Mariel Garcia -The Liberated Collection-

Maybe she'll speak to you in Spanish, or if you're lucky she might speak to you in French. But you'd be considered fortunate if she spoke to you in any language. Mariel seems to be comfortable with quietness, a quality I can appreciate -- I think we undervalue the rejuvenating quality of silence. I often wonder if people confuse or misunderstand her reticent personality as being aloof or disingenuous. She's far from being a socialite, but she's anything but rude. She shared many lovely things with me.

I wish I grew up with Mariel as a friend. Baking, and homemade cooking in general seem to be a dying hobby and skill, and Mariel is a dynamite baker. I admire her unselfish willingness to share her talent with friends and family, "it's just nice to make people happy with food". She was commanding in the kitchen, rarely looking at the recipe for her oatmeal cookies, purely going off instinct and imagination, with a "why not make it how I want to make it" attitude. Mariel is also precocious. She's already listening to NPR and The Beatles. She's a purser of spontaneity amongst good friends. She peruses antique shops in hopes of adding to her vintage camera collection -- and at 18 she's got a great start. But overall, I get the feeling Mariel is a thinker, letting her feelings and thoughts play catch together. I even remember her describing her mind like an elevator. Well put. What a beautiful trait. This is Mariel Garcia, and she's been liberated.