Remolinos Weblogs

Services for Patricia Martinez will be as follows:

Wednesday, May 20th @ 6:00 p.m., viewing at 5:00 p.m. – Rosary and Memorial Service at Callahan-Edfast Mortuary, 2515 Patterson Rd, Grand Junction CO 81505 970-243-2450

Thursday, May 21st @ 7:00 p.m. – Rosary at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 715 4th Street, Alamosa, Colorado 81101

Friday, May 22nd @ 2:00 p.m. – Funeral Mass at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 715 4th Street, followed by burial at Alamosa Municipal Cemetery, 2150 State Ave, Alamosa, CO.

It is with very sad and broken hearts that we announce that our beloved mother passed away this evening at around 5:00 p.m. Her sons, daughters and grandchildren are gathering in Grand Junction to mourn together and plan her services.

Updates regarding her services will be posted in the next day or two. It is likely that a service will be held in Grand Junction and a rosary, mass and burial held in Alamosa, Colorado.

I know that times are hard for everyone right now, and our family is no different.

Cousin Alfonso Lobato underwent a complete hip replacement last Wednesday and word is that the surgery went well. Recuperation will take up to 3 months.

Cousin Mike Lopez received a lung transplant on Saturday, April 25th. A lung came available and he was lucky to have it be a perfect match for him. He was in intensive caare for a few days and has responded well to this major surgery. He did develop some complications and the doctors are trying to find the problem. As of today, he is still in the hospital. He will also require rehabilitation that may take up to 3 months.

Cousin Antonio Lopez (Alamosa) was in a car accident last week. Luckily he is doing okay, but it had potential to be very tragic for the family. For those of you who do not know him, he’s a very talented musician and songwriter. He wrote and recorded a song about the accident; you can watch it at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mJzQ5xb0nA

Please remember to keep our cousins and their families in your prayers. God Bless!

Hello,

It’s time to celebrate! Our parent’s Ernesto and Esther Jiron will be celebrating their 55th Wedding Anniversary, their children, grandchildren and greatgrandchildren would like to announce this special day to our families. If you are in the area we would love to have you drop by for a special dinner in their honor on Saturday, February 7th. To those too far away this announcement is to let you know we are thinking of you and wanted to inform you of this day of celebration.

Best regards, The children of Ernesto and Esther (Yvonne, Tina, Orlando, Angela and John)

Download the PDF: 55th Emerald Wedding Anniversary.pdf

Blake, Kanda Grace, 50, of Buckeye, Arizona passed away on February 18, 2009. A private Memorial was held on February 28, 2009. Services were provided by Buckeye Funeral Home.

Obituary: obits.nj.com/AZCentral/GB/GuestbookView.aspx?PersonId=124623578

Matt and Cynthia Monroe are celebrating a new addition to the family – their second grandbaby.
Ethan Derrick Johnson, son of Levi and Marissa Johnson Born: Wednesday, February 18, 2009 @ 4:17 a.m. 7 lbs. 12 oz.

By MATT HILDNER THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN February 14, 2009 03:28 am

SAN PABLO – The history of Hispanics in the San Luis Valley has been drawn from the written and spoken word.

But starting at the end of the month, genetic researchers hope to tell that history through DNA. The Hispano/Latino HapMap Project will host a pair of informational meetings Feb. 21 in San Pablo.

The study hopes to reveal the history of Hispanic families as traced in their genes and will compare the DNA from families in the San Luis Valley to the DNA of other Hispanic populations in the Americas.

The project, which is sponsored by the New York University School of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Cornell University, is directed by Dr. Harry Ostrer.

A member of the faculty at NYU, Ostrer said the study was drawn to the area because of the stability of the population, which can be traced back to the colonization of northern New Mexico by the Spanish.

Participants in the study will be asked to donate two small tubes of blood. They’ll also be asked to provide genealogical information such as the dates and places of birth for their parents and grandparents.

In return, participants will all receive a report at the end of the study that will include a broad picture of community ancestry and the relatedness of people in the community.

The study will show the proportions of Hispanic stock, including the amounts of Spanish, other European, Native American and possibly Arabic, Asian and Jewish blood, according to a press release issued by the study’s sponsors.

Although the study will not report individual ancestry, Ostrer said the privacy of individuals in the study will be protected.

“That’s the key issue here,” he said. “We don’t want to say that Miguel or Angel or Bob is more this or that compared to the others.”

For researchers, the information from the study could be used to document the differences in Hispanic populations around the world and in the U.S.

“We think that Dominicans and Puerto Ricans in New York City are different from Hispanos who live in Southern Colorado,” he said.

While the study will not give individual participants information about genetic susceptibility to disease, Ostrer said the study would help researchers develop tools for future investigations on disease risks.

There is no cost to participants in the study.

IF YOU GO

The project will host meetings Feb. 21 from 10 a.m. to noon and 2 to 4 p.m. at T-ana’s Restaurant in San Pablo. The restaurant is located at 8588 Costilla County Rd. 21.

Cousin and artist, MARS-1 (Mario Martinez of San Francisco, CA) has made the cover of JUXTAPOZ Magazine this month.

Also, check out his video of MARS-1 from Vimby Magazine:

He is also traveling later this month to NYC for a showing on February 22nd.

Congratulations Mars!

About .com Southwest Christmas Traditions

What are Farolitos and Luminarias?

Christmas in the southwest is a beautiful time. As many areas have mild evening temperatures, outdoor celebrations have become holiday traditions. Lighting the way to a festive time in the southwest are luminarias or farolitos. Simply put, these are candles carefully placed in sand inside a bag, providing a warm glow at night.

In the Beginning, Bonfires Led the Way

These lights have their roots in the 1800’s. Small bonfires, like the current day bonfires on the corners of Canyon Road in Santa Fe, were used to guide people to Christmas Mass. Quite often they were set out during the final night of Las Posadas, the symbolic representation of Mary and Joseph seeking shelter in Bethlehem walking from home to home before Jesus was born.

In later days, children carried small farolitos as they reenacted Las Posadas.

How to Use Luminarias and Farolitos

Now people use luminarias or farolitos to decorate the path to their door as well as outlining the roofline of their home with these warm inviting lights. People in Albuquerque tend to call the paper bag lanterns, luminarias, but natives from Santa Fe insist the correct term is farolitos. Historically, a true luminaria is a series of small bonfires lining the roads. We use the terms interchangeably. [more ]

From Wikipedia

Exceprt: Las Posadas (Spanish for “the inns”) is a nine-day celebration with origins in Spain beginning December 16 and ending December 24. It is a yearly tradition for many Catholic Mexicans and some other Latin Americans and symbolizes the trials which Mary and Joseph endured before finding a place to stay where Jesus could be born [snip]

Typically, each family in a neighborhood will schedule a night for the Posada to be held at their home, starting on the 12th of December and finishing on the 24th. Every home has a nativity scene and the hosts of the Posada act as the innkeepers. The neighborhood children and adults are the pilgrims (peregrinos), who have to request lodging by going house to house singing a traditional song about the pilgrims. All the pilgrims carry small lit candles in their hands, and four people carry small statues of Joseph leading a donkey, on which Mary is riding. The head of the procession will have a candle inside a paper lamp shade. At each house, the resident responds by refusing lodging (also in song), until the weary travelers reach the designated site for the party, where Mary and Joseph are finally recognized and allowed to enter. Once the “innkeepers” let them in, the group of guests come into the home and kneel around the Nativity scene to pray (typically, the Rosary). Latin American countries have continued to celebrate this holiday to this day, with very few changes to the tradition. In some places, the final location may be a church instead of a home. Individuals may actually play the various parts of Mary (María) and Joseph with the expectant mother riding a real donkey (burro), with attendants such as angels and shepherds acquired along the way, or the pilgrims may carry images of the holy personages instead. At the end of the long journey, there will be Christmas carols (villancicos), children will break open piñatas by striking these colorful papier-maché objects with bats while blindfolded to obtain candy hidden inside, and there will be a feast. Traditionally, it is expected to meet all the invitees in a previous procession. [more]