I KNEW "it" would happen!

The landlord, after I pointed out that I have a swimming pool every time it rains, decided to do something about it for me. Wonder of wonders. I've lived here almost nine years and this is the first time they have done anything other then fix the sewer line and replace a broken tinaco. I'm astounded and delighted. Well, I was when he said they were going to lay tile on the roof. Remember how pretty my sitting area looked in the photos last week? Well, look at it now........YIKES. Can you tell how I had camouflaged all the bad features up there? Like the tacky covered area. That's what plants and pots can do............create an oasis.

And, of course, once they started, the RAINS started too. They did get a couple of days of work done - plastering, leveling the floor and enlarging the canal..............but NOW, it's a mess. The photo below is where ALL the plants are along with ALL the furniture. Except for the one chair and the tiletop table. It took three men two hours to get all the trees, shrubs and flowers moved..........It's a jungle up there.

Immensely surprising to me is that the men are going up and down to work with this ladder. They are carrying the bags of cement up and down this ladder. And they are FAST. Zip, zip. I didn't care if they came through the house, but the albanil said no, they preferred the ladder.

So, there it sits. The black tarp covers the bags of cement. The above photo was taken before all the rain this weekend. Now the boxes of tile are a mess - soaked through and through. I think it will be a mess up there for at least a week..............or longer. Isn't it always the way? Clean the car. It rains. Plan a party out of doors. It rains. Start a construction project and for sure. It rains.

Aah, but we NEED the rain.

Saving the Best for Last

Over the last couple of weeks I've shared my living spaces with all of you. I have thoroughly enjoyed living in this place of tranquility. When the weather allows, which is most of the time, I'm outside in the gardens. As you can see as you enter from the street, there is a huge flagstoned area that if I wanted, I could park a car. I choose not to do so. I now have a large round table and chairs in the middle of that space. Another wonderful place to read, drink coffee or just contemplate my blessings.

There are extensive gardens that include the planted areas of azaleas, lilies, bourganvilla, geraniums and a lot of other flowers. There are also fruit trees - avocado, pomegranate, and the prize, a HUGE lemon tree that produces huge lemons, not limes. I treasure all the fresh lemons and share them with many friends.

There is this main garden area and stairs down to the lower terrace outside my bedroom which you saw in another post. In the distance you can see the bourganvilla that is outside my bedroom. It is more then two stories high and quite a gift to behold. Oh, and just to the right in this photo is a poinsetta tree. When it is covered with blooms, it is also covered with butterflies. They love the nectar of the blooms. Notice I have NO grass to cut.

As you saw in another post there is the roof terrace too. Another vantage point to see the vistas of the surrounding countryside and alllllllll the potted plants on that terrace.

Exactly where the photo above is taken is where I most enjoy sitting in the morning and contemplating what a lucky person I am and wondering what the day will bring. More gardening, surely.

It is all a visual feast.

Mexico Homicide Rate - 11 per 100,000

The above was the headline in The News last week. The rate was given by the Attorney General of Mexico. Out of context that number meant nothing to me. I wondered how it related to the USA and Canada and a few other places worldwide. Wow, what a learning experience I've had.

The statistics I'm quoting, for the most part, were from a man named Ben Best who used statistics from Interpol. I also looked at the Bureau of Justice, USA, and a few other sites. Eyeopening to put it mildly.

For instance, the USA homicide rate for 2008 was 8.8 per 100,000. Canada's was 2.1 per 100,000. Fascinating, ehh?

Here are some other countries with the statistics being for 2003 - no data for later.

Columbia - 63 per 100,000; El Salvador - 50.2 per 100,000; Brazil - 32.5 per 100,000; Venezuela 32 per 100,000 and Ecuador - 15.9 per 100,000. Surprising, isn't it? Why the heck, in view of these statistics, does Mexico continue to get such a bum rap? Go figure.

Wait til you read these statistics for US cities - your eyes will be popping.

Washington DC - 69.3 per 100,000; Philadelphia (the City of Brotherly Love) - 27.4 per 100,000; Dallas - 24.8 per 100,000; L.A. - 22.8 per 100,000; Houston - 18.0 per 100,000 and NYC 16.8 per 100,000. Isn't that eye opening?

Worldwide Paris is 3.3, Amsterdam 7.7 and Prague is 2.9. The safest countries are Slovenia, Austria and Switzerland. Too bad I hate cold weather.

The attorney general of Mexico said that since 1998, I believe that's the correct year, that homicides are down 30%! Wow, it sure doesn't read that way in the US press. I wonder why?

But, in doing this research and reading all the data I read, which I obviously am not repeating here, it is pretty darn safe in Mexico. Which is what I've felt all along but wanted to confirm for myself.

How do you feel about this data? And these statistics? Are you surprised?

What's a Typical Day - WHAT do you DO?

THAT is the persistent question, isn't it? I'm asked it when I'm in the USA and I'm asked it when friends come here to visit. So, here goes. Yesterday was a semi-typical day. Up at 7:30. Heading down the hill to centro by 10:30. Stopped at the bank. Noticed that the city is putting up all the flags and banners for the month of September. The vendors have the annual set ups to sell flags, hats and all kinds of goodies for use for the month..........and sometimes longer.

As I continued my trek, I ran into friends (always) and had to stop to chat. This is the friendliest town I have ever lived in. I usually leave the house a little early, if I have an appointment, to allow for the times I stop to visit with friends. And so yesterday was no different. I ventured forth for the birthday lunch for my friend Deb who happily turned 56 yesterday.........oops, was I NOT supposed to give out that number? She is an avid horsewoman and has a ranch outside of town. I wrote about her the time I rode in her car with several of her fifteen dogs. (I've never done that again). So we celebrated and sat around. Talked for 3 1/2 hours amongst those there.

As I left I ran into other friends that I haven't even seen this whole year because they've been traveling. So, of course, one must stop to catch up.

By now it's almost 5PM, and Gypsy Kid Dad calls with a "Matilda Alert" to let me know that they are coming over to the house and to lift all the breakable and perishable things. Now, from the photos you know that is no small task. Mission accomplished. Mati, Dad and I covered the whole place. The downstairs terrace, the big garden, the roof terrace and all nooks and crannies of the house with one discovery after another.

I think Matilda's favorite place was on the floor in my bedroom with as many of my bracelets on her arms as was humanly possible. Of course they went on and off at least ten times. It's such fun to watch her in Discovery Mode.

The day ended when I finally got to bed at almost 11:30 that night. NOTHING boring around here!

My Rooftop Hangout

My house is colorful, if nothing else. That extends to the roof terrace. This is the covered half. I spend a great deal of time up here. Drinking my coffee in the morning and watching the mist in the canyon. Or in the afternoon for lunch and possibly a little siesta on the chaise. Ahh, what a life. The canvas painting on the back wall of this covered area is left over from when I used to have a booth at the restaurant shows in Texas and other places.
Everyone else had booths in mauves, grays and boring colors....................and then there was my booth. It just made people happy. Originally this canvas mural was to have graced the walls of a Tex-Mex restaurant in The Woodlands, north of Houston. The owner didn't like it so it reposed in my garage for about ten years. For some reason I just couldn't throw it away. Then I used it for the shows . Perfect. But not as perfect as it is hanging on this wall...........Doesn't it make you smile?

This is only half of the roof terrace. The other side isn't covered. Part of it looks onto the guest house and the other side looks onto the presa and the cliffs which were shown in the blog on the lack of rain a few days ago.

The roof over this seating area is built so catty-wampus. It's just so Mexican. I love it. I love the imperfection of it all.

AND, I can see forever. If you click on the photos above they will enlarge and you can see the mountains in the distance. I'm so lucky. Can you believe it? Cost to live here - less then $400 US a month. To me, it's priceless.

I'm Laughing so hard, I can't write!

There is justice, every now and then, in the Universe. I started laughing yesterday when I saw the headline of who is going to be on the TV show, "Dancing with the Stars"! And I haven't been able to stop.

Tom Delay, once considered one of the most powerful men in Washington and the USA, has sunk to the level of being a contestant on "Dancing with the Stars". His nickname was "the Exterminator". It's appropriate on so many levels, but the funniest, which many people don't know, is that he started out with a bug control (think cockroaches) company in Sugar Land, Tx.

Obnoxious, arrogant and rude, he was deposed. I wondered what he was up to.......it makes me laugh. Maybe he, Karl Rove, Newt Gingrich, Lou Dobbs, Tricky Dick Cheney and a few others could get together and do a special dance.........possibly the Chorus Line. And, take their last bows.

I'm laughing so hard that even my black eye doesn't hurt. Laughter IS the best medicine.

P.S. Here's last year!

Yup, by this time last year, here's what it looked like. Quite a difference, eh?

7.4 inches of rain........and praying

Our rainy season is from mid-June until the end of September. As you can figure out, that's only five weeks away! It needs to rain. About another 16 inches, at least. It's dry as a bone even though we've had more rain this week then we have in any other week since June.
The water line should be up to the top of the presa (reservoir) walls. It should be midway up those trees seen in the photo below. It isn't.

Last year by this time, it was overflowing the wall and I had my annual waterfall to watch coming down the canyon walls. All of this is down the hill, but just outside my house.

Now, when I lived in Houston, it was nothing for us to get 7-10" of rain. Heck, sometimes in an afternoon. I remember distinctly in 1979, when a tropical depression sat over Houston, we had 42 inches of rain in 24 hours. Boats were floating down the streets of Nassau Bay, south of Houston near NASA. Among other things. I don't want that. But I sure do pray that we get the rest of the rain that the farmers in this area need for their crops.

The aquifers have dropped thirteen feet in the last ten years, I'm told. Eighty percent of the water taken from the aquifers is for irrigation. And, according to experts, the rainfall we get now takes about eighty years to replenish the aquifers. It's a dire mess both for residents and farmers.

I NEVER thought in my life, after living in the tropics of Houston, that I would indeed be praying for rain. We were then, usually praying for it to stop. Times are a changing.

Matilda Isabella back where she was born!

She came, she saw and she conquered - all the hearts in the jardin today. She was on lookout for dogs, horses and the balloon man. She calls balloons, "bubbles". In the photo above she's measuring the height of the wall for the day when she comes to sit here with Grammy.
She loved the big horse that pulls the ice cream wagon into the jardin on the weekends. It is a big draft horse similar to a Clydesdale. Matilda was not the least intimidated by the size and I'm told she went right up to it. (I was not there to see this sight - luckily). So after seeing and greeting all that wanted to greet her we were off to Casa Milagros for lunch and presents. Can a Grammy have a grandchild come to town without presents? Not this Grammy!

A baby doll was the first thing out of the bolsa. "Baby, baby" she shouted. Of course it came packaged in a box that took Dad and his Swiss Army knife to extract the doll. It took another few minutes to get the rest of the stuff unpackaged. Some things never change.

This is without a doubt one of the spunkiest grandkids I have ever had. She makes me laugh out loud! I also had a wooden animal puzzle for her to take each one out and put them back. This kid is 18 months old and she got them all right. Amazing. But the funny part was that each time she took one out, she made the animal sound. Like the monkey sound, the lion sound etc. I was cracking up. Which, of course, made her do those things all the more. And below, are the Gypsy Kids - all smiles.

They are glad to be back in San Miguel for a visit. A place where they met, fell in love and Baby Matilda was born. I'm thrilled to see my son so happy with such a beautiful family............and a little baby boy on the way in January. I'm thrilled with such a kind and thoughtful daughter-in-law and a precious baby granddaughter. Life couldn't be better!

Picasso's Cubism Period

I looked and looked on the internet for the painting by Picasso of the woman who looked like she had one eye and a squinched up face. But, I couldn't find a copy. Too bad. When the kids were little and we couldn't afford "real" art, I thumbtacked up a copy of this work of art over the toilet in the bathroom. The kids referred to it as "the woman with one eye." That's me!

I actually took a couple of photos of my right eye but it is so disgusting looking that I'm not willing to share. What started out as this massive egg at my hairline has slid down my face, is encircling my eye and it is one puffy mess. Amazing!

It looks like someone went crazy with purple and blue eyeshadow. The left side of my body looks the same way, but at least clothes cover up that mess. Like a bad scene out of a horror film. Obviously you can tell I've never had a black eye. I hope I never have another one. At least today my eyes are at the same level. Yesterday one was higher then the other. It was bizarre.

I'm so vain that I'm scurrying around town with BIG sunglasses on and not going anywhere where I would have to remove them. When I did this morning, I thought the maid was going to faint.

The "Gypsy Kids" arrive tonight. I forewarned them. I don't think they would have believed their eyes. Now, when they hear the story, they'll want to send me to a home for wayward women.........old wayward women. And I'm sure Matilda will NOT want to sit in Grammy's lap, under any circumstances.

What a mess! Anyone know the name of that painting? I think I need a copy again.

Casa Tranquilo

HOME is definitely where my heart is. I can have gypsy feet and travel and travel, but I'm ALWAYS happy to come home to my little casa. The first photo above is obviously my bedroom. But, it is so much more. I love to sit in that chair to read and look out at the downstair's terrace. Usually the door is open and the singing of the birds and the whirring of the hummingbirds enchant me. There's a TV opposite the bed, so I can always watch a good movie or whatever.

When my five friends were here last week, Cathy commented on the first time she came to my home in Houston. The kitchen had red walls and was decorated with lots of Day of the Dead memorabilia. She said, "I had seen lots of homes in my life, but NOTHING, like that". Yes, well people either love my home, or scratch their heads in disbelief. I love the cheeriness of the stuff and don't care how others feel, really. In my past life, because of my business, everything had to be stylized and designed - not THIS place. It is as wacky as me.

Although the casa is only 1000 sq. ft, it doesn't feel that way because of all of the windows everywhere. I've also used mirrors to expand the long narrowness of it and you don't have a sense of that either. I don't have a photo looking the other way in the living room but it is a wall of windows looking down the hillside with a built in upholstered bench for guests. I love the stone work everywhere, both inside and out.

Even though my house in Houston was more then double this size, it didn't feel as roomy as this place because of the light and windows. I've been here almost nine years and hope that I can continue to live here for a long, long time............

In another blog I'll show you the gardens and the roof terrace. It's all delightful - at least to me.

IT IS muy tranquilo.

A Hard Headed Woman

I have been referred by this moniker more times then I can count. It proved true today. Very true. $1678 pesos true. Now before I tell you this, let me just say that this has been one of the weirdest years of my life.

Whooping cough, failed romances, attacking scorpions, 3600 mile road trips and NOW, NOW I have a dizzy spell, spin around and fall forehead first into the wall along the stairwell outside my bathroom. I realized I was feeling dizzy but the next thing I knew I heard a crack as my head and the wall collided. "How the heck did that happen?", I said to myself. I had just gotten out of the shower - was getting dressed to go to the gym and WHAM. I knew the first thing to do was to get ice on whatever had just happened. I traipsed upstairs grabbed one of those plastic glasses that freezes the water between two layers of plastic and gently, oh so gently laid it on my head. THEN I looked in the mirror. I shouldn't have.

The head had a golf ball size, and I do NOT exaggerate, raised place on it above the right eye. Then thinking it best to lie down, I did. Mental exercises came to mind to make sure that I hadn't knocked my brains out. Ok, I could do mathematical tables in my head. I knew my name and the day and date. Whew, my brains were still intact.

About an hour later, much to my surprise, out of the blue, my maid Josefina appeared. She is recuperating from cervical cancer surgery. I was shocked, really to see her. AND she was shocked to see me...........very. She said I had to go to the hospital. She went and got TM to come over from his casa and he agreed, "I needed to go to have my head examined.""

That brings up all the times that has been said to me too. Ok, ok, you have to see the humor here. Upon arrival at the hospital, the Doctor appeared. OMG was he good looking! Then I knew I hadn't lost my mind......ha.

X-rays, lab work and I'm fine. "Rest, liquids and, call if anything changes," were the admonitions after four hours of observation. Total cost for the emergency room, all the tests and the Dr's
fee 1678 pesos.

THIS was definitely NOT how I intended to spend today. I'm fine, I'm fine - no sympathies are needed. I can just hardly wait to see what is going to happen in the future. Thankfully we don't know, and it's a good thing!

Mother and Child

I didn't see her at first, hidden by the tree. I noticed the little girl standing on one of the two dirt piles in the big open field. The dirt piles were near the road with the tree behind the dirt.

The child was playing with a mixed breed dog that looked somewhat like a German Shepherd. I noticed her because she was close to the road and, at first, appeared to be alone.

I watched for a minute or two as she gently petted the dog and played with it. Then the dog went over to another tree for shade but the little girl stayed put. I then saw her. Her mother.

The mother had a big machete. Almost as long as she was tall. She was hacking at the dead tree for firewood. My heart seized up. I always think, "But for the grace of God, go I". Always.

I debated about getting out of the car, walking through the field and giving the woman some money to help she and the child. The dilemma always is: Will she be offended? Am I intruding? How can I do this in a diplomatic and gracious way? She wasn't begging. She was working.

So, I DIDN'T get out and I drove on to where I was going. Still with a knot in my stomach and my heart hurting. After about ten minutes, I turned around and drove back to the field. Determined to get out and to give assistance, in whatever way, to the mother and child.

They weren't there! I drove all around. I drove through the paths of the field. Nada. Oh my gosh, my heart sank. I never found them. I'm so ashamed I didn't just get out when I first saw them and go and give aid.

I know that mother and child will remain in my mind for a long, long time.

There was a teenage boy in a parking lot in Celaya last year who had ridden the rails from El Salvador and was trying to get to Detroit because he could get a job there, he hoped, with relatives. I've never forgotten that boy. He was the same age as my teenage granddaughter who lives in safety with family and plenty of food.

It reminds me to "be grateful for what I have" and "not to think about what I wish for that I don't have". I have so much.

Sixties and Sexy

One of the fun things about living in San Miguel is when old friends come to visit. I don't mean "old" in age. I mean old in that I've known the two women to the left for twenty years. The redhead, Elaine, was my hairdresser for "mumblesomething" years and Cathy, next to her, I think I've known longer then twenty years! The other two women, Karen and Barbara, I just met on this trip. Fun ladies.

All are former, or current hairdressers. Hairdressers are always fun. These women are not only in their sixties and sexy, in my humble opinion, they are successful business women and survivors. One has buried two husbands in great tragedy. Another recently buried her husband of eighteen years. Both Karen and Barbara lost their homes in Hurricane Ike at Bolivar. It just goes on and on.

They are women who appreciate every day of their lives. Maybe because of the hard times. Well, NO hard times while they were in San Miguel though. They shopped, ate, drank and generally had a great time.

I actually ventured out and met them at Harry's for drinks - something I hardly ever do. It probably has been at least a year, if not more, since I have been out for drinks at night. In fact, several people I haven't seen in a long, long time commented on seeing me. There is a whole other population at this time of the day...........

After drinks, I escorted the ladies to Bugambilla for Mexican food. Mercedes, the owner, does the best Chili en Nogada in this part of the world. They loved the restaurant, the music and especially the food.

It's fun to hear the impressions of people who have not been to San Miguel before. Here were some of the things they were amazed about: (1) the politeness and friendliness of everyone (2) that the taxis stop to let you cross the street (3) so many dishes made with pomegranate seeds (I explained that this is the season) (4) the number of stairs they had to ascend (77) from the street to their bedroom door and (5) the cleanliness of the town of San Miguel. Over and over, these were their comments.

They told me that their friends were in absolute panic that they were coming to Mexico because of the drug wars. Of course they felt totally safe here. I told them to go home and tell all those friends to come to see for themselves. Hopefully they will.

I ran into the woman who has been in charge of the Bibliotecha Home and Garden Tour forever. I asked how many tourists were on the tour yesterday. 78. This time of year it should be around 400. Oh my, less money for scholarships for the Mexican children in the coming year. So sad. I wonder if Lou Dobbs and his ilk understand what they do to the people of Mexico. I doubt it since their lives are so egocentric.

Hopefully this dynamic group of women will be back for a visit next year. That seems to be what happens - they get a taste of San Miguel and they always want to come back. They were all welcome additions.

BOLTON HIGH SCHOOL REUNION 2010

The internet airwaves are throbbing with emails back and forth from all over the world. Everyone wanting to know when and where our 50th Reunion will be held.

Committees are forming in Alexandria, Louisiana and excitement is already in the air. Doug Ardoin and "The Boogie Kings" will play at the dance, it is rumored. Yee ha. It will be a fun weekend. None of us can wait to see how many show up. The last time (photo above) was our 40th in 2000 and out of a graduating class of 278, it appears there were close to 200 of us, if I remember correctly. A GREAT time was had by all.

There was a party out at a campsite and then a brunch the next morning, which is this photo above. The culmination was that Saturday night dance where most of us danced barefooted and danced EVERY dance. It was a blast, as we used to say.

I wasn't sure for that 40th reunion if I wanted to go. I'm SO GLAD that I did. I reconnected with old friends and have stayed in touch with many thanks to the internet.

We were a very close class. It was an innocent time. The most exciting trouble we could get into was either drag racing out in the country on a long stretch of road in our black leather jackets. Or climbing the water tower, which I never did. I was the lookout. Oh yes, and we skipped school to go to Valentine Lake. It WAS the age of innocence. 1960.

It was before Kennedy, assassinations, Vietnam, drugs or hippies. As you can see from the photo above it was the time of crinolines and "girly" dresses. Southern belles. I wouldn't take anything for the hayrides, the house parties (with parents always there) or sock hops.

Rebecca Wells wrote two books chronicling our lives in Alex back in those days. Both were hits and one was made into a movie. I read them and saw "our gang" in almost every page. I could identify Castor Plunge, Valentine Lake and the drive ins we used to go to. The books were, "Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood" and "Little Altars Everywhere".

So, May 2010 you can rest assured I'll be driving to Louisiana to reminesce with old friends and dance a LOT. I remember when my Mom went to Chicago for her 50th and I thought, "Why would all those old people want to get together?" NOW I know. It almost makes me cry.

This is "the gang". Hope they're all there!

Sneaky Scorpion who Stings

I have written before about my escapades of seeing a scorpion and going ballistic by killing them with spray starch. I tried to find the blog about seeing the one in the bathroom at about 10 PM and then trying to figure out what to do about it. I couldn't find the blog...oh well. I use the spray starch to freeze them in place and then whack them with the fly swatter or whatever will kill them.

Well, Thursday night I had another episode. I had just gotten out of the shower and was going to get ready to go out to dinner with friends. I reached into the closet to grab a pair of jeans and this scorpion came out of the jeans pocket and stung me on my index finger.

I cannot even begin to tell you the level of pain. It was like having childbirth in my finger, if that gives you any idea. I mean I screamed and flung the jeans on the bed. Turned around and ran up the stairs butt naked and grabbed the meat tenderizer and rubbed it on the sting. Nothing. It still hurt like hell. I mean it hurt like hell! I danced around, cursed a little and then tried to calm down.

I have used meat tenderizer on bee stings, jelly fish stings, man of war stings and it has always worked. For it NOT to work to neutralize this sting astonished me. Zowee it hurt.

Oops, then it occurred to me that I had no idea where the scorpion was. So I flung the jeans on the floor and used my sandal to smash the pockets of the jeans just in case it went back in the pocket. Then I gingerly turned the jeans inside out - no scorpion. Damn, now what?

Anyone who knows me knows that my bed has a zillion pillows on it along with a coverlet and a quilt. All this decorative stuff. No way, while my finger, hand and now arm was throbbing, was I going to tackle all that stuff. The heck with it. I just determined I wouldn't sleep in that bed that night but rather on the couch upstairs.

Then it was suggested by someone who I talked to, to put toothpaste on it. So I slathered that on it and let it dry. Nada, no help. Ok, enough of that. I got dressed, went out to dinner.

It took two hours for the throbbing to stop. Holy moly. All the time I still had toothpaste slathered on my finger which caused weird looks. Who cares? I was in pain.

What a relief when the pain stopped. Upon returning home I decided to tackle the bed. Removing layer after layer of covers, pillows and what-have-you. No scorpion........Who knows where evil lurks? Geez. I gave up, went to bed and actually slept.

IF anyone ever tells me that a scorpion sting is like a bee sting, I'll know he is lying or has never been stung. Hope it never happens to you. I hate those sneaky little creatures.

Tattoo Tammy Creates "bonecycles"

In May, while in Madrid, NM, I met Tattoo Tammy. She knew quite a few people in our outsider group. She had created an outsider environment on land that she leased but the owners decided they didn't want the environment on their property any more and Tammy had to move. It was devastating to her. She had worked on the area for many, many years. I never saw the environment. Only heard about it. What I didn't know at the time is that Tammy creates these "bonecycles". The one above is 12" by 6" and I can't think of any biker who wouldn't want one. All are made from found objects that she finds in the desert. This one is from racoon bones, bull snake and other desert critters. To me it almost looks like ivory. I wanted to share this with you because it seems that today I rarely see something that is so unique and creative made from natural materials.

The "bonecycles" cost in the neighborhood of $550 to $650 US dollars. IF you are interested, contact Narrow Larry seen above at narrowlarry@aol.com and he'll track down Tattoo Tammy.

While I was in Madrid she arrived in an old, old long car of some kind with quite a few animals who were living in the car. I don't know how Larry finds her, but obviously he does. He now is the proud owner of the above photographed "bonecycle".

You just never know what the next blog will be i- who ever thought I would be writing a blog about "bonecycles"?

The SAPASMA Man

No, he's NOT like Tequila Man. This is the man who fixes the sewer line that runs through the property when problems occur. At least he always has been. Let me set the scene.

BEFORE I left on my trip and right after the "former" tenant moved out owing money, the sewer line backed up into my downstairs terrace.

The problem begins at the next door home of the family with more kids then I can count. In addition, I think she takes in laundry or else she just does laundry all day every day. In all the years I've been here, the owner of the next door house comes over when it is backing up in their house. He brings along this ancient man from SAPASMA which is the acronym for the water company. This ancient man always fixes the problem

Well this time the owner of the next door house, Jaime, was out of town and the woman of the house, Berta, didn't know what to do or how to get in touch with the old man. So, I prayed for a day or two that somehow the Universe would fix the problem. No such luck.......

As a last resort I called my landlord. Usually either he doesn't return the call or when he does show up it becomes a bigger problem then it was to begin with.........the latter is what happened.

Shockingly he came about an hour after I called after I told he and his wife that it was a "grande problema". When he arrived I showed him the problem and told him about the old man and how with this thing that looks like an umbrella without cloth, he fixes it every time.

Well, it was like talking to the wind. What did I know? So, landlord gets brother and about 15 other people over here and they do everything known to mankind besides digging up the gardens. Still no repair. I casually, after six hours, mentioned the "SAPASMA man" and about an hour later, somehow he appeared with his apparatus.

I grinned to myself. NOW I knew it would be fixed. He went to work with this tool that looks like rebar that he screws together to make it longer and longer and longer. Eventually, he is pushing and pushing and then he's through. It's fixed. I guess it is the forerunner of the snake apparatus used today. He gathers up his stuff and is through in about 45 minutes.

All these fifteen guys or more stood and watched in amazement. I watched through the bedroom window with glee. My hero, the SAPASMA Man!

Another Day of NOT Knowing What I'm Doing

So, the phone message said to meet Tess in front of the Hospital General. Luckily I know now where that hospital is since I rode around looking for the medico on Saturday.

No problem, except I had no idea what Tess looked like but was told she would come in an old blue station wagon or a red SUV. Ok.

Rather then take my car, after Felipe's warning, I took a taxi. I said "Hospital General por favor" and he said "Hospital DelaFe" and I said "No, Hospital General". He looked confused so I said, "Direccion Soriana". I figured if I got him going in the right direction I could make modifications when we got near Soriana, which was what I did.

I told him to go left around the glorieta, which he did. Whew. Then I told him to go left and backtrack and turn right. The lightbulb went off in his face when he realized Hospital General was where I wanted to go. Yikes.

So I got out and waited in front of the hospital at 9AM as I was told to do. I stuck out like a sore thumb. Reddish-blonde hair with blue eyes. Yup, I was noticeable. So, after about 15 minutes of waiting and watching, I started thinking about what I would do IF Tess didn't show up. She is a friend of a friend who helps people get their driver's licenses was what I had been told. Ahh, then she drove up in an old blue station wagon. A WELCOME sight.

Off we went to a tiny building with a bunch of police cars in front. In we went where she was greeted by all. I had all my papers in order and then the officer said I had to take a written test in Spanish. Oh Lord, my stomach got a knot. I know, I know, don't say anything about my Spanish, puhleez.

Anyway, with the help of Tess, I completed the test and only had two errors. And then, horror of horrors, the officer said I had to take a driving test. Good heavens I felt like that 14 year old girl in Alexandria, Louisiana who got her first license. I was nervous as a cat on a tin roof. First thing I did wrong was to NOT wear the seat belt. Now mind you, I NEVER get in my car that I don't put the seat belt on - NEVER. But I was driving the old blue station wagon and I wasn't even sure if it had seat belts. So, anyway, I drive off at the pace of a snail and I miss the first right turn which requires me to make an illegal left turn which brought me right back to the transito office. The officer, either out of fear or compassion said I was finished. I didn't know if he meant I was finished literally or just done with driving.

But, out we went and back into the transito office where they took my photo, asked some more questions, fingerprinted me and had me sign my name. Many times. By the way, a webcam is attached to a metal rod and that is the camera they use to take the photo. I was impressed with the whole operation. Why can't they be that efficient in the USA?

Then they gave me a printed form to take to centro to pay for the license which will be good to 2014, if I live that long. Next step was to return back to the transito office which is on the outskirts of town near the prison, whereupon I gave them the paid receipt and they gave me the license.

Bada bing, bada boom. Total time - dos horas. I wasn't sure what was going to happen but I got through it all. It just goes to show you that my favorite saying "God protects fools and idiots - so I have double protection" still stands true.

Now I"m thinking where can I go now that I have a Mexican driver's license? Watch out everyone, I might show up in your neighborhood!

I GOT it - A Certificate of Health

Oh me of little faith. I thought I was going to walk in a farmacia and a medico would be sitting behind the counter. I would pay him and he would give me a certificate. NOT.

Up the stairs I trudged of a clinic next to the farmacia. The painted sign on the outside of the building simply said Medico. Upstairs there was some residential furniture and four closed doors. Hmmmmm. What to do? After a soft knock, a Dr. opened the door and he was a pediatrician and said "Uno momento." When he finished with his patient, he walked over to another door and knocked and another Dr. came out and said the same thing, "Cinco minutos".

He did come out eventually and a complete physical - height, weight, blood pressure, temperature, reflexes, eye exam all were completed in about ten minutes time. He asked my blood type and then typed on his computer a certificate of health that will allow me to go on Monday morning at 9AM, hopefully, to get a driver's license.

Cost for the physical - cien pesos - about $8 US. Such a deal. But, as I sat there I did think about what a hassle this would be if everyone in the USA had to have a physical to drive. Can you imagine? The medical system would be in a bigger mess then it already is and I can hardly imagine what it would cost for that same piece of paper.

A Mexican Driver's License

The saga continues from the theft of my wallet last week. No way can I get another Texas license unless I drive there and after the last 3600 miles, wild horses or nothing else, could get me there.

So, I'm going to get a Mexican Driver's License. I've wanted to do it for years but just procrastinated. I'm good at that.

Here's what you have to have: A copy of your passport. A copy of your FM-3. A bill with your name on it to prove that you are a resident. AND, a certificate from a Dr. that you are healthy enough to drive!

Wow, if they required that in the USA just think how empty the streets and roads would be.

I'll keep you posted on how this goes. I'm off to find the farmacia over near the General Hopsital where there is a Dr. on the premises to do this "physical" for the certificate. I'm sure it will be a mini-adventure. Of course, I'm driving without a license.............oy vey. And I have only a vague idea of where the new General Hospital is located........someone said near the prison.......hope I go to the right place.

"The" Road Trip - Final Day

The "final" day finally arrived - thank goodness. We crossed the border at about 7:30AM and I must admit my heart always lifts when that happens. I know I'll be home by late afternoon. We got a "green light" at the border - no stop or search necessary. Then at the sixteen mile point, we got another green light so it was clear sailing, oops driving, to San Miguel. As you can see by these "road" photos,

the roads in Mexico don't look much different then the roads in the USA. Only difference is less shoulders. So, up the hills we went and down the hills, driving as fast as possible..........to get home. I usually don't stop to eat but this day we stopped in Matehuala at Las Palmas for lunch. It felt luxurious to get out and take time for a meal.

The other time my heart sings is when I see the sign welcoming us to Guanajuato. Of course from the time of the sign until I'm in San MIguel seems like the longest time. The whole drive, except for the last 30 minutes is on 4 lane divided highway.

The instant you reach the turnoff to San Miguel, the road becomes narrow with no shoulders and is surrounded by lush, beautiful farms. Ahh, almost there. And then, at the very end, the car comes over a rise in the road and below is the village of San Miguel. Amen, we made it safe and sound.

This trip I was ready to get out and kiss the ground. The cool air was a miracle after the heat all the way from Canada.

IF I even mention another trip in the next two or three months - remind me of all of this, ok? I've been gone waaay too much this year.

Home is where my heart is!

Day 5 - Third Time Zone - Texas

In the interest of your sanity, I decided NOT to post the photos of the drive of the rocks, dirt and straight road from Albuquerque through Las Cruces, bypassing El Paso and ending up in Fort Stockton. It was a "breathtakingly" boring drive. EXCEPT near Las Cruces where the air conditioning had stopped working and I started getting sick - we later determined probably from dehydration. We stopped in Las Cruces and I was feeling so ill that I couldn't eat lunch. I hadn't had breakfast either. BUT two glasses of lemonade got me back on my feet.

I had a slight panic attack when the air conditioning wasn't working because I knew we were going into the hottest part of the trip. There were some frazzled nerves on TM's part, but miraculously after NOT checking the a/c anyway, it started cooling again. Whew.

Sooo we did make it to Fort Stockton, late. And the first photo is our leaving Fort Stockton the next morning at sunrise because we wanted to get to the Columbia Bridge at the border to "do" car paperwork and a visa for TM. Onward we went.......hauling, you know what, as fast as we could drive......sometimes 85. Did you know the speed limit in Texas is now 80 MPH or was it 85? Yeah.

As we headed out at 7AM, it was cool and the sky was so beautiful. I LOVE vistas. Even the vistas of the wind power for electricity that we saw all over West Texas. I realize it is very controversial with the ranchers and naturalists but it sure is a sight! We DID make it to the Columbia Bridge - in 107 degree heat with heat index making it feel like 112. I walked as fast as humanly possible from the parking lot to the Immigration building. A $10 bill flew out of my purse and we decided it was a gift to whoever found it some day. I was heading for air conditioning, not the fence or field nearby.

As usual, only two other people in there to get paperwork. We were in and out in no time at all. Headed into Laredo for last minute shopping - a good night's sleep and to cross the border next morning for home - blessed home. This was Tuesday night. We had left Richmond BC the previous Wednesday morning. Enough was enough.