MEMORIAL DAY 2011

Memorial Day--that one special day all year set aside to remember and honor all our loved ones who have gone before us--has come again...................

All our memorial stones decorated with flowers and messages, are ready for delivery..........

As always, the first stop is at Aunt Josie's charming marker...............

In Rosario Catholic Cemetery.........................

This is the grave for our friend Marty's Aunt and Mother--both very kind and admirable women....................

I had a difficult time finding Jo's grave. She had lots of flowers and someone had placed a temporary grotto on it......................

Dwight works to clear the kids' grave. They are in a very verdant section of the cemetery and the grass tries to grow over their marker........................

But here it is--clean and legible once more..................

There are some lovely old iron crosses in this part of Rosario...............

The decision to keep only some parts in grass and others in gravel has actually resulted in a very lovely cemetery......................

Another old metal gravestone..................

This is the marker for one of my students who sadly took her own life when she was only fifteen..........

Her parents have erected a stone bench on the grave site that is engraved with some of Ana's art work. She would decorate all her school papers with drawings like these or of mimes with tears in their eyes.................

This is the grave of one of Frannie's good friends...................

I find the cemetery to be a peaceful and egalitarian setting..................

AMEN!!!.........................

Dwight works to open up Connie's marker that had sunk a little..................

Here lies a wonderful friend...........................

The Montoya Family Plot is up by the chapel....................

Nearby is the marker for Dolores. It reads "Loved by All"--truer words were never spoken........................

We will never forget our wonderful neighbor......................

This year, Mr. Bachicha's stone is in place..........................

Uncle Chic and Aunt Sophie.................

Uncle Frank, Aunt Mary and Jojo..................

Uncle Mike and Aunt Carolina................

And, of course, our wonderful Grandma Gomez and Grandpa Gomez. I keep meaning to do some research to quell a lingering suspicion that the two stones were reversed after they had to be reset when a truck drove over them and cracked the concrete that they were originally set in...............................

Dwight worked to clear our very favorite stone..................

It really is a very nice marker.............................

We always clean it and leave flowers as we are pretty sure nobody will be doing that when we are actually dead.....................

Next stop is Memorial Gardens where a new project is started to house the "burial" of cremains...............

This stone is for the baby of one of my students. The Daddy, Rex, always gives me a call to thank me for remembering his little son........................

We just brought a remembrance to Dwight's Mother's grave on Mother's Day..........................

Right next to Mrs. Capshaw is my old buddy, Lita....................

Our next stop is Fairview Cemetery that was at one time by far the most beautiful final resting spot in Santa Fe..................................

Many former governors and other prominent New Mexicans are buried here, but without water, it has become a wasteland.......................

All of the beautiful trees and bushes that helped serve as landmarks to finding our friend Lowell's grave have disappeared. Hopefully, the brand new tree in the background that is in his vicinity will get watered and survive......................

Last stop--the National Cemetery! We waited till the afternoon so as not to interfere with the volunteer groups putting up all the flags this morning......................

Time to remember our precious cousin, Albert................

And career veteran, Uncle Joe.............

Unfortunately, the section where my Daddy is buried is not being maintained very well..................

Which dishonors an exceptional man......................

The Sandovals are buried in the newer section of the cemetery..................

And as the afternoon grows long, we conclude after decorating over forty graves. I attempt to post photos of different markers each year, but every grave we visited gave us a chance to show honor and respect to all of the fantastic folks who have enriched our lives while they were among us. Rest in Peace...............

A WEDDING IN MAY...........

On a sunny day in May, I'm all a'twitter because we are going to the wedding of one of my very special favorite students.............Jesusita.....................

Dwight is anxious to go as well. Most men like weddings almost as much as women do--especially if there is an open bar.......................

So we're off to the Cathedral for the long anticipated occasion...................

All it takes is a beautiful Bride..................

A handsome groom,...............

And a whole lot of other people--like the mother of the groom, who served as the Wedding Planner.......................

This is the mother-of-the Bride--my friend and former SFHS colleague, Virginia. She is escorted by her Son who is a former World Champion in some form of Brazilian Martial Arts..........................

I guess I zoomed in too closely for this shot of her coming down the aisle....................

Waaaaay too close...............................

This is the Father-of-the Groom........................

The flower girl and ring bearer................ (Very cute!, but what's up with the couple making out in the back of the church in the background)......................

And the graceful Maid of Honor...................................

All approach the altar. This long center aisle was much more impressive before it was broken up midway for a swimming pool.......................

In a very dramatic move, the Bride was secreted away (no pre-nuptials photos) and after the last of the wedding party reached the altar, the back doors were shut and were not reopened until a particular point in the music announced her presentation. Very cool! I guess the hot couple in the ante-church went across the street to get a room at La Fonda...................

Here comes the Bride!......................

And there she goes..................

The Bride and Groom are united before the altar........................

And before all their friends and family..................

Father John, who is the very definition of enthusiasm, gives a very spirited sermon about love and commitment..................

That is appreciated by the Bridal Couple................

One nice change that I appreciate, is that the Bride and Groom faced the congregation for the actual ceremony instead of the usual shots of their backs.................

A deacon even held up a microphone so that they could be heard.............

As they become man and wife..................

"You may now kiss your Bride!"................................

Presenting......................

On their way to forever together..........................

The happy parents of the bride...................

One very HAPPY Bride, I might add....................

The Bride's brother with one of his twins. Besides having thirteen extra people sleeping at her home, Virginia is shuttling back and forth to the hospital as another grandchild got sick with pneumonia......................

Dwight waits in the new Passion garden of the parish hoping that a receiving line might be in order......................

But since the Cathedral put them on a strict time limit, they marched back in to the church for formal photos. This will give us a few hours before the reception, and since I have three more weddings this summer, I will break here and mix and match the reception photos with all four weddings as the summer progresses.

AND A GOOD TIME WAS HAD BY ALL!