Day of the Dead

Cold the last couple days, but not as cold as Saturday when Amy and I were out. We attended a latino Festival Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead) in one of the western communities of Cleveland.

It was 40 degrees out and there was a strong northwest wind. We dressed warmly but we could only stay out in the wind for a short time before the need to seek cover became a burgeoning priority. Luckily there was a parish hall and a old church that provided a place to get inside. We found a series of “altars” sponsored by the Cleveland Arts Council in one hall and vendors and a venue for performances that would take place after the parade in the other.

When we ventured back outside, the parade was forming up. We enjoyed watching the many people with costumes and/or great face painting. Probably about 65 people marched in the parade. It was so windy that when the stilt-walkers came to intersections, they had to cross them sideways in order to stay upright until they once again got some shelter from the buildings along the streets. But they all looked like they were having a wonderful time.

I had never been to a Day of the Dead festival before. Amy explained the significance of some items in the altars we saw. We did not stay for the performances, but we did look at the “cemetery” where people had erected "tombstones" or memorials to honor loved ones. And at the gates of the cemetery were Dia de Muertos notes available for people to write to, or about, their loved ones and tie onto the gate. This was a popular site.

We saw snow flurries on the way home, just a few. As a child, we would say it was “spitting snow”, letting us know winter is coming - as if the bitter cold wind was not enough.

Three days ago I saw Dr. Lass for a final checkup on my left eye. He said that most of the swelling was gone; the pressure in both eyes was okay. Regarding the irritation in the right eye, I was told that there were oil ducts in the edge of the upper eyelid and it was not uncommon for the ducts to get clogged; the one in my right eye was clogged. They recommended warm compresses and gentle rubbing of the lid ONLY, not the eye. In addition Dr. Lass said not to use the "dry-eye" drops for irritation but instead to use Muro128, a solution with a little salt in it to help draw fluid through the cornea.

At the pharmacy to get the drops, we found there were two strengths of the Muro drops so we had to call back to the doctor’s office to determine which to buy. The pharmacy did not have the 2% that we needed, so I will wait until I get home and try again or have them order it for me. Using the warm compresses has relieved the irritation completely today.

I will be heading back to Covington in a few days. I will be back to Cleveland for Christmas - and that’s not that far away!  I feel like I have been in some kind of time warp and lost a few months. How can it possibly be November already?

Be seeing you....