Day of Los Muertos

Today’s an important day in my Favorite Panamanian’s Latino religious year, La Dia de Los Muertos, the Day of the Dead. It’s a day when departed loved ones are remembered (something that happens every day for me). She had me helping create a list this morning that she placed in the mini-shrine she has permanently in an upstairs corner. She lit a candle and said a prayer there this morning. It usually has pictures of just her dad and sister but today there were a lot more. It brought home how many people we’ve lost over the past few years; some almost too hard to bear. I’ve always been a proponent of celebrating the life of someone who’s left us, instead of their departure. For some that is just too difficult. It’s good to remember though, they live in on in those memories.

The Upstairs Shrine Today
Please Excuse the Yankees Hat, Her Dad was a Big Fan

Of course, this follows Halloween which my wife equates with devil worship. I’ve tried, unsuccessfully, to convince her that this is an old Celtic/Anglo-Saxon harvest ritual but to no avail. She’s very upset that Panamanian kids in Panama are now trick or treating as well. She sees this insinuation of American culture as a sure sign of the apocalypse. I’m a bit more sanguine, claiming in today’s information world, Panamanian kids learned about a day when they could score free candy, and a movement was born. We only had about twenty-five groups stop by the house on Halloween but I still loved seeing the kids in costumes.

Wingman & FBR or Owl & Harry

FBR with one of her Buddies

The FBR, fully supported by her parents, is all in on Halloween, as evidenced by the attached photos. Having recently been exposed to the Harry Potter movies, she went as Harry with Wingman as the messenger owl. My daughter looked entirely too fetching in her costume as Daphne from Scooby Doo. I say I found it unsettling because when I was a teenager (back in the dark recesses of history) I had a mad crush on the Daphne cartoon (I never claimed to be too sane). We didn’t get any photos of the BRS/BR3 combo but we joined our son via Facetime where we could see the ABFA chasing them around the cul-de-sac during their trick or treating. They were both a little emotional prior to heading out which mitigated against photography. I’m glad all three granddaughters were able to partake of this awesome (if unappreciated by a certain Panamanian) tradition.

The Entire Neighborhood Gang

Both my Favorite Panamanian and I received RSV vaccinations on Tuesday because this is yet another requirement for being old. It was one of those weird injections where I could feel the stuff entering as the plunger was depressed. My wife was affected a lot more than I was. She spent most of yesterday feeling like her entire body hurt. After a great night of sleep (best time of year for that) she felt completely better today. So, I guess that means we’re both now completely protected or as much as Big Pharma can make us.

FBR on the Loose

With her Daphne Mom

Too Cute

For those of you who follow the news, you might have heard that Panama is in the midst of a nationwide upheaval. The Panamanian government has always been a bit of a kleptocracy, where each new government does its best to siphon off funds from intended purposes. In the latest case, the people have risen up when the current government extended a contract to a Canadian mining company to strip mine in the Panamanian rain forest. I’m kind of proud that the country has seemingly taken to the streets about an environmental issue. My Favorite Panamanian asked me to include this video on the blog which explains the issue.

Five movies fell in my A-Z watch, all keepers: Groove Tube – thought I would get rid of this but some really funny moments in send up of early 1970s TV; Grudge Match, Rocky versus Jake LaMotta, who ya got?; Grumpy Old Men, Matthau and Lemmon, too funny; Grumpier Old Men, then they add Sophia Loren, Yikes!; and Guarding Tess, Cage and Maclain, another dream team.

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RECURRING CHARACTERS:                                     

ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete - my daughter in law; BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – granddaughter #3; BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; CRC - Connecticut Riverboat Captain – another close friend from high school, renowned sailor of the big river; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during him her single days in Brooklyn; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter; First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Great Aunt - my elder sister; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd Musquetera (musketeer); Namesake Nephew – son of Great Aunt and Soxfather named after me; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member; PanaGals – female relatives /friends of my wife from Panama; Panamanian/Latin Mafia – inevitable group of Latino friends my wife accumulates wherever we have lived & their spouses; PCR - Pittsburgh College Roommate– high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; PCR+1 - Pittsburgh College Roommate’s wife; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; Soxfather - my brother in law; Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course