Monday, July 30, 2007

A Texas "character"

One of the things I love about Texans is that they are sometimes, LARGER THEN LIFE, and real characters! I love people who are secure enough in themselves to be themselves.......well a Texas legend died last night. He was "Maaaaaaaaaaarvin Zindler of Eyewitness News"! Yes, he was a television "character" but so much, much more! I couldn't possibly write everything about this man even if I tried. If you're interested after finishing my blog go to www.houstonchronicle.com and read the story.
He was the man of the "little" man and he used his celebrity, his many plastic surgeries and dressing like a "dandy" to get people's attention. And, attention he got! He loved to have a "roach and rat" report once a week about the restaurant industry. Restauranteurs dreaded those weekly reports of what the health department had found..........and then back in the 70's he did reports about a "bawdy" house in LaGrange, Tx. known as the Chicken Ranch. The rest is history............it lead to The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and Dom Deluise played a character similar to Zindler.......
He talked openly about his plastic surgeries and then leaned on those who made money off his surgeries to do all kinds of needed surgeries on people from all over the world who had suffered in wars, fires, accidents or were born with defects.
There will never be another Marvin just like there will never be another Molly Ivins, Ann Richards, Barbara Jordan or all the Texas "characters" that I am proud to say lived and made their mark in Texas! There are zillions, luckily!

"Under the weather"

Yes, I was "under the weather" this weekend, literally and figuratively. I was "hit with something" about 8PM on Friday night and didn't come back to life til this morning! Wow, you would think all my clothes would be loose today, NOT!
It was a great weekend to be sick cause we had a "gully washer" on Friday night that was thunder, lightning, hail, wind and flooding............the talk in town today was that we had 6 inches over the weekend (not confirmed) but it sure seems like it. I have never experienced a storm like that in San MIguel before - the lightning and thunder began at 9PM and didn't stop til around 3AM.......amazing. "Gully washer" might be a Texas term - I'm not sure.......
The presa (reservoir)down the hill from my house looks like an infinity pool - the water is running over all the walls. The cascada (waterfall) coming down the canyon wall is as wide as I have ever seen it. Truly a sight to behold. Of course now the wildflowers are getting as high as the roof of the taxis and it won't be long that the wildflowers on the sides of the highways will be higher then the top of my Pathfinder. I kid you not.
So now I understand the term, "under the weather" better then ever.

The "daily" traffic

I do believe you could live in your house in San Miguel and never have to leave........if you have a maid and handyman, that is. They will pay bills, go to market, fix things, buy flowers and generally make life "la vida loca".
In addition, there is the "flower boy" who stops once or twice a week to see if I want long stem roses - a dozen for 40 pesos (and I always tip him with some postre) and he grins from ear to ear..........then there is the water man who comes on Wednesdays, usually, if not Thursday morning. The laundry is picked up and delivered back, clean and folded. Aaah, retirement......but it doesn't end there!
There is the gas truck to deliver gas cylinders........the milk man who has milk in cylinders and people here him honk and are out on the street with a dipper and a container to take their milk into their casa. That is daily........AND if you listen carefully at 4PM every day a man sells fresh roasted "elote" (corn) on the corner and also if you hear a sweet whistle, that is the man who sharpens knives and scissors. My ear is now attuned to all of these sweet, sweet sounds of Mexico.

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

So unpredictable.........so you go "with the flow"!

One of the things I love here is you NEVER know what the day will bring.......yesterday started out normal, until I picked up the phone and it was dead. My thought, "oh well it will work later", and it did!
I meet a group of women on Monday mornings for cappuchino to catch up on the news and what's coming up, etc.etc.etc. We meet "loosely" at 11AM and people stroll in for the next hour or so........we've all learned that a specific time is irrelevant, ha. Anyway, as I was sitting and waiting for "the girls" a commotion began on the other side of the jardine. I couldn't see what it was but I could hear it............soon I could see it, as they came parading by the outside cafe. There were about 75-100 people with signs saying that they wanted the "Running of the Bulls" celebration that is always held in September. It has been cancelled this year due to the overwhelming amount of people last year.............over 200,000 young people if I remember correctly. So, they had their signs, and their voices and then a truck with loud speakers appeared to lead them. A few were dressed like bulls and a couple like "runners". There was lots of laughing and fun. They circled the jardine about three times and then congregated in front of city hall for a demonstration which entailed someone talking and then they all left. . I did notice several signs with the Sol beer logo on them so I assume that is who paid for the signs.............I was sorry I didn't have my camera. NEVER a dull moment. Oh and of course, we women couldn't talk til it was allllllll over because of the noise! Funny, funny.

Friday, July 20, 2007

The "motley" Crew

This photo is my family - left to right, my sister Marilyn, my "big" brother Bob, my "little" brother Bill and me. Marilyn and Bob are 11 and 10 years older then me and Bill is 5 1/2 years younger. Quite a spread for a family!
I want to talk about Bob today because he would have turned 75. This was his birthday. There was never a kinder, gentler, sweeter man put on this earth. He was quiet and unassuming. Finished high school, joined the Navy (oh how I missed him) and when he got out of the Navy with a great education thanks to Uncle Sam, he went to work for IBM and was with them 30 years. A steady man. He raised a family of 5 children and I seldom saw him raise his voice. He had a wonderful laugh. I tried to make him laugh because it was music to my ears.
He loved to fish, smoke and gamble in that order.
I went to visit him in Shreveport about 8 years ago and he had saved up a large drinking cup of quarters so he could take me to the casino. It touched my heart. We spent 3 or 4 days together, just us and his wonderful wife, Mary Jo, and it was great to have time to talk. He had been an avid bowler and ice skater and swimmer when he was young and he had all these trophies in a closet and we sat and he showed these things to me. I loved every minute of it.
I drove up again, from San Miguel, 5 years ago for his 70th birthday. A surprise birthday. He was amazed-he couldn't believe anyone would make such a fuss over him. My sister Mar has 5 children and zillions of grandchildren and I have a few and then Bob has a few so it was a HUGE crowd of just family for this suprise party. It was fabulous.
Bob passed on to the "happy hunting ground" 3 years ago but my last memory is of he and Mary Jo dancing to the band at his 70th birthday party. Great guy!

Thursday, July 19, 2007

The "secret" is revealed!

The wonderful news was revealed last night at a small dinner party - my son John and his love, Lisa are having a baby! It is truly a miracle for so many reasons and I'm thrilled beyond belief. I nearly fainted when they came over on Tuesday and showed the sonagram to me. What a joy! The fact that John and Lisa met in San Miguel is amazing; they are both"individualistic" and inveterate travelers and they fit together like "two peas in a pod". I don't know who is more amazed at the whole thing, me, or John and Lisa.
Those of you who know my life story know what a miracle this is and what a joyful thing this is after our many years of great grief and sadness. So, it makes this even more beautiful!
That's it.............a baby and a new daughter and a happy son - what more could anyone ask for?

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Secrets

I have a secret that I can't share with anyone yet and I'm dying to tell EVERYONE! I LOVE to share good news. BUT, I'm sworn to secrecy and it is so hard............
I'm better though at keeping secrets then my youngest daughter Julie. She's so cute. When she was little her dad and sister and brother wouldn't tell her anything because she would run and tell me. Like the time she said, "Mom I can't tell you that there are flowers for you in the refrigerator cause Dad told me not to tell you". I cracked up laughing-she was about 4 or 5.
So, I will relish this "secret" until I can release it to you. Got you wondering?

Saturday, July 14, 2007

The Virgen and the Tuba Band

Fireworks at or before dawn are common in Mexico. I even heard them recently in Mexico City at about 5AM! The fireworks are petitions to the gods for intercessions or for celebrations of feast days, birthdays, deaths or whatever is important to someone - hence, lots of fireworks. BUT most of the times they are off in the distance - not always.
One early morning, about 4:30AM I woke to the sound of singing.......I laid there a minute to make sure I was awake and not dreaming and it continued........so my curiosity got the best of me and I went up the four flights of stairs to the roof terrace to see what was going on. Down below me on the road was a group of people with a white banner with the Virgen on it facing toward the canyon. They were singing "las mananitas" and it was this pure, gentle sound. So I watched unobserved for quite a while and when I started to get cold I came back in and got back under the covers. By now it was about 5:30AM and all of a sudden this "tuba band" started up and the singing got louder. As I listened, I heard the tuba band play "My heart belongs to you" and I just giggled and smiled and went back to sleep. Just one of my precious memories of living in this beautiful country!

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Health Insurance

I know this seems a strange topic for a blog but I need to say some things.............I found out yesterday that a friend in the USA has just been diagnosed with liver cancer and, yup, you guessed it, NO health insurance. She is a successful business woman who plowed all her money back into her business and just never got around to finding health insurance............I'm so worried about her.
I must say, there are so many ways to find group health insurance, even if you aren't working or you work for yourself!!! Here's some ideas. Trade organizations, chambers of commerce, women and men's organizations. NAFE (National Assn of Female Executives) was one I used at one point in my life.......very, very inexpensive group and life insurance. Membership fee was about $40 a year and premiums were very low.
I was widowed at 36 with three teenagers to raise and at various times I worked for companies but when I started my business at the age of 41 I was on my own to find insurance for us. I had group insurance through a Chamber of Commerce, the HRA (Houston Restaurant Assn) and NAFE. Everytime I found something better I changed. There is no physical and it was the most important thing to me right behind making the house payment and paying the utilities.
I, of course, now am old enough to have Medicare, yee ha, and I'm grateful for that. BUT if this blog can be of help to ANYONE out there then my mission has been accomplished.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Malinalco, Metepec and Cuidad de Mexico

I took the bus down from San Miguel to Mexico City to meet the group with Los Amigos del Arte Populare, www.ladap.org This group is all about Mexican folkart and the wonderful thing about the people in the group is their knowledge and enthusiasm. I've been involved for about 8-10 years in the group but have been a folkart collector for almost 30 years. So, the "adventure" began even before I "hooked up" with the group when the taxi driver could NOT get me anywhere near the hotel I was staying in because of "something going on" on the Reforma. So, he stopped on the side of the road and said "the hotel was probably a few blocks". In my heart I knew better but, whatcha going to do when the cab stops, takes out your giant suitcase and all the streets are blocked off by the police? I got out and started pulling my suitcase through Alameda Park! AND I came upon a parade as seen above - the Gay Pride Parade which was four blocks across and according to some bystanders, had been going on for almost three hours!
I kept saying to myself, "it's all about the journey.........." and sat on a wall til it was over - about 45 minutes later. And then, I started down Independencia for about 10 blocks til I got to the hotel. The beginning "adventure" of this trip...........
On Sunday we left Mexico City - destinations, Tenancingo to see exquisite rebozos, Malinalco to see the murals in the convent and the Aztec ruins called the "Machu Pichu of Mexico" and then to Chalma to the second most religious site for pilgrimages in Mexico. A LONG LONG day.
Upon arriving in Tenancingo, we headed straight to the market and found the area that sold the beautiful rebozos that are still done on backstrap looms. The women are known for the intricate fringe that they do on these rebozos. Marta Turok who is an expert on all that is Mexican folkart, literally, was with us and told how this is a dying art and the process. I loved this woman sitting so prim and proper with all of her rebozos spread in front of her for sale.........yes, I bought one.
We next headed to Malinalco. Although I've never been to Shangra-La, I do believe it couldn't be any more beautiful then this hidden mountain village. We entered on a ridged mountaineous road (the first ridged road I have seen in Mexico) and it was spectacular to see the village before us. We arrived at the convent where the walls and ceilings were covered with murals that were uncovered under 23 coats of whitewash and restored in black and white. Magnificent - my photo does NOT do it justice. The little village was quaint and many of the group hiked UP 400 steps to the top of the ruins (NOT me) to see the views of the valley.
Chalma was different from any place I have ever been in Mexico. It is a 600 year old shrine in a cave that the indigenous people worshipped at long before the Spaniards were here. You walk down, down, down through a market that has grown up around the shrine area to a church, a raging river and a cave. The people believe that if you wear a crown of flowers (available to buy) and enter the church and pray for a miracle, it will come true. Many, many, many people were doing just that that day. And, as they leave they have cars and buses decorated with flowers to show they have made the pilgrimage. I had no need for a miracle......that I could think of..........but later that night driving back to Mexico City, the bus defroster did not work, we were in a driving rainstorm in the mountains, the bus driver could hardly see and I do believe it is a miracle we're all alive today!
On Tuesday we traveled to Metepec- a place I've wanted to go for 30 years to see the process of making the Trees of Life. This is the village where two Great Masters live, or more, and I was so excited that it was market day and we were going to meet two masters. Well, it didn't work out that way BUT I did meet Sr. Miguel Angel Gonzalez who is shown below. His trees of life are different in that he uses more subdued colors in ochre tones. In this picture he is standing next to one of many trees as tall or taller then he is. I was honored to meet him.
After we talked and shopped he went upstairs and came down to show some of us that he had the same sweater on in the Great Masters book as he had on that day. He showed it to us with great pride and modesty. A special moment!
On Tuesday we visited the one year old Museo de Arte Popular in a converted fire station. It was spectacular. Approximately 1,000 pieces of folkart are on display out of their 2,500 piece collection. The historic and important thing about this museum is that folkart up til about 1970 was underappreciated by the people of Mexico and now it is truly being honored. A great thing to see. In addition, this part of Mexico City was one of the areas devastated by the 1985 earthquake and it is so good to see it revitalized. I was amazed at how much of the work displayed I have samples of..............a delightful experience. It took 4 years and US $8 million to restore and build the museum under the auspices of Conaculta. A huge committment for Mexico.
This wonderful devil greets you as you go in to see the exhibits. I laughed because I have a devil by this artesan in my dining room. He is not this tall but he is this elaborate. I like to tell people that I have a man devil in my dining room with his tongue hanging out...............they think I'm crazy, I'm sure!





Saturday, July 07, 2007

Rain, Rain go AWAY!

We have had so much rain in San Miguel that the gardens and vines and plants in general are water-logged. So am I! I have swept the roof terrace so much to get the standing water off that I'm going to need a new broom soon.
Typically they don't have to open the floodgates in the lake in the botanical gardens til September but alas, they are now open and the presa (reservoir) below my house is overflowing through town.
Enough already - just two days of no rain would be a relief!