Thursday, May 17, 2007

Green, green, green

Wow! I had forgotten how GREEN Texas is in the spring - well, almost all year actually in comparison to the desert! So beautiful.........I'm in Houston now visiting multitudes of friends and family and hugging grandkids.........life is good! The drive up was uneventful except for a wreck that took 45 minutes to pass and it was an overturned "chicken" truck. There were feathers and "pollo frito" everywhere. What a mess.............
Once I entered Texas though there were wildflowers everywhere in yellows and lavendar wildgrass. Quite beautiful. Aaah and the smell of freshly mown grass as they trimmed the medians brought back wonderful childhood memories. I LOVE to drive, can you tell? Well, I LOVE to drive on the highways, not in town. Once I hit the outskirts of Houston it was like a test of how strong your heart is..........5 or 6 lanes all going at breakneck speed. I'm glad to be here, alive.

Saturday, May 05, 2007

Impatience/patience!

Today the electricity was off for almost 7 hours..........I try to treat these escapades as just that, "escapades". I was on the computer this morning checking emails when everything just went off. Usually it comes back on in a few minutes - but, not today. So I busied myself with other things - catching up on some reading, a long leisurely shower to cool off since there were no ceiling fans, and a few other things. Then about 3 hours into this "escapade" I thought, "Hmmm, wonder if it's just my house that is out, I better try to call and see" So I did call and after about 10 rings a man answered and in Spanish I told him my situation and of course he replied in machine gun speed and there I stood........I apologized for my "muy mal Espanol" to which they always say politely "no no Senora es ok" but I still didn't know anything so I move on in the day with faith that it will be fixed. I left for a couple of hours and came home fully expecting electricity..........nope, not yet and then I decided it might be a lengthy siege so I gathered candles for the evening. I was amazed at my calmness and patience - wish I had always been this way in life! So I settle down to read a couple of business magazines, resigned to the fact that I will miss my favorite TV program at 6PM and voila, ELECTRICITY!
All in a day in Mexico!

MORE good things in Texas!

Also on the list of "things to do" - Galveston, Clear Lake, Tookie's, Frenchie's, Garden Ridge, Papasito's, Salvation Army and Goodwill for 50 cent books, Kam's, Hancock's, Kingwood, Ulta, Avenue, BlackEyed Pea, Armando's, any new restaurant concept that my "foodie" friends say I have to try with them of course, Wabash Feed store, Bolivar with the grandkids, Children's Museum, Otto's breakfast, lunch and dinner with friends...........now do you see why I need to be there a month and why I'm worn out when I get back?

Driving to Texas

Twice a year I gas up the car and head north to Texas and hang out with friends and hug grandkids (I guess they are no longer grandbabies) buy the things I can't find here and generally get my "Texas fix".
Ironically in the six years I've lived here the list of things I can't find in Mexico gets smaller and smaller but I still need things like cornmeal, cream-style corn, small cans of tomato paste, lemon oil for furniture, Captain Morgan's and fabric for furniture - it seems I'm always recovering something and the fabric here is NOT that great or available. Since I have so much furniture outside I'm always buying outdoor fabric which is relatively expensive down here. Oh and my favorite perfume and body lotion...........yes, I have a Houston list and as I think of something I add it to the list.
But most of all, my "Texas fix" is about seeing good friends and spending time with them as well as family and of course those precious grandchildren.
The grandchildren always go through their closets and have bags of toys for me to bring back for the children down here......and I always sneak in a few things for the "kids on the block" like little hot wheels and kites and bubbles............oh and of course BOOKS for the school library across from my house. It's a busy but happy time............Happy Trails!

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

The "kids" on the block

These are three of the nine children who live next door to me. Aren't they adorable? They are the youngest of the nine. They always wave and speak to me and are ALWAYS smiling.
Their dad used to drive a Bimbo bread truck but now he drives a BIG soft drink truck. I was coming home one day last week and they were sitting on the truck with happy smiles. I grabbed my camera out of my purse and took this shot.
I love to watch them playing and also I see the three of them walking to the tienda down the hill from my house - I think the oldest in this picture might be six. They ALWAYS hold the hand of their little sister. It is so precious.
Their ability at being able to do things at such a young age reminds me of how my mother used to send me to the store when I couldn't have been older then 5! I doubt many people in America would do that today but they sure do and can without worry in Mexico, thank goodness!

Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Never ceases to amaze me!

The internet is a blessing! It never ceases to amaze me all the things it can accomplish for you. I can stay in touch with friends; I can check out information which in the past would have required a trip to the library; and I can do business like check balances, pay bills and today rather then having to drive to Laredo to get car insurance for the USA, I was able to do it on the internet!!! Amazing. In the past, my local agent wrote the policy for the month or two that I was going to be in the States but, he no longer offers that service. Or, prior to that, I drove to Laredo, went to an agency and got a policy - about a two hour episode plus the fact that I had to drive through Nuevo Laredo and into Laredo (which I dislike) and since I don't usually spend the night in Laredo it delayed my trip............so today I contacted an agency in Laredo who was able to do the WHOLE thing on the internet and the 3 month policy was less expensive then the one month that I used to do here! Amazing. I now have the policy in hand and it is the same US insurance company that I used before.............I'm ready to head to Texas and never had to even leave my house! I LOVE living in this day and time.