POETRY 

I close my eyes

and drift off to sleep

seeing only white

covered shrubs

and frozen buds.

Branches weigh heavily

in the stirring wind

and inhuman voices carry

a note of spring

as the pristine air

sharpens the sound.

I sleep;

dreaming of soft meadows

and wild flowers blooming

amongst the tall grasses

bending ever so gently,

swaying to the rhythm of the breeze.

But it is only a tease

as I open my eyes

and look upon cold gray skies.

Everything is still,

frozen in time

as winter tightens its grip

before it starts to slip;

its frosty powers will wane

and I shall rise

to renew my spirit

and rejoin the living.

It is then I shed this burden,

this cloak of hibernation

to rejoice in a new season

while winter sleeps.  

My trip to Cuba in early January was an interesting, educational and very different travel experience. President Obama loosened travel restrictions to Cuba in 2011, allowing American citizens to travel legally to Cuba for educational, religious and cultural exchanges with the Cuban people. I spent nine days on the island as part of a 26-member group sponsored by the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute of UMass/Boston.  

A restored building in Havana displays the Cuban flag.

Our departure terminal in Miami was chaotic with Cubans returning home carrying all sorts of items. Weight on our charter flight was limited to body weight (yes, they asked!) plus 44 pounds, which included checked and carry-on luggage and handbags. The fee for excess weight was $2 per pound.

Jose Marti International Airport in Havana was only a little less confusing. A fellow traveler next to me in the passport control line was questioned at length by a female security officer about her purpose for coming to Cuba and the places she planned to visit. She didn't have her itinerary handy and asked to use mine; then we were both detained for ten minutes while the officer took notes.

We spent five days in Havana, an overnight in the Vinales Valley, an agricultural area east of Havana, and overnights in the cities of Cienfuegos and Trinidad, about three hours southwest of Havana. Cuba is rich in natural beauty with magnificent ocean views, beautiful beaches, striking mountain scenery and fertile valleys.  

Horse drawn vehicles are a common mode of transportation in the capital and countryside.

Havana's wide boulevards are lined with pre-revolutionary stately buildings; most are now shabby and in need of repair. There are no traffic jams because there aren't many vehicles. Vintage American cars, mainly convertibles, share the road with small Soviet style cars, a few BMWs (Government officials have to drive something!), horse drawn carts and carriages and pedicabs. In the countryside the horse drawn vehicles almost outnumber the cars.

Cienfuegos, a beautiful city on a bay, is the only Cuban city founded by the French. Elegant French colonial buildings still line its historical center. Trinidad, once the center of Cuba's thriving sugar cane industry until its collapse during the war for independence, remains stuck in the 1950s with impressive colonial buildings, narrow cobble stoned streets and a plethora of horse drawn carts. Both cities are UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Musicians, alone or in combos, can be found everywhere in Cuba.

As visitors on a cultural exchange, we toured museums, art galleries, a ballet studio where we saw a rehearsal, farms, a community organic garden, a pharmacy, a senior center, a preschool, several artisans' markets, the Bay of Pigs and witnessed a cigar rolling demonstration. Our itinerary was tightly scheduled and left little opportunity to bask on the beach or explore on our own. The highlight of the trip for me was attending the Cuban National Ballet's performance of "The Nutcracker." The staging was unique and the dancing was world-class.

In Havana we stayed at the Hotel Nacional, built in 1930 and favored by international tourists and the American Mob. Irma Dana from Southport and her husband stayed there on their honeymoon in the late l940s. We spent several evenings drinking mojitos at the outdoor bar overlooking the Malecon, an eight-kilometer walkway along the seawall where Cubans gather to socialize and hang out, especially on weekends. We could watch CNN in our rooms but all outside news channels are blocked to the Cuban people.

When we checked into a hotel we were advised to make sure the toilet flushed and there was hot and cold running water before we unpacked our suitcases. One resort hotel in the countryside even came with its own live frogs in the room! At that same hotel one woman in our group got locked in the bathroom when she went to take a shower. She screamed and pounded for over an hour before someone heard her and came to her rescue. I was lucky. I was locked into a bathroom stall in a restaurant and only had to wait ten minutes for someone to go for help.

Toilets were a challenge. Except in hotels and a few restaurants, there were no seats and no toilet paper. Occasionally one had to ask the attendant (who collected a quarter for a small amount of coarse toilet paper) to bring a bucket of water to flush the toilet.  

Cubans can buy staples at a ration store, but the shelves are sparsely stocked.

Cubans are poor but, in spite of Castro's best efforts, they are not equally poor. There are two kinds of currency in Cuba, pesos and convertible pesos (CUCS). Cubans are paid in pesos, which are worth very little. The average salary is about $25 a month, even for doctors. Cubans can spend their pesos in ration stores where they present ration cards and purchase staples--rice, beans, oil, bread, chicken and eggs--for a very small amount of money. Soap used to be available at the ration stores but was recently taken off the list. In Cienfuegos and Trinidad, women begged us for soap to wash their bodies.

We visited a farmers' market where Cubans can buy fresh produce and meat, but the prices are higher. If they change their money into CUCS they can shop in a wider variety of stores that have more merchandise, but prices are very high and shelves are sparsely stocked.

Almost all Cubans supplement their incomes by working a second, illegal job. Others depend on money that relatives in other countries send them. Some have no way to get extra money and they are the very poor. We brought donations of medicine, toiletries (including soap) and school supplies and distributed these at various stops.  

Most apartment buildings were gray and unattractive.  Apartments in this brightly painted building were cheerful but basic, lacking hot water and stoves.

We visited two apartments in a Soviet-built four-story apartment block. They were surprisingly cheery on the inside and comfortably but cheaply furnished. They were cold water flats with no stoves; a propane tank and hot plates were used for cooking. The exteriors of some buildings had been painted recently while others were gray and ugly. Weeds grew higher than my waist and rocks and debris were everywhere.

Our tour guide Lynette was well off by Cuban standards. She worked for the state but supplemented her income with tips. She and her fiancé, after living with his parents for six years, had just purchased an apartment--something that Cubans have only recently been allowed to do.  

Lynette was personable, knowledgeable, and very friendly. As a state employee, she sincerely believed in communism; we couldn't get her to stray from the party line or admit that things weren't wonderful--or at least getting better. She did talk about the "special period" in the early 1990s, after the Berlin Wall fell and the Soviets pulled their economic support out of Cuba, when people starved and lacked basic necessities. Things have improved in the ensuing years but Cuba is still a very poor country.  

Modern farming quipment is in short supply, so oxen are still used for agricultural tasks.

Some, but very little, private industry has been allowed recently. Less than a mile outside of the town of Vinales we saw well maintained farm fields. The state owned the land but it was being cultivated by a cooperative. Each farmer contributed a certain amount of his crops to the cooperative and kept the rest to use or sell. Teams of oxen pulled carts and were used to till the fields. Occasionally we saw rusty tractors and other farm machinery.

The food we ate was just OK. The best restaurants are paladares, found in private homes where the family and a few employees cook and serve meals. Although these are privately owned, the only people who can afford to open them are people with relatives out of the country who can provide start-up capital. We ate delicious meals at several paladares but Lynette, as a state employee, was not allowed to accompany our group to a privately owned restaurant.  

Cuban painter and sculptor Jose Fuster has transformed blocks of his Havana neighborhood with colorful mosaics inspired by Picasso and Gaudi.

The people and government of Cuba have

always loved and respected the arts. Artists and galleries abound. The government pays a stipend to many artists so they can continue to create art. Music is everywhere. We didn't eat a single lunch or dinner without a group of musicians entertaining us (and looking for tips and usually selling their CDs). Cubans can attend the theater for a small amount of pesos, so cultural experiences are available to almost everyone.

Despite the hardships that Cubans endure, the people we met were friendly and seemingly happy. Most of them, at least on the surface, appear to accept their way of life and are encouraged by small steps of progress that make their lives a little better.  

Karlyn & Friends

I am well aware that we got the "sanitized tour" of Cuba; however, I did quite a bit of reading before I went there so I was able, at least part of the time, to look below the surface and see the real Cuba. My hope for the Cuban people is that they will continue to move toward a society that offers more personal freedom and greater prosperity for its citizens.

We regret the passing of Dear Abby. So, in her memory, we present our own version of an advice column.

ASK MISS INFORMATION

Dear Miss Information:

Is terminal illnesses always fatal? Me and my best friend was told we have terminal illnesses and we would like to know if there's a cure for this if not we want to go on a reality show to die but we don't want to disappoint the audience by not dying on the reality show and then maybe the reality show people wouldn't pay us. What do you think?

   Sick to Death

Dear Sick:

I think your grammar is atrocious. Your use of a compound subject is all wrong and your run-on sentence shows a lack of basic knowledge of the English language. Please do not write me any further.

   Miss Information

Local TV news is amazing - what they can get away with. Here's what a typical local news half hour looks like:

• 9.5 minutes: Commercials
• 5.0 minutes: Weather and weather previews
• 3.5 minutes tape of house fires (Even if they're in Arkansas, if they're on tape, they're on the air.)
• 2.0 minutes: Sports
• 2:0 minutes: Reporter reporting "live" from an empty parking lot, the "scene of the accident that took two lives."
• 2.0 minutes: Interview with mother/father/aunt/ uncle/friend/neighbor of a child killed under tragic circumstances. ("I hate to intrude on you at a time like this, but how do you feel about your child being dead?")
• 1.5 minutes: Convenience store surveillance camera footage showing a clerk fighting off a would-be robber. Repeated three times!
• 2.0 minutes: National and world news
• 1.0 minute: Latest MBTA issue/accident
• 1.5 minutes: Too-precious-for-words bantering among anchors and weather guy to show that they like each other. 

And there is your half hour "Newscast."

Boston, we have a problem. I keep reading about the financial difficulties of casinos in our neighboring states of Connecticut and Rhode Island, yet you people on Beacon Hill are talking about three casinos?!

English, she's a funny language, no?

• The words 'dependent' and 'independent' have totally opposite meaning, right? So how come the words 'flammable' and inflammable' have the same meaning?
• We often hear about a disgruntled employee. Is there any such thing as a gruntled employee?
• People are always giving other people "short shrift." Does anyone ever get "long shrift?" And just what is shrift anyway?
   

Things just keep getting better and better. Not too long ago we learned that red wine lowered blood pressure. Shortly after that a study showed that dark chocolate was good for our cholesterol. Now we're told that being a little overweight prolongs life. Are we living in a great time or what!

What ever happened to quicksand? When I was a kid, one of the things I feared most was getting caught in quicksand. I was told to stand straight and put my arms out to my side and I would survive the ordeal. Was there ever any such thing as quicksand or was it invented for old movies?

Final thought: Dogs sure look funny when they walk downstairs. 

Morning wakes me early.

It slips through curtained windows

and pulls me from my sleep.

I rise and tiptoe agilely

to the kitchen,

not so much out of respect

for the still sleeping,

but I don't want to share

my serenity with anyone.

Morning is my church.

It's soul searching time

when I'm closest to myself

and I have all the answers

if only till the first bird sings.

Morning smells like coffee

and tastes like oatmeal.

Today is special and it tastes

like blueberry scone.

Dust particles from

yesterday's undone chore

flit like fairy dust.

in the silvery slices of daybreak

and promise to return later

in harsher light

and pervade my downtime.

But just as morning

boosts my keenness

dusk dulls my sensibility;

that and wine.

So the dust might get

to do it's dance

in the light of another day.

An "Evening in Paris," Southport's gala New Years Eve celebration, attracted a spirited crowd of people prepared to party. As French music played in the background, guests were greeted with a complimentary cocktail --the French Kiss. Stars twinkled from above and glistened on the walls, and a beautiful six-foot replica of the lighted Eiffel Tower transported everyone to the City of Light. Hors d'oeuvres were delicious and in abundance.

During a sumptuous French dinner and throughout the evening, prizes donated by residents, friends and local merchants were raffled off, including: a two-hour house cleaning, leather wallets by Calvin Klein and Kenneth Cole, free golf, a gorgeous button necklace, a $100 gift certificate for Mashpee Commons and many others. Festivities continued with dancing and gambling. The latter was most popular as folks tried their luck at craps, roulette and black jack.

Nearing midnight, champagne was delivered to each table, accompanied by the music of the Can Can dance. Deejay Jim McLaughlin lit his multicolored strobe light, Judy Bergh toasted good-bye to 2012 and wished everyone a healthy and happy 2013. Everyone joined in singing Auld Lang Syne, and the New Years Eve Committee knew that we had captured the essence of the beauty and fun of the night.

My thanks go to committee members  who spent many hours planning the food, music, décor and prizes and performing a host of other tasks for this event. From left to right, they are: Mary Costello, Barbara Butters, Barbara Pirozzi, Doris Weishaus, Judy Bergh, Sue Aitken in the background (who puts up with us no matter what mess we get into)

And let's not forget our croupiers who met quietly to learn the rules and pay outs for the games. Edward Bergh chaired the gambling activities and the croupiers included (left to right) Jack Clarke, Frank Mucci, Eliot Sklar, Alex DeBaggis, Jerry Giusti, Peter Leblanc, Allyn Brockman, Jack McIntyre, Steve Roth, Alan Gladstone, Ed Bergh, Dom Romano, Bob Venezia. Not pictured: Barbara Brink, Larry Costello, Joe Leblanc, Ed Larkin, Dick Shattuck, Dick Spiers, Jack Vartanian. 

Other people who contributed importantly to the success of the evening: woodworkers Jerry Giusti, Jack Sample, Joe Tinlin and Dick Wiener made the professional gambling tables; Paul Butters designed a spectacular Parisian ticket and was our photographer; Mark Kromelbein and Steve Sylvia did the hard work that transformed the ballroom into an unbelievable stage set for our Evening in Paris theme; and Judy and Phyllis Smith organized the ticketing and accommodated seating preferences.

My appreciation goes out to everyone who helped to make this a very memorable evening. Obvious to all, something very special reigns at Southport. We are truly all joined in heart.

            Judy Bergh, Chair, New Year Eve Committee.  Photos: Paul Butters    

POSTSCRIPT

Brown Bag Lunch, February 8

Speaker: John Monahan

Shortly after his graduation from Boston College in the early 1960s, Southport resident John Monahan went to work in Washington DC for John W. McCormack, who was the Democratic Majority Leader at the time.

During McCormack's tenure as Speaker of the House from 1962 to 1971, John served as his administrative assistant, working closely with the Speaker and often representing him at meetings. McCormack became a wonderful friend and mentor.

After McCormack retired in 1971, John Monahan remained in Washington, working for John McFall, Democratic Whip from California, and then for the Democratic Party. He retired in 1985 and he and Jean moved their family to Falmouth. John will talk about his experiences in Washington during the 60s, 70s and 80s.

Chuck Warry & Joe Naughton and Joe LeBlanc & Allyn Brockman are two of the teams that participate in the pool program's Rotation League, which plays with differently paired players from October through April in three separate 'seasons.' Events are posted three weeks before competition begins in the Joe McDonough Veterans Memorial Pool Room. All are eligible to sign up; some ability to shoot pool is expected but the bar is not set high. Weaker players are paired with better ones. Good spirits prevail, even after a tough match, as you can see in the photo.            Ernie Ruber

Sandy Bernstein is a freelance writer and web designer. Her poetry, articles, and fiction have appeared in such publications as The Writer Magazine, Writers' Journal, Poetic Voices, Flashquake Magazine, Mind Fire, and many other print and web publications. Currently she is working on a novel, an excerpt appears on her website www.sandybernstein.net.

She is a long time member of the Stoneham Writers Group.  

 Karlyn Curran moved to Southport from New Jersey in 2003. She has a daughter, son-in-law and three grandchildren in Falmouth and two sons, their wives and another grandchild near Hanover NH. After her husband passed away and she retired from her teaching career, she moved to New England to be closer to her children. She loves Southport and Cape Cod. Even more than that, she loves being a "hands-on" grandma. She caught the travel bug from her husband and this has resulted in a chronic condition.     

 

Lydia Biersteker grew up in Somerville, Massachusetts. She met her husband Dale on the beach at Falmouth Heights in 1969, while he was stationed at Fort Devens. After Dale retired in 2005 from his executive position with the USPS, they moved to Vero Beach, Florida but decided that they preferred New England. They moved to Southport in July 2011. Dale plays golf, and Lydia likes gardening, walking, writing poetry and short prose, exploring genealogy, and lunching with friends. Together, they enjoy dining, exploring wineries and brew pubs, walking the trails of Cape Cod, traveling and playing with their grandkids, who live with their son in Rowley, Massachusetts.

David Kapp, with his wife Billie, moved from Connecticut to Southport in 2009. David retired from a career as a university library administrator, after working in the libraries at Brandeis, Harvard and the University of Connecticut. He was a building consultant for the planning of a number of major university libraries and was, for many years, the editor of Connecticut Libraries. Billie enjoyed a career as an educator and social sciences consultant. The Kapps are frequent visitors to Hawaii where their son, daughter, grandson and other family members live.   

Jonathan Leavitt grew up in Scarsdale, NY. He earned his undergraduate degree in electrical engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a master's degree in the same field from the University of Pennsylvania. He worked at Sprague Electric, Epsco, Di/An controls, MIT Instrumentation/Draper Labs, and GTE, mostly as a development engineer. The highlight of his career was logic design contribution to an experiment that was carried to the moon on Apollo 17. Married for 42 years to the late Arlene (Samiof), he has three married children and six grandchildren. He has been associated with Southport part-time since 2003, full time since 2008.

Bob Mendes began his career as an advertising copywriter at Doyle Dane Bernbach in New York before becoming senior vice president of marketing for a west coast department store chain. He left that position to start Pacific Sports, a sports and general marketing agency. There he developed "The Reading Team," a children's literacy program sponsored by the National Football League and the American Library Association, which used NFL players as literacy role models. Bob is the author of "A Twentieth Century Odyssey, the Bob Mathias Story." After retiring, he served as executive director of the Glendora (CA) Chamber of Commerce. When grandson Adam was born, Bob and Bette moved to Cape Cod, where they recently celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary. Neither retires well. He's had a number of part-time jobs, has written two more books, and volunteers; Bette serves on committees at Southport and at the Falmouth Jewish Congregation. Their son Steve is a pediatrician and lives in Marion with his wife Sarah and their children, and a second son, Jeff, practices law in Indianapolis.