{"id":961,"date":"2018-12-13T02:32:18","date_gmt":"2018-12-13T02:32:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.covchurch.org\/cjhoskins\/?p=961"},"modified":"2018-12-13T02:33:59","modified_gmt":"2018-12-13T02:33:59","slug":"signs-of-the-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blogs.covchurch.org\/cjhoskins\/2018\/12\/13\/signs-of-the-season\/","title":{"rendered":"signs of the season"},"content":{"rendered":"<blockquote><p>words by jenny<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"p1\">Crates and crates and crates of them.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Roadside stands spring up in early December along all of our regular routes selling mangos which are now in season.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Just $5 will have you driving away with a bag overflowing.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>For my children, it certainly is the most wonderful time of the year.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.covchurch.org\/cjhoskins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/124\/2018\/12\/IMG_8756-e1544668281277.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-962\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.covchurch.org\/cjhoskins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/124\/2018\/12\/IMG_8756-e1544668281277-1024x622.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"676\" height=\"411\" srcset=\"http:\/\/blogs.covchurch.org\/cjhoskins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/124\/2018\/12\/IMG_8756-e1544668281277-1024x622.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/blogs.covchurch.org\/cjhoskins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/124\/2018\/12\/IMG_8756-e1544668281277-300x182.jpg 300w, http:\/\/blogs.covchurch.org\/cjhoskins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/124\/2018\/12\/IMG_8756-e1544668281277-768x466.jpg 768w, http:\/\/blogs.covchurch.org\/cjhoskins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/124\/2018\/12\/IMG_8756-e1544668281277-676x410.jpg 676w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 676px) 100vw, 676px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Everything has turned green once again.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>October and November usually bring a return of the rain to the sierra and once again the earth is in full bloom.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>The summer months tend to be dry and we watch the grass as it turns brown and brittle.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>It is true that we live in the land of \u201ceternal spring\u201d, but with more years here on the equator I am slowly learning the rhythms of the land around me.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Turkeys pile up in the grocery stores.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>For those who can afford it, turkey is prepared on the 24th to celebrate with friends and family.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">The traffic is INSANE!<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Now, I know that December is a full and busy month the world over, but I feel like Quito traffic in December is its own special kind of crazy.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Where do all of these people come from?!?<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">The smell of fresh cut grass.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>For most of my years, it has been a smell tied to June\/July\/August but now my brain is learning to make new connections and associate the glorious smell of a freshly cut lawn to the holiday season.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Our grass needs a cut multiple times a week with all the rain that this time of year brings.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Signs of the season.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">I\u2019ve been trying to make a conscious effort this holiday season to see past the snowmen stickers plastered on windows and the English language Christmas carols so often being played in the stores to seek out little signs of the season that are unique to this place. I\u2019ve been trying to seek out ways and signals that Ecuador is turning its gaze to a stable in Bethlehem.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>As someone who has lived much of my life with snow and cold, there is something comforting for me in the communal attempt of all here to dream of a white Christmas &#8211; all while running our holiday errands in tank tops.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>However, it also causes me to have such conflicted feelings about it all.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>The many nods to the north help me feel less homesick but it also often feels like Northern Hemisphere has declared itself to have an edge on this whole Christmas season which it has marketed and packaged up and shipped out to the rest of the world.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">So I\u2019m gonna eat this mango and then another.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>And keep my eyes open for more signs of the season from right where I am.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-report-this\"><a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.covchurch.org\/cjhoskins?moderation_action=report_form&object_type=post&object_id=961&width=250&height=300\" class=\"thickbox\" title=\"Report This Post\">Report This Post<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>words by jenny Crates and crates and crates of them.\u00a0 Roadside stands spring up in early December along all of our regular routes selling mangos which are now in season.\u00a0 Just $5 will have you driving away with a bag overflowing.\u00a0 For my children, it certainly is the most wonderful time of the year. &nbsp; [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":95,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-961","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","post-preview"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - 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