Halloween Traditions

Lots of blogs to read that will give background on Halloween.  

As a child I think I only Trick or Treated once.  Don't know why, just the way it was.  It all seemed a bit odd to me.  In some ways it still does.  

Mind you I love an excuse for going all theatrical and being in character.  My Arfy the Wonder Dog was a hit and I loved the whole experience.

But it goes back to what we know as the yardstick for the norm.

Case in point.  Saturday afternoon, around 3 p.m., James and I are in Los Olivos.  We find ourselves scouting for a return trip with friends.  Olive oil and wine tasting opportunities abound.  James takes a flight with port tastings.  

We wander around and there in the very middle of the major intersection of the roads, the cross roads I guess, is a group or a herd or a gaggle of revelers in what from a distance looks like a flash mob.  

James goes off to investigate and I wander into a shop.  

A teen aged girl shares that the group is dancing to Thriller.  That she is saddened because they can't go  and dance in front of the gate of Neverland.  She expresses a real loss of tradition.

Click, lightbulb goes on.  

So her norm, and the norm of other teens, was to go to Michael Jackson's ranch and dance Thriller on Halloween.  How beautifully fitting.  How sad for her that it is now just a memory.  

Norms.  

As for me, my new norm, with grandchildren far away, is to work on a presentation and then soon take a cue from Panfil.  He holds on tight to his traditions.

A Day of Light Bliss and Cheap Thrills

I've often told James that he's a lucky man because I'm such a cheap date.  

Not self-deprecating - just calling it as it is.  Sometimes it takes so little to give me a thrill.

Case in hand - I made the last golf cart shuttle to the far parking lot at Brookside after spending the day with students and staff while I was Principal For A Day in the PUSD.  

And I have my new purse, that I got for a song.

And I spent time with Rita Exposito, principal at Jackson Elementar. 

And I had a great time at Jackson Elementary School.

And I have some grand artwork by a student for my office wall.  I'll share that another day.  

And I got to ride in the golf cart.

A little moment of bliss.

Photo by Angela Parris

Note to self - Car is not a refrigerator.  Do not leave delightfully creamy mushroom sauce, from the  German restaurant Brummis, in the car and think that it will be okay to eat a day later.  

It won't.  You will wish you hadn't.

Lucky you recover quickly.

Kinda post-Parade

Images by Rachel Young of Pasadena Now.  Link below.

When you are given lemons you make lemonade.  When Five of your Seven vintage cars break down, you pile officials, dignitaries, and board members on to a beautifully green 1939 truck.  Thanks to Scott, for again providing us with his truck and the sweet company of him and his son.  

At one point in time there were twelve, yes, twelve folks riding on this beauty.  

Clearly La Marisoul had a great time.  

Some, like Councilmember John J. Kennedy chose to walk.

Others rode.  There were more than 25 charros in our Parade.

 

And then there were all the folks that saw us heading up to the jamaica.  

Good stuff, this.

http://www.pasadenanow.com/main/latino-heritage-parade-and-jamaica-fills-streets-of-northwest-pasadena

Hasta luego

This month has been a whirlwind of events surrounded by events preparing for the events.  Meetings and meetings with community members, with City of Pasadena staff members, district staff members, and students.  There have been countless- well, they could be counted, but I'm not going to count them - emails, phone calls and lists.  Some in English, some in Spanish, and many in bureaucratese.  

None of the above are the highlight of my experiences.  

Not that anyone was unpleasant, but I don't revel in this sort of work. 

Balancing all of the above was working with the following committee members:

Sandra Abarca, Rozanne Adanto, Kathee Hennigan Bautista, Kevin Bruce, Martha Camacho, 

Javier Carbajal-Ramos, Carlos D. Carrillo, Rosa Cesaretti, Deisy Chilin, Jacqueline Chilin, 

Sylvia Covarrubias, Christian Cruz, Rosy Cortes, Margarita Dominguez, Ofelia Cavazos Edmondson,

Liz Espinoza, Merrilee Fellows, James Grimes, Sandra M. Gutierrez, Catherine Haskett Hany, 

Ruben Hueso, Jose Jimenez,  Darlene Leyba, Jose Madera, Don Martinez, Blair Miller, 

Leticia Montañez, Yuriko Montes, Gilberto Nañez, Patricia Navarro, Erika Peralta, Leslie Perez, 

Hilda Ramirez Horvath, Stephanie Retana, Thelma T. Reyna, Soccoro N. Rocha, 

Joyce Roys-Aguilera, Michael Sedano, Carmen Serrano, Connie de la Torre, Luis Torres, 

Mary Urtecho Garcia, Christopher Villanueva, Tina Williams, Jacqueline Zavala, Michelle Zavala...

The teacher in me enjoyed watching them work with each other so that when 5 of our 7 vehicles were not functioning we could get 11 people including:

Latino Heritage board members

Grand Marshal, La Santa Cecilia

Honorary Grand Marshal, Dan Guerrero

State Senator, Carol Liu

Mayor, Bill Bogaard

Vice-Mayor, Jacque Robinson

Driver Scott and his son all on to a 1939 truck

Our parade entries varied from the PCC drumline

to the Puente and Unidos students of Marshall High School

and so many more groups that I'll post tomorrow on Latino Heritage blog and fb page.

They were 1,000 strong, marching and chanting with pride on the streets of Pasadena.

For me, this was also the last time that I'll be taking the lead in producing, there I've written it, the event with folks like Fatima and, my dear, dear bro, Kevin.

This last picture, is one of those I will most relish.  All the charming young girls I'm seated with don't know who I am, but they mostly didn't mind my sitting with them.

And I'm betting that they didn't know a time when the Parade didn't exist.  

They just assume it is.  

And that's the way it should be.

It is at this point

I love history.  There, I've said it.  As if you didn't know.

Only days before the 2013 Latino Heritage Parade & jamaica.  

In my most logical parts of my mind I'm focused on how to share a fuller, different historical picture.

So that this map of 1930 Pasadena is re-seen through a different filter... 

and becomes this.

Elder Dave Ruiz shared that is where, "mostly Mexicans lived". 

Another reality is that there is always tons to do before Parade & jamaica day.  

Things pop up, even with the 50-100 volunteers that make the event possible.

So the following is never far from my heart.  

So thankful for all who have helped us make the magic happen for the last 15 years.

Not sure where to give attribution for all the images, but I lay no claim to them.

Cultural Investigation and Support

It's Art Night and I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to get out of the house tonight.  

But I know that I will be out of the house tomorrow!  I'll be getting things ready for a workshop with students from the Puente program and the Unidos Club - both at Marshall High School.

Then I'll be off to the Celebration of Our Culture at All Saints Church.  Tomorrow is Día de la Raza.  Many folks are used to thinking of this as or with a sort of false cognate.  It is not so much about a race as it is about a particular culture, or perhaps even better, about particular aspects of many cultures.  

I'll be sharing information about the Parade & jamaica and who knows what all I'll be learning.

  

Sunday we'll be moving over to Robin's in East Pasadena.  Not sure we'll have ribs, but may end up having a delish breakfast.  Whatever I might end up doing,  I'l be sure to tell the server that I'm there for Latino Heritage and "ta taah", Robin's will donate 25% of the cost of the meal to Latino Heritage.  How great is that?  

Please if you would like to support Latino Heritage and the good work we do amble or drive over to Robin's.  Please share this with your friends.
Thanks.

Before and afterish

OR: Before I get back to work..

 Before the flowers

Before the water

The feline demand

before the accommodating dog niblets.

After can be bliss.

Finger lickin' simple

This year there will be 1,000 people in our Latino Heritage Parade.  Being this large there is a need to raise funds for our volunteer run event.  The City of Pasadena is helping us more and more, but there are still lots of permits and rentals to be paid.  

We ask friends and acquaintances to help us by sending us money.  Feels good for all when the money comes in - we know bills will be paid.

This year we will also be having a couple of fundraisers.  The first will be this coming Wednesday October 9th and another on Sunday, October 16th.  

I assure you it will be a tasteful meal.  Tasteful as in asauce that you really must lick and lick and lick and meat that falls off the bone.  If you want something other than ribs there are lots of choices.  My favorite is "Ann-Marie's Chicken Addiction" - crunchy cashews, fresh sprouts, hand made chicken salad on whole grain bread.  Then there are the desserts.  Or the onion rings - you get the idea.

Back to the commercial.

Please come to Robin's, enjoy a great meal, and know that 25% of the cost of your meal will be donated to Latino Heritage.  You can breakfast, lunch, or dinner at the restaurant.

25%!

You get to eat, we get your support and we will all sleep better at night.  

Remember to inform your server that you are supporting Latino Heritage Parade & jamaica.

This just in - Robin just added another day, Wednesday, October 16th.

http://www.robinsbbq.com/

Hours Of Operation

Tuesday- Sunday 11:00 am-10:pm
Closed On Monday

Robin's Address

395 North Rosemead Blvd.
Pasadena CA, 91107

Sort of from a kind of enchanted afternoon in the producer's office

I work long hours and most of the work is done on a volunteer basis.  In fact most folks with whom I regularly interact only know me from my volunteer work.  I've been fortunate to do so.

But I really have held paying jobs.  REALLY, I have.  

I've made mention of my working as a per diem consultant for anti-bias curriculum, as preschool teacher, as a teacher of Spanish as a Second Language, and a couple of other jobs.  

Lots and lots of teaching - including curating and some of my writing.  

Most unique job I ever had was as the Office Manager for the 1997 Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival.  The getting of the gig was as unexpected as the gig itself.  

Dan Guerrero, son of legendary musical icon, Lalo Guerrero, had seen and exhibit I'd done of his dad's life.  Very guirella, very low budget, very well received - most importatntly by both Lalo and Dan.  

Phone call a couple of months later - would I like the job?  Yes. ( I had just quit my sort of full time work, the money would be most welcomed).  Could I start in a couple of weeks?  Yes.  

Went to Dan's office - slightly larger than a confessional - on the KTLA lot.  Learned a lot.  Sweated and held my breath the first couple of times I sent a fax because I'd never done that before - Dan didn't know this. I didn't know what faxing was.   

Had nightmares that I'd be fired because I'd never worked in an office.  Learned tons and tons about production work.  And how valuable "big hair" can be.  Still haven't got the big hair thing.  Best I can do is short hair.

Dan and I shared that intense friendship that is built on coffee, long hours and sometimes snippy exchanges.  Both enjoying the work and both ready to smile, well, because there's a lot of life that merits a smile.  Friendship is certainly on the list of smile-worthy...

So glad he'll be our Honorary Grand Marshal for this year's Parade.