An Average Weekend with the S Family

I don't really know how to begin describing our weekend with three Mexican shaman women. M and S had given us notice on Friday afternoon that we'd have some guests from Mexico, which wasn't surprising considering S's competency in Spanish and history of organizing in Nicaragua and other parts of Central America (sí, ha estado en El Salvador también). But when we got home, we found out M and S hadn't met these people either. A friend who's into agricultural sustainability had had something to do with a convention on sacred plants in the Mdewakanton Dakota territory....and the short story is that she asked M and S to host some visiting healers, all from different parts of Mexico.

In between massages and discussions of collective consciousness, the highlight of the weekend was a ceremony that these three women held near the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers (have I mentioned I bike over the Mississippi every day?!? I can't get over it! Makes me want to mark twain...) So the ceremony involved burning copal in incense burners, asking permission to do the ceremony to the guardians of the four directions, sounding shells, and singing..."que florezca la paz, que florezca la paz, que florezca...." We repeated that line over and over again, each time changing what we hoped would flourish: las tradiciones, la amistad, el amor, even las ciencias (science). Prudently, the river patrol didn't intervene because clearly it was a sacred moment and that would have been SO not politically correct. It was very beautiful, and ALL in Spanish. It was a whole weekend of Spanish! And my Spanish crawled out from the dusty spot on my mental desk where I had pushed it aside and put on a good show.

The first night they arrived, there was a fourth healer, Lalo. He had to leave early the next morning so he said, "We didn't give everything away at our convention...if anyone needs any healing, you can tell us and we are here for you." And then he added, "And even if you don't tell us, we can tell you," following that with a mischievous giggle. He looked at my right eye and said that my right side was the one that needed a little help, and that I should be careful of my kidneys (have I not being paying extra attention to them lately, Mom?). Nothing is wrong now, but of course I ought to avoid sweets and floury stuff and concentrate on preventative measures, which is all I can think about since he told me, naturally. But it didn't put me off...on the contrary, it was like having my palm read.

How are we so lucky to be housed with these people who have amazing connections with all sorts of progressive, creative, and dare I say revolutionary life stories? It's baffling and wonderful. Of course they invited their other friend, the Mexican American poet-organizer to take them for a spin at the mall on Sunday while the S constituency went off to the Minnesota countryside for a family gathering. I didn't really think I could live in a cooler place than my Santa Cruz digs, but lo and behold...Mexican shamans??

It's been a welcome distraction from my lack of a social life. I'm thinking of joining a book club around here to meet folks and taking language classes (any language will do!) since this is the first time in my adult life that when I go home I leave my work where it belongs and my mind is free in the evening. Je voudrais apprendre français!

So far people seem so nice here, all smiles. I have even been out on a "date" with a friend of a friend who's actually my age --- who took H and I out to a hopping bar with her fiance and some friends. I even got a number, yeah baby. (Of someone named Molly, who may invite H and I to a birthday party, how cute.) But there is SO much going on in this huge metro area that we want for nothing as far as events go. It's just a matter of conserving enough energy after a day of armed combat with Access and other such brilliant programs, and during the forty-hour work week in general...

Beh, this is getting long. I'll post again soon, but that's the haps for this round. Thanks for reading, my lovelies. And a big hug and kiss to Grandpa and Liz who I hear have become readers!