This year’s Loteria cards came in two waves. The first wave was for my Montana niece and nephew, Rhiannon and Lars, as I got to see them in person when we were all in Great Falls for my Aunt’s memorial. They were able to sit down with me, tell me their ideas and shoot me reference photos. Bing bang boom: done!
I’m sure we’re in the sweet spot of this tradition, where they are old enough to get it and enjoy it–which is especially pleasing to me, as I always figured they wouldn’t appreciate this exercise until around 30-ish. It was a pleasure to do together. And especially a pleasure to, at last, have an actual space, with access to my materials, where I could return to the old-world form–which I much prefer. I was delighted when I gave the kids their choice of digital or analog format, and they both went for the latter. It’s not just me!
So here are 2018’s gifts. For Lars, who discovered Formula 1 racing this year, and his hero driver, Fernando Alonso (whose name my sister can never remember, so she calls him Fettuccini Alfredo). Lars and his car sport Alonso’s racing livery, as well as the Kimoa brand. He competed under the number 14, DS class…as a side-tucking turtle. Lars is sponsored, as ever, by his loyal side-kicks, Snickers the cat, and Raisin the dog.
And Rhiannon, in her first year in college, hard-studying, but also hard-working, returning to the ranch regularly to help out, even as she became Miss Bozeman, entering the Miss Montana/Miss USA competition. She and her mom introduced me to her pageant sheros, champion athletes who are also serious academics with a social conscience. Who knew? She’s shown as her totem animal of the year, the Buff Orpington chicken, in her dream pageant dress.