Month: June 2009

I like Mocking birds their song is lovely and they are fun to watch. That said I am really ticked at the ones on our property. It’s O.K. for them to hassle each other, as two maniacs do all day long, but when they chase cardinals and purple finches away they have gone too far! Unfortunately there is nothing that can be done with these avian paranoids.

On a different but equally annoying subject, the rabbits are winning. My daughter-in-law has planted a veggie garden with corn, tomatoes, and sunflowers. The sunflowers were for Tommy who really likes them. Last year the bunnies ate well but we didn’t. This year we fenced the veggie patch. The rabbits bit through the fence. Three times.

No mater that we check it regularly they still bit holes in the plastic fence. They are neater than some people in their cuts. Perfect rectangles no messy tears or wobbly lines. They have eaten all the sun flowers and two of the tomatoes, now they have started on the corn. Next year the fence will be made of metal, no more nice guys!

This has been the wettest June in NY since the weather bureau started to keep records of the weather. I keep thinking about the deforestation of the rain forests. It changes the pattern of the principal air currents and causes all sorts of unpredictable variations in weather and climate. Enough already, I want sun and warm weather. This is June for goodness sakes

Any way, the birds are doing their best to cheer me up. So far we have seen purple finches, cardinals, blue jays, mockingbirds,crows, redtailed hawks and even one lovely meadow lark.  The purple finch is red not purple. They look like and  are about the size of a large sparow with red heads, necks, and backs. A family has taken residence near our bedroom window and wake me every day. I love the purple finch, it sings me awake every day. The song is lovely and it is sung just around the time we wake up anyway.

Next week is the last week of school that means lots more time with the grandkids. Love it.

This is  to be the week that relatives are in my mind. Got a call from my cousin yesterday, she and her sister are planning a birthday party for my uncle Ruben. He will be 80 years old in August.  Two years ago the lot of us Rivera s ( my mom’s family name) were in Chicago for Titi Cheya’s 90 birthday.  Now it’s Tio Ruben’s turn to be surprised. Family from all over the US & P.R. will be coming, there are a lot of us. My grand father had 4 daughters and 5 sons so there are a lot of cousins.

This now has me thinking of my mom’s  sister Ana. She was a school teacher and librarian in our home town school. I would stay with her when I visited Naranjito.  All my boys met her and loved her. She was the “wacky” sister. Not really, its just she took life light heartedly. She laughed often and loudly, but when you needed advice on ANYTHING she was the one to go to. Down to earth  and sensible, even wise.

When she was ill we were lucky enough to visit her while she was still home and up and about.  It was tough when she died and that visit to my home town was the saddest I’ve ever taken. Haven’t been back since. I miss you Titi Ana

Well it’s been some months since I have written anything but there have been a few things keeping me busy. So, now we begin again.

Lately I have had my great aunt on my mind. Pepita was my dad’s aunt. Unusual for Puerto Rican women in the 30’s she was a professional (teacher) when well brought up  upper class women  did nothing but get married and raise kids. She never married and kept her farms running and earned her own way as a teacher until her retirement. She even bought some farms from my grandfather, her brother, when the properties were in danger of going out of the family’s hands.

My Dad admired her and I adored her.  Even though we met only when she visited N.Y. or I was back in our home town of Naranjito.   She was way ahead of her time, proud, independent , and self reliant. She was the only person I ever met that had her own pre-dieu  in her house. Very devout.

As most Morales were,  she was a great card player. I mean she could have been a pro. I never played poker with her but I did make the mistake of playing bridge with her, her companion, and my Aunt Zoraida. Lord in heaven the woman knew who had what card after the first bid.  I prayed to be the dummy and God heard me. I was able to escape with my self respect intact. Of course the dummy doesn’t do anything but lay out their cards.

They played  for pennies and she managed to donate $300 to $400 to the parish every year from her winnings.  Now  remember she played against her niece who was a really good card player. All the Morales relatives were good at cards.  My uncle Jorge  made his living that way. Really, he was a bartender at a San Juan  hotel but made more money in card games. American tourists were a real revenue stream for him. I really miss him as well. Always funny, and with a smile that hid a really pessimistic world view. Another Morales characteristic.

Well that’s all for now, I hope to be better at this from now on.