Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
First and foremost, Merry Christmas.
Like last year, Anna and I spent the Christmas in Miami, sorry to dissapoint, but no short story this year, you can look that up in last year's in the archives.
Christmas was pretty uneventful this year other than Christmas Eve......
I love the Cubans and they know how to celebrate and to celebrate with family. Fifty years ago, the "abuelos" came to the United States in the middle of the night with their then-teenage children, escaping a communist regime that was confiscating farms, businesses and people's homes. (Anna says that her family came over on planes, not rafts) They came here with nothing. Nothing but family.
Although some of the abuelos walk with a limp from the Bay of Pigs, all hope is gone of returning to La Patria and reclaiming the past. Like their parents, who came here with nothing, nothing but family; through hard work, they seized the opportunities afforded them by the United States. Over fifty years the family has pretty much stayed in Miami, only now are the first generations of Cuban decent beginning to leave the nest of familiarity which is Miami.
It is celebrations like Christmas that bring that family together and they know how to make the best and the most of it. I am glad that I am part of it.....but what they asked me to do this year......
Christmas Eve is when the multitudes gather. All of the generations and now the newest generation. No Anna and I haven't contributed yet, but we may be working on it in the upcoming year. Children, a dozen, from infants up until 12 years old, made this Christmas extraordinarily special and Santa Clause is the best part of it.
With this much family coming together, the party starts early and last well into the night, Santa doesn't make an appearance until midnight, afterwards, children are running around the yard until 2 in the morning playing with toy ray guns, glow in the dark balls and new toys.
This year, guess who helped Santa? Yep, yours truly, the token gringo in the family, in a Santa Suit, ringing jingle bells, while standing on top of the roof. Not only did all of the kids in the house get a treat, but half of the neighborhood.
I hope that you took advantage of the Holidays and took the time to spend with your family. If not, then perhaps a good New Year's Resolution to make.
Tight lines, calm seas and Merry CHRISTmas,
George and Anna Beckwith
Like last year, Anna and I spent the Christmas in Miami, sorry to dissapoint, but no short story this year, you can look that up in last year's in the archives.
Christmas was pretty uneventful this year other than Christmas Eve......
I love the Cubans and they know how to celebrate and to celebrate with family. Fifty years ago, the "abuelos" came to the United States in the middle of the night with their then-teenage children, escaping a communist regime that was confiscating farms, businesses and people's homes. (Anna says that her family came over on planes, not rafts) They came here with nothing. Nothing but family.
Although some of the abuelos walk with a limp from the Bay of Pigs, all hope is gone of returning to La Patria and reclaiming the past. Like their parents, who came here with nothing, nothing but family; through hard work, they seized the opportunities afforded them by the United States. Over fifty years the family has pretty much stayed in Miami, only now are the first generations of Cuban decent beginning to leave the nest of familiarity which is Miami.
It is celebrations like Christmas that bring that family together and they know how to make the best and the most of it. I am glad that I am part of it.....but what they asked me to do this year......
Christmas Eve is when the multitudes gather. All of the generations and now the newest generation. No Anna and I haven't contributed yet, but we may be working on it in the upcoming year. Children, a dozen, from infants up until 12 years old, made this Christmas extraordinarily special and Santa Clause is the best part of it.
With this much family coming together, the party starts early and last well into the night, Santa doesn't make an appearance until midnight, afterwards, children are running around the yard until 2 in the morning playing with toy ray guns, glow in the dark balls and new toys.
This year, guess who helped Santa? Yep, yours truly, the token gringo in the family, in a Santa Suit, ringing jingle bells, while standing on top of the roof. Not only did all of the kids in the house get a treat, but half of the neighborhood.
I hope that you took advantage of the Holidays and took the time to spend with your family. If not, then perhaps a good New Year's Resolution to make.
Tight lines, calm seas and Merry CHRISTmas,
George and Anna Beckwith
posted by Capt. George Beckwith at
10:31 AM
