I have a friend who has me hooked on the Old Testament. No, I don't read it. I can't get beyond all the "thee's" and "thou's" and "begats." I can't get past Genesis. Never could. But my friend tells me stories over the phone, and she is able to take any moral dilemma or question and tell me about the Old Testament, quoting the stories and relating them to me as if she just walked through the door with the dust of Jerusalem still on her feet.

This is a real gift. I usually shun people that quote scripture because to me it is only the product of a good memory, not original thought and the ability to relate the real stuff of the human condition to the listener. Too many simply spit out quotes from the Bible and say, "In such and such, chapter this, verse that..." and geez, so what? I am trying to have a conversation here, not bible study! I know that sounds harsh, and I'm sorry about that but it's how I think.

My friend never imposes her knowledge of the Old Testament. She can even read in Hebrew and translate and say where things got mistranslated. Now we're talking! I can dig my brains into that! There is a big difference between someone who can quote the Bible and a true scholar, and as much of a difference between a biblical scholar and a true lover of God. The latter can bring the old stories to life in a way that the listener can relate to the characters, can see them, hear them and feel them. This is a true gift.

My friend is an ordained minister. I admire ordained ministers for having gone through seminary school. Too bad the churches she was involved with couldn't get the value of the true gift that she is, the sheer humanity and love that she lives and breathes. A very few people have the capacity to liberate a soul. She does. Maybe that's why the church didn't want her. They'd rather have sheep.

When she speaks of the things of God, it feels like she has just conversed with God and is relaying it to me. I am one of the most unreligious people I know and can get very snotty about it. Having studied several different religions, I know what resonates with me and what doesn't, and I am not a follower of anyone or anything. But my friend makes me pause and think and feel. She brings the Old Testament right to my feet and lays it down before me, with no effort or force. And I can see it all.

What I have always gotten annoyed about with church is the hymns. I hate having to just mouth the words because I can't sing worth a damn and I can't read music and I don't like the rhythm of the hymns. If I don't like the way they sound, how am I supposed to get into the feeling? I like sermons and prayers but not hymns. When I listen to hymns sung in other languages, I can feel the meaning without understanding the words and they don't have that ridiculous sounding scale that the regular hymns have. I hate dirges. I love Gregorian chanting and such. That's just me.

My friend sang Amazing Grace to me, over the phone. It was beautiful. I love Christmas carols, that's when I really feel the Presence, especially with Little Drummer Boy. I can't sing Christmas Carols either so I never got to go caroling and be given hot chocolate. But I gave plenty of hot chocolate! I think it's beautiful when people come outside the door to sing to other people, for whatever reason.

This coming Christmas, instead of seeing lights on the palm trees, I will be seeing snow and will be able to wear a scarf and hat and gloves and boots and a heavy coat, like the Christmases on TV. In Washington state we rarely had a white Christmas. This will be my first Christmas in the midwest. My favorite Chrismases were in London, the old style Christmas decorations and the lights and cheer and the lovely British way of understating things beautifully. That's the way it was on the island where I lived in Washington, too. I used to love to go to the Lopez Village (Lopez Island, WA) to see the decorations. I used to love driving by Grace church and seeing the steeple lit. I also lived across the street from a little 100 year old church, where the graveyard is. Couldn't ask for quieter neighbors.

My, I am rambling on here. Started out with my friend and her stories. I guess I am doing this because I will be going away from here soon, and taking a little part of Mexico with me. I am for sure going to take some maize powder for making champurrado because that is my favorite thing of winter here, a thick, slightly sweet, hearty winter drink. I had my first cup of it tonight at Mamita's house. Summer is over, the champurrado is coming out, and I will soon be listening to the stories of the Old Testament over a cup of champurrado in Illinois, where I will be living with my good friend and her husband on their farm. And my horses will know grass again and I will be able to buy magazines in English and Malt O Meal and Life cereal and graham crackers and eat a turkey sandwich or a roast beef sandwich. And also I will be able to walk out the door and see my horses instead of have them 25 minutes away.

I feel some sadness leaving here. Mexico has given me much, but it can't give me a job. I cried tonight with my Mexican family. But guess what, they asked if they can come and visit me!!!!!