Michael Joe Armijo's Blog, page 12
September 3, 2023
Exceedlingly Stylish
‘He could almost smell the heady perfume of the apples, feel the weight of the red fruit in his hands and taste the sweet crunch of the first bit, its pale juice running down his wrist.’--Min Jin Lee, PACHINKO Alan’s mom, Gloria, is on an England escape so she’s been sending a series of different postcards this week. It’s fun to receive the postings and see where she’s been. The first one was a cool LONDON scene of Westminster Bridge:
9/3/97
Hi Boys,
We did some supermarket shopping. Great experience. The town is full of DIANA, flowers everywhere for her. Everyone is signing mourning books. The queues (lines) are very long.
Talk to you soon,
Mommy and Jack, Best regards to all.
My cousin, Carol Lucero, sent a way cool eyeglasses card:
MICHAEL, Your picture collage was WAY COOL! Thank you so much...a much-needed surprise. How are you doing? I am anxious to hear all about the reunion in New Mexico. I’m starting swimming lessons on Monday! Very exciting. I never learned when I was young. I can swim very little but would like to really know how. Liz and I are taking the class together. I can’t wait to get my pic from Liz’s wedding. It was very beautiful.
What else is new?
I’ve been to a few good concerts. Most notably: ETTA JAMES and also, the DAVE MATTHEWS BAND. Also saw BLUES TRAVELLERS with JOAN OSBORNE. BLUES TRAVELLERS were okay, but I love JOAN OSBORNE and DAVE MATTHEWS. Are you familiar with them?
Haven’t been to the movies lately. Anything out there worth watching?
Again, Thanks so much for the picture collage. Talk to ya later. Say HI to Alan.
Love,
Carol & Ryan
Gloria sent a postcard that showed the London UNDERGROUND map: Fri. 9/5 Hi,
It was great speaking to you this morning. Went on a tour of Jewish History in the East End and it proved to be very interesting.
We are learning all about the workings of the UNDERGROUND.
We are seeing THE INSPECTOR CALLS play tonight.
At 3pm we had tea and pastries at a Patisserie. Love you both, Mommy and Jack
I was in Alameda for mom’s Birthday weekend. Mom, Ashley and I went to Grandma’s house the day before her Birthday (Sept 5th). Mom shared the New Mexico Family Reunion pictures with Grandma. She loved seeing the events from the many pictures taken.
9/7/97 Hi Guys,
It was great speaking to you today. We really miss you guys. Took a boat ride on the THAMES RIVER to Greenwich. There’s a lot of history here. It’s truly a seaport city. We went to the National Maritime Museum.
Best Regards, Love Always,
Mommy & Jack
On Sunday, September 7th, mom and family all got together to meet for Sunday Brunch at Hs Lordships Restaurant on Seawall Drive in Berkeley. I took a family portrait that I plan to use as our 1997 CHRISTMAS CARD. Just to preview...you can see a pic of just me, mom and my brothers. You’ll have to wait to see the whole group pic in December. Sorry.
Two more postcards from Gloria: One from ALL BAR ONE, an exceedingly good place (is written) and that mannequin and dog reads “exceedingly stylish”. I like that phrase. The other postcard was from STONEHENGE in Wiltshire, England:
9/8
Hi Guys,
All is well.
We did the British Museum today and dinner at an Indian Restaurant.
I decided to turn in early tonight. I can’t burn the candle at both ends.
Postcards are a series—look for the next one.
Best Regards,
Love Always,
Mommie & Jack
9/9
Hello,
We spent a lovely day in Salisbury and Stonehenge. We took a day tour and now I am on the train on the way home. We have a guild named Richard, “OBV” (OBV: Obviously Gay) who runs a Bed and Breakfast that I understand is great. Best Regards. Love Always,
Mommy & Jack
I love how Gloria remembered one of my inventive acronyms, OBV.
‘The older I get the more I understand.’--Nita Prose, THE MAID
August 27, 2023
Voices Of Our Family
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“Well, what did you think? Don’t you realize that everybody has secret secrets? A hidden life. You have. I have. Didn’t you ever wonder?” --James Lord, MY QUEER WAR What a lovely week. I received letters from my first cousin, Mona Armijo, my cousin Rita Sandra Cordova-Donald (who is in a prison cell), and my second cousin, Mary Ann Montoya-Gehling.
From Mona, dated August 29, 1997, Mona’s dad and my dad were brothers:
Well Michael,
The front of this card was so true. I know you’ve written to me many times, but I just couldn’t pass up the front of this card. My gosh, it’s always so good to hear from you.
I am so glad you’re doing so well. You always sound like you’re enjoying life.
My family keeps me very busy and very happy, also. They’ve grown up so much. It’s really fun. I enjoy them so much. I miss ALL my family but the people here in Washington are so easy going and friendly that it’s much nicer to reais the kids here.
Well, I’m going to end here. Tell your mom and brothers I said “HI”, send my love. Come visit us sometime even if it's just for a day or so. I’d love to see you. You’re the only one on my Daddy’s side we hear from, so keep in touch.
Love,
Mona Lisa
From Sandra Donald, dated August 28, 1997, Sandra’s mother and my dad were half-siblings (same mother, different fathers):
Pearl, Mississippi, Thursday Night, Aug. 28, 1997
Dear Cousin, Michael Joe Armijo,
Nice to meet you! I received your sweet thoughtful card a few days ago with much surprise and I must confess: much puzzlement.
Time...please don’t use that word. Time is all I do have. Time in a confined institution, unfortunately.
How was your vacation in New York? Who were you visiting? Were you by yourself? How long did you stay? Did you enjoy yourself?
You must let me know about the Garcia family reunion.
I’m confused when you say you are still waiting...
Please send me your telephone number if you don’t mind me calling you collect. If you do mind, don’t send it because that is the ONLY way I am allowed to talk on the telephone.
I am blessed with a son who will be 31 years old on August 30th. He is a wonderful and “spoiled” person. He is married and has two boys (Blake and Myles). Oh, his name is Harmon Odell Donald III. His phone number is 601-632-1245. He works offshore, so it may be hard to reach him. His wife’s name is Lori, and she stays at her mother’s house a lot when he is not home.
I can’t wait to hear everything about you and your life. Please send me some pictures.
Have you heard from Cousin Cecelia, Uncle Ruebel's daughter?
Photo: Pearl, MS Women's Prison
Well, cousin, I’ll be anxiously awaiting your letter and photos.
All My Love,
God’s Blessings,
Sandy Donald, DOB, October 30, 1944
From Cousin Mary Ann Montoya-Gehling, dated September 1, 1997, Colorado Springs:
Michael,
This is the first draft. I’m glad my mom, Eva, looked at it again. There were several mistakes.
I need to nag a minute. We need to get the family reunion newsletter out NOW, Michael. I’ve asked constantly when the newsletter is coming out last month you gave me a deadline. I had it finished and now it’s 6 ½ weeks later. It’s time to print it.
I think it would be a good idea for someone other than yourself to look over the finished copy of the newsletter. I’m volunteering to do it. Please send it to me as soon as possible. I will gov over it and send it back immediately. I’m sorry I’m not there to help you put it together. I know it’s a lot of work, but this first edition will be the hardest and most time-consuming. Please let me know how I can help you.
M.A.
MaryAnn Montoya-Gehling wrote the following attachment that she referred to as ‘the first draft’:
VOICES OF OUR FAMILY
“Heirlooms we don’t have in our family. But stories we’ve got.” --Rose Chernin
Most people have family heirlooms. Something tangible, a quilt their grandmother stitched by hand, a ring world by their mother, the trunk their grandfather brought from the old country. Whatever it is, it’s treasured. But we of the Garcia clan have heirlooms that are priceless: our stories, handed down from one generation to another. Stories of wagons stuck on a lonely mountain road amid a blizzard. Stories of Grandpa Building the two-room adobe house by hand, of Grandma baking tortillas that rose like pita bread, of the children threading apple rings to dry for the winger. The stories are numerous. Every Garcia has his or her own. Each is valued. Each long to be told.
One of Garcia’s with a story to tell is my mother, Eva Tafoya-Montoya, granddaughter of Manuel and Juanita Garcia, daughter of Juan and Jesusita Garcia-Tafoya. Eva was born in 1914, the second child of Juan and Jesusita. She spent a good part of her childhood in the mountains above Mora, New Mexico. Earlier this year my mother, Eva, consented to let me make a tape recording of some of her memories.
Mary Ann Montoya-Gehling
May 27, 1997, Farmington, NM
Eva: “Times were hard when I was growing up. Mother lost more than one child. But the one I remember the most was my younger sister, Clorinda. I don’t know what year she was born but she was a couple years younger than me. She was a little blond girl and one day she got sick and wanted to die.”
MaryAnn: “How old was she, Mom?”
Eva: “Four years old. I don’t know what she died of. One time, Aunt Matilde’s daughter, Esther, came to visit. Dad was going to build an addition to the house at the time, and there was a big pile of rocks he collected for it. She and Clorinda were both four years old then. I was older and we were climbing on those rocks and playing. You know how kids climb on rocks and Esther and Clorinda fell down. I don’t remember that. I just know we were climbing on those rocks. But Esther said that Clorinda had a big bump on her head, and she wondered if that’s what Clorinda died of. Well, I don’t know.”
MaryAnn: “You don’t know after the fall if that’s when Clorinda got sick?”
Eva: “No, I don’t. Esther wondered if that was the cause of her death. I don’t know if she had internal injuries...but they said that she had eaten Savas.”
MaryAnn: “What are Savas?”
Eva: “Sava beans. The Spanish pronounce it “avas” without the first “S”. They used to put the beans up to dry. We were over at Grandma Tafoya’s, and she had some avas drying. I didn’t eat any, but Clorinda did. They weren’t fresh and completely dry either. She got sick to her stomach. I guess she had been sick all night.”
MaryAnn: “She had only been sick for a day before she died?”
Eva: “I don’t know. That’s what I remember. I was only five or six at the time. We had one bed with three or four mattresses stacked on it. At night my parents would take one or two and lay them on the floor for us kids. Mom and Dad would sleep on the bed. All I remember is that morning when I woke up. I was on the floor in bed and Clorinda was crying. Mother had been up with Clorinda all night and was busy in the kitchen. We didn’t have hot water bottles or anything. They made their own. They took an iron and wrapped it up in a towel. Mother took that and put it on her stomach. But Clorinda didn’t want it. I heard Mother ask,” Does she want to die?” So, I went and asked her, “Do you want to die?” Clorinda answered, “Yes.” And I never saw her again.”
MaryAnn: “Did they have a funeral for her?”
Eva: “I don’t remember anything else. I went to school and afterwards Grandma Garcia talked to me about little angels. She said Clorinda was a little angel. She said the age of reason happened when a child is seven years old. That’s when they made their first holy communion.
Grandma said, “Clorinda was an angel because she died before she was seven.”
After, she told me that I said, “I want to die before I am seven, so I could be an angel.”
MaryAnn: “Did the family talk about her death?”
Eva: “No. Mother and Dad took it hard when she died but they never said anything about her. Long after Mother died, Dad talked about Clorinda. That was in the 1960s. Tears came to his eyes when he thought of her. That was the only time he mentioned her to me. The last time I was at Morphy Lake in New Mexico, I noticed the rocks Clorinda fell off were still there.” “Our word “holiday” comes from “holy day”, for until recently, humankind’s celebrations were of a religious nature.” --PANATI’s Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things
August 20, 2023
The Feeling of It
He attempted to let his mind wander, but he hung on every wild detail, waiting for the hour to be up. --Leonard Cohen, THE FAVORITE GAME It’s the 20th of the month and since Alan and I met on November 20th, 1989, we like to celebrate the 20th of each month. This time we decided to catch up on movies. It’s been a while. So, we saw AIR FORCE ONE which is the official aircraft that takes the POTUS-President of the United States to his destinations. This movie starred Harrison Ford as the US President. He would make a good President in real-life. Maybe he’ll consider it in his future. Look, Ronald Reagan, former actor, did it. This film was riveting and starred one of my favorite actresses, Glenn Close.
The plot has the President going to Moscow to give a stirring speech, outlining the USA’s new ZERO TOLERANCE policy with respect to terrorism. On the flight home, terrorists take over Air Force One, taking the passengers (including his wife and daughter) hostage. Yikes! To fathom the feeling of it made my palms sweat. Intense!
Alan and I also saw something light-hearted called GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE, starring another favorite actor of mine: Brendan Fraser. If anything, it was fun just watching him in just a loin cloth. He looks great. Let’s hope he stays that way. They say the biggest problem with some actors is their gaining weight in later years. Proof in fact: Marlon Brando, Jack Nicholson, Russel Crowe, etc.
Mom wrote to me and sent me some photos of her trip to Lake Tahoe to attend my first cousin, Art Lucero’s wedding to his new wife, Dina Marie Cisneros.
I was invited—but I couldn't fix my schedule to attend. It’s probably for the best because it’s a hassle to get away from work after just returning from New York City. I liked the photos mom shared with me though. It was fun to get the feeling of it from the photographs.
Next up, Alan and I had caught up with those two films (AIR FORCE ONE and GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE) but we did a double feature Friday and saw two newly released films that we really liked. Demi Moore in GI JANE and a comedy called THE FULL MONTY. I could never become a stripper on-stage. How do they do it?I got a few cards/letters this week, too. Alan wrote on August 24, 1997:Michael,First of all, I'm HOH (Head Over Heels) over You.I enjoy every day we spend together. It's back to the Growth Phase and Strong. Please continue loving me as much as I Love You. I don't care where we go or if we stay here.I Love to Kiss You.Alan
Cousin Arthur Jr.'s wife sent me a sweet THANK YOU note:
Michael,Thank you for the picture frame and the $25.00. We put our wedding picture in the picture frame.Thanks,Love Always,Dena and Arthur Lucero
Mom's sweet first cousin, Marie-Antoinette, wrote to me also:
08-27-97
Dear Michael, Hope and pray this short note will find you well and happy. We're all fine here.
Thanks again for the beautiful gift. You are so sweet and thoughtful. If everyone was likey, we'd have a perfect world.
Anyway, here's a little something I found for you. Of course, we haven't had a chance to laugh or cry much since our meeting was brief. Hopefully, we will have a lot more time in the future to do both. God Bless You!Love,Your Cousin,Marie-Antoinette
There's a song out now called MIDNITE LOVER by some artist named SHAGGY. It's kind of brain-washy but I kind of like the feeling of it.
When you are young, you can make serious mistakes. --Min Jin Lee, PACHINKO, a novel
August 13, 2023
What is Kosher?
“Your body always knows what to do, if you can only move your mind out of the way.” --Jacqueline Holland, THE GOD OF ENDINGSIt’s time for another visit to New York City. This time it’s a Family Affair. Sam (Samson) Hirsch is having his 70th Birthday Party. He lives in Flushing, NY with his common law wife, Miriam (never married but living together for years). Sam is the maternal grandfather of Lauren and Carrie. Sam is Susan’s father. Susan is Alan’s ex-wife.
I took plenty of photos of the Alan, me, Gloria, Jack, and the girls.
The birthday party for Sam took place at a Kosher Restaurant. What is Kosher? Well, I had heard the term but I came to realize that it’s a term used and derived from the word KASHRUT which deals with the set of dietary laws dealing with the foods that Jewish people are permitted to eat and how those foods must be prepared according to Jewish law. Food that may be consumed is deemed KOSHER from the Ashkenazi pronunciation of the Hebrew KASHER (meaning fit for consumption).
The rules and details of the laws of being kosher are numerous and complex. Only certain types of mammals, birds and fish meet the KOSHER criteria. Pork, frogs and shellfish are forbidden. Meat and meat derivatives may never be mixed with milk.
And so, we ate at a KOSHER restaurant in NY because Miriam’s daughters are somewhat more religious than most and the party had to be at a KOSHER restaurant. Who knew that there were public establishments that were KOSHER? I thought one would practice KOSHER eating at one’s own home. I supposed we learn something new every day.
Sometimes the word KOSHER is used as an adjective implying whether 'whatever subject' OKAY or NOT OKAY. Is it Kosher? Is it OKAY? "Hey, that is NOT Kosher!" = "Hey, that is NOT Okay!"
The party was fun as was New York City exploration. I had my share of eating whatever I felt like it. My mind wasn’t thinking. I just ate, knowing my body would pay for it. Shame on me...but how can I ignore New York pizza and New York cheesecake, etc.
My cousin Edward Espinosa in Alburquerque, NM sent me another note. It was waiting for me once we returned home to Los Angeles:
Dear Michael,
I received the photos the same day I talked to you. Thanks for getting them. I think they’re great and so does everyone that has seen them.
I’m jealous of your Italian trip but I think it’s terrific. I’ll send you the list of what I want you to bring me as soon as I find the appropriate catalog!
Clif and Mario are coming d the first weekend of the Balloon Festival and a young man I met in Rochester, NY last summer is coming the second weekend. The whole thing is 2-weeks, but the weekends are more fun. It’s full of city parties—like Mardi Gras in New Orleans. I love having house guests. It’s always a big party.
You can come any time you can. You’ve got a home away from home! Again, thank you for the pictures. Say HI to Alan.
Edward
“Mark my words, if you study hard, anything is possible.” --Adeline Yen Mah, CHINESE CINDERELLA
August 6, 2023
I'm the Pen Pal
“Being wrong is the only way I feel sure I’ve learned anything.” --Danny Kahneman, Nobel Prize winning psychologist, said to author Adam Grant If being wrong repeatedly leads us to the right answer, the experience of being wrong itself can become joyful. That doesn’t mean we’ll enjoy it every step of the way. --Adam Grant in his book, THINK AGAIN
Cousin Edward Espinosa sent a cute card of a young boy on the cover with the inside inscribed ‘YOU MAKE MY FACE HAPPY’. He wrote:
Thank you for dinner. Thank you for the NYSE key ring and Thanks –my BEST to Alan. I’m saving the CHATEAU STE MICHELLE wine until I see you again...maybe October?
ILY,
Edward
In case you decide not to trust the US Mail with your photo negatives. This is to help defray the cost of a set of prints. I’m anxious to have them. EME (Edward Michael Espinosa)
Barbara Reynolds sent a cute DANCERS postcard dated the 10th of August 1997:
Hi...Jennifer Patterson treated me to a belated Birthday dinner last week at FONTINA on Shattuck. It was pretty good food. I ate salmon. Yum.
I found this card there and thought I hadn’t written to you in a while. Why? Felt bad my life was not in synch enough to see you here in July. I’ve been getting help on my place. My priority now. And I discovered non-toxic paint. You must see “A COUCH IN NY” and the Japanese film, LET’S ALL DANCE.
Later,
Love,
Barbara
Cousin MaryAnn Gehling in Colorado Springs sent a sweet Thank You card. She still in mourning from the death of her brother who died in Vietnam (David Montoya) on August 4th in 1966. He was born on August 10, 1938.
Thanks for the photos. Michael, I love them. And thank you f the postcard letters. I know it took time to write them. That means a lot to me. I loved the poem you wrote on the Spanish postcard. ‘Cousin to Cousin’. You are such a good writer.
Love, M.A.
She also included a paper cut-out of her left hand and an electronic photo card titled WAITING FOR A LOVED ONE from the Vietnam Picture Archive, Doi Cho. It’s kind of cute—like she’s a teenager with a pen pal (and I’m the pen pal):
Michael,
This is an electronic card. I’ve sent it to you several times, but I guess you don’t know how to retrieve it, so I decided to send it to you by regular mail.
Dave led me to his card. It’s a Vietnamese photo.
The trees are a symbol of Dave’s hand and yours. He told me it was time to leave his and take yours. That’s why I went to Santa Fe.
I have two cherry trees that stand side by side in my backyard. I often stand between them and talk to Dave. This is me between the trees. I’m trying to get the courage to take your hand.
Love,
M.A.
If you love anyone, you cannot help but share his suffering. --Min Jin Lee, PACHINKO, a novel
July 30, 2023
You're Such a Breath of Fresh Air
Parchment, especially, I love. So durable it can last for centuries, so fragile it can be destroyed in a careless instant. parchment is leather, essentially, but it looks and feels different because the dermal fibers in the skin have been reorganized by stretching. --Geraldine Brooks, PEOPLE OF THE BOOK
I want to buy some parchment paper. I love the feel of it. It reminds me of what the inside of an onion would be like if it were paper. I need my parchment paper to write extraordinary letters.
7-30-97
Dear Michael,
Thank you so much for the beautiful cake platter.
Sorry you couldn't make it to the wedding.
Love,
Liz and Leonard
Mom’s first cousin, Marie Antoinette Lucero de Anaya sent me a lovely note with some of her own photos that she took before and after the Albuquerque LUCERO reunion:
July 31, 1997, 11:30AM Dearest Michael,
I hope and pray this short letter finds you and all the family in wonderful health and enjoying the best life has to offer. I just received your great postcard, and I was so happy to hear from you.
The feeling was mutual in meeting you and I hope I get to see you again. I hadn’t enjoyed talking to anyone as much as I enjoyed talking to you. You’re such a breath of fresh air!
I took a few pictures that night. I thought I’d send you a few of them. I’ve told my son, Jose Antonio (Joe) about you and he’s really looking forward to meeting you. His address is 501 N. Margarita Avenue, #F, Alhambra, CA 91801; 818-570-0750. I checked and he has no email.
It was so good hearing from you and you’ll be hearing from me again. Take care and God Bless.
Love your cousin,
Marie Antoinette
P.S. Ruben sends his regards and my daughter, Bernadette, hopes to mee you one day soon!
8-1-97
Mike,
Ashley was going to babysit her brother and sister, so she picked up her things and she left.
I was going to vacuum and dust. I didn’t today because Lauren and Leigh were here. And yesterday, I cut the grass.
So, have fun in San Diego. Thank you for everything.
Love you...you’re the best son,
Mom
On August 3rd, I persuaded Alan to go on a field trip with me to the UCLA Fowler Museum because my cousins, Krissa and Joseph Lopez (who are professional fine artists in Santa Fe, NM) had an exhibit there. That was a fun outing. I took a few photos from the day.
I told Alan, “We should come to the UCLA campus all the time to watch the students, read a book on the lawn and have lunch!”
Cousin Edna Garcia-Maestas also wrote to me this week from Santa Fe, NM. Her card was an oil on linen depiction that is at the Collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Museum of New Mexico: Lindsay Holt II, LA MORADAO DE ABIQUIU.
I remember my mom mentioning this town of ABIQUIU. On the card, it states something on the reverse:
Built sometime between 1820 and 1850, the distinctive east morada at the village of Abiquiu, is the oldest surviving building of its kind in the region. It stands today as a material expression of this religious and ethnic brotherhood, strengthening the cultural identity of Hispano New Mexicans through a union of function with form, and spirit with place. And Edna wrote:
8/4/97
Dear Michael,
It was great meeting you and all the other family members in person! I’m sure that in future reunions attendance will increase. Having one in Ledoux, NM next year is a great idea.
My husband and I discussed the idea of hosting it on our property and we both realized it wouldn’t be practical. WE don’t have the facilities to accommodate campers. The nice thing is that Morphy Lake is close to Ledoux and so is Storie Lake (30 miles away).
Perhaps a family picnic and/or camping for those who can at one of the close-by lakes is a better idea.
God Bless You and Yours,
Edna
“Never lose what’s valuable.” --PACHINKO, a novel by Min Jin Lee
July 23, 2023
The Three Family Reunions
Discussion brings out new ways of looking at things. --Adam Grant, THINK AGAIN It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, if you examine each photo, I took during The Three Family Reunions I organized in New Mexico you can see a story in some of these faces. Who knows what the stories really are? There’s always a story behind the story—that's what my cousin, MaryAnn Montoya-Gehling often says.
Mom and I arrived safely, and it was fun visiting her hometown of Cerrillos and reuniting with her school friend, Isabel Perea.
LUCERO FAMILY REUNION, Albuquerque, NM
Next up was going to Albuquerque to the home of Edward Michael Espinosa. It was fun to meet so many of the Lucero relatives on Thursday, July 24th, 1997. I met Marie-Antoinette (I love that name). She seems to be one of the matriarchs. All these people are connected to my paternal grandfather, Fidel Alexander Lucero. They are descendants of his brothers. I was snapping pictures, but I didn’t even really know who some of them were without looking at my family ancestry chart. I told myself, “Just take pictures and figure out who is who later.”
Edward went all out. He hired Mariachi singers to come and play in the backyard. That was wild. I’m not a big Mariachi fan but it was festive. We laughed and had a great time.
I looked up Socorro, NM later and saw that it was 75 miles sound of Albuquerque. It’s adjacent to the Rio Grande. With so many relatives in Santa Fe and other NM cities I really felt a connection and wanted to own something here. Perhaps I will one day.
LEYBA FAMILY REUNION, Santa Fe, NM
The next reunion was easy on Friday, July 25th, 1997, for my mom’s maternal side of LEYBA. It was at the EL DORADO HOTEL. I was so nervous. I think I was more nervous than mom. I didn’t tell the hotel anything. I just advised key family players to meet in the lounge.
Well, it happened. The Leyba families kept coming and coming. Finally, a hotel assistant manager moved us to another area so that we wouldn’t overtake the entire hotel lobby. I was nervous again since I was having another reunion tomorrow for my dad’s maternal Garcia-side. Yikes!
The Leyba reunion was most overwhelming because any time someone arrived, I would be found, and they’d introduce themselves to me. I would act like I knew who they were in many cases. I swear, I deserved a Best Actor nomination for fooling some of them into thinking I knew who they were. I did know some of them. I must admit; however, you must realize I had never seen any of them before. It was easier for mom because she remembers many of them from when she was growing-up. Mom left Santa Fe, NM after high school. Of course, there were many who she did not know. They were married and had kids and some of the kids were grown. Luckily, introductions were made, and it helped greatly.
Gene Hentzen, who is married to one of my mom's first cousins (Aurora Leyba) was dressed in blue jean overalls. He looked right out of Kansas or something. He was a tad overweight, but he was 'as nice as could be'. What down to earth, 'real' people these were. Gene, his wife, Aurora, and their four children lived in Pecos, NM. Only Gene and Aurora were at the reunion. I never got to meet their grown-up kids: Gino Hentzen, Sandra Hentzen, Danny Ray Hentzen, Debbie Hentzen or Leroy J Hentzen. They had a son (Arthur E Hentzen Jr.) who was born in 1957 but died in 1989.
GARCIA FAMILY REUNION
On Saturday, July 25th, 1997, I had to prepare the hotel for this next reunion. I told them I was expecting many to arrive from my family tonight.
I didn’t think the numbers would be as overwhelming in terms of people as it was for the LEYBA reunion; however, it was a good, happy crowd. Look, the hotel should thank me for all the alcoholic beverages that were sold, right?
This GARCIA reunion happened thanks to the help of Mary Ann Montoya-Gehling (of Colorado Springs, CO) and Linda Tafoya-Korenke (of Idaho Falls, ID). Both Mary Ann and Linda attended. Much of Mary Ann’s family were in attendance. Linda’s family were not as much in attendance as most reside in Colorado or Idaho. There was still a good crowd.
Afterwards, when in our hotel room, I said to mom, “Thank God it’s over.” Ha-ha. I guess it’s just because I felt like I was the host, holding it all together. It felt like a big responsibility. I've never been an Event Planner before.
I did contact most of them from letters or postcards. And just imagine the ones that couldn’t make it! There were many more! Yes, maybe I should have a house in Santa Fe and eventually invite them all over. That could happen someday. Who knows?
“If you will it, it is no dream. What about you, will you act your dreams, and make them real?” --Geraldine Brooks, PEOPLE OF THE BOOK
July 16, 2023
A Rinky-Dink Town
“Now, perhaps, you can understand my appreciation of a sleepy countryside where things don’t happen.” --Saki aka H.H. Munro, in his short-story, THE GUESTS A cute BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER postcard was received from my niece, today:
7-18-97
Dear Uncle Mike,
Hello! What’s new? For me, not much. I’ve been writing letters and drawing.
I drew my best picture ever. It was of a Spice Girl. When you come to visit, I’ll show you.
Do you remember where I got this postcard? Probably from you, but remember when we went to Washington D.C., and we ate in the French Restaurant? And the postcards were free, so Lauren and I got a pile of them! And I went in the guy’s bathroom because they had cow signs, and it was nasty! That was funny. Well, I’m running out of space.
See ya. Miss ya. Love ya.
Always,
Me
P.S. Say Hi to Alan, Lauren and Carrie for me.
Hurrah! Mom arrived in Marina Del Rey. She will stay a few days before we fly out together to New Mexico. I snapped a few photos of her. Alan and I went to SOUP PLANTATION (just easier) for dinner one night with her. Gloria and Jack joined us. It was fun.
Mom had not seen Isabel for thirty-nine years! The last time they saw one another was in 1958. I thought that was amazing. I said, “I wasn’t even born yet!” They laughed.
I couldn’t hold back. “This is such a rinky-dink town, mom. Thank God you left! Can you imagine if you didn’t? I’m glad you did because I would not even be here!”
Mom laughed.
We met Isabel’s husband, John Perea. They have a dog and I forget the dog’s name, but they call him ‘the dog with nine lives’. We laughed about that. I guess the dog has had accident after accident and ailments, but he continues to defy the odds. Good dog.
There’s a handcrafted tree in the small town of Jesus that is right in front of the Saint Joseph’s Church there. I thought that was an artistically beautiful sight.
Mom and I went into the local saloon. Sure enough, mom knew Mary Tappero. She works in the bar and had gone to school with my grandmother (mom’s mom!). What are the chances of that?
And now, tomorrow we have our LUCERO reunion in Albuquerque at Edward Michael Espinosa’s house. That should be a fun time meeting family we never get to see. The family grows and grows and it’s easy to lose total contact. I’m so happy we’ve come this far to reconnect. Our family ties allow us to see other bits of who we actually are.
Rethinking who you are appears to become mentally healthy. --Adam Grant, THINK AGAIN
July 9, 2023
INVU
“It’s always best to look ahead and not backwards. Possessions are not important.” --Nien Cheng, LIFE AND DEATH IN SHANGHAI My dear friend and former coworker when I worked at the phone company, Laverne Butler-Brewer-Green wrote me with some updates. I’m jealous of her accomplishment because she got that job I always wanted as a Yellow Page Field Advertising Sales Rep. She wrote on a cool Wizard of Oz postcard:
Mike,
Got your card today. It’s really good to hear about you and the Southern Cal’s great weather. For some strange reason the memory of the SRC-Smart Resource Center keeps coming back to mind. EEK!
Things are going well. Miss you, too. Wish I was there. I saw Helen the other day. Take Care,
L.B.
PS - I pinned the postcard you sent on my desk. Now I see dessert all day.
...and then, Laverne, continued on a separate sheet of paper:
Mike
...just moved into Bakersfield Yellow Pages Sales Office. I’m still getting settled. I love Premise Sales and the Fresno run is better than San Francisco or Sacramento. Paul Margolis is in Oakland Telephone sales now. Janice Hanes is in San Francisco Telephone sales, and that blond guy, Steve, from ACO is in San Jose Telephone Sales.
Jeri Brown got fired/retired. JoAnne Early is almost VP of Human Resources and I think Mary Devine is some kind of big shot in Training. Do you remember Richard Quan from CSO? He’s a Training Manager now. Karen Admas got fired from Directory Telephone Sales and the next week went to work for Pac Bell at 2150 Webster Street as a Service Rep!
I miss you and all our old times.
I still remember when we were in Hawaii together.
Photo: Laverne Butler Green
Since then, I’ve got to San Juan, St. Thomas, Canada, Miami Beach, Nassau. I’m planning a trip to Paradise. Ha-ha. I’m going to reserve passage on a Catamaran. You know, one of those 50-foot sail boats that charter out to folks for erotic ports of call.
I got your address from Helen. I hope you’re well.
Please write soon.
Laverne
Yay! My niece, Ashley, is on summer vacation, so she’s writing me again:
Dear Uncle Mike,
Hello! What’s new? Guess what happened to Grandma’s love? Mr. Mail. Well, two kids rode by and poured acid on him while he was pulling weeds. It went on his neck. If it went in his eyes, he would have been blind and he came to Grandma’s to tell her.
I got back from camping at Lake Mendicino on Friday. I went water tubing on my Aunt’s husbands’ parents' boat. I never once fell. Vinnie cut his toe and John Santino got stung by a bee.
Grandma got you postcards from her trip to Spain. Did she tell you that people walked around topless on the beaches? And Dave broke a crystal in the store and had to pay for it. He also got mugged. He wrote a letter to his Aunt Mimi and Lauren, Leigh and grandma. Read it! It said he is having an awful time here and he can’t wait to get home. How rude!
Our puppy, BABY, escaped from the fence while we were gone. Dylan and Ally ate all the Altoids.
Well, C Ya, Miss Ya, Love Ya!
Always,
ASHLEY
After reading Ashley’s letter I began to wonder if Mr. Mail made up the ‘some kids threw acid on me’ story to get some love and affection from mom. I know Mr. Mail is smitten about my mom and he’s lonely living two houses away from her. Mom has no interest in him. When I asked if she’d go out with him, she said, “Are you kidding?”
And who is Dave who broke the crystal? Mysteries never cease.
Photo: July 1997, Virginia M Armijo and Michael Joe Armijo
July 23: Mom will reunite with her schooltime chum, Isabel Perea, after 39 years in Cerrillos, NM
July 24: A LUCERO line reunion (relatives from my mom’s dad’s side, Fidel Alexander Lucero).
July 25: A LEYBA line reunion (relatives from my mom’s mom’s side, Mary G Leyba-Lucero).
July 26: A GARCIA line reunion (relatives from my dad’s mom’s side, Mathilde Garcia).
Ashley wrote again a couple of days later. How lucky am I? When she writes I can actually hear her speaking the words. I love it.
July 15, 1997
Dear Uncle Mike,
Hello! What’s new? Get my letter? I can’t believe I’m so rich! In the thousands. YES! I got a new CD. It’s the Romeo and Juliet soundtrack. It’s cool. I also got SPICE GIRLS and NO DOUBT but that was a while ago.
Why do you think we don’t like the S.G.? Are we not good enough for them? J/K
We are watching Romeo and Juliet. Next feature is SCREAM. It’s so 90s.
Do you know every CD there is? Grandma said you did. What kind of music do you listen to?
I’m making another celebrity after Grandma threw the other one, since it faded. Anyways, I needed to update it to the later 90s.
I’ll try to write more often since I just bought 30 stamps. They’re pretty. Check the envelope. I bought this stationery today.
Me and Lauren hope to visit you soon. Are you coming later in the summer? If so, when?
What are you doing this summer? Do you get vacation?
Well, See-Ya, Miss Ya, Love Ya!
WBS
KIT!
INVU
4URAQT
Always,
Ashley
After some thinking I realized her codes:
S.G. = Spice Girls
WBS = Write Back Soon
INVU = I Envy You
4URAQT = For You Are a Cutie
I wonder what KIT means? Hmm - And more importantly, does Ashley realize I envy her? INVU!
“Like therapy, MUSIC is about a relationship entirely dependent on the teacher you choose.” --Alex Michaelides, THE SILENT PATIENT
July 2, 2023
Keep Some Love For Yourself
"My father used to tell me many stories. I knew all the family legends and stories. When one has nothing left but memories, one guards and dusts them with special care.” --Saki aka H.H. Munro in his short story, THE WOLVES OF CERNOGRATZ My first cousin, Liz Lucero (aka Elizabeth Anne Lucero) got married in Fremont, CA on July 4th of this week 1997. She married Leonard Fredrick Muise. I’m so happy for them. I wish I could have been able to attend but sometimes we cannot be two places at once.
Photo: Liz A Lucero and Leonard F Muise
I received a nice note from my newfound cousin, Linda Tafoya-Korenke in Idaho Falls, Idaho. She is extremely helpful and has much knowledge about the family ancestry. I'm so happy I found her. Linda wrote:
Hi Michael,
How’s your vacation coming? Enclosed are a few extra pictures. Talk to you soon.
Love, Linda
I liked the old photos she sent. They were quite interesting. She has a lot of information on the Garcia side that I don’t know. My paternal Grandma Mathilde had an elder sister named Jesusita. Jesusita was Linda’s grandmother.
1929 Photo: Lower left, Linda's dad at age 3, Patrick Albert Tafoya, his mother center: Jesusita Garcia-Tafoya and at upper right with white hat, Juan Bautista Tafoya
Photo: Jesusita Garcia-Tafoya, son Charles Tafoya b. 1911, d. 1999, Juan Bautista Tafoya
Linda also included a newspaper clipping about the Flood waters in Idaho. A woman was swimming in the flooded Snake River waters which is quite dangerous. I never realized it, but "HELLO?" it makes common sense now that I think of it—but one should never swim in flood waters because they could easily be contaminated with disease-causing germs and potentially hazardous chemicals.
The fun part of her news clipping was an article on the reverse side about Michael Jackson, the singer, and how his new song, BLOOD ON THE DANCE FLOOR, which was released on May 20, 1997, sank to number 43 after its second week on the charts.
The other reverse side story in the clipping that I found eyebrow-raising was about model Naomi Campbell who downs 20 anti-anxiety tablets which had to be pumped out of her stomach. She’s lucky to be alive. She was drinking alcohol on top of it. Who knew?
Linda also included a beautiful photo of her daughter who recently graduated, Jacqueline Korenke.
And mom’s cousin known as “SISTER” (aka Ann S Heifner) sent me a postcard from Royal Oak, Michigan at Shipwreck Alley in the area of Lake Huron. That’s one area I’ve never ventured over to. And after reading her card it sounds like there’s no need to go there. It was sweet of her to write to me:
I am here in Michigan and St. Louis for the summer. I must be out of my mind. I experienced my first tornado, a lot of rain and humid heat. What a mother won’t do for her children.
Thank you for your card you wrote it on my Birthday (June 21). Give everyone in Santa Fe my love. And keep some (love) for yourself.
Love,
Sister
These cards, pictures and letters are nice. Now I’m ready for a movie or a book.
I sauntered into the library and picked out a few books. What a beautiful room! Away from all the noise, giggles and excitement. My haven. My sanctuary. The place where I belonged! My real world! --Adeline Yen Mah, CHINESE CINDERELLA
