Wow. She's 7 years old!

It seems like just the other day that my granddaughter was born, but today she turns 7 years old.                                                                      It was supposed to be spring in Colorado but despite knowing that their idea of spring can end up being like the heart of winter, I longed to see my family there and so wanted to celebrate with her that I timidly decided to attend for the party they planned for  Saturday last.                                                                                                                                                                                                    The weather report was indicating temperatures of 53 high for the weekend so I was not too worried but boy were they ever wrong for it snowed heavily on Friday night and by Saturday morning we knew we would be in trouble with almost twenty kids to entertain INSIDE!

Luckily, her parents are very resilient so they rose to the occasion and the kids all had a wonderful time, doing arts and crafts and horsing around, as did us oldsters!

Most of the parents stayed at the party too to assist and keep their and the other kids entertained, in light of the changing circumstances caused by the weather.

Maddy, whose main concern was getting many gifts was not disappointed either and there was food galore many dishes creatively named and decorated.

The kids did get to go outside for a wee bit too, to play Pinata which involves beating a  stuffed dragon with a baseball bat until it opens up and the sweets stored inside fall out.                                                 Some kids would have liked to have stayed outside longer if they were allowed, but the parents weren't taking any chances with the flu season not yet over.                                                                                                                                             My granddaughter does not allow the snow to stop her from doing anything though as she even went to swimming lessons, yes in an inside pool. She is becoming quite a good swimmer having mastered even the backstroke already.                                                                                                    It was a wonderful party and a great family gathering despite the weather and I am sure happy I went to cold Colorado to celebrate with my granddaughter who is rapidly growing into a beautiful and brilliant young lady.

What a Party!

As we always go to Jazz fest in Montego Bay every year, my brother Bernie's family (wife Judi, kids Stephanie and Whitney and son-in -law Sean) organised to throw him a 70th birthday party to celebrate the event that had taken place in December and honour him for being a great husband and dad.

Getting ready to head to the airport

They had been planning it for around five months and the wonder is he never suspected a thing until they hit him with the news on Sunday morning as he was preparing to depart to the airport.

What a bangerang!

 First he was adamant that he had to go back to North Carolina as he had deliveries to do. But wife Judy informed him that arrangements had been made for two other doctors to do his deliveries.

Then he insisted that he could not stay another day as his office had to be opened but again she countered that it would, as all was arranged with the staff.

 Then he insisted that he could only travel on a Sunday (lol) and it was too late to change his flight. That had already been done he discovered.

Still in disbelief, he declared that we must all have the party and enjoy ourselves as the driver was on the way to take him to the airport, only to hear that the driver would not be coming until Monday!

Only then did it seem to start dawning on him that there was indeed a party and they were not jiving him. That entire process took some 30 minutes!

Convincing the guest of honour to attend the party!

So now he wanted to know where the food and liquor was.

You see he thought it was going to be at the house but in fact a huge tent  had been set up closer to the beach but he did not know it was for him. He had seen it the day before but had been told by someone that a wedding was being held there.

Then it was finally time to get him down to the venue which was easy as he had been told they wanted a family photo by the beach.

Getting into the mood finally and being an ardent fan of Fab 5, Jamaica's best dance band, on the way down he commented that when he returned home he would select some of their cd's. Imagine his shock when he reached the tent, saw some of

He had to stop to take it all in when he saw his friends already there

his friends already gathered there and Fab 5 on the bandstand!

 He became more and more amazed as the moments slipped by he realised that  most of his

The "old boys" gather around the honouree

friends from Cornwall College and Howard University were all there .

Fab 5 was absolutely wonderful and Gem Myers who sang with them was just amazing.

She should have been the one to sing at Jazz Fest instead of the imported Maria Carey who was a flop. I hear it looked like she is losing her voice as every-time she had to take a challenging note, she would start talking to the audience. As a result of her lousy performance, many persons missed Morgan Heritage who came on after her and who I hear was really good but people just could not sit through Maria Carey to wait to hear them.

 I had not gone on the Friday night for it was raining all day and breezy to boot so I was not about to sit in the cold to hear her or anyone else. Great decision it turns out as I stayed home with Michelle Wright and Delroy came around and entertained us. I did go on Saturday night though and Charlie Wilson was absolutely awesome and Peter Cetera really good. We left after the Pointer sisters had done about three songs but I hear we left too early for they really turned out to be quite good.

Songbird Gem Myers with Fab 5

Anyway back to the party.

The entire function was seamless, the food great, the liquor plentiful and everyone had a wonderful time thanks to Judi and the kids.

Bernie was absolutely overwhelmed too as his friend Dr. Mulvaney (Jerry) who we all know as a keen photographer who is always moving around with his camera and equipment, joined the band and did a special number for him.

Jerry has a great voice

I had no idea Jerry had such a  lovely voice although I did know he had a band in North Carolina.

What amazes me even now is how Bernie never had a clue that something was afoot even when my daughter Michele, my daughter in law Michelle Wright and cousin Barry all came from abroad and were gathered in the same place for a couple of days for the first time in our lifetime.

Anyway, he was pleasantly surprised, overwhelmed and had a great time as did everyone else.

Thanksgiving 2014

Thanksgiving 2014 was absolutely wonderful except that I learnt too late that a desert could get darn cold.

For I had visited Las Vegas twice before and had always found the weather to be the closest thing to hell fire (yes, I was there!) and although the temperature drops drastically in the early mornings, I never knew the winters could be so bad.

Brr!

So off I went with a suitcase filled with bathing suits, shorts and short sleeve clothes only to arrive in temperature in the 40's! Wow.

 It is a good thing Melissa of football fame ( Michelle's little sister) lives there and had brought down winter clothes from New York and that is the only thing that saved us.

After that it was great.

Shadrach flying from Tampa met up with me at the Charlotte airport and we were able to sit together for the rest of what was a very bumpy flight and when we got to Vegas Michelle was already there and waiting at the airport.

We visited the Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon and although I had been both places before, I realised I remembered nothing.

The grand canyon is really awesome and remains one of the most visited of the 7 Wonders of the World. Long trip to get there though for although we left out about 6 am did not return to hotel until around 8.30 p,m. Worth it though.

Since we could not get over to Phoenix to visit Amrita and her family, they came over and I saw the baby for the first time. What an absolutely sweet baby. Goes to everyone and although they stayed overnight, I never heard her cry once.

I never expected the thanksgiving dinner to be so great for I forgot that Norma, Michelle's mom is a top cook and she brought down everything from New York including green gungo and goat mutton.  We then had a wonderful time at Melissa's home in the suburbs.

Amrita and family with Michelle

 Of course we took in all the sights in Vegas itself which is really an unique place where the unexpected elsewhere is the norm, including women standing almost nude on the sidewalks in 40 degree weather and offering to take photos with those who want to be seen with a sexy chick!

Of course, not being a gambler myself, Vegas did not benefit much from my visit as I lost all of 25 cents, yes a quarter! For I had declared that I would be gambling $5 just for kicks but the stupid machine kept spitting out small wins until I got bored and retrieved $4.75. The last time I visited I decided to gamble $10 and lost it all. Yeah, that's me, the last of the big gamblers!

Anyway, minus gambling, Vegas is still a great place to visit for the architecture and splendor, shows etc are a must see at least once in a lifetime.

And with some members of the family there there was much to give thanks for.

The Cuban Connection

Would you believe I now know more relatives from my father's side in Cuba than in Jamaica, although that side of my family was born right here!

Miriam, Bebita, (me)Magaly, Maydolys, (Back) Hector Ian Casrlos (Front)

I  tell you it was great to finally meet these members of my family and learn something about my paternal grandfather who died when I was quite young and of whom, I recall, I was very scared.

I was scared of him as he was blind so always wore dark glasses and he had a big beard. I think I only saw him twice but what puzzles me now is that I can't recall anyone ever telling me anything about him or his family!

 The only thing I knew was that he was the principal of a primary school, became blind in his 40s and died in his early 80's. It is only through my cousin Barry who lives in Canada but who had grown up with us and who later found another cousin there named Sheila who brought him up speed on the relatives of my paternal grandfather, that I too am getting some information about that side of the family.

Barry heard about the relatives in Cuba and some years ago attended a small gathering to celebrate the 105th birthday of our grand aunt there. He sent me the email address of her daughter called Bebita (Real name Florianna). We started to communicate and that is how I ended up going there this time to meet the wonderful family there who I had known nothing about on my previous three trips to Cuba.

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I now know  that my grandfather actually had eleven siblings most of whom migrated all over the world.

Bebita speaks English and is in touch with relatives in Jamaica, Canada, England and the USA and she has a wealth of information.

However her children, grandchildren and great grand children speak only Spanish and do not appear to be too interested in communicating with far flung relatives so I don't know how long the connections will remain, but it was really great linking up with them.

Body builder, Asiel

Bebita's mother migrated to Cuba around 1919 when the Cuban economy was blooming and many Caribbean migrants went there in search of good jobs. (On my latest visit there, I met quite a few descents of Jamaicans, Grenadians and St. Lucians).

Bebita was born there and while another aunt who had gone there with her mom moved on to the USA, her mom stayed there forever and raised a Cuban family. Bebita is the only child but she has three daughters, two grandsons and a grand daughter and 2 great grand sons.

Most live in Cayo Mambi in the municipality of Fank Pais which is in Holguin province, some 160 kms from Holguin city.

Her town is a pleasant, rural farming area with wide tree lined streets and high rise buildings built by the government to house the people.

Bebita had been a teacher in her youth, teaching adults English after the revolution.

In the 1962, hurricane Flora destroyed her home and she was given a two bedroom ground floor apartment in a government house.

The main source of employment used to be at the Frank Pais sugar factory, but after it was destroyed by one of the many hurricanes that constantly devastate us in the Caribbean, it was closed and many people were left unemployed.

 As a result  of the liberalization now taking place under Raul Castro, many persons have now set up small businesses in their homes and operate farms. In Cuba today, you can now keep, use and sell farm products and  small animals and you can dispose of everything as you wish, except cows which have to be sold to the state.

Cayo Mambi is a very pleasant rural town like any you would see here but it is the first place I have even seen an outdoor gym with exercise equipment for the residents to use.

The most confusing thing I found about Cuba was the money as they have two types, the peso and the Peso CUC.

To travel over to Cayo Mambi from Holguin town, we chartered an old Russian made Lada which looked a bit decrepit and had a noisy engine but it drove well. We had planned to hop on a bus to return, but learnt that the buses were reserved for the residents as the fares are subsidized so we came home in a brand new chartered, air conditioned Chinese car. It did not appear to be as good as the old Lada however as we noticed that the engine kept fading so the driver was constantly turning the key back on, but it never stopped and we got back comfortably and safely.

Flowers were laid in front of the monument dedicated to Frank Pais

I was very curious about Frank Pais as not only is the airport at Holguin and an entire municipality named after him but also the sugar factory in Cayo Mambi and the house where he was born in Santiago de Cuba is highlighted as a place of interest.

 On looking him up on my return, I learnt from WIKIPEDIA that; "Frank País (December 7, 1934 – July 30, 1957) was a Cuban revolutionary who campaigned for the overthrow of General Fulgencio Batista's government in Cuba. País was the urban coordinator of the 26th of July Movement, and was a key organizer within the urban underground movement, collaborating with Fidel Castro's guerrilla forces which were conducting activities in the Sierra Maestra mountains.^[1] País was killed in the streets of Santiago de Cuba by the Santiago police on July 30, 1957.^[2][3]
His father was Francisco País Pesqueira, a Protestant pastor married to Rosario García Calviño. Both were from Marín in Galicia, Spain and immigrants to Cuba. Francisco País Pesqueira was one of the founding members of the First Baptist Church of Santiago de Cuba. On his death, Rosario García Calviño took sole charge of 5-year-old Frank and his younger brothers Augustin, 3, and Josué, 2.^[4]

The family struggled financially, although his mother taught piano to make ends meet.^[5] Frank began to study architecture, but abandoned his studies to enroll in the Oriente Teacher’s College which he graduated from on July 6, 1953."

Well Deserved Honour

My brother, Dr. Bernard Marshall, OB/GYN, got a well deserved honour from his old Alma Mater Cornwall College for his support over the years to the institution through the old boys association. Bernie is a  second generation Marshall to have attended that all boy's institution and some years ago he set up an annual scholarship to send two poor kids to that noble institution in memory of our late dad Joubert Marshall.

So this weekend he came home to attend the banquet to receive his award as one of this year's Men of Might". Well done bro.

Of course I went down to Silver Sands, not to see him get the award (as the award banquet was not open to non-Cornwallians) but to go to the beach, go fishing, play dominoes and reconnect with him.

 The sea was ultra calm on Saturday and Al had beginners luck catching 10 fish including an eel while I only caught only 3, and Bernie 5 but the sea was just great for swimming afterwards and I really enjoyed it as usual.

That afternoon, the weather changed and a super lightening storm started around 3 pm. I have never seen so much lightening or heard so such thunder in my short life! This was followed by a brief shower of rain accompanied by lots of breeze, but luckily that bad patch was over within half an hour.

By the end of Saturday night  however, I had gotten two six loves and never even gave one. Sunday was not much better except I did give back one this time. But what the heck, we give them and we get them and the weekend was absolutely wonderful as usual. 

A Swinging Hindu Wedding

I always considered Hindus conservative so  I never expected to have such a swinging time at Danraj's wedding. Everything was wonderful except I kept feeling a bit sad that his mom Karla did not live long enough to be there.

Danraj is the son of the late uncle Joe and Karla and he got married in Stanford, Connecticut to Anjana, who is from India but who has been living in the states for many years. She like he has her PhD and she is really a full of life person. 

I have been to Hindu weddings before but the difference here is that liquor flowed freely and the music was fantastic. The only place I have ever heard this version of Indian music is on the minibuses in Guyana as they tend to be operated by young Indian men who play modern, blaring music. This music seems to be a very lively mix between traditional Indian music with a Caribbean/pop beat, so there is no way you could sit down as it drags you to your feet. Just like dancehall and reggae. Just about everyone there was on the dance floor at the Italian Centre which was the venue. And the liquor was certainly talking for at one time as I went outside an Indian man approached me to congratulate me on the speech I had made. I never made a speech, it was my daughter Michele who was even in a sari while I wasn't so his eyes were really blurred!

Michele in a sari sits with Michelle and Madelyn

But as I said, the liquor was flowing so I made my blooper too, hugging a lady sitting beside Danraj and telling her congratulations. Only problem it was not his bride but what the heck, after several glasses of red wine, Indian ladies in saris all started to look alike!

Incidentally, I don't think I will be eating Indian food for some some and it is not because it was not delicious, but on or arrival in Stamford, we stopped at a restaurant with an  innocuous name for lunch,. only to find it was an Indian restaurant with a great buffet. Then there was Indian food at the reception and an Indian brunch put on by the bride's parents the next day so after three  consecutive Indian meals, I need a break!

A family photo at Lincoln's memorial in Stamford

Stamford is quiet and clean, no way as developed and bustling as Hartford but apparently the very rich live there as I have never seen so many Porches, convertible sports BMW's and Ferraris being driven on the streets downtown and that includes Manhattan.

Stanford is also literally just around the corner from Mt. Vernon where we stayed with Michelle...a mere 20 minutes drive on the I95.

 What I found interesting is that we had to pay toll on the same highway going up but not on  the way back. Strange indeed.

Danraj is such a wonderful person that people came from Jamaica, Atlanta, Colorado and many other far flung places to share the day with him.

Michele and family came from Colorado and we spent a great week together. I think we only quarreled once, a miracle indeed.

We took Madelyn to Central Park and  she really had a ball.  I had no idea it was so huge in the middle of Manhattan, 800 acres, the guide told us with everything brought in except the rocks!

Then we went lyming in Times Square  and thank heavens there were  no exhibitionists around this time.

 

The huge rocks are the only things which were not imported into Central Park

Actually, my  trip to 

New York this time challenged all the stereotypes that I had always had about that city since spending a few months there before escaping to Canada when we migrated many decades ago.

For the subways are now clean and I was alone at the bus stop at 10 pm one night and felt no fear. Then when I took the trolley at La Guardia and did  not have a metro card, the driver took me free. Then a young lady helped me with my suitcase without me even asking and a young man swiped his card to let me into the subway for $$2.00 when the fare is $2.50, when he saw I no metro card and there was no one selling there.

Hanging out in Times square

If someone had told me they had such pleasant experiences in New York I would have marveled.

The experience that knocked my breath away however was when we went to the beach ( ie. the cold, dirty Atlantic ocean which we went to visit, not to swim) in Stamford. Two young men were arguing nearby and using some M....F....and a man pointed to the baby and told them to stop using that language. Later as Michelle and I walked around, they came up and apologised for using that language near us! Absolutely amazing. 

Anyway I don't see myself going back up north for a long time as my grandson has now relocated near Tampa where he goes to university and I don't know of anyone else getting married or any other important function up that way soon.

For more photos, see https://www.facebook.com/gratestj/media_set?set=a.10151881714136823.1073741837.763366822&type=1

Shadrach on the grounds of St. Leo's in Florida

OFF TO UNIVERSITY

I thought when your grand kids went off to university you would be so old you would have one foot in the grave ! Well maybe I am and just do not know it for last week my grandson Shadrach started at St. Leos university in Florida.

 This  is the oldest Catholic university in the USA and would probably have not been my first choice. My first choice would have been Pace University which is one of the top universities in the world and one to which Shadrach got a good scholarship. Problem,  it is in New York and like myself he hates New York. So he opted for this other one to which he also got a scholarship.

Anyway where you get your first degree is no big thing for can you remember where Obama got his first degree?

I knew you couldn't for it is where you specialize that makes the difference.

Anyway it is a small university with a beautiful campus having even a little lake, landscaped green areas and some of the largest oak trees covered with an  attractive parasite looking like beards.

 I am sure he will be very happy and very successful there.

It is not far from Tampa, just 45 minutes drive so I will be visiting him from time to time. Besides we have friends nearby ( in Florida terms) and he even has an invitation for the Thanksgiving weekend already.

Yup...getting old fi true

Shadrach's Graduation

Daughter in law Michelle, Shadrach, daughter Michele, son in law Devin with baby Madlynn

I came up to New York on Friday evening and that was really quite an adventure in itself for I got to the airport at 4pm and we did not fly out till around 10 pm. For first, the generator that should have started the plane's engine did not work (I  thought they just turned a switch key) so the pilot said we had to wait for an external one to start and when that came, it did not work either, so we had to wait, strapped in on board till they fixed it. If I wasn't looking forward to seeing my entire immediate family which had all committed to come to the graduation, I think I would have asked to be taken off the plane at that point!

Mine is a really tiny family (one brother, one daughter, two grandchildren, two nieces and a grand niece and a grand nephew) but we are still rarely all together in one place,  for we live all over with only me being left in Jamaica.

Joan, Shadrach, other grandmother, Norma Wright.

It was really great therefore for us all to be in one place for Shadrach's graduation from St. Michael's Academy, his high school in New York. From there he will proceed to university in Tampa.

I used to hate New York from I migrated there in the 60's and ended up staying only 6 months before fleeing off to Canada. For in those days New York was a really scary place of high crime, lots of dirt and grime on the subways and other public transportation which were all frequented by Puerto Rican gang members and the city was really nasty and uninviting. Now it is the opposite and it is Jamaica that is now at that stage, except of course we have no subways and no Puerto Rican gangs, but certainly our own vicious local gangs!. Anyway, I am off on a tangent, so back to that scary flight.

Then the pilot told us that the generator started one engine so we would taxi down the runway and that engine would start the other!(Didn't they tell him in pilot school that such detail scares passengers!)

Anyway all went well until a long protracted screaming shook us all. This poor young woman who has an autistic child who had been screaming all afternoon, came on our flight and the kid seemed to have gotten awake when we were ready to take off and refused to put on his seat belt. Nothing they did could get him to do so or stop screaming. A guy  beside me told one of the stewardesses that he was a child psychologist and offered to help. I noticed to my amazement that as she spoke to him, tears of frustration were running down her face. By then, the decision had been made to take him and his poor mom off the plane so we had to taxi back to the terminal and find their luggage.

Anyway, all went well for the rest of the way and I arrived home in Mt. Vernon, without ever sleeping a wink as when I work on radio, I drink numerous cups of coffee to stay awake and it worked like a charm, unfortunately. Anyway after getting home I got a couple hours before going off to graduation. I have always hated graduations as they always drag on forever but thank God this was short, interesting and precise (helped by the fact that we arrived late).

So we got time to refresh ourselves before going to the get together at the wonderful Spanish restaurant Don Coqui to regale Shadrach.

So much food, such a tiny tummy!

By the time we got there, my brother Bernie (who had not attended the formal ceremony), his wife Judy, daughters Stephanie and Whitney, son-in-law Shawn along with his grandson Ian and granddaughter Gillian were joined by me, my daughter Michele, granddaughter Madelynn, daughter- in -law  (the 2 ll!) Michelle and son in law Devin, hence me saying in the beginning that my entire immediate family was in one place at one time. Also in attendance were Michelle's mom Norma and two of her grand kids Tajay and Marlene, plus Michelle's friend Elton.

That meal was out of the world. I have never seen such so much food in my life and no one besides Michelle and her big belly son, Shadrach were able to finish what they had ordered1 Everyone else ended up carrying home doggy bags, but what was the most wonderful part of the trip was seeing Shadrach graduate and having my entire family around at one time. We really need many more of these get togethers.