communitas et caritas

 (A few pics from the weekly market...) One of the most interesting things here in Almeria is the way the agricultural industry has changed the landscape. I was shown a photo of Las Norias de Daza (the little town where I'm living) from probably 50 or 60 years ago, and in the photo there are maybe 16 small blocks of houses, a church, a school, and a community hall/center. And outside of this small 4 block x 4 block radius, all is desert. Nada!  Now, while the town is still pretty small, almost all of that land is full of houses, greenhouses, and all the other stuff that comes with more people and more industry. It is unbelievable to consider how much has changed in a very short time. The history of this area (as told to me--so it might be only so accurate!) is that up to 40/50 years ago, it was the poorest part of Spain. We are in the desert, and so the people who lived here had very little. And then someone discovered a way to grow things: greenhouses. Using gr...

Hello, friends! It has been an interesting two weeks, with ups and downs, and several celebrations. First, my birthday was last week, and we celebrated with lovely food and an outing to a nearby town! I translated my family chocolate cake recipe into the measurements and ingredients available here, and by some miracle it turned out delicious. Two stories.... We met our next door neighbors the other day, and it was delightful. They are a family from Morocco, a couple with three children and various other relatives living nearby. The father came to this area 20+ years ago, alone, and his family came to join him maybe 12 years ago. The father no longer works, though his wife and eldest son do. Their daughter, 20, is in college in Granada, and their youngest is in grade school. They have a lovely house and it seems they are close to others in the community. When we knocked on the door, they welcomed us in and make Moroccan tea, which is served in a beautiful tea set...