I suppose you came to this page in search of some fascinating tidbit about me: where I was born, where I live, do I drink diet soda.
In a nutshell, here’s my life. I was born in Cuba in the early 1960’s, at a time when, among other things, it was inconvenient to be Catholic AND have a conscience. My parents, lovers of freedom and no friend of the totalitarian regime still squashing human rights even as I type, came to the United States, as many do, in search of human dignity, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
I attended school, played basketball, resented my siblings, and read to excess. Then I grew up.
These days I live near Mobile with my husband and our silly mutt named Otis. Our three grown children are scattered near and far, but thanks to a ridiculous family text group, we stay close — a fun message is just fingertips away!
I no longer resent my siblings, but have been known to give the dog piercing looks. Oh, and I’m not a fan of diet soda. I figure, if I’m going to drink chemicals anyway, they might as well taste good.
What i want to know is how you became such a HP expert that Fr. Roderick would have you cohost the SHP series!
smk —
it was sheer dumb luck
Ahh I loves listening to you on the HP posdcasts 🙂
I live outside of Atlanta, as well.
so i totally just got that your comment to smk was a harry potter reference.
very slick, you. 🙂
“if I’m going to drink chemicals anyway, they might as well taste good.” – I feel the same way.
I too live outside Atlanta, what a coincidence!
Hi Maria,
I am getting ready to teach some new college freshmen about Bloom’s Taxonomy and remember you talking about this in the SHP podcast – I even used the podcast in class last summer but can not remember which episode it was included in. Do you happen to remember? Could you let me know. it was a very powerful teaching tool for them. My e-mail address is mmorrinfl@gmail.com. Thank you!
MM
yay for sticking up for real sodas!! although, we just call them all coke =)
that’s so true! I remember that as a kid in Atlanta, when the waitress asked what you wanted to drink, you always said “Co-Cola” which was followed by “What kind?”
Gosh. I am so sorry it is taking me forever to read these but,
better late than never. I feel the same way, why drink diet if it has chemicals anyway. I never have understood anyway why people say they are in a diet and eat all this food and then follow up with a diet soda. What the heck is that? Does that make sense? Oh well, I figure just have the real cola, no fake stuff.
yuyi
I was talking to a co-worker about my experience in Aix as a college student and decided to google Les Deux Garcons and came across your photo. I could not believe it! I lived above the cafe with a family from Sept. 1980 to May 1981! Who did you live with? Where did you study?
The Blondel sisters. Lovely women, the oldest, and the youngest. And their niece who lost both her parents in an accident. Did you know Nancy? You must have!
I was listening to old podcasts of harry potter SQPN..
I remember you given a mini review on the “parts of initiation story”, the sequence of events the character has to go through to get to his/her great end.
Do you remember what episode that is? Or can you point me somewhere to read up on this? Your blog, a textbook.
I am not a Literary scholar by any means ( i work in emergency medicine) , but passionate about reading, and find these types of discussions and analysis fascinating. I recently just read an article about “Literary Alchemy” in popular literature, and thought that too was amazing!
Thanks for your help.
Wow, Regan, I don’t know 🙂 I think you can probably do a simple google search for “initiation stories” and it’ll give you something to start with. My literature books are actually…books! No digital notes 🙁
I don’t want to make it too public that I just responded to what my colleagues were talking about on SHP, so I didn’t really do show notes (don’t tell Fr. Roderick that I was winging it!)
Thanks, I have done just that(research that is). But i did like your discussion on the subject that day, whether you were winging it or not!
Maria, I heard oyu on sqpn saying that we can friends list you on the Jimmy Akin Podcast, but I can’t spell your middle name or your hyphenated last name?
Maria something Johnson?
Please email me the answer thanks! 🙂
~Doug
I’m popping in from the a-z. I love finding other believers in the blogsphere! I wasn’t crazy about my siblings until later in life, either. I’m Catholic, too. Let’s stay in touch. Visit me, if you’d like:
from The Dugout
Hey there Newbie Spikey!
(for your info, a Spikey is the term for folk who are part of the clan known to be followers of Uncle Spike 🙂
I wanted to catch up and say “thank you… I really appreciate your ‘follow’ as I for one, know how many interesting and entertaining blogs are out there.”
Blogging since June 2013, my aim is to deliver an eclectic offering of posts, from my ‘point n shoot’ attempts at basic photography, to the sharing of my travel adventures over the decades, as well as day to day happenings here on the farm. Oh, plus a few observations, opinions and lighter-hearted stuff thrown in for good measure.
I normally keep to a couple of posts a day, maybe 3-4 at weekends if I have something special to share. But if you are at a loose end one day, maybe you’ll enjoy trawling through some of my older stuff too. I have added plenty of categories to help in said digging process.
Thanks again and hope you have a great day…
UNCLE SPIKE
Hello Maria-
Thanks so much for stopping by Just Another Nature Enthusiast and giving a “follow.”
Very happy to meet you. I hope you will enjoy wandering around the Pacific Northwest as I track down nature-related photos and thoughts.
– Jane
Love the name of your blog. A day without coffee is not a day. 🙂
Hello Maria, thank you for stopping by my blog and the follow, and for sharing a bit of your life in every post of yours.
Thanks for coming in to visit. Come again, stay a while, have a drink or two. Looking forward to a blogging journey with you. Steve..
Hi,
Thanks for stopping by and following my photo and travel blog. I will look forward to following your blog as well.
Thank for following u blog Maria. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it!
Hey Maria,
Thanks so much for the blog follow – I look forward to checking out your blog!
haha, I feel the same way about soda!
Kendra
Hi matia! How nice of you to call in on my little space in wordpress and follow my humble blog. So glad to have found you too. Anne
Thank you for the follow! Mostly I’m thankful because it brought me to your page and I really like what I’ve read. Your view of life has a nice positive twist!
Thank you for that! I look forward to reading more of your’s, too!
Thank you for dropping in and following my blog! It brought me to yours and I know we are kindred spirits……tho’ i don’t know what soda is! Enjoy the ironic twist to your written voice.
Thank you! I look forward to more from you as well.
Soda = soft drinks, carbonated beverages — Coke 🙂
Maria, Thank you so much for joining me on my journey! I’m so honored to have you follow along. I love the name of your blog…I love coffee!
Thanks again,
Becky
Thanks Becky. I look forward to seeing more from you!
My grandmother and mother got to visit Cuba before the travel ban. I always wanted to visit that country one day.
Hi Maria – thank you so much for following Beauty Along the Road. I enjoyed looking around here and sharing in your world and perspective…
Thanks for following Oh, the Places We See. It’s so fun to meet new people through blogging, and to have the opportunity to congratulate them on important milestones like your anniversary! (Happy Anniversary!) Best wishes for more great posting. So glad you’re along with us for the journey. http://ohtheplaceswesee.com
thank you so much. I look forward to learning more about you too!
“if I’m going to drink chemicals anyway, they might as well taste good.” Ha ! you are so right ! loved your short and sweet introduction 🙂
Hi, maria! Thanks for stopping by my blog and deciding to follow! I will look forward to getting to know you. Cackie
Thanks for the follow; enjoyed the posts I read here 🙂
Thank you for the follow. I look forward to perusing your posts!
Hello there! Thaaaanks for following my blog, Chasing the Stars. It means so much to me 🙂 You have a lovely site 🙂 See yah around! 🙂
Hi Maria,
Put on your best dress and come to the debutante ball! You have been nominated for the One Lovely Blog Award. http://thereluctantbaptist.com/2014/10/07/and-the-nominees-are/
-trb
Hi Maria,
Thank you for visiting, and now following my blog! I hope you’ll enjoy reading all my little ramblings 🙂
I’ll be checking out your blog soon – making my way around and seeing what you have to say too!
Hi Maria ,
I am brand new to the blogging world and appreciate your follow very much. I look forward to perusing your blog 🙂
Thank you so much for following my blog… I have been reading some of your posts, they made me smile especially the one about the elderly lady 😉 x
Hi Maria! I see we have some friends in common. This is a great community. Love your style!
Cool! and thanks! So enjoying all the blogs I’ve found.
Thanks for following my blog, Maria. I look forward to delving into yours as well. I would love to visit Cuba, I guess just because of all I’ve read about it recently, and photos I’ve seen. Have you ever gone back?
no…but it’s on on wish list!
thanks for visiting!
Have enjoyed browsing your blog Maria, beginning with the photo of the lady in the Post Office, that I related to! Many of your comment boxes were closed, so am writing here instead. Thank you for your follow! 🙂
Hello Maria. Thanks for your recent visits and follow on my blog. I’m looking forward to poking around here and discovering more of your stuff as well. You too have a new follower 🙂
Coffee over diet soda any day!! 😀
I hate diet sodas too! It’s interesting to read your search for freedom. I’m glad to hear you could make a life for yourselves in the US. Pleasure meeting you:-)
Thank you so much for following my blog.
Loveee you writing style, looking forward to read more of your posts.
Cheers,
Fatima
Thanks! And welcome!
Thank you very much for your visit to my blog and following it. I hope you will visit my world of travelling more often.
Loved your blog, So you will find me crawling in your blog more often.
Much Love
Aanchal
Hola Maria! Thank You so much for following and visiting my blog. I looked around your blog as well and I love the simplicity of your blog. It inspire honesty and pure life! Love it! I hope we keep in touch! 🙂
By the way I also like the title of your site. I love coffee!!! 😀
Thanks so much, and welcome!
I’ve listened to the show when you mentioned Titus Brandsma. I followed his twitter account on 2011, celebrating his life: @FatherTitus42
Here’s my favourite: “Spoke with reverent Jacob Overduin in bathroom. About the work of God’s grace. Even here. Gave him my cigarettes. Probably my last.”
I wish you um Feliz Ano Novo
wow, that’s really cool. thanks for sharing the twitter account. truly — who knew!
Hi Maria, Thank you for following my photography blog, Jane’s Lens. I hope you are inspired. You have a fun style!
Thanks! I hope to learn and get inspired with others 🙂
Hi Maria! Happy New Year! First of all, what an irresistible name you’ve chosen for your blog! Thank you for following mine and thus letting yourself be discovered: ) I’ll stick around – can’t seem to pass on another cup of coffee!
LOL. Great minds and all that! Welcome!
Hey Maria, thanks for the like and follow. I would love to have a cuppa 🙂
Hello Maria!Thanks for likes and follow.And of course,died soda sucks!!!!
LOL! I so agree. Thanks for joining me.
Maria, Thanks for joining my followers on Tales From The WagginMaster (http://waggintailsrv.com/). I hope you enjoy my ramblings.
Hi Maria thanks for the follow! Great blog you got here. Makes me wanna grab another cup and read on! 🙂
Hey Maria, thanks for the follow. Looking forward to reading more about writing and writing more about writing myself. Cheers (but not with a diet soda).
yes! ew to diet soda. 🙂
Hi Maria, thank you for the follow! I’ll look forward to reading your posts 🙂
You made me laugh at the diet soda thing 😀
I think I’m hopelessly addicted to Diet Ginger Ale. It’s the only carbonated drink I like … I wish I didn’t :/
LOL. I can’t stand the diet drinks…they taste tinny to me. 🙂 Welcome!
Hi Maria, You have a fun writing style, and i look forward to reading your posts. Thanks for being the 400th person to join me on my posts. Chat soon, Adele 🙂
Awesome! and thanks for visiting!
Hi there! Thanks for stopping by my blog and leading me to yours!
Hi there, thanks for the follow – I am looking forward to reading much more of your posts.
Hello, Ms. Maria. Thank you for visiting and following my blog. Otis looks like a good dog; I think we would get along. My secretary drinks a lot of coffee, so she likes your title.
Sincerely,
Albert
Your blog adds to my life in more ways than one, so I’ve nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award! Even if you’ve been offered this award before, I still want to show my appreciation. Congratulations on sharing your life and being you. 😀 Please check out my post for more info:
https://izzyreadson.wordpress.com/2015/02/02/versatile-blogger-award/
Wonderful blog. 🙂
Thank you for following my blog. I read a few of your post and will definitely have to read more when I have a little more time. Although I don’t know much about writing I have enjoyed reading the posts very much.
Hi there
I have enjoyed your blog and wanted to nominate you for the Versatile Blogger Award. I hope you will accept. Here is the link:
http://donnageorgeblog.com/?p=4857
Lovely intro 🙂
Hello! Thank you for following my blog. Glad to meet you! 🙂
Welcome!
Looks like a great blog. I look forward to following you. I love your recent post of your son “eating” the sun! Very creative. 😉 Btw, we have something in common, we live in the same state. How cool is that? I’ll be back soon…
awesome! I look forward to discovering yours as well!
Hi Maria – love your pictures – thanks for following my blog – I’m looking forward to exploring yours.
Thank you!
Lots of thanks for dropping by my site… Interesting photos you have. I’m looking forward to see more of your blogs! Cheers!
Thank you! and welcome.
Thanks for following Shaking the Tree and introducing me to your blog. I’m looking forward to reading more (and I’m with you on the diet soda thing).
Hello, I find your blog inspiring and interesting so I am nominating you for a Versatile Blogger Award:) Enjoy https://myredpage.wordpress.com/2015/04/06/versatile-blogger-award/
Thank you for following Keith Kreates, Maria. I hope you enjoy it as much as I’m already convinced I’m going to enjoy following you.
and, You have a great sense of humor that I picked up on right away. One of my favorite qualities I must say. Thank you for visiting my blog. I hope something there makes you smirk, smile, or laugh.
Yes!!! Smiling already!
thanks, you have helped me reach one of todays goals 🙂
Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Flourish was worth all the blood sweat and tear that we put into it. But you Maria Johnson WOW is just not enough , I really feel blessed to have meant you (the little lady with the bottle of Shout💦) till we meet again. You are on my prayer list. Thank you again. ❤️
Thanks for being my knight in shining pink aprons! I have to say, y’all knocked this conference out of the park. It was beautifully done, and I am so grateful for that little effort of surprising me with the cake! Love you all!