Polka Dancing in Texas, Missouri and Nevada

 After my whirlwind 4th of July weekend in El Paso, Texas, the following month I flew into Austin, Texas. My friend drove from El Paso and once again we were reunited in his favorite state of Texas. 

While in Austin, we went to an IMAX showing of Lewis and Clark, A Great Journey West; visited the State History Museum to see the Story of Texas, saw the beautiful state capitol and saw St. Mary's Cathedral in downtown Austin. We played like two tourists before heading to West, Texas about 120 miles away and to their 27th Annual Polka Festival. The area is predominately Czech and Westfest is an international affair.

Twelve bands played every two hours and we danced to most of the lively music. The dance floor was cement and it was about as half as big as a football field and covered with Polka dancers!  Spaced around the giant arena were six by four foot fans trying to cool down the sweating dancers. It felt good to pass the brisk air and almost get blown away!

Many of the participants were dressed in native Polish, German and Czech outfits. There were performances of folk dances and the whole atmosphere was of happiness and joy! West, Texas is known for their Czech restaurants and bakeries. We ate many Kolaches purchased at The Village Bakery (been around since 1952) or the Little Czech Bakery. On Sunday I attended a toe-tapping accordion Polka Mass. When I met the Archbishop and told him I was from Colorado he mentioned knowing a few priests I knew.

A fun time dancing, meeting locals, attending mass and eating. I loved the beautiful original dresses worn by the women and children.

"We dance close.

We dance together.

We find music so happy

that we are smiling,

looking at each other

and enjoying each other's company.

John Wirtz, Polka Dancer

************

Over Thanksgiving weekend I headed to St. Louis, Missouri for another polka party. While there I saw the Gateway Arch and rode it up to the top. The amazing tram fit four persons, knee to knee, and slowly made it's way to the top of the arch. I was surprised that tourists reaching the top can walk round, see spectacular views, and read about the history of the arch. I rode the Gateway Riverboat, just like Mark Twain, on the Mississippi River. I took the Metro to Union Station that at one time was the largest train station and now has shops and restaurants. St. Louis Cathedral, to me, was pretty plain and not like other cathedrals I have seen. I wrote an article for the 2003 Dutch Hop News and this was the first paragraph.

                    Visiting a silver arch rising 630 feet into the sky, a Riverboat on the Mississippi where Mark Twin worked, a refurbished train station, a gambling casino, an Old Cathedral, a mall called LaCledes Landing that reminded me of Larimer Square, an old courthouse, and the 13th annual Thanksgiving Weekend Polka Festival at the Marriott Pavilion making it a fun way to work off all the turkey consumed on Thanksgiving Day!

There were seven bands alternating every two hours. Squad Four became a favorite of mine but all the bands were fun to dance or listen to. Polka people are friendly and the states represented were: Kansas, Nebraska, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin. Colorado, New Orleans, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida and Missouri. What fun meeting and dancing with strangers who soon became friends! It was exciting to meet the different band members and have my picture taken with them.

"TO DANCE IS HUMAN,

TO POLKA IS DEVINE."

K.D Lang

********

Arriving at the Las Vegas, Nevada airport on January 17, 2003 the walls were lined with slot machines. It did not feel like an airport because I could see flashing lights and ringing sounds just like a casino. The large screens advertised the current shows in downtown Las Vegas. I saw Excalibur Knights on horses, the huge shark of Mandalay Bay, New York, New York with a huge apple, the Eiffel Tower at the Paris, a giant lion at the MGM Grand and clowns at Circus Circus! I took a shuttle, which was a long limousine just like a celebrity, to the Plaza Hotel and Casino in downtown Las Vegas where I would spend four days at the German Mardi Gras and the Valley of the Sun Polka Festival. 

The German American Mardi Gras Association (GAMGA) was holding its 18th annual celebration on Friday and Saturday. There were over fifty persons from the Denver area in attendance at the costumed party and ball. Even though I had been to many festivals in different cities, plus a few Polka cruises, this was my first time to the Las Vegas one. Decorations hung from the ceiling and on the walls in gold, purple, yellow and green colors and competed with the colorful outfits of the dancers. The bands came  from Minnesota, California, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Colorado.

If anyone disappeared from the dance floor they could be found feeding the hungry slot machines or watching the spectacular light show on Fremont Street.  This was a perfect place for the many dancers with a variety of things to do during their stay in Las Vegas. 

I took time out to meet my California family who drove in to see me even though they could care less about polka dancing or gambling! The girls enjoyed Circus-Circus as they rode rides and played games. Circus-Circus caters to the young and is a super special place for children. We walked around and rode a small boat at the giant pyramid, the Luxor Casino. My granddaughters were too small to do too much but we were able to enjoy a few days together. They were perfectly content swimming in the pool!

"Las Vegas is the

boiling point

of entertainment!"

Don Rickles

Four Day Whirlwind

 In was the 4th of July weekend in 2002 and I flew into El Paso, Texas to visit a friend. The first thing on the agenda was to go to see a musical at the McKelligon Canyon Amphitheater about El Paso's 25th Anniversary. The stage had natural mountains for the background and cowboys on horses galloped, cows strolled and people came in from the hills. The History of El Paso was portrayed beginning with the Native Americans, followed by Mexicans, Spaniards and Anglo-Saxons to live intermixed in present El Paso. Mariachi music and Mexican dancers were lively and happy. 

The following day we drove to White Sands National Monument in New Mexico. We drove through miles of what looked like white sugar or snow and sunglasses were a necessity! Dunes of white sand made creative dunes and ripples.

Near Las Cruces, I found out that nuts grow on trees and saw one of the largest pecan groves! Stahmann Farms has over 180,000 trees on 4,000 acres!

 Mesilla, New Mexico was part of Chihuahua, México at one time. Found some cute shops to pick up souvenirs.  

We followed the Mission Trail and visited Ysleta (1682), Socorro, (1840) and San Elizario (1598) Missions. All the missions were well kept and painted white even though they were founded many years ago. Entering the cool interiors it was easy to imagine how travelers in the past found solace and comfort at the missions.

 We stopped at Licon Dairy where I tasted the popular white cheese that made it famous. As we waited to enter the small gift store we checked out the small zoo of zebras, cows, burros, goats and parrots.

We took a trolley called The Border Jumper to Juarez, Mexico, and walked, and walked, and walked! The highlight came as we saw Our Lady of Guadalupe Cathedral and Juan Gabriel's mansion. He is a well known singer  I took a picture with Tin Tan's bronze statue. He was a Mexican  actor, singer and comedian who began his career in Juarez. Mexico. There were many vendors hawking their items. We did a lot of walking and the uneven and broken sidewalks seemed to give off extreme heat. Everyone was carrying a bottle of water!  Back on the trolley crossing the border into the United States a uniformed policeman boarded the trolley and asks if anyone was carrying fruit, vegetables, alcohol or drugs. Every one replied, "No!" 

My friend is retired military and we were able to visit Ft. Bliss. We went through a museum and saw many large army tanks and equipment! We wandered through the PX (post exchange) and looked at items that, to me, seemed cheaper than in regular stores since there was no tax. 

Sunland Park and Casino is advertised as "Where the Winners Play." There one can gamble, watch horse racing, dance to Mexican music and eat at various restaurants! In the lounge, a wall of glass overlooks a lake and race track. In the evening we drove to Franklin Park to see the sunset over El Paso. On the other side of the Franklin Mountains is the town of Anthony where the Wild Slip And Slide Water Park is advertised. It is also the border town between El Paso and New Mexico and the mile marker begins at zero.

He took me took a neighborhood bar where he enjoys the music and because "there are a lot of women who like to dance." I met a few of his dancing partners and had to share him with the the many women he knew!

The logo of Don't Mess With Texas seemed to be all over Texas. In four days I learned that El Paso is a colorful and historical place. My idea that Texas was nothing but a dry desert was so wrong.  It was a whirlwind vacation and I got to see many things and enjoy the sights and sounds of El Paso. Now, all I can say is Viva Colorful El Paso!

"Texas is the finest portion of the globe

that has ever blessed my vision."

Sam Houston,1833

Mental Telepathy

 Life continues moving forward and many friends, jobs, travels and memories are left behind as new happenings become the norm. Imagine the surprise I received a few days ago to hear from a friend from the 80's. We had worked together and hung out when I worked for the Legal Aid Society of Metropolitan Denver and she worked at the Colorado Lawyers' Association. We would meet at Las Delicias Mexican Restaurant because she loved Mexican food. Since I had a habit of taking friends to Puerto Vallarta so they could experience the beauty of that part of Mexico, I suggested going and she was game!

As life went on and we moved on to different places in our lives with new friends, she faded into my past. I sometimes wondered what had happened to her. I had heard that she had gone to law school and had become an attorney but that was about all I knew about her.

One day last week, I was going through lots of photos and getting rid of those I no longer wanted. I came across a few pictures of when she and I had been to Mexico. While in P.V. I vaguely remembered visiting different stores, eating at restaurants, being on the beach, taking walks and going to a favorite Bistro. Again I wondered what had become of her. I am not sure if mental telepathy works, but a few days later I received  friend request from her. And that was a big surprise! Immediately, I friended her and got a quick response. She had seen my name on a mutual friend's Facebook page and asked to be my friend!

How wonderful catching up as I learned she and her friend had purchased a home in Brighton but broke up after ten years. She went on to law school, became an attorney, and worked at various legal positions. She is now a co-member of the Sisters of Loretto. I asked her if she was a nun and she told me that after studying for four years she had joined the group but she was not a nun. She did not have to take any vows and helping the nuns with projects is basically what the group does.

It's amazing that she does not seem to have aged in her pictures. She told me I looked the same in my pictures and that surprises me since over thirty years have passed!

"We didn't  realize we were

making memories, we just

knew we were having fun!"

Quote  Diary

Two Suzannes

 The news of the moment, March 22, 2021, was the shooting rampage in Boulder, Colorado that left ten persons dead. The thought that runs through my mind when ever I hear about a mass shooting is, Why? It has happened in schools, in a movie theater, massage parlors and now in a grocery store. Many times I have been to a King Soopers shopping for groceries and never has the thought entered my mind that I could be in danger. At 2:30 p.m. a man in shorts and with an assault rifle began firing killing a police man and nine other persons at the King Soopers in Boulder. A sadness came over me of how someone could kill at random without even knowing or caring about the people he was killing. What is going on in a killer's mind, I wondered.

When the names of the deceased were announced I heard the name of someone I knew. Suzanne Fountain. Oh my God, I thought, what was she doing in Boulder? The horror. shock, sadness and anger multiplied because if you know someone it is quite a different feeling than if you do not know the person. I hoped it wasn't my friend, but how could it not be with a name like Suzanne Fountain. I called a friend and she called Suzanne's home and it was answered by our friend. She was all right! Joy and happiness took over the anguish I had felt.

I called Suzanne and she said: "I know the Suzanne with my name. She was an actress and also had a son by the name of Shaun, just like I do. She is an actress and we have gone to see her in plays. I met her and have talked to each other because of our names." We both said how terrifying and sad the shooting in Boulder had been. We wondered who could do such a disgusting thing as to shoot people in cold blood. Later in the day I saw Suzanne and felt good she had not been the person shot. Below is our friend, safe and sound!

Emotions are strange and can happen immediately, going from sad to glad, anguish to happiness or from anger to relief. They tumble around depending on the situation!  I mourn for the ones killed and the families they leave behind yet am happy that it wasn't my friend that was shot. No one in the scenario in Boulder will ever be the same! Many lives will be changed forever.

"Thoughts and Prayers won't stop 

a speeding bullet."

DaShanne Stokes

Finding Humor in Life

 Why are some things humorous to me but not to others? And what others find to be funny, I don't. I have listened to some comedian's monologue and everyone is laughing, yet I don't find it funny at all. Why is that? This morning, watching a commercial within Sunday Morning on ABC, I burst into laughter. That is unusual for me because if something strikes me as funny or clever I smile quietly to myself! Yet, this morning I laughed out loud.

It was a commercial for Zyrtec, something to help with allergies. It is filmed in a park with grass and trees. Couples are paired off and standing back to back with their arms hooked together.  One person bends over bringing his partner up to his back. (This exercise is used to stretch a person's back.)   Suddenly, while the woman is on his back the man begins to sneeze. She, resting on his back is  tossed around, with legs flying in all directions as he sneezes a few times. I don't know why this was funny to me but I found myself laughing out loud!

"Laugh as much as possible,

always laugh. It's the sweetest

thing one can do for oneself

and one's fellow human beings."

Maya Angelou

A Surprise Obituary

 

A acquaintance from my church passed away and I heard about it from other friends. I had seen the lady at church and exchanged pleasantries with her but I did not know her well. A few weeks ago I was told that she was failing and her friends were taking turns staying with her and taking care of her. Last week I heard she had gone to hospice care. Then, came the sad news that she had passed away. Even though she was not a good friend, I was filled with a sadness that another person had passed away and I would never see her at mass again. (Of course, it had been over a year, due to Covid, that I had not seen her, though it did sadden me.)

This morning I was looking for her obituary at the Archdiocese of Denver web site and as I scanned the many  persons who had passed away, a  picture of someone I recognized popped up. Sarah Julieta Roybal Chaves had died on February 24, 2021. She was a friend of when I was in my late twenties. We had children about the same age and we visited each other while our two boys played with the big, yellow Tonka trucks. Miguel, her husband, worked construction and the big trucks represented his job. What I remember is that my son wanted to play with one of the trucks and his friend would not allow him to play with the truck my son wanted. The next thing we heard was a loud, shrill cry from their son. "He bit me in the neck!"  We felt awful but what do you do in a situation like that? Apologize to the family and try to explain to my son how wrong it is to bite! Somehow, every time we met the family that episode always came up. We lost touch with them and Miguel, I heard, had passed away a few years ago.  I knew they lived in Colorado Springs in an assisted living facility. When I saw the obituary I was shocked and surprised that I had seen the obituary while searching for someone else. I am sure God put the announcement in my face, to let me know she had passed away! It made be think of how fast time goes by and how much has happened in between then and now. May Sarah rest in peace.

When I finally found the information on my original search for Jean Devrous, I found out her mass was at noon today or I could watch it on UTube. Even though she was not a close friend, I felt a sadness at her loss. It seems that many persons are leaving us for, we hope, a better life! I attended the mass and the majority of people present were Young At Heart members. Fr. Chris seemed have known her well and told stories about his encounters with her. He called her the lady that spoke with conviction. I thought that described her perfectly!

"Obituaries were among my favorite

to write because they have elements

no other news stories have --

a story from start to finish 

with a proper conclusion."

Tom Rachman

Visitors From Peru

 It was June of 1965 and my son was around two years old and my daughter had just been born. She was born in the year of the flood on June 18. 1965.  My husband's parents flew in from Peru to see their family who now lived in the United States and to be around when their granddaughter was born.

I had met them on my visit to Peru so it was pleasant having them visit. They had four sons and two daughters living in Denver and they were able to spend time with all of them.  On the 18th I woke up with what felt like a needle poking me in my eye, causing it to gush out tears. I would feel a pain about every twenty minutes. I recall my mother-in-law saying, "This child will be born today." I scoffed at her idea, after all it was my eye and not any pregnancy pains. My eye-doctor was in down town Denver and because of the flood, he recommended some one in Lakewood to check the weird and painful sensations in my eye. I drove to the Doctor's office and after he examined me he could find nothing wrong. He had no idea why my eye was hurting me at twenty minute intervals.

Arriving home around from the doctors office I felt relief that there was nothing wrong with my eyes. I did feel a slight contraction and showered just in case my mother-in-law's prediction would be true. When the contractions were about every twenty minutes I knew she had been right. My daughter would be born that day. When my husband arrived from work, I told him it was time to take me to the hospital. It seemed as if we hit every red light on 38th as we headed for Lutheran Hospital. All I could do was scream at him to run through those red lights! I was in horrible pain.

At the the hospital, after a quick check, I was told it was not time. They called it false labor and I was told I was not dilated. The nurses told my husband to get my clothes because it wasn't happening. As he rummaged through the closet looking for my shoes the pain was unbearable. I yelled at him to get the nurse when I felt the water break. She said, "I will call your Doctor." She immediately returned and said, "I can't get a hold of him, he is out looking for a new car, but you are ready to have a baby!" There was no time to prep me, they wheeled me out and a doctor on duty delivered my daughter. I watched in a mirror above my head as she slipped out without me having to do any pushing. The birth was so different than the first one when my son kept me in labor for over twelve hours!

A few days later my in-laws came to see their new granddaughter. I happened to find this picture and decided to use it in my blog.

Benjamin, 2 year old Andy, Rosenda, Me and Mico, while little Barbie was quietly sleeping upstairs! Fifty-six years later, the three on the left side are no longer with us on earth looking down at us from heaven!

"A baby fills a space

in your heart 

you never knew was empty."

From the Internet

A Surprise Gift

 For the past year I have been looking for a small purse. One that would hold my phone and credit cards, driver's license, keys, etc. I saw some on the Internet yet, for whatever reasons, I never ordered one. One day I was speaking with a friend and she told me that she had received a small purse from her daughter at Christmas. She sent me a picture of the purse and I mentioned I had been looking for a purse similar to the one she received.

Months went by and I was on the phone with the same friend and again got on the subject of purses. Her daughter overheard our conversation and said, "I have a purse like the one I gave my Mom but I have never used it. Send me your address and I will mail it to you." Within an hour of our conversation she was on her way to the post office to put the purse in the mail. Yesterday I received the package and my phone  fits perfectly, The purse had never been opened and for whatever reason, she had saved it. Almost as if it was meant to be a gift for me!  It is perfect and I love it.

Who would have known that a conversation would lead to an answer to my wish of a small purse!  When I tried to pay for the purse, she gave me this answer: This is my gift to you for being such a good friend to my Mother!"

"Friendship consists in forgetting

what one gives and  remembering

what one receives."

Alexander Dumas

Buried In Snow

 About a week ago I was looking through boxes and trying to get rid of photos and papers I no longer needed or wanted. When I saw a Rocky Mountain newspaper dated December 31,1982 I tossed it into the trash can. As I continued looking and tossing, I decided to pull the newspaper out of the trash and  read it. After all, it had been saved for some reason! It was all about the blizzard we had in 1982 that stopped everything in the Denver area. People were stranded at the airport for three days, hospitals went into emergency mode, schools and businesses were closed, people were stranded all over town, emergency shelters went up and housed hundreds of people and this was happening on Christmas Eve. I do remember my Father and brother could not make it to Christmas Eve dinner because of the heavy and blowing snow. Arvada got 34.7 inches of snow. The more I read the article and all that was happening due to the storm, I decided not to toss the newspaper and saved it again. I suppose that is why it is so difficult to downsize, who knows when something of interest can be used again?

For about a week the weather forecasters have been predicting a huge snow storm that would hit Denver and suburbs over the weekend of March 13, 2021. Since many times the predictions do not happen, I doubted that it would be a terrible storm. I did go out and purchased items to tide me over, just in case I was stuck in my house for a few days. On Saturday, around 2:30 p.m. I noticed a snowy like rain. It did not look like much and after springing forward for Daylight Savings Time, I went to bed. This morning there was quite a bit of snow but pretty typical for snow storms in Colorado.

By 1 p.m. the wind was blowing, window screens were covered with flecks of snow and ice, and two foot drifts were forming next to my fence and house. The neighbor's car had snow almost to the handle of his car. Many closures and for the first time in my life, our church did not have a Sunday service because of the snow.  This seemed to be worse than the l982 storm but I will wait for the evening news to see what is said about the 2021 storm.

"The snow began to fall again,

drifting against the windows,

politely begging entrance and

then falling with disappointment

to the ground."

Jamie McGuire

The following day after our big blizzard, I was amazed at the quietness of the white morning. My roof had a strange formation, almost as if the snow did not want to fall to the ground but hung on for dear life to the roof. 

Around nine-thirty, a neighbor came on a small tractor and began clearing out the driveway. Another neighbor did the sidewalk with his snow blower and I felt thankful for the kind neighbors! The snow was wet and heavy yet eventually they had cleared the snow away by spitting it further into the yard. Now, if I needed to get my car out of the garage I had a dry driveway!

"There's one good thing about snow,

it makes your lawn look as nice

as your neighbors!"

Clyde Moore