Skeletons That Are Not in My Closet

Meet my Catrinas. You may find them odd, possibly even grotesque. I find them intriguing pieces of art. I cannot tell you why I do though. I am normally not a fan of skeletons, skulls etc. Many moons ago during a vacation to Arizona, I crossed the border in Nogales, Mexico and went shopping. I honestly could have bought one of everything. I have always found the Mexican culture interesting and the creativity they use amazing. I walked into a shop and saw my first Catrina. Catrinas are Day of the Dead dolls used for the one day a year the Mexican culture celebrates their dead. The story goes that a beautiful, young lady primped and dressed herself in her finest clothing and went to meet her lover. He did not show and she died of a broken heart.

I decided I needed some of these masterpieces. In Mexico they are not terribly pricey. Here, they are at least 3 times as much. Since running off to Mexico is not an option these days, I turned to the next best thing and found a seller on ebay. John bought me one for my birthday this last year. He shook his head and asked if that is what I really wanted. I am thinking he does not see the use for this sort of artwork.

To my total dismay I received three more for Christmas this last year. We exchanged gifts with our friends Pam and Ramsay. Pam, bless her heart, bought me three! One being a gentleman. These are very rare. I cried. Sobbed is closer to the truth. Not because of the monetary value but because she thought I was important enough to deserve such treasures. I have no idea how to show appreciation for such niceness. I am not good at letting people know how I feel. I hope she knows how special and thoughtful this was to me. I love you girl!


I love her dress, orange being my favorite color and all. Plus that scrawny leg sticking out.

This lovely lady is expecting and smoking. Not a good role model.


Here is my gentleman. Look at those hands.


I love the detail on her snake boa. If my photo skills only better. She is a beauty.



Here is what John thinks of the whole idea! She has some nice pretzels, I must say!