Friday, May 29, 2009

Cemeterys-and other people


Spousal support units and graveyards. It’s a delicate thing. “Can we stop at this cemetery since were going to be in the area”? “Okay, who’s there that you’re related to?” “Um, no body I know of.” “So now we just go to any old cemetery and look at any old dead people, not just yours!?!” “Well it looks like a very interesting place! And the art! Think of the art! (Thank god art covers just about anything you can think of these days!)”

Actually, he’s very understanding about my weird ways and obsessions.

Our vacation in April included a 30 mile detour to Old Holy Cross cemetery in Santa Cruz CA.

A bribe of lunch at Gail's deli and bakery in Capitola helped sweeten the deal.And I pointed out how crowded it was at the deli so we had lunch at the cemetery.

He got a nap in the car after lunch and I got to make a visit to a old,often neglected cemetery full of the history of early California.A sad example of how the first settlers have been treated and to photograph the-likely-final resting place of my 3rd great grandmother. Maria Eugenia Ynes Robles de Castro, a woman who's life was lived under the flags of 3 nations.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Campo Santo-holy ground.A good name I thought for a blog about cemeteries and the dead.Especially as I want to focus on my early California Spanish/Mexican ancestors.I am a eighth generation native daughter of Alta California on my fathers side.I have always been interested in family and cemeteries but lately they have been calling for more of my attention it seems. I think it started with the sadness I feel about how few graves there are to visit in my family.Poverty,time and a lack of respect for the early settlers of California have left few tombstones to see.I want to draw some attention to to that.

I know I will venture into other areas though.I like to visit graveyards for many reasons.I have become involved with the website findagrave.com and have become a contributor there.I hope I might be able to include some of my mothers side of my family even though I live far from were any of them are buried.

The holiday Dia de muertos has been a major celebration for me for the last 10 years.So I have many areas of interest in holy ground.