A Weighty Matter

It occurred to me that I haven't included pictures inside the RV on this blog.  It's so cozy and everything is within easy reach.  I find that cleaning up is a snap.  I really gave it my full attention a few mornings ago.  Changed the bed, scrubbed the bathroom, vacuumed and mopped the floors, dusted the woodwork.  The whole job took about 30 minutes.


The RV Resort has laundry facilities so I now do multiple loads at once.  I usually do three loads of clothes once a week (including Larry's uniform shirts) and at a different time I do sheets and towels (my Mama taught me to love clean sheets!). Piece of cake!  

What to do with all the found time?  Well there's reading and quilting and cooking fun dinners and trying new restaurants....sounds too good to be true, doesn't it?  Well, it is.

Above the sink in our little bathroom is the only mirror in the RV.  I can see myself from the shoulders up.  So imagine my surprise last weekend when I went to put on a favorite pair of jeans and realized if I buttoned them, the brass grommet at the waist would be a lethal weapon.  It was guaranteed to fly off and hit some poor unsuspecting soul.  Plus there was the problem of breathing.

I have no excuse.  There's a workout room about twenty feet from my front door, a nearby walking path beside the bay, and a bicycle pumped up and ready.  So I'm changing my evil ways.  Back to the real world.

I've started to walk again.  Keeping me company is a fabulous Audible.com selection called "Jacqueline Kennedy: Historic Conversations."  Recorded just a few months after President Kennedy's assassination, the tapes were made by historian Arthur Schlesinger interviewing Mrs. Kennedy.  For the past 50 years, the tapes been in a vault, at the request of the former first lady.  They are a compelling look at a very special time in American history and show the strength of Mrs. Kennedy's devotion to her husband, her children, and her country.

Mrs. Kennedy believed in getting outside everyday, even if it was just to "walk around the south lawn six times."  Her father told Jack Kennedy to make sure there were always horses around to ride if he wanted to keep his wife happy.  She said it wasn't so much about the horses as about being outside.  She was right.  Even a few minutes in the fresh air makes a world of difference for my temperament.  And listening to the complexity of the problems of the early 60s puts my little weight issue in its proper perspective.

Quinceañera

Recently Shelby and I took a walk down the main street of Chula Vista, which is located seven miles north of the border with Mexico.  We didn’t have to walk too far to figure out the main business in this older section of downtown: weddings and quinceañeras.

Quinceañera means “one who is fifteen” in Spanish.  It is a tradition in Latin American countries to celebrate a girl’s fifteenth birthday with a party to announce that the girl (referred to as the quince) is transitioning from childhood to womanhood.

If the girl is Catholic, the celebration begins with a Thanksgiving Mass.  The quince wears a formal dress--traditionally white or light pink, although that has changed in recent years.  During the mass, she is given a tiara (to symbolize that she is a princess to her family and a princess before God). She usually receives a gift of a rosary or a locket depicting the Virgin of Guadalupe.  At the end of the mass, the quince may leave a bouquet of flowers for the Virgin Mary.

Next, the birthday girl, accompanied by her parents, godparents, and a court of her peers, arrives at a celebration.  In downtown Chula Vista there are banquet halls to rent for such occasions.    

Two symbolic events occur before the meal and dancing.  First, “La Ultima Muñeca” which means “the last doll.”  Based on a Mayan tradition, the girl receives a doll as a birthday gift.  The girl rejects the doll, signifying that she is finished with dolls and one step closer to adulthood.  The second custom is the changing of the shoes.  During the reception, the girl’s father changes her shoes from flats to heels.  Again, this symbolizes her growing maturity.  

Traditionally, the quinceañera also marks the first time the girl dances in public.  Back in the day, the quince would also wear makeup for the first time to her party. However, in today’s society, it’s likely this is not the first time the girl has worn high heels or makeup.  

In a society where girls seem to grow up so quickly watching the bad behavior of  the Kardashians and reality-celebs from the Jersey Shore, it’s affirming to see that there are traditions that acknowlege the rite of passage from childhood to adulthood.