Searching for El Paso’s Past

I have driven passed Concordia Cemetery in central El Paso, Texas thousands of times in my life.  This historic graveyard lies just off the main freeway through the city, reminding drivers of mortality if they care to think such solemn thoughts while speeding to their destinations. 

One Saturday my husband Wayne and I decided to attend a "Walk Through History" tour at Concordia Cemetery. Volunteers dressed in 19^th century costumes were portraying various historical figures buried there, and we hoped to learn more about early El Paso and its colorful beginnings. 

Concordia Cemetery looks very old.  The landscaping would be called xeric in modern times, just some spiky century plants and one or two native trees which offer an occasional bit of shade. 

65,000 souls are buried in Concordia.  The cemetery is divided into sections, reflecting the social divisions of early El Paso society. There was a separate section for Buffalo Soldiers, another for Chinese families, and still another for wealthy Anglo families.

But Concordia didn’t feel like a typical graveyard, perhaps because of all of the activity and the bright sunshine that Saturday morning.

The first “ghost” to speak to us was Octavia Magoffin, an attractive lady dressed in black.  She was the wife of Joseph Magoffin, an early El Paso pioneer.  I was quickly taken in by her story of the difficult early years of marriage during the Civil War, the life she and Joseph began in El Paso to make their fortune, and her rich family life that included much entertaining and even a trip to Europe.  The house they built is now a Texas Historical Site near downtown El Paso.  Wayne and I had visited it last year on a Halloween tour (it is reportedly haunted!).  

Other “ghosts” invited us to share their lives.  Lawmen, dentists, doctors, and ministers told of trying to civilize early El Paso.  Desperadoes, gamblers, and ladies of the night told their stories defiantly, making sure they were not forgotten.  

Neither the fabled “Lady in White” nor the “Lady in Black,” who reportedly walk the trails of the cemetery, appeared to us that day.  But we could not help but notice the many gravestones of ordinary people too.  There were gravestones with only a few precious years between birth and death.  There were others placed near each other in order for the souls to spend eternity together.  One had the hopeful words,  “Until we meet again.” Still others were cryptic.  Wouldn't you love to hear the story behind this one? 

I decided that Concordia Cemetery might not be such a bad place to be laid to rest.  It is a peaceful place, the mountains in the background are majestic, and the company one could keep there on ghostly nighttime outings would definitely be lively!

But a melancholy thought crept into our consciousness as we left the Concordia area to drive home.  Will someone in the next century be visiting our graves and wondering about the details of our lives?  Worse yet, would there be anything interesting to say about us?  Thank goodness we have a few good years left to add to our legends!

    

GOOOOOOOOOOL!

It's FIFA World Cup time again.  Can it  be four years since the 2010 South African games with those ever present vuvuzelas in the background?   I must admit to being a World Cup fan. It is a international competition, with exotic locations, players of all nationalities, and commentators speaking "World English," in its many varieties.

In my home town of El Paso, Texas, soccer is especially popular because of our proximity to Mexico.  The Republic of Mexico boasts enthusiastic  fútbol fans. When Mexico was scheduled to play Cameroon at one of the early games in the competition,  my husband Wayne and I knew that our favorite neighborhood restaurant, Barrigas, would be a lively spot to watch the game.  We made plans to enjoy breakfast and the match.

We arrived at Barrigas early, around 8:30 am, in order to locate a prize table with a good view of the TV monitor.  It was a wise decision, because the restaurant was filling up quickly.

We started our meal with strong coffee and a complimentary plate of fruit and watched the pre-game show.

A full breakfast followed, but we started gobbling it up before I remembered to take a picture.  The dining room was a sea of green, one of the principal color of the Mexican flag.

The fans were of all ages.  

Some needed a few Tecate beers to make it through the match (after all, it must have been cocktail hour somewhere in the world).

It was exciting to watch the game with like-minded fans.  A roar went up every time it appeared that Mexico was about to score.

Mexico was not lucky with this try on goal, but the match fortunately ended Mexico 1, Cameroon O.  

For a few hours, I had been transported out of my ordinary, everyday world to Natal, Brazil, which no longer seemed to be a world away.

Music Under the Stars

June daytime temps in El Paso, Texas may still be in the triple digits, but the nights are made for sitting outside and letting a cool breeze make everything right again. Last Sunday was the start of an annual summer evening event in my home town, "Music Under the Stars".

We arrived around 6:30 pm loaded down with lawn chairs and a picnic lunch.  The Chamizal National Monument "Bowl" was already providing some shady spots for setting up.

Chamizal National Monument with Franklin Mountains in background

It was still an hour until the music started, but people watching was at its best.  Many families were grouped together with all descriptions of chairs, blankets, coolers, and food containers.  The family positioned in front of us passed the time with a little friendly roughhousing.  Grandpa was on the bottom.

Family entertainment

Other attendees were couples, both young and not so young.  This couple brought their little dog (forbidden by park rules!).  I am an animal lover, so I wasn't going to squeal.   The young man had been carrying the dog in a sling on his chest.

Another kind of family!

Many people chose to sit close to the stage and dance floor.

Music Under the Start audience

The band was "La Santa Cecilia" from Los Angeles, California.

La Santa Cecilia

They were lively and versatile, playing a variety of instruments and presenting different music genres, from traditional jarochas from Veracruz, Mexico to rancheras to a tune written for Elvis Costello to an original song lamenting the plight of immigrants to the United States.  The lead singer, Marisol, was fascinating to both watch and listen to.  She was dressed in a blue jumper, with purple underskirts, striped tights and a pink belt.  

Marisol and musicians

Marisol's voice had an amazing range and a variety of tones to match the music type.  She was beautifully bilingual in English and Spanish. She sang, she danced, she played the guitar, she told stories. 

Music Under the Stars had all of the elements that make up great entertainment- cooler weather, interesting music,  relaxing company, good food, and did I mention, no entrance fee?  

Congratulations to El Paso for sponsoring this summer event!  

Four ideas for dealing with triple digit heat

Starting last weekend, the TV weathermen finally had some really big news.  The mercury in my home town of El Paso, Texas was going to climb into the triple digit category. And they were absolutely correct.  Not just a wimpy 102 or 103, but 107, 108, 109. We are talking HOT.

You can't change the weather, so the next best thing is to deal with it.  Here are some ideas I've been trying out.

(1)  Carry around a glass of something cold to drink all day.  Try to find a drink that doesn't have caffeine or calories but tastes a little better than plain water.  I make lots of weak lemonades by squeezing half a fresh lemon into a glass of cold water with ice and adding a half teaspoon of Sweet and Low.  Very refreshing!

Another favorite drink is Tazo brand passion tea.

It is made from hibiscus flowers and is caffeine free.  I add a little lemon and sweetener.

The only down side to all day iced drinks is the availability  of ice.  Our refrigerator with the ice dispenser in the door must have been designed to function in colder climates, because it throws in the towel and runs out of ice about midday. We are going to have to break down and buy a bag of ice to keep in the freezer for these hot spells.

(2)  Get up an hour before sunrise.  It is so wonderfully quiet and cool at that time of the day.  You can even have coffee and read the newspaper outside.  You may have to take a short afternoon nap to make it through the day, but sleep is a wonderful escape from that blazing afternoon heat anyway. Just find a spot with cool air blowing on you, and drift away. (Discourage the cat from napping with you if possible.)

(3)  Go to bed an hour later.  Once the sun goes down in the desert, the temperature drops rather dramatically.  And in our dry climate, nighttime temperatures in the 70's are made for sitting outside on the porch or attending an outdoor event, like listening to a band or watching a movie. And if you have taken the nap described in (2) above, you won't miss that hour of sleep.

(4)  Marvel at the desert plants that are thriving in the hot weather.  The prissier plants I put in the garden to add color earlier this year have to be watered at least once and sometimes twice a day during the triple digit temperatures. And they still are threatening to die!  

But the tough desert plants have not missed a beat, and some even act like they really enjoy the extra heat. Here are some native plants in our yard that don't seem to be phased by a few extra degrees on the thermometer.

Desert marigold

Prickly pear cactus

Mexican Primrose

Yellow Bird of Paradise

 If the desert plants can be stoic about what Mother Nature deals out, I suppose we can be too.

"Stay cool!" is being heard a lot around town this week. Do you have a  favorite remedy to beat the heat?