Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Basking in the Sun

Heading to Lake Chapala this weekend, I had no preconceived notions or expectations. I did hope to see some beautiful folkart, hear some good lectures and hopefully happen upon old friends. All of these things happened...........and more. I had no expectation that the lake would have recovered so beautifully in the last seventeen years. I had forgotten how the slight humidity caresses your skin with the soft breezes off the lake.
We arrived mid-afternoon after a few mistaken turns - me driving. Arriving at the B&B I had reserved rooms at, I had no idea that it had previously been the home of D.H. Lawrence. It is where he wrote the Plumed Serpent! What a delightful surprise to learn that information. More on the Quinta Quetzalcoatl B & B in another post.
So we headed to the Yacht Club to see the folkart. Strolling back along the lakeshore after the show, it was so beautiful as the sun began to set. A long promenade juts into the lake and many, many people were sitting on benches and walking to and fro.
As will happen in Mexico, something unexpected happened. I saw this group of four nuns walking along. With great hesitation, I asked if I might take a photo of them. They agreed and giggled with glee at seeing themselves in the camera's window. A sweet happening.

Seeing the nuns reminded me of going to Catholic Girls School for many, many years (I've been trying to recover from that for my whole life). It reminded me of the time that the nun I had in the third grade said something about having had Cheerios for breakfast that morning. I was so astonished that I cried going home after school that day. I don't know - I guess I thought nuns ate "angel food" or something. It crushed my desire to be a nun, which is something all little Catholic girls want at some point.

My friends Ron and Fred, who traveled with me on this trip, laughingly said that if I had been a nun they would have liked to see the church that would have accepted me. They think it would have had to have been the "church of what's happening now"......... They love to tease me - cause they love me. I think.
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6 comments:

Steve Cotton said...

Aha! So that is where you slipped off to. Cavorting with nuns. Now there is a title for a novel just waiting to be written.

Babs said...

Well Steve, it would be hard to "cavort" with nuns. They used to always have a ruler in their hands, just in case you did something wrong. BUT I do love the title "Cavorting with nuns".
And, as a side note, I do know two men who have indeed dated "former" nuns, so I assume they "cavorted".

Islagringo said...

We stayed at the Lake Chapala Inn. Another lovely little B&B right on the water. The elderly woman who runs it is a bit strange though. She will only go up or down stairs backwards!

The picture of the nuns is so great. Look at how the younger ones are caring for the older ones. Sweet.

And I do think that your friends love you.

Michael Dickson said...

My wife wanted to be a nun when she was a teen-ager. Thank God it did not happen.

But she would have washed out by now, I think. She never went to a Catholic school. Thank God again. Her father detested the Catholic Church. And he didn´t care much for Gringos either. I came along long after he died.

I have spent only one night in the Chapala area.

Babs said...

Michael, I'm glad your wife didn't become a nun either. Lordy, the Catholic Church would NOT be the same if they had had me. It would have been like having a tiger by the tail. I do NOT do well with being told what to do.......well sometimes.........

picklesandroses.blogspot.com said...

So glad you noticed the nuns and go their picture! These nuns, however, do look like they have been cavorting...no rulers that I can see.