“Nothing is permanent”
These wonderfully sunny, warm days are a welcome surprise this early in the season, but I am still leery of New England spring weather, especially here on the Cape. The paper claims it will be 69° today. I’d like to believe it, but the skeptic in me has the upper hand. After all, I have lived in New England most of my life and never take the weather for granted.
The sky is the most remarkable blue, deep and dark, and the color spans from one side of my world to the other, from horizon to horizon. Not a cloud can be seen.
My house is redolent with the aroma of chili. Today is Cinco de Mayo, and I have company coming for dinner. I made the chili yesterday, cooked it for a while, put it in the fridge then started it in the crock pot earlier this morning. The other dishes are timed on my flow chart, and I’ll begin when I finish here. The Mexican crockery is washed and ready. I have even started decorating the house. I love that I can entertain on school nights now.
Mammy wagons or mammy lorries were for traveling between towns in Ghana. Most had slogans across the front and back. God was prominent and Trust in God was common. I always thought it was because mammy lorries were barely safe. The passenger part was open on three sides and you sat on a bleacher like seat. There was little to hold on to when the wagon traveled curvy, bumpy laterite roads. I always sat in the middle figuring the people on each side were buffers. No time to die was another common slogan, and that was easily my mantra when traveling on mammy lorries.
Store signs were also amazing in Ghana. The colors were wonderful with lots of bright reds, greens and yellows in imitation of the flag. In Bolga, I could shop at the Praise the Lord or God Will Provide small open stores. Their signs were hand drawn and painted by the owners. My favorites of all the signs were in front of barber shops. Crudely drawn heads showed a variety of hair cut choices mostly from the side or backs views. All the faces were smiling.
The sign I most remember in my town was posted on the sides of buildings. Don’t spit, it spreads tuberculous was its message. Most people spit anyway. It was no big deal.
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keepthecoffeecoming.blog 
May 5, 2010 at 1:12 pm
Have a great cinco de Maio party, tonight. Hope the weather stays as beautiful as it is here slightly north of you. Sunny and warm and cloudless blue sky. It’s supposed to hit 81 but since it is now after noon and only 69, I guess it won’t make it that high. It’s okay, the sun is still warm.
May 5, 2010 at 10:41 pm
Thanks, Caryn
The evening was such fun and the food was delicious. I, however, am exhausted. The clean up is mostly done, just the dishwasher to turn on when I go to bed. The hit of the night was the put your face in the circle picture of Mexican dancers. We all got laughs from that one.
We had appetizers on the deck then after dinner we went out side to cool down. The house was really warm.
May 5, 2010 at 2:00 pm
Happy Cinco de Mayo!
Thay had predicted that it would be cloudy and cole for the rest of the week, so I didn´t get surprised when the sun shined all day here 🙂 🙂 🙂
I started to think about how our store signs look over here and they are always toned down, not to bright for some reason. Not even neon lights are disturbing. My god what boring that sounds 🙂 🙂 🙂
I hope Your good weather continues!
Christer.
May 5, 2010 at 10:42 pm
Christer,
We had the most wonderfully warm day. A breeze showed up but only for a short while then it got warm again.
Our town has ordinances about the kind of signs businesses can have. I’m happy with that as it keeps Dennis from getting too commercial.
May 5, 2010 at 4:26 pm
Cinco de Mayo really should be celebrated here in the States. Glad you are observing it with a Mexican dinner tonight. We have reservations at our favorite Mexican Restaurant in the Village. Enjoy!
May 5, 2010 at 10:43 pm
We did enjoy the whole evening, Z&Me. It was good friends together breaking bread and laughing. Two of my guests tonight were the first ever guests when I bought my house. We sat on the floor that night and ate off paper plates. Now we have fiestas!
May 5, 2010 at 4:38 pm
My favorite mammy wagon legend was “Remember Your Six Feet.” My favorite advertising sign was for a nasal ointment that showed a smiling little kid with his finger up his nose.
May 5, 2010 at 10:44 pm
Ralph,
Those are hysterical, especially the nose!