Articles In This Issue Page 1: Pat Farrell Page 3: SABOR
S ERVING S OUTH T EXAS AND S URROUNDING A REAS F OR O VER 39 Y EARS Vol.XXXIX, No. 11
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Page 7: The Way I See It Featuring: Cathey Meyer Page 12: NARPM Article Featuring: Brenda Davila Page 15: SAAREB Article Featuring: Brian Paris Pages 22-23: News Flash
November 2021
It Is That Time Of Year Again Pat Farrell / Contributing Writer
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November can be one busy month and it looks like we may actually be able to enjoy doing this year what was so dangerous to attempt last year. Those of us, unaffected by the trauma of the virus or having fortunately recovered, will again enjoy family reunions for the traditional Thanksgiving meal and of course be able to watch all the scheduled games on TV that day and over the weekend. Could be we will get to just sit around without masks and appreciate the beauty of our family and friends without their facial coverings. November, originally so named because it was the ninth month on the old Roman calendar retained its name even though it became the eleventh month when two months were added to the Julian calendar, which was adopted in 45 B.C. The penultimate month of November has history to it, some good, some not so good. Those of us of a certain age can remember where we were and what we were doing when in 1963 the news came that President John F. Kennedy had been assassinated while he and his wife were in a motorcade in Dallas after a brief morning visit to San Antonio. We also may remember that on the 19th of November in 1978, more than 900 followers of Reverend Jim Jones’ cult known as the “People’s Temple” either willingly or by force drank a cyanide-laced drink, thus participating in the largest mass suicide event in recorded history.
In the early colonial years in North America the hunters used to set out their beaver traps ahead of the freeze that usually came on in late November so the full moon that occurs in November became known as the Beaver Moon. And, today when we start into our winter months we might expect to see the arrival of the “Snowbirds” which as we know is not a reference to the so nicknamed dark-eyed Junco bird but to a group of mostly retirees that routinely migrate from the far northern regions to warmer parts of the world. At the same time of the year that we experience winter, those folks in the Southern Hemisphere are getting their bar-b-que grills out and preparing their pools for summer use. The last day of October and first two days of November have historically been dedicated to a celebratory period that honors the dead. They are a series of days that encompass what is known, depending on one’s culture, as Samhain, All Hallows Eve, Halloween, All Saints Day, Dia de los Muertos and All Souls Day. More than 2,000 years ago when the Celts occupied the areas that are now recognized as Ireland, Great Britain and northern France, their New Year was celebrated on November 1st before the period of cold was to begin. The Celts believed that the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred and the ghosts of the dead returned to earth on the night before the new year. These otherworldly spirits were thought responsible for causing trouble and damaging crops so on October 31st, during the celebration of Samhain (pronounced sow-in) the Celtic priests would build huge bonfires and the Celts would wear costumes which typically consisted of animal heads and skins, and they attempted to tell each other’s fortunes. Christianity had spread into the Celtic lands by the 9th Century and, over time, it blended with and eventually supplanted older Celtic rites with All Saints Day on November 1st followed the next day by All Souls Day. The All Saints’ Day celebration was also known as All-hallows or All-hallowmas (from Middle English Alholowmesse meaning All Saints’ Day) and the night before that, the traditional night of Samhain in the Celtic religion, became known as All-Hallows Eve and,
eventually, Halloween. Another important cultural celebration over these first two days of November originated in Mexico and Central America and is known as the Day of the Dead or Dia de los Muertos. Although frequently confused with Halloween the tradition is unrelated to it but is rather a way to welcome the deceased back for a brief visit using flowers, altars, food, and music, all of which are integral parts of the holiday. Families create altars decorated with bright yellow marigold flowers, photos of the departed, and the honoree’s favorite foods and drinks. It is believed that as the departed souls hear their prayers and smell their foods it will encourage them to visit from the land of the dead and join in the celebrations! But let us not forget November 11th, the day set aside nationally to honor our returning and/or retiring military veterans who answered the nation’s call to honorably serve in whichever part of the world they were assigned. Historically, the armistice for World War I between Germany and the Allies was declared in 1918 on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, so the day was originally known as Armistice Day but was officially renamed Veterans Day in 1954 and was declared a national holiday in 1971. The Congress of the Confederation, the forerunner of today’s U. S. Congress, established the country’s first three military services: the U. S. Army in 1784; the U. S. Navy in 1794; and the U. S. Marine Corps in 1798 and long after that, what was once the Army Air Corps became the U. S. Air Force in 1947. Originally founded as the U. S. Revenue-Marine in 1790 the U. S. Coast Guard was not sonamed until 1939 and is the only military service that comes under the Department of Homeland Security rather than the Department of Defense. The recently acknowledged U. S. Space Force was actually operational in 1954 as the Western Development Division and became independent of the U. S. Air Force in 2019. Veterans have served in the wars in which the United States chose to participate and at most times were welcomed home with open arms, as was the case in the World Wars I and II, Korea, Desert Storm, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Most of
those amongst our younger generations may be unaware though that those who served in Vietnam did not receive the same warm welcome home. I am quite sure that my return from Vietnam mirrored that of other veterans at the time as, for example, it was almost impossible to flag down a taxi at the airport as the cab drivers were too busy spitting at anyone who wore a military uniform! We were treated like criminals, so I find it fortunate that people today appreciate that this is “The Home of the Free Because of the Brave!” Veterans are a major component of the population of San Antonio, Military City U.S.A. and since one important benefit available to a veteran is the VA Loan, they should also be important to the REALTORS® and Lenders in our industry. There is little doubt that the VA Loan is, in most cases, the best option for the veteran to buy a home, yet often REALTORS® will advise their sellers to not accept a VA Loan offer and Lenders will fail to advise the veteran about the VA Loan. In most instances the practitioners are operating under old information about VA loans in general and really need to learn more about the current process which is often an easier and quicker process than FHA loans. For an in-depth look at the VA Loan I would highly recommend taking the Military and Veteran Housing Certification (MVHC) course offered by the San Antonio Chapter of the Veterans Association of Real Estate Professionals (VAREP). It also includes 7 hours CE for REALTORS®. November begins by honoring saints and remembering our departed loved ones and comes to an ending with being thankful for what we have, and often taking advantage of the shopping deals on Black Friday and Cyber Monday after Thanksgiving Day. If you are reading this you have survived the pandemic when, unfortunately, so many of our friends and collogues did not. During November we have the opportunity to take stock of our lives, examine what we have accomplished this year and see if we have any incomplete tasks. If that is the case, take heart as we still have December to catch up with what has, to date, been left undone for the year. And as we sit down to our Thanksgiving Day meal remember to thank the Lord and those veterans who made it possible for us to enjoy the day in peace!