Celebrating Carter's Memory

It's that time of year when I put together an Altar in the niche in my home in Denver in honor of my brother, Carter.  It will be six years this December 30 that he passed away.

Carter is surrounded by marigolds, los flores de Cempasuchil representing a pathway for the dead.  And woven fish that I bought in the jardin in San Miguel de Allende during Palm Sunday.  Carter loved the outdoors and fishing.

For those who knew Carter, you will recognize some of his favorites things.  His extensive Mexican mask collection, his love of the Grand Canyon and especially Lake Powell, a photo of the album cover of The Who (I asked him once, if you could be a musician, who would it be.  He told me he would be Pete Townshed, the guitarist of The Who.  And I do remember him playing air guitar and leaping thru the air when he would come home from college.  Always made me laugh), he loved doing the Suduko in the paper every morning, the infamous red pen, playing basketball, the terrier dog, a Mexican wrestler (lucha libre), the church that resembles the Parroquia in San Miguel de Allende, a bottle of his favorite wine (a Turnbull Cabernet), pheasant feathers referring to his love of bird hunting, his favorite fruit, the pear, a nopal cactus (he loved the desert), a heart milagro (he had a big heart and was very giving) and the two candles, one of Saint Michael, the patron saint of San Miguel de Allende.  And like the archangel Saint Michael, Carter was always a leader and very protective of me.
We love you Carter and miss you every day.

Celebrating La Dia de Muertos in my Casa

Being an interior designer, decorating for La Dia de Muertos is one of my favorite times of year to be creative.  And of course, the most important part of that is creating an altar for my brother, Carter Mullen.  The niche in my hallway is the perfect place to honor him and his life.

 Surrounded by marigolds, los flores de Cempasuchil.

And those who knew Carter, and there were so many and many that considered him their best friend, you will recognize some of his favorites things.  His extensive Mexican mask collection, his love of the Grand canyon and especially Lake Powell, Suduko, the infamous red pen, basketball, the terrier dog, a shot of good tequila in the skull glass, a Mexican wrestler, the church that resembles the Parroquia in San Miguel de Allende and a bottle of his favorite wine, a Turnbull Cabernet.   And the two candles, one of Saint Michael, the patron saint of San Miguel de Allende, where the Mullen family had a home for over 42 years.

I decorated the bar with Day of the Dead napkins, the Frankenstein bar towel, a black vase from San Bartola de Coyotepec (one of the village that I visit on my Oaxaca tour where they make the most beautiful burnished black pottery) filled with marigolds and of course, a few bottles of tequila.

My kitchen counter, with one of the hand-painted tequila bottles.

More Halloween decor.

Getting ready for a dinner party.  The runner is from Chiapas, the black skulls from San Bartola de Coyotepec, the little pig salt bowls were just recently bought in the gigantic Sunday market in Tlacolula, the beautiful basket filled with Chestnuts from the Thursday market in Zaachila and the clay pumpkins from the Tiangis in San Miguel de Allende.  Traveling in Mexico in October always gets me in shopping trouble for I am always buying something new for Las Dias de Muertos.

September 7th, I posted on my Blog about making Cochinita Pibil.  It turned out SO good, I bought an 8 pound pork shoulder and made the recipe again.  This is just part of the braised pork that I served to make tacos for the dinner party.  I used the remainder of the pork for the filling of tamales that I made the next day.  It's always a good idea to break up the tamale making process by preparing the filling a day or two in advance.

Freshly made corn tortillas in the basket, the pork pibil, salsa Veracruz, pickled red onions, fresh limes and sliced radishes.  The makings for some delicious tacos! 

And Halloween would not be Halloween with out a carved pumpkin.

The Carter Mullen Mexican Mask Collection

My brother, Carter Mullen, assembled a collection of Mexican Masks over three decades.  It was a diverse, colorful and authentic collection, most of which were "danced" - worn in flamboyant ceremonies, processions and guarded rituals.  Sadly Carter left his collection behind.  But he would be very proud to know that I found a home for his masks at the Museo de Las Americas in Denver, Colorado.  Below is a book I had made for my Dad's, Bob Mullen, 91st birthday (today) which showcases just some of Carter's masks.  Enjoy!

The Carter Mullen Mexican Mask Collection by Robin Mullen | Make Your Own Book

Christmas without Carter

It will be sad not having Carter with us this Christmas but he is always with us in spirit whether it is Christmas or any other day.  Quite a few years ago we were at our home in San Miguel de Allende for Christmas, something we tried to do every year, and Carter had left one suitcase at home back in Scottsdale. And that was the one with all the Christmas presents in it!!  Boy did we give him a bad time about that.  Being the creative guy he was, he drew pictures of all the gifts and then put each picture into a little basket that he had bought in the market.  Recently I ran across the pictures he drew for me and Len and I just had to share them with you.  

A mini Leatherman.  I think the security people at the airport have it now.

I actually had that necklace on the other night.

Along with the pretty scarf.

 Carter certainly got my blue eyes right in all the drawings. 

 I like how Carter has Len holding his toothbrush and razor!

Carter got Len's broad shoulders perfectly (he lifts weights).

 Len looks a little frightened to be just in his socks.  Nice knees.

Carter captured Len's hair doo perfectly too.

Here are my parents and Carter in the jardin, the main square, one Christmas evening.

And Carter and my husband, Len, checking someone out!   We all miss Carter tremendously but his zest for life will always be with us.  
Merry Christmas everyone and treasure every day, every moment and every memory.

Remembering Carter

Day of the Dead (Dia de Los Muertos) is one of the most popular celebrations in Mexico and one that I totally can embrace!  The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. The celebration takes place on November 1, in connection with the Catholic holidays of All Saints' Day on November first and All Souls' on November second.  Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars honoring the deceased using marigolds, sugar skulls and favorite foods and beverages of the departed.  I had the help from my friends from the pool scavenging their gardens for Marigolds for my altar.  I made this home altar in the niche in my hallway in honor of my brother, Carter.

I filled it with some of Carter's favorite things.  He loved to hunt and fish.  The pheasant feathers are from one of his hunts in North Dakota.  The string of straw fish is something I picked up in the jardin in San Miguel de Allende during Palm Sunday.  Carter would have loved the craftsmanship that was put into making them.  

There is a bottle of Turnbull, one his favorite Cabernets along with a shot glass with a naked lady on it.  As I said to one of my friends, what man would not want a shot glass with a naked lady on it!  She agreed.   There is one of his favorite fruits to nibble on, a pear.
A few mini masks representing his fabulous mask collection.  And I am happy to report, the Museo de Las Americas in Denver is going to add his collection to theirs!

He liked to do the Sudoko puzzle in the morning paper.  And he was infamous around his office with his red pen, ready to edit some copy, make suggestions....

Carter loved the desert, the Grand Canyon and especially Lake Powell.  You will see a book on Hiking the Grand Canyon and the ceramic Prickly Pear cactus.
 
He loved Mexican wrestlers, something he and my husband had in common (the purple tin skeleton with a wrestling mask in his right hand).  He loved sitting in the jardin (the main plaza) in San Miguel with its magnificent Parroquia parish church (the hand-carved stone church).  There is a bell that was our grandmother Mullen's that is reminiscent of the 81 bells we hear around San Miguel.

A basketball, a sport Carter excelled in and a little Scottie dog that our Dad had carved as a child representing his own little doggie, Remy.

This altar embraces Carter's full life and in my book, it is Day of the Dead everyday.  Everyday I rejoice in his memory and our times together! 

Tapas out on the Patio

Last weekend I had a bunch of friends over for a Tapas dinner party.  We all toasted Carter at the beginning of the evening for the sign hanging above was something special to him and to my husband, Len.  Carter beat Len to the punch when he convinced the owner of El Gato Negro (a men's bar in San Miguel de Allende) to sell him the sign.  He had this hanging in his garage for many years.  Carter would be happy to know that we have it proudly on display on our patio.

Sometimes I think I am out of my mind when I decide to do a Tapas Dinner Party because it is a lot of work: planning the menu, deciding on the order in which I will serve each course and on what plate, grocery shopping (and believe me, it is not just one store), choosing the wines (Len's department but I do have a vote) and then all the cooking not to mention washing the patio, setting the tables and selecting the right music for the evening!  
With cocktails, we started with roasted blanched almonds that I had seasoned with rock salt, rosemary and pimiento.   And grilled artichokes with a remoulade sauce.
The next course was a Pea and Mint Vichyssoise which I made the day before to ensure that it was perfectly chilled.

 

The roasted eggplant custards had a smokey flavor to them. I first roast a whole eggplant over an open flame before I roasted it with red peppers and onions.  The Manchego cheese wafers that were seasoned with thyme and cayenne pepper is the ideal accompaniment to this vegetable pate.

 Karen and Dick about to dive into the chilled custards.

Over Suzy's shoulder, you can see the RAM pinata that I brought out for the occasion (from my Dad's birthday party in May).

A big hit was something new that I made.  Jalapeno peppers stuffed with cream cheese, Gouda and shrimp.  I placed them on a sheet of tin foil and grilled them for about 25 minutes.  Next time I am going to eliminate the shrimp, it was lost in the pepper, and add chorizo or bacon instead.

One of my favorites, skewered watermelon and tomato with a sherry, olive oil and lemon zest vinaigrette sprinkled with rock salt.  A great, refreshing palette cleanser.

The grilled chicken and peach skewers are another great summer dish.  I had marinated the chicken in yogurt, peanut butter, olive oil, jalapenos, cilantro, garlic, salt and pepper.  Right before serving, I drizzled the skewers with some extra marinade that I had put aside along with a sprinkling of chopped roasted peanuts.

The last of the main courses was steak tartar.  I hand-chopped the sirloin and put all the ingredients together at the last moment.  I used a square form to shape the tartar and then topped it with chopped hard boiled eggs. This particular recipe is from Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles Cookbook.  (I added the eggs)

For the grand finale, Cold Zabaione with fresh blueberries and raspberries.  I adapted this recipe from Cooking Ideas from Villa d'Este, a cookbook I had bought at Villa d'Este, Italy back in August of 1985. 
The Zabaione consists of 8 egg yolks, 1 1/4 cup of sugar, lemon and orange zest, 2 cups of dry Marsala, 1 cup of dry white wine and 3 cups of heavy whipping cream. The whipped cream is folded into the egg and wine mixture after it has cooled down.   I poured the Zabaione into eight of my hand-etched blue margarita glasses that I had bought in San Miguel de Allende.  About an hour before serving, I took them out of the freezer and put them in the refrigerator.
It was a wonderful, relaxed evening of savory courses, magnificent wines, good music and great friends under the stars in my backyard.  And yes, all my planning and hard work was well worth it.  
Bon Appetit.

Carter loved life and it was contagious!

Today would have been my brother's sixty-second birthday.  Even though he is not with us today, I feel his presence and rejoice in the wonderful times we had together and the life he led with such gusto.
This picture was taken on his sixth birthday.  At least I think that was his sixth by the number of candles on the cake with the cowboy in the middle.  He looks like he was protesting some but I think he enjoyed getting a little hug and smooch from his little sister.

This was taken almost eight years ago on my patio in Denver.  We were all together for a long weekend to celebrate our Mom's 80th birthday.

Always joking around and making me laugh.  My parents, Susan and Carter, and Len and I were on a Crystal Cruise over Christmas in 2004.  Who needed the ships entertainment when we had Carter.  He was doing his imitation of a rapper.

A hunter and fisherman by heart.  Starting at an early age up in northern Minnesota.

Carter and our Dad would fly down to Ciudad Obregon in Mexico for their annual duck and dove hunt.  Carter was in his element and boy was he an excellent shot!

Carter had a great smile, a twinkle in his eye with a little (and maybe a lot) of mischief thrown in.

Just up the street from our house in San Miguel de Allende.  We were having a good laugh. He had that same great smile along with a bit of mischief.  Carter, your smile is with me every day, every moment.  Miss you!

Like every day, each life has a dawning and a sunset by Robert A. Mullen

     The photo above was taken a few years ago by son Carter as our air boat was setting decoys for our morning shoot in the ocean estuaries out from Ciudad Obregon, Mexico.  He and I were alone, just the two of us, in our own blind.  We had hunted the area for more than 20 years.  We shot dove in the farm fields and duck in little virgin waterways, hidden from the world but not from the blue bills, teal, redheads and Brandt.  I can still see them leaning on a wing, banking in, and then we would hear the hiss of their wings.
     We huddled together out of sight, shoulder-to-shoulder, hidden.  There was a moment when I imagined he was that 12-year old, shooting some of his first birds.  Young, fresh, eager to learn with his whole life ahead of him.  The moment passed and now he was college age, maturing, bright, smart.  Then he was a grown man, successful in business and life, respected, admired and whispering to me about the flight coming in at 10 o'clock.  God gave me those magic moments, and I will never forget them.  What fun we had!  But today the duck blind is vacant.  Our gun barrels have cooled.  And I will hunt no more.
     When James Fennimore Cooper wrote his famous novel, Last of the Mohicans, the old chief said this after the death of his son, Uncas:   "Why do my brothers mourn that a young man has gone to the happy hunting grounds, that he has filled his time with honor?"
     Carter did, indeed fill his time with honor.  Today I suspect he is in that Indian Heaven, those Happy Hunting Grounds.  Here warriors and hunters enjoy a paradise of hunting and feasting.  And, astonished at Carter's wingshooting accuracy, they have named him "Long Rifle."  Rested and renewed, Carter is home.

In memory of Carter Kane Mullen, truly a man for all seasons.  

1950 - 2011

Written by Robert A. Mullen - January 2012

rambob@cox.net

This was such a beautiful piece written by my father, 

I just had to share it with you.

My Beloved Brother, Carter

My brother, Carter Kane Mullen, took his final rest this morning at the age of 61.  He battled inoperable brain cancer for almost a year and a half and was a true champion to the end.

Carter was a fierce competitor in everything he did! He taught me many things in life.  I excelled at sports because of him.   He loved to dove and duck hunt.  He was an exceptional basketball and baseball player.  He loved to spend time up at Lake Powell on his boat.  He had a successful advertising and public relations business.  He was creative and hard working.  Carter loved life!  And it rubbed off on those around him.

Carter had a quick wit and a phenomenal sense of humor.  About a month ago, someone said to Carter, "Is your sister always this funny?"  He replied, "Well, she is a Mullen!"  This photo is a joke between Carter and me.  Taken in the market in our treasured town of San Miguel de Allende where our family has had a home for over 37 years.  Neither one of us are fond of clowns and I just had to have him pose with this parachuting paper mache  clown.

 (1963)

He was always protective of me, his little sister.  And of course I idealized him! And so did all my girlfriends.  I even had one friend name her son after Carter.  Such a handsome guy.

This was taken 7 years ago at my 50th birthday.  Nothing can take away that special bond that we had or the memories.  In the last year, Carter wrote in an email, "If there is anything I've learned from my sickness is that you cannot predict your life.  And you can't look over your shoulder.  Live life with happiness, gusto and positive thoughts."  I will big brother!  You will always be by my side.

Carter Kane Mullen
March 5, 1950 - Minneapolis, Minnesota
December 30, 2011 - Scottsdale, Arizona