Scary, Scary Night

It happened a couple of nights ago.  A hissing and bumping outside my bedroom wall of windows.  The sound went on from about 11:30AM until about 2:30AM.  Intermittently.  Of course it woke me up each time.

Finally I got my courage up to get the flashlight and look out the window.  Hoping and keeping my fingers crossed that I did not see two beady eyes, but whatever it is that is making this horrific sound.

I saw nothing.  I looked and looked.  Very disconcerting.  No, I did NOT go out there.

At least the time I had to kill the BIG scorpion in the bathroom, I found it, killed it and that was that.
Not this time.

In the morning I looked for signs of any activity.  Was the fern mashed down?  Were the many flowers eaten?  Were the cushions on the chaise wrinkled.  Nada.

Then I began to hope that whatever it was would not return.  It HAD been here once before, maybe a year ago or so.  But, just for one night.

Not so lucky this time.  Two more times the darn thing has been here.  Each morning I try to figure out where it is when it is here and, of course, what the heck is it?

I've resorted to looking at You Tube videos of animals making sounds when threatened.  My son thinks it is a possum, which at one point there was one in the garden.  I couldn't find a possum video where they were making noises.

Let me describe it.  A growling, throaty, hissing sound.  Nothing like I have ever heard before except for the time "it"was here before.

Yesterday I saw the little black squirrel scurrying through the garden.  The thought crossed my mind, "Could a little squirrel like that make that loud noise?"  Can you tell this has me REALLY perplexed.  I've also thought about the large lizard on the roof.  The coatamundi that fell in the fireplace years ago.  The skunk that goes ambling down the road from time to time out of the canyon.  And, again I say, "What the heck is it?"

Each time I've turned the outside overhead light on, it gets quiet.  You ask why don't I sleep with that light on?  Well, because it lights up my bedroom as though it is daylight.  And, yes the drapes are closed.

That first night it was here, it thrashed around and made so much noise before I went to bed, that I actually went upstairs to see if some people were out on the road cutting the weeds down or something.  It could have been a very large animal with all the noise it made. Like an elephant for goodness sake.

And, that leads to the question, "How the heck does it get in here?"  There are very high walls.  There is chain link on the wall that faces the road to the canyon.  To say that the house is fortified like Fort Knox is  an understatement.

The latest thing I've done in my scientific attempt to determine what it is will make you laugh.  I have folded two beach towels and laid them on the seat of an outdoor chair by the window.  Very comfy.  My thought is it might jump up there and get comfortable, I would open the curtains and see it and finally know what it is.
Each morning I look out to see if the towels have been moved around or anything.  So far, nothing.

Help!  Any ideas?  It obviously, well I think so anyway, is nocturnal.  Your guess is as good as mine..........

A Second Opinion

                              There is a compelling reason for writing this post.  Let me tell you the scenario. 

A few months ago a friend returned from a trip to Africa with a cough and a few other minor ailments.  She also had a lump near her mouth.  She went to the dentist, here in Mexico, and the dentist removed the lump and sent it for a biopsy and report. There is more to this part of the story but I don't remember all the details.

The next part of this saga is all too common.   It came back saying she had lymphoma, stage 4 and that it was in her lymph nodes and her body.  Chemo needed to start immediately.  Of course, all this did not happen at one appointment but continued for several weeks until this was determined.

My friend is a Canadian but felt that it would take way too long to get an appointment for treatment in Canada and so was prepared for chemo here in Mexico.

At a party she and her husband were having for her brother's birthday, I expressed, vociferously, that they should go to Canada and if necessary call for an ambulance and be presented to the emergency room and they would have to take her.  You might laugh or be appalled at this suggestion, but when it is life or death, you do what you have to do.  I have, in the past, done this with my daughter.

She did not do that, but did contact her doctor in Canada with all the details.  Thankfully, somehow, they were able to get into an oncologist. 

Much to my friend's dismay, although she had brought all the test results and reports from Mexico, the doctor's in Canada wanted to rerun the tests.  Of course, now time had elapsed and the concern of my friend and her husband was the angst and worry and wanting to get on with the chemo.

The tests were done.  The results came back.  Believe it or not, my friend did NOT have cancer but did have mononucleosis.  Now this is rare in someone over 70, I'm told.   This news was relayed to us from
Canada by email.  We were all ecstatic, shocked and dismayed. 

Ecstatic that my friend can rest and recuperate.  It is a diagnosis that does not come without serious concerns but at least it is not cancer.  Shock at the previous diagnosis.  And, yes, this does happen.  More frequently then one would believe.  And dismay, that this saga had gone on so long with all kinds of sadness, panic and distress.  Not to mention the monetary expense.

It was my intention to write this blog when it was first emailed that my friend did not have cancer.  What if the doctors in Canada had not redone the tests?  Oh my.

It is a clear lesson that one should not rush into treatment for just about anything without getting a second opinion, and if necessary a third, to make sure that the future course of action is correct.

To all my friends who read this, PLEASE remember this if you are ever in this position.  My only other suggestion is to always get to the best facility, somehow and don't give up until you get there.  All things are possible.

Hopefully none of us will ever be faced with this dilemma, but it seemed a word to the wise was in order.

In the Matter of an Hour

 My weekly sojourn in the jardin on Friday was enhanced by the visit of school groups from all over Mexico visiting on field trips.  In years past, the kids would come up and ask if they could talk to you in English.

 That continues to be the norm.  One will ask you your name in English, then another, then another, then, well you get the idea.  On Friday they swarmed the bench to ask questions.

Then, I turned the tables and asked them their names.  I also asked where they were from.  Most were from Leon, Guanajuato.  The politeness of each and every child is mesmerizing.  They ALWAYS say "Thank you" and listen attentively.  They always say "Good bye" and wave.  I'm impressed.  Lotsa kids with lotsa smiles.

 As if that wasn't interesting enough, out of the corner of my left eye, I saw the Virgen Mary statue being carried down the street heading for the Parroquia.  No big machinery, just human beings carrying this statue down the street and up the stairs into the church.  I would estimate it is about ten feet tall.  I'm assuming they had taken it somewhere for repairs.  There are many restorers of church statuary in San Miguel.  With twenty-two churches, it seems they would be busy most of the year.

At the end of the hour, the students were swarming the statue by the Parroquia for the required group photo to document their trip to San Miguel.  Life and kids are the same, in some ways, all over the world!

But, I must admit, no two days are alike in the jardin in San Miguel.  Well, at least not yet and I've been doing this for almost 15 years.

1500 posts and still going............

I don't really know what to say, other then to mark a milestone by saying that after having started this blog post in 2006, I have reached 1500 posts today.  This post is # 1500.  Now there are some who write daily, not me.  It's when the spirit moves me or something has happened that I want to document for posterity.

This morning I went back and read the first post, which for some reason is in another print color hardly readable.  Then I skimmed 2007.  Now none of those great photos show up because those posts were
written on a computer that crashed several years ago.  The computer guru was able to retrieve the posts, but for some reason the photos were not retrievable.

I'm not a computer savvy person.  I have discovered though that I like to write, much to my surprise.
Maybe it is because I now have time to do those things, like writing, that I never had time for in my life previously.  It is one of the few things I've done in my life that was not being done to make money to take
care of myself or my family.  It has been a purely enjoyable treasure.

As many of you know, I started the blog solely for my family after my daughter's passing.  It was my way of
letting them know that I was alive and moving on.  That was my intention.  In my wildest dreams it was impossible for me to imagine what the posts have brought to my life.

Great friendships with other blog writers and readers!  30,000 readers a month!  Right there is enough to astound me.  Calypso, a fellow blogger once wrote statistically about how many books blog posts add up to. I was astounded.  My son is always suggesting that I write a book.  In fact, I was approached to turn this blog into a book, but that is way too much work for me.  Promoting, traveling, and all the things involved.
I'm content with things the way they are.  My little contribution to my life.....and sometimes yours.


I had no parameters when I started.  I did want to write about life in Mexico. Daily things that weren't big deals.  Positive things mostly - few negative or ranting posts as some I have read about politics and things that one can read in all newspapers and magazines.  I needed to be upbeat for myself.  The accusation that I'm a "pollyanna" has been thrown around, but who cares?  It was never my intention to win a popularity contest, ha.

There is something about living in Mexico that makes one upbeat.  The beauty, the day to day scenes that are surprising and surreal at times.  Life in general is joyful, most of the time.

Here is a scene that I saw last week that illustrates the surprising things one can see if you take time to stop and notice.  Things that touch your heart in their simplicity and purity.

 There are vendors around the jardin that have to disassemble and reassemble their booths daily.  It takes the whole family working to set it up in the morning.  This family sells dried flowers which are made into bouquets in little baskets along with wreaths for children and women to wear on their heads.  The above photo was my indication that they were walking several blocks, as usual, to set up.

                                            A family parade of items to set up their space.

   And this little girl, in her pink crocs, was carrying a bouquet of dried flowers as well.  Very few children go to daycare centers in San Miguel.  The government has one and an NGO has one, but most of the children go to work with their parents, if possible. 

                                          Here she is passing in front of the Allende museum.

And, last but certainly not least, the father with the shelf with the baskets and head wreaths.  This has been carried for a couple of blocks, at least, as the jardin is closed off to vehicular traffic.

It is seeing things like this scene that enrich my life and hopefully it does for all of you as well.  Every day occurrences are the small things of life, but which add big doses of life and light to my life.  Again, hopefully to your life as well.

Thanks for being around.  Thanks for all of your comments.  YOU have enriched my life in ways that you can't even imagine.  The best things in life are free.    Life is good!

Fiesta Patrias in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

Seldom is a holiday just one day in San Miguel.  This past week was a prime example of that.

Preparing had begun weeks before with flags and buntings and medallions being installed on as many non-moving buildings as possible.  Then add to that all the people buying flags for their homes, funny hats
and those annoying high pitched horns that seem to show up this time of the year.  In red, white and green, of course.

The entire primary school of students across the road from me were given one of those horns at about 8:15AM on Tuesday morning.  The din of horns went on until they were released early from school that
day.  But, even now, every so often, I hear one.  They are unmistakable.

The flags and decorations have added a festive flare to the town.  I always thought that people in the USA were the most patriotic, but I must say, patriotism in Mexico is just as beautiful to see and very prevalent.

Tuesday evening the big El Grito was said by the current mayor who leaves office next month.  It was on the balcony of the Allende house.  Allende was one of the leader's of the revolution so you can imagine how poignant that moment is every year.  It is said that 30,000 people were expected in the jardin........Needless to say, I was not one of them but watched it on webcam from the safety and quiet of my computer in my home.  Crowds do not thrill me - at least when I'm among them.  And, believe me they were packed in like sardines.

Spectacular fireworks accompany every celebration in Mexico and especially San Miguel..........on a continual basis..........morning and night.  There were spectacular fireworks on Tuesday night that began at 11PM.

Wednesday was the military parades and the students marching in uniforms with bugles and drums.  Fireworks began at 10PM that night.

Thursday was the reenactment of the Insurgents riding into San Miguel on horseback - about 300 horses and their riders.  Some in costume, others not.  A ragtag group.

By Friday, I figured all the parades and fireworks were done.  I headed into town about 10:15 in the morning to take care of banking, newspapers, and other assorted tasks.  Ooops, as I turned the corner by the jardin and saw people sitting on the walls and steps of the jardin, I knew a parade must be coming.  Then I heard the sirens and there was no doubt. 

Upon arriving to my next appointment I asked everyone if anyone knew what this parade was about and not a single local Mexican knew what it was about.  When finished with that task, I headed to the jardin to see
WHAT the parade was about.  It was the blessing of the firetrucks and ambulances in front of the Parroquia!
All kinds of things from the taxis to school equipment and evidently the safety vehicles are blessed at some time during the year.

Add to that, there were little kindergartners dressed as doctors, nurses, lab techs, firemen and they rode in the ambulances  and on the fire truck.  By the way, the firetruck and ambulance are relatively new additions to the scene of San Miguel.

Sadly I did not get photos of all the children in the parade, but did manage to catch this precious little girl running back and forth in the jardin in her nurse uniform.  Love the look of pure innocence and joy on her little face.  The house behind her was Allende's home.  That is a statue of him on the wall and the balcony to the left of the statue is where the El Grito is said.   Now there is a relatively new museum on the first floor.

The festivities are over for the time being.  It won't be long, about two weeks, until everything gears back up for the feast of St. Michael the Archangel.  He is the patron saint of San Miguel.  It is a magnificent time to be here for all the indigenous dancers who come to dance and parade all over centro along with the fireworks, of course.

Life is never dull in San Miguel!

A Bicycle Bonanza!

The story began about a month ago.  Two generous and thoughtful friends said they had been looking at bicycles for Matilda and Sebastian. I was astounded.  They wanted to buy them bicycles.  My response, "It's not their birthdays or Christmas yet!"  They chuckled and said, "So?"  I was overwhelmed and so was my son, John.

They wanted Matilda and Sebastian to look at bikes at a couple of locations and report back to them.
Well, walking into Coppel, Matilda and Sebastian made a beeline for two bikes.  A Max Steel (he's a new superhero) for Sebastian and one with a baby carrier on it that Matilda fell in love with.  They did not know
that this visit to Coppel was for any reason other then to see the new store.  No more was said about the bikes or anything else.

In the meantime, the bikes were purchased, picked up and eventually delivered to my son's house for him to decide how to give the bikes to the kids.  He decided to have a Treasure Hunt.  He had clues for them to read.  It was such fun!

 Here Mati, being silly, and Seb, looking serious,  before they were told about the Treasure Hunt.

 Then the fun began.  The first clue.  Matilda reading it.  Dashing around the house and out in the garden

 they found the second clue.  Three clues in alll lead them to the roof terrace of the house and .........

 There was much squealing and screaming and shock that these were their new bicycles!  They squealed so much that the workers working on the roof across the street were all staring to see if something bad was happening.  Nope, it was all good.

 Then they discovered they had helmets as well.  Oh my, what fun to watch them discovering all kinds of things.  Sebastian was awed that he had shock absorbers and explained what they are to Matilda. 

 Matilda was thrilled that she had a baby carrier and basket to carry her doll "Pink Baby" in the carrier and the bunny in the basket.  As you can see, Scout the dog, was everywhere near them in all the excitement.
The bikes were brought down off the roof terrace at the insistence of the kids so they could zooooooom
up and down the street.  Their dad had left the training wheels on the bikes just to make sure they learned how to use the brakes and how to use the bikes.  By this morning, the training wheels were gone.

                                          Matilda was riding so fast, I almost didn't get this photo~.

 Joy, exuberance, giddiness and happiness were all part of the experience.  Two ecstatic kids.  At one point Matilda said, "I must have been really good this week to get this" in a puzzled voice. 

I'm so glad I was able to be there to see all the fun of this.  This morning when talking to John, they had been up and out on the street with their bikes riding up and down.  Up and down and up and down some more. 

Luckily, they live on a PAVED street with no cobblestones.  An amazing thing, truly.  So was the generosity of my two friends who want to remain nameless but who will hopefully enjoy seeing these photos and the video that John made of the whole episode.

The Lessons are Over............from Velcro

The lessons from Velcro have ended.  She has gone to the "happy hunting ground in the sky".  No way could she be helped...........she's out of her pain and illness.

The reality of it hit me today when I came back home.  She was not waiting for me at the gate.  That cat was so much like a dog.  She knew the sound of my car and no matter, if she was in the schoolyard across the street or in the weeds of the canyon, she would make a beeline for the gate and be sitting there waiting for me by the time I got the car all parked out on the street.

It was a wakeup call.  I sat down and reread a few of the many posts I have written elaborating on the silly tricks and weird characteristics of this cat that lived with me for nine years..........on the property for eleven!

The two posts that I enjoyed rereading the most were Lessons from Velcro on October 17, 2009 and More Lessons from Velcro on June 6, 2011.  You could go and reread those if you're interested.

Another chapter of my life has ended.  It is now the season of no more pets, period.  It is just too darn hard when they leave.

Thanks for all your previous comments and concerns.  I so appreciate each and every one of you for taking the time to write.

Velcro with her paw.............and I with my hand give you a "high five".

Velcro's Saga

It all started about a month ago.  The usual frisky, former bird and mouse catcher, seemed out of sorts.  Yes, she still brought "gifts" to me outside the bedroom door, from time to time.  Usually in the middle of the night.
The weird meow always told me "Don't look".  Inevitably if I did, I could see something in her mouth.  Then I knew she had been down in the canyon.  Returning to her feral ways.

At about this time, it was apparent that she was losing weight.  Wanting to see if it was a temporary thing,something she had eaten,  I kept a watchful eye.  The weight did not and has not returned.

Next weird thing was an unquenchable thirst.  We're talking six bowls of bathroom sink water a day.......or more.  Not a bowl but a sinkful. 

The picture above is from July, not a recent photo.  She is now about 1/3 that size in weight now plus losing her hair.

I gave in last Saturday, accepted the inevitable and took her to Dr. Vasquez who was Flash, my dog's vet.
He is genial, thorough and kind.  He kept Velcro for a couple of hours and said she was full of bacteria. An inordinate amount.  So we came home with antibiotics.  I knew she had to be REALLY sick because with no effort to scratch or bite me, she took the pills every day for eight days.

Today we returned to the vet.  The lumps of hair falling out of her, plus the fact that she is still not eating have caused many sleepless nights for me.  Velcro only wants water when she comes in in the morning and no matter what I try to feed her, she is not interested. Not even tuna, baked chicken breast or steak.  I tried it all.

 Dr. Vasquez is keeping her to run blood tests and then to tell me what he finds............Which kind of diabetes or something worse.  This will be Velcro's first night to not be sleeping at home in eleven years.

I'm prepared for the worst!  But, it took me a month to get to this point, mentally.  I don't want her to suffer any more.

I'll keep you posted on Thursday when I will next talk with Dr. Vasquez............

What do you DO all day?

If I had ten pesos for each time someone asks me that question, I would be able to take a cruise to Tahiti.....well, somewhere.  It is usually someone in the USA's retort when I say I'm retired in Mexico.

I typically say, "As little as I can get away with!" and then they sorta laugh.  Little do they know it is the truth.

Take today.  I LOVE Saturdays.  It is one of the few days that I don't have to get up quickly out of bed to take care of a myriad of tasks.  Such as call the gas company, make sure the water man is coming, let Velcro the cat in, let Velcro the cat out.  Get things ready for Josefina and Javier..........you get the idea. 

Except today the doorbell rang at 8AM!  WHAT!  I started not to get my socks and robe on and go upstairs, then thought better of it, because I could not imagine who would be ringing the doorbell on a Saturday morning at that hour.  Just about the time I got up the stairs, I heard "Aqua-water" and knew it was the water man on an odd day and I didn't need any.  Well, by now, wide awake, what the heck, get up and get going.........slowly.

Made coffee - let the cat in - settled in the chair that I meditate in and about thirty minutes later was ready for some chores.  I grabbed the clippers, paper towels and windex and headed to the roof.  I never mind putzing in the gardens.  I had trimmed things just the other day in the lower garden and main garden but had not gotten to the roof terrace yet.  I trimmed and plucked along with cleaning the two glass top tables on the roof as I felt like with the beautiful weather, I would spend time up there today.  I did.

After pruning and cleaning, I got my book, my cd player and a bit more coffee and headed back to read for a while.  I always stop intermittently to watch the butterflies, the hummingbirds and the cloud formations.  A stellar day.   The high temp was about 75F with a soft gentle breeze.

Fixed a light lunch - shared chicken with Velcro - and then headed for the downstairs patio to read and watch a huge amount of butterflies feeding on the flowers and dipping into the bird bath for water.

Seriously, could life get any better then this? 

I've been reading some excellent books.  The Good Earth by Pearl Buck was extraordinary, even though it was written a long, long time ago.  Now I'm reading A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole.  I had never heard of this book but my son gave it to me to read.  It  is a Pulitzer Prize winning novel about an odd man in New Orleans.  Very different.  Very.

The day has been a combination of good music, great weather, a good book and solitude.  Ahhh, life is good.  And, what do I do all day?  It's true, as little as I can get away with! 

How about you?

On the Back Roads of Mexico.............Vizarron Again!

In June, I took some friends to Vizarron on the way to the Sierra Gorda.  It is a "marble" village with big areas where stone is mined and brought to be made into tile, terrazzo and furniture or ornaments for cemeteries.

I wanted a short pedestal to use as a side table next to my reading chair in the living room and knew that I could get one there.  The guys were "game for a road trip".  And, off we went.

While there, we walked the main street and found a shop where the man hand made slippers and shoes.
They are lined with alpaca and the skins are all kinds of things.  Beautiful.

As will happen, after returning to San Miguel in June,  it weighed on the the guys that they had not bought more shoes and slippers along with pedestals as I had purchased.

So, another road trip happened last week.

 Here is the pedestal that I purchased in June. You can put a small uplight inside if you wish to give a whole other look as seen in the photo below.

 These little altars are everywhere in Mexico.  This one happened to be next to the banos at the Pemex station somewhere on the road to Vizarron.  Sweet, isn't it?

 One never knows what one will see.........from the altars to a stretch limousine in Vizarron!  I'm still amazed at this.  The website painted on the car had Vizarron in the name.  Now to say Vizarron is in the middle of nowhere is not an understatement......to put it mildly.

 One would never know there was any reason to stop here unless you knew to stop here.  I had done just that about seven years ago and remembered the beautiful marble items for sale in a couple of shops.  Most are exported or sold in shops in cities in Mexico..........for much, much more money.

This little teeny, weeny shoe shop has glorious things.  Slippers and shoes for all ages.  Articles on the wall are about the shoe maker who is quite well known in Mexico!  I actually saw some of these shoes in the Sundance catalog recently..........who knew?  We sat on a stool, tried on shoes to find the right sizes and left with about seven pairs of shoes and slippers to be given as Christmas gifts. See the little childrens' slippers hanging on the wall?

 We walked into the shops that were open and found all kinds of beautiful items made from marble, onyx and granite.  At the shop where I had bought my pedestal, they had two like mine, but they were too tall.  The man suggested that if we left for an hour, he could cut them to the height we wanted and we could come back and pick them up.  We did and he did.  We found a new little hotel in Vizarron, thanks to the shop owner, and all head lunch there, picked up the pedestals and headed back toward home.

 Along the way, the views, to me are spectacular.  Of course, I love open roads...........

                                              Sheep grazing along the way with shepherds nearby.

  We DID have to go through Eziekiel Montes , a town with construction going on.  The traffic jam of a horse, a double long truck and many cars reminded us we were returning to civilization.  Darn.

But, all in all, it was a fun day as always.  For me, it is ALWAYS great to get out on the roads and explore.

Next trip, will be to the French cashmere factory that few are aware of or the village that makes Christmas decorations or the abandoned railroad bed near San Miguel or to Timmyland.  See, there is so much to see and so little time! 

A Rip Roarin' 87th Birthday!

We knew it would not be dull.  It never is when Mz. Dogie Lou is around.  And, today was her 87th birthday.

She has not been around much.  Not at the Koffee Klatch for months nor at our Friday lunches.  So an email was sent telling her there were no excuses good enough for her to miss her birthday.

We ALL held our breaths to see if she would show up.  The balloons were blown up and attached to the chairs, the carrot cake from Casa Feliz was acquired and we waited.

All arrived at 11AM on the dot.  No Dogie Lou or Frank.  By 11:15 I was getting ready to roll up the balloons and cut the cake.  I should have known she would want to make an "entrance".  And she did in her usual dazzling style.

Below are the rip roaring photos of about 16 of us laughing, drinking cappuccinos and reveling in the fact that this woman we all care about so much, still has the same spunk and silliness........even at the ripe old age of 87.

 Francisco, the head waiter at Don Tomas was thrilled to see Dogie and they embraced and smiled.

                                                Frank, her husband, and friends, Suzy and Bill

                                                               More of the group

                                                           Dogie and Frank, a beautiful couple

                                                               My son, John and Dogie. 

                                                           Her favorite birthday card!

                                    Francisco brought her favorite drink.  chocolate frappucino........

        But, that didn't stop her from clowning around with the champagne she received as a gift.

                                  Two young musicians from South American serenaded Mz Dogie.

And, of course, before we left to go to lunch, Dogie grabbed a couple of balloons and acted silly.  Much to Frank's embarrassment.  Dogie's comment was something to the effect that by this age, she could do whatever she wanted to do.  Indeed Dogie.  Indeed.

This is how we "roll" in Mexico!

Last Friday I was sitting on my favorite bench where I can see all the comings and goings in the jardin.
The place is so perfect that part of the bench is in the shade and another part is in the sun.  One cannot sit in the sun for very long at 6400 ft. elevation.  So, when I've had enough, I slide into the shade.

Several old friends came to the bench who I had not seen in months.  One of my favorites, Norman, has been a friend since before I moved to San Miguel.  We met on one of my visits.  Norm is now 89, but having survived a couple of cancers, a bad spine and who knows what else, he just keeps on keeping on.  His back hurts so much that it takes him quite a while to walk a few blocks home.  He must stop at certain places to wait until the pain subsides.  Complain?  Never.  He has that deep throaty urchin laugh that just draws you in.

I was so happy to see him last week.  Norm lives in a two story place with the bedroom upstairs.  The idea of him climbing two flights of stairs makes me worry, as it does his many friends.  He recently got handrails after living there fifteen years.

So, I said to Norm that I had a friend who has a one floor fabulous casita right near where he lives.  No stairs, beautiful gardens, lovely light filled and gorgeous furnishings.  I said I wished he would consider
moving.  His answer "NO  WAY".  So I dropped it and didn't think another thing about it.

Fast forward to yesterday.  I get a call from my friend who has the casita.  We haven't talked since I saw Norm and I never told her about the exchange or anything.

She starts out the conversation by saying that such a strange but good thing happened on Monday.  An unknown person named Ken stopped by the house and said that Norm told him about the place.  Okay,
I never even gave Norm the address!  He asked if he could see it.  He loved it and rented it for 5 months next summer.

I started laughing as she said she wondered who Norm is.  Then when she hesitated, I told her the story.
We both laughed as it IS the way things happen here.  Word of mouth.  That is how we "roll".  NOT big ads, not big agents, but Word of mouth.  Great, isn't it?

In fact, that is how I found the two houses that I have had for 15 years.  A woman sat down on the bench next to me.  We started talking.  I said I was looking for a place.  She said she and her boyfriend were breaking up and wanted someone to take over the lease on two houses.  They also wanted to sell all the furniture in the houses.  The rest is history.  Word of mouth.

As you can see from the photo taken last Friday, there is ALWAYS something going on in the jardin.  Here it shows not only construction on a statue on a high column, but a funeral and lots of people just walking around.  Lots of Word of mouth going on..........

Going "underground" in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

I've always known there are pathways from house to house under the streets of San Miguel near the jardin and in centro.  They were built back in the 1700's.  I've never been down in any of the pathways as I am
prone to claustrophobia. I presume they were used for safety.

But, things ARE happening here, during new construction that is raising eyebrows and consternation from those who do not like change.

Coppel, a prolifice department store in Mexico,  a few years ago announced they were building a new store that is near the Instituto.  There was a hue and cry that it would close mom and pop stores, it was not historically significant, it would cause us to lose our historical designation, etc etc etc.  There were pickets and signs and protests.  All the usual stuff that happens each time someone wants to open something new here.  It's been going on for all 15 years that I have been here.  These people made it so miserable for Subway, that they finally left town! So did a McDonald's franchisee.  There are over 500 Subways in Mexico, but not in San Miguel.

Anyway, Coppel opened several months ago and finally last weekend, I went in the store with my son John and Matilda and Sebastian to look at bicycles.

I was very impressed at what was just on the first floor!  I didn't get up to the second floor, yet.  Clean, efficient, well marked displays.  Plenty of staff to assist or to stand in amazement as Mati and Seb tried out the bicycles.  What I didn't know at the time was that there is an underground parking garage.

A few days later, I returned to Coppel with friends.  We pulled into the underground parking lot.  Small but efficient for about 15 cars.  It has a vestibule and even an elevator!  My kind of store.  In we went, looked again at things and left.  Things that I don't see in any Mom and Pop stores here, anywhere.

Then I realized that the construction that has been going on out on the edge of town next to the Italian Coffee place across from Mega is going to be an underground parking garage as well.  Smart use of space - underground.

What I find amazing is the fact that San Miguel is built on rock.  No wonder it has taken about two years for the structure photographed below to get to this point.

In Queretaro, a city about an hour from here, the parking garage is under the jardin.  It would be wonderful if there was a place for San Miguel to do that to relieve the surface lots that are usually filled to capacity daily.

I've never heard talk of that, but it sure makes sense..........sorta.

There are all kinds of ways to make things work more efficiently - if the people will cooperate and accept new things.  Maybe some day.