Meet the people behind the stories
This is why I write stories.
For me, it’s pure joy to meet local people, learn the history of a place, and then share a story that actually matters to the people in it.
When someone’s family is recognized in print, it means something to them. Then their neighbors, visitors, and readers get to learn who they are and why they’re part of what makes their town special.
As part of my connection with the folks that are featured in my stories, I take them a copy of the paper and take a picture of them with the article. They are always so excited to see their story in print.
It is the best part of the why I write the stories.
Thank you, to all of the wonderful folks for welcoming me and trusting me with your stories. And thank you to the Rocky Point Times for sharing them.
Meet the People
El Carrito
Meet Carmen and Abuela Marilu of El Carrito of Puerto Peñasco, Mexico aka Rocky Point, holding a copy of the Rocky Point Times where I featured their family and their restaurant.
We always make a point to make our way to the Old Port by the old church for lunch with the ladies of El Carrito. The tostadas lovingly made with attention to every detail by Abuela Marilu are always so crunchy, bursting with slow roasted meat flavors, fresh cheese, homemade jalepeños and all the fixings for a true taste of Mexico.
And sitting out under the huge bougainvillea vine on the brightly painted chairs under the colorful papel picado flags next to the fuschia pink wall, makes an afternoon special.
El Barco: Gifts of the Sea
El Barco is another of our favorite real Mexican places to visit for amazing local food in Puerto Peñasco. A shady palapa frames the estuary, the tides rising and falling, exposing the oyster cages.
Here the cages are tended by 4 family in the Women’s Oyster Cooperative. The day we visited for the story it was the family of abuela María Isabel and three generations of her family were cooking. Tending the oyster cages was a young woman, her husband and little daughter. The father taking the little girl for a swim after the work.
When I took the published piece back to share with the families of El Barco, one of the women working this day exclaimed that the young family was her, her husband and daughter. This is Amelia the mother, who told me she will frame the paper for her daughter to keep. Lovely synchronicities.
Doña Gloria, Alamos Sonora and her pupusas
For the last 3 Januarys we have been making our way down to the southern end of the State of Sonora, to the charming Pueblo Magico that is Alamos.
I do not really know how to describe the feeling of walking around this magic town. It is like stepping back into a colonial town anywhere 100 years ago. And besides the amazing architecture, they call it the city of arches, there is the food. We love eating food carefully prepared in time honored ways with local ingredients, recipes and styles.
In Alamos I followed my nose to the little stand, 1 burner and a card table, of a sweet lady making something I had not tasted before, pupusas or little pockets. My first meeting with Doña Gloria and her magic spices and masa. I was hooked.
She was so excited when I brought her a copy of the story with her picture in it. Talk about beaming! I can not wait to see her and eat her wonderful creations on our next visit to Alamos.