Residence), we're going to show The Court Jester.

I think it's apropos. ;-)

As you wish.

For my birthday last month Eric got me the most fabulous gift - a projector and a giant 10 foot screen.

I know what you're thinking: "Wow. How romantic."  (Not!)

But, seriously, I have been wanting this for YEARS.
But let me tell you why.
I want to show movies outside in my backyard. (I told you I love movies.)

So, we're working on getting the speakers hooked up and hoping to have a screening maybe this weekend.
I am so pumped about this, (coincidentally this month's Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine arrives in my mailbox and one of the articles is this whole casual party plan and it involves showing a movie OUTSIDE and I swear, she totally jacked my idea, and no, I'm not even tempted to serve Goat-cheese Nachos or Jalapeño Corn Muffins, but that's not important right now) But all of us are voting on which movie we will show for our First Feature. 

We agreed that it would have to be a classic film with universal appeal and so we wrote down choices on slips of paper.  Would you believe it was unanimous?
It is one of our all-time favorites for quoting movie lines.

Can you guess which film?  Have you got a favorite line from it?   {please share}

Q: Has it got any sports in it?
A: Are you kidding? Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles...
Q: Doesn't sound too bad. I'll try to stay awake.
 A: Oh, well, thank you very much, very nice of you. Your vote of confidence is overwhelming.

That day, she was amazed to discover that when he was saying "As you wish", what he meant was, "I love you."

It just doesn't get any better than this.
Because my dorkiness knows no bounds. =D

Six degrees of dinner conversation...

The discussions around our dinner table are never dull. We are constantly trying to stump each other with questions. Sometimes we play "Twenty Questions" or "World's Worst." But we always get back to movies.

We love movies.

We (by choice) don't have cable, so we don't watch tv. (although, I admit we do have some tv on dvds)
But we love movies.
Old movies. New movies. Animated. (and yes, I do admit to bowing down to the Animation Gods of Pixar. =D) Action-Adventure. Drama. Sci-Fi. Musicals. Comedy. (pretty much anything but Horror, unless it involves Boris Karloff or Bela Lugosi -who are, to me, the most deeply terrifying actors of all time, but that's not important right now - in fact, I should really save that discussion for my therapist).

By default to all this movie love, we also seem to talk a lot in movie lines, or at least whenever we are witty enough to do so.
One of our many favorites, when one of us makes the "uh-oh" sound:
"What did you do, Ray?" (Ghostbusters)

We love playing movie trivia games, too.  Like Celebrity Taboo.

But our very favorite movie-related pastime is The Kevin Bacon Game.  Or Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.
The premise is that Kevin Bacon is at the center of the entertainment universe and you can link actors from movie to movie and always get back to Kevin Bacon.

For example:  I was quite proud of linking Marilyn Monroe back to Kevin Bacon.
It goes like this:
Marilyn Monroe was in "Some Like it Hot" with Jack Lemmon (1) ,
who was in "Grumpy Old Men" with Darryl Hannah (2),
who was in "Splash" with Tom Hanks (3) 
who was in "Apollo 13" with Kevin Bacon (4).

Pretty good considering we started in the 1930's. But then I remembered Eli Wallach.  Marilyn Monroe was in "The Misfits" with Eli Wallach (1), who was in "Mystic River" with Kevin Bacon (2). Bringing the Kevin Bacon rating on that one down to a two.  I RULE THIS GAME! - (Partly because I have seen tons of movies, but partly because of my age.) =D

So that's the game. I get phone calls from some of Adam's friends randomly. I answer the phone: "hello?" The voice at the other end says: "Johnny Depp" and I'm off...
"Johnny Depp was in "Edward Scissorhands" with Dianne Wiest (1),
who was in "Footloose" with Kevin Bacon (2).  Oooh - 2 points!

And then, because he has been on my mind..... I wonder about Andy Garcia.
Andy Garcia...
was in "The Air I Breath" WITH KEVIN BACON (1!!)
It is just as I suspected.... it is actually Andy Garcia who is at the center of the entertainment universe.
Hmm... so that means that to get from Marilyn Monroe - "The Misfits" , you could still go through Eli Wallach (1)  (bless his character actor's heart), who was in  "Godfather III" with Andy Garcia (2).

That's it! I am so inspired now. 
A Cuban at the very center of the entertainment universe.
It is as God intended.  ;-)

You're welcome to play with me if you like.
Try these:

1) John Lithgow
2) Robin Williams
3) Rene Russo
4) Pierce Brosnan
5) Mary Stuart Masterson
6) Gene Hackman
7) Dolph Lundgren
8) Michael Keaton
9) Will Smith
10) Chevy Chase

(hint - www.imdb.com has all the information you need and want)

We're having some fun now, aren't we? =D