Monday 12th December 2011…..welcome to Casita Doris!!!!

Virgin of Guadalupe Day - Día de La Virgen de Guadalupe

Virgin of Guadalupe Day or Día de La Virgen de Guadalupe is Mexico's most popular religious and one of its most famous cultural images. The feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is celebrated on December 12, commemorating traditional accounts of her appearances to Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin on the hill of Tepeyac near Mexico City from December 9 through December 12, 1531. The image of the Virgin of Guadalupe is a symbol important to Mexican identity and Pope John Paul II declared her "Patroness of the Americas" in Mexico City in 1999.

Traditional account of the apparition

Etching by Jose Guadalupe Posada, depicting St. Juan Diego and the Virgin image miraculous imprinted on the cloth where he collected the roses. Etching by Jose Guadalupe Posada, depicting St. Juan Diego and the Virgin image miraculous imprinted on the cloth where he collected the roses. According to Catholic accounts of the Guadalupan apparition, during a walk from his village to the city on December 9, 1531, Juan Diego saw a vision of a Virgin at the Hill of Tepeyac what is now Mexico City. Speaking in Nahuatl, Our Lady of Guadalupe said to build an abbey on the site, but when Juan Diego spoke to the Spanish bishop, Fray Juan de Zumárraga, the prelate asked for a miraculous sign. So the Virgin told Juan Diego to gather flowers from the hill, even though it was winter, when normally nothing bloomed. He found Spanish roses, gathered them on his tilma, and presented these to the bishop. According to the legend, when he returned to the bishop with his cape filled with roses, both were astonished, because as Juan Diego emptied his cape, an image of the Virgin was left behind. The cape still hangs in the Basilica of the Virgin of Guadalupe, built near the spot where the miracles occurred, and on the anniversary of the second miracle, pilgrims converge on the area in a mass celebration. Taken from Wickapedia..

 

When Janet and Malc were over here two years ago we visited the Basilica and saw the robe!!!!

To prove it here is the photo!!!

So to start you off with a Monday morning laugh!!

An old prospector shuffled into the town of El Indio, Texas leading a tired old mule. The old man headed straight for the only saloon in town, to clear his parched throat.

He walked up to the saloon and tied his old mule to the hitch rail.

As he stood there, brushing some of the dust from his face and clothes, a young gunslinger stepped out of the saloon with a gun in one hand and a bottle of whiskey in the other.
The young gunslinger looked at the old man and laughed, saying, "Hey old man, can you dance?"
The old man looked up at the gunslinger and said, "No son, I don't dance... never really wanted to."
A crowd had gathered as the gunslinger grinned and said, "Well, you old fool, you're gonna dance now!" and started shooting at the old man's feet.
The old prospector, not wanting to get a toe blown off, started hopping around like a flea on a hot skillet.
Everybody standing around was laughing.

When his last bullet had been fired, the young gunslinger, still laughing, holstered his gun and turned around to go back into the saloon.
The old man turned to his pack mule, pulled out a double-barrelled 12 gauge shotgun and cocked both hammers.
The loud clicks carried clearly through the desert air. The crowd stopped laughing immediately.
The young gunslinger heard the sounds too, and he turned around very slowly.
The silence was deafening. The crowd watched as the young gunman stared at the old timer and the large gaping holes of those twin 12 gauge barrels.
The barrels of the shotgun never wavered in the old man's hands, as he quietly said;
"Son, have you ever kissed a mule's ass?"
The gunslinger swallowed hard and said, "No sir... but...but I've always wanted to."
There are a few lessons for all of us here:
*Don't be arrogant.
*Don't waste ammunition.
*Whiskey makes you think you're smarter than you are.
*Always make sure you know who is in control.
*And finally, don't screw around with old folks; they didn't
get old by being stupid.
I just love a story with a happy ending, don't you?

Thanks Eric for sending me this …

Well my morning started at 12.01am when the local church around the corner started celebrating with the constant ringing of bells and fire crackers which went on for most of the night….

This was taken later in the day but still ringing!!!

I started off by riding Bonita over to my new place with  more stuff…then up to Linda and Guy’s to wash my sheets and deliver Ramona as they are so kindly going to babysit for a couple of months I can just see Linda and Guy on a sunny afternoon out there in her Bikini and Guy in his Speedo washing and waxing Ramona!!!!   Thanks so much for letting her stay…I then borrowed their van loaded up lots of stuff and took it to my place which I have named Casita Doris…after my dear old Mum!!!!

Then it was back to return the van and Linda dropped me off in town and it was a hard time getting back to the RV park because of the huge parade to the local church!!!

The Mexicans sure know how to celebrate!!!

This is the street that I had driven Ramona about 90 minutes earlier!!!!!

These next two photos are for my friend’s Paula and Jer  who will be here in SMA in one month and looking forward to seeing them ..one of the reasons is that they are kindly  bringing me some supplies and not before time!!!!!

 

and this is your spot in the RV park..

At 2pm I had 2 hours of great tennis then came home and relaxed on the roof top sun deck for an hour ..loved it peace and quiet and no one around….I then started work on Casita Doris and happy to say now 9pm and all done she looks lovely I love it here already!!!!   Photos tomorrow……had a great shower a lovely meal now tea and a movie…it was a big couple of days but now I can relax. well not actually relax but…….My new computer is in Mexico and soon to shipped thanks Gail and Larry…

Blessings to all…