Waiting for my dealer, I dreaded the next hour. But that’s how drug deals go. Knowing that it could be a longer wait than anticipated, desperation played a role in my next decision – I needed a drink to calm me.

Impressed by the practicality of the human mind, even in times of uncertainty, my eyes were opening up to a world in ways accessible to the being I used to be.

My cup, being half empty rather than half full, was filled with insufficient strength. I had no power to stand alone. Quickly now, to sharpen my point, I was destined to resume my gluttony.

A proud father celebrates his son’s first birthday.

A small adventure in a young boy’s life.

At the time of his death, my grandmother was expecting another child. It was a girl. My grandfather had always handled the finances, made their travel arrangements, and run the farm. Now, thousands of miles away from the home they had made in America, my grandmother and her five children began to run out of money.

More memories of my life as a child growing up in the Azores.

I remember the days as a young girl in the Azores when my father would repair holes in the roof with rocks.

Back then, shaving cream came in a tube, just like toothpaste. Many times, my father brushed his teeth with shaving cream or shaved his face with toothpaste. The first time he brushed his teeth with shaving cream, he turned to my mother and said, “Why is this toothpaste so bubbly?”.

So, the ship left the island again and after two hours the plug they put into the ship fell out. Back again, we went for another week on the ship at the dock. It was comfortable enough, and the food was great. The aroma of the food was enough to make you drool.