Day of the Dead

This Mexican holiday is getting more and more popular in the US.  We didn't grow up with this tradition, because our family is from Northern Mexico where the native traditions were absorbed by the Catholic Church.  Therefore, I've had to learn about it myself.

While Halloween is on October 31st, Dia de los Muertos is November 1st & November 2nd.

The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died, and help support their spiritual journey. Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars called ofrendas, honoring the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these as gifts. Visitors also leave possessions of the deceased at the graves.

A common symbol of the holiday is the skull (in Spanish calavera), which celebrants represent in masks, called calacas (colloquial term for skeleton), and foods such as sugar or chocolate skulls, which are inscribed with the name of the recipient on the forehead. Sugar skulls as gifts can be given to both the living and the dead. Other holiday foods include pan de muerto, a sweet egg bread made in various shapes from plain rounds to skulls and rabbits, often decorated with white frosting to look like twisted bones.

This is a well-done video for younger children:
https://www.facebook.com/delicias.prehispanicas/videos/514395435379092/

Another animated film is "The Book of Life".  The trailer is here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBw5YScs8iQ

Archery!

The El Dorado Archers are proud to offer archery classes to the community. These classes are held on Saturdays at El Dorado Park. Classes may be canceled due to weather, other area events that shut down the archery range, and some holidays.

On your first visit,  you must take the safety class, taught at 11:30am. Sign up by at least 9am because it fills up fast. You can rent equipment for $5. 

Saturdays only
9:00 a.m. - 10:20 a.m. - Advanced
10:30 a.m. - 11:50 a.m. - Beginners
11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. - Safety Class

Classes are one hour and twenty minutes long. You must have your safety card on you to take the beginning or advanced classes.

The archery range is off Spring St., north side, across the street from the nature center.  Parking fee is $7/car, annual pass is $50 (purchase at the nature center).  To avoid the parking fee, you can park in the neighborhood just west of the park. 

The safety class is held at 11:30 am on Saturdays and is open to anyone eight years old and up. We only have 15 spots available, and you must sign up the morning of the session. The sign up sheet is available at 9:00 a.m., however most people are showing up well before that time to make it on the list. If we are ready to open the sign up before 9:00 am and there are 15 people already waiting then we will allow them to sign up and not wait for 9:00 am, this is the case most Saturdays. Once we have 15 names on the list the class is closed.

After you pass the safety class, the beginner class meets at 10:30am. You achieve a score of 100 to move onto the advanced (at 9am).

The instructors are dedicated volunteers, very patient and knowledgeable.

El Dorado Archers
el.dorado.archers@gmail.com
657-222-0-BOW (657-222-0269)

http://eldoradoarchers.com/instruction.html

For regular classes, contact Janet Dykman.  Ms. Dykman is a 3 time Olympic archer.
Children must be at least 8 years old.  The first five weeks is geared toward getting the student to shoot safely and consistently while the sixth week is a private fun shoot for the class with fun activities.  The cost for the session is $75, but you can save $20 by prepaying the $55 before the first class.  Class fee includes all instruction, equipment use in class, program folder, and fun shoot.  Class members also have practice privileges and equipment use at the other class times for Int./Adv. archers on Wednesday & Thursday

Want to learn to shoot, but need flexibility and can't commit to six consecutive weeks?  Save $15 off the daily rate by buying a six class punch card for $75 and use it any day class is being held.

If you have questions call Janet @ 626.242.8870 or email to gotarrows@gmail.com

Map:

Jury Duty & Homeschooling

The long and short of it: I hope you live in OC.  Orange County excuses anyone who is a primary caregiver.  That's it.  You don't have to serve.

But if you live in LA County, it's not as easy.  First of all,  if your child is 5 and under, you can be excused.  Just say you are the full-time caregiver of a child under 5.  All done.

Unfortunately, if your child(ren) is(are) school-age, we don't have an automatic excuse.  The most that can be done is to get an extension to a more convenient time when you can arrange daycare.  (An isolated incident: when I was working, I went down to the courthouse and was going to ask for an extension.  As soon as I said, I couldn't arrange daycare that week, the clerk excused me completely.  This was in Long Beach and at the discretion of the clerk.)

So what happens with the rest of us homeschoolers?

1) You can roll the dice and hope you don't get picked the first day.  In LA, if you are not assigned to a court the first day, you are excused from further service that year.

2) Hope that you can call in each day to see if you have to report.  Perhaps they won't need you at all for the week you call in and then you're done.

3) You can plead your case to a clerk.  I wonder what they say if you can't afford day care?  Also, I think they are trained to ignore the words homeschooling.  They figure that all kids need a break from schooling, so they assume you can come during a school break.

4) If you are called into a courtroom, you can tell the judge that service is a hardship.  I've seen judges be VERY lenient in who they let go.  At this point, you can say you homeschool and can't afford day care, etc.

5) Finally, start a business quick!  I found that court personnel respond favorably if jury service would be a financial hardship.  When you arrive at the jury room, you fill out a form.  They go through a list and say that if your employer pays for jury service, write in the number of days.  If you own a business or your employer does not pay, enter 0.  Do you know what  the number is for retired folks and stay-at-home parents?  99  They assume you can serve indefinitely!

6) Schedule your jury service around the end-of-year holidays. They can't start a case if the judge or one of the lawyers is on vacation.

Even though we are not off the hook for jury service in LA, there is a good chance you won't have to serve at all.  Good luck!

Spring/Easter Events!

Spring Festival - LB

Saturday, April 4

10am-4pm

Mom's Beach House

5839 E. Appian Way, Long Beach

Free admission - activity passes for sale

Giant egg hunt, appearance by the Easter bunny, face painting, bounce houses, and more!

Spring Carnival - Los Al

Egg hunts begin 9:30am

Free!

Saturday, April 4

9am-11am

Little Cottonwood Park

4000 Farquhar Ave., Los Alamitos