Lunes, Lunes

Monday Monday, so good to me,
Monday Monday, it was all I hoped it would be.
-The Mamas & The Papas

Risa and I finally had a shopping day in León today and found some wonderful finds at end-of-summer clearance prices. We enjoyed perusing Spanish fashion at a leisurely pace, beginning our time with vanilla & caramel and forest fruit teas respectively in the center's café. 
After lunching vegetarian at L'Union we returned with Enrique to Astorga in time for him to enter into Astorga's annual chess championship. He's moving on to play in the finals tomorrow. He loves the game. So fun to watch.

Meanwhile hundreds, 327+ acres (132 hectares)  to date, of ancient pines have been burning for three days in the National Reserve of Tabuyo del Monte and have left the sky mourning under an uncanny black and brown cloud. Ashes rained down and covered our red comforter through the skylight window we accidentally left open. So sad to think of the nature and wildlife, and one human life so far destroyed due to arson.

Hafla

Las Sierras

Close my eyes
See you jumping off rocks
The Sierras
Getting mountain dusty
Sand Pond
Laughing with cousins
A Clan
Hours away, a world away
Spain
I long to see you, watch you play
My watch says 12pm, only 3am in your sleeping bags
I hug you and kiss your sunburned cheeks as you dream
This heart never stops beating California time.

Cierro los ojos
Os veo saltando desde las rocas
Las Sierras
Ensuciandoos con la tierra de las montañas
Sand Pond
Riendoos con los primos
Un Clan
Horas lejos, un mundo lejos
España
Añoro veros, observaros jugar
Mi reloj dice las 12, solo las 3 de la mañana en vuestros sacos de dormir
Os abrazo y os beso vuestras mejillas mientras dormis
No para nunca de latir este corazón su ritmo californiano.

Upper and Lower Sardine Lakes, CA
Los Lagos Sardinas Superior e Inferior, California

California mountains are covered with trees, mostly pines of a great diversity
Las montañas de California están cubiertas de árboles, de una gran diversidad de pinos

Mountain flowers
Flores de montaña

Snow before the spring melting season
La nieve antes del deshielo primaveral

La Cordillera Cantábrica

Bring me men to match my mountains,

Give me men tall, brave and strong,

Bring me men to match my mountains

. . .  to match my plains,

Men with freedom in their visions

And creation in their veins.

The mountains we saw today were beautiful, rugged and strong and reminded me of part of a song we sang when traveling in a high school church choir.

The original words were written by Sam Walter Foss, "The Coming American," July 4, 1894 as such:
"Bring me men to match my mountains, Bring me men to match my plains, Men with empires in their purpose, And new eras in their brains."

Mountains of León, Spain

More pictures here

Balcón Abierto

Astorga, our Spanish home finally thaws and blooms after a long cold winter. A summer's celebration shouts from balconies all around.

Astorga, nuestro hogar español, finalmente se deshiela y florece después de un largo y frío invierno. Una celebración de verano grita desde los balcones por todas partes

Mama Tinia's geraniums nestled next to our rosemary, lavender and cyclamen sway to the deep rich strands of cello from son Álvaro's practice session yesterday in the our kitchen.

Los geranios de Mamá Tinia, ubicados al lado de nuestros romero, lavanda y ciclamen, vibran con los profundos y ricos acordes de la sesión de práctica de violoncello del hijo Álvaro ayer en nuestra cocina.

Warm colors in León make the most of a sunny exposure.

Los colores cálidos en León sacan el máximo provecho de una exposición soleada.

The hanging houses of Cuenca (La Mancha) weren't the only thing to catch our eye this day on our way home from a wedding in Alicante. 

Las casas colgadas de Cuenca (La Mancha) no fueron la única cosa en atrapar nuestra atención este día en nuestro camino a casa desde una boda en Alicante.

A glamorous balcony in Madrid waved a solemn good-bye to our Ryan who visited us the month of July and to Sara, who headed back to California after her six month stay, but a cheery hello to Risa who has now come for a month.

Un glamoroso balcón en Madrid hizo un solemne gesto de adiós a nuestro Ryan que nos visitó el mes de julio con Sara que regresó a California después de su estancia de seis meses, pero fue un alegre saludo a Risa quien ha llegado para un mes.

Cello

You know it's going to be a good day when you wake up to a cello in your living room.

Sabes que va a ser un buen día cuando te despiertas con un chelo en el salón.

Resting in Peace

On her 86th birthday last October. She always dressed so elegantly. Graceful and lovely at every step.
I gave her this necklace and earrings after my last California visit.
She wore them often and looked beautiful.

Ryan only has two more days here and Sara seven. We are ending our visit with a difficult family time of mourning for Mamá Tinia, my sweet mother-in-law, who passed on to be with our Lord on Tuesday July 31st.

Easter Sunday meal at our home 

Mamá liked being at our home, but the stairs and long visits were tiring.
She discovered the red rockers downstairs were a great place for an afternoon nap.
I can still see her covered up in the soft white blanket she liked so well. 

Yesterday and all this morning is the wake, dozens (feels like hundreds) of family and friends coming through the elegant funeral home to view, share condolences, sit.
In the early evening we will have mass in her small home village and the burial. She is at rest. We remember her well with honor and love.

I am going to miss her much, miss her "like a cathedral."
RIP in Spanish is DEP, Descanse en Paz