Mothers Day in S.A.

This beautiful, busy Spring week began with the Sunday which is Mothers Day in these United States and in San Antonio. Now please know, dear reader, that chicanos or Mexican-Americans hold the mother -- la madre -- in highest esteem. And chicanos are the majority of the populace of this seventh-largest city of the USA. Therefore, the holiday is observed with greater fervency here than in cities where Mexican-Americans are a minority or non-existent. This is well expressed in that most revered symbol of lo mexicano (things Mexican): Our Lady of Guadalupe, the special apparition of the mother of nuestro Salvador in old Mexico! (Her image is as ubiquitous in S.A. as that of The Alamo.)

Thus it should come as no surprise that Mothers Day was a BIG thing at Mexican Christian Church (Disciples), on the Westside. A big thing with a Latino twist! So, each mother present received red roses. The men sang Las Mañanitas to the mothers while I accompanied on guitar. Las Mañanitas is the "early-morning song" most often associated with a man, accompanied by instrument-playing friends or a mariachi band, serenading his lady-love at dawn on her birthday.

Later, after eating Sunday dinner at Grady's Bar-b-cue on Fredericksburg Road, I returned to the Westside and Guadalupe Plaza (a block east of the church). I attended a special musical tribute to mothers. Several chicanas, probably all mothers themselves, sang in «Serenata de Oro: Canciones Para Mi Mamá». (In English: "Serenade of Gold: Songs for my mom.")

Upon entering the plaza I was puzzled that despite the permanent and fine stage on one side, a temporary and low platform had been set up as a stage in the middle of the circular space that extends from that permanent stage out to the low, grassy "steps" that bend around that central circular area. These provide informal seating ("festival seating"). Several folding chairs had also been set up in rows at right angles to the permanent stage and facing the temporary one. This effectively took away any opportunity for the central circle to be used for dance performances or dancing by the audience. At many events in Guadalupe Plaza I'd seen dancing by flamenco or folclórico dance groups and/or members of audiences.

The chairs were filling with madres and their families, and more folk arriving sat down on the grassy surrounding curves. Three o'clock arrived. . . and went. . . and quarter after the hour came and went. . . . Just before the half past las chicanas, artistas musicales, comenzaron el espectáculo.

Due to the very late start -- beyond "fashionable" --I only got to hear the first song or two. Then I left this show to go elsewhere and then return for the finale. You see, since the show commenced so "later than fashionably late" I presumed that it likewise would last longer than the publicized 6:00 ending time. This turned out to be the case. . . .

In the meantime, I rode to the '09 ZIP area of the metropolis, that is, to Alamo Heights. One of my fellow "oh-niners" (residents of the 78209 ZIP, that is) had invited me to visit. This was my eye doctor, Wendall Bauman (see 25 March posting). I spent some time with them -- actually more time than I planned -- getting re-acquainted with wife Lori and twins (boy and girl) Wendall and Kendall. And the dog Prince, a black Labrador retriever.

I gave Wendall a photo I had had taken of the two of us during my last eye exam visit. I had autographed the back with a message of thanks to my brother in Christ and eye doctor, for his being such a good role model of a Christian man, husband and father. After awhile I remarked that I had never seen their ample backyard except from the bus passing along Castaño Street that runs between their lot and Alamo Heights High School. And the view was from an angle, since the rear side of the lot has a high stone wall. So we adjourned to the back yard -- everybody took advantage of the nice weather to get outdoors. The kids and Prince were particularly grateful to be out and about, I'm sure!

After several minutes outdoors I said farewell to Wendall, Lori, Wendall (Jr) and Kendall, and Prince. I took the bus back to Guadalupe Plaza to enjoy the ending of «Serenata de Oro: Canciones Para Mi Mamá». As I entered the "plaza" I saw and heard that a good-size mariachi band was performing. All of them were female, except for one guitarrón player (this is an oversize guitar with rounded back, held horizontally like a dobro). I forget how many songs I heard in this finale, but I clearly remember two: «Perfidia» and «El Son de la Negra». With the former I heard for only probably the third time lyrics being sung -- and I didn't really LISTEN to them! If the very name of this instrumentally lovely piece distresses me, I certainly didn't want to deepen the distress thru listening to "downer" lyrics about betrayal and perfidy (and presumably, unrequited love)! With the latter I entered more into the rendition, instrumental and sung; after all, this song has been titled "the national anthem of mariachis", by no less an authority than the leader of a mariachi band that used to perform at Fiesta Texas.

Oh, yes! Once the Mothers Day/Día de las Madres tribute was finished, I hopped back on to the bus and headed back to my side of town. This time my destination was Good Time Charlie's, on Broadway at Mulberry. While I enjoyed a supper of chicken-fried steak at the place reputed by some to have the best CFS in town, I enjoyed the Spurs playoff game on the good-size television screen in the nearby corner. Wow! the beloved NBA boys of San Antonio played purty-near perfectly! As they demolished the visiting New Orleans Hornets in this Game 5 of the 7-game series I kept thinking, "if the Spurs played this excellently in EVERY game, they'd have won the series already, and would easily win the whole enchilada!" However, our Spurs are nothing if not inconsistent in how they play from game to game -- more inconsistency than I have consicously observed in any other pro team.

But, hopefully, our roundballers will be able to retain their talent of Game 5 when they return to New Orleans -- a city where I believe they've not won a game this year! But after what I witnessed tonite, I have confidence that the boys WILL get it together en'uf to not only put away the Hornets but also take for the second year in a row (and the fifth in less than ten) the NBA crown.

Can you say, "dynasty?" I can! Go, Spurs, go! ! !