Today

Jonathan was only five years old when the 9/11 terrorist attacks occured in 2001.

We didn't have tv then either and chose not to tell him or Lucy (who was 8) about the attacks.

We would tell them later, we decided. When they were older and we could better explain the presence of evil in our world.

There would come a day we'd recall the horror and the heroism. We would tell them in detail about the hijackings. About those that died and the unprecedented bravery of New York's finest.

We had given them the "broad strokes" of that day as part of history lessons. But we knew there would come a day when we would tell them the whole story.

We would tell them the details of terrorism and patriotism.

One day, when they were old enough, we'd tell them everything.

Today was that day.

This day, like that fateful September day, is one I will NEVER forget.

Energy Crisis

I don't think I could live in this city. This "...city that never sleeps."I'm an extrovert. I get my energy from people and my surroundings. And trust me, New York has A LOT of energy. (And I have enough trouble sleeping in my own bed in my own sleepy part of the Bubble, but that's not important right now.) But we're here. In New York City. And I am Feeling the Energy. My introvert husband is completely exhausted. But Marta the Extrovert is... Completely Delighted. =D

Give me Liberty... or give me Cuban food!

We got up early this morning to board the ferry to Ellis Island and Liberty Island - where the Statue of Liberty lives. ;-) We waited in line for over an hour to climb the Lady's Pedestal and visit the museum there. By the time we descended, we were tired and hungry. That crazy kind of exhausted-from-all-this-non-stop-monument-viewing hunger. I needed comfort food (which of course, must be Cuban food, but we're pretty much captive on Liberty Island, which sounds ironic, I know, but that's how I felt, but that's not important right now.) So there's a cute little refreshment kiosk that had sandwiches and other tasty stuff including...wait for it...A CUBAN SANDWICH!! Yet another proof of the existence of God. =D

How random is my life today?

We spent the morning touring Mt. Vernon - the home of George Washington in Alexandria, Virginia. In the afternoon, we visited the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. We just made a quick stop at a Rest Stop/Food Court off the Turnpike somewhere in Delaware. (Okay, so this last stop kind of weirded me out a little. Well, actually...a lot...but that's not important right now.) Now we're on the bus (excuse me, luxury air-conditioned motorcoach) once again. We've just crossed the DelawareRiver and are now in New Jersey. (Que dia mas LARGO!!) Tomorrow we'll be in New York. THIS is sooo not my real life. =D

No 'Flux capacitor' needed

Memory is a funny thing. It can be triggered by a smell, a sound, or (for us visual people) something we see.So here we are in Washinton DC navigating around the Smthsonian museum complex and dodging all the other school groups that are here at this time of year. The Air and Space Museum was fascinating. (Actually, ALL of the Smithsonian museums are, but that's not important right now.) So when I had had enough of airplanes and rockets to last me a lifetime, I wandered into the gift shop where I was stopped dead in my tracks by a blue vinyl bag with the old Pan Am logo... exactly like the one I carried as a brand new Cuban refugee, freshly arrived in America. My blue Pan Am bag was full of my dolls and whatever treasures my 6-year old self thought important to bring to this, our new adopted country. The tears surprised me. Who knew Pan Am was in the business of TIME travel? ;-)

Capturing their imaginations

Education at home is not me filling my children's heads with facts as much as it is me "teaching" them how to learn.My educational goals for them have more to do with getting them to love learning as opposed to filling their heads with facts they can parrot back to me immediately but not retain in the long run. Today we visited the battlefield at Gettysburg. Before we got here we had attempted Civil War studies without much real interest. (In fact, I was starting to despair a little, but that's not important right now.) However, walking the battlefield, seeing the battle markers, hearing the stories and then looking over the hills and valleys where one of the most intense battles of the Civil War took place changed EVERYTHING. Suddenly they are fascinated by those 3 intense days of fighting in July and are hungry to learn more. It's in moments like these that I have to remind myself about something I know to be true: REAL learning is more "caught" than "taught." =D

Where else would a Cuban be on Mother's Day?

Happy Mother's Day! We began our day with a visit to Arlington Cemetery and some of the kids in our group (congratulations, Jessica!) got to participate in the Wreath Laying Ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.So I'm moved and emotional and in a fragile and contemplative mood as we slowly walk back to our tour bus. There are many cars making their way in and out of the cemetery. Oh! It's Sunday and it's Mother's Day! One of the cars slows down and the driver shouts: "Hey, Marti! My big, fat, Cuban family!" What?? Huh? Then she yells. "Hi Eric!" He reacted quicker, "What's your name?" It sounded like "Danette." I blew her a kiss and off she drove. Isn't that awesome in its serendipitousness? (is that a word?) So to my astute reader, Dannette (?)...please either leave a comment or write to me and tell me how you happened to be at Arlington Cemetery on Mother's Day. I bet THAT'S a story! Oh...and thanks for noticing me. =D

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UPDATE: The lovely and uber-perceptive Danette (one N. two T's) Rodriguez graced me with the following response:

Dear Marti,

You have no idea how NOT surprised I was to see you and your family. It may sound weird but as I drove through the gate, I wondered if you all would be visiting the cemetery. And there you were. Serendipity, indeed.

My name is Danette Rodriguez. I hail from Columbia, MD pero mis padres nacieron en La Isla del Encanto, mi Puerto Rico.

Here’s the story of how I came to be driving into the cemetery on Mother’s Day. My grandparents (los dos de Ponce) both have the incredible honor of resting at Arlington. My grandfather served in the USAF, retiring Lt. Colonel in the early sixties after having served during peace and two wars. Meanwhile, back home my grandmother kept the home fires burning while taking care of 3 kids on military pay. From the day I was born until the day she died, my grandmother and I were thicker than thieves. She worried that once she died, no one would visit her at the cemetery. I promised her that I would. So now I do. I also try to visit her on our birthdays and the anniversary of her death.

She did so much for me throughout my life (including helping me buy a house). She was mi abuelita rosada. Pink was her favorite color. Visiting her is mere pennies on the principal.

I enjoy reading about your family so much. You are just lovely. I wish you all blessings and happiness.

Sinceramente,

Danette
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Thanks, Danette for sharing about your amazing grandparents. I'm so impressed that you have kept your commitment to honor their memory. (Doubly impressed that you recognized me in the crowd of people leaving the grounds. Wow. Que vista!) You totally made my day!

Besos,
Marta

National Treasures

We're having such an amazing time touring Washington DC, but we have. not. stopped.Today we visited: - The World War II Memorial. That deserves an entire post of its own. - The White House Tour (which totally made me want to design my own china but that's not important right now). =D - the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. A massive T-Rex & The Hope Diamond all in one place - fun for the whole family! - The American History Museum where we got to see the original Old Glory...not ashamed to admit I wept copiously when I saw it. (Shut up. I know.) Also on display, Abe Lincoln's Top Hat, the original Oscar the Grouch Muppet, Dorothy's Ruby Slippers, and Seinfeld's Puffy Shirt. =D - We bopped toThe Top of the Washington Monument. - The Iwo Jima Memorial. More weepies. - the Jefferson Memorial. - And finally the Roosevelt Memorial. We collapsed in a satisfied, exhausted heap. In spite of what the humidity is doing to my hair (shut up!) it's an incredible privilege to be here.

A-maze-ing

We landed in Norfolk, Virginia yesterday around 5 pm and hit the ground running with the first of many historical tours. After an entire day flying from left to right (=D) and a quick dinner we took an evening tour (by lantern and candlelight. Wow! Just wow.) of Colonial Williamsburg. We went back today for another handful of tours and I completely fell in love. I'm talking about seriously-can't-get-enough-of-you kind of love.... Aah, Williamsburg. (If you've ever been there then you know what I'm talking about.) So we're fighting jet-lag and we're so exhausted and I can barely string words together to make myself understood, let alone write anything vaguely descriptive to do justice to the place. I complained about this to my (poor jet-lagged and fussy) husband to which he replied in suggestion: "Just choose one descriptive word then." Okay... Amazing. Simply A-MAZE-ing. =D

Lucy and Jonathan (ahem . . .) memorizing the maze behind the Governor's Mansion. =D

Comfort Zone

In 1982 my parents decided they wanted to go to Europe. My sister Alina and I volunteered to chaperone. =)Going to "the continent" for the first time meant that the Verdes family had to go in style so my mom insisted that we get decked out - that meant dresses, suits, high heels, pantyhose (Pantyhose!) - for an 8 hour flight across the Atlantic! And we DID it! We complied (much to our great discomfort). After that experience I took a vow: COMFORT would become my highest goal while traveling. Which is how I ended up flying across the country in my sweats and hideous (yet amazingly comfortable) garden shoes. I know. They are horrible, but oh so comfortable. And after all... I did take a vow....."comfort is everything." I know. Hideous. But my feet are happy. Don't judge me. =) Greetings from the right coast!