Living in a small mountain town I have come to find a rhythm that is delightful. Labor and Memorial Days brings the Peddler's Fair, Spring brings the Concours de Elegance and Elegant Auction, Fall brings the Chocolate Festival, the Sierra Arts Trail with visits to the studios, homes, and galleries of many of the artists in the area, Summer and Winter brings tourists or as my friend Kathy Watts use to say, "tourons" for camping, skiing, etc. People that you see at the market you see at Clayber's Coffee, the local espresso house, you will probably see the music teacher at the cinema (with 5 screens), there is never a time that you are in the grocery store that you don't see someone you know... it is a small town. There are the movers and shakers, Nancy who is dedicated to the education and culture of her children and others, David - the attorney who is married to the editor of the Sierra Star, the local newspaper, who is in charge of the Elegant Auction and use to have Simon, my son, drive him to the court house in Madera because he has trouble staying awake, Christine who is a checkout clerk at the market and she is on the school board (great checkout conversations), another schoool board member owned the cigarette shack, we have the drummer of a major rock band from the 80's, Louie and Coke Evans, who have been the pastor of National Presbyterian Church in Washington, DC, La Jolla Presbyterian Church, and the founder of Bel Air Presbyterian Church, Coke was a movie star, an author, a renown speaker to christian women and was on the board of directors for World Vision and Billy Graham. There are great artists, musicians, photographers, entrapenuers, chefs, writers, mothers, and such in this community. I love living here.
But I have got to tell you about someone whom I always kept an eye out. The Tamale and Jelly Lady. She would make great tamales (Mexican tamales (tamal is the Mexican "singular" use of the word) are packets of corn dough with a savory meat or sweet filling and typically wrapped in corn husks or banana leaves.) She would be at all the events and between events I would find her stand near the market or on the corner. Skid marks would always be found in front of her stand as people noticed her and slammed on their brakes to buy these great tamales and jellies. She would always have pomagrantes Jelly, (my favorite), elderberry, and many of the usuals ones like strawberry, peach, apricot, etc.
Well, last Sunday, I was driving home from camp and I saw the Tamale and Jelly Lady's signs. I drove around for about an hour looking for her and could not find her. I stopped off on the way and saw Jim and Amy Smith's new house, which is majestic, but I could not find the Tamale and Jelly Lady. My mouth was watering and my mind was focused on the wares and the whereabouts of this fine woman. NO TAMALES. She wasn't to be found.
The next day I left for my SoCal interviews in Azusa, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo. Midday on Tuesday, I get a call from one of my favorite people, Amy Smith, who's new house I stopped and peaked in the windows on Sunday, and she told me that the Tamale and Jelly Lady was arrested for murdering her husband. The Tamale and Jelly Lady Arrested! That sounds like something you would find on Arrested Development!
Then I started thinking, what was in the tamales...
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