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| 18 August 2025 |
Often in these blogs at the end of the year, I write how I practice my abuelita’s custom of eating 12 grapes as my mantle clock strikes twelve in new year’s eve. My Rosemary loved this custom so we practiced the eating of the grapes for many years. With her gone, I now eat twelve and then twelve more in her memory.
What this means is that this old man is not going to cheat and he will stay awake until the appointed hour. What makes the memory bitter sweet it that my 19th century mantle clock I bought before we even moved to our large digs in Kerrisdale. Because the house had an extra fireplace in a lovely wood-paneled room Rosemary told me, “Alex if we buy this house this can be your room.”
Our first cat in the early 80s we named Gaticuchi. The ending cuchi is a cutsy expression we used in Mexico. Since then we have called our cats Casi-Casi, Plata, Mosca, etc, and my current cats Niño and Níña. But often it is Platicuchi, Niñacuchi. When I talk to them (only in Spanish), I might ask them, “¿Se acuerdan de Mamuchi?" I often called my Rosemary "Mamuchi" My daughter Hilary is Hilaruchi and her Lillooet sister is Alejandruchi.
And Niño and Niña are Niñomuchi and Niñamuchi. I am,to them, Papuchi.
