The History of Moroleon for Kids is finally available in coloring book format! It took forever and a day because I had such a hard time formatting it. However, that long editing process resulted in uncovering more information about Moroleon, Guanajuato and the inclusion of some activities in addition to the coloring pages.
There’s a delay between when I publish a book and when it’s available to be shipped to Mexico, so I haven’t received my proof copies yet. That makes me a bit nervous to announce its availability since I haven’t seen the final version, but online anyway, the book looks fine.
In other news, I’ve redone Surviving Mexico’s home page. If you haven’t taken a look at it lately because you get your update from me delivered directly to your inbox, you should! I’ve tried to make the site easier to navigate with the dropdown menus but I’m sure I’ll probably keep tweaking things as I go along since there’s a learning curve to all this technical stuff.
I’ve added an About the Author page with an interview with me! The About Our Lives page now has the video my son made a few years ago about La Yacata. That was fun to rewatch.
Anyway, these items were the last of my yearly Improvements. Stay tuned for a recap of how my 2020 goals panned out (or didn’t).
Just as Mr. Cocoa Beans was on the mend, Fred stopped being able to pee. Since we take several walks a day, with Fred and George copiously remarking their territory, we noticed right away something was amiss. We decided to wait and see if it would clear up on its own, but the next day was no better, so off to the vet we went.
Sick Fred made himself a hole to lay in.
Fred is three times the size of Cocoa, so it was a tight fit on the moto. He was also a bit antsy, this being his first ride and all, but we made it there. The vet diagnosed a UTI or maybe prostate disease. He started him on a 3-day course of antibiotics to see if that would help. Otherwise, he’d have to be neutered. We brought Fred home and set out to town again.
The next stop was INE. When my son called yet again to see if his ID was ready, the person said that he’d need to bring another copy of his CURP because there was some problem with it. So that’s what we did. Only when he went to drop off the copy, the person there said that he needed to get a new CURP card because the old one wouldn’t do.
We then went to a “ciber” to print out the next payment sheet for my son’s class through UVEG. He’s nearly finished, maybe 2 classes left, and maybe some community service. Yippee! Seems a race whether the pandemic or my son’s high school career will be finished first. Of course, this time around the class couldn’t be paid at OXXO for whatever reason and would require a bank trip. Whatever.
While he was at the ciber, my son asked the desk clerk about the “new” CURP. She knew exactly what he needed and licketly split, he had a copy on the memory stick. Hallelujah! Later, he was able to email it to the person at INE to move along the process. Maybe he’ll get it before his 19th birthday. Maybe.
Pleased with our success, we stopped for a bit of Chinese takeout to celebrate and headed home. Less than a minute after our arrival, we heard some bleating from the animal area. Dashing out, we discovered not 1, not 2, not 3, but 4 new-born kids. Two looked just like their mommas (one brown and the other white and brown) but the two black ones, identical in every aspect–whose babies were those? Each black kid was literally shadowing the other baby, one with the brown one and one with the white/brown one. At first we thought maybe they were twins. However, it appears that one will have horns and the other won’t, just like the mamas. So maybe each mama had a black kid? Either way, it worked out well that way as all four are assured of sufficient milk from their mamas. The next day the four stooges were playing Houdini escaping the enclosure, leaping on the alfalfa bales and causing a rumpus. It’s good to have babies around!
The next day we headed to the vet again for dose 2 for poor ol’ Fred. Then we had to go to the bank and pay that class. Strangely enough, the bank was closed, but I didn’t have any problem getting in and using the ATM machine. That evening, another goat baby chose to make an appearance. The mama had a terrible time and some intervention had to be done. My husband’s sciatica was acting up, so he presented quite a memorable sight at 3 am out there in the goat corral, crouched in his underwear, trying to assist the birth.
Exhausted, the next morning we headed to town for the last antibiotic dose. Fred had perked up some, but he wasn’t back to normal just yet. Only, the vet was closed. It seems he was sick and wouldn’t open again until who knows when. Uh-oh. COVID???? Then we come to find out the mysterious bank closure was also COVID related. EEEK! And here we were blatantly out doing errands (albeit masked and gelled up while maintaining proper social distance). But never fear, AMLO said that as long as no gifts were exchanged during the holiday season, we’d stop the spread. Sigh.
Medicago sativa arrived in Mexico with the Spanish colonists in the 16th century as fodder for their horses. The original Arabic word al-faṣfaṣa has evolved to alfalfa, which is how it is referred to in North America. It’s still commonly used as animal food. However, alfalfa is also used to strengthen lungs, treat kidney inflammation and anemia, as a relaxant, to prevent scurvy, and alleviate rheumatism in traditional Mexican medicine.
Studies have shown that alfalfa stems and leaves reduce cholesterol absorption and atherosclerotic plaque formation. Regular ingestion reduces hyperglycemia levels. It also has antimicrobial, antifungal and antibacterial properties. Alfalfa is also antioxidant and may protect the brain from damage as a result of strokes. The plant loses potency when dried, so using fresh leaves, flowers, and roots is best.
As a detoxifier, three teaspoons of lightly crushed leaves are steeped into a cup of boiling water daily. For kidney infections, a full plant with roots and two Agave lechuguilla plants are boiled in a half liter of water for five minutes. Another remedy calls for four complete agave lechuguilla plants and one full alfalfa plant with roots. Boil them for five minutes a liter of water. Allow it to cool. Drink half in the morning before breakfast and half in the afternoon before dinner. Alfalfa is effective in reducing painful urination and can help with peptic ulcers as well. It has a mild diuretic effect, making it a useful digestive aid.
For nerves, one cup is taken every other day with 25 grams of new leaves boiled in a half liter of water for three minutes. For anemia, the flowers and leaves are used in a decoction.
Blend lime, alfalfa and water into a beverage for lung remedies. For general well-being, and to avoid scurvy, fresh leaves are often added to soups, atole, or eaten with tortillas by children. Not surprisingly, alfalfa has properties known to improve immune system functioning.
As a treatment to encourage increased lactation, 50 grams of new leaves are boiled in a liter of water and given to the new mother. Since it has been shown that alfalfa has significant estrogenic activity, if the low milk production issue is due to hormones, this is an effective remedy. Alfalfa has also been useful in treating hot flashes and night sweating in menopausal women and increasing thyroid functioning.
Boiled alfalfa seeds sweetened with honey is prescribed to alleviate rheumatism. However, raw alfalfa seeds and sprouts are toxic and can cause lupus-like symptoms in certain individuals. Seeds should never be taken during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.
Alfalfa has a grassy taste, as you might expect. It’s not a strong flavor and can be easily added to blended juices if you are considering including this herb in your regular diet.
Surviving Mexico 