Meeting Tata
Tata was Raul’s mother, Melodia’s Ecuadorian grandmother, and the person I eventually learned would be my best friend and partner in crime while I was
Zero Degrees Latitude
Adventures & Inspirations from Ecuador, as told by my mother, Deborah.
OFFERINGS/OFRENDAS
Dedication: The post “Offerings/Ofrendas” is dedicated to my daughter Melodia Mendoza-Medley in remembrance of her father Raul Alfredo Mendoza who passed away before father and
GIFTS FROM HER FATHER
by Deborah Medley Melodiaʼs father, Raul Mendoza, was a musician, a very good musician. He was a self- taught Latin percussionist who specialized in Latin
CALDO DE PATA
CALDO DE PATA Dedicated to my daughter Melodia who always oversaw the lunch preparation in our house in Ecuador. Though she was too young to
LA CASA DE ROY AND THE ILL-FATED TURKEY, Part II
Ill-Fated Turkey Thanksgiving in Ecuador When Melodia and I lived in Ecuador, American Thanksgiving was almost never remembered. We were far removed from American traditions
LA CASA DE ROY AND THE ILL-FATED TURKEY, PART I
THANKSGIVING IN ECUADOR La Casa De Roy I want to introduce you to our house in Salinas, Ecuador, as it was the final resting place
GETTING TO KNOW MELODIA THE ARTIST
I see Ecuador in Melodia. I’ve heard it said that art imitates life. I’ve also heard that life imitates art. Apparently, neither art nor life
LAUNDRY DAY WASHOUT
Itʼs a gloriously sunny Vilcabamba day in the middle of a long and rainy Spring, perfect for making the trek by horseback down the mountain
BEES GETTING BUSY
Stories for Melodia by Deborah Medley My brother-in-law Jaime walked into the cottage one sunny, warm afternoon carrying a large bowlful of honeycomb freshly excavated
A DAY OF MOUNTAIN MISCHIEF
I was married to a mischievous man, and I am naive by nature. It was in the early days of our marriage when we were
TWO GIFTS OF LOVE
An Oven and an Onion Poultice by Deborah Medley for my daughter Melodia Our little farm kitchen in Vilcabamba had one modern appliance, a two-burner
THANKS & GIVING, ZERO DEGREES LATITUDE STYLE
A WISH LIST FULFILLED When I lived on the Equator, I found myself on the receiving end of many surprisingly grand gestures of generosity that
EGGNOG GROG BLOG
When you live on a 10-hectare farm in a remote area of the Andes Mountains of Ecuador, you eat what you can source locally. For