BABY ANGELINA

Another beautiful Key West morning! A calm one. Nothing moving. Water still. No breeze. Birds chirping. I stepped out on the deck. I felt the whole world was mine.

President Obama’s eulogy at Reverend Pinckney’s service moved me. My emotions got involved. Tears filled my eyes. I thought it was one of man’s great orations. The feeling apparently mutual. Media persons over the weekend have expressed themselves in a similar fashion.

Amazing Great was part and parcel of the eulogy. In fact, part and parcel of the service.

Several years ago, I wrote an article for Amazon Kindle titled Amazing Grace. The story/history behind the Amazing Grace of today. Several times I have reprinted the article. I did again yesterday. Called it Amazing Grace Revisited.

I was motivated by President Obama’s singing of the classic during the eulogy.

Amazing Grace Revisited is this week’s column in KONK Life. Publishes wednesday.

Love Publix! The crossroads of Key West!

Yesterday afternoon ran into Albert and his family. Albert was my trainer at WeBeFit. A terrific guy. Special. Albert was pushing his cart accompanied by his wife. Inside sat Angelina. Their eight month old daughter.

First time I had seen her. A beauty! The face, the hair, the eyes. The eyes especially. Reminded me of the Gerber baby.

God bless!

A week ago on June 23, this blog was titled Cuban Hemingway House. Hemingway’s Cuban home called Finca Vigia. Run down. Filled with Hemingway books, letters and photos. Beat up from the humidity over the years. The home is closed. No tours, etc. as here in Key West.

My article was motivated by the news that an American foundation was providing a not for profit Cuban group with just under $900,000 to save the items. An example of little things beginning to happen because of warming relations between the U.S. and Cuba.

This morning’s Key West Citizen retold the story. With much more detail and photographs.

The Citizen article revealing. Dink Bruce is a local. Everyone knows Dink. A warm sociable guy. The article reveals that Dink’s father Bruce was a good friend of Hemingway. Bruce did the renovations to Finca Vigia when Hemingway acquired the property. Dink still has some of the renovation drawings.

A small world. One way or another, we all seem to be connected.

Lest I forget, two of Hemingway’s greatest works were written while he lived at Finca Vigia. For Whom The Bells Toll and The Old Man And The Sea.

Greece. WOW days ahead! Greece and the Eurounion are split. Greece is on its own. Unbelievable money problems ahead for Greece. Perhaps also the Eurounion.

Greece has already announced that banks will be closed for six days. Only 60 euros a day may be removed from ATM accounts. The problem is that there are only enough euros left to supply the ATM machines for 3 days. Then, what? Will the drachma return? Or as far fetched as it sounds, will Greece adopt the American dollar as its currency?

My friend Anna telephoned from Novara yesterday. She is scheduled to fly to Greece for a month’s vacation tomorrow. She is fearful of going. I e-mailed her this morning and told her to go somewhere else. Greece will be uncertain for a while.

I would love to be in Greece at this time. Athens and the islands. It will be exciting! Protests, demonstrations. Who knows what else. A moment in history. Not in my plans however.

Have to hustle. Anti-gravity treadmill later this morning.

Enjoy your day!

 

CUBAN HEMINGWAY HOUSE

Key West loves Ernest Hemingway. He is part of Key West’s history. His home on Whitehead has become sort of a shrine. The lines run down the block to Truman with people waiting to get in. Sloppy Joe’s, the six toed cats, and more contribute to Key West folklore..

Hemingway called Cuba his home for 20 plus years. 1939-1960. He wrote Old Man and the Sea while living in Cuba. His Cuban home palatial.

Castro took over in 1959. Castro and Hemingway were not the best of friends. Castro immediately confiscated all property. In addition to land and homes was included books and papers. Hemingway personally asked Castro not to take his home. Castro paid him no attention.

Hemingway left Cuba within a year of Castro taking power. Leaving behind his home, books, letters and photos. The books, letters and photos number in the area of 9,000.

Time and the elements have taken their toll re the books, letters and photos. Steps are being taken to repair and maintain them. Cuba has never had the money to do so.

When Obama announced that Cuba and the U.S. were discussing becoming friends again, he shortly  thereafter issued a list of exemptions to the embargo. Note, the embargo is still in effect. The reunion apparently is going to take some time.

The exemptions included the exportation to Cuba of supplies whose purpose was historical preservation. Note, not money. Money still cannot be exchanged. Supplies paid for however in the U.S. can.

National Trust is a U.S. foundation. Cuba has a National Cultural Heritage Council. The Council operates Finca Vigia.  Finca Vigia is Hemingway’s Cuba home and personal property left there. Known also as Lookout Farm.

National Trust is sending just under $900,000 in supplies to the Cuban Council to repair and preserve Hemingway’s books, papers and photos. In addition, a special facility will be attached or built anew to hold the Hemingway materials. None of the money will be used to renovate the Hemingway home itself.

All good! If we are going to be friends, let’s be. Personally, I am not happy that it is going to take time for the reconciliation. Fifty years is punishment enough. The U.S. should be in Cuba now with both feet. It did not take the U.S. very long after World War II to kiss and make up with the Germans and Japanese.

My congratulations to the National Trust for getting things started. Lets do more and soon. Lets get rid of the embargo completely and move forward as old friends reunited.

My blog talk radio show tonight at 9 my time. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Two topics to be discussed are my slant on Charleston and the Josephine Baker story.

Re Charleston, this peaceful reaction to the killings will not work. The Connecticut school children killed changed nothing. Charleston will change nothing. More is required. Such will be discussed tonight.

The thrust of my comments…..I am not Jesus!…..I cannot be expected to turn the other cheek!

Enjoy your day!