Fieles Difuntos

Domingo 27 Octubre - Sábado 02 Noviembre

We have spent many frustrating hours with our computer, trying to identify the 27 new plants we have purchased from our “plant man” who we asked, is named Carmelo. The far majority of the new purchases are not identified yet. His plants continue to be very well rooted, gorgeous and inexpensive. We finally have our succulent and cactus garden of 15 plants, in planters on our terraza. Of course this meant another trip to Home Depot for pots so that Carmen could re-pot them all. Our north fence on the front porch, is becoming a plant wall. The plants will need a few more years to grow to complete it they way it is imagined to develop. Dan drilled holes in the pots and Carmen helped him hang them. Our orchids are starting to blossom! Carmen is still not convinced that orquideas are worth all the time they take throughout the year, as tmany of them are under the eaves on the porch, and so need regular attention to watering & fertilizing, etc. Plus they usually only bloom a few times a year (although when blooming the flowers last a long time), so there is a lengthy part of the year they just hang there being green. Her preference so far, are the many plants that blossom all year here.

We started to leave wednesday for a walk into town. We got thru our front door and found that the security gate there would not unlock! Luckily that lock could be removed from inside with the help of a screwdriver. The lock went for a walk with us. Thankfully it is not welded in place like most of our other gate locks. The lock got dropped off at the locksmiths and we walked on to pay our electric bill which was much higher this time! US$37 for two months. This is US$16 over previous months. Up to 280 kwh a month costs about US$0.07 per kwh, and above that, in the bracket we found ourselves this time, three times as much. The cause is that Carmen has been enjoying using her toaster-oven for baking petite desserts. Perhaps the big propane oven would cost no more to bake with but it seems such a waste, since it needs preheating too. However, we do not want to be put into a higher bracket for electricity, so we need to be a little more cautious. But, you know, baking only eight small cookies at a time is such a “waist line” saver!

Our lock would not be ready for an hour, so we, for the first time in a couple months, took the time to sit in the park. We must do this more often. With nothing else to occupy our minds, other than people-watching, we had a good time conversing about topics we rarely get into at home. We saw a couple in lederhausen-like outfits; they seemed to be mexican teens dressed up for the holiday. Several of the ofrendas for tte coming ay of the ead  celebrations were under construction in the open space in front of cit hall.On our way home we saw amaranth flowers for sale. We bought a bunch. They, along with huge marigolds are the main flowers for this weekend honoring the deceased.

Last week, getting into the spirit of the season, as it were, over a thousand of the living-dead, and pretenders to the zombie “lifestyle” paraded thru the streets of Cordoba. Some of the walkers (or is it “biters”) were quite convincing as they ambled along. A good outlet for those who wanted to appear in disfraz (costume & mask), as halloween is not a big thing here. The days at the end of october are special in that people who died from accidents or drownings are especially remembered, but the Octuber 31^st day itself is hardly noted, much different than in the US. No trick or treating, at least in our neighborhood, though some homeowners decorate a bit, prompted by the US-style seasonal paraphenalia imported by some of the big city merchants.

November 1^st, Friday this year, is Todos Santos (All Saints) day, honoring all the saints in the catholic canon, and those who are making claims to sainthood. Also children who died in youth are remembered this day. November 2^nd is the big celebration, a remembrance of all the fieles difuntos (faithful departed) on All Souls day, also called Dia de los Muertos. A bit like our Memorial Day, except the cemetery here fills to overflowing with family visitors. They take huge quantities of flowers and decor to adorn the plots, sing and play musical instruments while perhaps picnicing around the graves with foods the deceased was known to have favored. It is really something to experience Some days later the cemetery attendants clean up all the debris. Also, the parque central is the site of large ofrendas, altar-like displays honoring respected personages of the past, made here of thousands of flower petals, dry beans, corn and other foods along with sawdust and sand, all shaped into patterns and walkways on the ground, interspersed with votive candles to guide the way for visiting souls. Kids and teens, influenced no doubt by NoB halloween traditions, are taking more and more to dressing up in scary costumes and walking around the park to show them off.

November 2^nd people also honor and remember their forebears, with family meals created around the favorite foods of their loved ones. Do we by any chance know any favorite foods? Here are our guesses, since we really do not know – for the decdents in Carmen's family:  for her mother she would say popcorn with lots of butter. She really liked the butter that she got from a cousin's dairy. It was made with slightly soured cream, much like most of the butter here in Mexico. For her father, she would say fudge. She really has no idea about her sister, Judy, whom she feels she hardly knew. Perhaps we had best ask our siblings or be more aware on our rare visits? The best would be to visit with family more often, but that won't happen with much frequency, living so far away now. Dan's father loved a good sharp cheese, and sardines & kippers – in fact all sea food. His mother loved pistacio pudding, green seedless grapes and chocolate ice cream. Oh yes, they both enjoyed their 4pm coctail. Do Dan's brothers remember any other items? Now, Carmen's favorites are: salt cod gravy, rutabaga, and pastries of all sorts. Dan's would be sardines, sharp cheeses, sweet cherries, and oatmeal cookies. How about all of you who read this? Soooo many foods to choose from.

Since we had to go to IMSS monday to get vigencia papers stamped for Carmen's blood test on friday, we tried to get in to see our doctor. We arrived there at 7am. At 8:30 the receptionist told us that there were 20 people ahead of us and we should go down to urgencias (emergencies). We waited there another two hours. However, we need to say that a nurse always checks you in, asks for your symptoms, and does some basic tests (BP, temperature, etc) immediately upon arrival, sort of a triage exam to determine if you need to be attended to right way. Carmen is still having bad dizziness. The emergency section doctor gave her meds to get her thru until her regular appointment next monday. We also found the Brandt-Daroff exercise for BPPV on the internet to help with the vertigo symptoms. Carmen thinks she is a speck better. We have her monthly appointment scheduled for next monday, and if she is not better by then, the doctor will send her to a specialist. As we sit for hours waiting for medical assistance, we consider a private doctor. But, the IMSS is free, and what else have we got to do?

Actually while at IMSS, a lady asked us if we were German or English. She was delighted to find that we were from Washington state. She has an agronomist brother living many years in Oregon who works for a landscaping firm. She is an english teacher at the ESBAO, one of the technical schools in Cordoba. She and her daughter (to whom she has spoken english since a baby) are going to come visit us so that she can strengthen her english. Later, a lady sitting next to Carmen in the waiting area in Urgencias, started talking, so Carmen has had her first talk on her own with a spanish speaking person. The lady spoke clearly and Carmen could understand her easily. Just talking about the usual – why are you here, where are you from, are you vacationing here, why here? Easy, though later Carmen told Dan that she might have referred to him as her hombro (shoulder), instead of hombre (man).

Across the street the foundation ditches are still filled with rain water, stopping further progress until things dry out. Not much happening here at home construction-wise. Carmen did persuade Dan to create some special plant hanging gizmos for our epiphytes made of scrap wood, wire, and some shade cloth we bought for the purpose. The dark brown loose-weave shade cloth is stapled to the wood, leaving space for the plant, leaf mold and a little soil. Wire loops suspend the plant on a wall or column (lacking as we do many crotched tree limbs on our lot) – a perfect home for some of our bromeliads and orchids. As the weekend arrived, we could feel autumn in the air. The cooler nights have caused a few leaves to fall here, but daytime temperatures are still in the mid to upper 70's. Saturday was a day of thunders and HARD short rains.