Jasper Has My Heart, but Las Cruces Has My Attention.

Ruby didn't get mentioned in the blog title today, because our grandson Jasper turned Sweet Sixteen! My heart is heavy that we are missing this milestone, but we are definitely celebrating with him in spirit. 

Jasper proudly displaying his lost tooth...he is still easily entertained.

The year Jasper dressed like a giant chicken for Halloween and his sister, Sylvia, squeezed him really hard.

Jasper all dressed up for his first high school homecoming. I am so proud of the thoughtful, intelligent, loving & kind, young man he has morphed into.

Baby Jasper - seems like yesterday. Just look at that face and those little denim jeans! Today, he prefers to wear sweatpants and his NASA t-shirt, but his face is still super cute. Your gayma's love you, Jasper "County" Countryman, Happy Birthday.

Las Cruces undeniably has my attention.  We are having so much fun here. I love looking out the car window and seeing the Organ Mountains hovering on the horizon. We may not have mountains in Iowa, but we do have green grass. New Mexico mostly has rocks and prickly things. Ruby has a very hard time figuring out where to do her business. She hasn’t peed on a cactus yet, so that’s a relief (no pun intended). I have finally coaxed her into short morning walks where she spends most of her time exploring all the new smells and trying to find a soft spot to squat on. 

The dead tree across the street is a popular roost for White Winged Doves. Did you know that "White Winged Doves" is the title of a very popular Stevie Nicks song? I’ve listen to that song forever, but I never knew that’s what Stevie Nicks was singing. I thought it was “Just like the world we know sings a song sounds like they're singing -  ohh baby ohh baby ohh.” I’m glad to finally know the actual lyrics... 😂

The people of Las Cruces are so welcoming. Bonnie took me to her belly dancing class last week and we had a blast. When I said we needed a photo, the veteran dancers in the class promptly adorned us with proper belly dancing bling. A fun fact is that my mom and I took a belly dancing class together in the ‘70’s and she was a much better dancer than me. 

Cray and I posing with a very festive skeleton spotted strolling through the historic Mesilla plaza dressed as La Catrina, the famous lady of death, during the Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration. 

The visiting Reverend Kamatara Johnson gave the talk at the Center for Spiritual Living last Sunday. In honor of Dia de los Muertos - a time when families gather to remember and honor their deceased loved ones - Rev Kamatara challenged us to consider all the people - past and present - that helped shape us into the who we are today. Her talk was very touching and I admittedly shed a few tears. 

The historic Mesilla plaza was full of decorative family altars, or La ofrendas, where local families displayed photos, mementos, and favorite foods of deceased loved ones. Bonnie said that pre-pandemic the Dia de los Muertos celebration included vendors, dancers, and loud music (think the Pixar movie, Coco), but this year it was a more somber event with families sitting together and quietly sharing memories. I felt really honored to be there, but at the same time like I was crashing a holy family reunion.

I will end with this photo. It’s no secret that I am afraid of snakes, and even though I’ve been told again and again since childhood that snakes are more afraid of me and that snakes are good for the environment and  that most snakes are harmless and that snakes represent sacred female energy- no amount of snake-shaming has changed my mind! The bottom line is this: I am don't like snakes! I also don't like sticks, ropes, cords, or any other other random item that resembles a snake, thus when I ran across this snake-like garden debris, I was surprised that it didn't even startle me! Mia said it was a sacred sign. I have been asking the Universe to protect me from my fear of snakes while visiting rattlesnake country (I was relieved to learn they will soon be hibernating for the winter) and, knock-on-wood, I have not been frightened by a single snake or any snake-like sounds or sensations since we arrived. Hopefully, I haven't just jinxed myself!