The rainy season ended quite suddenly. Just before Thanksgiving, it poured rain – I mean poured rain everyday. Most of the day. Into the night. All the bloggers were whining about how sick of rain we all were getting. I didn’t whine, they all did. I just mentioned the fact that we were all completely soaked and damn tired of it.
Then, Thanksgiving Day, it stopped. Just like that. We’ve had a couple of sprinkles since then, but really nothing at all. You couldn’t even get your hair wet in the rain we’ve had since. And my yard, which used to be a mud pit, is already dry as a bone. The ground is so hard, you can’t get a shovel in it! I went out to plant a vine the other day and could not get my shovel to break the ground.
I’m not whining here. I’m sharing. Sharing about how all the new plants I planted in November are probably going to die now because there’s no frickin’ rain…
The other thing is, the minute the rain stopped, the fireworks started. Amazing: every night, as soon as it’s dark, which is 6pm, the cannons start going off. They do little firecrackers here, too. And bottlerockets – BOOM, just heard one. But there is some fireworks gizmo that every household has that sounds like a cannon. Big BOOM!s all around.
The reason for all this revelry? Why, the birth of Christ. Funny, I got one of those joke emails the other day about a secretary emailing fellow employees about the office Christmas party. She keeps having to send updates to the invite, making allowances for the Jewish employees, then the alcoholics, then the Muslims, then fat people, lesbians, pregnant women, cross-dressers, evangelicals fearing Satan was coming, not Santa…
There is NONE of that confusion here: Jesus was born to the Virgin Mary in a manger surrounded by oxen on December 25th period. This country is Catholic and serious about la fe. It is lovely and simple, no discussion. No need. My maid, Angela (not her real name and who I adore even though I’m not supposed to) asked me when I was going to start decorating. I said I wasn’t, that we were ambivalent (mas o menos) about Christmas. Not about presents, just about Christmas.
Hoo, wrong answer. She eyed me suspiciously, you could tell she was having serious doubts about my goodness. I watched her struggle to accept my answer. She did finally, only because she likes me. And the paycheck. I realize she doesn’t care to discuss my views on Jesus and The Big Event, because, well, who could doubt that? But not celebrating Christmas without good reason? That is suspect.
It’s been a couple of weeks now and she is still pining for decorations. So when Mom gets back, we are going to La Garita and buying a Norfolk pine in a pot to decorate. I have my big purple ball from last year to put on it. Mom is bringing icicles. Strand of lights and, voilà, the miracle of Christmas alive and well at la casa de los vidrios . It will go nicely with the BOOM!s rattling all that glass.
I have a whole flock of purple decorations I’m not using this year if you’d like to borrow them. Should
still on the laptop that skips around…. as I was saying,
You’re welcome to use them. They would match your ball.
Thank you! If I feel like doing anything else after I have the ball properly situated, if Angela keeps giving me the evil eye… maybe I’ll take you up on it!!
Here’s a thought: When you go to buy the xmas tree why not take Angela along -and maybe for good measure get her to suggest a good place to buy a few decorations -then take her along and let her select one decoration she finds attractive.
You would surely redeem yourself in her eyes by doing this. And at the end of the season maybe give her one of the ornaments from this year as a remembrance/keepsake.
Doing something like that might have far-reaching beneficial effects down the road for you.
JM2¢ here…
A lovely idea… although I did just part with a lovely aguinaldo. I believe I’ve been redeemed…
Ooooo Sally… Another thought: Casa de Vidrios, yes? So why not do the old tinted Glass-Wax thingy and just PAINT a big xmas tree with ornaments and a star on its top onto one of the large windows visible from the street, then backlight it? It’ll also save from having to sweep up all those fallen needles after the holidays! And Elfaba (not Angela’s real name either) may be impressed enough with the whole thing to overlook her mistrust of your holiday spirit.
¡Feliz Navidad!
I may not have the patience for the painting, but definitely taking “Elfaba.”
I am hoping you do a post on the “aguinaldo” thing. It doesn’t affect me this year and it’s much to “technical” for me to figure out (if I don’t have to) BUT some people out there (living here) may not be aware about the Christmas bonus.
Please do a post on it so I can link to your blog and not have to figure the whole thing out again. I didn’t know about it until I didn’t pay it the first year. Couldn’t figure out why my 2 workers were so rude. Now I know and I did compensate them. Teri
Aguinaldo: on the list!