Tuesday, August 30, 2011

It's THAT time of year again!

 

 



Just as the red, white and green decorations go up and the flag vendors set up stands, the weather always becomes cooler in September. This morning at 7AM it was 51 degrees.

It's time to put the sandals away and get out the fall shoes and clothes. Darn, I hate wearing regular shoes, so I'll hang on as long as I can. It's been necessary to wear long pants and long sleeved shirts for the last week or so. Guess I'll have to do the semi-annual ritual of climbing on the step ladder to get the fall season clothes down.

The designer in me even changes out some accessories, like big throw pillows to a more Fall-like color palette. I've been in the process of that for the last couple of days.

See, those of you who wonder what we do with ourselves all day. You can see we stay as busy as we want to.........

Need to get it all done so we can enjoy all the festivities that September brings! VIVA Mexico.
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Monday, August 29, 2011

Roof Dogs - A Dying Breed

 


They've always ben there. Many of them. Up there in the sun and rain and cold of night. Guarding their homes and masters. In the past, in almost every city and village I've traveled to, a roof dog was part of the landscape. What always makes me laugh is when it is a pack of tiny dogs with big barks. The one in this photo is a big dog with a big bark.

Not so much anymore. I wonder. Is it too expensive now to feed them? Is it socially unacceptable to some to keep animals up there? Or do people feel more secure or have alarm systems on their homes?

Whatever the difference is, there are fewer and fewer roof dogs to be seen in San Miguel at least.

When I'm walking down the hill and through town I always like to look up. The roof terraces, the amount of living that goes on on roofs in Mexico is a delight. Different views from on high. It reminds me of the balconies and roof terraces that I grew up with and saw when I visited New Orleans as a young teenager. It seem exotic and interesting to me then. It still does.

Has anyone else noticed fewer roof dogs? Or is it just me?

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Sunday, August 28, 2011

Sunday Morning with Sebastian and Matilda

 

 

 

 

 

 



The call came early this morning! "Matilda and Sebastian want to see you".........it's amazing how fast I can move when I get that kind of message.

Driving through town at 9AM is GRAND. No traffic, very, very few people. It takes me about 8 minutes from my house to the grandkids location.

Matilda couldn't wait for me to see her new princess dress. Her dad found it at a garage sale. All purchases at this point must be able to "twirl". And this little dress worn over her clothes twirls just perfectly. Twirling and twirling and dancing for so long. I'm amazed she doesn't fall over dizzy. But no, she is so focused on her dancing.
Very cute.

Then we decided to walk to the Guadiana park which is about a mile from their house. Downhill to begin with and of course uphill to get back. Hmmmm. Off we went, holding hands. Saying "cuidado" many, many times. Kids have to get out and run and play. That we did. THEN a puddle was found. Oh boy, what fun! It is a magnetic field always drawing kids. I remember my kids coming in with wet cuffs and splashes on their clothes. These kids are no different. Just running though it caused great glee. Splashing in it was equally fun.

Eventually the time came to trek up the hill home. Great fun. Happy kids. At times carried by Grammy, but more often BOTH carried by Dad.

Whew, an adventure without even leaving town.
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Thursday, August 25, 2011

Driving to Celaya

 

 

 

 

 


I've always loved to drive to Celaya. After all it is "Green Giant" country. Literally, there is a big Jolly Green Giant factory somewhere in Celaya.

The fields are always a zillion shades of green, or in the case of two of these photos, bronze for ripened maize and kinda a grey-green for a recently harvested field.

There is seldom any traffic now on this new road. I even used to enjoy the drive when it wound through the mountains with me driving 10 miles per hour behind a broccoli truck. NOW, it is a four lane divided highway! Amazing.

Saw lots of little things that gave me pause. Three elderly women trying to climb over the concrete abutment in the middle of the road that now separates two villages. A village on each side of the road. Wouldn't you think they would have an opening?

It is jicama season. Lots of stands on the side of the road. I wonder what the heck I would do with a whole bag of jicama. I'd be eating it daily for a year........but someone obviously buys it or it wouldn't be sold that way.

The ingenuity of the fact that wherever there is a tope (speed bump) there is usually a food stand or vegetable stand always makes me smile.

Along the way there are villages such as Comonfort which is known for the Great Master who makes mocajetes out of volcanic rock to sell. He actually is listed in the Great Masters book. And the little village of Escobeda is known for its cashmere factory. I stopped in there once many years ago. The clothing is made in this village and then shipped to France and sold as French cashmere clothing. The factory is French owned. Sweet little village.

On the way home one always knows when they are close to San Miguel, you come over a rise and there is the presa which looks like a lake but isn't.

Took a photo of the new road. Just to let you know how to get to San Miguel from the South. Come visit anytime!
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Sunday, August 21, 2011

Clipped Wings

 

 

 



For a couple of months I've been planning a journey to Texas. If you read the blog, you've followed all the steps of preparation from getting the car checked by Luis to getting insurance and all the other myriad details one must do to leave town for six weeks. THAT was the plan!

Then, again as you know, I got sick a week ago and I'm stillllllllll getting back to my usual self. A scary thought.

This morning while slowly waking from my first good night's sleep in a week, I thought I don't "have to" persevere and make this trip. I don't "have to" attempt to get there when I'm not ready.

So, with that in mind, I finally unpacked the car. It has been packed for eight days awaiting its trip north. No more.

I'm here. My wings are clipped. Sometime in the not distant future, I'll head up. Whenever. I'm retired - it CAN be whenever.

The photos at the top are some I took the other evening toward sunset. I was astounded what has happened to the canyon recently. If you remember, it was bone dry in photos I supplied a couple of months ago. The first time it had ever been that way since I've been in San Miguel. It must have caused this to happen. Usually the water in the presa (reservoir) is brown and murky - no more!

It looks like a Monet painting to me. I hear ducks quacking in that beautiful lavender colored plant material. Mexico always brings me surprises. Almost daily!
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Friday, August 19, 2011

The Elixir of the Gods

Hot broth, perfectly cooked broccoli, carrots and zucchini, and shredded chicken with home made rice. That was my first solid meal in four days. It seemed like the best meal I had ever eaten.

It certainly helped to put me onto the road to recovery, which is a road I'm very happy to take right now. Thank goodness for friends who bring you the "elixir of the gods".

Sorry I don't have a photo of the bowl of chicken soup. I ate it all!

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Swimming Upstream




It started Saturday morning. Something wasn't right! Everything I did went wacky. Everything. But I slogged along. After all I was leaving for Texas at 0700 on Sunday morning and I had to get it all done.

It was a hot day on Saturday. I was up the hill and down the hill and up the hill again. No time to eat - just kept plodding along. By 7PM, all was done. I thought!

At 9PM I laid my tired head down on the soft fluffy pillow. About five minutes later I said, "OMG, I forgot to get the US car insurance. I can't cross the border on Sunday without car insurance". I absolutely was astonished at my not taking care of that..........

At 9:30PM all heck broke loose when I became ill with chills and high fever. I kid you not all this within 30 minutes. All night up and down, in bathroom and out - you get the picture.

Needless to say I did not leave on Sunday or Monday as I ended up in the hospital with dehydration and amoebas. Yup, when I do something I do it alllllllll.

Tuesday was a lost day - I've now canceled reservations twice for a hotel when I cross the border. I was ready to give up - something I don't readily admit.

But, alas, about an hour ago, I started to feel a little better. Again, I'm a little hopeful I'll get "outtahere" this week. One day at a time though. Thank goodness I wasn't on the road when all this happened.

Sorely disappointed not to have had this week with the grand kids in Kingwood before they head back to school on Monday. They too are disappointed.

Life will go on. I will be back to my old self soon and heading north.

The photo above is the waterfall that is usually coming through the canyon this time of the year. Not this year though. We need more rain!

My arms are tired from "swimming upstream" for the last five days!

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Actions Speak Louder then Words

 



This morning while drinking my coffee after meditating, I had a visitor. Velcro. She taught me another lesson. I've written in the past about her lessons for me.

It's intriguing that without words, she can let me know what she wants.

The lesson today is, "If you jump in someone's lap, the chances are you'll get petted. Your back rubbed and your ears rubbed.........among other things".

I'm going to remember that lesson for future reference.
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Tuesday, August 09, 2011

Raging about OXXO & McDonald's

 



There is a very small minority of ex-pats in San Miguel who get hopping mad any time they feel that the Colonial character of "their" town is being assailed. They blither and blather on the SMA Civil List.....for days!

Most recently the rumor was passed by an employee of McDonald's, according to the poster, that McDonald's was opening on Canal Street which is close to the centro jardin. As the posts continued, it appeared from their ranting and raving that it would be in the middle of the jardin, for goodness sakes. Nothing came of it. It was a rumor.

Not content to hassle McDonald's, the unhappy folks threw in the fact that Starbuck's was on a prominent corner next to the jardin and OXXO (like a 7-Eleven) was also, heavens forbid somewhere down there "somewhere".

I saw the OXXO the other day and took this photo. It is two blocks from the jardin. The signage is so nondescript that it is no wonder that no one could specifically say where it was located. The signage on Starbuck's is in the same manner.

Were McDonald's to come into the centro, I presume their signage would be the same as this is now the new approved signage, as of two years ago.

Oh woe is me - would that this was the biggest problem in the world!

By the way, Starbuck's is always busy with Mexican Nationals. As is McDonald's out at the mall. So, bottom line, how the heck can "guests in Mexico" complain? Who knows - but they do!

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Sunday, August 07, 2011

IF you want to change your life!

 



Change your hair color! Ha. I'm doing just that. Going back to what it used to be almost all of my life. It is even more auburn then this photo now and I feel like my old frisky self.

Add to that that I'm on a diet........not the "cough drop" diet when I lost 35 pounds in three weeks from whooping cough a couple of years ago, but a healthy diet. A new way to eat actually. Have dropped over 20 pounds since the 11th of July and I'm just happier then a "pig in the sunshine".

Whoo ee. Watch out world, the old Babs is back! I'm off to Texas in a couple of weeks to snuggle with grandkids, see family, hug friends, sail and walk the beach in Galveston. I know. I know. It's hotter then.........but I NEED to get to the water!

Soooooo, that's about it from South of the Border! Happy Days.
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Friday, August 05, 2011

It doesn't only happen in Hollywood

 

 



A couple of weeks ago here in San Miguel de Allende there was a free Internation Film Festival sponsored by the State of Guanajuato. The old Aldama theater was retrofitted by the organizers to be used for some events. The theater had not been used since the 1990's.

As I walking down Calle San Francisco there it was, the official red carpet for people to walk on to go into lectures and films. It cracked me up. Of course it was basically industrial strength carpet which I presume is not the quality of the carpet in front of the Oscars, but hey, it was OUR carpet for the event.

Filming was shown all over town, again for free. A large screen was set up between the parroquia and the jardin for people to sit each evening to see something. There were films for kids - you name it, they had it.

But, the piece de resistance was Spencer Tunick. He is a photographer who loves to photograph nude people. About three years ago he photographed thousands of nude people in the Zocalo in Mexico City. This time he photographed all over the streets and in shops of San Miguel. I've seen the documentary film of the shooting with them dodging from street to street so they wouldn't get arrested for.........whatever law that would break.

I would think that you could put into your search engine - Spencer Tunick filming in San Miguel de Allende and come up with at least a You Tube version or something.

A couple of women friends my age volunteered to be filmed. Pretty gutsy. Very cleverly accomplished.

Life is NEVER dull in San Miguel!
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Thursday, August 04, 2011

Experiencing Magnificence

 



The San Miguel Chamber Music Festival began last weekend. I finally was able to attend a concert last Sunday night of the Parker Quintet. The theater was standing room only. This was their third performance in three nights. During the day they have been instructing and playing with musicians and student musicians in workshops and classes. They admitted they were exhausted.

The melodies and music didn't show any exhaustion however. The more I listened, the more I felt the stress and tension of the last couple of weeks leaving my body. It was magnificent. An hour and a half of pure delight. The group won a Grammy last year for their Chamber Music album. They played two of the pieces of music from that album.

As if that wasn't enough - which it was - I have a friend in town who I walked over to the jardin with so that he could experience the light show on the Parroquia. It is still mesmerizing. This person is a world traveler to all kinds of exotic place. The light show was a highlight of his first visit to San Miguel.

All in all a night to be remembered. Tonight is another night of music with the Miro Quarter. Life is good.
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