Mexico - Off the Beaten Track - Tamasopo

Located in the State of San Luis Potosi, Tamasopo is known for its waterfalls or "cascadas" in Mexico.  As one drives down Hwy 57 or other highways in Mexico, usually there is a sign indicating to turn off to a cascada.  Unfortunately, I'm usually heading one way or the other - to the border or home to San Miguel -
and never stop.

Just recently, while I was in the USA, my son John and his children Matilda and Sebastian along with parents and classmates made the trek up to Tamasopo for a camp out.  What a fantastic time they had.

Located in the foothills of the Sierra Madre Oriental, the town is located at 1200 ft above sea level.  The surrounding mountains are about 5000 ft above sea level.  What a surprise and delight it was for everyone
to see and stay in this place.  An enchanting area in a lush rain forest.

The facilities there allow for tent camping or there are cabins to rent as well.  Some of both was done by the group.

Now, my son sent me the cutest, most adorable photos of the children along with all of their school friends in the waterfalls and playing.  I've tried every way I know to be able to post these photos to this blog.  I give up!  I tried for over 30 minutes yesterday and it just isn't going to happen.

Need to get the computer guru over here to show me what I'm not doing right!

Enjoy this post.  Plan a trip.  Read more on the internet about this rich ecological biosphere area.

I've traveled to other areas near Tamasopo.  Rio Verde, Xilitla where Edward James sculpture gardens are located called Las Pozas and all the missions built by Fr. Serra and his group before he hiked to California.
It truly is an exquisite part of Mexico with few tourists.  (A plus for me).

Go, if you get the chance.  You too will be struck with awe at the beauty.  Send photos!

Gifts in the Garden

Opening the large, metal gates last Friday upon my return home, this was the sight that greeted me.  What a surprise.

The surprise was because I planted the white flowers called agapanthus about seven years ago.  They only bloomed one year and then never again.  It was my assumption that the black squirrel or some other unknown creature in the garden had eaten the bulbs.

But, alas, here they are in all their glory.  Five of them surrounding the little boy in the garden.

I'm happy - the hummingbirds are ecstatic.  Zipping and dipping into each bloom on the ball of the flower is a joyful sight to behold.  One can hear the hummingbirds making their clicking sound as they enter each bloom.

The little boy has a long history.  I don't exactly remember where I got him because I've had him for so long.
At some point my daughter Jennifer wanted him and asked if she could have him when her son Christopher was born.  She cleaned him up and kept him in her house.

After she passed and I decided to replant this section of the garden with all white flowers that she loved, it seemed appropriate and right for the little boy to be here in Jennifer's jardin.  Surrounding him are azaleas, white butterfly lillies and other white flowers that are not blooming at present such as white oleander.

Often I drink my coffee or meditate or eat my lunch sitting where I can enjoy the view of the little boy and whatever is blooming.

It's lovely to have the surprising gifts of flowers blooming in the garden, don't you agree?.

Traveling to Texas - 2015

Having not been to Texas in eight months, it was still a shock and surprise how many things had changed in my absence.

Friends have moved, but did leave a forwarding address.  Life certainly is all about change isn't it?

My main purpose in going up at this time was threefold.  One was to be at my daughter's house when she
had some eye surgery to help out in any way I could.  Two was to be at my oldest granddaughter's graduation from college as well as my daughter's graduation from another college and third was to spend time with my grandson as the anniversary of my daughter's passing was May 19th.

All of the above, along with visiting family and friends was accomplished.  It was a hectic time.

As I mentioned in the last post, the weather cooperated for the first five or so days.  During that time, we, Sue, Vandy and I were in Galveston eating outside every chance we had.  Seafood, oh my.  Shrimp and crabmeat and snapper.  YUM.  However, my left food began to swell and it was so painful that it was
difficult to walk on it.  What the heck?  It never occurred to me that it had anything to do with seafood until this past Monday when someone said they have gout and when they eat seafood the same thing happens to them. I need to read up on gout and figure out why I now that to think about.  Me, who loves seafood!  Oy vey.

 Here are Sue, Vandy and I on the Seabrook Channel with my first meal of stuffed shrimp and a Capt. Morgan's.  woo hoo.

 The Galveston Home Tour is always around Mother's Day.  I've never been but this year I did get to go to
see Cedar Lawn, a lovely area of Galveston where Sue and Vandy used to live.  The above photo is of Sam
Macio's house that was designed by the same architect who designed Frank Sinatra's home in California.  They, the story goes, were big buddies.  It's a long and intriguing story.  Sam Macio is a relative of Tillman Fertitta who owns many restaurants, hotels and casinos.

 This house was lovely with a lovely back garden full of all kinds of beautiful flowers.  Since
we don't have lawns here in San Miguel, I take great pleasure in seeing the expanse of green grass.
Especially since I no longer have to maintain that kind of a lawn.

 One of the highlights of the trip was spending time with Christopher, Jennifer's son and my grandson.
He is 16 and such a delight to sit and have a conversation with.  He didn't want his photo taken but
then I finally asked the waiter to do so and he did let this photo happen!  What a wonderful thing to
watch him grow into a young man with dreams and aspirations.  I know Jennifer is so proud of him as are all of us.

 This is one of the Galveston Cemeteries.  The ones on the island, because of the water table I presume, are above ground,  but this one is on an absolutely beautiful piece of land on the mainland, as they say.  I'm not exactly sure what town it is near as I was driven here, without knowing where I was going, so I didn't pay attention.

 This allee' of moss draped trees reminds me of where I grew up in South Louisiana.  It gave me instant peace to drive through.

 And, here, much to my surprise was the grave site of Sam Macio and his brother!  How ironic that I had just been to his home a few days before this.

 When I was last in Houston, this little dude was just a baby.  Now he is a full fledged little person with a huge personality.  This is Austin, son of Ryan and Lacey, my nephew and his wife.  He had my bracelet
and was having so much fun by not giving it back.  What a darling little guy.  I was SO SO happy to get to see him again. 

 More little people happened at lunch with dear friends Deidre, Jamie and Hannah.  While I was gone, Deidre had Ava, her daughter and Jamie got married. Now Deidre and Jamie are sisters-in-law. Hannah I had met a couple of years ago as she is Deidre's sister. How great to see all of them.  

 Baby Ava never awakened so I didn't even get to hold her.  Darn!  I love babies.  Well, I love kids, period.

 The grandparents of Austin, are my brother Bill and sister-in-law Annette.  I spent almost a week with them.  They have been waiting for grandchildren forever and in the last two years have had two little grandsons.  Now, another baby is on the way!  And, they are loving every single minute of it!

Another dear, dear friend who I haven't seen in at least eleven years and I got together for lunch in Galveston.  Our history is long.  Sherra Aguirre is one of those people who just amaze me and other people on a continual basis.  I have to share the story.  Sherra and I met in about 1980.  She was starting a janitorial/maintenance business.  I signed her first contract to maintain our warehouse and office quarters for a company I worked for named Ameron.  Sherra always came to our meetings in a business suit looking elegant, always. We had an immediate connection.  Unbeknownst to me, Sherra at night, would come and clean the offices and warehouse herself!  Today she has over 700 employees all over the USA and maintains parts of UTMB in Galveston, refineries, office buildings, etc. Her company Aztec Maintenance Services is honored often.  What an amazing person and woman.  I treasure her friendship.

The story continues, because in a way, Sherra, is responsible for my business success.  At some point, she asked me to serve on the Board of Directors of her firm.  I did.  She and her husband were investing in a new restaurant that was going to open called Cyclone Anaya's on Richmond.  They asked if I would go and look at the building as a possible decor package.  It ended up that it became more then that and was my first restaurant project that lead to work all over the USA with El Chico and Rio Bravo among others!

Sherra had forgotten all about that until I reminded her at our luncheon.  We laughed about the fact that neither of us could or would have believed at our paths or successes back at the beginning.

 My daughter Julie graduated from Stephen F Austin in Nacogdoches, Texas via the internet and many trips to the campus which is about three hours away.  She had gone there right out of high school but didn't graduate.  Her persistence and drive to get a degree so she can teach and coach is also a wonderful example of women with determination.  Unfortunately, her graduation day was the same as that of her oldest daughter, Jessica who graduated from Texas A&M University.  The decision was made to go to A&M. for Jessica's graduation.

One of Julie's friends surprised her by putting these balloons on the front doorstep for her.  What a nice surprise.

 We trooped off to College Station for Jessica's graduation.  What fun to see this and to meet her friends.  Many of the kids decorate the top of their caps as they get to keep them.  Below is Jessica's.

I could write volumes about Jessica.  She has the same persistence and determination as her Mom.  She is the grandchild that I got to spend the most time with as she grew up and she is the only one who has been to
Mexico, so far.  I'm so so proud of her and the way she thinks and conducts her life.

This is just some of the activities on the monthly excursion to Texas.  In addition, of course, there was shopping, seeing other friends and other stories.  All can wait for another day.

None of the above would have happened if Sue and Vandy, Amanada and Patrick, Bill and Annette and my daughter Julie and son-in-law Rich had not had me staying with them.  Thanks to all for another Month of Memories.

Welcome Home!

 It obviously rained in May while I was in Texas!  I came home to an explosion of blooms and colors that I had not seen in a year.  This was what greeted me the first morning home..........what a lovely welcome home.

It has been quite a while, three weeks, almost, since I last posted.  Quite a long time for me to not write.

Life in the big city of Houston and Galveston Island is busy and at times hectic.  Add to that that I was borrowing other peoples computers while there and, well, you get the picture.

Arriving, the weather was awesome.  It quickly, within a week or so, disintegrated to torrential downpours and flooding.  My attempts to get out were stymied by the threat of flooding out the car - whatever car I was driving.  One only has to have had your car flooded out once in your life to be prepared to scurry home and wait out the storms rather then chance a catastrophe.  There were plenty in Texas while I was there.

It is so tranquil and quiet up here on the hill, that when I returned home, it was difficult to sleep the first night because of NO noise at all.  Only the sound of crickets outside.  Aaah, and I was able to sleep with the door open for the cool breeze (58F) to blow in.........amazing.

Something strange happened on this trip.  I've been reflecting about it for several days.  Even though I've lived here fourteen years, this was the first time that I thought of going "home".  In the past it has always been I'm returning to San Miguel.  It's a radical thought.  One that I need to reflect on some more.

There is always a certain sadness as I leave Texas.  I never accomplish seeing all the people I want to see, or doing all the things that I had wanted to do.  Some how, if and when I return, I need to rectify that.  Maybe plan ahead a big gathering somewhere of all my diverse friends in one place and then let all of them come to me.  Otherwise, it will not happen.


In addition, I need to figure out a way to have a car for the whole time I'm up there.  I hate to impose on people and  use their car even though they so graciously offer it.  The problem with renting is that the taxes in Houston on a rental car are near 20% when returning the car.  So, it is never an inexpensive proposition.

This trip I told everyone that from now on they need to come to San Miguel!  I think they thought I was kidding, but, in truth, if possible, I would love to share this beautiful place with anyone who wants to come to see me and it.

How's that for an invitation?  Come on down.

A Hop, Skip and Jump

Flying from Leon, Guanajuato, to Houston was a two hour flight. Truly a hop, skip and jump in comparison to my usual fourteen hour drive - nine hours to the border and an overnight stay and then five hours into Houston. Woo hoo. Of course the whole trip isn't two hours. The shuttle picked me up at 5:30AM, then waiting at the airport (thank heavens for a kindle) and then the flight, US Customs and then a shuttle to the final destination. About nine hours total. An odd experience happened at the Houston airport. I had asked for a wheelchair since it is a LONG LONG walk from getting off the plane through Customs to the shuttle. It's a darn big airport. I did that once before when I flew up for the gallbladder surgery. A piece of cake, to put it mildly. Not this time. No wheelchair waiting for me, but, finally they came, they took me around the corner into a hallway and sat me there with 22 other women from Latin America who needed assistance to go through Customs etc. Only two attendents to help 23 of us did not add up to me. I sat there for a while pondering the situation. Hmmm. None of the women spoke English, so I went up to the person in charge and said that with the current ratio it seemed to me like it would be several hours before the 23 women, myself included, would be helped. Her response, "They can wait!" I waved goodbye, said "Adios" and off I went slowly but surely working my way through the airport to the shuttle service. I was so irritated by the response as it related to the women, but, had no idea what I could do to help. I mentioned it to a Customs guy but he didn't seem to care either....... The rest of the journey was upbeat by the time I got in the shuttle with a man from Monroe, La. who was talking about going home to spend Mother's Day with his Mom and couldn't wait for the homecooking she would shower upon him. Okra, yellow squash, butter beans, purple hull peas and cornbread. By the time I got out of the shuttle from laughing and talking with him, I wanted Southern home cooked food so so bad. Settling for seafood was NOT settling. My friends Sue and Vandy picked me up on Clear Lake and we made a beeline for a great restaurant on the Seabrook Channel. We could eat, drink and watch the sailboats going out into Galveston Bay and coming back in. Brought back many years of memories. Seafood had been the goal. Seeing the water has been another. Spending time with friends and family has been the crown jewel. I'm writing this as I sit looking out at the canals in Omega Bay. The tide is going out and will be coming in later today. Weather has been amazingly perfect. Low humidity, cool temps, sometimes overcast but always, amazing sunsets. What's not to love? I was so shocked at the coolness of the weather that I think that was all I could comment about for about four hours. What a pleasant surprise. I've been whittling the "Houston list" down little by little. Yesterday I found an almost brand new Samsonite suitcase at Goodwill for $5USD to take all these purchases back to San Miguel! Such a deal. I've seen a Mafioso's home, laughed til my sides hurt, hugged my grandson Christopher and I'm ready to see what surprises the rest of the trip will bring. Stay tuned.