April 5, 2013 · 2:47 pm

Failing at your own business–Taco Express

taco express

During the time we ran the Crap Shoppe, my husband found himself unemployed again. As he was still recovering from an operation, he needed work that wouldn’t be so demanding physically. He decided he wanted to sell tacos, but since I had all that stuff at the local, he couldn’t use it. So we rented a local in the ‘mercado nuevo’ which was a collection of locales (shops) that sold everything from shoes to meat.

It took a bit of investment, we needed to purchase a mini-fridge, a “comal” which looks like an inverted dish to cook the meat, and a gas tank. I used my aguinaldo (end of year bonus) from the school to get us up and running. I was excited. I even bought little plastic salsa dishes and bright orange placemats.

Not leaving anything to chance, my husband went to see Chencha, the local curandera (healer) to see what she had to say about the taco stand. She read the cards for him and said that things would be painfully slow for awhile, but then it would pick up and he should be patient. She gave him some spray called ‘llama clientes’ that was supposed to attract customers but smelled like old lady to me. She told him to take red and white carnations to the taco stand for luck. She gave him a prayer card.

We took our kitchen chairs to sit at the bar, painted Taco Express on the pillar outside and were ready to go. My husband hired his youngest brother C as his assistant. They were open exactly one week.  My husband threw a fit and brought everything home one day in the truck.  What can I say, he isn’t a patient man.

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April 2, 2013 · 8:49 pm

Parenting Challenge–Education as a Discipline

Our vacation education project!

Our vacation education project!

Let the lessons be of the right sort and children will learn them with delight. –Charlotte Mason

During the long 2 week vacation that comes with Semana Santa (Holy Week), I started my 10-year-old son on an educational path that involved the book “The Most Dangerous Book for Boys” by Con and Hal Iggulden. With a title like that, you would have thought that he would have dove right in, but it took a little prompting and finally a stern mandate that he was to read one section of the book and complete the activity (if it had one) each and every day of the vacation period. However, I moderated that he could choose whatever topic he wished. So reluctantly he took the book to his room and thumbed through the table of contents, only to return a few minutes later to ask if he really could choose whatever topic. I responded affirmatively, and his excitement was evident. He went back to reading and came back again asking if he could do more than one section a day. Of course, he could.

As we have already urged, there is but one right way, that is, children must do the work for themselves. They must read the given pages and tell what they have read, they must perform, that is, what we may call the act of knowing. –Charlotte Mason

The first thing he read was about how to make paper airplanes. The house is now littered with the ones he learned from the book and several that he made his own adaptations to. Then he read about building a tree house, although I asked him what he thought he would do with that information since we do not have any trees large enough to support a tree house (cactus is not inherently stable enough to house a tree house.) But he wanted to read it, so he did. I came home from classes and found he had adapted the information to make a second dog house for Cocoa all on his own. (The first dog house, constructed with the help of his dad, has been taken over by 2 kittens and Hershey the new puppy.) Another day, he asked me to bring home vinegar and blotting paper for the newest experiment, a battery made with vinegar, quarters, copper wire, salt, and blotting paper. As blotting paper could not be found, he substituted thin cardboard and set to work. After a failed attempt (he had forgotten the salt) he tried again, his dad looking on. The second attempt also failed, (the light bulb was too large), so he tried again, doubling the number of quarters. He still wasn’t able to make the bulb light up, but he was able to create a spark, so the experiment was deemed a success.

making a battery

Working on making a battery from quarters and vinegar.

The bad habit of the easy life is always pleasant and persuasive and to be resisted with pain and effort, but with hope and certainty of success, because in our very structure is the preparation for forming such habits of muscle and mind as we deliberately propose to ourselves.–Charlotte Mason

My son’s new found enthusiasm for experimentation has sparked my husband’s mind as well. My husband has retooled our moto (motorcycle) wagon and is now gathering materials for making an attempt at a windmill to provide us with electricity since it seems that the powers that be in this area are not interested in their civic duties. My husband has always been creative but slipped into complacency this past year. I hope that his new projects will reawaken what was once a sharp and agile mind.

side car

Moto-cart. Just the thing for transporting!

Physical fitness, morals and manners, are very largely the outcome of habit; and not only so, but the habits of the religious life also become fixed and delightful and give us due support in the effort to live a godly, righteous and sober life. We need not be deterred by the fear that religious habits in a child are mechanical, uninformed by the ideas which should give them value. –Charlotte Mason

Having myself been raised in a religiously strict household, I have taken a more indirect approach to religion with my son. Instead of attending regular religious services, we look for God in the everyday. Instead of forced bible readings, I present tidbits that prompt his own investigations. “The most Dangerous Book for Boys” contains sections on the greatest battles ever fought since the beginning of recorded history. Of course, this included biblical figures such as Nebuchadnezzar. He read the section covering the conflict in the book, then went off with a bible to gather more details about Nebuchadnezzar’s life and times.

It is as we have seen disastrous when child or man learns to think in a groove, and shivers like an unaccustomed bather on the steps of a new notion. This danger is perhaps averted by giving children as their daily diet the wise thoughts of great minds, and of many great minds; so that they may gradually and unconsciously get the courage of their opinions. –Charlotte Mason

There are sections on scientists, explorers, inventors, poets, excerpts from Shakespeare, The Declaration of Independence, and the King James Version of the Bible. There are readings on overcoming adversity, scientific discovery and reaching out towards self-awareness. I was delighted to find some of my own childhood favorites included. After all, my own life is based on what Frost tried to say “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I –I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference” and it is my hope that my son will find his own path armed with all the knowledge and education that I lay before him.

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March 31, 2013 · 6:51 pm

Pleading in the Presidencia Phase 10

So, we have entered 2013, still waiting on the judge in the second demanda (lawsuit) to send a neutral perito (surveyor) and make a ruling. The Christmas season has ended, and Lent has begun and it is time for another junta (community meeting). We waited all of February for Desorolla Urbana (the permit office) to give us a definite date when they would come to La Yacata and explain in general terms why what is in place in terms of water, sewage and electricity, is not serviceable. Finally, we could not wait any longer and set the date for March 10.

presidencia

La presidencia de Moroleon (town hall)

On March 8th, we were given an appointment in Desorolla Urbana to meet with the new director. When Moroleón elects a new town presidente (mayor), most of the government employees are replaced with cronies and relatives of the new presidente (mayor). As the new president took office in December, the director in Desorolla Urbana is not the same one that we met with before. I’m not sure how this is an effective way to manage government since often the replacements are even less qualified than the previous ones. As they know they will only have 3 years at this post, there is no effort on their part to do things the way they ought to be done to prevent future problems for the next person who holds that position. Regardless, it’s best to make the attempt.

I took special care with my appearance, even so far as painting my toenails, not that I thought it would necessarily help, but my philosophy is it’s better to approach the powers that be arrayed as a queen willing to negotiate than a peasant begging for favors. R is currently in the States, so would not be present for the meeting. Super Prez and I made arrangements to meet in the entrance of the Presidencia (town hall) a few minutes before the meeting.

When he arrived, I could see he also took care in his appearance. Instead of the normal polo shirt, he wore jeans and a blue-checked country bumpkin shirt, although he left out the oversized belt buckle and boots that would have completed the outfit. Of course, some of the effect was ruined in the crisp ironed creases in his obviously new shirt, but I suppose he was making an attempt to be more representative of the colonos (property owners) in La Yacata.

So we went upstairs. On the way, Super Prez, who averages 2 to 3 days in the Presidencia (town hall) per week because of his business (he has a construction company that is often employed by the municipality), was greeted by several Presidencia (town hall) employees, even the current presidente (mayor) JG, who stopped and shook his hand as he hurried out to a meeting. We didn’t have long to wait and were ushered into the new director’s office.

The director started by handing us a list of applications made by La Yacata since 1997 and that’s pretty much all we got from him. He talked about how things are more accessible nowadays and problems that he has with Chuchi. While we agreed with all of this information, I pointed out that those that needed to hear this information were the colonos (property owners) of La Yacata and asked when he would be available to come to La Yacata or whether we should send all 680 members to his office. I think I’ve mentioned before that I’m not really the sort of person that should be taken along in political pussyfooting. Anyway, he didn’t have a date scheduled and most assuredly wouldn’t consider a Sunday visit, although that is the day we have always had our juntas (meeting).

Needless to say, I was a bit disgruntled when we left the office. What were we supposed to tell the colonos (property owners) on Sunday? That yet again, Desorolla Urbana was not interested in stirring themselves to help us make things right? Hardly the stuff that inspires community spirit.

But the meeting went better than expected. We started with a complete run-down of our expenses since Super Prez took over. Apparently, there were some speculations that we were in this for the money. Well, being a detailed oriented and honest person, I could account for every single centavo that passed through my hands. Hopefully, that doubt has been laid to rest for the moment. Then Super Prez read the paper given to us by Desorolla Urbana and got the people to agree on a day and a time of day to re-invite Desorolla Urbana and the registradores (I’m not sure yet who they are but seem to be those that make the final decisions). So, some Monday in the near future in the morning, we will have this inspection of sorts. While Super Prez was explaining all of this technical stuff, it suddenly dawned on some of the colonos (property owners) that all services that had been supposedly completed by Chuchi were not usable and all the money that Chuchi had received was gone and that all the services would need to be redone and consequently, paid for by us again. This is not anything new but does still engender frustration and anger. Before it could get out of hand, I decided I needed to say something. I spoke fumblingly, not having the words I wanted in Spanish, but surprisingly everyone was patient and heard me out. My point was that yes, we are all frustrated and angry but we need to be unified in our efforts and not let the anger stop us. If we aren’t unified, we won’t ever be in a position to improve our living situation. That seemed to calm down most of the attending members for a bit.

Our problem is that La Yacata has never been granted the “cambio de uso de suelo” permit which changes the fraccionamiento (neighborhood) from agricultural to residential. Without this permit, there are no permits for water, sewer or electricity. I think we finally got that point across this time.

The meeting broke up when our 97-year-old property owner fell and cut her head open. One colona (property owner who isn‘t living in La Yacata) asked me if I had some ice to put on the Doña’s head to help stop the bleeding. Maybe I was a little scornful with my answer–that NO, there is no electricity in my house, therefore, no ice–but really now! Anyway, Doña Maria was taken by a fellow colono (property owner) to the hospital.

After the junta (meeting) I talked with Super Prez a bit and remarked that the speed with which we were moving in our efforts to advance the colonia (neighborhood) were not at a speed that Doña Maria would be a beneficiary of. Super Prez, though, believes that we have made good progress in the 18 months or so that we have been making efforts to get organized, but did agree that Doña Maria may not live to have water, sewage, and electricity. As this Monday is the birthday of Benito Juarez and a federal holiday and the following week begins Semana Santa (Holy Week), it will be at least a month before we can get anyone in the Presidencia (town hall) to come and see us. No hurry though, right?

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