Archuleta Seniors Inc. (ASI) wishes the Pagosa community a very Merry Christmas.
We couldn’t be more grateful for all the support we’ve received in 2023.
It has been my pleasure to serve the community as executive director of ASI for the past year and a half. I have had the honor and privilege of serving in this role, leveraging my lived experience and education for the betterment of my community with the support of an outstanding board of directors and more than 50 community volunteers. What a gift of learning it has been and will continue to be.
I originally returned home to Pagosa after being away for nearly 25 years to be the caretaker of my aging mother, Alice Chavez, or as many of you know her from growing up here in the 1940s and 1950s, as Alice Archuleta or “Archie.”
Over the last few years that I have been home I have sat with her many times in an effort to provide her loving companionship and to capture her stories for future generations. One such story included her memories of Christmases gone past growing up here in Pagosa or, as she called it, “Mis Crismas.”
I was on Facebook over this past week and read a story (shared here with his permission) from a friend, Jeremy Jojola, whose family shared similar memories in southern Colorado and Northern New Mexico of Mis Crismas to celebrate the season and our precious elders who remind us of traditions from the past. May these precious memories rekindle your love for capturing your loved one’s stories as well, happy holidays.
“If you ask nearly anybody from rural northern New Mexico or southern Colorado who was born around the 1950s or before, they will tell you about a unique Christmas tradition called Mis Crismes. In short, on Christmas morning, children in the region would take bags like pillow cases or used flour sacks, and go door-to-door and scream out ‘Mis Crismes!’ Neighbors would hand out treats like oranges, candies and pencils, very much like trick-or-treating. Mis Crismes, of course, is the Spanglish version of saying ‘My Christmas!’
“I love hearing my mother share her childhood memories of Mis Crismes. She’d wake up early and in the cold on Christmas mornings, put socks on her hands because there were no gloves, and visit as many homes as possible for treats. Back then, especially in the tiny villages that are nestled in the Sangre de Cristo mountains, poverty was pervasive. An orange or a candy was a big deal for children who didn’t grow up with grocery stores. Sadly, this tradition is gone. I’m not aware of Mis Crismes still happening anywhere.
“I recently did an online newspaper archive search on Mis Crismes and found a few articles from the 1980s and 90s referencing the tradition
“From Levi Valdez in the Rio Grande Sun back in 1991:
“‘Sacks, usually those that had previously contained twenty-five or fifty pounds of flour, were readied on Christmas Eve. These were the type of sacks, sturdy ones, that would be needed. On Christmas Day we expected to collect many goodies..empanaditas, biscochitos, piñon, peanuts, apples and candy that would last well into the new year.’
“Beloved Chicano author Rudolfo Anaya wrote this in the LA Times in 1981:
“‘Then we were off to the homes of our neighbors running and shouting, “Mis Crismes! Mis Crismes!” Much as trick-or-treaters do today on Holloween, we received the traditional gifts of Christmas, returning home with our flour sacks bulging with candy, nuts and fruits.’
“After talking with my mother, it seems she was among the last in my family to participate in Mis Crismes, which ended for her at age 10 in 1965. My aunt, who is nine years younger than my mother, doesn’t remember the tradition.
“Based on what I’ve read, it appears Mis Crismes quickly faded away beginning in the early 1960s. I’m not sure exactly why, but I can theorize.
“You’ve heard the saying ‘It takes a village ...’
“People in the remote regions of New Mexico and Colorado long relied on each other for survival, and I suspect Mis Crismes was a way for villagers to share the burden of making children happy when gift giving was a struggle.
“As economics of the times improved for some families in the 1950s and 60s, people could drive vehicles on new highways to the cities, putting grocery stores within immediate reach. Mis Crismes treats were no longer rarities. Fruits could be purchased anytime.
“Of course I could be wrong and there may be some sort of academic paper I haven’t found yet that has a better answer.
“This week I ordered more gifts on Amazon. I didn’t need to put socks on my hands or fish out a pillow sack when I clicked on my trackpad for a package that will be here at my door in less than 24 hours. The packages will be wrapped and placed under the tree. Mis Crismes is now gone. For me, it represents a rural community kinship that I’ve never experienced, but have only heard about in family stories and in newspaper clippings. What a gift it must have been.”
(Originally published Dec. 16, 2023, by Jeremy Jojola on JeremyJojola.com.)
Mather D.I.T. art kits only for Illinois residents
We apologize for any inconvenience, but the Mather D.I.T. Art Kits program has been limited to Illinois residents only. Previously this program was offered across the U.S. when we featured their offerings earlier this year.
Senior conversations
Join us Mondays at 1:15 p.m. for a series of “Senior Conversations” with local Bill Salmansohn.
He will lead the group through mindfulness exercises and discussion of various topics pertaining to aging in Archuleta County. Explore and discover for yourself answers to your questions and concerns.
The meeting will be held in the Senior Center in the dining hall. Snacks will be provided.
Pagosa Springs Scrapbooking Club
The Pagosa Springs Scrapbooking Club holds monthly meetings the second Saturday of each month at the Senior Center.
It meets each month from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to be creative, share ideas, connect with friends, learn new techniques, share supplies and indulge in a potluck lunch together.
Bring your scrapbooking projects — or any crafting project that you may want to work on with the group. If you would like to be added to the mailing list to receive notifications each month of the upcoming meeting along with handy tips and tricks for scrapbooking, please send your request to copenhavercreative@gmail.com.
Share lunch Monday through Thursday
Join us at the Silver Fox’s Den, aka the Community Cafe, in person for daily hot/cold meals Mondays through Thursdays at the Community Center between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. It is open to all. Pickup is available all week, including Fridays.
Our dining hall is open to all ages and welcomes you all with kindness and warmth. We provide hot/cold meals for anyone in the community interested in a nutritious and delicious meal. For those 60 or older we request a suggested donation of $10, but no one will be turned away. There is a $10.50 charge for guests under the age of 60.
Meals include a main course, side dish, fruit/dessert, garden salad plus beverage. Some popular menu items include Frito chili pie, pork tenderloin with harvest chutney, Singaporean pork ribs, vegetarian lasagna, Hawaiian shrimp with coconut rice and always a beautiful green salad. Many of our items are locally sourced and organic.
Our chef works with a team of local food professionals to hand-prepare your meal for dine-in service in our cozy dining room (with an amazing view of the San Juans) or for takeout (via our convenient drive-through). Our menu changes daily.
To reserve your meal for the day, please make your reservation via text or phone call to (970) 264-2167 by 9 a.m. weekdays.
Community Cafe menu
Thursday, Dec. 21 — Turkey breast with stuffing, gravy, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, garden salad, raspberry delight and milk.
Friday, Dec. 22 — Sliced ham with apricot glaze, scalloped potatoes, green bean casserole, garden salad, fruit and milk.
Monday, Dec. 25 — Closed for the holiday.
Tuesday, Dec. 26 — Closed for the holiday.
Wednesday, Dec. 27 — Newcastle beef and vegetable stew, biscuits, garden salad, fruit, milk and pumpkin muffins.
Thursday, Dec. 28 — Vegetable lasagna with spinach and white sauce, broccolini, garlic bread, garden salad, fruit, milk and chocolate cake.
Friday, Dec. 29 — Pork tonkatsu ramen bowl with boiled egg, peas, scallions, garden salad, fruit, milk and fortune cookies.
Grab-N-Go meals
Dine-in and Grab-N-Go meal reservations and cancellations are required. Please call or text by 9 a.m. the morning of the day you want to pick up a meal. A suggested donation of $10 helps to sustain our program. For ages 59 and younger, the cost is $10.50. No one will be turned away for their inability to donate. Please call or text us at (970) 264-2167 to make a reservation.
Meals on Wheels
We deliver fresh Meals on Wheels five days a week (and provide frozen Meals on Wheels for weekends) to homebound Archuleta County residents. Call or text us at (970) 264-2167.
Mobile food pantry service discontinued
The Mobile Food Pantry Service has been discontinued due to funding shortages. Older adults needing a ride to a local food pantry should contact the MET to schedule a ride with its paratransit service. For more information, contact Lavonne at (970) 264-2250.
Text reservations
Don’t forget that we offer a convenient texting service for you to communicate with us. Text us at (970) 264-2167. When texting, please include your name, phone number and the days you want a meal. If you are canceling a reservation, please include your name, phone number and the days you want to cancel.
Texting services are available for dine-in meal reservations, Grab-n-Go meals and Meals on Wheels recipients.
COVID-19 test kits available
Stop by the Senior Center to pick up a pack of six free COVID-19 tests kits for your personal use. These kits are available to anyone in the public who needs affordable access for health promotion and disease prevention.
Mahjong
Mahjong is a 19th century Chinese tile-based game that is commonly played with four players. Each player receives 13 tiles with a goal to make matching sets and pairs (like poker). To win, a player must form four sets and one pair.
Come to the Senior Center to learn or play every Tuesday at 1:15 p.m.
Medicare call by appointment
For anyone who needs help enrolling and navigating Medicare plans, the San Juan Basin Area Agency on Aging helps with parts A, B and D. They can also help you with fraud concerns and troubleshooting any billing issues you may be having. By appointment only. Please call the Medicare line at (970) 264-0501, ext 2.
Supporting ASI
Please support our ongoing operations and programming that provide critical services to some of the most vulnerable in Archuleta County.
You may mail your donation to P.O. Box 3444, Pagosa Springs, CO 81147 or please visit our website, http://www.psseniors.org/ (donation button). Donation checks can be written to: Archuleta Seniors Inc. We are located at 451 Hot Springs Blvd. For more information about Archuleta Seniors Inc., please visit http://www.psseniors.org/.
There is also another way to donate.
Are you 70 and half years old or better? Do you have an IRA from which you need to take a distribution? Did you know you can make charitable donations directly from your IRA without paying taxes on the distribution, up to $100,000 per year? The donation from the account would be payable to Archuleta Seniors Inc. and sent to PO Box 344, Pagosa Springs, CO 81147. This gift option is called the IRA charitable rollover or qualified charitable distribution.
