The movie Coco was one of our favorites of the past year. We’ve watched it several times, and when I flew to Singapore, I even fast forwarded to the end just so I could cry. I mean, it’s so beautiful. I loved learning more about Día de los Muertos, which I thought I knew something about since my friend Terry had been setting one up at the pub for Gareth ever since he passed away.

Terry and I decided it would be a wonderful tradition to start an altar (or ofrenda) this year for my dad, because now the boys (and I!) understand what it all means. And it being the 20th year since his death, it seems kind of fitting.

So with Terry’s guidance, I collected everything I needed and set up the altar last night. Today I’ve been playing the Neil Diamond station on Pandora in the living room and I am imagining Dad sitting on the sofa with Ziggy, eating a handful of the peanuts we put out for him, washing them down with the glass of Pepsi.

(Ziggy would make a great alebrije, eh? We should have dressed him as Dante for Halloween!)

Here’s what we have on it:

• A cup of coffee
• A deck of cards
• A pack of Benson & Hedges and a lighter
• Peanuts
• Fried chicken (thigh)
• Pepsi
• Salt
• Glass of water
• Candles (LED, don’t worry)
• Paper flowers
• Photos of Dad (if you saw Coco, you know how important these are!)

I am definitely missing a golf ball, but I’ll remember it for next year. I can save the flowers, flags, candles, cards, and cigarettes but don’t worry, I’ll throw out the chicken and peanuts. (Poor Ziggy really wanted to eat that chicken last night.)