Dia de los Innocentes

I hadn't planned on not writing much or the gaps getting so far and in between posts.  I have great thoughts for writing here.  Often, when I visit other peoples blogs I'm amazed at their thought - the depth of the ideas and sentiments often help me explore new vistas. 

So when my best friend sent me his new blog I realized I needed to perhaps commit to writing on a more regular basis.  At least once a month if not every week I will be writing.  I tend to be a more visual person rather than a tactile person - i.e. I have trouble framing thoughts with words and not pictures.  But the routine and practise of writing in this blog will help me become a better writer.

Today is Dia de los Innocentes or Dia de los Angelitos. -- or in English -  Day of the Innocents or "little Angels" .  In Mexico the souls of children who have died are remembered on November 1 and tomorrow or All Souls' Day is the day whereby we remember our adults who have died. The veil of the worlds of the living and the dead is thinnest this time and we remember them for two reasons.  The first that if we let the Dead we remember them we can keep them at bay so if they wish to be harmful we can aknowledge our awareness of them.  The second reason is that we can also tell loved ones we remember them and still in our hearts love them.

In some parts of Texas and the United States, it's more widely celebrated than here in Austin but I have gone to the cemeteries and found graves colorfully decorated with windchimes, and flowers, photos and toys. It is perhaps one of the holidays I prefer more primitive and for me, a comfortable holiday.   I have a big bunch of African Marigolds in my kitchen and bought a loaf of Pan de Muertos, a sweet bread with grated orange peel and anise which I love.  Maybe next year I will make my own.  Dia de los Muertos reached a more personal note this year for me as well.   My boyfriends mom lies in the hospital gravely ill, after she went into cardiac arrest so we are more part of this holiday that I expected or truly desired.