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Category: Lifestyle & Culture
The sky is blue and the sun is shining down on Detroit, Michigan. At long last, the day Detroit baseball fans have been waiting for after a long, cold winter. Opening Day is first and foremost, an “unofficial” holiday in the State of Michigan. I’m not certain of the numbers, but practically no one is working on this day… and if they are, they are likely following along on their smart phone or streaming the game on their desktops.
Springtime in Michigan not only brings blooming flowers and trees, it brings a renewed and fresh perspective of our beloved Tigers’ chances at the pennant. It’s a day of celebration as the City of Detroit and the entire State of Michigan join together to celebrate “our” team. It is that spirit of unification that I love most about baseball. Baseball unifies all people; which is why today in the City is the very best day in the City.
We are headed to the CoPa (shorthand for Comerica Park) and it is certain to be rocking. Enjoy the day and watch for Miguel’s first homer of the season… he will most certainly not disappoint! Happy Opening Day Detroit! [click the Title for comments]
As a young child, I always looked forward to Spring. Growing up in Michigan, Spring time meant an end to a long winter season and the renewal of all things new. Some of my fondest childhood memories took place during family holiday gatherings. In the Spring, I could count on two constants: a new Easter dress and “cascarones” (confetti-filled, hollowed out eggshells). No Hughes familia Easter celebration was complete without cascarones. 
My family would begin saving hollowed out eggs for months before Easter, which meant that we ended up eating lots of scrambled eggs during this time; which is great, unless you were like me and liked your eggs, over easy. The evening before, we would sit and cut up newspaper or tissue paper for the confetti filling. We’d color hard-boiled eggs, along with our hollowed out eggs, getting everything ready for Easter Sunday.
After mass, we’d all gather at our home or a relative’s home for our Easter celebration. There was always lots of food, drink and the two best things: an Easter egg hunt and the breaking of cascarones. We were always told that breaking a cascarone over someone’s head and showing them with confetti, was supposed to bring good luck. I’m not certain if that was ever true or not, but it was always, and is to this day, lots of fun and still brings a smile to my face as I see my children carrying on that same Easter tradition.
My favorite cascarone memory was when my sister was in 1st or 2nd grade and she cracked a cascarone on my dad’s head; except she had grabbed a hard-boiled Easter egg by accident… ouch! We laugh about that to this day.
Nowadays, there are numerous mercados that sell cascarones already prepared, so we’re not stuck eating scrambled eggs for months ahead of time. Ah, progress! Happy Easter Everyone. [click the Title for comments]
On December 17, 2014, the United States and Cuba announced that they would begin the process to normalize relations between the two countries. Since that time, the two countries have established diplomatic relations and opened embassies. Agreements have been reached to restore direct flights and mail service. Commercial ties have been expanded and increased the capacity of Americans to travel and do business in Cuba.
On March 22, 2016, President Obama became the first American President to visit Cuba in 88 years. During this historical visit, the President brought “saludos de paz” and shared his vision for what the relationship between the two countries should be. Speaking in English and some occasional Spanish, President Obama emphasized that a country’s greatest asset is its people, leaving the Cuban people with a hopeful message for the future.
The President’s historic visit to Cuba was capped off by an exhibition game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Cuban National Team. This was the first Major League Baseball match in Cuba since 1999. [click the Title for comments]
