babsblog

Oops, last photo didn't post!

2012-02-16T18:45:00.000-06:00

The dastardly guy in the red shirt that I mentioned in the previous post didn't publish. Hence, here it is.

A postscript. "Road Less Traveled" is my 900th blog post! WOW!

Road Less Traveled

2012-02-16T18:41:00.000-06:00

One never knows what to expect on a daily basis here in Mexico.

Today my walking path that the children use to walk to the primary school across from my house became a road. Not happy about this development.

It is a path that has had very little traveling vehicles. This change of events has occurred due to the fact that the closest parallel road, Homobono and Cuesta de San Jose, are trenched down about six feet as a huge pipe for a sewer line is installed. The work has been going on since November. They're finally up here at the top of the hill and ready to close the last block that allowed people to bypass this dirt walking path.

The bulldozer arrived at about 9AM and left about 5. Somewhere midway in the process I just HAD to go find out what the future was going to bring to my house right next to the "new" road. It seems that ALL traffic coming up the hill will be coming by my house for "no longer then a month" according to the Transito man. We'll see. Although they have been relatively prompt and on time on other projects in the last couple of years.

Our conversation was laughable. I've learned to say, first off, "Mi Espanol es muy mal". It always brings a smile and a reply from each person that their English is likewise. So thoughtful. Then we launch in........they talking very fast, me talking in Spanish and English. Hysterical.

What the man did NOT tell me was that the trees next to the house and the small patch of grass that I have nursed for eleven years was going to be hacked up by the guy in the red shirt. I'm very philosophical about this kind of stuff.
Either it will grow back or it won't. The trees certainly are history but they were here when I got here so I don't have any claim to any of it other then watching the birds land on them.

I wanted to have the guts to ask them to smooth out the dirt they put on the side of the road. I didn't have the guts.

Someone I know relatively well is running for Mayor. If he wins, I'm going to present a landscaping plan to him to turn this into a mirador for people to come and see the canyon and presa. I've floated the idea to the garden club but they already have lots of projects.

If everyone could observe all the families and individuals who walk to the edge of the cliff or just stop in motion to enjoy the view, they would understand how this could be a lovely setting. It wouldn't take much if the appropriate materials would be used.

I think, after Cuesta de San Jose is reopened, there will not be traffic again. Other then foot traffic. We'll see........

Whaddaya gonna do?

2012-02-15T15:13:00.001-06:00

It has rained over two inches and been colder then a rat's ass in Alaska for the first eleven days of February.

Hunkered down in the only room that I could manage to keep warm, I've been reading and watching great DVDs. It has made the time go faster. That's for sure.

I laughed out loud when I picked up my latest copy of Texas Monthly with the illustrious Governor of Texas on the cover.

He is being awarded the Bum Steer Award. Read all the little things they've put on the cover. I love the irreverance of this magazine. I read it from cover to cover as I do with Smithsonian and National Geographic. Sometimes funny, informational and irreverant. Thank heavens everything in this world doesn't have to be politically correct!

With Molly Ivin gone and George Carlin gone, I find few who delve into things and say those things that others dare not. Have you noticed that too?

The movies I've been watching after stopping at Juan's and paying 40 pesos per DVD have been many of the nominees for Oscars. Some of them have been "The Descendents" (ok), "The Artist" (very interesting cinematography in black and white)and "A Better Life". A Better Life, in my opinion, was the best of all. Hope everyone sees it.

The best of the best however has been a BBC series called "Around the World in 80 Gardens". A couple of months ago, quite by accident, someone lent a segment to me on the gardens of Mexico. It was excellent. I had been to all of the gardens and the descriptions and photography are very well done. My joy at seeing more segments on Australia, New Zealand and India captivated me. Hours melted away as I was transported to other continents. Other climates. Seeing flowers that I have in my gardens but never knew where they originated was the biggest surprise. Quite exquisite scenery.

If you're in San Miguel, go by Cafe Etc and ask Juan for the BBC series on the gardens of the world. So, so enjoyable.
It made me forget the rain and the cold..........for a few hours at least.

Trying to be Patient

2012-02-11T13:59:00.000-06:00

Just like this beach dog that I observed recently, I'm trying to be patient while it rains, and rains, and rains some more. Add to that the cold - it's only 52 right now outside. It's only 62 INSIDE with the heater on!
This is NOT an adventure that needs to continue much longer, por favor. Tomorrow it will be one week since the sun has shown. Oy vey!

This, along with other things, like the fact that my electric bill for the last two months was 4,356 pesos are things that those who think EVERYTHING is perfect in Mexico don't take into consideration. Hmmm, I realized just now I've been whining and ranting way too much this week. Perhaps it is the lack of sunshine along with the rain and the cold. The electricity has been going off and on, hence the cold in the house. Sorry for complaining.

I did enjoy watching this beach dog patiently waiting for whatever scraps each table would pass to it. I at first thought the dog belonged to this table of people but then watched her move from table to table. Sweet, quiet and patient. That's how I strive to be - just don't succeed very often, as you well know. Darn.

Hope wherever you are reading this today that you have sunshine and warmth.

Stopping Me Dead in My Tracks!

2012-02-09T13:48:00.000-06:00

I ran into someone recently who has lived in Mexico for several years. In our conversation this person said, "You know I have a really hard time relating to the people of Mexico because I feel that their culture is so inferior to ours in the USA".

You can imagine how hard I had to fight to control my impulse to knock this person to the ground. I took a deep breath and commented that that was a shame and that possibly it would be helpful for this person to become educated about the history and beauty of the culture. A blank look came back to me.

Then, in an attempt at being civilized, I told him several stories of why I feel the culture is gentile and far more cultured then the US's because of many reasons. One being the longevity of the culture versus the USA's. And then I began to tell this person of many stories to illustrate some of these things that I have personally experienced.

It soon became apparent that this person was not only not listening, but that no matter what I said, their viewpoint was their viewpoint, sadly.

Those comments have rolled and rolled around in my head for several days. It is beyond my understanding why someone would live in a country that they didn't respect the people. Much to my dismay, this person isn't the only person I've come across who issues forth with the same old, same old statements about crime, corruptness and uneducated masses.

It somewhat reminds me of growing up in Louisiana where the same old things were said about the blacks. I don't understand why some people have to feel superior over another group of people, whoever they are.

Can't we all just get along? What happened to learning about other cultures and embracing the differences and learning from them. Sheesh, it drives me crazy.

A Few of My Favorite Things

2012-02-08T18:48:00.000-06:00

I seldom drink. Except when I'm at the beach. At home I limit myself to Capt Morgan's Rum. No more then two drinks. But at the beach I'm always in search for the perfect pina colada. Never do the bartenders put much alcohol, so I order two pina coladas. However, look at how big they are - geez. this one looks like it is leaning due to weight.

Blooming trees with totally azure blue, unpolluted sky.

Sunsets - first from Barre de Navidad and lastly the last night in town from Melaque.

Life is good.

Shelling

2012-02-07T13:19:00.000-06:00

I'[ve been a shell collector all my life. Well, since the late 60's when we moved to Texas and were in close proximity to Galveston. My kids too loved to look for olive shells, sand dollars and shark's teeth from the time they were teeny weeny until today. It was always a fun contest to see who could find the most, of, whatever. I still have little tins here in Mexico of shark's teeth and sand dollars. There is a certain time of the year to find sand dollars. It must have been in the summer from the looks of how many I still have.

Shells that we used to find on the beaches of Galveston are now very very scarce. Such as olive shells. Such a beautiful dark brown shiney dotted shell. Oh, and the sea beans. Haven't found one of those in about twenty years.

The photos on this post were not found by me but by my host at the beach. Aren't they exquisite? They are sea urchin shells. I actually coveted them and wanted a few to bring home but didn't have the guts to ask if I could have some.
These were found right after the hurricane in October on the beach in front of the house. With that driving surf, it is amazing to me that these delicate, translucent shells weren't just a bit of broken pieces. The soft lavender color couldn't be improved by anything mass produced. Nature at its best.

I have quite a few different shells that I have carted from house to house over the last 40 years. The most precious to me though is one that my youngest daughter bought for me at a shell shop in Galveston when she was about 4 or 5 years old. Each child had been given a dime or quarter to spend back then and Julie, with her money, bought this shell for me instead of buying something for herself. I doubt she even remembers this, but each time I see it daily on a shelf in my dressing area, it touches my heart. Life is good!

Missing the Water!

2012-02-06T20:05:00.000-06:00

I haven't stopped missing the water yet. In this case, the Pacific Ocean. The sound of the surf. The different shades of the water depending on the time of the day. The way the sailboats look in the late afternoon sun versus in the morning when they sail out.

Somehow looking at my little reservoir in the canyon and out on the lights of San Miguel doesn't have the same effect right now. Somehow.

It is very, very quiet here at night. No sounds. I had gotten used to sleeping with all the windows and doors open at the ocean so I could hear the surf at night and the birds in the morning at sunrise. NOW it is just very quiet.

I know "this too shall pass" but right now I have a hankering to be barefoot again in as few clothes as I can get away with and not in socks, sweats and a jacket! Bah humbug.

The Peaceable Kingdom

2012-02-04T16:44:00.000-06:00

In this "other world" that I was in for over a month, the animals roam free - even when they aren't supposed to. It was a little disconcerting at first. If they didn't come in by dark, I wondered and worried a bit. But then I found out they always came home. Either for water or food, eventually.

Paloozo, the horse would either wait by the patio or stick his head in the back door for me to either feed him a daily carrot or an apple. We soon became friends.

Friends had two of the biggest dogs I've ever seen. Fearful looking at first, but look how they played with each other. They were just big babies.

The little white boxer puppy Blanca, who is now four months old, loved "adult beverage time" every day as I always gave her an ice cube, or two. Here she is patiently waiting.

I had never seen a horse lay down and use its head to rest on. Paloozo made me laugh out loud at this behavior. The brown horse is the neighbor's, but the two horses are inseparable. Grazing and resting together.

Last but not least the goats! They made me laugh daily. A neighbor farmer faithfully drove his four-wheeler to his adjacent land every morning between 7:15 and 7:30AM to check on feed for the goats, the herding dogs and other animals on his property. I presume he also checked to make sure the gate was closed. But within an hour or two of his departure in the morning, here came the goats. They ignored the herding dogs. Completely. Their leader was the goat with the bell. If she walked to the cliff edge, they followed. If she went down to the beach, there they went. Even the little hobbled one. Even funnier, though, was that these goats wandered all over the place all day. Somehow they knew when it was close to 6PM and the return of the owner on his four-wheeler to check on them. I presume he came to feed them because they made a beeline back to wherever they came from before he got there and he was none the wiser. Clever, weren't they?

Interestingly, none of the animals were bothered by the antics of the others and they all seemed to live in peaceful harmony with a "live and let live" attitude. A good lesson, don't you think?

The Path to Paradise

2012-02-03T19:59:00.000-06:00

The "path" is little more then a cow path with ruts, dips and dives, arroyos, and large embedded boulders in the road. No place for a lady with a Pathfinder. But, there I was many days heading one way or the other to either get to paradise, where I was staying, or leaving to "go to town" for groceries or to check the internet once a week or so OR to use my cell phone since where I was staying had no service.

No faster then 3 miles an hour was my speed. Once I almost went off the side of the road into an arroyo and thought "Lordy, I would HATE to have to walk either way"! It was a test........each and every time.

I decided to focus on the beauty of the path. The different times of the day what would I see? Who would I see? Etc.

"The Cowboy" on his beautiful horse leading the cows from one pasture to the other on a daily basis was the most beautiful, funny and favorite event. I just hung back in the car, never crowded them and just enjoyed the journey. I felt like I was seeing a Biblical scene. When the cowboy would get to the next pasture, which took almost ten minutes, he would ride to the side of the road and indicate for me to go on.

The "cowboy" had the most beautiful face. I would wave and smile and say "gracias". He would smile with his very high cheekbones and slightly slanted eyes. Very Asian look. I so wanted to photograph his face but didn't want to offend him or make him feel uncomfortable so I took these photographs.

One day while heading back to the herd he had long, long grass hanging from each side of his saddle along with his shiny, metal milk cans that he used to milk the cows. At one point the grass slipped off. Without indicating that he knew I was behind him, he stopped, reloaded and then with a very gracious sweep of his hat, he turned and acknowledged my presence. A grand gesture, I thought. I estimate he was in his late 60's or 70's. What a beautiful sight.

My intention is to enlarge the photos, frame them in a three or four photo frame and mail them to my friend to give to him. I doubt sincerely that this man who lives in the ranchito has ever seen a photo of himself.

Besides my adventure of watching the cowboy, there were egrets, parrots, wildflowers and other assorted creatures. Oh yes, a coatamundi. Not as large as the one that came down my chimney here in San Miguel though.

Then one day as I came around the curve, the road was a pile of rocks. No way for me to move. I looked up and a man gave me the universal Mexican sign for "wait a minute" and I did, patiently wait. Lo and behold a bulldozer came around the cliff and cleared the road! Amazing. Boulders, trees, dirt - all was cleared in a very short time and I was on my way.

I came to realize that although that path was 2 KM., it was a transitional journey from paradise to civilization and back. As I drove it more and more, I didn't even notice the unevenness of the road or the rocks, I was too busy watching for the next surprise.

Truthfully, I can say, I have never driven a "path to paradise" in the USA. Especially one with a cowboy and a coatamundi! VIVA Mexico!

Rockin' and Rollin'

2012-01-23T11:24:00.002-06:00

That's what I was doing Saturday at 2:37, according to my digital clock.t It didn't have anything to do with dancing, either.

I was reclining on the bed and looking out the doors at the ocean in anticipation of a siesta. Breeze blowing, softly. Lovely. Then all of a sudden it felt like someone shook the bed, hard. This bed is a cement platform, not a four legged bed. After the shake came a rumbling sound and then a sudden jerk.

WOW! It was so cool. Since I have no means of communication where I'm staying, it was today before I found out it was a 6.1 off the southern coast of Chiapas and 44 miles down in the ocean.

I'm sure all of you in Mexico must have felt it also since I'm a darn long way from Chiapas and on the opposite ocean. That to me is the truly amazing thing. How far away it was and how strong it felt here.......

Nature at work in another way.

Simplify, Simplify, Simplify

2012-01-21T11:52:00.002-06:00

I wondered when this stay at the beach started on December 27th how I would feel without a TV, a radio, a telephone or a computer. Although I do confess I come to town every few days to check messages on the computer.

What I've discovered is that my music is the sound of the surf, morning and night. The sound of the birds, the whinnying of the horses, the tinkle of the goat's bell and every now and then a four wheeler or car. That's it! A true symphony of nature's sounds. The view of the goats, the ocean, the fishermen, the horses and the sunrises and sunsets are my TV screen. Not knowing the news has been magical. Not knowing about Mitt or Newt has been a blessing. In other words, NOT taking in all that day to day drivel makes life much better.

In the meantime I've read five or six books that I brought; I've done a little sketching; I've walked and sat in the sun. I LOVE BEING RETIRED!

How long would it take for me to get tired of this? Only time will tell............

One's significance on earth

2012-01-18T11:04:00.002-06:00

Being at the sea always give me a perspective on how insignificant one human is in the scheme of things in life. For me, that helps me to get things in perspective. It helps me in decision making and planning. It helps me to realize that it will all go on after me as it did before me.

I, as I'm sure we all do, worry about little and big things. I want to fix things and a few times in my life I couldn't. It was bigger then me and everything else around me. I refer to my husband's death, my daughter's illness and death and now my son's catastrophe that he is going through. Of course as a family we are all going through it with him and hope and pray that it all works out.

I was in such a state of anxiety by the time I left San Miguel and arrived where I am staying that I couldn't even turn my head because my neck was so tight. It took a few days of sitting and looking at this serene view to get my neck unkinked and my head back on straight.

Thankfully to a dear friend I had this opportunity to be here. Where oh where would I be without the dear, dear long-time friends that I have!

Actually I think I could sit and enjoy this view forever as there is no one around, literally, and although in the photo it looks like the view never changes, it does on a minute by minute basis.

It reminds me of a time when I went to see my Dad at his beach house in Galveston. He was ALWAYS out on the deck watching the Gulf. I commented about that fact. And way back then when I was in my 30's he said if you are quiet, you'll see that it is always changing. By darn, he was right!

I'm glad I'm having this opportunity.

The Beauty of Nature

2012-01-14T08:20:00.002-06:00

Even back in the days when I was designing interiors, I always liked to use natural materials and textures as accessories.

Besides enjoying the ocean, the swaying cocoanut palms, the multi story bourganvilla, I've also marveled at the palapa roof over the living room of the house I'm staying in. It is called a palapa real versus a palapa rustica which is just palm fronds layed on a substructure and trimmed and tied.

This palapa to me is as beautiful as the Sistine Chapel ceiling. It certainly is a work of art in my opinion. I've watched men making these roofs many years ago. It is like watching a ballet in motion. Each person has a task and they work in rhythm with very precise methods.

This roof withstood the direct hit of Hurricane Jova in October of this past year and held without damage. It's a testament to the workmanship of the many men who built this impressive structure.

I've been spending my days in reflection and contemplation. I'm either watching the ocean, the fishermen or the surfers. Or I look up at this magnificent palapa and know that all will be well again, some day.

PERSISTENCE pays off!

2011-12-25T16:43:00.000-06:00

When my computer was "attacked" a few weeks back, I thought I lost all my photos since they were on the C drive and that was what was "compromised" among other things. But, about ten days ago I found most of them in Google Web Albums. The newest are in a new version of Picasa which doesn't have the icon to use to post on a blog. I tried everything. Uploading - downloading, geez everything that I could think of.

Today I had an "aha" moment. I went to recent documents, found the photo I had been looking for that I photographed a few weeks back and there on this method of the photo was a place to send it to Blogspot. YEE HA. It works, I hope.

Writing a post, without a photo just seems to be like an incomplete post. This photo was taken a few weeks back near the bus station in San Miguel. It was around the Feast of the Virgen of Guadalupe. I have more photos to share of Christmas festivities and decorations, but that is for another day. Tomorrow. The next day.

Yes, I realize I have been sporadic lately in not writing. Life has been interrupting my writing much to my dismay and displeasure. I'm going to try to do better.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

2011-12-12T09:01:00.000-06:00

The house is decorated for the first time in ten years! The baking is done - cookies, cheese balls and other good things. Presents are ready.

Christmas with the youngest grandchildren this year will be in San Miguel! Mati and Sebastian have already been here to see and touch all the decorations. It was great fun to see the big eyes and smiles as they looked at the things that have been acquired over a 50 year period.

In the past, I was never ready this early. Somehow this year it has all come together.

Feliz Navidad to all of you. May the season bring peace and tranquility to each and every one.

I'm Wired Again!

2011-12-09T17:02:00.000-06:00

The good news is that I got to bake biscuits with Mati one early Sunday morning. What fun!
She's getting great at stirring eggs, pouring milk, patting dough and putting the rounded forms on the pan for biscuits. The trail of broken egg shells, spilled milk and flour everywhere just adds to the fun.

But, back to being wired. It started mid-November when I had NO TV for almost a week. That saga was finally resolved. It was followed by my losing my US cell phone the day after Thanksgiving. The great thing about the cell phone is it can be used in the USA, Mexico or Canada for a flat monthly rate which is not offered any longer by AT&T to new customers but I still have it. Needless to say I was having apoplexy trying to find it. It was one of those days where I had been all over the place. I retraced my steps. I called the phone. I tried everything and finally gave up and accepted the fact that I no longer had any way to reach people when I was out and about.

To add insult to injury, my computer crashed the following week and with that the Vonage phone which would not go off of standby or whatever the heck it was doing. I was waaaaay beyond apoplexy by now.

Just today, the computer is back up. Vonage is working. The chip, for the backup cell phone I had here, (for just such a disaster) arrived. I'm wired again.

Interestingly as each item was taken from me - my means of communication with the outside world, I could feel myself getting rather withdrawn and morose. It all seemed like just too much.

I'm happy to report that I'm happy again. Not that I particularly want to get in touch with anyone in particular. I just like the options.

A Trip to the "White City" - Merida in 2012

2011-11-27T10:30:00.002-06:00

This is the scene the other morning when I left my house. No, I'm not traveling to Merida on a "beast of burden" but I just wanted to share this photo anyway. My dirt road in front of my house is part of the Royal Road that used to go through San Miguel from Guanajuato to Mexico City. Remnants nearby are marked with markers telling the story. It is common for groups of horsemen to come by my dining room window taking a shortcut and avoiding centro as they come out of the mountains and are headed "who knows where."

I love being headed "who knows where". It has been a while since I've done that - I think the last time was to Chiapas a few years ago. Gosh, has it really been that long? YUP. Life has intervened. The usual trips to Texas and the beach are trips, but not to "who knows where".

So, I'm excited to be heading to Merida, Celustun,(I've wanted to go there for at least twenty years) Vallodid, Playa del Carmen and "who knows where" for 10 days the end of February. I'll be traveling with Los Vagabundos which is a great group to travel with. If you want to go off on your own, they don't care or you can do everything they have planned. This itinerary is stellar. A few days in Merida. hope to meet mutual blogger friends while there. Then on to the other parts. The only places I've been in the Yucatan have been Cancun and many, many trips to Cozumel - prior to cruise ships. This will be a real treat. I'm psyched. I've paid, I'm going.

The dilemma is that the Maya Conservancy in conjunction with the University of Texas is leading an archaeological tour to very remote sites in Guatemala the end of March to coincide with a special fire ceremony in a remote village. Oh dear, I want to go on that trip too. I LOVE Guatemala. Unfortunately, not being made of money, I can't do both. But, as my son always tells me, "If it's important enough, you'll figure a way". Maybe I'll sell something to take this trip - art, antiques, who knows. It is a "once in a lifetime" adventure.

And as you know, if you read this blog very often, "adventure" is my middle name.

Sweet Things - All in a Day in San Miguel

2011-11-26T14:09:00.000-06:00

Yesterday morning about 7:50AM the doorbell rang. I wondered who that could be as the man selling fresh flowers comes at 8:30AM, usually, and the guys selling bottled water come later in the morning. So I opened the gate to the handyman who works in the school across the road. He wanted me to know that I had left my car window down all night on the street side. Oh my gosh, I was afraid to look inside the car wondering what would be gone. NADA, not one thing. So the day started on a great note.

While in centro I stopped in a little store at the corner of Mesones and Reloj to check on a pair of flats with animal print fabric on them. The owner asked me what I was looking for and I told her. She pulled out a book, showed me a photo of the very shoes I was looking for and said she would order them and have them for me next Wednesday! I asked if she wanted a deposit and she said no. Don't you just love it? I can't tell you the name of the store as there is no sign to tell you. Don't you just love that too?

The Brass and Wool Fair is going on around the jardin for nine days. Lots of different, unique items made in San Miguel and villages in the vicinity. Since we now have many Oaxacan vendors selling rugs and woven items here in town, they were exhibiting also. As I came around the corner, here was this Oaxacan woman doing embroidery with the most beautiful face. It doesn't get any better then this, does it?

Sweet things - they are always happening in San Miguel. Viva Mexico!

A New Day - A New Sight!

2011-11-13T11:58:00.000-06:00

One never knows what to expect when a new day dawns. It can be wondrous, sad or aggravating. Sometimes in twenty-four hours it can be all of those things and more.

This was the sight the other morning when I opened the drapes and looked up. Quickly I grabbed the camera and got this shot before they swooshed away.

Enjoy!

Another Season of My Life ENDS!

2011-11-12T09:32:00.000-06:00

The "Grand Family Organizer", my daughter Julie, started talking about a grand camping adventure even before I got to Texas. She knew that I always loved camping. Of course that was "mumble something" years ago when I was a Girl Scout leader for seven years. Yes, a little known fact about my life.

I had never camped growing up but I took to it like a duck to water when my kids were old enough to be in Scouts. What fun! S'mores, streaking, cooking on a campfire. THAT is what went through my mind - well, not the streaking anymore.

The big weekend came. My daughter had every detail taken care of from food to bedding to EVERYTHING that has to go when a family of six plus one goes with you. Geez, it was something. Both her car and mine were packed to the top.

The girls, Emma and Hannah, had fun decorating the windows of Julie's car with all kinds of messages about camping. They were proud! It garnered favorable comments from the people at the front gate when we got to the state park.

We got to our spot. I had never had the "adventure" of a pop up camper. It is really cute inside. Two or more beds. I use that term loosely. I did make a note that the bathrooms were pretty darn far away - especially if and when one is walking at night. Say 1AM!

All set up. It was darn hot that day so we were all chugalugging drinks. (There is a reason I'm sharing that information) The best part is the great conversations that happen with the grandkids. No electronic devices, equals conversation. I heard about potential boyfriends. Things they like and don't like at school. Other stuff that was very enlightening coming from an eleven year old and soon-to-be fourteen year old.

Even my oldest granddaughter drove over from Texas A&M with her boyfriend. He brought his own tent. Smart guy! Super time with all of them.

Then night fell. I gave up and went into the "pop up" trailer. I was blessed to be able to sleep in there with my daughter. All the guys and younger kids were in tents. Glory be, I was glad I wasn't.

As it got really cool that night, guess what happened. Yup, I had to get up and trek down the road to the banos. I'm embarrassed to say it was many more times then once. IT WAS VERY DARK! At one point an owl "hooed" and I jumped.

I lasted about 24 hours. Worn out, looking like Maggie the dog, I decided that this season of my life is over. I retreated to the comfort of my daughter's house, about an hour away, where there were bathrooms, beds, and air-conditioning plus a swimming pool.

THAT is now my idea of a good life!

Laughing Out Loud

2011-11-08T10:55:00.000-06:00

So many funny things happened while on this trip - a few of which I got photos of - and a few were things people said!

I was walking the beach in Galveston one morning. A couple of guys were surf fishing. As I walked back to my car, I saw the sign on the one man's truck and it made me laugh out loud. I went to the car, got the camera and took a photo of it. He came up and said he gets a lot of business because of the sign. I bet he does..........

Then one of the funniest things was while I was staying in Galveston with friends. They were out of town. When I would walk into their bathroom I would here this whirring sound for about 10 seconds. I couldn't figure out what it was. This happened several times until I realized that every time you walked by the super duper toilet called "Toto", the lid went up automatically. Needless to say, I had fun walking back and forth. Super duper it is! The seat is heated and a bidet is included in this device. Price tag - close to $3000 retail. But think of all the fun you can have.........

Last but not least is the sign my son-in-law put up over the alarm system on the day I was going to be arriving at their house to spend the weekend. Made me laugh out loud. I always worry when I'm going to their house that someone will forget and set the alarm and the police will come. I worry about that because it happened one time! Clever way to take care of the issue, huh?

Several funny things said. The "deer hunter" was telling me about trips to the Hill Country with his buddies. I asked if they cook - he said, "Oh no, we go to a little cafe in Comfort we call Huevos con breast!" REALLY! That cracked me up. It seems that the waitresses are very attractive and well endowed. The guys eat breakfast and lunch there every chance they get. Boys will be boys! And waitresses are not dummies.

While at dinner with friends in Galveston, it came to light that one of the men who I had corresponded with on Senior People Meet was someone they knew. They had told me earlier that they knew him but at dinner this night, they told me an unbelieveably funny incident. The conversation started with the husband saying he was glad that I had gone no farther with this man then meeting him for coffee at IHOP. I determined through conversation that he was not someone that I would want to date. Luckily! My friend told me that they knew he was a retired cop and one night saw him standing on his balcony in Galveston in a pink negligee holding a gun. OMG, that so tickled my funny bone that I couldn't stop laughing. We ALL got a good laugh out of that. REALLY!

It's fun to laugh out loud. It seems life gives us plenty of chances - if we're just open to it, daily.

Lone Star Flight Museum, Galveston, Tx

2011-11-06T14:33:00.000-06:00

I hope you enjoy seeing the photos of all the Warbirds that are on display at the Lone Star Flight Museum at Scholes Field in Galveston, Texas.

I had heard about this museum for years from friends who volunteer at this museum. I wasn't prepared, however, for the diversity of the planes and how well they are housed along with the gift shop on the property. It is in a big hangar.

I was taken to see the museum by a friend who flies all of these planes as a volunteer. It was interesting to hear his perspective and love for the machines. It was extremely interesting to hear about people who come from all over the world to fly in and see the Warbirds - WW II Aircraft.

I won't pretend to know what aircraft is what, but if you go to the website at www.lsfm.org they tell all about the fighters and bombers. In addition, look closely at the photos on this post and then look at the photos after Hurricane Ike. It is amazing that from that devastation that the museum is sparkling today. It had to have taken untold numbers of hours by many, many volunteers to bring it back to its present beauty.

Sadly, I've been told by some, that the City of Galveston doesn't really promote this museum as a tourist attraction. I'm amazed. With all the interest by many generations in World War II, it would seem that it would be something that they would be proud to promote..........and fund.

There is a move afloat to move the museum to Ellington Field up near NASA. I can see the sense in that after you see the devastation from Hurricane Ike, but, what a loss to Galveston to not have this treasure on the island.

If you're interested in paying to be a passenger in these planes, you can make arrangements to fly in some of them.

It was fun to open a hangar door and to be so surprised and delighted to see aviation history!

Great Days are Made of This!

2011-11-05T21:58:00.000-05:00

It's always fun to come home from a trip with presents for the kids - whichever ones it might be. I took gifts to the kids in Texas and then came home to bring gifts to Matilda and Sebastian. It is so darn much fun to see the surprise and delight on their little faces. To see them playing with their toys and loving, in Mati's case, her new ballerina shoes.

The look of happiness on my son's face as he watches his children says it all! Having children and grandchildren is the BEST!

Pining Away

2011-11-04T22:25:00.000-05:00

These photos were taken from the nineteenth floor of the highrise that I stay in for part of my time in Houston. It is a lovely place with magnificent views of sunsets and the beautiful trees of Houston and Memorial Park.

I had been warned by many that the drought had caused much damage. What the drought hadn't caused, the wildfires had rushed in and claimed more. At ground level there is intermittent brown mixed in with green as you move along and you don't really get a sense of the enormity of the tree loss. When you get above it, it is staggering.

Over 15,000 trees have to be cut down in Memorial Park alone in Houston this year. They say the damage came from the one-two punch of Hurricane Ike a couple of years ago and then followed by the drought which has weakened and killed this huge number of trees.

The annual budget in Houston for tree removal is usually around $350,000. Not this year. They have just appropriated $4.5 MILLION dollars for tree removal.

Of course it is not only pines, but cedar, oaks and many other old, old trees. A blow to the beauty of Houston as well as to the loss of habitat for birds, bees, butterflies and a whole host of other critters who depend on those trees.

Sad but true, it will be harder to find a shady spot in the future!

Tales of the Texas Trip

2011-11-03T11:04:00.001-05:00

So many things and so little time! I not only drove to the Houston area. Once I was there I was ALL over the place.

For those who have never been to the Houston area, the sprawl of it can be daunting. Having lived there previously for thirty-four years, I'm kinda used to it. So from Kingwood, where my daughter lives, to Galveston is close to 75 miles or more. On the right day, in the right traffic, one can make it in a little over an hour. On a bad day, forget it. I WAS up and down that freeway many times. I should have kept track of the miles while I was up there but heck, I didn't have time.

There were baby kittens to be born my first day there! There were middle school football games to go to! Add to that seeing bridges built on land in Galveston and the Gulf - always the Gulf along with the prolific sea gulls and pelicans.
Riding the free ferry to see the dolphins, the tankers waiting to enter the port and just the fun of it is also a "must do".

Many meals - waaaaay too many meals with family and friends. Then there was Family Time - shopping, eating out, camping and the best part, just hanging out with the kids. Got to see ALL the Texas grandkids - that would be five and of course, Mati and Sebastian are here in San Miguel. Blessings! The camping experience with everyone was quite an adventure - one that I don't need to repeat at this time in my life - unless I go for the day. The night treks to the bathroom, in the dark, is not my idea of an "adventure". However, cooking breakfast on a camp stove again was fun. And, hanging out with everyone was stupendous.

Lots more to share but that will be in the next post.

Leaving Texas is ALWAYS sad! To leave friends, family and the Gulf! Boo hoo.

SERENE, TRANQUIL CASA FOR RENT

2011-11-02T11:55:00.000-05:00

The aptly named CASA TRANQUILO guest house is on the market for rent..........again. Although the current tenant intended to stay "forever", forever turned out to be a short time because of extenuating circumstances.

So, here I am AGAIN, to tell you about the house which, preferably, I would like to rent long term (a year). BUT I'm open to other requests of a couple of weeks at Christmas or a month at a time for short term. Living in Mexico one must be flexible.

The house, as you can see, is open, airy, light and comfortable. The furnishings are above average. The sofa in the living room downstairs opens into a queen bed. It is a relatively expensive sofa so the bed is fairly comfortable.

Statistics are a 1 bedroom (16 x 20 ft), 1 bath on second floor with living/dining/kitchen on first floor and roof terrace on third level. Long term it rents for $750 per month. This is inclusive of electricity, gas, water, house telephone, Shaw satellite, and maid service once a week. Basically all you need to bring is clothes and personal items.
There are all linens provided as well as all items needed in a kitchen.

Hope you like it. Hope you know of someone looking for a place. AND I hope it is rented by the first of December. Gracias my friends.

A Street Happening!

2011-11-01T19:57:00.000-05:00

I was walking down Cuesta de San Jose, a street near my home, thinking about what I was going to do when I got near the jardin.

Then, I noticed something happening at the corner. Two little ones being photographed by their mom. They had just left the kindergarten. It is extremely unusual to see little ones dressed up in Halloween costumes here. So I asked the mom if I could photograph the girls. She said, "Si".

So photograph them I did. Then the most delightful spontaneous thing began to happen. I couldn't have planned it to happen that way if I had wanted to. First another child stepped in and I photographed the three. Then another and another. By now the moms and I were laughing - all of us in the middle of the street.

These are the things that happen without expectation that make life here such a delightfully whimsical event. A true "street happening".

WHAT crossed the road?

2011-11-01T10:49:00.002-05:00

I've completed the trek back to San Miguel from the Houston area. I don't really know how many miles it is but I know that it is about 14 hours driving which I complete in two days.

While driving back this time two things ran across the highway. Each seemed symbolic as to my location. In Texas it was a roadrunner. The first I've ever seen! It was near Freer, the Rattlesnake Capital of the USA. (I didn't stop to verify that)

Then when I got to Mexico, so help me I'm NOT making this up, a chihuahua ran across the road near some little village. And I do mean he was running, FAST. It made me laugh.

Of course there were other things on the side of the road, especially when you get down near Matehuala. Lots of shepherds and sheep. Lots of herders and goats. Horses and burros tied up. But no more stands selling wild birds, owls, or snake venom. Sad to see that tradition gone. I used to stop just to talk to the people because they are living off the land in the desert. Quite a remarkable experience.

The highways were full of men with families and all their worldly possessions returning to Mexico now that the picking season is over in the USA. All were rushing to be home in time for Dia de los Muertos.

So, I'm home. Ready to experience Day of the Dead with the altars and the panteon. I noticed yesterday while in the jardin that at least 99% of the tourists are Mexican Nationals. The town is full.

It is quirky to be immersed in the culture of the USA and feel at home and then to return here and feel at home also. Life is good!

Deer in the Headlights

2011-10-26T15:46:00.002-05:00

Deer season opens this weekend. Information that never meant anything to me until I met a deer hunter recently. NOW I realize it is a big, big deal. It IS a big deal in Texas as I'm sure it is in many states.

I figured guys just went to the woods, sat in a tree and shot at things moving - each other, possibly, and hopefully deer.

I'm sure the deer know something is up as prior to the season starting, I've been told, all kinds of activities must be completed in preparation for this holy grail of manhood. Some of these activities like going in advance to make sure the "cabin" is ready for about eight men to sleep in bunks in ONE room. Evidently it is not a "sitting in a tree" experience but more like an air-conditioned cabin that is "tastefully" furnished - I say, tongue in cheek.........

Not only do they make sure the cabin is ready, I'm told, but also the deer feeders. Now again, I imagined that they threw old dried ears of corn on the ground and the deer came. Nooooooo - nowadays it is a battery operated, computer generated deer feeder! What's next? I mean, geez. High tech, even in the woods. Who knew?

Indeed, instead of camp stools, they take upholstered leatherette black office chairs. Get the picture? I'm chuckling as I write this.

When I asked if many women went, I got a look of utter amazement at the silliness of my question. Oh and then I thought of eight men in one room after having eaten at the local diner and thought, "WHY would any woman go there?" Ha.

Evidently the rural towns are ready for these guys. The restaurants stock up on chicken fried steak, the hardware stores stock up on anything that could possibly be used in this venture and last but not least, the deer processing plants who make a tidy sum.

Now before someone sends me a comment about killing God's cretures, let me say that there is an overabundance of deer in Texas and not enough ground cover or water to feed them. Especially now with the terrible drought.

So, that is my post on Deer 101. I thought it very interesting to learn about something that has gone on all my life but that I never really knew any of the details about.

See, I've been busy this last six weeks in Texas.

100 mph, 15 inches and 5 dead - Hurricane Jova

2011-10-16T08:16:00.002-05:00

It didn't seem from the blogs I've read and the wee bit of news I was able to find that the hurricane in one of my favorite parts of Mexico was that bad.

THEN I got a call from my great friend John who lives in Calechosa about 8 miles north of Melaque with tales of his damage. In addition, John, in an ATV, did an assessment trip with a friend of about a 30 mile area.

Lordy, the damage to bridges, roads and the flora and fauna was quite severe. John lost his solar inverter but not his palapa roof. Although he said at times, even though he is forty feet above the ocean, he was wondering if he was going to survive. This from a man who has weathered storms along the Gulf Coast for 70 years! He said the winds howled for five hours.

My friend is without refrigeration and it will be at least ten days before the road to his place will be open since there are so many washouts and trees over the road.

John however, is a handy man, and with his horse Palooza he can ride the couple of miles through the jungle to the highway to get supplies! He says the seas are still too angry to use the kayak to cross to Cuestacoamate.

Thank heavens for satellite cellphones or my friend would have had no way to contact the outside world to let folks know he is alive and well, but shaken by the experience.

I'm sure there are thousands and thousands of people in that area that are having a hard time recovering. Hurricanes are a deadly force.

Galveston, Oh Galveston!

2011-10-15T12:56:00.003-05:00

I've been in the USA for four weeks as of today and I've somehow managed to be in Galveston four times! I'm here now for four or five days. Firmly ensconced in my friends Sue and Vandy's house just two blocks from the Gulf of Mexico. Aaaaah.

Good friends Sue and Vandy are........I have a key for the front door "forever" according to them. I reciprocate and they have stayed in my house when I've not been there. The last time for a month. I'm blessed to have many good friends like this.

I LOVE Galveston, always have. I used to kiddingly say that I lived on this island in another life. The first time I drove over the causeway in the early 60's I had such a sense of deja vue that I'm convinced I was a deck wench on a pirate ship.......or something like that.

It's not just the water. It's the funkiness mixed in with the few highrises mixed in with the farms on the far west end of the island. The beaches are ALL open to the public which I find amazing. In addition there are lots of areas where there are no buildings and so a good long walk looking at dunes, seabirds and the beautiful sky is a real treat.

It's also a very laid back place. No fancy clothes necessary - well, except if you're going to something fancy. In fact, the social calendar here is amazingly diverse and very, very busy if one wants to get into that - with tuxedos the norm.

I'm not planning on anything fancy this trip. My friends have gone out of town while I'm here. So I'm just planning on lazing on the beach - eating some good seafood and enjoying the laid back attitude after having driven around Houston for a lot of this past four weeks.

I'm off to the Wings Over Houston airshow tomorrow. And last night was Ned's 75th birthday party - of Ned and Billie fame - so, this vacation has been busy and GREAT fun.........even though I am a wee bit antsy. Maybe being at the water will quiet that feeling. It usually does.

Kinda Antsy

2011-10-13T12:47:00.002-05:00

When I'm in San Miguel, I forget that most of my friends in the USA are NOT retired. To get together is like planning the invasion of Normandy. And, most of the time it has to be "quick" as they have tight schedules along with the ALWAYS present I Phone to remind them of their busyness.

So I find myself at loose ends after being here almost four weeks. I do have plans for the weekend and a few days next week but then.......

Everything I needed to bring back to San Miguel is firmly ensconced in the back of the car - some of which was not on the original list but just couldn't be resisted. You know how that goes........

Home is beginning to call. It has been great - seen lots of friends, had lots of good food, shopped, slept in many places at friend's houses, but, home is calling.

One great adventure was going camping with the family last weekend. I'll save the details for a photo essay but suffice to say, I am NO longer a camping person. I said this out loud to the trees and whatever else might be listening at about 2AM while walking the dark trail to the restrooms. Funny now, not so funny then. The bookies in Vegas were laying odds I wouldn't make it 24 hours - I did. 26 hours only because I wasn't sure how to get out of there in the car in the dark at 2AM! ha.....The grandkids thought it was great to have me there. Hopefully it will be a funny memory for them some day.

Lots to tell you - will save it for when I'm down the road, far south of here.

Rollin' Down The Road

2011-10-06T13:48:00.002-05:00

It has bee almost three weeks since I left San Miguel. Hectic, but fun, would be an understatement.

No hassles on the drive up. Lots of miles since I've been up here. I'm using a friend's laptop which is close to using a stone tablet and a stick. Aaargh.

Lots more later..........when I have a better computer.

LIFE is good!

Independence Day Kitsch

2011-09-14T18:27:00.000-05:00

The city buses have flags across their hoods. So do the taxis. All manner of red white and green decorations to honor Independence Day, September 16th. The stores have little or huge flags. The doorways are decorated with clothing in red, white and green that is part of the store's inventory. Or there are window decorations of decorative accessories all in the prerequisite red, white and green.

But, I think this "golf cart" or wacky wagon takes first prize. The two little grannies got off of this had on white tennis shoes with red and green shoe laces.

Whatever floats your boat - or in this case, your Independence Day transportation. Doesn't it make you smile......or shake your head!

Independence Day 2011

2011-09-14T13:55:00.000-05:00

Yes, Independence Day is September 16th, but the celebrations started at the beginning of the month here. Independence Day in Mexico is like the USA's 4th of July and New Year's Eve all rolled into one. There are fireworks, marathoners running through town, dancing, music, bull fights. You name it. It happens in honor of the Independence of Mexico.

On September 15th, El Grito will be read and proclaimed from the balcony of Allende's home which is now a museum. It is located overlooking the jardin. The jardin and surrounding streets and balconies will be STUFFED with people. I do mean LOTS of people. After all, the fight for independence actually started in San Miguel in 1810.

There will be many nationals from all over the country pouring in here. Probably starting tonight. I'm already seeing license plates from all over!

The event that I still enjoy the most of all, is the children's parade. You can't possibly stand and watch it and not smile. The ingenuity of the parents in making the costumes. The kids enjoying walking the long parade route. And the fact that the "powers that be" manage to keep all those little tykes together in some semblance of order. Delightful.

I can hardly wait until Matilda and Sebastian are old enough to march in these parades. A beaming Grammy I will be.

I'll be on the road heading north on Friday, "o dark thirty" about 7:30AM, so I won't see the parade Friday. But I've seen all the rest of it, other then the Grito, already. Year after year after year.

Viva Mexico!

Amigos Gustoso Gathering

2011-09-10T13:47:00.000-05:00

The photos posted on this blog are from a culinary dinner group that I participate in. We had an amazing dinner the other night on the theme of Mediterrenean. The food, the home and the people all enhanced this experience.

The menu was planned by the hostess. It was held in their newly completed home out in the country. What a magnificent casa. Having lived in the Middle East for many years, they built the house in the architecture of Morocco and other countries in that region. Any adjective I could use to describe the home would be lacking. The attention to detail from the marquetry on the kitchen cabinets and other pieces of millwork to the use of cantera in new ways was a delight.

We started with appetizers in a courtyard much larger then my whole house. I love that concept. Interior living with lush gardens and pools to view.

Dinner was just one delightful feast for the palate after another. The three photos I took were the basil cheese roulade, the buffet of food and then the poached pears in marsala reduction. Delicious!

Now to the interesting part. How I got in this group is beyond me. Yes, I once was a member of the Houston Culinary Guild. And yes that whole group were dear, dear friends and business associates of mine. And yes, I once was President of Roundtable for Women in Foodservice, a national organization. BUT none of this was because of my culinary talent. Trust me. I'm a "mom cook". You know, one of those women who their kids say "Mom, please fix meatloaf and macaroni and cheese; please fix homemade lasagna; please, please fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy with apple pie". I certainly don't think of myself as a "fancy" cook.........

Now I'm close to a panic mode about when it is time for me to plan the menu. For me to have everyone to my little casa. But, I'll think of something. I think I have til February or March to come up with ideas - maybe a theme of Southern fare or Texas BBQ..........who knows! Guess I'll have to get out my River Road recipe book from Baton Rouge or my Soul Food cookbook from New Orleans or some of those that my great friend, Ann Criswell, former food editor for the Houston Chronicle wrote. I'll think of something. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, I'm tasting all kinds of unique fusions of flavors and being impressed with the talents of the partipants. Not to mention the beauty of their lovely homes. Oh, and the scintillating conversations. I can't even begin to divulge the myriad topics discussed the other evening - you wouldn't believe me!

Life is good.

NGO's in San Miguel De Allende, Mexico

2011-09-08T12:00:00.000-05:00

Volunteers! Volunteers! Volunteers! They are everywhere. In town. In the campo. In the schools, clinics, homes and other assorted places. All giving to make life better for the families or animals of this area.

San Miguel, at last count has 81 non-governmental organizations. I've been told it is a record number. I didn't substantiate that. But it sure sounds like a lot to me.

They range from Alma, a retirement home for Mexicans and gringoes. You can live there regardless of the ability to pay. I've been there. It is extremely nice. Not like the retirement homes in the USA - that is for sure.

Atencion, the once-a-week paper put out by volunteers with the Bibliotecha is quite a feat. I remember when it wasn't in color and was 1/4th the size it is now. It is NOT intended to be a "news" paper in the journalistic sense of headline news but rather info that tells about what is going on in San Miguel relating to activities, opportunities and where to eat and shop. A must for visitors who wonder what to do while here. It's astounding to me that it is near perfect without typos and well edited, in my humble opinion. They do this EVERY week. The funds raised from ads and the sale of the paper goes to scholarships for Mexican children and to operate the free programs for kids and adults at the Bibliotecha.

Audubon is extremely active in all kinds of nature activities - trips, walks and supporting other environmental endeavors in the area.

And that's just a few in the "A's"!

A few more are Centro de Creciemiento for special needs children. Feed The Hungry which provides 3000 meals a day all over the area to children; Mujeres en Cambio which provides scholarships for young women to continue their education; Patronato Pro Ninos which provides free medical and dental care in the area to children. Then there are the animal organizations, Amigos de Animales which sterilizes animals; and SPA which is a shelter and adoption location for animals.

There are so many that I couldn't possibly list all of them. There has even been a book published and distributed by San Miguel's city government with all the information along with contacts.

It would be interesting to know, with all the hours volunteered, how much "sweat equity" that that provides to this area's economy. It would be staggering it seems. Although that's not the point - it certainly helps.

The only problem right now for these organizations that have grown so much in the last ten years, is that the tourists who used to come from the USA and attended the fundraisers that each of these organizations depended on for revenue haven't been coming. All the organizations have had to cut back on their services to some degree. Even though there are volunteers, it takes money to operate.

If you have a "heart's desire" group that appeals to you and you would like more information, please let me know and I'll try to get websites or email addresses for you.

Volunteering is good for all..... those who do it and those who receive the benefits from those volunteers.

Outsider Art from North Carolina

2011-09-07T11:13:00.000-05:00

In 2007 I traveled all over North Carolina and a bit of South Carolina with the Orange Show of Visionary Art. It was an "Eyeopener Tour" to meet outsider artists and to visit sites and museums from Asheville to Roanoke Rapids and every place, it seemed, inbetween.

Two of the highlights of that trip were meeting "Sam the Dot Man" in Winston Salem and Hubert Walters in Troutman, NC.
I had read about both of them along with many others I met on that trip, including Vollis Simpson who makes the most amazing whirly-gigs and Mr. Pearl Fryer who has had a documentary made about his gardens that are all espaliered trees and shrubs. (He has been featured in Smithsonian magazine and PBS aired the documentary).

It was a great trip. I recommend visiting North Carolina to see a myriad of artesans to everyone. In addition, it is a beautiful state.

I've posted photos of two pieces of outsider art that I purchased and now would like to sell. The church made by Mr. Sam and "Mr No Bull" (my name) made by Mr. Hubert Walters who is now deceased. The bull is made of bondo as Mr. Walters was a shipbuilder in his working life.

The church is only $200 and the bull is $120. Exactly what I paid four years ago plus the shipping to get them back to Houston at the time.

I will be driving to Houston next week. If anyone is interested, I can take those pieces with me and ship from there.

Those of you who know outsider art will recognize the names of the artists. Those who don't can put those names into your search engines and be amazed at the accolades and large following these two men have had for years.

I need more room and need to part with some of my precious treasures. My loss is your gain!

HACKED!

2011-09-03T15:20:00.002-05:00

What a day! What a day! Hacked has never meant much to me except when I get "hacked off". But today I found out through friends and readers of the blog that they could not access the blog.

WHAT? So I tried to check it out, but this site called www.rpcblogrolling.com kept coming up. It had no way to contact them to find out what the heck was going on.

So, after much consternation I went on Google Help where you can send your question to a group of fellow bloggers or someone - heck, I have no idea who they were. But I typed in the question and got three messages back. Two of which were speaking in "computer speak" and I had to keep saying things like, "What does Page Elements mean" and "What is a wizard" or "What is a gadget and where is it?"

I'm sure to computer gurus, I gave them a good laugh. I tried for 1 1/2 hours to resolve the issue and gave up, left the house and didn't think about it.

When I came home I said "Self, you have raised children, you have run a business, you have moved to Mexico - for goodness sake you should be able to figure this out!"

Do you talk to yourself too?

So, I sat down and looked for the things that the responders mentioned. I found it!
It seems that when I used Blogroll to put other blog sites on and then they went out of business that these people at rpcblogrolling.com took over all the sites that had used blogroll.

I found something that said javascript and rpcblogroll and some other stuff - deleted it and no more problems.

I'm amazed that I actually fixed it - by myself - with the help of Google Help.

Some other things I discovered was that I have Google Analytics and it showed me where my comments come from; all the comments that were spam; and a few other interesting statistics. Who knew?

Watch out, I might turn out to be a "computer monster". I sure hope though that I never get HACKED again!

It's THAT time of year again!

2011-08-30T11:18:00.000-05:00

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.

Roof Dogs - A Dying Breed

2011-08-29T13:12:00.000-05:00

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?

Sunday Morning with Sebastian and Matilda

2011-08-28T12:17:00.000-05:00

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.

Driving to Celaya

2011-08-25T11:25:00.000-05:00

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!

Clipped Wings

2011-08-21T13:44:00.000-05:00

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!

The Elixir of the Gods

2011-08-19T08:14:00.003-05:00

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!

Swimming Upstream

2011-08-17T10:40:00.004-05:00

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!

Actions Speak Louder then Words

2011-08-11T09:46:00.000-05:00

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.

Raging about OXXO & McDonald's

2011-08-09T16:02:00.000-05:00

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!

IF you want to change your life!

2011-08-07T15:34:00.000-05:00

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.

It doesn't only happen in Hollywood

2011-08-05T20:03:00.000-05:00

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!

Experiencing Magnificence

2011-08-04T12:43:00.000-05:00

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.

Inching along in San Miguel de Allende

2011-07-28T11:39:00.000-05:00

While I was at Casa de la Cuesta the other day, this little guy came inching along across the floor. I was transfixed for several minutes. I couldn't get over how fast he moved. Or how determined he seemed to be to get to the other side of the immense patio.

Even though I was talking to Heidi, the owner of the B&B, I stopped dead in mid-sentence to observe this force of nature.
Heidi told me that these are common on their patio about this time of year. She also told me that it would be one of those large black swallow tailed butterflies that just glide around in my garden.

I so wanted little Matilda to be with me. She is so facinated by all kinds of bugs and insects. When she comes to my house, the first thing she wants to do is look for "rolly pollies" in the garden. Maybe she'll grow up to be a wildlife biologist like her Dad! I toyed with the idea of bring "Senor Inchalong" home with me until this weekend when I hope to see Mati, but, I hated to take him away from his appointed rounds.

Isn't this photo fascinating? Well, it is to me! Is that an eye? Who knows? Can anyone tell me more?

Casa de la Cuesta B&B

2011-07-26T12:32:00.000-05:00

I have no idea why I haven't written about the house on the hill before. Maybe because I'm so familiar with it. I pass it every time I walk down the hill. From the outside it is nondescript. But, oh my, once the door opens it is a fantasy world of fabulous architecture, whimsical folkart, and two of the most knowledgeable people in San Miguel on folkart and masks.

Before I even moved to San Miguel someone suggested that I meet the owners. It was suggested because I used to be an avid folkart collector. Now due to lack of space, I'm not acquiring but still radically interested in the informative side of the collections, artesans and the work.

This might be a B&B which Trip Advisor has named the TOP B&B in San Miguel, but it is sooooooooo much more. I needed to stop in today to see Heidi, who is one of the owners with her husband Bill. Heidi is the most laid back, sweet, kind, lady you can imagine. She also used to handle tours in Mexico City through the anthropolgy museum I think. Bill is truly an expert in "danced" masks of Mexico. To the point that there is now a Mask Museum in San Miguel that can be seen by appointment. It is very, very well designed along with clear and concise descriptions. A must see if you're interested in gaining knowledge from an expert, which is indeed Bill.

I've actually never stayed at Casa de la Cuesta. I've made reservations there many, many times for friends and family. They always leave oooohing and aaaahing. Some of it is because of the tasty, incredible breakfasts. I HAVE experience those - YUMMY! Luckily, it is only around the corner from my house.

Those people that I have had stay there always leave feeling that Bill and Heidi are good friends. And, of course, they send their friends there too.

If you're interested in seeing their website with more photos, go to www.casadelacuesta.com and just think about the first or next time you're coming to town! I guarantee you'll be as awed with the place as I am.

Churches in the Sunset

2011-07-25T22:57:00.000-05:00

Usually at sunset I'm photographing the sunset or the beach and sunset. But this photo was taken while I was at a dinner party a couple of months ago at a friend's home.

I didn't realize until I got home and looked at it on the screen that I had gotten twelve of the thirty-two churches in San Miguel in one shot.

I was so enamored with the light and the view, I truly didn't know what I had done.

That rose hue is lovely, isn't it?

The only reason you can't see the other twenty churches is that either they don't have a bell tower or they are in different parts of town. I must confess I haven't been in all thirty-two. Nor have I been in the capillas in the campos.

They have just set up tours on Friday and Saturday to go to see the capillas. The plan is ingenious. Each village is responsible for charging admission which reminds me of Chiapas where some villages won't let you enter without paying 20 pesos. A brilliant idea in my opinion. Anyway, not only are they charging, but they also have little food kiosks and stands set up with food cooked by the village women. While perched on a stool, I can just imagine a hearty soup or whatever that village is known for cooking to perfection.

Hopefully the plan will cause people in San Miguel to see the capillas. Hopefully it will also cause the people to see the villages, leave a few pesos and have a good time.

A win, win for everyone.

Of course most of the capillas are not as grand as the churches of San Miguel. However that doesn't mean that they don't have a charm or history of their own. Stay tuned. I'll regale you with the stories and photos after I've gone.
In the meantime, enjoy the churches in this photo.

Viva Mexico!

842 and counting!

2011-07-24T11:36:00.002-05:00

Someone once told me that women speak 5,000 words a day and men about 1,000. Now I don't know if that was a joke. Or even if it was true or statistically correct. I don't really talk very much. But I do enjoy posting the blog.

It's beyond me what I could possibly have written in 842 posts. Probably less then 30 were worth reading. Well maybe a few more. But, in my opinion, not many more.

For some reason people do read it - close to 5,000 a month. I've mentioned this before and just writing that number is surreal.

Two very pleasant things happened this weekend that would not have happened had I not been writing the blog.

A woman from Lindale, Tx and her husband saw me on my "Friday bench sitting" and came up and said, "You're Babs aren't you?" Blow me over. I had on sunglasses and my hair pulled up - to me I didn't even look like Babs. But she recognized me and we had a delightful, brief conversation. It turns out that she has been reading the blog for over three years.

Then on Saturday Marc of Merida who writes a blog on living there after moving from ALASKA, took the bus over from Queretaro to see Steve, who he had met before and myself.

We had the longest conversation I've ever had on blogs. Interesting how the three of us each approach the writing and the end result in completely different ways.

In the conversation, I discovered that Steve writes his post out in long hand. His are very detailed and full of facts. Marc said sometimes he works a day or two on a post. His too are full of information. I, on the other hand, just sit down and write. It shows. I'm seldom detail oriented, not to their extent.

It's kinda like I designed restaurants for twenty years. I would create the concept in my mind. I would let it roll around up there - move the food counters, or the windows and doors - always in my mind. Think of the finishes and furnishings. Then when I sat down at the drafting table to create, it all flowed out. Elevation drawings, floor plans, lighting plans, finish schedules, all that was required just came out of somewhere. Up to 10 pages, not the MEP drawings which were contracted out.

It's just how I think. I didn't know other people couldn't walk through rooms in their heads or see elevations until I mentioned it to a client and he looked at me like I was an alien.

So, I guess there will be a few more posts. Hopefully I still have a few things to say and more pictures to post.

I'm even contemplating another blog if I can figure out how to do it anonymously.

The Mornng Fog

2011-07-23T09:17:00.002-05:00

No, I'm not talking about the weather. I'm talking about the fog in my brain many mornings that is only satisfied by a good cup of coffee. Do you have that issue too?

Yesterday on my long list of things to do while in centro was to go by La Ventana and buy freshly ground coffee. I love the coffee from Chiapas. I also enjoy immensely the fragrance of freshly ground coffee. If it would taste as good as it smells in solid form, I think I would like to eat it!

Everywhere I went after buying the coffee, the fragrance followed me. Kinda like the comic strip Charlie Brown when the cloud followed Pig Pen. Ha. The fragrance actually made my stomach growl. That could be either because of the smell or the fact that I have no been on a diet for two weeks.........who knows?

After lunch of a god awful bunch of greens that I'm convinced was picked out of the fields surrounding San Miguel - nary a piece of lettuce - I reached home and set the bag of coffee in the kitchen. Anticipating Saturday morning coffee.

Instead, the WHOLE house now smells like Chiapan coffee. No floral fragrance here.
Just strong coffee. Delightful.

I've had my one cup this morning. The fog has lifted. I'm in rare form and ready to tackle and enjoy the day. How about you? Do you have to have a cup or two of coffee to get going in the morning?

Atotonilco

2011-07-21T22:00:00.000-05:00

I have taken so many photos at Atotonilco where the third most visited religious site in Mexico is located. The difference today was that our daily rainstorm was coming. The coloring of the dark clouds against the white of the building was a stark contrast.

I traveled to Atotonilco with Steve from Melaque who is spending this month in San Miguel. I figured he needed to see at least one tourist site. I think he was underwhelmed. Maybe the history of the restoration would have an impact on anyone who sees it if they could have seen what it looked like ten years ago. Luckily locals of San Miguel and Atotonilco came together years ago and contacted the UN World Heritage Site committee. Upon inspection of the church and the hand painted murals done by a naive painter of the area, they added the church to the list of structures in danger of disappearing from neglect and disrepair.

A few thousand dollars here and a few thousand there were collected. Little by little as money came in architectural restoration work began. It was slow going. I had a group of Mexican folk art collectors who came to San Miguel on a tour and they donated $5000US dollars to the restoration. I was so proud of those people for this huge donation to this building referred to as the "Sistine Chapel of Mexico".

It's not a style of frescoes that I enjoy. A lot of it is very severe and shows a lot of self-flagalation and the pain of sacrifice. But the fact that it was done in the 1700's, had a huge part in the Revolution and is very important to the Mexican people, is important as a whole.

Obviously the United Nations World Heritage Site committee felt the same way in designating it a UN World Heritage site.
Restoration has been going on at a galloping pace ever since then. There is even restoration of the central part of the small village as well.

Viva Mexico!

YAHOO! MAIL

2011-07-20T10:18:00.002-05:00

The new YAHOO! Mail is beyond irritating. It is driving me crazy........and that is a SHORT trip.

This morning I tried to send an email to someone. Their email address wouldn't come up. So I tried every way possible to get into contacts to get the email address. No can do.

If people are happy with someone, why does a company arbitrarily change it. Isn't the customer always right? I wrote to Yahoo, customer service. Of course, no response.

I am SO irritated right now.........AAARGH.

Whew, now I feel better! Ha..........

Cycle of Life

2011-07-19T09:26:00.000-05:00

I thought about titling this A Typical Day in San Miguel, but there is no such thing. I like it that way. Never knowing what to expect. It adds adventure to every day.

I started down the hill yesterday morning to the "Monday Morning Coffee Klatch" group. On my way, one section of the street had houses decorated with crepe paper flowers in pink and blue. Ahh, a birthday on the weekend. No one would have a hard time knowing where to go for that fiesta. What fun! I remember as a little girl being so excited before my birthday that I couldn't sleep the night before. I'm sure it is still the same for children nowadays.

As I passed Plaza Civica, which is another place where many events occur, lots of children in their school uniforms were getting ready to watch other children playing musical instruments. It is summer vacation. I wondered as I passed if you could get kids in the USA to dress up in their uniforms to go listen to music. Hmmmm.

I met the coffee klatch group. We discussed all manner of subjects such as where to find this or that; how great the weather is; who is going where this week. In other words, nothing of great importance. I like it that way. It's more about just being with friends then subject matter. I only hang around about 45 minutes and then head off to run errands.

On my way back up the hill, I passed one of the thirty-two churches in San Miguel. There was a very new, black, shiny hearse with flowers on top. A surprising sight. Typically it is an older, smaller not so fancy hearse that the people walk behind to the cemetary. This must have been an important person.

From birthdays to death, the cycle of life. And, another day of life in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

Looking at Old Photos

2011-07-18T09:40:00.003-05:00

I was looking for something else in some photos this past weekend and came upon this old passport photo from 1986. It was a shock! Did I really look like that? Wide open eyes?

One should not look at old photos of oneself and then look in the mirror at the person one has become. It was truly a shock. I guess, if I last another twenty five years I'll be even more shocked.......

There are many women in San Miguel who go the surgery route to keep that "youthful" look. Not me. One, I'm too scared to do that. Two, I don't like pain. And three, I don't care enough to go through that.

But I must tell you a funny story that happened this past week which made me roll back on my heels and think. Geez, am I really THAT old?

I am back on Senior People Meet dating site hoping to find someone wonderful to share my remaining years with. It seems that the "site" in some way attempts once a week to "match" you with another participant. This past week they matched me with an eighty-nine year old man! I was shocked beyond words. Then I thought, well maybe I'm older then I think I am........then I thought, "NO".

I'm usually looking in the 59-70 range and 89 just doesn't seem right to me. But it certainly was a wake-up call. One that I didn't want to hear........ha.

I laughed about it all weekend. I think I'm a 45 year old trapped in a 69 year old body. Ironically I was about 45 in this passport photo. Ahh, youth.

One Never Know

2011-07-17T11:03:00.000-05:00

One never knows what to expect when walking into the jardin. The jardin is the center of life in San Miguel de Allende and most villages throughout Mexico. The Parroquia is the religious centerpoint. Most things of importance occur in front of the Parroquia and the jardin.

It's always fun to walk in and see if there will be Aztecan dancers. Or the taxis with their hoods open waiting to be blessed which I have seen. Another day all the new office furniture was stacked in front waiting to be blessed to be taken to the Municipal building. Nothing fancy. Metal desks and file cabinets.

I find these things charming and innocent.

One day last week upon entering the jardin I saw a row of ATV's. Not my favorite thing. Noisy, polluting things, in my humble opinion. I had to stand and watch for a while before I could figure out why they kept circling on the streets surrounding the jardin.

Finally I got it. They were filming a commercial for something - ATV's I presume. I thought it was very interesting that the participants were wearing bandanas over their faces. I wondered if it was to hide their faces or because of the noxious fumes. Probably both?

It just goes to show you that no two days in Mexico are ever alike. No sterile environment here. It could as easily have been a llama in the back of a truck or a parade or a Zumba class which has happened many times. The list goes on and on.............

Viva Mexico!

Quiet Mornings

2011-07-16T09:49:00.000-05:00

This morning as I meditated and then drank my coffee, I thought about how silent it is up in my hilltop haven. The sounds that I do hear are not jarring. The wind blowing through the pine, chinaberry and huge avocado outside the living room. The distant sound of a rooster. Someone sweeping. Velcro purring. The birds singing.

As I sat and said "Aaaah", there was the daily horn honking one house down from me. It was the pickup truck that delivers milk. It is goat's milk, I think. Out of doors come the Mexican women with ladle and bowl in hand. Some bring pitchers but usually it is just a bowl. Presumably that is how much they use on a daily basis. It is of course unpasturized.

It is so guiet that I can hear the hummingbirds zipping from bloom to bloom.

It enhances my life to be aware of the silence.

Life in Mexico - Another Lesson

2011-07-15T11:36:00.000-05:00

I'm always learning from the Mexican people lessons that I need to know. It's part of the journey of life. Today was no exception.

Javier the handy man/gardener repaired the stairs to the guest house last week. He said he would get sand and concrete and repair them. He did. He went to the store, got the materials and filled in the holes in the old railroad ties that were put in place about thirty-five years ago. Now people's heels won't get caught and it is smoother.

He and I were pleased with the work. I assumed since he had been infermarecently for a couple of days, and is always paid, that I didn't need to pay him for that extra hour of work. I was surprised last Monday when he saw me in the jardin and asked for that one hour's pay. I was on my cell phone and said we would take care of it on Friday.

Today we had a discussion about sick pay and why I had not paid him for that hour. He then said that he was sorry but he needed 20 pesos to pay his phone bill that day and that was why he asked. I replied, "Well, why didn't you tell me?" And his reply, "I feel shame".

Oh my, that was about three hours ago and I still have a knot in my stomach. My lack of sensitivity embarasses me. My vow now is to be more aware of the needs of both Josefina and Javier. They give so much to me.

I remember several years ago when Javier first came to work for me and I asked him to light the gas water heater. He didn't know how to do so. I remember having a second of irritation and then that turned to dismay when I realized he didn't know how to light it because he and his family do not have hot water. I was so ashamed.

The lesson today will NOT be forgotten on this journey of life. Viva Mexico and thank you Universe for Josefina and Javier.

A Democrat from Texas

2011-07-14T10:48:00.000-05:00

Other then going to the Democrats Abroad annual Fourth of July party recently and voting when appropriate, I don't get involved in politics down here. No one that I know really talks about those things and if we are from opposite parties, we're respectful of the other person's views if the subject does come up in conversation.

Boy, that is not the case in the USA or Texas! I recently received a message from someone who discovered that I'm a Democrat. He said that he had no desire to continue corresponding with me as I was from the party that has destroyed the USA. Pretty strong stuff. But someone who would be that intolerant isn't someone that I would want to continue to correspond with anyway. He was from Texas. Although I wasn't born in Texas, I lived there 34 years and consider it "home" - whether I ever return or not.

It raises the question however, where has this intolerance come from? Is it the media dividing the country? Is it that people feel powerless to change the status quo so they only want to be with "their kind"? I truly don't know the answer and wonder what you think about this issue. Let me hear from you.

By the way, San Miguel is a counterpoint, in my humble opinion, to hostility and anger so I've sent a few street scenes that, to me, are calming and what life is all about.

Donde esta el bano?

2011-07-11T15:22:00.000-05:00

The idea for this post came to me yesterday while having lunch at the new "hoity toity" hotel, Rosewood. After brunch with ten lovely women and on my way to leave the hotel, I decided to stop and use the "facilities". I noticed that the commode was an automatic flush. Everything in the style, finish selections and appointments of the restrooms were beautifully detailed.

As I walked to my car I sort of chuckled to myself remembering one place after the other I have stopped over the years while traveling the backroads of Mexico. There could be NO comparison to Rosewood's banos.

One of the first phrases I learned back in the 70's was "Donde esta el bano?" That was when I was travelling back and forth to Mexico City. I was thrilled at my mastery. Well, until someone answered me. Truly the very first time someone answered me, he had a very large gun. Here is the scenario. I managed a US State Dept contract in Mexico City for drug interdiction. We were teaching Mexican nationals with American A&P mechanics how to maintain the Atty General's fleet of aircraft for spraying paraquat in the fields of Michoacan and other states - the year, 1974. I was walking from one airplane hangar at the airport to another, and as I came around the corner of a building, there in full flak jacket and uniform was a soldier. All I could think to say was, "Donde esta el bano?" He lowered his gun and answered me. Very politely. I attempted to look as though I knew what he said. No way, and I do not have a poker face. I wonder what he thought.

Later that day in my hotel room I realized that I needed a cram course back in the USA on Spanish. If I told you how many times I've taken Spanish, you would just shake your head in disbelief. I'm too mortified to tell you. Of course now I can get my point across and do and get to where I need to go. But, fluent not even now, as much as I've tried.

Other bano scenarios also come to mind. Back in the olden days, at least to me, when I first started driving down here in the 80's, Pemex stations were NOT plentiful. One of the great pieces of advice were, "Never let your gas tank go below a half tank". Even nowadays with PEMEX stations more plentiful then potholes, I still keep a half tank.

But back in those days there definitely weren't PEMEX stations with clean restrooms, just barely restrooms. However beggars couldn't be choosers and one used whatever was available.

It was THOSE times when there was nothing that the adventures occured. One of my funniest experiences was heading toward Guadalajara. I was in the area near San Luis Potosi - nothing in sight - nothing. Then I spied a little concrete block house. I swooped in and stopped the car in front. Knocked on the door and asked for their bano. The girl who was there very politely walked me through that room, out the side door to the outhouse which faced HWY 57. What's a girl to do? I laughed.

There is a restaurant here in San Miguel that started out in a parking lot with a tarp for a roof. They had to have a bano........and they did, but the door was a serape. It was basic. We girls learned to stretch our leg out so our shoe showed, so the guys wouldn't flip the serape and catch us in there. That restaurant now is in a brick and mortar location. Somehow it just doesn't have the same ambiance........although it does still have darn good barbeque.........

So, those are just a few of my banos stories - hope they have given you a chuckle today. They've caused me to smile as I have written them. I saved some of the more unsavory ones from the blog - after all, this IS a family oriented site.

Tolantongo, Vizarron de Montes, and Pena de Bernal

2011-07-10T19:08:00.004-05:00

Three other destinations in close proximity to the Sierra Gorda which was mentioned in the last post are Pena de Bernal and Vizarron de Montes.

Pena de Bernal is the second largest monolith in the world. Second only to Ayers Rock in Australia! It is outstanding to see as one is heading toward the tiny village of Bernal. I suggest if going there that you go on a Friday and avoid the weekend crowds of a Saturday or Sunday. The beginning of the week most stores are closed. At least they were the last time I tried to go to the shops. Products sold in Bernal are wool items. Shawls, hats, mittens, socks - wool, wool, wool.
Once when I WAS there on a Friday nothing was open. It was graduation at the high school. Pretty cool, huh? Bernal is about 15 minutes from Tequisquiapan.

Heading north toward Jalpan and the Sierra Gorda, one passes through Vizarron de Montes. STOP! Look in the stores along the main street through the town. You will be amazed at the absolutely spectacular furnishings, lighting, sinks and anything else that you can think of made out of marble, quartz and other natural materials.
Beautiful! The prices are so inexpensive you won't believe it and the workmanship is first class. There is a pretty little jardin there where one can have a cold drink and something to eat, if desired.

East of Queretaro is Tolantongo. A hot water river resort that caters to Mexican families. One must leave the paved road near Ixmilquilpan and take a dirt road down into the canyon to the land set aside by the ejido families - all 112 of them - that run the resort. "Resort" is a loose term as the cabins are rustic. There are waterfalls, a small restaurant, great hiking and hot pools of water from the river to relax in. Tolantongo means "place where the little heat is felt". It is located in the state of Hidalgo.

All of these places can be googled for additional information. Sorry can't find photos to share........guess you'll have to go there on your own. Happy travels!

Travel Itineraries

2011-07-09T09:54:00.000-05:00

I've been going through all the literature that I save from each trip. In addition, articles I saved over the years, some as far back as the early 80's, of places in Mexico I wanted to see. Most are on "road less traveled" places. Ones that are not necessarily that easy to get to - hence not touristy.

The above photos are of Las Pozas up on the edge of the states of San Luis Potosi and Queretaro. It is the sculpture gardens designed and built by Edward James over a twenty year period. A six hour drive from San Miguel, it is well worth the trip. I seldom go back to places but I first went there in 1999 and have been back several times since.

In addition to going to Xilitla to see Las Pozas (and staying at El Castillo), one can see the missions that were built and overseen by Fr. Serra. He is the missionary who after being in that area until these missions were completed, then walked to California and built and supervised the missions up the California coast. Can you imagine accomplishing all that in a lifetime? Especially during THAT time?

This morning I was going through photo boxes, pre-digital camera, and my oh my, have I been blessed to see and be in amazing places. The photos of Guatemala almost made me cry due to their beauty. So many memories flooded back from hiking through Tikal; the church in Chichicastenango; the ponga to the villages on Lake Atitlan. What an incredibly beautiful country. I'll post some of those photos in days to come.

I also came across photos of Tequisquiapan and Malinalco. Two villages that were total surprises. It's enchanting to have no expectations of a place. Both of those towns are two of my favorites. Tequisquiapan because the centro is compact and sparkling clean. The mercado had some of the most incredibly beautiful specimens of minerals that I've seen in a long time. In my past life, I loved to shadow box those and use them in room decor in hotels rather then paintings.

Malinalco said "Shangria La" to me - truly. I was leaving the village and I just said out loud, "This is Shangria La". It had an aura unlike any place, and I do mean any place, I have ever traveled to. A very tiny village but it has two very important historical sites to see. A monastery whose murals have all been restored. And the most amazing pyramid, built by the Aztecs. I'll write more about this in a later post.

I'm putting together possible "off the beaten track" tours for a friend. Places people would like to see, but won't go on their own. I hope that my grouping will pay off for them. In doing this I realized that Mexico City is a great place to use as your central point and then spoke out in various directions. I've come up with six tours, just doing that!

So much to see for some and so little time! I'm glad I have been so lucky as to have been to so many wonderful places in this fantastic, surreal country.

Cost of living in San Miguel de Allende

2011-07-07T21:09:00.000-05:00

There is a perception among some ex-pats already living in Mexico that it too expensive to live in San Miguel. Not true. I'm going to give you real-life examples.

Many of the people I know live here on their social security - I being one of them. Mine is $1,200 a month. I have a female friend who lives here and has lived here for five years on $700 a month. Don't believe it? It's true.

Now lest you think that people living on that little bit are being deprived of a wonderful life, let me spell out some of the ways to save in this great place to live. Their lives are full and exciting.

Shopping at tianguis for Ann Taylor, Liz Claiborne, Ralph Lauren, Polo - in other words, name brands often for 20 pesos or a little more. Yes, you do have the fun of digging though stacks but just like finding a diamond in the rough - the thrill of the hunt is part of the joy. The vicarious thrill one gets when complimented on an outfit and thinking, "Geez, this whole outfit cost less then $4US", or $10US or even $15US.

Shopping at the mercado for fruits and veggies. One can hardly carry the bag that costs 50 pesos - stuffed with bananas, melons, tomatoes, lettuce, carrots, etc. etc.etc. Also Mega on Wednesday has the most amazing prices.....the place is a three ring circus of Mexicans and ex-pats getting the bargains.

When it comes to eating out, most of us on a budget eat out mid-day or for breakfast. Cafe Monet has an amazingly wide menu for breakfast at the startling price of 39 pesos. The palapa restaurant has tacos for 10 pesos and hamburger con queso for 25! Many, many restaurants have prix-fixe menus for around 60 pesos for a drink, entree, salad and dessert!

Meds come with discounts, if one gets the chains discount card or uses their INAPAM card for additional discounts.

We walk - don't use our cars except when leaving town. Don't eat out but a couple of times a week. Go to free concerts, lectures, art gallery openings and have meals at each other's homes - which is the most enjoyable.

Board games, cards, marjong, Scrabble and pool are a few other ways to spend time without spending money.

Books - we share - we pass on - we review in book clubs. We don't feel deprived.

Yes, there are people here with three cars, swimming pools, large amounts of money, and big houses. But, for the most part, they are generous and share. They share either with those of us who don't have as much or they share with all the charities here who raise funds for scholarships, schooling, uniforms, health care, meals, music lessons, computers. The list goes on and on and on. Volunteering, if you desire, is another free way to enjoy life.

Many ex-pats come here for creative endeavors such as writing, painting, sculpture or jewelry making, to name a few. Many pay rents of from $200 a month on up. And that $200 a month place that comes to mind is adorable - and that includes all the utilties and satellite TV with the most incredible views!

Bargains are here - you just have to look for them. And, for those who brag that it costs them thousands a month to live in Mexico or San Miguel, to be truthful, I feel sorry for them. They've missed the essence of the country.

The Third Try!

2011-07-04T22:54:00.000-05:00

This is the third try to get this gosh darn photo to print. AAAARGH. It probably isn't picasa or the computer, but operator error. Still is most aggravating...........

Big Blogger Bash

2011-07-03T16:26:00.000-05:00

I started this post this morning at about 10AM - within a few minutes the grandbabies arrived and all thought of anything other then their needs was forgotten. I'm finally back to telling you about the fun evening last night.

It really wasn't a BIG blogger bash. But for what we lacked in numbers, we made up for in the ability to talk with each and every one. There were twelve of us. Seven bloggers and five, either mates or friends. In the above photo the ones missing are myself, Billie and Stew.

We started with appetizers and drinks at Billie and Ned's. After a while we trooped down their street in Col San Antonio to Rinconcito restaurant. It's unusual to see twelve gringoes walking in the rain in a line as we headed to the restaurant. The owners were waiting for us as Billie had given them a "heads up". Boy were they glad to see us - the only customers of the night.

Drinks ordered. Food ordered. Then everyone was able to get to the order of business - conversation. At my end of the table - Billie, Stew, Laura and John Wood, a friend of Jennifer's whose name escapes me at the moment - sorry! At the other end, Ned, of Billie and Ned (one of the nicest people you'll ever meet) the La Rosa's, Al, Steve and Jennifer Rose.

It was wonderful to see Laura and John. His blog was one of the first that I ever read. So well written about trips, life and very specific in details about this and that. I told him that I loved the posts on the beach south of Tulum that was the "nude" beach. He confessed that the photo of him that looked nude was because he pulled the pants portion of his suit up for the photo. A good chuckle. John is not writing at the present time as he recovers from brain cancer. Another funny or poignant thing. When John and Laura arrived at Billie and Ned's, Ned showed John his head scar from brain cancer and John showed his to Ned. It wasn't dramatic to them, just sharing something in common. I watched in wonder.

Stew and Al are a fun couple. Stew has a great sense of humor. We have mutual friends. Al is the writer as he wrote for the Chicago paper, I think the Tribune........oh I hope so, or I'll be in big trouble if I got that wrong. His blog is a delight to read. His photos are wonderful also. They live in Jalpa - a teeny tiny town about twenty minutes from San Miguel. I've not visited their house yet, but they are solar contained and even have their own water system. Love to hear that kind of information.

Unfortunately I didn't get to spend much time talking with Jennifer. I've admired her writing long before she had a blog. She would write very informative and interesting articles for publications about Mexico. I knew the name long before and was thrilled to finally meet her last evening. I've got to get to Morelia to talk more.

Another couple there that I didn't know........and unfortunately still don't due to the seating arrangement, were Suzanne and John La Rosa. I did overhear that she sells Mexican folkart in the USA. I'm dying to talk with her since I did that for twenty years back in the 80's and 90's. It will be fun to see how many of the same people we know who are artesans in Mexico. She writes a blog entitled Living in San Miguel on Wordpress.

Of course the great Steve Cotton was in the middle of the table with his head going back and forth as though he were at a tennis match. He was trying to keep up with many conversations. I think he enjoyed himself.

There were so many people we wished could have been there. Sr. Felipe from Patzcauro, Tancho, Don Cuevas, Bob from Irapauto, Todd and Shannon and all of you from farther away, just to name a few..........It was all about getting acquainted. Hopefully some day we all will meet.

This is the beginning of Sr. Steve's social whirl in San Miguel - he just doesn't know it yet!

San Miguel Garden Club

2011-07-02T10:19:00.000-05:00

The program for the garden club this past Tuesday was flower arranging. It was demonstrated by Josefina who has a concession at the mercado. Josefina is a talented, creative floral designer. She showed us the "tricks of the trade".

It was chaotic with about forty women working on arrangements as Josefina guided us. Since it appeared that it was going to rain, the meeting was in one room that was a bit crowded.

What was truly remarkable to me was the fact that we all basically worked with the same kinds of flowers but the arrangements came out all totally different. Some were compact and organized. Others looked like a spring bouquet just picked from the garden. While others were light and airy.

Five lucky women who found a sticker on their chair after the arranging were able to take an arrangement home.

Interestingly, one of the women is from a tiny town in Illinois where I spent many summers as a teenager staying with my sister and brother-in-law. We laughed at all the different memories we both had of Polo, Illinois.

So often this "small world" experience happens in San Miguel. But it still always surprises me.

It was a fun day with a group of delightful women. Life is good.

Boys Will Be Boys

2011-07-01T12:26:00.000-05:00

Sitting in the jardin one day this week, I watched with a smile on my face, as a few little boys climbed all over the metal benches and even attempted to climb up the light pole. They just couldn't be still. Nearby were a few classmates, girls just watching them. None of the girls climbed all over the benches or attempted to scale the lamp post.

It brought back memories of my son and grandsons. How different in temperament boys are from girls. If your first child is a girl, nothing prepares you for the next child that is a boy. Nothing. And I do mean nothing. Girls want to please. They usually are neat and orderly. NOT boys. I remember when my son was two. I was on the phone and the next thing I saw was a tire tool going through the bay window. Where did he get that? Heck if I know - it was such a shock!

Now when Matilda and Sebastian come over, Mati is content to play quietly while Sebastian is like a whirling dervish. Exploring everything. It makes me laugh out loud.

Sitting in the jardin, even for a few minutes, always provides lessons and memories of life. Viva Mexico!

La Mansion de Montitlan

2011-06-30T15:46:00.000-05:00

This past Sunday Billie of Billieblog and her husband Ned and I had lunch at La Mansion, or as we "locals" call it, Gayle's. The chef and owner is Gayle. Her cuisine is exceptional and imaginative. The use of herbs and spices is always a delight. We "foodies" love to try to figure out what the ingredients might be. It's one of those places that doesn't advertise, but, locals know about it. A great find.

Sunday was no exception. The menu that was emailed out was as follows:

Cold Mango Bisque with Cocoanut milk, ginger and fresh herbs
Tossed Green Salad with goat cheese, fresh berries, walnuts,
tomatoes and basil dressing

Two entrees to choose from: Norwegian Salmon served on a bed
of lemon pasta, OR
Southern Fried Chicken with Mashed Potatoes, Gravy and Succotash

Homemade Bread

Dessert Choices were: Plum Gratin with Honey Lavender Sauce, or
Homemade Individual Chocolate Pies with Merengue or Ice Cream
Sundae

Choice of Beverage

Now this is not a restaurant that I go to often. But it is a treat to go a few times a year. The menu changes every week depending on the season and what is available. It is emailed out mid-week and reservations can be made. Clever, isn't it?

Dining is in a lovely patio and courtyard setting high on the hill looking at beautiful flowers, trees and the views of San Miguel. It is a leisurely way to dine with great conversations and slow, savoring eating. It's usually a three hour event.

The funny thing is Billie brought her professional, beautiful camera to photograph. I, my insignificant digital. We only remembered to photograph the first and last courses. We were so busy having fun, we just forgot!

However, these three photos give you a bit of an idea of how a lovely luncheon can begin and end. It was delicious.

If you're interested in being on their mailing list, send me your email address and I'll forward it to Gayle. I might see you there some day!

Simple Days and Quiet Nights

2011-06-26T10:57:00.000-05:00

It started raining on Monday the 20th. Just soft, quiet rain. Aaaah. It turned into a cresendo on Thursday night.
THAT was a "six towel" night.......towels still drying that I had to prop under the rooftop door to stop the cascada, waterfall from coming down three flights of stairs. Not complaining, at all. Just documenting.

I've been a busy bee in the garden. Yes, I have a gardener, but, well. I like to do the trimming and pruning myself and repotting. It is absolutely astonishing how after just a few days the garden is green and lush. After basically nine months of no rain, how can the three inches of rain we've had have such an impact?

In addition while working up on the roof terrace this morning, I looked over at the presa, reservoir and the amount of water in there is also surprising. It was BONE dry last week. The kids were playing soccer down there.
And now, the egrets and the red buntings, among others, are flitting and landing in all kinds of aerodynamic ways.

Kinda hunkering down at home this week while reading and putzing has been a delight. Weeks like this are what being retired is all about. I enjoy them very, very much.

Target Practice

2011-06-23T09:38:00.000-05:00

I heard a big "BLAM" last night, upstairs. Trudged up to see what it could have been, but saw nothing. It was raining.
Didn't think anything of it. Sometimes the kids will throw rocks at the side of my house as they are walking up the hill. So I just thought that must have been what the noise was. It was after 9PM, though, so it was unusual.

This morning when I went up to get my coffee, I looked into the living room and glass was everywhere. And I do mean everywhere. How the heck can glass fly eight feet? And, be so infintisimal. EVERYWHERE.

Rather then get excited, I got my cupa coffee, sat down and contemplated the mess. Surprise was my number one emotion. I've been here ten years and so few little things have happened that I was truly surprised........still am.

And a perfectly round hole. Even with the rain last night, no water in the house. Thankfully it was a soft rain.

After enjoying the coffee, I began to clean up. Folded up the zebra skin rug full of glass shards and took that outside. Picked up the big pieces and dusted those on the furniture into a bag. Swept and mopped. It's clean now.

I never found a projectile of any kind. I looked downstairs in the lower patio. Nothing.

The mystery is why and what was used? I'll probably never know. I assume kids being mischevious. They were probably shocked that their target practice was so accurate.

Now to call Sr. Luna to come replace the window. Viva Mexico!

Mexican Play Pen

2011-06-20T09:29:00.000-05:00

There is a food vendor in the jardin who has a couple of children. Today I noticed that the wee one was quite content to sit and play in a milk crate. Every now and then an older boy would come over to play with him.

I continue to be surprised at the ingenuity of the children and adults in this country. An empty soda bottle can be a soccer ball, if flattened a sorta frisbee, or something to put dirt in and pour out. A balloon lasts for days with the children.........and pull toys are a delight.

Imagination is the key. Having less fosters creativity.

I fear that with ALL that is available to buy in the USA, especially electronic devices, that creativity might be stifled in the upcoming generations.

I certainly hope not..........

Locos Parade

2011-06-19T10:03:00.000-05:00

Take Mardi Gras, add the Fourth of July and a few other celebrations. It adds up to the Locos Parade in San Miguel.
Wacky, fun, hard to describe and long sorta gives you a small idea. The pictures help. But you really have to be here to see that the WHOLE Mexican community is in the parade and the whole ex-pat community is on the sideline watching in wonderment.

There are floats, gigantic paper mache masks and outfits made by the artesans of this area. It is quite a production. The excitement builds for weeks. The shopkeepers and the hairdressers along with people on the street are all talking about where to meet and who is marching.

This parade, that is now several hours long, started as a fiesta and desfile to celebrate a good harvest. It honors St. Anthony and other saints. Back many hundreds of years ago, orchards surrounded the town. Vestiges of these orchards can still be seen behind the stone walls of many haciendas. Oranges were the main crop. The parade participants used to throw oranges to the crowd. That probably became dangerous. Today they throw small candy. Reminds me of Mardi Gras.

Today is definitely the Locos parade. I can hear the float from my colonia heading down the hill with speakers blaring on their way to the starting line on the other side of town. A happy day for San Miguel! We DO love our fiestas.

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-18T13:43:00.000-05:00

It has been a very long time since I have celebrated Father's Day with anyone. My dad died in 1976. My husband, and father to my three children, died in 1978. My daughters of course celebrated with their husbands and families but I don't ever remember being at their homes for those occasions.

So it was quite poignant and delightful to honor my son today, a day early with a Father's Day lunch and presents. I never imagined that I would be doing this period. Much less in San Miguel de Allende.

Preparations started yesterday when Matilda, in her new oilcloth apron, came to help Grammy bake a cake. Oh my was she ever excited! And then when she saw her new apron, her joy was over flowing. Spatula in hand she stirred, then cracked eggs and even helped me pour the batter into the pyrex dish. Making the frosting and putting it on the cake was her favorite thing, of course. She managed to have to lick her fingers quite a few times.

Up and moving fast this morning, I got lots of food pre-prepared. Just ready to pop into the tiny oven or microwave or cook on the stove. All Gypsy son's favorites - corn souffle, au gratin potatoes, fresh green beans, Spiral baked ham, and of course, the finished cake.

The gang arrived at 10AM! Bedlam insued. The kids were so excited to be giving a present to their daddy. Adorable.
I was running back and forth to the kitchen checking on various dishes that were cooking. The kids were hungry by 11AM....oy vey. I had planned to have everything ready for the originally scheduled 12:30 but somehow I was able to hurry it up and have everything on the table by ll:45. To tell you the truth, although everyone ate all the different foods, I do think the kids would have settled for JUST CAKE, if they had been allowed to. Wow,they loved that chocolate frosting.

All the excitement, pandemonium and fun was just that..........fun. A happy family left about 1PM with lots of leftovers to take to their place. Me? It's siesta time!

Gayle's Moving In!

2011-06-14T12:18:00.000-05:00

The Universe moves in mysterious ways! Who would have ever thought........... Here's the story.

Gayle and I met a little over six years ago. I liked her individuality. Her style of dress and her past were unique and interesting to me. She hailed from Northern California, need I say more? We actually met before she even moved here. She was "hell bent" on buying a place in Pozos, the relatively abandoned mining town about 45 minutes from here.

She did. She bought on the main street. A house with a central courtyard and all the rooms exposed to that courtyard. Magic was worked on the place with paint and decor and some remodeling. She loved the house. On the other hand, little social interplay is available there except with the dozen or so people available to talk with.

So she rented an apartment here in town. Perfect for a while, but exhausting to be here during the week and in Pozos on the weekends. Not to mention the additional cost. She opened a shop selling vintage clothing. It is enormously successful. We don't see each other that often. But, heck, that's how good friends are.........

Gayle loves my property. She always wanted to live in the Guest House. That never seemed a possibility. She had put her house in Pozos up for sale, but, selling anything, anywhere, in this area isn't happening. For the most part. Lo and behold, several days before her contract ran out with a realtor, the house sold.

She called. She wanted to rent the guest house........for a LONG time. I was flabbergasted. And thrilled. It's not that I haven't enjoyed having people here on a monthly basis. It's been fun to meet so many people. But, it is way more work and concern.

Things like "Are they going to like it?" "Will everything be ok?" "Will they be happy with the weather?" "Will there be a loud celebration with fireworks while they are here?" I'm not much of a perfectionist anymore. I am sensitive though to the fact that people are paying for a vacation.

It is so much easier when someone rents who has been a resident of San Miguel for a while. They know what to expect. They know about the weather and the noise, once a year. And I do have a group of workers for things that need to be repaired in a timely manner. Manana is ingrained in us.

So, the hardly possible is happening. After the renter in July, the Guest House will be rented to my friend Gayle, for a long time.

How divine!

A Lesson in Patience

2011-06-12T21:53:00.000-05:00

Ever since the Gypsy Kids moved back here in January and Matilda has been coming over to Grammy's house, Velcro has tolerated it by hiding or running away. But today she seemed more receptive. Well she did after she had hidden behind some fern on the roof terrace and then gone out the door downstairs at a later time.

Although Matilda is only three years old, she is very, very intuitive and also listens when you explain things to her.
Smart kid. So I told her that if she would just be patient and wait for Velcro to come to her THEN she could pet her.
I didn't know if it would happen today, but someday she would.

As I was watching what was unfolding, I grabbed the camera and quietly snapped these photos. Priceless.

Voila, she and I are up on my bed coloring and the ensuing scene was too precious not to share with you. She colored a picture and then, on her own, held it up to tell Velcro all about it. I'm sure they do that at preschool but it was still adorable.

In a few minutes, when Velcro was still on the edge of the bed, she scooted over and just laid there watching her, not trying to pet her or anything. LOVE this photo. The look of expectancy on her face!

I expected Velcro to bolt at any second but as you can see she stayed and endured, or enjoyed all the attention and petting from Matilda. Rubbing Velcro under her chin added bliss for Velcro. This photo makes me laugh.

At the end of this adventure, Matilda looked up at me and said, "Grammy, Velcro likes me." How true Matilda - who wouldn't?

MORE Lessons from Velcro

2011-06-06T22:31:00.000-05:00

If you read the post back on November 17, 2009 called "Lessons from Velcro", you'll know that I have learned many important life lessons from Velcro the cat. I thought I should share the latest with you.

YOU CAN NAP WHENEVER AND AS OFTEN AS YOU LIKE - NO ONE CARES.

IF YOU PUSH OPEN THE SCREEN DOOR WITH YOUR HEAD, YOUR TAIL WILL MAKE IT
THROUGH ALSO.

IF YOU SIT AND STARE AT THE CURDLED MILK IN YOUR BOWL LONG ENOUGH
"SOMEONE" WILL NOTICE AND GIVE YOU FRESH MILK.

MILK WITH A FEW CHEERIOS TASTES BETTER.

SHAKING THE SCREEN DOOR WITH YOUR CLAWS WHILE OUTSIDE GETS YOU INSIDE
FASTER.

AND FINALLY.........

A DEAD MOUSE ISN'T NEARLY AS TASTY ANYMORE AS LEFTOVERS OF SHRIMP,
CHICKEN, OR BETTER YET, THE LAST LICK OF THE ICE CREAM BOWL.

Now aren't you glad I shared these with you?

Shifting Winds

2011-06-05T11:25:00.000-05:00

The winds shifted to the North about a week ago. This has resulted in cooler temperatures, both at night and during the day. Woohoo.

Early Friday morning the temperature at 6AM was 44 degrees. I dug out my socks cause my feet were cold. It got up in the mid 70's that day. Last night it was really cool. Cool enough for me to sleep with the bedroom door closed. It got down to 51 at 6AM. Yippee. Our Mexican summer of two months is over and now perfection settles in.

As I write this at 11:15AM on Sunday it is 71 degrees.

So, all my Southern friends, "sweatbirds" as we call you here in San Miguel, pack up your cars, or buy your airline tickets and come on down. We're waiting for you.

The weather is extraordinary. And, the rains haven't come...........yet. They will though.

For All Those Who Ask!

2011-06-02T13:35:00.003-05:00

The typical question from people in the USA when they discover I live in Mexico is,
"What do you do all day?"

Here is today, and it's only 1:30PM. Tenant moved out day before yesterday. Upon departure she mentioned French door hinge was broken, and kitchen sink stopped up.

A possible "full timer" wanted to spend the night there the night she left so I hurried in there on Tuesday, upon the departing tenant's departure, and cleaned the place along with changing the bed.

Yesterday the possible new tenant departed. The maid arrived and did a thorough cleaning. I tried with a plunger to fix the kitchen sink. Nope, didn't work. I also met with the iron man about welding the broken hinges on the French door. He said he would come today. Went to Mega for Drano. No Drano.

"Number one son", and only son, arrived today with Drano. He and I plunged and used Drano. We discovered a leak under the sink, which had not been there before! Oy vey. Plumber called.

Iron man shows up. Plumber shows up. Laundry lady shows up with laundry in the midst of this fray. (I had totally forgotten about her coming).

In the meantime, throughout all this, I had started at 9:00AM BEFORE everyone came to make home made Lemon Bars, two batches, for a luncheon I'm going to tomorrow.
So the kitchen was all asunder.

Whew, it has been like Grand Central Station around here. I'm happy to report all hinges have been repaired and soldered. I'm also happy to report sink is unclogged.
Leak has been repaired and siliconed. Laundry has been put away in both houses.
I've swept and remopped floors upstairs and downstairs in guest house for new tenant arriving today.

Lemon bars are made. Home made sesame/honey dressing is made. Egg salad in progress.

Siesta coming up shortly. And, tomorrow will be another day...........

The Catch of the Day

2011-05-31T16:45:00.000-05:00

While in La Manzanilla for the day a few weeks ago, we had a fun experience. My friend John was surf fishing and caught a good size fish, but only one. Not enough to feed three people, which we were. So he buried it in the sand up near our chaises and we waited for a young boy to come by. He wanted to be able to give him the fish.

About an hour later this young boy and his dad, who we had seen a couple of hours earlier, came by with a string of squid they had caught. John called the boy over and uncovered the fish. The look of wonderment on the boy's face at the fish said it all. The fish was given to him.

He and his Dad headed down by the water to wash the sand off the fish and load him on the small pipe with the squid.
It was delightful to watch all the action, the smiles and the many thanks that were received for what I can only assume was their "comida" for the day.

Just a little delightful memory in this wonderful country called MEXICO.

Temple Grandin

2011-05-29T07:09:00.003-05:00

There is a local cafe where the owner sells DVD's in English for 40 pesos. I go by maybe once a month to get a few. Juan is a cool guy and I always ask him what he recommends. He knows I don't want anything with violence. He also knows that I like documentaries and foreign films.

Last time I was there I bought four DVD's, my max on any one visit. One I purchased was the PBS series on Frank Lloyd Wright. Juan also knows I like architecture. It was a great series. I couldn't remember what he told me about Temple Grandin. I thought it must be about architecture or gardening perhaps because of the title.

I watched it last night. It is NOT about gardening. Claire Danes is the star. I don't know when this movie came out but if it is recent, she should be nominated for best actress for this role. Fabulous.

The story is about a woman who is autistic. How her mother guides her and encourages her to develop even though she didn't speak until after age 4. It is discovered by her high school science teacher that she has a photographic memory and when a phrase is said, she sees it in images in her mind. The cinematography in this movie is excellent.

This single woman, with her near genius intellect discovered in high school, despite the bullying and difficulty of getting along with others, single handedly changed the world of animal husbandry. You'll have to see it to believe it. A young girl in the stockyards of the "good ole boys" network

It is a true story. A heartwarming and amazing story with incredible acting. Temple Grandin is now a Professor at Colorado State University in animal husbandry. She has a Doctorate. She also travels around the country talking about autism from her viewpoint to help parents and health care givers to understand this condition.

My grandson is autistic. He is thirteen years old now. His autism was caused by Fragile X Syndrome. This movie certainly gave me a huge new insight into autism. It was very uplifting.

Seldom do I see a movie, The King's Speech comes to mind, where the acting is on this level. See it and enjoy!

Calechosa

2011-05-28T17:00:00.000-05:00

Until I was on this beach, I have never been on a beach where the bluffs came right up to the water. Nor have I ever been on a beach with huge boulders and rocks in a myriad of colors.

I was like a kid in a candy shop. Trudging through the black small pebbly beach getting a foot "massage" as I trudged.
I wanted to see all the different colors of rocks fused together eons ago. Some looked like gold, others jade and the deep magenta colors were spectacular. If only a geologist had been along! In the small rocks on the beach I found a black rock with fused crystals in it.

Was I in volcanic territory? I don't know. But I do know it was breathtakingly beautiful to me. Then to turn and look at the ocean was such a juxtaposition. Quite magnificent.

This beach called Calechosa is a well known secret to the Mexicans in the area around Melaque. It is also well known to surfers as there is a good surf break there. The kids would show up when the surf was up. How they knew that I don't know. The road to get to my friend's house and this beach is NOT a road, but a dirt rutted path of ups and downs. Rainy season would NOT be a time to attempt it.

I'm told that days or a week can go by during the rainy season without being able to navigate in or out from the main road. But heck, when you live in a paradise like this, who cares? My friend just stocks up on gas for the tank on the roof and the rest is solar. What a life!

If you're ever in San Miguel and come by, I'll show you all the rocks that I lugged home from the beach! Muy bonito.

The Botanical Gardens and The Charco

2011-05-26T21:04:00.000-05:00

Ironically on Tuesday I was at the Botanical Gardens called El Charco del Ingenio for a garden club program, meeting and lunch. It was extremely interesting to see all the new development of structures. The new sensory garden area all planted with native species. The new children's area, again all plantings are native to the area only. Marcos, the naturalist who guided us and then gave a 30 minute talk on the current and future plans of the gardens as it reaches its 20 year anniversary were inspiring.

We are very fortunate to have such a beautiful environment being maintained and enlarged by extremely knowledgeable and educated people in environmental sciences.

The structure in the first photo is one made out of plant limbs and rebar. The feeling while inside is as though one is in a natural cathedral. Quite etheral feeling. Wondrous.

It was a pleasant two hours from 11 til 1. With the breezes, believe it or not, it was not uncomfortable. After lunch I headed home which is about 3 or 4 minutes away.

Imagine my shock as I parked the car and looked into the canyon, or "charco" to see smoke rising from the bluffs. The wind was blowing West to East and carrying the smoke and fire. The botanical gardens are above and to the right, by a relative good distance from the original smoke and fire. At one point as the smoke got thicker, I closed my windows facing that way and continued to go up on the roof to monitor the smoke. It was totally astonishing to see fires springing up spontaneously all over that side of the canyon and burn. I saw no firefighters ever or fire trucks although there is a gravel road on that side. But then, in all actuality, I've never seen firefighters or fire trucks at a fire in my ten years in San Miguel.

It was very eerie at 10 PM to look out and see what looked like campfires all over the slopes. Smoke still rising.

Needless to say we now have one side of the charco as blackened earth. Until today, I could still smell smoke. Luckily this evening we had a bit of rain. Hopefully that will help. It is reported that 50 hectares were lost in this fire.

Bob Haas, a director of the botanical gardens reports that there was no damage to structures or gardens in the botanical area. It was, he reports, confined to the north rim of the canyon. Thankfully.

It will come back. I saw Yosemite after thousands and thousands of acres burned about twenty years ago and five years later it was spectacular to see the area - all green and fresh and beautiful. As much as the birds carry seeds and deposit them on my roof terrace, it will be no time and it will all be flourishing again.

Well, at least, that is how I'm comforting myself as I looked at it all this evening in the dusk.

"Solo Vivo"

2011-05-21T19:31:00.000-05:00

I have avoided the "newcomer" to our street for almost a month now. I figured he would leave, be a pest, get run over, since he chases any motorscooter that goes by, or all of the above. That has not turned out to be the case.

I first spotted "Solo Vivo", named by the family next door, sliding under the gate to the primary school. I thought maybe they were keeping him on the school grounds to guard the place. He was sliding under the gate AWAY from the school. As far as I know he never slid back the other way.

At first he just slept or laid next to one of the three houses down here near the corner. Then I noticed that my Mexican next door neighbors were putting out water and food for the dog. Hmmmm, I thought. the children from both houses have gone out on the street to play with him. He is a VERY well behaved dog.

He was skin and bones at first. Now as you can see he is filling out. The other day the kids were bathing him with a hose. He LOVED it and jumped around chomping at the water. He was so happy.

He loves to chase the motor scooter drivers who go by. I fear for that. But he is smart. At night I hear him bark once in a while. I think, "My car has never been safer on the street".

When I come home in the car and he's a couple houses down, he trots over - never jumps up - just stands and watches me and then goes over and sits down. I swear he is one of the smartest, most well behaved dogs I've ever seen.
I swore when my dog Flash died that that was that and after sixteen years with Flash, I was not going through that pain again of losing a dog. No, I haven't fed him. No, I haven't petted him. No, I haven't invited him in. But, somehow taking his photo and NOW talking TO him is the beginning of a slippery slope for me, I'm afraid.

WHAT will "Velcro the Cat" think?

No Mas Aqua

2011-05-19T10:44:00.001-05:00

Dan, who reads and comments on the blog, asked what the status is of the presa or reservoir in English. So, I went up on the roof terrace and snapped some photos this morning. It's READY for rain. SOON hopefully.

Lest you panic that I have no water in the house, our water comes from artesian wells so we're not dependent on the rainfall, yet. The wells have been decreasing over the ten years I've been here. Not sure what the status is at this point. They say the rain we get this year will take sixty years to replenish the wells. I definitely won't be here to experience that.

While I was up on the roof terrace, I sipped my coffee, decided to feed the plants, swept the rug. While doing these chores, I heard someone hacking at something and looked back over the knee wall to see two guys out in the middle of the presa chopping away at an old tree that has been out there as long as I've been here. What the heck do they think they're going to do with it IF they get it cut up? There are steep cliffs surrounding the presa.
Well there is a path over here on my side where the shepherd used to take the goats down to graze every day. Sadly the goats and the shepherd went to greener pastures about five years ago. It will be a hike if those guys are cutting up that log for firewood.

The last photo shows the weather screen for San Miguel and the fact that we've had about 1/2 inch of rain since January. This time last year we had already had over 7 inches.........oy vey.

So Dan, there is your bird's eye view. Don't come down til the rainy season is here.

The Garden Today

2011-05-18T09:17:00.001-05:00

Agapanthus blooming in the garden today. One of my favorite things.

Honoring Jennifer

2011-05-17T11:05:00.003-05:00

It is a HUGE milestone today for me to be able to write about my first born daughter who passed on seven years ago on May 18th, 2004.

Each year since I started posting I've tried,, but just couldn't get through it. So here goes.

Have you ever known a person who was so gentle and with an aura that they felt "other worldly". My daughter always felt that way to me. I was awed by her. She was so kind hearted that she would fix food for the beggars under the bridges in Houston and take it to them. She fed ferral cats until she could catch them and help to tame them. Toward the end of her life, besides being the most amazing, loving and sensitive Mom to little Christoper, she raised butterflies. She even had new cards made that said "Butterfly gardener". She was truly "one in a million".

Outwardly she appeared so gentle, as a feather. But inwardly when the times were tough, she was made of steel. While hospitalized at MD Anderson and St. Joseph's Hospitals in Houston, she kept up with her treatments for leukemia and didn't put up with incompetence from anyone.

One of my funniest and greatest memories (now) was when she was moved to the cancer wing of St. Joseph's and upon entering the room discovered it was filthy. It even had used syringes in the case. Next thing I know, she is storming down the hall with her robe ties flapping in the breeze. Twenty-four hours before she had given birth to Christopher, naturally. Yup, she was made of stern stuff.

What a precious girl she was growing up. All the fun things - Girl Scouts, Drill Team, Class Beauty, Homecoming Queen. She was a beauty - inside and out. It NEVER went to her head.

A wit that could stop you dead in your tracks. A love for her son that swelled your heart. A kindness that was all encompassing. Yes, she is sorely missed.

Her legacy is a sensitive, kind, loving twelve year old son who is growing up and reminds me in many ways of his Mom.

She lives on forever in him. She lives on every time I see butterflies or my butterfly lilies bloom in the garden. And she lives on every time I see a rainbow.

I carry her in my heart daily. So do many others whose lives she touched. I was honored to be her Mom.

Sweet Memories

2011-05-16T09:11:00.004-05:00

Last month in the post, Fuscia Princess Shoes, I showed you a photo of how Matilda's birthday shoes had deteriorated from daily wearing with the front of the shoes being no longer fuscia. Today she has a NEW pair thanks to the fact that the tianguis are still operating in Melaque and the woman who had the booth where I got the first pair was there and had the shoes! Wow, was I happy! Ecstatic would be more the word. Ok, only a Grammy can understand that.

Matilda is thrilled with her new "shiny shoes" and came over yesterday in an outfit sans the tutu but, of course, with the shoes on. She only took them off when she climbed up on my bed to watch a DVD called "Rio" that I found at the tianguis in San Miguel for 5 pesos. The movie is playing at the theater here now.

As she got firmly ensconced in all the pillows, sweet memories came back to me of my granddaughter Jessica, who will be 20 this year, doing the same thing. The other grand kids did also, but Jessica spent the most time with me, as she was the only grand kid for about six years.

So I'm now building sweet memories with Sebastian and Matilda as I did with Jessica, Andrew, Hannah, Emma and Christopher - all teenagers or almost. It's wonderful to have little munchkins around again. An absolute delight and surprise.

You know what else? Kids in many ways are the same. Matilda got as much enjoyment out of playing with a doodlebug in the garden yesterday as the other grandchildren did many years ago. It adds to the fun.

Each kid however is very individual. Matilda never ceases to amaze me with her comprehension, her language ability and her memory. Even as a tiny baby I referred to her as the "Mensa baby". Yesterday she wanted to go up on the roof. I said "Why"? She said, "To see Mr. Paul" - that was the last place she saw him and they played before he returned to the USA in February. It caught my heart.

Life is always full of surprises, isn't it?

Being a "Beach Bum"

2011-05-15T12:13:00.005-05:00

A week at the beach is NEVER enough for me - it takes me that long to unwind. But, one must be GRATEFUL for what one gets and not whine. I still wish I could have stayed longer.

It was a PERFECT week in so many ways! First of all, my son was able to travel with me - a delightful time to talk, travel together, walk the beach and just "hang out". A huge surprise and one that I'm extremely grateful to have experienced. As a Mom, I always treasure these times, but often think, "Well this is the last time I'll have one on one time", with whichever one I'm with.

The second perfect thing is that the weather was wonderful. Someone who had just returned from that area told me it was cooler at the beach then San Miguel. THAT was all I had to hear to head out - quickly. IT WAS!

The third perfect thing was we were staying at an old friend of thirty years home.
It is in Calachosas right on the beach. To get to my friend's home is a circuitous drive down a "barely there" dirt path. And I DO mean "barely there". But oh my, when you come over the rise in the path and see the ocean, your heart sings. How spectacular. One of the photos is from the house looking toward Cuastacomante. This was my view from the bedroom or while sitting out under the enormous palapa roofed sala. BLISS.

A couple of trips to La Manzanilla to enjoy the beach and eat at Yolanda's. Two peaceful days. A couple of short trips into Melaque for groceries and fresh seafood to cook. And, a trip to Barre de Navidad on Mother's Day evening where the sunset photo and the photo of my son and I were taken.
It's interesting to show an area that you've been to many times to someone new. You get a different perspective. Truly La Manzanilla, Melaque and Barre de Navidad are each unique and none are like the other. The thought had never occurred to me before sharing it with my son.

Yes, I can easily be a beach bum - give me a few months over there and I'll prove it to you. I reverted to no makeup, few clothes and no shoes in less then a week. I can't imagine what would happen if I were there a few months.

It was PERFECTION!

"Outtahere" for a while - the Beach is calling!

2011-05-04T15:36:00.003-05:00

I've been "hanging" here in the mountains for over three months with nary a trip. I started getting "itchy toes" last week. No I'm not heading to Texas which is typically what I do this time of the year. Instead I'm heading to the water........Just need to see the waves, feel my toes in the sand. Ya know?

Heading over to the Pacific, manana. Not sure when I'll return - a week or so - will post upon return. Where I'm going there is not internet service! No Tvs either. Can you believe? I'm thrilled. Just a good book, great seafood, lovely views and maybe, just maybe a pina colada or two........

Looking forward to being "outtahere" for a while!

San Miguel Scenes

2011-04-27T09:40:00.007-05:00

It seems that I'm always posting photos of processions and celebrations. Or family events. Once in a while I "do" social events too. This past week was chock-a-block full of social events. Two in the country or campo, as we say and one in town at a lovely home.

The photos of the garden and beautiful orchid blooming on the tree were taken at a San Miguel garden club. The house is at the end of a dead end street. You would have no idea at its depth and breadth until the gate is open. What a beautiful, green, lush surprise. The owner obviously, at some point, lived abroad as the home is filled with beautiful Oriental decorative accessories. Hence the shelter out in the garden with the Asian influence. Lovely, isn't it? This home is in the "centro" of San Miguel. I would guesstimate it is on about three or four lots.

On Sunday I drove to the country to a beautiful ranch for Easter dinner. What a festive event. There must have been close to 50 or more people there. It was a potluck, which is always fun. To add to the enjoyment the Estudiantes from Guanajuato sang for about an hour. What a great sound. In the winter they wear these beautiful velvet costumes. Often, at night you'll see them walking down the streets of San Miguel singing on their way to the jardin. It is always a thrill for me.

The most celebratory and amazing event was last week. It was the wedding celebration of my dear friend Bill and his new bride Elvira. All of us there were amazed and thrilled for them. It is the first marriage for Bill who just turned 65!
Elvira is from Uruguay. They met in San Miguel where her grown children live and after five years this amazing event happened.

It is a beautiful ranch only six kilometers outside of town. What lovely rolling hills. The ranch has guest rooms to rent along with stables and a chapel. All can be rented for events. I had no idea of its existence.

A great band played and the celebration lasted into the night. As wedding celebrations should.

What a week..............

A Different Easter Season

2011-04-23T16:33:00.007-05:00

This year has been a different Easter Season for me. I DID watch the Palm Sunday procession. That was the only one. Usually on Wednesday I watch the Way of the Cross procession with the flowers strewn across the streets along with the Stations of the Cross built into the side of the buildings decorated with statues and floral arrangements. Then on Thursday I usually walk from church to church to see the feet being washed which symbolizes the washing of the feet of the Apostles. To finish up Holy Week, I usually see the noon procession on Good Friday along with the very solemn procession that night of all of the older women all dressed in black carrying the lanterns. NOT this year.

This year I've been in the midst of getting ready for two little munchkins to come to my house and dye eggs along with coming back to see what amazing things a hopping rabbit can create.

The Easter bunny had a heck of a time finding anything to fill Easter baskets with. Even a heck of a time finding baskets with handles for little ones to carry. But persevere the bunny did, with new Easter outfits, Easter baskets and all the eggs to hunt for in the garden.

Instead of a traditional Mexican Easter week, this year it has been an American one. Not anything I ever expected to have happen in Mexico!

The only thing left that happens during Semana Santa is the blowing up of the Judases in the jardin tomorrow. I won't be there for that either - other plans.

However, in past years I've posted photos galore of all of the above. This year its all about family. How divine!

Dyeing Easter Eggs

2011-04-22T13:32:00.004-05:00

I'm in full "Grammy mode" this week. Matilda is not in pre-school, I have no projects on the agenda, so it's PLAY time.

Yesterday we dyed easter eggs, just Mati and me. How fun! Amazingly I still had old boxes of food color, white vinegar and crayons. So we didn't use any of the newfangled gizmos they have now for dyeing eggs. No we did it the way I did it with my kids and other grandkids. It worked.

We started out with almost two dozen eggs. And nary a one got broken. They are all done and ready in the fridge for the Easter bunny to hide them in the garden.

Matilda is worried about her one year old brother coming to the hunt as she is afraid he will "stomp" on the eggs. She said that and then demonstrated what she meant by stomping her shoe down VERY hard. It cracked me up.

Notice in the photo as we are dyeing the eggs, with photo taken by Dad John, that her "baby" whose name I think is "poquito baby" was watching all of the activities.

I was surprised how fast a three year old could dye 22 eggs. We then moved on to other things. Like reading books, snuggling and a little TV cartoon watching.

What fun these little visits have become. Tomorrow, Saturday, we'll have the Grand Hunt with Matilda and Sebastian. I can hardly wait to see if Sebastian WILL stomp on the eggs.

Fuscia Princess Shoes

2011-04-17T12:15:00.002-05:00

In March I wrote about going to the tianguis in Melaque and the wondrous things I found to buy. To me the most wondrous of all were the fuscia princess shoes for Matilda. I didn't buy them at first because I wasn't sure of her size. So phone calls back to San Miguel were necessary to confirm the size, which was given to me in US sizes. Back to the tianguis I went - no one could convert the American size to Mexican sizes so back to the bungalow I went to confirm and convert on the internet. On my third try, I got the shoes. They were to be a birthday present to go along with a pink tutu and butterfly wings.

In most ways in life I'm practical. When it comes to grandchildren I'm not. Hence the fuscia shoes.

I had no idea they would be such a big hit. Matilda would wear them every day if she could. She almost does, as you can see by the wear on them in just two months. It makes my heart smile.

She and her dad were here yesterday for an impromptu visit. Matilda in her tutu and fuscia shoes. I made a mental note that I need to find another pair of shoes just like those. They don't look like they are going to last much longer. I'm even contemplating a drive to Melaque (8 hours) to the tianguis to get another pair.
Aren't grammys silly?

Shoes have always been something that my kids and grandkids have loved. Not normal shoes mind you, but something I find that I think is different and that they would enjoy. My memory actually goes back to my son, at age four, sleeping with a new pair of hush puppies resting on his chest. I went in to tuck him into bed the night of his birthday. That was the sight. That was forty-three years ago. It is still in my mind's eye.

My oldest granddaughter loved "shiny shoes". Patent leather like I wore as a child.
I lost count of how many pairs of Mary Jane patent leather black and/or white shoes I bought for her through her life. It was my great pleasure. Now that she is almost twenty I need another wee one to practice on. I've found her.

Mati loves her fuscia princess shoes. She can "ballerina" in them, she says.

Wind, Dust, Locusts, Rain?

2011-04-16T11:57:00.002-05:00

Everyone from West Texas always talks about the legendary Dust Storms. All my life I've heard those stories. I couldn't relate. At least not until this week. We've had two this week in Mexico. Of epic proportions.

The wind storm last night was so strong that I was afraid the oyamel (fir) tree was going to break. Even the cat had her ears up, watching.

Winds were gusting near 40 MPH. I stood at the bank of windows in the living room watching the dust gather and start to head this way. It was obscuring the sky, the mountain range and the sun. Eeery.........I was transfixed by the sight until I realized all the windows and doors were open.

I sprang into action by closing everything. Tightly. Closing everything helped. Not totally. Today there is a thin layer of grit everywhere. YUK!

Lordy, I hope the locusts don't come next...........

Never once did I pray for rain while living in the tropical Gulf Coast of Texas. It wasn't necessary. Here I've learned to look forward, with gusto, to the rainy season.

All I can say is "BRING IT ON". June can't come soon enough.