I got it on my first try :)
Monday, November 30, 2009
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Haiku #16
credit: photo from wren’s flickr photostream
Rest in peace, Sadie
A good dog right to the end
Sweet dog, you’ll be missed
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
happy belated birthday, sweets73!
I’m off by a few many days, but I hope you enjoyed your birthday like a true Scorpio ;)
Here’s a twilight taken by me, LunaNueva (tr. NewMoon —but you know that!), and both the twilight and my screen name have really nothing to do with the movie or the book —or maybe they do; I don’t know, I haven’t read/seen it… maybe I should, because this is quite serendipitous :)
Have a wonderful year!
PS – Oh! And did you notice that your birthday was in the span of the new moon in Scorpio this year? How cool is that?!
A belated fluttery wish...
Sorry I’m a bit late. I hope your day was very special, and I hope this coming year brings you healing, so you still flutter around 43t with your very nice words :)
After-party excursion
- the Capilla Real and San Gabriel’s Convent next to the main square of Cholula
- the Church of San Francisco Acatepec
- the Church of Tonantzintla
- the town of Chipilo for a break for some ice cream and also to load ourselves with cheeses, ham, pasta, and other locally-produced goodies
- and finally, Container City —a small outdoor mall made completely with discarded train/boat containers— which was quite a change after a series of churches.
All this made for quite a photographic spree.
Taken at Capilla Real in Cholula which has 49 cupolas (7×7)
Restarting
Joining a 43T team is inspiring me to restart the course. I stopped at week 3 or 4 about six months ago. I intend to catch up with my pending tasks I did not complete then and to advance with the course in synchrony with the team.
I already went on my artist’s date, and I restarted writing my morning pages —although I missed three days due to a large commitment I had this past week (my b-day party ;) ).
As I read some of my team entries, I came across the “workbook” and the “artist’s walk”. These are not mentioned in my book, so I’m wondering if these are part of a newer edition.
Week #1
Although I haven’t recorded my artist’s dates in my notebook as Ms. Cameron suggests, I have been doing them for a while now, on and off, on purpose or not.
As I’m embarking with a team on Completing the Artist’s Way, I’ll number them while the course lasts.
For Week #1, I decided to take advantage of the free Festival Vaniloquio that the city organized. I went to the opening where Carlos Cuevas (the king of bolero, as he was introduced) gave a very good concert with bolero songs of now and then. An experienced entertainer, he connected with the audience and delighted us with his wonderful voice. His repertoire is mostly covers that brings us back to nostalgia, but his privileged voice is a joy to listen. The concert was held in the main square next to the portales (arched porch) and had the San Pedro Church as a backdrop. Very nice.
His act was opened by a brief performance of stage actors who reminded me of Cirque du Soleil characters and music. Very beautiful.
One of the best birthdays ever :)
I am so happy about this past weekend, not only because the party went reasonably smoothly —I was still finishing cooking when the first guests arrived (!)—, but because I feel very blessed and grateful for having wonderful friends and family who came from other cities and with whom I reconnected after many, many years. I felt a deep bond with all of them, and it was sheer joy and delight.
I cooked “chiles en nogada” to celebrate my birthday but especially our friendship. This dish is quite elaborate and is considered at the top of Mexican high-cuisine.
I got a couple remarks about how over-the-top I was going to celebrate my birthday, that it was too complicated, that I should just make sandwiches ::gasp:: “Well”, I responded, “I’m also celebrating my long-time friendship with them all, and I want to treat them with a lovely dinner”. And I’m glad I did. At moments, I felt glimpses of being in my own movie like “The Feast of Babette”, and that is a feeling hard to describe, but I’m still holding it while a smile comes to my face and an overall content feeling fills my spirit.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Planned and enjoyed :)
The party finally took place this past Saturday, November 21st.
Final list:- √ Set a date
- √ Finish my guest list
- √ Find missing information from long-time-no-see friends
- √ Make a party schedule including cooking preparation
- √ Make and send out the e-invitations
- √ Check RSVPs: 1 last-minute cancellation due to sickness and 4 no-shows :S
- √ Buy cooking ingredients
- √ Get help for cooking
- √ Buy cake: my favorite, but it split in half on the way home :S
- √ Get tables and a canopy, maybe chairs (check if guests can bring): no canopy but wasn’t necessary
- √ Arrange for ice: more than enough in the freezer
- √√ Eat, drink, and celebrate enjoying one more year of life with the company of dear friends and family :)
- √ Gorgeous weather
- √ Nice, relaxed atmosphere
- √ Great conversation
- √ Second servings; people really enjoyed the food, and there was more than enough
- √ Party lasted past midnight
- √√ Happy guests and happy hostess :)
With gratitude...
...I thanked each and everyone of you who took the time to send me a lovely birthday wish with moons and special thoughts. I was very touched and moved :)
Thanks again and a big hug to you all!
¡Gracias a todos por tan lindos deseos! ;)
(tr. Thank you all for such lovely wishes!) And special thanks to Todd for creating this goal for me :) Here’s the non-Babelfish translation of this goal: Repicar con un festival de campanas el 43er cumpleaños de LunaNueva el 11 de noviembre ;)
I enjoyed the Festival of Bells in the background on my b-day party while having a great conversation with family and friends. I wish I had listened more attentively to the bell concert, but the conversation was great, and it was with friends I hadn’t seen in the longest time.
Here’s one of the church bells that participated in the concert:
Status: Bought & cut out
I bought an already-made bag at the local market. I dislike the design, but I wanted to use the plastic fabric:
I think the bag is too big to carry with such a small handle. If you fill it up, it’s going to hurt your back! That is if you can actually lift it. So I decided to convert it into a French market bag, or sort of, and I cut it into the shape of one:
I’m going to join the pieces and sew in a longer handle in order to be able to strap it on my shoulder.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Oh! And 4 more guests, please!
And today a friend who had RSVPed “no” tells me that they might be able to come. That’s two adults and two teenagers. My friend has done a lot for me in the past, and I’m glad he’s coming. It’s just that there will be enough food, just not everybody will be able to have second servings.
Two days left, 3 ingredients short, and other hurdles
My big dish for my birthday is “Chiles en Nogada”. It is a Mexican high-cuisine dish that is not hard to make, but it’s quite laborious (lots of chopping and peeling peppers). By this time today, I had planned to have the filling done… It’s far from started, and I’m about to leave for my artist’s date to attend a concert in the main square. So I’ll have to do everything tomorrow (!)
I just talked with my aunt, and she might be able to bring me two of the three ingredients; the other one I’ll just have to skip it. I also overspent in the ingredients, and now I’ll have to buy a smaller cake :(, and this birthday deserved a BIG one. And I would’ve liked to have a digestive liquor like Bailey’s or Amaretto, but I’ll just have to go without :S
My head is about to explode. I very much need to unwind. It’s a big working day tomorrow.
Cheers (or lack thereof)
- What’s the algorithm? Only one Robot knows
- How long do they last? Supposedly 24 hrs, maybe it’s only 12, but really only the cheer goblins know
- How many “free” do you get per day? 5
- What are alternative ways to gain more? By getting one from other 43er and by participating in Neighborhood Watch. Other methods unknown.
OK, I can live with that, well, sort of. What really gets under me is the expiration date minute of cheers. For me, ideally cheers should last 48 hrs. That would make a good balance between 43T time and accomplishing goals. Even if you do check in every day, you might do it an hour or two later the next day, and then, oh, sorry, you just lost some cheers :S Also, I think we should deserve a cheer for the entries we write.
Anyway, today, I come to find I have 32 cheers received in the last 21 hours :), 20 of which were received in the las 12; my cheers available = 1 (one!!) Can somebody explain that? If this doesn’t change, there’s no way I’m ever going to catch up with cheers. I admit I’ve been having a rough week, but this cheer issue isn’t helping :(
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Getting the jitters
Tomorrow’s the big shopping day. Today was the cut for RSVPs, and nonetheless, I still have four people that haven’t confirmed :S
The good news is that I went over the recipe in detail on the phone with both my brother and my mother. So now after this party, I will finally write it down instead of making it up every time we do it.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Not this year
Well, it wasn’t a very clear night and the light pollution from nearby Puebla did not let me see a single meteor. I was expecting a peak of 7 per hour in our area —not a great forecast. Asia was forecasted to be the lucky one this year with an average 150/hr. Next year then…
But we still have the Geminids in three weeks, and that one is supposed to be spectacular.
Thank you all!
I want to share a funny anecdote that I recalled when I saw Lisa’s photo of a birthday cake. This anecdote has all the ingredients of my goal live creatively, love passionately, laugh uncontrollably, learn constantly. Too bad I don’t have a picture of this, so I’ll rely on my written recount (bakers will roll in the aisles with this):
When I was thirteen years old —30 years ago! ::gasp::— and in my first year of junior high school, I entered the annual cake contest of my school because of my passion for baking and participating. They would judge by taste and originality. The rules were that you had to make it (not bought). To prove it, you had to bring the recipe and the mold. I had only made cakes from prepared packages and somehow I thought that was not allowed, that it had to be made completely from scratch.
So I searched in this huge “cooking encyclopedia” at home (learn), and found a recipe that called for orange zest and the like, the kind of cake really made from scratch. So there I go to the bakery to buy a huge chunk of yeast —the one that looks like a gray bar of butter and tastes quite bitter/sour, and it’s used for bread not cakes; then I had no idea about the powdered kind, nor of baking really— and to another store to buy aluminum foil and cardboard to make my mold (!) My original and creative cake would be a dice, a big dice, I’ll say about 8”x8”x8”, and there’s no mold that comes in that size (!!!) Of course not, for a reason!! So I make the mold with cardboard to hold it straight up and the aluminum so it wouldn’t burn and the dough wouldn’t drain.
So the mold is ready, and I embark on preparing the mix. I follow the directions accordingly, but I decide that, since the dough would have to rise 8” instead of the regular 2 or 3, well, just quadruple the amount of yeast! OMG! I’m laughing so hard it’s hard to continue… no this is not over…
So I fill up the “mold” to about 6” to give it room to rise to 8”. How did I come up with these calculations? Who knows? I put it in the oven and start cleaning up —seriously, few times in my life have I made such a mess of a kitchen!!
I come back to check after 30 min and see that nothing is happening, so I turn up the heat a notch. After another 30 min, nothing. Another 30 min, nothing. It’s supposed to be done, but it doesn’t rise, and I’m sure I put more yeast in it. Well, I suppose the recipe calls for 1 hour 20 minutes, but since my cake is taller, maybe it has to stay in the oven four times more?
I let it another 30 min, but by then my teenage patience has worn out, so I bring out the cake to check it. I insert a knife, and it comes out clean. It is indeed “done”; as done as a compact, condensed, thick, 4”high chunk of
I was so disappointed and discouraged. It was midnight by then! I knew I could not compete with this “entry”, but I set it in the fridge for later consumption. After school, the next day, I unmold the very-unappealing mass. I try a little corner and spit it out immediately. They suggest me to give it to the dogs. Well, the dogs won’t eat it! Of course, they know better! It went directly to the trash where it belonged. If we had one at the time, I don’t think a compost bin could’ve handled it!
So there it is: my tale of utter nonfulfillment, but one that brings me uncontrollable laughter every time I remember it. And that makes it totally worth it! :)
A happy birthday indeed
I did some gardening and I was treated to a seafood dinner. It was very enjoyable and happy.
Thanks to revengeofnudefreedom for creating this goal for me :)
Saturday, November 14, 2009
A bit-belated Shakespearan & Buchholzean birthday wish
ROMEO
“Lady, by yonder blessed moon I swear
That tips with silver all these fruit-tree tops—”
JULIET
“O, swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon,
That monthly changes in her circled orb,
Lest that thy love prove likewise variable.”
—William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet. ACT II Scene 2.
Bedhead: I hope you had a wonderful Shakespearean and Buchholzean birthday! And may this year be so, too.
This was a fun and inspiring goal to do :) How serendipitous that I was quoting Shakespeare the other day in my friday haiku!
Haiku #15
Another birthday
Another year has gone by
Forty-three I’m now
My first celebration of the Day of the Dead
In honor of our loved ones, we celebrate their spirits every November 1st and 2nd. We know this by common knowledge and many years of observing the tradition.
This year, I decided not to be a bystander but, instead, really participate. I went to the market and saw all the array of offerings for the altars and graves. The fields were covered with marigolds ready to be cut. Not only did I make an ofrenda for my dear ones with decorations, candles, and incense, but I also observed more attentively to what people do by photographing them and their decorations.
I saw people decorating graves profusely or just paying their respects. Others were building with bricks on a grave. I saw a few men serenading four family members —with tequila bottle included. A couple were a day late because they had gone to decorate their mother’s grave out of town, and they were back to decorate their little brother’s.
I learned that the paths of marigold petals through houses’ doors and the smell of incense are to guide the spirits in order for them to reach their altar and feast on the ofrenda. This-year’s deceased get a particularly large altar which has several levels that represent this world and the supra-world. The decorations and the food have a specific meaning or intention.
People welcome you to their houses so you can admire the altar and pay your respects, and they give you a treat of fruit and pan de muerto (bread of the dead) and, in exchange, you bring a very long and thick candle as a present for the altar.
Although this tradition has a considerable religious underlying, my heart was filled with an atmosphere of love and remembrance.
Landmarks
The two volcanoes Popocatépetl & Iztaccíhuatl and the Virgen de los Remedios Church on top of the pyramid added to the landscape of San Andrés Cholula Cemetery.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Pedi and mini-mani
Today I treated myself to a nice pedicure, polish and all. My toes are back to flirty pink :)
My fingers, on the other hand (no pun intended), will need a regular mini-manicure for a couple weeks to get them back to presentable. I need to control my cuticles, so I don’t start picking on them. Hopefully, they’ll be somewhat decent by the end of next week, so I can polish them for my party.
Invitation sent out
The “official” invitation was emailed yesterday. However, there are still a few friends that I haven’t been able to contact —well, I haven’t really tried enough. Mostly, I have outdated phones and emails, but I must exhaust all possibilities before the end of this week.
New beginning
I restarted writing my pages today. It was almost six months since I abandoned them. Although today I wrote as a drain for much ranting, it actually felt good to retake my pages.
There was a very weird synchronicity about them today. I don’t remember why I stopped writing them, but I do remember that I was still writing in between days about a crush I had last year. I had all these thoughts and feelings I wanted to pour into the pages. And I knew I had one last “chapter” that I wanted to write, and it’s been on my mind lingering all this time that I need to write it down —plus I already have this idea of painting a set of 7 or so pieces to finally let the whole thing go. Well, the crush is long let go, and I don’t need to write or paint to get over it; the morning pages have done their job. But I do believe I have a good piece of writing and a great idea for my paintings. The crush is over, but I’ll pursue the projects :D
Anyway, exactly today, I learned that the crush is soon to get married. It is so weird that it happened today, the same day that I retake my morning pages in which he has been a protagonist of a few. I’ll be writing my pending “chapter” this week or next, and I’ll move on with my pages, because I have done so with my life.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Tomorrow is market day
I am beginning to look forward to this day every week. I can’t believe I let several months pass since I got here without going to the local market. And now I can’t miss a week! Not only do I contribute to the local economy but the place is filled with all this energy… ok, maybe it’s just me that I’m ecstatic every time I go. It really makes you feel alive!
Monday, November 9, 2009
2009.11.09
- Returning to 43Things —and staying— after a long hiatus
- The warm welcoming and camaraderie of my 43t friends
- After so much devastation in El Salvador and Nicaragua, Hurricane Ida lost its force and didn’t cause further destruction in the Yucatan Peninsula and Cuba, and hopefully neither in the US
- Bruno returning safely to my mom’s home after spending the weekend at the dog pound :(
- My mom, pets, and friends in the Yucatan Peninsula are safe after the near passing of the hurricane
How to apply for Spanish nationality
How I did it:
- I had in order all the papers of my grandparents and my father.
- I got my birth certificate reprinted at the _Registro Civil_ (Civil Registry) and then I got an apostille.
- I filled out the required forms.
- I submitted them at the local consulate, along with my passport. You can also set an appointment directly on their website.
- They sent me an appointment at the Embassy in Mexico City.
- I showed up for my appointment to sign two or three more papers.
- They told me they'd get back to me in a few months, as they're very busy with the overload of applications they currently have.
- Now I'm waiting for my nationality certificate.
Lessons & tips:
- Make sure you have all the required original documents.
- Bring copies of all documents. They keep only the copies except for your original birth certificate with the apostille.
- My grandfather's and father's birth certificate was particularly helpful to have. Those were the only papers (copies) that were needed in my case, but it gave me peace of mind that I had _all_ the other papers with me.
Resources: Solicitud Nacionalidad Española
This webpage has all the information and links to the forms you need. It also allows you to set an appointment at the Embassy.
It took me 5 months.
It made me very fortunate
Going dual ;)
Spain’s recent “Ley de la Memoria Histórica” (Law of Historical Memory) bestows the right to the Spanish nationality to the children and grandchildren of those who lost it or had to renounce it due to exile.
Having long wanted to return to Europe extendedly, plus my deep love for Spain and my family’s heritage, I had no second thoughts to submit my application to have the nationality of two of my grandparents.
I already submitted all the paperwork, and now I am just waiting for my response. By next year —hopefully earlier than later— I’ll be a dual citizen of Mexico and Spain :)
My first altar
For All Saints Day and the Day of the Dead, I set a small altar for my dear ones. I decorated it with many objects used for this tradition: papel picado (cut paper), marigolds, “velvet” flower, baby breath, candles, pan de muerto (bread of the dead), water, skulls, incense, and myrrh.
I also added things or representations of some of the things they liked while alive:
For my Gala, her photo, a sugar doggie, and a treat
For my brother’s (our) dog Baron, some pet food
For our cat Micho, his photo and some pet food
For my grandmother Mimí, a sugar cross
For my grandfather Kiki, a sugar pig
For my grandmother Mamushka, a sugar bouquet
For my grandfather Papushko, a sugar skull
For my friend Ari, a poetry book he gave me as a gift
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Haiku #14
yellow marigolds
celebrating the spirit
of souls gone before
Friday, November 6, 2009
Clear day brings new sights
Also, I spotted my first, not one, but three eagles. Those were an everyday thing when I was living back in Puerto Morelos, but here is a rarity, as it’s the first time I've seen any in seven months that I’ve been here.
The big day
The color is dazzling. It celebrates the spirit of the ones that have gone before us.
People bring loads of flowers and ofrendas (offerings) to decorate the graves of their dead. This-year’s deceased get particular ornamentation. Literally, all the bright-orange marigolds of the fields are now covering the cemeteries, along with the deep-red-violet “velvet” flower, and pure-white baby’s breath. Other varieties are also present in less quantity.
The creativity for adorning the graves knows no limits. People put very much care and attention to honor and remember their dead. They also bring balloons, toys, and even serenades to their loved ones. It is quite an unforgettable experience.
Perfect nap
Today was a rather chilly day to be napping on a hammock outside in my garden. But I really needed a nap, and the option of a regular bed against a hammock was a no-brainer.
The first day I set up the hammock turned out to be too much of a U-shape and wasn’t the most comfortable; it was OK but not great. But the second time, I adjusted the height and the angle, and it came just perfect. This third time I did it again, and it was the perfect sleeping position.
And to top it to make the perfect nap, I set up Uma’s blanket within arm’s reach to pet her while I was slightly swinging till we both fell asleep :)
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Party postponed to the 21st
I recently found about an event that’ll take place in the Festival Vaniloquio here in Cholula: a specially-composed concert with all the church bells of Cholula participating. It will be on the 21st, and it sounds like a unique experience.
As some of my family and friends are visiting from other cities, I thought it would be double worth if I planned my party around that date instead. I already called everybody, and everyone was good about it. Nobody showed particular excitement like I did, but I’m sure it’ll be an evening to remember.
Got my party dress
Fifteen years later, voilà my dress! The fabric is not in style anymore I guess, but it was when I bought it. So it’s not in fashion, so what? It’s pretty and feminine —two qualities that never go out of style ;)
I might need to wear it with a sweater for my party, as days are getting a lot cooler.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Buttons and hemline are done!
Well, the dress is pretty much done. Now, it just needs a final ironing. It was fun to do the buttons.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Many petals and joy for you :)
In preparation for the big day
Farmers are working non-stop to clear out the marigold fields. Fields have lost their orange color. The last truckloads of marigolds are transported to the markets to be sold along many other staples to decorate the ofrendas (altars with offerings for the dead).
Hojaldras de pan de muerto (bread of the dead) are sold by the arroba (10 kilos worth) in bakeries and private homes as well.
Marigold crosses and petal paths lead the way to the welcoming homes that display their small and large ofrendas already set up for their dead.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Sushi, wine, a hammock, and Uma
Delicious food, pleasant atmosphere, and great company followed by a relaxing nap… Life is good in my garden :)
-12
reconnect with friends i’ve lost contact with... and invite them to my b-day party!