Gloria and Emilio Estefan

Gloria Maria Milagrosa Fajardo, later known as the wonderful Gloria Estefan, was born in Havana, Cuba.

Her father, a former soldier in the Cuban Army and bodyguard to dictator, Fulgencio Batista, fled with his family to Miami following the Cuban Revolution.

While attending the University of Miami Gloria met and fell in love with Emilio Estefan, founder of the Miami Sound Machine, and the rest is musical history.

With, now, Gloria Estefan as the lead singer, the band went on to sell millions of albums. Gloria Estefan is also known for her courage and fortitude after a near fatal accident in which a truck demolished her tour bus during a snow storm.


A year after the accident, Estefan took the stage at the American Music award to a standing ovation.

And, of her marriage to Emilio, she says he was her first and last boyfriend. The couple remains happily married and live with their son and daughter in Miami Beach.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloria_Estefan#Marriage

A Christmas Carol

Charles Dickens

 

In December of 1843, at the age of thirty, Charles Dickens was already a well known writer whose fame in Europe and North America drew huge crowds when he was booked for book tours. He was married to Catherine Hogarth and the Christmas season of 1843 had the young couple expecting their fifth child.

As with most of his characters, Dickens own life was a rags to riches success story, but this December found the family in desperate need for money. Catherine’s two younger sisters were living in the household along with Charles’ younger brother Frederick. Book sales had been brisk, but the profit margin smaller than expected. Dickens felt that his publisher was at fault for this lack of profit, and he determined to take matters in his own hands.

Charles Dickens wrote intensely for six weeks and produced “A Christmas Carol”

When it was finished in early December, and he had written “The End” in huge letters, underlined three times, Dickens decided to by pass his negligent publishing house and publish the book himself. 

Recognizing its potential value, he oversaw every aspect of its publication, and the final edition saw the book bound with gilt-edged pages, the title pages in a vibrant red and green, and four hand-colored etchings and wood cuts illustrating the now classic tale.

Just as he hoped, “A Christmas Carol”, released on December 19, 1843, sold out its first edition of 6,000 copies by Christmas Eve. Unfortunately The book sales barely covered the expense of publication, and the hoed for profit of 1,000 pounds, was reduced to a bare 200 pounds.

The gift Charles Dickens gave to future readers, though, is priceless. “A Christmas Carol” is considered on of the most influential pieces ever written, and has become a part of Christmas tradition.

So, as was said of Ebeneezer Scrooge, who finally found the true spirit of the holiday and,

“…that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge…

“May that be truly said of us, and all of us!”

 http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org

The Big Event

It would be remiss to have a collection of couples' “how we met” stories and ignore the big event of the day; the much anticipated Royal Wedding.  As I was reading about how Kate and William met, I decided to journey back in time and do a little research on the “how we met” stories of some of the Royal family.

Anyone who has seen The King’s Speech remembers Elizabeth joking to Bertie about refusing his first proposal. And, anyone who has seen the movie also knows that Prince Albert was a determined, young man, who decided that he would “marry no one else.” In February 1922, when Elizabeth was a bridesmaid at the wedding of  Albert's sister, Princess Mary, he decided to propose again. Once more, though, Elizabeth turned him down being “afraid never, never again to be free to think, speak and act as I feel I really ought to.”

Bertie refused to admit defeat, and finally got lucky on his third try. The couple was married in Westminster Abbey on April 26,1923.

Elizabeth II met Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark several times while growing up. Apparently he made quite an impression, because she was in love with him by the age of thirteen and the two began exchanging letters. Interestingly enough, the match was filled with controversy. Philip was considered to be a foreigner and had sisters who had married German nobleman who were later suspected of having Nazi ties. The Queen Mother reportedly referred to Philip as “The Hun”. True love prevailed, however, and the couple married on November 20, 1947.  The wedding could take place only after Philip had renounced his Greek and Danish titles, had converted from Greek Orthodoxy to Anglican, and had taken on the surname of his mother’s British family becoming Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten.

Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer had also known each other for many years before they became involved. Charles, under increasing pressure to marry, took a serious interest in Diana as a potential bride during the summer of 1980. They were both guests at a country weekend and she took the time to watch him play polo. They began dating and Diana was well received by all members of the Royal family. Charles and Diana were engaged in February 1981, and married on July 29, 1981. Diana had just turned twenty years old at the time of their marriage.

Prince William and Kate Middleton met at school. They were both students at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland when they met in 2001. The relationship went through the usual ups and downs, mostly William not wanting to commit, and then realizing what he was throwing away. Fortunately for him, Kate was willing to try again. This time he took the step, proposed, and she accepted.

The result... the Royal Wedding on April 29, 2011...the birth of Prince George... and a new arrival on the way!
 I wish them well.

Steve Jobs

The late Steve Jobs was the iconic, sometimes controversial, and always brilliant mind behind Apple Inc..











To me, he exemplified courage in entrepreneurship and creativity.


He seemed to face his biggest challenge, his battle with cancer, in the same way he faced challenges all his life; to think “beyond what anyone thought possible” and to do “some great work, really great work that will go down in history.”

When it came to romance, apparently Jobs followed the same game plan.

When Steve met his wife Laurene, she was in an MBA program at Stanford University. Jobs was scheduled to be at a business meeting when he decided to follow his heart instead of his agenda;

“If this was my last night on earth, would I rather spend it at a business meeting, or with this woman?”

He ran across the parking lot, from which they were both heading out, and asked if she would have dinner with him. She said ‘yes’, they walked back into town and were together ever since.

I’m sure during the  successful and long lasting relationship the journey was made smoother by some of the lessons Steve Lohr of the NYT writes that Jobs has left behind;

Good ideas take time,

Don’t dwell on mistakes,

And, perhaps most important,

Passion counts for a lot.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/09/business/steve-jobs-and-the-power-of-taking-the-big-chance.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&hp

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/technology-blog/8-things-didn-t-know-life-steve-jobs-172130955.html

Mayor Tom Menino and Angela Faletra

When Boston voters elected Marty Walsh as their 54th mayor in the  2013 mayoral election, the city said good-by and thanks to its longest serving mayor, Thomas Menino.




Mayor Menino had been the face of Boston from 1993, serving five terms as mayor and stepping down with an unprecedented 80% approval rating.

On October 30th 2014, Boston said good-by again to Mayor Menino, when he succumbed to the very aggressive cancer he had been diagnosed with, shortly after leaving office.

Menino, a real Boston boy, grew up right in the city in Hyde Park. He was the son of a factory foreman, attended St. Thomas Aquinas High school, and later enrolled in night classes at Boston College.

Like many hard working parents, Tom Menino's father wanted a better life for his son. His dismay was great when Tom, citing President Harry Truman as his role model, declared that college was not for him, and dropped out of B.C..

He later went on to receive an associates degree in business, and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Community Planning while serving as Boston's City Councilor.

In March 1993, after President Clinton  appointed then Mayor Raymond Flynn as United States Ambassador to the Holy See, Tom Menino became acting Mayor of Boston and went on to serve five terms in office.

Tom Menino met Angela Faletra in 1963 when she was playing tennis on the court next to his. She and her friend kept hitting balls into the next court. Tom, made his move and suggested a game of mixed doubles. The two "hit it off", fell in love and were married three years later.

They moved back to  Hyde Park, where they still live, had two kids and are now the proud grand parents of six. Angela still works 30 hours a week as an accountant while performing her ceremonial duties for the city of Boston.

Our thoughts are with the Menino family as they cope with this sad loss, and our thanks go out to them,too, for sharing this great man with the public.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Menino#Personal_life

Happy Birthday Giuseppe Verde

Giuseppe Verde was born on October 10th or 9th 1813 (the baptismal records state that the infant was "born yesterday") in a small village called Busseto.

As a young man he studied composition in Milan and returned to be the music master of his small village. Much renowned, he was invited by a prominent merchant to instruct his lovely daughter, Margherita, in music.

Of course, just as in opera, the two fell deeply in love and, just as in opera, tragedy was just behind the curtain.

Greta Garbo

Greta Lovisa Gustafsson  grew up in a poor neighborhood in Stockholm; a shy child who preferred daydreaming and play-acting to school. When her father died of Spanish flu in 1920, she had to leave school and go to work to help support the family. Her first job was in a barbershop, as a "lather girl," and she also found work as a department store model. Her modeling jobs led to some small roles in advertising films for the store and for a local bakery.

While studying at the Royal Dramatic Theatre, she caught the eye of silent-film director Mauritz Stiller. He took her under his wing, changed her last name to "Garbo" and cast her in his film The Saga of Gösta Berling (1923). When Stiller signed a deal with MGM in Hollywood, he insisted on bringing his star with him. The studio set about to craft a persona for the aloof Swedish actress, portraying her as a woman of mystery, and though they had only agreed to put her under contract to get Stiller on board, they soon discovered that she had star potential.

SoRo Romance

We met on a Friday night in the middle of spring (we’d actually met before that and said “hello” but she doesn’t remember). It was the last day of law school exams. All over, small parties had erupted in different homes. Everyone was dealing with the sudden combination of exhaustion, relief, and elation. I was happy to be done with exams and even happier that I had three weeks of nothing to do.



Just as all roads in the ancient world led to Rome, all parties in SoRo lead to Crossroads. Crossroads is a large bar/space that serves several different purposes as the primary spot in a tiny New England town filled with liberal law students and life-long residents. It’s a dive bar with cheap beer, it’s a giant outdoor patio and horseshoe pit, it’s a back room with pool tables, and on a night when the  entire law school is hanging out and celebrating, it’s a dance hall; the whole place was thumpin’.


I arrived with about a dozen friends from an earlier house party. It was late, but not late for a Friday night. I bought a beer and worked my way through the crowd, trying to say hello to people who were graduating or heading off for the summer. After a little while, I noticed this girl on the dance floor. She had arrived earlier with friends, and was celebrating her last exam of her first year. I watched as she moved around laughing and smiling; she seemed to know everyone and everyone seemed to love her. Unfortunately my friend, Chris, also spotted her and was pretty confident about his chances. So we made a bet over whether Chris would get a kiss by the end of the night. Chris figured that he wouldn't have a problem because, even though she had been dancing with some other guys, she seemed willing to dance with him and he had faith in his own persistence. Sadly (and unexpectedly) for Chris, I hadn't yet begun to talk with the cute blonde girl; it’s like making a bet on the likelihood that the Yankees will win a game, only to discover later that you’d been talking with Derek Jeter.


I began dancing, trying to surreptitiously edge my way towards my objective, who was grooving like whoa to the music. I arranged an introduction. We started to dance, and dance and dance. It got later and later: midnight and beyond. Her friends started leaving. She suggested I go with them, so we head to the big gazebo on town green. Everyone always wants to keep on spending just a little more time out in the nice early summer weather. We talked and talked discussing all sorts of things, and the night grew deeper. After a bit, it got a little cooler and we went over to her car to get her jacket. At the car, we kissed, and upon leaning against the car, released the emergency brake. The car began to roll downhill towards the green. At that exact moment, her friend wandered by, and we had to scramble to keep the car from rolling over the friend and onto the green. We kept the car (and friend) from catastrophe and I walked her back to where she was staying. I got her phone number, which I promptly lost, but saved myself by emailing her two days later.

Chris bought me a drink the next night.

Heart and Soul

Last year, on August 17th, Bethany Hamilton, of Soul Surfer fame, married Adam Dirks. Hamilton met Dirks, a Christian youth minister, through mutual friends at her church. The two fell in love and announced their engagement last spring.

In an interview with "In Touch" magazine, Bethany confided,

"I always felt it would be hard for me to meet someone, because I'm different. To say that I was completely comfortable looking at myself in the mirror and seeing one arm would be a lie. I just had to trust in God and know that he had someone special for me."


Bethany Hamilton is one of my heroes. She has inspired all with her story of survival and courage following the loss of her arm in a shark attack when she was only 13. Motivated by her family's love, her personal faith and her amazing perseverance Bethany reclaimed surfing for her own, and was able to become one of the top surfer's in the world. She was also determined to use her own misfortune to learn how to motivate others and reach out to those in need.


Bethany's love of challenge is not limited to the world of surfing. This past March she teamed up with driver, Chrissie Beavis, to complete the world's only all-women off-road rally race; the 23rd annual Gazelle Rally.

In the Gazelle, racers must reach a series of check points across the grueling Sahara desert using the shortest distance.




Was Hamilton just "along for the ride"? No way!
Doing the bulk of the driving in a car with no modifications, she negotiated some of the highest dunes in the world while Chrissie Beavis performed the navigation.
They finished an impressive 8th out of 150 teams.


It's no surprise that Bethany Hamilton's "someone special" should be a companion in adventure, in faith, and in love.

"Adam and I love to live healthy, active lifestyles, and we hope to share that with others. I'm excited to go on some adventures with him as well."

Let's hope he can keep up:)

Congratulations!

http://xgames.espn.go.com/rally-moto-x/article/9116277/bethany-hamilton-chrissie-beavis-finish-23rd-annual-gazelle-rally-eighth
http://www.grindtv.com/action-sports/surf/post/bethany-hamilton-marries-christian-youth-minister-adam-dirks/