On the day of the Three Kings Day parade, I trudged up the street, still littered with the caramelos tossed on the parade route. My boots, covered in a thick crust of crushed candies, clung to the ground with each step. I watched my oldest ahead of me, walking with my husband and our landlord. … More A Tender Land
My grandmother died this summer, just a few months shy of 90 years. She lived a full life, and would have smiled at the eulogy presented by my cousin. He shared a picture of her, beaming in front of Lake Louise in Canada. She had been a widow for maybe a year or two at … More I Used to Be Brave
My husband ran his first road race on Friday. He’s an avid runner back home, having completed numerous marathons and other races of varying distances. And here, of course, it was a bit different. The race was supposed to start at five. Paul finally started running at six. At the end of the race, the … More Unpacking Gender in Spain
There is currently a 23% unemployment rate in Spain. A 21% tax is added to everything. You don’t even want to know the price of gas. Times are tough for the Spanish. And I am acutely aware of my privilege. I can buy gas, products, and food at a discounted rate at the base. I … More Rooted
My goodness, the Spanish people are nice. In particular, my landlords. On the day we moved in, my landlady was there with the trucks. Which one would expect, to sign papers and pass along the keys. Not, however, to help us unpack boxes and move in. All while wearing fabulous, knee-high boots. She came over … More Hospitality is a Verb
A confession: In the past, when I saw a clothesline in an urban area, I assumed poverty . Pants, shirts and pajama bottoms fluttering in the breeze seemed a bit, well….third world. I’m accustomed to my ever-running clothes dryer, and the mindless, fluffy warm goodness it brings. I’m used to my walls and my doors … More Communion Via Laundry
Our children are funny, smart, and caring little people. Yet, they have next to no appreciation for Moorish architecture or flying buttresses. Except, perhaps, that buttress has the word “butt” in it. I am not surprised about this. When asked, my oldest described a perfect day as “I would go to the beach and have … More Succumb to Wonder
I’m not loving my kitchen table. It’s loaner furniture–wobbly, charmless, and bland. It’s a symbol for life in temporary housing. Not really here, not really there. A purgatory of broken light switches, swarming ants, and washing the same four forks every day. I recognize how lucky we are to even be here in temporary housing. … More Loaner Furniture
Thursday is a Spanish holiday, Tosantos— All Saint’s Day. Similar to the American liturgical calendar, All Saint’s Day is a time to remember the saints that have departed this life. Relatives will often visit cemeteries to clean the graves of relatives, perhaps leaving flowers. Additionally, in Spain, they make special cakes, and sell almonds, hazelnuts, … More Fiesta de Tosantos
