Previously on Lafina Mendoza Mysteries.
What are you going to wear?
It's a surprise.
My friend Olivia from band let me borrow one of her dresses.
So, what do you think?
You're still in your bathroom.
Where's your dress?
I don't want to get spaghetti sauce all over it.
Come on, let's eat.
Who would have a burrowing owl in Washington, D.C.?
I know!
The National Zoo!
I'll do that.
I'll call them right now.
The Smithsonian National Zoo is temporarily closed due to the snow emergency.
For more information, please visit our website.
My name is Fina Mendoza.
I moved to Washington, D.C. with my older sister Gabby because Papa works in the U.S.
Capitol.
He's a congressman.
Me?
I solve mysteries.
There you are.
I was getting worried about you two.
St.
Sebastian really likes his garbage cans.
He does indeed.
And then after that, he just froze.
He stuck his front paw out and looked up at a tree.
Let me guess.
It was a bird.
You're right!
Well, they did tell me he was part bird dog when I got him from the pound.
He doesn't look like a bird.
I don't know about that.
His hair kind of sticks out like bird feathers.
You know, a bird dog...
It's kind of a breed that hunters use to find ducks and quail.
I think you've discovered his secret identity.
An undercover dog?
I like that.
Maybe he has some other secret identities.
Like maybe he speaks some foreign language or he can climb up the side of a building.
Maybe the CIA had trained him as a special agent.
No, baby, he's just a plain old bird dog.
Bird dog?
Bird dog!
St.
Sebastian is exactly who I need to help me track down the chick chart.
What's that?
Nothing.
All right, you two.
Wrap it up. getting dark.
Your dad will be wondering where you are.
What do you think, boy?
Want to do some more bird hunting?
Yuck.
I guess that means yes.
We'll start tomorrow, St.
Sebastian.
Oh, it's almost five o'clock and I've got to make an important phone call.
No.
Smithsonian National Zoo.
Could you please connect me with the bird department?
I'm sorry, the birdhouse is closed.
I thought you were open again now that Snowmazilla's over.
We are open.
The zoo, I mean.
It's the birdhouse that's closed.
For remodeling.
Closed?
It was a very old building, but the new birdhouse will be better than ever.
I'm sure it will be a wonderful new birdhouse, but I kind of need information right now.
What happens to the birds if the birdhouse is closed?
Who takes care of them?
Oh, we take good care of all our birds.
You're not missing a bird?
An owl maybe?
A burrowing owl?
May I ask who's calling?
My name is Fina Mendoza.
I found a burrowing owl in the basement of the U.S.
Capitol.
At least I think it's a burrowing owl.
And I know burrowing owls don't live in Washington, D.C., except at the National Zoo.
So I figured it was yours.
Are you missing an owl?
I don't think so.
I'm just an intern.
Do you know what an intern is?
Of course.
Interns are all those college students who come to Washington to practice working for the government.
Interns are always asking Claudia how to answer questions from people on the phone.
They don't know very much.
Yeah, well, I don't know very much about burrowing owls either.
Is there anyone there I could speak to about a missing owl?
Why don't you leave your name and number, and I'll have someone call you back in the morning.
Ay, Dios mio!
What is it, Abuelita?
This picture on the Insta post.
You mean Instagram?
Wait, you have an Instagram account?
What was your sister thinking?
Going out of the house, sin vergüenza dressed like this and then putting it out there for the world to see on the Internet.
Let me see, Abuelita.
Oh, that must be Gabby the Knight of the School Dance.
I recognize the purple fingernails.
Oof, that's a lot of makeup.
That makeup is bad enough.
Mira, those raccoon eyes.
But that dress, those skinny little straps, and that big slash across the middle.
Wait, I didn't know Gabby got her belly button pierced.
Sorry.
Band practice, Ranly.
Señorita, what is the meaning of this?
What's the meaning of what?
Gabby, what kind of young woman puts a picture of her stomach on the Insta post?
Instagram.
And it's just a dress.
Do all of your dresses show off your ombligo así?
Ay, a belly button with an earring of its own?
It's a piercing, not an earring.
And that phone of yours, sharing pictures of your naked stomach with the world.
If you cannot use a phone in a responsible manner, you shouldn't be using it at all.
No more social media.
Ya.
But everybody's on social, Abuelita.
That's how we talk to each other.
Oui.
Como que oui?
People younger than 150.
Why don't you just use your mouths?
You are grounded.
Grounded?
But tonight's the basketball game and... Starting right now.
And hand over that phone.
But... What are you looking at?
Nothing.
Now, mija.
Damela.
Ay, Arturo, you are just in time.
How is your gang of eight meeting, Papa?
Well, unfortunately, it's only a gang of seven now.
One of the congressmen got mad and quit.
Arturo, mira, look.
Look at what your daughter considers appropriate to put on the Instapost.
Well, I believe it's Instagram, Mama.
Let me see.
Gabby, what were you thinking?
Ugh, it's just a stupid picture.
Stupid is right.
You aren't even on Instagram.
You make Claudia post all your congressional pictures and stuff.
Oh, and you think that makes it all right?
It's not fair.
Veena.
Don't you have some homework to do?
Yes, Abuelita.
Listen to both of you.
Mama, just leave it alone for now.
We can talk about this later.
You're crazy.
It's Instagram!
Go away!
It's me Gabby.
Ugh, why is she so mean to me?
You're not the only one she's picking on.
She tried to talk Papa into making me give up my dog walking job.
Ha, that won't happen.
Congresswoman Mitchell likes you.
And she's on that immigration gang with Papa.
If Papa wants her to listen to any of his ideas, he doesn't want to make her mad by making her walk her own dog.
I hope you're right.
Abuelita never gets really mad at you the way she does at me.
That's not true.
Yes, it is.
She's always liked you better.
I've heard her call you her favorite granddaughter a million times.
That's only because we have the same name.
Saint Josefina.
That's not my fault.
Ugh.
I wish she had stayed in California.
We were doing alright here in DC without her.
Sort of.
She wasn't like this back when we all lived in LA.
Like a prison guard, I mean.
What changed?
Well, for one thing, she was always busy in California.
She was on a zillion committees at Sacred Heart back in LA.
She isn't on any committees here.
We don't even have a church.
Back in Los Angeles, our home was always full of familia.
Our primos and tias and tios.
The only family Abuelita has here in Washington is us.
Maybe she's homesick.
For what?
All those bus trips to the Indian Casino out near Palm Springs?
Maybe she's homesick for her friends on the bus.
Hmm.
You know, maybe you're right.
Maybe she's just lonesome.
She was always helping with the school bake sale or the church carnival.
Do you remember that time she took first aid training and kept practicing on us?
Maybe Abuelita just needs someone else to worry about, other than us, I mean.
I wish Mama was here.
She would know what to do.
Well, don't you wish that you could just check your voicemail and there'd be a message from Mama?
That would be something.
Mama calling from heaven.
What do you think she would say?
That she loves us.
And to take care of Papa.
Gabby, what if I told you there might be a message from Mama waiting for us?
What, like some lost letter from the post office?
Sort of.
I'd love to see that letter.
And I know one thing.
Mama wouldn't kick me off Instagram over a stupid dress.
I've got to get back to the hill.
Another gang of seven meeting, Papa?
Gang of six now, now that one of the senators dropped out of the committee.
Mijo, you look exhausted.
There are dark circles under your eyes.
Can't be helped, Mama.
Are you going to quit the gang too, Papa?
No.
Never give up, never give in.
Your favorite movie.
Can I at least have my phone back?
As soon as you prove to me that you have some common sense.
Mama, I won't be home for dinner, so why don't you get out of the house for a while?
It's not that cold out and the sun's out.
Take the girls with you.
I could use some fresh air.
You are still grounded.
Fina, what do you say?
You want to take me sightseeing?
Where do you want to go, Abuelita?
Down to the river.
I miss my California ocean.
So over there is the baseball park where the Washington Nationals play, and behind that there's the river.
Abuelita?
Abuelita?
Why did you stop?
Fina, tell me again why your father has not yet picked a church.
It's not like he didn't try, Abuelita.
We went church shopping every Sunday.
Church shopping?
When we first moved to Washington, Papa used to take us to lots of churches.
Every Sunday we would try out a new place to go to Mass.
Why didn't you just pick a church?
Washington is a city with churches everywhere.
None of the churches felt like home.
And after a while, we stopped looking.
Tina, what does that sign say?
I don't have my reading glasses.
Our Lady of Refuge Catholic Church.
It kind of looks like Dracula's castle.
Hmm.
Does Dracula's castle have stained glass windows with roses in them?
I guess not.
Roses? are for Nuestra Senora, you know?
Remember the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe?
Roses in winter.
Maria sent Juan Diego back to the bishop with his cloak full of roses, to prove that he really did see Our Lady.
She really did want a church. built on that hill.
And when he dropped his cloak, the roses fell to the floor.
The bishop didn't pay any attention to the roses, but he got all excited about the picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe on his cloak.
In my old school, we always celebrated Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12.
Bueno.
It is a sign.
Tomorrow we will all go to Mass right here.
No more church shopping.
The Fina Mendoza Mysteries are written and produced by Kitty Felde.
Our cast includes Amy Solano as Fina Mendoza, Christine Avila as Abuelita, Monica Vigil as Gabby, Stephen Cuevas as Papa Elizabeth, Logan as St.
Sebastian, Mindy Shaw as the zoo intern, And Steve Dvorkin is Father Andrew and Senator something.
Andrea Felix Cervantes is our stage manager.
Our music is written and performed by Andrew Barkin.
And our logo designer is Imelda Hinojosa.
Season two of the Fina Mendoza Mysteries podcast is based on the book.
State of the Union by Kitty Felde, published by Chesapeake Press.
You can pick up a copy at your local bookstore or ask the local public library to order a copy.
And if you want an autographed copy of State of the Union, check out the website chesapeakepressorg.
That's also where you can find out more about the cast and the crew of the Fina Mendoza Mysteries.
It's also where you can find a free download of the 56-page teacher's guide to the book and the podcast, just by signing up for our newsletter, which includes the facts behind the fiction in the Fina Mendoza Mysteries series.
It's also, by the way, a very sneaky way to introduce civics education to elementary school students.
Next time on the Fina Mendoza Mysteries.
Everybody's been looking for the bird that pooped on the president in the wrong place.
Instead of looking up, they should have been looking down.
That's coming up next on the Fina Mendoza Mysteries.
Don't miss a single episode.
Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.
And if you like the show, tell a friend.
And now you can get the Spanish version of State of the Union, called Estado de la Unión, translated by Jorge Flores Gonzalez.
Forward just gave the books a five-star review, calling Fina an intelligent and precocious heroine who uses her critical thinking skills and keen observational senses to suss out information on the Chicharne and other mysteries in her daily life.
Both books are available now from Chesapeake Press wherever great books are sold.
