TRAVELS (and more) WITH CECILIA BRAINARD: Cruz Luncheon - Maryknoll Get Together, Southern California 2014

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Cruz Luncheon - Maryknoll Get Together, Southern California 2014

Seated l-r: Cecilia Brainard, Joselyn Geaga-Rosenthal, Maria Ciocon, Lucy McGinley

Standing l-r: Ollie Yujuico, Lorna Cruz, Tina Heiter, Esther Parker, Med Villanueva

Some graduates of Maryknoll College, Quezon City, Philippines got together at Lorna and Raul Cruz's lovely home at Thousand Oaks, Ventura, California. The annual winter visit of Tina and Andy Heiter from Switzerland usually inspires the reunion.

The past two years, Tina and Andy Heiter hosted the luncheons at their Palm Dessert home; this year Lorna and Raul Cruz did. They prepared paella, with crab's legs and mussels, ham, salad, asparagus wrapped in bacon, almond cake, and fruit salad. We also had a wonderful fruity sangria, perfect for the summer-like weather that we're having. I had to leave in the afternoon, but Lorna was going to fix the group dinner of pasta, salad with prosciutto, and halo-halo for dessert.

Lorna gave us a tour of her garden, including her orchid collection, some of which are prize winners. Lorna also gave us some tips about taking care of orchids; and she promises to teach us more in the future.

We missed Chona Preston and Milette Estrada, who in the last minute couldn't make it.

Thank you Lorna and Raul for the wonderful day!

The top picture shows, seated l-r: Cecilia Brainard, Joselyn Geaga Rosenthal, Maria Ciocon, Lucy McGinley; standing l-r: Ollie Ubaldo Yujuico, Lorna Cruz, Tina Heiter, Esther Quintos Parker, Med Villanueva.

Next: seated l-r: Joselyn Rosenthal, Maria Ciocon; standing l-r - Cecilia Brainard, Lorna Crua
Next: Maria Ciocon, Lorna Cruz next to one of Lorna's orchids
Next: Andy and Tina Heiter
Next: Esther and Owen Parker
Next: That's Andy and Ollie grabbing some food
Next: Ollie and Lucy McGinley
Next: Cecilia and Joselyn

The last two pictures show more of Lorna's orchids.
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tags: Maryknoll, Maryknollers, Quezon City, Philippines, convent school, college, school, Maryknoll 1968

This is all for now,
Cecilia

Cecilia Manguerra Brainard

Cecilia Manguerra Brainard's official website is ceciliabrainarddotcom. She is the award-winning author and editor of 22 books, including When the Rainbow Goddess Wept, The Newspaper Widow, Magdalena, Selected Stories, Vigan and Other Stories, and more. She edited Growing Up Filipino 1, 2, & 3, Fiction by Filipinos in America, Contemporary Fiction by Filipinos in America, and other books.. Her work has been translated into Finnish and Turkish; and many of her stories and articles have been widely anthologized. Cecilia has received many awards, including a California Arts Council Fellowship in Fiction, a Brody Arts Fund Award, a Special Recognition Award for her work dealing with Asian American youths, as well as a Certificate of Recognition from the California State Senate, 21st District, and the Outstanding Individual Award from her birth city, Cebu, Philippines. She has lectured and performed at UCLA, USC, University of Connecticut, University of the Philippines, PEN, Shakespeare & Company in Paris, and many others. She has served in the Board of literary arts groups such as PEN, PAWWA (Pacific Asian American Writers West), among others.