Food - One of My Greatest Passions - Part 2 June 2012

OK, since you guys liked Penny so much,

I have another treat for you.

This is Karen Shinto

a Bay Area food stylist!

Food artist!  

Simply amazing.

Karen Shinto Food Stylist

I was going to add her

to the last post

but decided it might steal

a little of Penny's well-deserved

thunder.

Karen deserves a post all her own.

EAT MORE PLANTS!

Photo courtesy of Occupy Monsanto

Food - One of My Greatest Passions June 2012

Meet my hands-down favorite food

photographer

and foodista:

Penny de los Santos

Here she is on Ted Talk reporting

on photographing a meal at the end of Ramadan in 

war-torn Lebanon with eight Iraqi refugees.

She was on assignment.

And here is her website,
click on her portfolio for

unbelievably clever

photos of unbelievably

beautiful food!

http://www.pennydelossantos.com/

¡BUEN PROVECHO, AMIGOS!

¡Ya Basta! No More Violence!

PUTTING A FACE TO THE VIOLENCE

It's a bad day today.

It's Mother's Day - in Mexico -

and we should be happy. Celebrating!

We are not.

Maria and Mario Paz Garcia

in their restaurant Mario's.

Great food, great service, and really

nice people.

This morning the church bells pealed the

death knell and this couple received notice

that their son - and only child - was among

the 14 or more bodies found stuffed into two vehicles

along the highway connecting Guadalajara

and Lake Chapala.

He and 2 of his friends were playing basketball

on the Ajijic malecón about a week ago when they were

snatched at gunpoint.

No demand was ever uttered.

Abel Paz Encisco was the director of the

Balet Folklorio San Antonio Tlayacapan

and engaged to be married.

Descanse en Paz, Abel.

What a friggin' waste.

A Small Story About Giving May 2012

Here is a small story

that has come to me from

Jack Kornfield

of Spirit Rock Meditation Center

by way of Anne Lamott -

Bird by Bird.

By far, one of my favorite writers.

GIVING

An eight year old boy had a six year old sister

who was dying of leukemia.

His parents explained to him that she needed

a blood transfusion or she would die.

They told him that she needed a donor

and that his blood was probably compatible

to hers.

They asked him if he would be willing to donate

a pint of blood to his sister

as it could be her only chance of living.

He said he would have to think about

it overnight.

The next day he went to his parents

and said he was willing to donate his blood.

They took him to the hospital where he was

placed on a gurney alongside his sister.

The IVs were started and a pint of blood

was withdrawn from the boy and

transfused into his ailing sister.

As the blood dripped into his sister,

the boy lay in silence 

until the doctor came over

to ask him how he was doing.

The boy opened his eyes and said,

"How soon until I start to die?"

Where There's a Will. . .There's a Way! April 2012

Cihuatlán, Jalisco library - on the hoof.

Compliments the Cihuatlán, Jalisco FB website.

¡Feliz Pascua! - Happy Easter! April 2012

Every year at this time,

the Lake Chapala area hosts

thousands of visitors

for the two week Easter blowout celebration

known as Semana Santa.

The Passion Plays of Ajijic

and San Antonio Tlayacapan

are one of our biggest attractions and

go on for days with elaborate costumes

and sets.  
They take place in the church and the

streets of the villages.  
The "crucifixion" of Christ 

used to take place up on the mountain
and everyone hiked it the blazing sun
while Jesus dragged a giant cross
made of wooden 4X4s.
They had to relocate the scene due to
one year Jesus fainting 4 times on the way up.

The carrying of His body down in an

elaborate procession accompanied by the

the droning slow beat of a lone mournful drum

is VERY emotional.

The acting is wonderful.

This year I walked the Palm Sunday Procession

in my little village of San Antonio Tlayacapan.

Here are a few pictures.

The posters were up; excitement was in the air.

Sunday morning we found the players assembling in

front of the church and under the Jacaranda trees.

Townspeople made handicrafts commemorating

Palm Sunday and sold them for 15 pesos/about 1.15US.

Palm branches were handed out to everyone.

The faithful trickled in and we assembled

waiting for Jesus and the the Padre to arrive.

The kids are ALWAYS the cutest.

Jesus arrives.

The Padre, the guitarist, the sound system, and the

altar boys arrive.

Showtime!

We pause for blessings.

Villagers join the procession as we pass

along the narrow cobbled streets.

Live scenes are scattered along the route.

The procession has swelled!

Awaiting Jesus's arrival at the church.

Jesus arrives and Mass begins.

HAPPY EASTER!

Post Script:

This year, and for the last several years, Jesus was

portrayed by a young man from the village who,

in his real life, is an insurance agent. . .

which lead my friend Barb to comment. . .

You may have God as your copilot,

but I have Jesus as my insurance agent!

I win.