Dia de los Muertos

Dia de los Muertos

Bodega - Tecoman, Colima, Mexico

Day of the Dead, Dia de los Muertos in Spanish, or All Souls Day in the Catholic church, is celebrated November 1st and 2nd. In Mexico it is a day to honor the dead. Shrines are built to honor a loved one, or as in the case above, someone people admire and respect. This is the shrine that was displayed at our local Bodega, a grocery store chain in Mexico owned by Wal-Mart. In case you do not recognize the man in the picture, it is Sam Walton, the founder of Wal-Mart. The employees of Bodega made this shrine. It displays foods and drinks that the employees fee that he might have liked. While this may seem a little strange to some people it truly is a sign of respect.

Cornucopia - "Horn of Plenty"

Cornucopia - "Horn of Plenty"

If it was Fall, then this cornucopia was on our maple table or hutch when I was growing up. We moved fairly often, but my mother liked using many of the same items for decorating using a little twist of something different each time. Seeing our traditional decor for the seasons probably gave our family a sense of security and definitely home. I remember helping my mother to decorate, probably one October day, when I asked her what a cornucopia was. She explained to me that it was a "horn of plenty", meaning that it was a symbol of having enough to eat. I can hear her voice now explaining this to me. I'm not sure at what point I asked my mother when I was fully grown and had a family of my own, if someday I could have the cornucopia. She insisted that I take it then and told me that it had been a wedding gift to her and my father. I cherish this cornucopia dearly... and by the way, as I placed it on that same maple table today, I felt my mother smile.

The Treasure Shop

The Treasure Shop in Dickinson, Texas was a beautiful place for ladies to shop in the 1950's. Jean, my grandmother, and Rosemary, my mother, are pictured here, probably waiting for the next customer to arrive.

I loved going to the Treasure Shop. My younger sister and I (age probably, 10) would entertain ourselves by "posing" as mannequins in the very large picture window in the front of the store. Jean would actually allow us to do this! We would stand in some dramatic form, perfectly still, trying not to giggle. Then when we knew we had someone's attention we would wave and laugh! More than once we nearly caused and accident right outside my grandmother's shop.

We went so far as to "entertain" customers when they came into the shop. Jean would have us sing and act out "Dance with me, Henry! No! No, baby!" We just knew eveyone was thrilled by our charm. Ha! I wonder how much business my grandmother actually lost. It's just so much fun to think back that far and remember such fun times. You can read more about Jean and Rosemary in my older posts.

Foodie Friday!!!!!

It's Food Friday again which is sponsored by

Designs by Gollum

It's Cabrito Time!

It's cabrito time... goat is one of my husband's favorite meats. This one was very fresh. We know the man who raised it... and his are the best. The only places I have eaten cabrito are on the border with Mexico and in Mexico around Monterrey, Saltillo to be exact. We prepare ours by seasoning it with sea salt, fresh cracked pepper, a little meat tenderizer just to help it stay moist, and a little garlic powder. I baked it covered in a 325 degree oven for about 3 hours, cut it up and then put it on the grill to crispen it up and finish the cooking. It was so tender and moist. We like to eat it with guacamole, pico de gallo, fresh Mexican lime juice squeezed on top and then stuffed inside a hot corn tortilla. This is just the best meal... and served with a cold Tecate Light beer!!

The stairs: before and after

After...

Before...

Well, more progress today. Why I didn't figure out that the stairs needed to be "wooded" I will never know. But now they are! It certainly looks very "plain Jane" at the moment. I will have to figure out some sort of decor.  We'll see what happens...