Book Treasures:Vaya Con Dios, Dona

It just wouldn’t be FatHoundDog.com without extended periods of radio silence. I know, I know. The two people that look at this site with anything resembling regularity (hi Mom, hi Dad) give me no end of trouble for it, but…I’m a full-time student, full-time Warehouse Inventory Executive (doesn’t that sound nicer than temporary book counter and used-sticker-putter-onner?) and part-time sleeper. Poor FHD, as usual, gets the short end of the stick.

My time at the warehouse is drawing to a close, but never fear – there are plenty more treasures to showcase. Here’s one that I think is particularly interesting, especially given my love of the Spanish language and my recent trip to Ecuador. (Hey, remember that time…)

What we have here is a sort of obituary/funeral notice that comes all the way from Spain. As in, the actual European country of Spain. Neat, right? And what’s it doing in somebody’s text book? And how is that person related to Dona Blanca? (I wish I knew how to do the ~+n.)

The notice has been very carefully, very lovingly cut from a newspaper and then stored flat in a textbook for some time. But ultimately forgotten about, or else it wouldn’t have fluttered out at me when I liberated the book from its stuffy cardboard prison.

Dona Blanca has quite a few surviving family members (QUITE a few), so it’s very possible the original owner of this treasure was a relative. Or maybe a study abroad student that lived with the Dona for a time. Or maybe just a fan of the Dona’s. For all I know, Dona Blanca is a Big Deal in Spain.

Like the photograph of the children, there’s a tinge of sadness on this one. If someone I cared about passed away and I took a snippet from the paper to remember her by, and then lost said snippet, I’d be upset. I wonder if this treasure’s owner was very distraught to discover that the obit was missing. It’s more or less recent (within the last year, certainly), so the loss of the Dona is still fresh, still painful. Or so I imagine. I like that scenario better than other possibilities.

As a special sort of bonus from the Dona, the back of the notice has some cool classified ads and a map of Sevilla. For a gringa like me that’s never been to Spain (yet!), this is exciting stuff.

Gracias, Dona Blanca, and try not to curse whoever lost this memento of you too badly. I’m sure it wasn’t intentional.