tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54939792328933391192024-03-13T17:10:11.748-05:00Boricua en la LunaThis blog is a plática, a conversation, in both Spanish and English about being a Boricua, a Puerto Rican, en la luna, or on the moon (or on its metaphorical facsimile: the United States). The phrase is the title of a poem by Juan Antonio Corretjer, which was made into a song by Roy Brown and updated by Puerto Rican Spanish-rock group Fiel a la Vega.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger710125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493979232893339119.post-84028497015445734932022-12-26T08:58:00.000-05:002023-06-16T07:58:57.536-05:00Picking up where we left off<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjItj18GsX5KymekN66wPWFVTvJ3kDJAR5sUj3ieyQqyI1yOUJTh8nQOgKawAfJJEopkl5KJS7-4fNmMwGglLNXmA8G5Nb7i4BcejwTiO2eBxM_LY81fAJXfJLMKpyPIJ3-A-ssYZmSdNoEbgFQuSKgmZNB72A1MJvehlZ4nWltfc-d15tIbmPcgxUS/s1080/LIZZY%20DECEMBER%202022.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjItj18GsX5KymekN66wPWFVTvJ3kDJAR5sUj3ieyQqyI1yOUJTh8nQOgKawAfJJEopkl5KJS7-4fNmMwGglLNXmA8G5Nb7i4BcejwTiO2eBxM_LY81fAJXfJLMKpyPIJ3-A-ssYZmSdNoEbgFQuSKgmZNB72A1MJvehlZ4nWltfc-d15tIbmPcgxUS/s320/LIZZY%20DECEMBER%202022.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Goodbye to a year full of goodbyes</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>It's been a while since I've updated here but this seems like as good a time as any as we count down the days until 2022 is history.<p></p><p>Like for most everyone else, the past few years have not been ones for the books in a good way. 2019 was a year that sucked bitter lemons, 2020 was "the year Stephen King wrote," and 2021 was its evil twin. And 2022 has not done much better altogether. In January, we lost Chiquita to an illness that was never properly diagnosed; I had to bring my mom here from Puerto Rico after a bad fall and hospitalization in Puerto Rico, and then she had another fall and broke her hip, requiring surgery in June; my husband's mom died suddenly and unexpectedly in August; and Lizzy (pictured above) left us last week after declining quickly also with no proper diagnosis or treatment (can't say I've been impressed with the veterinary services we've had since moving to Massachusetts last year). But we were blessed by an amazing home veterinarian, a true angel, who helped Lizzy cross the bridge peacefully and helped us be at peace with the decision to let her go.</p><p>Now, we're packing up the small Cambridge apartment where we've lived since April 2021 and I'm changing jobs once more, leaving what I thought was my dream position, which brought me back to Harvard 35 years after I left in 1986. As of the first of the year, we're moving to western Massachusetts where I start work in January at a small liberal arts college near the Berkshires. </p><p>While I'm beyond grateful for and excited about the change, there is always that anxiety about starting over, something I've been doing pretty much every other year since 2019. I am hoping we find a place to land and build community and grow older and that this is the last year of major changes. Still, it feels good to know that, even at this late stage in our lives, when we're no longer young and spry, we're unwilling to settle for less than what we feel we have earned. The early 60s provide a crystal-clear clarity that beams ahead, like a North Star.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493979232893339119.post-37315851490684522162021-01-01T09:03:00.000-05:002023-06-16T08:03:27.936-05:00Returning to these pages<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf57D9QTqfiRtQ5lV2DyX5cCfRLtt60kHdbJjj8YCgSatV8KTiOMxVkfdEaDhyyTV9r4bWDzoRz1UIsPyP5GPXHVzELJNLGIpBLONPY9IRdGvlh9Du9nJnaVF6azxo-vo_1IQC1cURq_E/s2048/February+018.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf57D9QTqfiRtQ5lV2DyX5cCfRLtt60kHdbJjj8YCgSatV8KTiOMxVkfdEaDhyyTV9r4bWDzoRz1UIsPyP5GPXHVzELJNLGIpBLONPY9IRdGvlh9Du9nJnaVF6azxo-vo_1IQC1cURq_E/s320/February+018.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Yesterday, I asked my husband for a pretty picture of a winter landscape and he shared this old picture of a path all lit up at my previous institution. The photo is bittersweet because I haven't walked that path in several years now, especially after leaving in 2019 having spent a long 13 years there. <div><br /></div><div>It's been sobering to find out that, even after all that time in one academic institution, almost none of the close relationships with peers I forged and invested in over such a long time there, survived my departure. Still, I am so grateful for students who still email and reach out and want to gather virtually to check-in or to seek my advice. Those are, ultimately, the relationships to maintain and to continue to grow with.<p></p><div>2020 has been, in one word: a horror show. And we've been among the privileged few with stable jobs and no illness and no stories of family being decimated by this modern plague so far. Still, it's been increasingly hard to even muster the energy to care about anything other than the terrible state of the world and the unrelenting suffering of people and the terrible political divide. It's been a year that has tested and pushed against every single one of my limitations. </div><div><br /></div><div>I don't have any hope for the first 20 days of January, and am bracing myself for these next three long weeks being more of the same or even more bitter flavor than 2020 left behind. But I will hope that day 21 and beyond will be different. And that's something I couldn't say in 2020.</div><div><br /></div><div>May 2021 be a year where we find ourselves moving purposefully in the world to destroy what killed us, especially BIPOC and other more vulnerable people, in 2020, and I'm not just meaning the virus. May this be a year to make good on the promises of racial equity that still elude us, and that cost so many innocent lives, and the racism that has been a poison in this land since it seeped into the ground along the blood, sweat, and tears of our enslaved ancestors.</div><div><br /></div><div>May 2021 be a year to double down on a commitment to working hard and intentionally for a world in which diversity, equity, and inclusion aren't just buzzwords but actual structures that dismantle the ones that currently keep us divided and keep one race--the so-called "white" one--on top and everyone else below. </div><div><br /></div><div>May we be granted fierceness, and strength, and health, and clarity. Being a superhero has never been enough for me. I'd want to reach the level of an archangel, with two kick-ass black wings sprouting from my back, and the brightest and biggest flaming sword there could be. </div><div><br /></div><div>Short of that, I'll accept my frailty and my many limitations but continue to devote my life to this unending fight. Now, more than ever, as I turn into my 60th year of life in 2021, that's what I want to accomplish: to make good on the wildest dreams of some of my ancestors.</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493979232893339119.post-17287969800843925292017-12-19T21:45:00.001-05:002017-12-19T21:47:08.381-05:00Darwin has left us<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My boy, The Darwinian Terror, left us today. He was 16 years old and spent most of that time with us. I got him from a rescue group, thinking he'd keep Magellan company, but she hated him from the very moment he came into our home and kept up the feud for the rest of her life (she died at home in February of this year at age 18).<br />
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Darwin was quite the character. When he arrived, the rescuer said his name was Piper because he had "piped" up while buried under a woodpile and found by his initial rescuer. But he never answered to Piper. I'd call and call and he pretended like that was not his name. That first Christmas, when he started trying to chew on the Christmas tree lights, and we decided that he was defying the theory of evolution, Darwin seemed like the most fitting name so we changed it. And that cat answered from the very first moment we called him Darwin. It was as if he had been waiting for a dignified name to acknowledge.<br />
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Although we called him The Darwinian Terror, he was a friendly, easy-going cat, who got along with everyone (unlike Magellan whose nickname was The Devil's Cat). He wasn't too happy when Hamlet, our other male, joined the household and went berzerk, marking all over the house, which was most unpleasant, but he stopped those shenanigans when we started letting him spend time outdoors in the yard, which he loved.<br />
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It's hard to believe that he is gone, after so many years. And so unexpectedly. By the time we noticed this afternoon that he was failing it was too late. I feel very guilty that I didn't pay more attention to him earlier today when I saw him lying down on top of some dirty clothes near the washing machine in the basement, and wonder whether had I noticed something was amiss we could have saved him. But there's no point to that.<br />
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He is gone. And he had a lengthy and happy life. And he will be sorely missed. Our home will not be the same without our Darwin.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493979232893339119.post-68148161983917148312017-07-10T19:25:00.002-05:002017-07-10T19:25:52.713-05:00Postcards from July<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After a very long absence from these pages, and now that I'm on my post-tenure (thrice-postponed) sabbatical year, I'm going to make more of an effort to update here since this is as close to a journal as I can keep.</div>
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July 2017 started with a bang, not the least of which is that my younger brother moved in with us after getting a job at a high school in Columbus. I'm thrilled to have him here and looking forward to his youngest son joining us in August to start college at Capital U.</div>
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Big, big changes all around. My husband and I, meanwhile, celebrated 23 years by going to the Inn and Spa at Cedar Falls, a favorite, and we stayed one night at a cottage and it was magical. It's the best going away (at least for me) because it's so close to home.<br />
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We visited the newly opened Whispering Cave trail, which was challenging for me, but beautiful, and then we had a wonderful dinner and a great breakfast and then walked around the premises before heading back home.<br />
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At home, Darwin is pretty much the same cat-in-a-box he's ever been, and Lizzy is her own sleepy self once she's tired herself out chasing squirrels in the backyard.<br />
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This past weekend we took Lizzy to the Three Creeks Metro Park for a walk and then stopped at a farmer's market to get fresh locally grown corn, which is a summer treat.<br />
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Meanwhile, today I started in my new sabbatical-year office, which is starting to look like my space, and where I look forward to working on my scholarship.<br />
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<span id="goog_682638861"></span><span id="goog_682638862"></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493979232893339119.post-18988924049754270222016-11-12T21:59:00.001-05:002016-11-12T21:59:33.009-05:00A glorious November day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493979232893339119.post-22551038366997840332016-11-01T21:57:00.000-05:002016-11-12T21:58:15.922-05:00Puerto Rico clouds<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493979232893339119.post-25601260570997011962016-10-31T21:18:00.002-05:002016-10-31T21:18:42.158-05:00A day in Old San Juan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493979232893339119.post-9118393255415874002016-06-19T08:07:00.001-05:002016-06-19T08:07:26.147-05:00Time of fireflies and full-moon daylight<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493979232893339119.post-57938312045780616692016-03-09T20:41:00.001-05:002016-03-09T20:41:29.171-05:00Spring Break in Puerto Rico<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493979232893339119.post-18326099291727402672015-12-25T12:52:00.005-05:002015-12-25T12:52:42.012-05:00Christmas Day is here<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My best rather unexpected present this year was a Fiat 500 Pop in <i>Verde Azzurro. </i>My beloved Scion, which had more than 149,000 miles, had had the "check engine" light on for a while so my husband took it to a nearby mechanic here in Bexley, after our mechanic in my college town couldn't figure out what was wrong. The second mechanic found several things that needed to be fixed and that would've cost near $1500. Thus, we decided, given the age of the car and the fact that it needed major repairs, that it was time to consider a new car.<br />
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Still, I wasn't excited at all about paying $20,000+ for a car of any kind (makes me uncomfortable to spend that much money on a piece of metal, even if it is the piece of metal that makes it possible for me to work an hour away from home), or with the prospect of having a huge monthly payment for three years. Still, last Sunday we went to test drive a Ford Fiesta, which seemed like it had what I wanted (hatch, 5-speed manual transmission, bluetooth, etc.) but the dealer didn't have the right color or a stick-shift model of the hatchback on the lot. Thus, we moved on to the Scion dealer where I bought my erstwhile car in 2006, even though it was closed that day. There I looked at the Scion iM, which has my initials, as my husband pointed out, but it seemed too large for me and, again, expensive.<br />
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My husband wandered over to the Fiat dealer next door and saw this pre-owned, and pre-certified car for $12,900, with about 850 miles on it. That seemed like a good deal so we returned the next morning, test drove the car, and by 1 p.m. I was the proud owner of this cute car for a flat $12,000, including my old car as a trade-in. Gotta say I was impressed with my husband's negotiating skills, and with the <a href="http://www.bobboydfiat.com/">Bob Boyd Alpha-Romeo and Fiat dealer</a>. I love my new year-old car and, best of all, we didn't have to get into debt to pay for it.<br />
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Thankfully, I've had this week and next off from work, which means I've been able to spend every day and night at home, something that has become a rarity since July, when I started my administrative job (this past semester, I spent 41 nights [or more than a month!] over in my small apartment by the College. I've definitely loved being here in Bexley for a whole week and look forward to the same next week. In this time, I've been able to send off my revised chapter for an edited collection on Atlantic Studies that will be published next year. I've also been working on my book manuscript, which I have promised myself I'm finishing over the next week or so, come hell or high water.<br />
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Yesterday, on Christmas Eve, the weather was so mild that we took Lizzy for a walk on nearby trails of <a href="http://www.metroparks.net/parks-and-trails/three-creeks/">Three Creeks Metro Park</a>, one of our favorites.<br />
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This morning, I went to the Christmas Day service at the nearby Episcopal Church and the rector, a woman, remembered me from having attended her Easter service a few year's ago. She even remembered I was a college professor. The sermon was lovely, as was the service, and now I'm back home to spend this Christmas Day doing a little bit of book work and enjoying a little bit of R&R.<br />
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I hope you all have had a lovely holiday!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493979232893339119.post-39934127811656537462015-12-02T22:40:00.002-05:002015-12-02T22:40:37.401-05:00December arrives<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493979232893339119.post-3245380943313634522015-11-28T19:49:00.002-05:002015-12-02T22:37:09.606-05:00Thanksgiving in Cordova, TN!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Traveling 1200+ miles to be with family in Thanksgiving was totally worth it! Priceless time spent together and lovely memories to last a lifetime.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493979232893339119.post-34998501380279014232015-11-14T19:41:00.000-05:002015-11-14T19:41:44.423-05:00November sunset<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This has been, by far, one of the mildest and most beautiful falls I remember since we arrived in Ohio 14 years ago. Today, the weather was good and warm for November so we took Lizzy with us to one of our favorite metro parks and walked around Turtle Pond as the sun was setting.<br />
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I like that it's light when I leave the house early in the mornings when I commute to my small college on the hill, but I hate the darkness that now falls shortly after 5:30 p.m. I know that the days are quickly growing shorter as we move toward December so I have more of this darkness to contend with until the days begin to inch toward more daylight in the new year.<br />
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It's almost unbelievable to think that we're already only weeks away from 2016! I don't know if it's a function of growing older but it sure feels like time moves so much faster these days.<br />
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In the meantime, I'm really enjoying my new job as Associate Provost and learning so much about higher ed administration, and I'm looking forward to teaching my American Fear class next semester with a reduced number of students (though keeping my own list means I've already inadvertently let in 17 students instead of the 15 at which the department chair and I set the limit).<br />
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My book manuscript is on hold since I haven't had any time to go back to it, but I plan to do so in every chance I get from now until Dec. 31st, when I plan to send the revised "Monster" (as I used to call my dissertation) back to the editor. I'm really looking forward to a 2016 without this manuscript hanging over me like <a href="http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/173253">the fated albatross of Coleridge's poem</a>...<br />
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Still, I've managed to produce one chapter for a collection on the "Southern Gothic," which was accepted and is scheduled to be published this year, and another one of the "Queer Atlantic" that gave me the chance to stretch my wings into queer theory, something that is a new area for me. We'll see what the editors of that second piece say.<br />
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Looking forward to a break over Thanksgiving and for the chance to see my family but already, and always, so thankful for everything.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493979232893339119.post-61482862806029956152015-11-07T15:58:00.001-05:002015-11-07T16:02:35.367-05:00Saturday happeningsChiquita in her favorite place (my lap) and Hester (the feral cat who lives on our porch) letting me know she wants a late afternoon snack.<br />
via <a href="http://ift.tt/16Xitlp">IFTTT</a><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493979232893339119.post-23393429297666900592015-11-07T11:00:00.001-05:002015-11-07T16:03:55.759-05:00Last of the fallUnfortunately, it was overcast when I took the photo, but this tree in my neighborhood is one of the most beautiful pleasures of late fall<br />
via <a href="http://ift.tt/16Xitlp">IFTTT</a><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493979232893339119.post-14862472057813604012015-11-01T11:08:00.002-05:002015-11-01T11:08:39.003-05:00The best way to celebrate 54!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It took me nearly 13 years since I first started saying I wanted to go there, but we finally got to spend a few glorious days at the <a href="http://www.redmountainresort.com/">Red Mountain Resort</a> in Saint George, Utah, and it was worth every penny. I first heard of the resort when I started my Ph.D. program in Ohio back in 2002, and I first learned about the concept of spa resorts. I don't know why, but this place stuck in my mind all these years and when my husband asked if this wasn't the year to finally make it come true (after my job promotion this past summer), I had to agree it was.<br />
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So off we went, with a view of my celebrating my 54th birthday there. He flew to California, borrowed a bike to test and review, and met me in the Las Vegas Airport on Wednesday so we could ride the motorcycle to Ivins, Utah, where the resort is located. When I first met my husband, my suggestion of "an adventure" was to drive to the south-western shore of Puerto Rico to dine at a fancy hotel (which has now, unfortunately, gone bankrupt). My husband likes to tell that story to illustrate how our definitions of adventure were way off. But I think they were pretty well synced this past week.<br />
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The ride from Las Vegas to Utah is nothing short of an adventure. There are miles and miles of empty, scraggly desert and impressive rock mountains to view, and then we get to Arizona and pass the stunning Virgin River Gorge, which is simply breathtaking. There were no opportunities to take photographs there but I found this YouTube video online that at least gives you an idea of what I'm talking about. Mute it first because the song is annoying and totally unrelated to the view.<br />
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Once in Utah, we made it to the Red Mountain Resort, and quickly discovered the why of its name. The place is a health resort where there are lots of activities (hikes, horseback riding, yoga, etc.) that can be chosen. We chose to hike on our own through their lovely "Imagination Trail," and a little of the nearby Snow Canyon open trails but, mostly, we took it easy. And it was just what the doctor ordered.<br />
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On Friday, we got more ambitious and biked over to <a href="http://www.nps.gov/zion/index.htm">Zion National Park</a>, which is spellbinding. Its original name, Mukuntuweap National Park, was changed in 1919 to Zion, which definitely doesn't do it justice.<br />
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The last morning came way too soon but we will not soon forget what a special time we had among the red mountains. In their honor, I composed a very short attempt at a poem:<br />
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Red Mountains:</div>
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Nature's Monuments.</div>
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Immortal Watchers, who,</div>
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Sphinx-like,</div>
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pity our fated transience.</div>
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imga 10/31/15</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493979232893339119.post-12841273991282534412015-10-25T20:50:00.003-05:002015-10-25T20:51:03.268-05:00Late fall beauty<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This fall has been one of the most beautiful in recent memory. The days have been glorious (not too cold, not too hot) and we've had many opportunities to make the most of the afternoons by taking long walks in different metro parks around the city.<br />
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Today, we went to Slate Run Metro Parks Wetland section and, again, enjoyed a lovely time, and the quietude of nature in fall. That is, except for the hundreds of tiny frogs, who plopped in the water each time we walked by, announcing their presence with their leaving. This little fella, though, stayed put and seemed undaunted by my husband's lens upon him.<br />
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This week, I turn 54 on Thursday, and while I appreciate the comment of the stranger who said she did a double take when looking at the birth date on my license because she couldn't believe it, I've lived each and every hour of that half-century-plus. And I am grateful for all of it, and excited for what's to come.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493979232893339119.post-76071400814611531402015-10-05T20:55:00.003-05:002015-10-05T20:55:51.716-05:00Falling for fall<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The summer went by in a blur after I accepted a position as full-time Associate Provost, which entailed not only moving from my tiny office to another, larger and prettier one (about as spacious as my third-floor studio apartment in Cambridge when I was in grad school, whose heat source was the oven) but a huge learning curve in terms of new responsibilities.<br />
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I'm enjoying learning a lot and really appreciate this new opportunity but it has seriously set back my book revision project, even though I decided not to teach this semester (though I will be teaching my Fear class in the new year). I kept my advisees so I get to see students on a regular basis, which feels good, and I am looking forward to being back in the classroom next year though I will have to see how that balances with the full-time schedule.<br />
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A demanding job makes the free time even more precious and rare so it was great that we got to ride the motorcycle to one of our favorite farm markets recently. All will soon close down once we move from fall to winter but, for now, we still have farm markets to visit and locally grown apples and pumpkins to enjoy.<br />
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Also awesome recently, at the end of September, was the Supermoon, which I didn't get to see at night, but I did get to see before dawn when I usually get up on Mondays as I'm getting ready to come up to my small college on the hill.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493979232893339119.post-82170126229044875912015-07-02T09:29:00.000-05:002015-07-02T09:29:32.066-05:00Five years ago today<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Wow, it's been a while since I've visited these pages. I guess that Facebook and Twitter have now taken up what I used to do here, which was to keep close friends and family abreast with my life.<br />
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However, today is a day to mark, especially, so I'm here again, where my papi used to come regularly (he was subscribed to the blog) to find out what was going on with me. Today, five years ago, my father left us to "the other side of things." He is sorely missed.<br />
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I feel very fortunate to have this photograph, which I believe my mami kept. I remember that, on one of his visits to me while I was studying at Harvard, my dad insisted that we should take a portrait. He made all the arrangements, told me to dress up, and took me to get this photograph done. Back then I thought it was my dad being a little weird, like he could be. As a typical 20-some-year-old (I wish I knew what year this was taken--the black plastic bracelets on my arm suggest the 1980s), I was not a little annoyed with this embeleco.<br />
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Now, so many decades later, I can't be more appreciative that my dad took the trouble to do this. He knew something I didn't know then (and wasn't that true for so many things?!). He knew this would be something to cherish in the future. For that, and for so much more, I give thanks. Papi, you may not be here with us, but you are always present in our hearts, forever.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493979232893339119.post-9893011788298543982015-04-17T18:19:00.002-05:002015-04-17T18:19:17.020-05:00A glory of magnolias!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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April is that month in Ohio where everything starts to sprout, and when it happens, it seems to happen <i>de la noche a la mañana</i>, or overnight. You go to bed and there's nothing above ground and you wake up and there's all these little signs of life edging themselves up toward the sun. When you live in these parts, where nature dies over the winter, it's revealing to see that the first color of life isn't green--it's red. The first buds, when they appear about mid-April, are reddish in color and later they turn green. It gives everything this crimson aura that signals the pulsing of life within, itching to come out.<br />
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The magnolia tree in front of our house in the small city is always a glory. It hits its peak right about now and when the sun salutes it in the afternoons it looks like a radiant, blushing bride, opening herself to a new life. It is simply a perfect tree. Last year, we had a frost in late April that killed the blooms (thankfully, not the tree) and I wept for days when I saw the pretty-pink petals drooping and burned brown by the frost. Thankfully, there doesn't appear to be any cold spell coming over the next few weeks so maybe we will be spared that suffering this April. We can only hope.<br />
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The gloriousness of the magnolia tree is rather ephemeral. Probably by next week, when its green leaves come out, it'll lose its blooms and drop them, like a bird molting its feathers.<br />
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But, by then, we'll have the tulips in full bloom and my beloved bleeding hearts, which have just started to show their tiny heart-shaped flowers, will bring it on. Without a doubt, spring is really a marvelous time of the year here.<br />
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It reminds me that, despite any frustrations or setbacks or doubts, life reinvents itself every year about this time. Life, despite death, is unstoppable. That's a good thing to always remember.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493979232893339119.post-80687534375607584592015-04-05T14:15:00.000-05:002015-04-05T14:15:23.715-05:00Practicing resurrection<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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"Holy Week" was always a big deal when I was growing up in Puerto Rico. I remember that it was a long week off when we'd often stay with my great-aunt at her Santurce ground-floor apartment, and binge on movies about The Passion that wouldn't show Christ's face because it was disrespectful. A lot has changed since then.<br />
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I'm no longer in the island of my childhood, and my beloved great-aunt has disappeared into the living, breathing void that is Alzheimer's. But Easter is still an important date for me. Though I'm not particularly religious, I make the point to attend Easter service. I now prefer the Episcopalian church near our house in the small city, especially because I love the ability to follow the service carefully through the handouts and <i>The Book of Common Prayer</i>. Last year, I went to Mass with my brother and nephew when they visited, and remember that feeling of being "lost" in the Catholic liturgy, unless you have it memorized. Nowadays, there's very little I can/have memorized so I appreciate the Episcopalian helpfulness.<br />
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Today, I got up early (funny how I can't manage that as blithely when it's time to walk the dog or go to the gym) and made the 8 a.m. service, which was lovely. The woman rector (another thing I like about the Episcopalian Church) gave a sermon about resurrection, one that echoed my sentiments this morning about why this day is so symbolically important to me (I'm very familiar with the practice of resurrection).<br />
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My husband and I had also invited some good, close friends for a potluck and we had a feast. I made shrimp and grits for the first time, with the grits that my brother and nephew had given me as a present last time I saw them (they know of my late passion for S&G, acquired two years ago when I visited Savannah). The dish came out rather good, if I may say so myself, and the rest of the dishes that our friends brought were delicious. The conversation and the company were great and we enjoyed some time outside, basking in the sunny day.<br />
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Yesterday, my husband and I went to Turtle Pond, one of our favorite city parks, with Lizzy and enjoyed a nice, long stroll, albeit in much cooler temperatures.<br />
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It's been a perfect weekend, though, some of it devoted to R&R, to spending time with my husband and furry children, to cooking up a storm (which I love doing), and to friends. Investing the same effort I put into my work into my personal life is a very important part of the practice of resurrection.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493979232893339119.post-19526610179114470942015-03-29T09:08:00.001-05:002015-03-29T09:10:34.173-05:00Pretty San Diego<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm not a fan of flying anywhere, especially long flights, but the four-hour flight between Chicago and San Diego is one that I enjoy, especially because of the views it affords. My camera doesn't do them justice for the desert landscapes make Earth look like another planet. I never get tired of looking out of the plane window on this flight.<br />
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I arrived in San Diego on Thursday for the American Association of Colleges & Universities conference on Diversity, which was highly recommended to me in my new role as Associate Provost for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at my small college on the hill. I wasn't complaining that it was in the 80s when I arrived, though the shuttle driver was bemoaning the heat. I told him I was from Ohio and that I'd trade him anytime.<br />
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The hotel was at walking distance from the harbor, which was lovely, and I appreciated that my name was correctly spelled and my í accented, as it should be.<br />
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We got a long lunch break from the conference on Friday (good planning on the conference organizers' part!) so we took a walk to the harbor and found a great place to eat and a famous bookstore to visit.<br />
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A Starbucks near the hotel was a great plus to me, although I couldn't get anyone to spell my name right there. You always know you're not in your país when you can't get them to spell your name right!<br />
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The conference was, overall, a helpful and productive experience, giving me lots of ideas and new connections in the field. But, most of all, I loved the time I got to spend with my oldest niece, who came to visit me from L.A., where she's studying film and acting. That time spent with her was precious. In addition, now I also know that San Diego is gorgeous and a great place to visit.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493979232893339119.post-45801649320358907402015-03-13T14:13:00.000-05:002015-03-15T14:14:28.847-05:00Puerto Rico. Bello Puerto Rico.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Utuado, Utuado 00641, Puerto Rico18.2655095 -66.70045189999996218.2353535 -66.740792399999961 18.295665500000002 -66.660111399999963tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493979232893339119.post-77024731193861011062015-03-09T16:06:00.001-05:002015-03-09T16:26:51.584-05:00Puerto Rico!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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February was the month when Hell froze over (at least that's how it felt in Ohio, as in many other parts of the U.S.), and March didn't start much better.<br />
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But this week, the second one of spring break at our small college on the hill, we flew away to Puerto Rico to bask in the sunshine and the temperatures in the mid-80s.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493979232893339119.post-16240372319559504652015-02-28T16:31:00.000-05:002015-03-09T16:39:22.372-05:00Hell froze over in February<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Simply put, February sucked the duck in Ohio this year. Temperatures were regularly way below freezing, and the snow and ice were ubiquitous. A cruelest month, February encouraged a lot of sedentary-ness and it was the longest, shortest month because it simply refused to end.<br />
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In early February, I got to travel to NYC for work meetings and my husband I got to take some time to explore the city and have dinner out at a Brazilian restaurant, all of which felt like a really nice break in a year that started busier than I could've thought possible<br />
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Still, I'm learning a lot in this new position and really enjoying what I'm learning, as well as the ability to make a difference in many different ways.<br />
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Pretty, our "inherited" cat, loves my little apartment near the small college on the hill and, despite her more than fifteen years, is still a playful kitten when she decides it's time for play.<br />
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As its parting gift, February regaled us with a <i>luna de toros</i>, which shone like a perfect brooch on the bosom of the velvety night.<br />
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