Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Catching up on Blogs

I KNOW I should be emptying the suitcase and getting everything put away, but FIRST I had to catch up with everyone on their blogs. Ya'll are friends now tooI I didn't have time to do any blog reading for three weeks so it's so nice to read about all of you today.
Billie, I'm sorry you're still dealing with the ankle! First Mate have ya'll sailed down the coast yet? And Gypsy Girl, looking forward to your visit to San Miguel! Mexiblog, you don't blog often but when you do, it covers like six months worth!
Ok, NOW I need to get busy..............

Monday, January 28, 2008

Day 25 in ICU!

I'm back in San Miguel! Got in earlier this evening and with very mixed feelings. I hated to leave Amanda, still in ICU, and Patrick who is driving back and forth from near Galveston to Houston on a daily basis, BUT I also needed to get home after being gone for 18 days.....I've always wished I could be in two places at once!

From emails I've gotten it sounds like more tubes have come out and that is good news for Amanda. It is a slow process. I would imagine that it will be May before she is home just thinking of how long she'll be at Hermann and then at TIRR (Texas Institute for Rehab and R something else (I don'tknow what the other R is for)........SO keep on sending all those positive thoughts.......PUH leez.

I have to confess the drive home was beautiful. GREEN! Once I turned off the highway and headed to San Miguel down the very narrow two lane road, the green fields were exquisite and breath taking. It's that green that is so intense that they use it in St. Patrick's Day decorations - it was so GREEN it made me want to take off my shoes, stop the car and run through whatever the crop is, barefooted. What crop could be that green? Asparagus? I have no idea.....

It's also WARM here - oh blessed warm.

It IS always nice to get home - I don't care where I go or what I do - I have a great time, but I"m ALWAYS happy to be home!

Friday, January 25, 2008

The latest about unsung heroes and heroines

Wow, hospital personnel CAN be heroes and heroines as in the case of the female surgeon who wouldn't leave Amanda last night til they had her back in ICU in a bed. It did delay her coming to tell us her status, which was a bit nerve wracking, but her focus was correctly placed!
A football size sac of fluid and air formed outside of the lungs and had caused the lungs to collapse. Although the surgery was not expected and depressed all of us, in retrospect it was a necessary evil to get her on the right track to breath much better and to feel much better.
I know she IS better because even though she is in Shock/Trauma ICU she wanted her hair brushed and her lipstick today. GO GIRL! It felt like a step back but it actually will cause steps forward to be accelerated, according to the doctor.
I have watched with great awe at all the kindnesses of the personnel at Hermann Hospital. I greatly admire how respectful they are when they talk to the patient and to the families. They patiently answer ALL questions - a far cry from the way things used to be. In my attempt yesterday to find a certain waiting area, an orderly saw me looking at signs and took the time to lead me to where I needed to go!!! Such a nice thing.
A funny little story - when the Dr., who looks to be in her late 30's or early 40's was talking last night and started to say "older women", I jokingly said, "Watch it!" and she laughed and it broke the tension..............for all of us. It's the little things..............
That's if from North of the Border - oh, by the way, with the wind chill here today it felt like 37 degrees..................I should have brought my coat!

Thursday, January 24, 2008

It's a roller coaster ride!

I spoke too soon, darn it! Amanda is back in ICU and having surgery today. I'm so bummed about it. Because all of her ribs were broken, one or some of them are pressing on her lungs and causing a fluid buildup near the wound site that they operated on when they fused her vertebrae. So the "team" after many x-rays and CT scans decided they needed to do this..........I do trust their judgement but gosh, it is a step back.................at least from such a great day as yesterday. Hopefully this will preclude any further surgery and also speed up the removal of the trach...................keep those prayers and positive thoughts going to Amanda - she still needs them! "Bless her heart" as we say in the South! I'm still in Houston.............

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

YEE ha!

Amanda got out of ICU into a private room last night - THANK goodness. Yesterday was a rough, anxious day and I was a wreck when I got home from the hospital.........BUT today was 1000% better and all is good. Therapists were astonished that she could move her legs 10 times in therapy and she ate solid food, joked, had no anxiety attacks, and was OUT OF BED in a specially rigged chair. Oh and wanted lipstick!!! Halleluia!
SO with all that said, I've done my "bedside time" with Amanda and she totally understands that I need to "hightail" it back home for the birth of Matilda, which it appears will be coming sooner then her due date................yikes, I feel like a pingpong ball.
See ya'll on down the road.
Yes to all my San Miguel friends, I'll be home by the weekend!

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Plodding along!

Progress is being made but slowly..........Amanda is out of the big ICU and in a secondary ICU which at least has a window and isn't quite as noisy. She is NOT impressed! Step by step. They can't remove the trach til they are no longer extracting fluid from her lungs..........they continue physical therapy but she is suffering from ICU psychosis which means shes not always sure where she is. Told the nurse yesterday (with no voice) that she should be an outpatient cause it would be cheaper! That's our girl.
Unfortunately I haven't seen here for several days because they are limiting visitors now............and it will probably be Tuesday before I see her again.
So, I've been seeing grandkids and kids and relatives and staying busy. I DO have the car loaded with stuff to take back to San Miguel so whenever that is...........all I have to do is toss in the suitcase and head out. Most of the stuff in the car is for the new grandbaby coming in about 4 weeks so I can't be here too much longer...............I have a NEW grandbaby coming and I need to be in San Miguel for her birth!
That's about if from north of the border...........it is colder then a rat's ass in Alaska here and I'm ready for WARM sunny weather, south of the border. Even just sunny will do.
Thanks so much to all of you for your encouraging words - it's nice to know I'm not shouting into a void!

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Life works in mysterious ways

Yesterday was very eventful.........all in a GOOD way - took Amanda's 93 year old mother to see her. Ruth, Amanda's mother, is more alert then I (which is something) and she talks non-stop but always about very interesting things.............so the hour from her home to the hospital she was telling me about when her husband raced in the Monte Carlo race in the 20's from Estonia to Monte Carlo and some of the art he bought when he first got to Estonia. Ruth and Fred were married 61 years before his passing and they lived all over the world. What a life! Ruth had a hip replacement six months ago at 92 and walks with a cane but other then that, she is feisty as ever. So, you see Amanda comes from good "genes".
All is well at the hospital even though Amanda had to have an operation to check an infection where she had back surgery on the 6th of January. She was alert when I was there and was asking all kinds of questions with her lips (has no voice because of trach)............I TRIED to answer all of them She continues to be exasperated at not being able to tell everyone what to do..........it makes me so happy to see that cause I KNOW she will get well.
The three granddaughters who were in the car when it was hit are all well, home and enjoying all the perks of special treats after their experience.
The 35 year old defense attorney who was "drag racing" his Porsche with a Corvette when he hit Amanda and Patrick's car was jailed and I'm not sure if he still is in jail but sure hope he is prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
That's about if from cold and rainy Houston. I'll be happy when I can head home to sunny San Miguel and NOT have to drive!

Monday, January 14, 2008

EXHALE!

I've been holding my breath since last Sunday, the 6th, when Amanda's husband called to tell me of their accident. Today I exhaled. I spent time with Amanda in ICU and she is mouthing words a mile a minute (she just woke up yesterday) but you have to be able to lip read because of the trach you can't hear anything! So we figured out she wanted to know where one of her son's was..............we figured out she wanted to go home..................and that she wanted a sandwich!!! Can you believe that? She is a spunky woman who doesn't put up with much and as far as patience, well let's just put it this way..............Amanda has the energy of a hummingbird and moves at that pace. She was in a chair today! Now remember, this woman was unconscious until 2 days ago...........Marvelous, amazing, miraculous - thank goodness for your prayers and thank goodness for Hermann Hospital's Trauma center.
So now, I can hardly wait for her to get into a room so I can stay with her - we all jokingly- out of earshot of Amanda- were talking about who would have what shift...........cause we KNOW she is not going to be a good patient............she's never been sick. BUT it was all jokingly because we are so darn happy that she is on the mend.
Happy Days!.
Tomorrow I'm going to take her 93 year old mother, Ruth to lunch, that is if she can fit me in around her bridge game. Great genes huh?
THANKS EVERYONE for all of your great comments and reassurance - it means a lot!

Saturday, January 12, 2008

The latest from Houston!

The trip up was long...very long. A usual 14 hours turned into 16 1/2 thanks to the highway dept posting a detour sign east of San Antonio on 410 and closing I-10 East - it was an adventure - just us and about 10,000 18 wheelers ....all trying to figure out how to get back on I10!
Ya'll must be sending LOTS of positive energy and prayers cause Amanda opened her eyes today.....MAJOR event after no response for 9 days..........vital signs are much better and infection under control. All GOOD things. Thanks for your help.
I'm up here til first week of Feb, if needed..............best time of year to be here! But of course, NOT for this reason. MORE later

Wednesday, January 09, 2008

Amanda Update

Amanda is still fighting the good fight according to the reports I'm getting from her son. Vertebrae work done; tracheotomy yesterday; surgery on her arm today............and on and on and on.
As I was walking down the hill this morning to do all the last minute things in order to be able to leave in the morning for Texas, I remembered how my daughter Jennifer responded to prayers. I used to email anyone and everyone and say "Pray - send white light - send positive energy, she needs it". And SEVERAL times Jen would say to me, "Did you send out an email today or yesterday Mom?" And I would say "Yes" and she would say, "I could tell because I got the energy and I feel better" This didn't happen just once but several times!
So EVERYONE PRAY FOR AMANDA - SEND POSITIVE ENERGY FOR HER RECOVERY!
Gracias.

Monday, January 07, 2008

Amanda

Life can change with a phone call........usually, at least in my case, not for the better. I received a call from Amanda's husband Patrick yesterday that they had been in a near-fatal car accident on Thursday. He, Amanda and two granddaughters had been out for the girl's annual Christmas treat of dinner and a play (they are around 10, I think). A car hit them going nearly 100mph and the impact threw Amanda and little Bailey out of the car. Both have been in ICU since then.
I'm devastated.
Amanda, Patrick and I have been friends for almost 30 years. It's a friendship that has been through EVERYTHING - as good friendships are, happy and sad times. We have always been there for each other. I couldn't begin to tell you all the things that she and Patrick did for me and my family in the 5 1/2 year battle with Jennifer's leukemia and Amanda took over and handled everything when Jennifer passed on. What a dear, dear friend.
I need to go to Texas to be there! She is having serious surgery today on her vertebrae and I'm not there but I will be before the week's end. So, if you don't hear from me for a while, that will be the reason.
"Each friend represents a world in us. A world
possibly not born until they arrive and it is only by
this meeting that a new world is born"
Anais Nin

Saturday, January 05, 2008

Patience paid off...........FINALLY!

Back in mid-September I mentioned that the street lights had gone out and then on the 20th of October I wrote about my frustration to try to get the lights fixed............well, I'm hear to report that FINALLY on December 31, 2007 - almost 4 months later THE LIGHTS ARE ON, well two of them - and I give up on the third one. I literally danced in the dining room when I looked out and saw the lights that night...........Isn't that ridiculous?
Patience DID pay off........hopefully............

Inspiration

Oaxaca and its amazing contemporary Mexican art really inspired me! The colors, the subject matter and the imagery were masterful. I'm ACTUALLY thinking of pulling out all my art supplies that have been stored for 7 years and getting back into creating! BUT before I start on the art- hmmmmm, that rhymes, I saw this door at a friends "wild house" and WoW, it really inspired me. I have only two white things in my house and they are doors. I have disliked them intensely (hated them) for all the time I have lived here and I've been in a quandry of what to do to them..........(white is NOT me) and now I know. Stay tuned for the wacky door project. I KNEW I would think of a use for all those old Mexican bottle caps and old jewelry and stuff..............
Click on the door to see it up close - it's wonderful, as is my friend's entire house. Every surface is covered with something.............

Friday, January 04, 2008

Jack

I don't know who Jack is.........but he sent me a delightful gift this morning to enjoy with my coffee. He had written a comment on the blog I wrote a while back about MM Cinemas and he told me that he had a photo of it. So I went to www.flickr.com/photos/41894180030@N01/21165251450 and voila there it was..........BUT of course my curiosity got the better of me and I saw he had lots of photos of San Miguel and Guanajuato so I watched his slide show. Enchanting! It is always so great to see what other people feel is worth photographing in this village that is so photographic. His work did not disappoint, at all. I loved his street scenes and the shot he got of the Parroquia peeking between the corner shops as he came up Reloj - superb.
Thanks Jack for a gift from someone I don't even know!

Thursday, January 03, 2008

A sense of well being

I don't know what it is about the drive to Celaya (40 minutes) that always puts me in a mellow mood but it happened again today. I go over there every couple of months or so to WalMart, Home Depot and Costco or in today's case, only to Walmart.
But it's the drive - the beautiful green fields full of brocolli, cabbage, cauliflower and who knows what else. It's shades of different green and wide open spaces. There's a stretch that is curvy and around a little mountain and you look out and down on a little village with water. It is "muy tranquilo". Although it is a two lane road and not particularly easy to pass, I just calm down and go with the flow..............
Today there were "pickers" in some of the fields and that always causes me to wonder about them and their lives and if they are happier to be picking at home rather then in a foreign country where the living isn't easy for them.............
Musings of an old woman I guess.

Wednesday, January 02, 2008

The reverse trip home

I HAVE to write about this just so I can tell you a wonderful story about something that happened at the north terminal to me................it was one of the highlights of my trip!
So, I get the bus in Oaxaca at 9AM heading to Mexico City - I had the hotel make a sandwich for me to take on the bus for this 12-14 hour trek which I thought was pretty smart and I settled in. I was really, really looking forward to the trip from Oaxaca to Mexico City because I had not been able to see the countryside on the trip down. It is the most desolate land I have seen in Mexico. No agriculture, very arid, extremely mountaineous, treeless scrub ground. WOW, a moonscape of sorts. So we drove for about four hours with that scenery and then came close to Puebla where it is agricultural with lots of fields of vegetables and flowers and GREEN. Nice to see green.
Upon arriving in Mexico City, I got my two bags (I went down with one) and attempted to get down a ramp that was on a grade so steep that I was afraid my suitcase would take off and decapitate someone................whew, I made it to the bottom by taking tiny steps, got the cab - this time a young "AJ Foyt" who got me to the North Terminal in 15 minutes! Remember, it took the first cab driver one hour - needless to say, my hands were shaking when we got to the terminal............A porter got my bags - which were huge with tapestries, rugs, ceramics, etc.etc.etc. in them and followed me into the terminal where pandemonium reigned.............think LaGuardia two days before Christmas - a mass of humanity in long lines. He guided me to a line where I waited for over 30 minutes for my ticket and it turned out that ETN's computers were down! I kept thinking the porter would just leave the bags and me and then I would have to attempt to schlep them through this mass of humanity - nope, he didn't! In fact, he guided me to another line and eventually after 45 minutes I had a ticket and off we went to Sala 1 me, the porter and two oversized bags. Well, they had removed almost all of the seats because of the amount of people and I had 2 1/2 hours til my bus left for San Miguel...............by golly this man found a seat for me, deposited me, my bags and I was so grateful that I tipped him very well - he told me to go out to the bus at 6:10PM and to sit where I was until then (in Spanish) - ha, he needn't have worried.........so there I sat watching the interplay of people. The shoeshine men, the families, the lovers and voila at 6PM who should appear but the old porter! I was amazed to see him - he said to come with him, he loaded my bags and off we went outside to where the bus was going to be - he talked to the manager of ETN and I guess told him where I was going - the man came over and told me that the bus was delayed but not to move and I would be going soon. The old porter disappeared, the bus came and I headed home. BUT my heart was SO touched that that man took the time to come check on me and help me again. THAT is Mexico!

The villages of Oaxaca

On the day before I left to do the reverse trip home to San Miguel - we had a driver to go into the countryside to the villages. I could hardly wait to get to the villages and I so regret that I didn't get to any markets in these villages - my favorite thing to do. First we went to Monte Alban where Tom and Moira trekked around and I waited for them..........and then we headed off to the artesan villages of Arrazola to the home of Jimenez; to Ocatlan de Morales to the homes of the Aguilar sisters; and then to Santo Tomas Jalieza which is famous for weavers with back strap looms.
I had started in 1988 reading about Jimenez and the Aguilar sisters. Jimenez is the man who started carving brightly colored "otherworldly" animals. He truly started an industry with his work because he received such accolades and honors and taught so many people in his village this art. Jimenez has since passed on but his grandson was at his house when we arrived unannounced. We were greeted warmly and brought into the house to see his work. I presented him with the newspaper article I had saved since 1988 that appeared in the Houston Chronicle about his grandfather. He was thrilled and could speak English so he began to read the article that also had pictures. I couldn't afford to buy any of his work but it was such an honor to see it in person and to meet part of his family - most of the men were in the fields working.
We then drove directly to Ocatlan de Morales, a Zapotec village, to the home of the Aguilar sisters who create wonderful ceramic pieces of the native women and men and events in their community. I again had saved an article from the Houston Chronicle to give to the family from 1988 and again, a grandson who spoke English received it and quickly went to get his father and mother who were the son-in-law and daughter of the orginal Josefina Aguilar who has since passed on. I met all of the daughters of the woman I had read about 20 years ago and who now create her work. What an honor! I was able to buy some of their work. Onward we went into this village to see the museum that Rodolfo Morales, the great impressionistic Mexican artist had restored. Much of his work is in this building in this tiny village and we were the only people there! Wow, what a treat! The Artes de Mexico magazine #21 has many of his works and great writings about Oaxaca if you're interested.
By now, it was late, we were tired and hungry so we didn't go on to all of the villages we thought we would, but we did stop in Santo Tomas Jalieza. Sooooooooo glad we did. Again we were the only people there to watch the women weaving and then saw the beautiful weavings they had made and had to sell. One table runner takes at least a day to weave - the intricacy is awe inspiring. I was told they start teaching their daughters to weave as early as four years old. That is so wonderful because it would be so terrible to lose this beautiful tradition.
So, from all you have read you can tell that we did a LOT - but there was so much we didn't get to do........another trip HAS to be made! It will probably be at least a year and a half - for Guelaguetza in July - before I return, but afterall, it took me twenty years to get there the first time - I WILL be back!

Oaxaca

Getting to Oaxaca is NOT easy! I had done all kinds of research, decided NOT to drive because I didn't want to make the wrong turn and end up in Mexico City (population 20 million) - have a nervous breakdown and never get there, ha! I wanted to fly but it was over $500 round trip - so I opted for the bus. Four hours to Mexico City on ETN (not bad) - then a death defying ride to the TAPO bus terminal on the south side of the city with the "AJFOYT" of taxi drivers - one hour from door to door with screeching, cursing and honking........ok, THAT was an adventure.! Aah, but a nice place to wait at the TAPO station for the bus to Oaxaca. I'm such a "people watcher" that that was fine. Then the 6.5 hour (supposedly) trip to Oaxaca......and it was! So, I left San Miguel at 7AM and arrived in Oaxaca at 11PM. Note to self, don't EVER do that again - go to Mexico City - spend the night - and catch the bus the next day. I admit it - 16 hours is TOO much for me. But the next day I woke and had breakfast with one of the guests at the hotel I was staying at and she had lived literally all over the world............and then I headed off on an exploration journey until my friends Tom and Moira arrived later that day. Aaah, smooth sidewalks - no cobblestones - aaah, no steep hills and most of all aaah, warm weather and 1500 ft altitude lower then San Miguel, so no breathlessness. Wow what a joy!
The zocalo with its huge trees and people enjoying it and sauntering around is a beautiful sight. I visited the cathedral and later that week went to Mass in that beautiful place.
All of the meals we had and restaurants we dined in were delicious. From the tiny French bistro that had great pate to the fabulous Chrismtas Eve dinner we had at the Camino Real, all were very enjoyable and even inexpensive. My favorite was Casa Oaxaca which I had heard about and where I had the most delicious corn and squash blossom soup I have ever eaten along with grouper prepared with clams and I know not what else.............I have to admit, I DID NOT eat the fried grasshoppers - I just couldn't...............killed too many on my bedroom floor to think about eating them.
We traipsed through art galleries (the best art I've seen in Mexico, bar none), museums - Tamayo's incredible collection of Pre-Columbian relics - equal to many large museums - msuems more then I can list - and of course, we made it to four of the five mercados - more then once! Oops and churches. We saw a quinceanaro one evening as we were walking to dinner - wow what an event and we saw lots of weddings!
I was enchanted with all of the indigenous women dressed in their native dress - the Yalags, Mixtecos, Tehuanas, just to name a few - I would just stop and watch them and marvel at the regalness or tinyness of these women. The Triques must be decendents of Mayans because they are of that stature - teeny, tiny people. I did notice that many of the people were taller then I am used to seeing in San Miguel. Beautiful faces.
From the terrace of my hotel while eating breakfast each morning, I was looking out on a view of a church that looked very austere. But the night we went there to see the Oaxaca Symphony playing, I couldn't believe my eyes when we walked in - the church built by the Dominicans - well actually built by the Indians - was COVERED with carved wood scenes with gold gilding and the altar was so ornate! When you look at Tom's photos and see the closeups of the ceilings, you'll see what I'm talking about. The only other church I've seen in Mexico detailed like that is in a village outside of Puebla - it equally "blew me away" with the incredible artistic ability of these natives of Mexico.
If I had to explain Oaxaca I would say - color, color, color and architecture and art equal to anyplace I've been in the world (including Paris) BUT the most memorable is the gentleness of the people and their welcoming smiles. GO, YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED!

Noche de Rabanos - Night of the Radishes - Oaxaca

There is so much to write about this trip to Oaxaca that I decided that I need to break it up into segments with the first, obviously, needing to be the Night of the Radishes! It was so wonderful that I found myself giggling as I walked along and photographed each scene. At one point I choked up because I realized I had waited twenty years for this and I was HERE! It is pure, naive and whimsical folkart - No it isn't for sale - No it isn't eaten - it just IS - by the next morning you could not tell in the zocalo that any such thing had been held. Amazing. This first photo is a "Tree of Life" of radishes. Click on it to see it enlarged. If any of you have ever been in a Mexican mercado, I'm sure you have marveled at their displays of fruit and vegetables - they are merchandising geniuses. If we "eat with our eyes" as they say, then you can't ignore the displays. THAT is how the radish festival began - one vendor started carving in order to sell his radishes, another copied and outdid him and it GREW to this incredible feast for the eyes. If I remember correctly, it started about 80 years ago. They carve what they are familiar with, village scenes and festivals, farm scenes, and of course the Virgen of Guadalupe. There were three categories - all organic - radishes, dried flowers and corn husks. The next photo is a farm scene which is just so wonderful. . While we were walking along looking at this, they were "spritzing" the displays with a water bottle. That is how perishable these are.
The next photo was of teensy weensy star flowers and other dried flowers. Exquisite. There were several "virgens" but I so loved the gentleness of this one.
The corn husk displays were colored with food coloring (I presume), or they could have been colored with the bugs they use to dye the rugs - I actually don't really know............but they were huge displays and intricately detailed as well. Fiestas are so much a part of the Mexican life and so this one depicts a festival.
I loved all of it but I must say I loved the radishes the most. It seemed so surreal that they could take an edible food products and create so much...............I took over 200 photos, so for me to narrow this down to 4 was ridiculously hard. If you would like to see all of Oaxaca - the churches and museums, the artisans and mercados and the radish fetival, my friend Tom LaFaver has it ALL on Flickr. He and his wife Moira were my traveling buddies. This is the fourth folkart trip we have taken together and each one has been a blast. Go to www.flickr.com/photos/tomlafaver/ It is worth taking the time to see Tom's photos which so richly depict all that we saw.................(note to me, GET A DIGITAL CAMERA!) Enjoy!











Tuesday, January 01, 2008

Lazy-itis

Ok I confess, I've been home since about midnight last Thursday but I've just NOT felt like writing. Several reasons, I needed to get my photos developed; catch up on to dos; stuff going on but mostly, Oaxaca is still running around in my head because it was so amazing!
The photos are ready, the ideas on Oaxaca are settling down and I'm caught up on grocery shopping, etc etc etc. So, bear with me - I'll "blog" about Oaxaca in the next day or so......it was all I hoped it would be and MORE!
HAPPY NEW YEAR.