A Birthday in the Mountains

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Yesterday, Pancha (my neighbor/mother figure), invited me and my car to the birthday celebration of her mother in distant Toncontin, a remote village an hour's drive into the mountains. At 8:00 am sharp Pancha, her husband Oscar, their various offspring and Oscar's mother Maura along with one of her grandchildren loaded into my car and off we went into the wild mountains where we spent the day eating freshly slaughtered pork and sipping on coffee. It was a lovely, lazy day. I felt anxious at first because there are about 10 pressing things that I need to get done before Monday but in the end I enjoyed it...I needed the time away, time away from Laureles, from my new roomates/children/charges...it was good just to relax with people that are almost like family for me. H.B. Abuela.

adonai (nango) with his grandmother the birthday girl

pancha's sister, melida, is also the owner of the house that i'm now living in here in los laureles

christmas was still on full display in toncontin

they had a fully decorated tree on their porch...

and one inside their home as well

i brought tolo along as well, it's been a while since he and i have done anything together...

it also gave anuar someone to pal around with for the day

my real grandmother, shirley morris, would have been in love with the flora of toncontin

this is one i'd never seen prior

chili on the vine

coming in for a drink

look closely and to the right

simple beauty

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