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Eli
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Dia del Muerto
Well here it is almost mid day (5.a.m. here in Oaxaca) of Day of the Dead, which runs from Nov. 1st. noon to Nov. 3nd. noon.
The candles burn at the alter that I have built in my room here in Oaxaca for My Dear ol Pop, Don Jimmy. His Spirit awakens me at this ungodly hour to
remind you all that he is certainly with us and sends you his greetings. He keeps me such good company always, I still talk to him daily, and he
continues to give me the best advice when ever I ask it.
His Granddaughter, Roma, provided an Alter at Galeria Los Angeles at home in Los Barriles, where he loved best to walk this sweet planet of ours.
So, again this year, he is busy as always running back and forth between all of us who love and remember him on this very best of holidays. There is a
Paper Mache sculpture I created in his memory that made it back home where he surly belongs in time for Day of the Dead, he is dancing on the alter
table grinning. His Little pine box is also set in memory.
I am sure also that Dona Lupe evokes his spirit today, with out doubt she went up to the grave yard to clean up his plot, to sit candles and fresh
flowers for him there too. Ah yes, with out a doubt he is remembered and loved on this very best of Holidays.
Dios lo Bendiga Don Jimmy al Dia de Muerto.
[Edited on 11-3-2006 by Eli]
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Eli
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Don Jimmy dancing on his Alter in Los Barriles.
[Edited on 11-2-2006 by Eli]
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Eli
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Don Jimmy's simple little Pine box on the Alter in Galeria Los Angeles in Los Barriles.
[Edited on 11-2-2006 by Eli]
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Iflyfish
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Thank you for sharing this intimate act with us. Don Jimmy is fortunate to have such a thoughtful son and you are fortunate to have him.
Iflyfish
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FARASHA
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Thanks for sharing this thoughts with usEli, and Thanks also for the Photos.
To this day I didn't know HOW this day is celebrated elsewhere!
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Eli
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IFly and Farasha thanks for your comments. I am sure his sons as well as his daughters, of which I am one, have many reasons to thank our lucky stars
for having such a dad.
There are many aspects to this holiday, and many different customs in different parts of the Americas. I was talking with a friend of mine who is a
tour guide here in Oaxaca, she tells me that Dia de Los Angeles, when the little one's return begins at Mid day Nov 1st. and continues until Mid day
on Nov. 2nd., it is a custom here to lay a path of Marigold flower petals up to the family alter so that the spirit of the children may find their
way. On Mid day of Nov. 2nd the home alter decorations are taken to the grave yard where the family spends the night until morning or mid day of Nov.
3rd.
I goggled on Día de Muerto and found some real interesting customs by a tribe of Indians in the Yucatan who exhume the body of their loved ones after
three years, lovingly clean the bones and set the skeleton out as part of the alter.
I love day of the dead, it is my favorite holiday. Traditional foods to include on the alter here in Oaxaca are peanuts, jicama, pan de muerto,
chocolate, and tangerines, also cerveza and mescal, of course candles and copal incense.
They make the most outstanding sand carpets, there is so much art involved in day of the dead here in Oaxaca where they even light fire crackers to
call the spirits back.
This afternoon I will take the flowers from my fathers alter and go to a village grave yard and decorate the grave of a Canadian couple who died in a
car accident years ago and are now buried there. I know heart and soul that this will make Don Jimmy's spirit very happy, he told me so. Besides, as
all who knew him know what a generous soul he was, for not even dead will that aspect of him alter as I will do all I can to carry on his all
embracing spirit of old.
[Edited on 11-3-2006 by Eli]
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Baja Bernie
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Don Jimmy Smith
This is something that I wrote a while back. Don Jimmy still talks to me once in a while and tells me that he is far to busy keeping his daughter,
Eli--Sara, and her family safe to be much bothered with correcting my writing.
I miss this man very much. We all lost a lot with his passing.
Dias de los Muertos & Don Jimmy
In my mind I have created a shrine to honor a friend, Jimmy Smith, who I invite you all to visit.
In it I have placed pictures of some of people he cared so much about. Sally, his daughter, who carry's forth his talent with the written and spoken
word. A picture of Don Jimmy himself holding court on his front porch as taken and published by his good friend Gene Kira. Chuck Potter no two men
have ever been closer. Dave Deal with whom he shared the universe as they camped under the wing of an airplane. Bobby VanWarmer a pioneer much like
Jimmy together have shared many secrets. Desert Bull and the guys sharing a drink over a desert campfire.
A young man, Dylan his great-grandson, who is held so closely to his heart. AND finally, Donna Lupe the lady he chased for so many years that she
finally caught him.
To this I have added water from the Sea of Cortez. Some heated and windblown desert sand. The silence of a plane soaring quietly above his beloved
desert. The sound and fury of a Baja 500.
The waves lapping at the side of a ponga floating upon that Vermillion Sea.
Over in the corner you will notice pen, ink, and paper for his use whenever he decides to sling the ink and create another wonderful tale to entertain
us.
You may faintly hear the song, The Yellow Rose of Texas, in the background AND I am sure that you will hear the laughter of all of his friends as they
listen to just one more story from the Grinning Gargoyle.
No, I did not forget--in the other corner he will find a case of Pacifico on ice.
Don Bernie
My smidgen of a claim to fame is that I have had so many really good friends. By Bernie Swaim December 2007
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Eli
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Ay Que Mi Don Bernie, that was more than tear evoking sweet. Thank God you got him his Pacifico, the best I could do was Modelo on his little alter
table. I hope that as I with his flowers that you with his beer, will share his generous spirit this afternoon.
Saludos from a peaceful moment in Oaxaca, Sara
Oh and here is a sand tapete completed, I got to learn how to do this, man, what art Oaxaca does have:
[Edited on 11-2-2006 by Eli]
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Baja Bernie
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Saludos
Thinking of Don Jimmy
When Jimmy Smith was still with us he used to tell me to do some crazy things to practice and, hopefully, improve my writing. One of the exercises was
to see things and write them from some animals point of view. This is one he really liked and he suggested that I send it to some of the commercial
fishing people in Baja Sur---I can still hear him laughing now!
To say the least those people who earn their keep from the fishing industry did not appreciate my skills! (and I undestand their feelings completely)
So here it is and I hope that some of you will get a chuckle out of it.
Catch of the Day
Listen to Soka, the Marlin, discussing his experiences with other members of his family as they slip ever deeper into the blue Pacific just off the
Cape of Cabo San Lucas. "Damn those air sucking, beer guzzling, fat assed, so called sport fisherman. They fly into San Jose de Cabo International
Airport. Jump into an air-conditioned cab and head for one of those fancy hotels. Yeah, the ones that stretch all the way from the Cape up to San
Jose. They don't even check in until they have downed a few cool ones in the air-conditioned bar.
These guys and gals really believe that they are great sportsmen,they see themselves as a Hemingway, Ray Cannon, or even as a Gene Kira. Listen to me
because I know. They are no such things. Why, Hell! They pay up to $1,400.00 a day to charter a 35 to 46 foot Bertram sport fisher. It has all of the
bells and whistles that they need to track us down. Would you believe that the boat only costs a little over a half a million used before they add the
Penn reels, $275.00 to $700.00 per reel. Then come the poles and other junk."
Junior Ukie, "Uncle why do they do such stupid things? I heard the other day that they pay about ten bucks just for a hook and those little flags
like aunt Ziku wears cost them about twenty dollars."
Soka, "It is all very confusing to me! They spend all of this money so that they can brag about what fantastic fishermen they are. It's nutty they
sit up there in the fighting chair most of the day hoping the Mexicans will bring them to where we are hiding. They guzzle beer, eat box lunches and
spread white stuff on their reddening noses and cheeks. Watch out for those boats that are driven by Pedro. He and his guys have the reputation as the
greatest hookers of Marlin and sailfish around. No, I tell you it makes no sense at all."
Ziku chimed in, "You brothers and sisters remember when that big gal hooked me last year. It was almost a fight to the death. I dove and ran and
sounded. I dove under the boat and then I ran as hard and for as long as I could. I could hear people on all of the boats cheer as I did the tail
walk. You talk about unfair; there she sits on that 46-foot boat with twin 555 diesel engines trying to land a little old lady like me. Anyway, they
wore me down and landed me. I was about gone when they ripped the hook out of my mouth, tagged me and tossed me back into the sea. They act like it
didn?t hurt. It didn't hurt them but I tell you that hook really tore up my mouth. I had trouble eating for months."
None of the Marlin could understand why the 'air sucking' people continued to slaughter and maim them even as their numbers dwindled. They could
understand the need for all things to kill for food and survival. They all remembered the stories handed down from generation to generation about when
the 'native air suckers' caught one of our kind every once in a while from a tiny canoe. Great, great, great Uncle Og told the story of an Indian,
paddling a reed boat over by Los Mochis, who hooked one of our large old ancestors and got pulled all the way across the sea to what is now called La
Paz. It is told that the Indian won that bout and feasted on the ancestor for days. Even today the Mexicans honor the Marlin with much ceremony. They
believe that to eat the meat of a Marlin will make them strong and valiant.
Uncle Soka continued. "I can understand that they would want to eat of our flesh to nourish themselves and become stronger. But I will never
understand how they can stuff our brothers and hang them on a wall as a trophy. A trophy to what?wasting money and good meat."
"I tell you youngin's when you hear those terrible boats and see those bubbles?dive deep and don?t even think of eating until the coast is clear. It's
the only chance we have to escape those 'air suckers' and survive as a clan."
Sportsmen indeed!
Bernie Swaim
?September 2003
My smidgen of a claim to fame is that I have had so many really good friends. By Bernie Swaim December 2007
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Paula
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La Martiniana
Niña cuando yo muera My child, when I die
no llores sobre mi tumba. don't cry at my grave.
Cantame un lindo son ay mamá, Sing me a beutiful song my dear,
cantame la sandunga sing to me La Sandunga.
No me llores no Please don´t cry for me
no me llores no please don´t cry for me,
porqué si llores me muera. because if you do I will die.
en cambio si tu me cantes But if you sing for me,
yo siempre vivo y nunca muero. I´ll live forever and never will I die.
I spent some time putting te English on one side and the Spanish on the other, but alas, when I posted it eliminated my spaces. Lo siento.
[Edited on 11-2-2006 by Paula]
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Summanus
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Nice lyrics, Paula, for a beautiful song. Do you also remember one called The Thousand Bullets?...or anyone else?
Summanus....ancient Roman Nightly Thunder God. He liked refrieds too.
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Eli
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Reading those lyrics I can hear in my head Lila Downs singin that song that I love so well, gracias Paula!
[Edited on 11-2-2006 by Eli]
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FARASHA
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BERNIE - I just love this stories, touching the Don Jimmy memorial, and very true the Catch of the Day !!
Yes, looking at things from a different perspective gives one a whole different VIEW.
PAULA - I wish I would have known this song before - when my Dad died! It's in a way so consoling!!
Here in Austria its a rather sad and quiet, quite depressing way to celebrate this day. It's an extended mourning!!
It's a tradition to go and visit the cemetary, bring flowers, light a candle, shed tears and then you go home with a heavvy heart, and chilled bones (
winter is due, weather usually cold, wet, windy).
At home you light a candle - and put it next to a photo of the loved ones. For most people a painful DUTY.
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Eli
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As you can see things work a little different in Oaxaca, this guy was having the best time visiting the dead, I feel he really captures what the
fiesta is all about here. I remember taking a swig off his mescal that night, it was a time for joy for him, his family and me.
[Edited on 11-2-2006 by Eli]
[Edited on 11-2-2006 by Eli]
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Eli
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Oh que, aqui es uno mas, a joyful family at Day of the Dead, note all the copal smoke in the air. saludos, Sara
[Edited on 11-2-2006 by Eli]
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Paula
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Muchisimas Gracias profundas para los photos Sara!!!
Next year I want to be on the mainland for dias de los muertos.
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Iflyfish
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Eli,
What a lovely lady you are. Thanks again for sharing your day with Don Jimmy.
Ilfyfish
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Mike Humfreville
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Sometimes I think that after all our living is done and any judging as to our individual impact, good or bad, on our families, society, the earth and
universe evaluated, what we leave behind are our children. They will see through the mysteries of life and love us for what we are, for what we were
if you will. Did we leave a lasting effect? Almost always no, except with the love and caring we put into raising and loving and supporting our
children.
Don Jimmy Smith has spent his time alive creating, by his warm nature and giving spirit, a wonderful family that remembers him with great pleasure.
He has not passed on to another plateau. He's alive on earth in the minds and memories of his many family members and friends.
Thank you Sara.
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Eli
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Thank You all for sharing this favorite holiday with me. It has been so good to share this day with Don Jimmy and you too. This has been just the
best.
You know Mike, I see so much of Don Jimmy in my grand daughter Paloma, this tiny little person born a year and change after the old man moved on to
other plains. How can that be? Is it in the genes? Yet, there is this side way glance that is his in her eyes, his little twist in her smile. I donno,
I just think it is truly amazing.
Anyway, sleep with Angels all of you. May your dearly departed visit your dreams with warm embraces as mine have me this best of ever holidays.
Feliz Dia de Muertos,, Sara
[Edited on 11-3-2006 by Eli]
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Elena La Loca
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I think Don Jimmy sent a message through me, too!
I just returned to work this past Tuesday after a 2 month hiatus courtesy of what the Doctor's say was surely caused by a Mexican amoeba (I guess the
Dr's think that ameoba know that the US Dept of Homeland Security is at the border) when, close to the end of my shift, who should come through my
line and make his contribution to my Costco retirement fund but the real Dave Deal. I made a BIG deal about the fact that I hadn't had a celebrity
through my line in a long time. He didn't spend enough money for us to visit very long but we both said how blessed we were to have known Don Jimmy.
I've been thinking about Jimmy ever since.
WB had told me so many stories of spending time with him. I never got to meet him in person but I still feel touched by his life.
We visited his grave the fall after he died. We cried at his grave until we both heard him tell us how foolish we were for doing so.
This picture was taken in May 2003 at Rancho Santa Ines when Jimmy refused to be the first one to say it was time to go to bed. It was 3am and the
stories were still flowing freely.
May our memories of those who've made an impression on us never fade. And as Jimmy taught us all, may the stories continue flowing....long into the
night.
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