Monthly Archives: October 2024

Oct31

Halloween vs. Day of the Dead

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Halloween vs. Day of the Dead

Last year I was in Aguascalientes and the big celebration was Day of the Dead, not Halloween. The temperature has plummeted here in East Wenatchee although there is no snow. Some of the churches are having Trunk or Treat in their parking lots. The malls and the main streets downtown are inviting kids to come out when it’s still daylight.

I have different memories of Halloween. I remember wolfing down dinner so that I could hit the streets early with my friends. We knew who made the best homemade popcorn balls and candy apples on the block. Because it was usually so cold (occasionally snowy too), neighbors would invite us in to warm up and have some cocoa. One of my favorite costumes I wore as a kid was a clown costume.

Decades later I had my own kids. We’d decorate the house and bake Halloween cookies and a Halloween cake. My food colorings got quite a workout, especially the orange and purple. My kids had a variety of costumes throughout the years and our dog even had costumes.

When I lived in Mazatlan, Halloween had filtered down from the USA. But primarily the big celebration was Day of the Dead. I recall a parade where cans of beer were tossed out to the crowd. Yes, it was one of the livelier events, although we did dress up in costumes for a party at Casa del Cameron as well.

In Guadalajara we went to a haunted tour of a cemetery. But I preferred to stroll through cemeteries in the daylight. I viewed colorful altars and listened to festive music. Yes, people partied in the cemeteries as they awaited the visits from the spirits.

Tlaquepaque is probably my favorite place to be on Day of the Dead. There are streets lined with altars and live catrinas walking around. I recall building altars at the school where I was teaching.

Last year in Aguascalientes I went to the parade. It was a warm night and I delighted watching the amazingly decorated floats in Centro. The parade lasted almost three hours and was followed by fireworks.

This year I won’t be going to a parade. I will miss seeing the catrinas and the altars. But I still enjoy Halloween, especially the chocolate!

Oct21

Flights Booked

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Flights Booked

I can’t remember the last time I wrote a blog post, but it’s been quite a while. It seems like when I have the time to sit down and write I lack the inspiration. It’s late afternoon and I glance out at the sky and see the rain clouds rolling in. But today was such a beautiful fall day. The temperature almost reached 70 and it was quite sunny most of the day. Here it is, mid-October, and I enjoyed eating my eggs benedict out on the patio of a restaurant. We actually had the umbrella open to provide some shade.

The leaves have begun to change color and I’ve taken only a handful of photos. I’ve taken hundreds over the years and they’re all stored on my external hard drives. Fall is my favorite season of the year, especially here in Washington state.

But fall is also a procrastination time for me. It means I have to book flights back to Mexico. It’s hard to leave friends and familiar places. But then again, I’m headed home to Aguascalientes to other friends and familiar places. If only travel weren’t so tedious and complicated.

I fly out of Pangborn here in Wenatchee with connecting flights at Sea-Tac and LAX before arriving in Guadalajara. Then it’s a taxi from the airport to the bus station and a short bus ride until I arrive home. Less than 24 hours of travel including layovers. At least this year I don’t have the usual overnight at LAX and I arrive in Aguascalientes in daylight rather than at night.

Speaking of daylight, now comes all the time changes. Clocks roll back here in Washington but Aguascalientes doesn’t do the spring forward fall back thing. I think Winnipeg still does. I wonder who will be on which time zone other than mine when I return to Aguascalientes. That will wreak havoc with my long distance calls until I sort it out.

This upcoming week will be a busy one for a change. Activities range from volunteer work to a memorial service, and include travel to Leavenworth and Cashmere. Routine in no way describes my life. In fact, I thrive on spontaneity and change.

One other upcoming activity will be packing, an arduous task. I’ve accumulated way too many clothes in my closet, most of which will not accompany me to Mexico. A fifty pound limit goes fast with the weight of all the toiletries I bring with me, the majority of which are not available in Mexico. But I have my nifty, new Baggalini laptop bag which will replace my usual backpack. I used this bag on my trips to Canada this summer and was very pleased with the versatility.

I still have three weeks left until I leave. My calendar is filling up quickly, but I will try to post more often.

Oct4

Oh No! It’s October!

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Oh No! It’s October!

October is here. The temperature is cooler and the days are shorter. The leaves are just beginning to turn from green to glorious shades of red and orange. I admit it. Fall is my favorite season.

September flew by in a blur. Here are some highlights. I volunteered at the Chelan County Fair where I checked in baking and preserves. I also volunteered at the 9/11 service in Cashmere. And I volunteered at the Essentials Bank at a church in Cashmere. I also attended the Autumn Leaf Festival parade in Leavenworth and went to writing group in Wenatchee. I ventured out on the Apple Loop Trail in East Wenatchee. And of course I enjoyed spending time with my friends who I will miss dearly when I head back south for the winter.

October is going to be a busy month. It is already. Yesterday was writers group. Today was book club. This weekend so far has a craft fair at my church, a book fair at Pybus Market, a book sale in Cashmere and we’re also going to see the movie White Bird.

Activities for the next few weeks are already beginning to fill my calendar. One thing that I always procrastinate doing is booking a flight back to Mexico. It will be more of a challenge this year as the marathons I used to run through airports on my own two feet will now be done in a wheelchair instead. While the sciatica has eased up considerably, walking long distances is still not an option, especially when I need to go from terminal to terminal in a short period of time if I am to make the connecting flights.

I’ve decided to stay here until after the November election. I’m hoping that the snow will not arrive before then. But if it does, I still have the Columbia ski jacket and the Sorrel boots I bought when I was stranded here over the winter during Covid. In the meantime, I’m going to enjoy the beautiful weather and the colorful leaves on the trees.