Nov. 4

The house is quiet. Bob, Tony, Donna and Alta left this morning to return to the States (Alta will return in 2 weeks). It's been quite a week. Dia de los Muertos culminated on Tuesday....Hope terminated on Wednesday a.m.... Half the household left Thursday a.m....

We had our first dinner party here Tuesday evening. Tony and I made carnitas; the pork was fantastic--a highly successful colaboration/experiment. Plus Bob's cabbage salad, salsas, and more. The only minor disaster was an entire bowl of salsa fresca that inadvertently ended up in the dishwater. An offering to the gods. Guests were happy. An older couple from Mexico, D.F. remarked that it was some of the most Mexican, and best food they'd had in a long time. (Weren't we pleased with ourselves)! An entire bottle of mescal disappeared down various gullets. Gellato was procured, and Bob pulled off making a gallette de manzana. And so, Tuesday evening progressed, we had a pinata for the kids, our Dia de los Muertos altar glowed, and things seemed right with the world. Intermittently we would check the news, but nothing seemed definitive. Thom and I stayed up past 2 am checking various web sites, trying to hold out hope. I woke at 4:30, checked online again. Horrified, but still holding onto a vestige of hope. Up at 6:15 to prepare M & L's lunches, and get them fed, and off to school. Tired, depressed on bus ride home. Hope waning. Then Kerry concedes race to GWB. All hope gone. Depression, shock, sadness prevail in the house on Wednesday--there are a few forays out and about as it is Tony, Bob and Donna's last day here. Thom sums it up well below in saying it has a feeling like being out of the country when a calamity happens at home--natural disaster, terrorist attack, etc.

And so now, the house is quiet. We dismanteled the altar today after everyone left. Trying to carry on with our happy habits--morning stop at Mercado Merced. Bought almonds, jamaica, memelas. Had a hot chocolate, and huevos rancheros at our favorite comedora with Donna before she left. Played with our new bunny rabbits. Played concentration. Ate leftovers. Muriel was asking for more of that "yummy pig" (carnitas pork) today. We may all return with elevated cholesterol... We've heard that jamaica (pronounced ha-my-ka) is meant to lower cholesterol and improve circulation, so perhaps all is not lost since we consume mass quantities.

The weather was dramatically cooler today. Feels very pleasant, but also reflects the strangeness--as if everything has changed this week. What did that lunar eclipse mean? Struggling not to be the queen of doom. As my friend Valerie wrote to me this a.m. (amidst a flurry of election related e-mails), it's time to get busy. Number one priority should be to support Planned Parenthood....and, beyond that, reach out to and educate all those "red states" on the morals of diversity, inclusiveness, and global conciousness.

Peace.
TT