The Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) is a joyful celebration of lives past with altars and shrines, offerings and artistic displays representing the spiritual essence of the deceased.
My good friend, Ann Alsobrook died a couple of years ago at the ripe old age of 93. She lived a good long life. Ann was like a second Mama to me. She taught me how to cook and sew, macrame, entertain, garden with wild combinations, and she taught me how to be myself. Her husband, Charlie, died in 1985. Charlie taught me how to be descriptive and poetic when thinking or writing about nature, and he taught me how to pack for long backpacking trips. He hiked the whole Appalachian Trail when he was 63. Ann and Charlie died 29 years apart, but in the same month. He died on October the 15th, and she died on the 6th.