Turning an AGGRAVATION into an ABUNDANT GIFT!

For all the years I've lived in this house, each time I look West toward the mountains, and attempt to take a
beautiful sunset photo or storm photo or fog photo, this monstrosity of an unused light pole has loomed in
every image.

There it is in all its ugliness I have thought, ruining such a magical view.  I couldn't see the forest for this dumb concrete tree!

Another equally aggravating view..........that is, until recently.  I moved my reading chair from the bedroom to the living room.  Always in the past, I sat on the chaise to read and that faced toward the interior gardens with the poinsettia tree, the lilies, and all the other vast array of nature.

BUT, the chair now faced out the windows toward the West.  I did not notice it at first, other then the fact that the light less pole was still there.

Then one morning there were a few sparrows on it.  Those cross beams are hollow.  In and out they came.  I'm assuming there are many nests inside based on all the scurrying about.  The following day something really funny happened.  The red headed woodpecker was perched on top of the concrete pole and pecking away at it.  He would face one way for a while and peck....then scoot a little bit and peck.  He managed to circumnavigate the whole darn pole while pecking and looking for other low flying birds.

You see, now that I have the chair there, its a perfect place to drink my coffee early and watch the antics of whoever or whatever is coming that morning.   Another morning about ten sparrows decided to go up and down the guy wires attached to the pole.  It was like watching the Rockettes or something.......in perfect form.

Then the light bulb moment happened!  For gosh sakes, this thing that had aggravated me for so long had become such a joyful and humorous and fun thing to watch each and every day.  I then realized, it is all in our perception, isn't it?

Reflections from Mexico - San Miguel de Allende to be Exact

It has been a whopper of a week.  That is a mild understatement.  I'm always conscious that it can change in an instant..........and often does.

It started on Tuesday with a pain in the left side of my neck.  Being a denier, I just thought I had slept wrong on the pillow so thought it would be gone the next day.  It was not.  In fact on Wednesday, a busy, busy day,
I was having a hard time looking to the left.  Ironic.  So, my solution was to stand in the shower under the hottest water I could bear, and point the shower massage on my neck and left shoulder as now the pain
was not just in my neck but radiating down my shoulder.

On Thursday morning someone, who is a new acquaintance, posted the symptoms leading up to her mother's heart attack on facebook.  Holy moly.  Was that a swift kick in the posterior.  I was on the phone with the doctor's office, got an appointment for within two hours and was there waiting for him in 1 1/2 hours.  I must admit, which is silly, it did not occur to me to go to the emergency room even though I was in excruciating pain.

So, Dr. Barrera, who has been my acutely wonderful internal diagnostician now for over 10 years, quickly
checked everything and said, no, no carotid artery stuff and then checked my neck and assessed that those pesky vertebrae in my neck that are crushed or whatever, had a flareup.  As always, he was correct.  So, with a series of five cortisone shots, I'm on #4 today, I'm pain free.  Even in my knees and hip!  Ojala.  Pain free is a big thing for me as I live with chronic pain.

So, this saga will become history.  It's probably time for me to bite the bullet, fly to Texas next spring - April, May, and think about knee replacement or whatever and get rid of that.  Possibly even see whatever kind of doctor you see for neck and spine deterioration.  I might become the bionic blogger...........or not!

* * * * * *
Moving on.  I have no photos on this blog today. I think since Friday night we have seen enough visual images that even a beautiful butterfly might be too much.  I have not had the TV on since CBS Sunday Morning ended and have no intention of having anything on, but instead, listening to Mother Nature outside with chirping, zipping hummingbirds and soft, quiet butterfly wings.

As I have thought and thought about the actual people who make up the terrorists, it appears most are in their mid to late 20's.  Obviously from their countries of origin, most have grown up in war torn, bombed out areas seeing the deaths, first hand of family, friends and others too numerous to list.  Anger is one of the stages of grief.  I know.  I've experienced it at more then one time as I worked my way through  over sudden deaths.  I luckily had beauty to surround me, family to love me and friends to support me, but it does not appear to me that these terrorists have much other then their anger and thoughts of revenge to sustain them.  Sadly.

I wonder what would happen if they could be transported, individually, to a village of tranquility with beauty and kindness.  Could they heal?  It would be a long process, and, I know it sounds simplistic, but now several countries have been bombed to oblivion and that certainly is not the answer.  Maybe its time to back up and think of the human being who is part of all of this and how to save them, one person at a time.

* * * * *

Nature has always been my salvation.  Whether its watching the cloud formations or the storms coming over the mountains, whatever, it is mesmerizing and leads to meditation and reflection.

This morning I heard what I thought was someone chopping down a tree outside on the road.  But, I knew that could not be the case.  There are no more trees outside the perimeter of this property.  Just low blooming bushes.

Finally, I went upstairs to look out the window.  No, no one.........and then I turned around to see the brightest, most beautiful orange bird with stripes of black on its wings, pecking on the window in the living room.  Like a woodpecker, it was SO loud.  I've never seen this bird before, but it was persistent. Even when it saw me, it kept pecking.  Possibly it saw its reflection.  Who the heck knows?  But, for me, it was
a gift.  A gift of surprise from Mother Nature to remind me that after all is said and done, we can find beauty
in the tiniest of creatures.  Especially when we are open to it.

Remittances to Mexico

Many people do not know what that phrase means.  They do not understand that the reason there are immigrants from Mexico, and Central America in the USA working is so they can send money home to
help their family.  Some are escaping the fear of death from countries in Central America where the war on drugs promoted by the USA,  failed miserable and totally destabilized the entire country and area. But for the most part they want to make a better life for themselves and their families.

It seems from things I read recently by very angry people about immigrants that they have no clue why
these people are in the USA or what they do while they are there.

Let's start with remittances.

If you saw lines of people waiting in front of a bank in Mexico, would you know........or would you wonder why they are there?

This is a typical scene at the beginning of the month.  They are there to withdraw money sent home by fathers, husbands, brothers, young men and women also, who are sending money home to help.  The main
reason they went to the states in the first place.  To find work to make money.

The average transaction is not large.  About $293.73 per transaction.  However, that can be the difference
between eating and not; having meds and not; having electricity or not.  The basic essentials of life.

In the first nine months of 2014, $17.58 BILLION dollars was sent home to help!  Yes, indeed.  Those workers in the USA care.  They really take it seriously to care and to send money.  I've known and hired many workers who slept 7 or 8 men in a one or two bedroom house or apartment.  They brown bagged their lunches and snacks.  They went home at night to play dominoes or watch TV rather then spend money on frivolous things like movies, or restaurants or things others take for granted. They sent money home.

Most immigrants initially do not have cars.  They use the buses, a bicycle or their feet.  Sometimes they can get a ride with a friend, if they both are working the same job.  What time does their day usually start?  Long before ours.  Just think if you had to take four or five buses to get to a construction job - both ways.  I'm not making any of this up.  Not one bit. And, their days usually end long after ours by the time they finish their work and can get home by buses, a bicycle or their feet.

Surprised?  Here's another interesting fact. Remittances are the second source of income for Mexico, right behind oil.  And, the third source of income is tourism.  Yes, it is very important to the economy of Mexico, still, at the present time.

Mexico and Central America are cash societies for the most part.  Credit is a new thing.  So, when people who have emigrated to the USA are there after a while, they don't buy a house until they have cash!  They don't buy cars until they can pay for it.  Like it used to be in the times after WWII when credit was a new concept.

The contribution of all of this cash for real estate, food, transportation, and all the other segments necessary to survive, is very necessary to the economy of the USA as well.  Sorry I don't have the figure of what is estimated to be their financial contribution to the USA.

Another fallacy is that immigrants live off the system and pay no taxes.  Not possible.  They have to have a social security number, valid or not, to get most jobs.  They pay taxes, but never get any benefits from all the money they pay in.  A boon to the social security system when you have over 11 million people paying into something and not getting a dime of it back.  Amazing isn't it?

Waiting for welfare checks?  That seems to be another comment frequently used as to why immigrants are in the USA.  Welfare has never been part of the cycle of their life back where they come from, unless you count the approximately $30USD the elderly get in Mexico, which is about all I know about as welfare. Yes, there is assistance with healthcare, seeds to plant crops, but no where near the amount of assistance programs that the USA provides to their citizens.

The statistics show that the percentage of people getting welfare in the USA that are immigrants is no greater, and thought to be less then the percentage of people who do receive welfare that are US citizens.

As far as the borders being secure.  The big fallacy is that people are streaming across, as politicians  like to point out.  Well, I don't know where anyone gets that idea.  The stats show the numbers are so low and have been so low for the last 21/2 years that they are almost at a minus percent.  That means more are going back to their countries then are entering the USA. I have crossed those borders all over the place.  I've NEVER once seen someone trying to cross illegally.  And, I've looked.

The fear of the borders is big business!  The military contractors and defense contractors are making off like bandits with all the various ways they can make money.  Building bigger and larger checkpoints.  Providing cars for Border patrol agents.  Clearing land as far as forty miles inland.  Putting up security cameras as far inland as 150 miles. All of this doesn't count the salaries, the uniforms, the drones, the aircraft, boats.  You name it.  They have thought of it...........as a way to make money.

The number of governmental agencies who are tasked with protecting the border have gone from US Customs, only, in the 70's to now including DEA, Border Patrol, Homeland Security and many others too
numerous to name!  It's big business.  It just makes me shake my head at how politicized the border between the USA and Mexico has become.

But I digress.  The rhetoric continues about how the immigrants have destroyed the American way of life.
What a sad comment when the immigrants are so patriotic in their home countries and want nothing more
then to be that way in their new home country the USA.  IF they had a path to citizenship that did not cost an arm and a leg, my bet is that eleven million immigrants would be whittled down to very few who would not become citizens.

Hopefully, soon, or sometime in my lifetime, those eleven million human beings will be thought of in a humane way and allowed to not live with a stigma and fear over their heads that at any moment they could be rounded up and separated from their families to be sent to a country that many have not lived in for 20  or 30 years or more.    That is happening every day.  Can you imagine if they attempted to do that with eleven million immigrants?

I shudder to imagine that.  Hopefully you do as well.

A Visit to Anado's - Casa Las Ranas

The last couple of weeks have been chock-a-block full of activities and festivities.  Most of it was Day of the
Dead events.  More then a mere mortal could possibly attend.  Well, at least this mere mortal.  Along with the traditional activities of building altars, visiting the cemeteries and being in the jardin at night to see all the stuff going on, there were also art openings, fairs, food events. Well, you get the idea!

In the midst of all of that there was also a 70th birthday party for one of the regulars at the wild and crazy Monday Coffee Klatch group.  It was held at Pizza Pig.  They have such good vegetarian pizzas.  You see they start out vegetarian and then we add home made Italian sausage, pepperoni, ham, etc etc etc.  In addition, they have dessert pizzas made with fresh raspberries and chocolate dessert pizzas as well.  Stop by there sometime if you are in San Miguel.

Two delightful newcomers to San Miguel from Nashville were my guests to go visit Anado McLauchlin's
creative environment out in the country.  They both are friends of a good friend.  One was visiting and the other has moved here with her husband.  I am looking forward to getting to know them better.  We sure had
fun out at Anado's.

Anado and his partner moved to the San Miguel area about the same time I did.  They bought a plain jane house in the country and began to create a wonderland of color and creativity.  Not having visited out there
for at least five years, I was astonished that two more buildings have been added to the property.  The Chapel of Jimmy Ray, an homage to Anado's father and an art gallery for Anado's creations as well as other invited artists.

Since a picture is worth a 1000 words, what you are about to see is a lengthy conversation! The last five photos are the plain jane house that has been turned into an exuberant, joyful home that they share with multiple animals and the ever arriving tourists and friends.  You can click on the photos to see enlargements. Enjoy.

San Miguel de Allende, Mexico - "Last Minute GREAT Rental" Available -REDUCED RATE NOW!

 AS OF TODAY, NOVEMBER 11TH.                                                                                                  If you are one of those travelers that can throw things in a suitcase, book a flight and head out, this is the deal for you.  Celebrate Thanksgiving in San Miguel.  It's so so lovely with great restaurants and traditional or not, meals.

Casa Tranquila Guest House has become available effective November 15th - through November 30th.

It is a lovely two story stone house with a large roof terrace with magnificent views.

On the first floor is an open concept light filled living room, dining room and kitchen - fully furnished with all linens, cooking utensils and dishware.  In addition, large TV with Shaw satellite (120 channels).  In the living room, the sofa is a sleeper sofa, queen size.

On the second floor is the 16 ft x 20 ft bedroom with a queen bed.  In addition, there is room for sitting to read a book, look out the windows or use the wifi with your laptop, phone or whatever.  There is a French balcony off this room that is the perfect place to watch the monarch butterflies and hummingbirds that are daily zipping and feasting on the flower filled extensive gardens.

The bathroom with shower is adjacent to the bedroom.  On the third floor is the roof terrace.

The house is being offered for $750 a week, or $1400 for two weeks.This is much less expensive then a B&B which is just a room and breakfast.  For this price, you get a whole house.  Maid service is provided once a week. A security deposit of $300 is required and it is returned within 45 days of departure.

All you need to do is bring your suitcase and enjoy the exquisite beauty of your surroundings and the UNESCO World Heritage site village of San Miguel.  It's a 10 minute walk to the jardin and a 5 minute walk
to the mercado to buy fresh fruits and vegetables and artesan items.

Below are photos of the exterior of the house and gardens along with interior shots of the first and second floor rooms.

It is the WHOLE house.   And, here are the interior photos.

If you are interested, I can be reached at babsofsanmiguel@yahoo.com  or by leaving a comment on this blog.  If you leave a comment on the blog expressing interest then provide a method of contacting you.

Thanks so much.

Ofrendas (Altars) in the Jardin - San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

My feet hit the floor this morning as soon as it was daylight.  My mission, to get to the jardin and photograph the altars and mandelas, if there were any.

Last night I looked on the webcam and was astonished to see the amount of people in the jardin. I assumed that any altars must have been trampled and it would be doubtful that there would be mandelas because they typically are made out of dyed sawdust, seed and grains or colored sand.

Some loyal people must have gone in the middle of the night and done the mandelas and the huge altar in front of the Parroquia.  I photographed almost all of the altars.  It certainly is not as many as in past years.
Sadly.  It used to be that the side streets were covered in mandelas made with colored sawdust provided by the carpenters of the town.  I did not see one made out of sawdust today.  Then the altars used to surround the jardin on all four sides.  No where near that many this year.  I'm sure it is because of the crowds of tourists now.  Again, disturbing, at least to me.

My own altar never happened.  It has been way too busy to get all the necessary items, the papel picado, the new clothing, the sugared skulls and animals along with the Day of the Dead bread, food among other things.
I have a sorta altar.  It at least has photos of many of the deceased that I think of often.  From my dad and grandmother and mother-in-law to my daughter, my husband,  my dog Flash and my cat Velcro.  In addition I lost a dear friend just recently, and a photo of he and his wife in Paris is displayed. 

Seeing these photos is very cathartic and reminds one of those who are surrounding us at all times.  So, it might not have the salt cross, the bowl of water or favorite foods, but, for me, it conveys the message.

Here are some of the other altars that I photographed this morning to share with all of you.

 This first altar has great significance for me and all the "locals".  The paper man Tambula was the first person most of us talked to when heading to the jardin.  The woman in the blue to the left of the altar is his wife.  She has taken over selling the papers to us on a daily basis.  He, was not an overly friendly man, but oh, my, did he have the most exquisite baritone voice.  When he would bellow out that the papers were there, it sounded like an opera was beginning.  What a great soul.  He was so loved even the Atencion newspaper

 wrote a feature article about him prior to his death.  If you click on the photos on this post, you can see them clearer and in more detail.  I don't know who took the photo of him with the papers, but it is such a treasure. So was he.

 This altar was done by Ecologia, the city department responsible for the environment, the trees and many, many more things.  As I walked up and saw the dead tree up against the wall, I had to look to see who was
responsible for this altar.

 As I looked at this altar I realized it was in honor of the 43 students that perished in the state of Guerrero last year.  The case has not been solved and the families along with the citizens of Mexico are still keeping this horrible crime in the spotlight so that their children will never be forgotten and the perpetrators will be caught.  The 43 were young adults training to become teachers.  Such a tragedy.

 Here is an altar with part of it made with seed and grains.  It's so fascinating to see this done.

 More altars along the back wall of the jardin.  See how large the distance is between altars?  I've never seen it like this before. 

 Then, coming up to the front of the jardin facing the Parroquia, some papel picado has been strung.  It's a lovely sight to see it blowing in the breeze.  I've never been able to see this without wanting to capture it with the camera.  I have taken better photos in previous years.  Not a blue sky this morning.

 This was a large altar in front of the Parroquia which is usually built by the municipal government.  It was sweet to stand there and watch two teenagers sweeping up the seeds and replacing the flowers to their proper places. 

 This was one of the small mandelas made with seed and grains.  Alongside is one of the sun.

Last but not least, up on the band kiosk was white papel picado.  There was no sign to indicate who made this altar but it was all in white.  It was a huge white cross with the items on the altar in white as well.

It is so touching to know that groups and families plan these ofrendas.  I remember being in Tlacala one year and seeing so many poignant altars not to family members, but the town had decided to honor the people who had died trying to cross the US border.  It was very unsettling but well done.

I've traveled all over for Day of the Dead. Jalpan and the Sierra Gorda where the altars are covered with orchids.  To all the villages in the Sierra Gorda where Father Serra built the five churches.  To Puebla, Huacachula to see the satin altars that it is famous for along with other villages in that area.  I've not been in Oaxaca for Day of the Dead or Chiapas and that must be next.  My most memorable of all however has always been Patzcuaro and the villages and cemeteries surrounding the lake.

If you go to the search area on this blog, you could put in Day of the Dead or altars or Patzcuaro, I assume and see the many photos I've posted in the past of the places I've traveled for Noche de los Muertos and Dia de los Muertos.

It is a beautiful tradition steeped in much symbolism from the Aztecs and very pre-Hispanic.  Originally it was celebrated in the spring but when Catholicism came with the Spaniards, it was moved to coincide with All Saints and All Souls day.  However, the people of Mexico that I know do not associate it with Catholicism
.
In a way, its like our Thanksgiving in the USA when everyone comes home for the feast.  The only difference here is that it is the spirits of the deceased that are coming home for a feast.  And their families and friends are welcoming them.

Viva Mexico!

Day of the Dead and Halloween photos from San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

The town is hoppin'.  THAT is an understatement.  Even the taxi drivers are grumbling because it is so hard for them to get around.

I was out bright and early yesterday morning since the sun was out too.  Got a few photos of decorated stores and buildings.

On Thursday I bought armloads of cock's comb that are a deep magenta color and the marigolds which are another name in Mexico, but I know I won't spell the name correctly, so there you go, they are marigolds.

I've spread them around the house but have not completed my altar as yet so you'll have to wait for the photos of that.

It has been so hectic that I'm behind on a zillion things.

Then yesterday was Halloween.  When I first moved here it was a non-holiday.  Not celebrated down here at all.  Now the kids go into the jardin to receive candy from the gringoes who show up with bags of it to
give out.

No way to get around in a car so I jumped in a taxi and headed to the jardin to see Mati and Sebastian.

 They had already scoured the area for free candy.  Mati even met three little Mexican girls who did not have much candy.  She decided to share hers with them.  Seb was so worried that when she got home she would be sorry.  Sweet thing to see.  Note Sebastian's tall hat.  When he would go up to people to trick or treat, he would use his hat as the receptacle, then make a big show of flipping the hat onto his head with the candy still inside.  It gave a lot of people a good chuckle.

There were people everywhere.  Tourists galore watching all the activities.  Then in the middle of all of this, two wedding parties arrived.  I tried to get photos, but my camera went crazy and all I got were streaks.  They got out of their Mercedes limos and walked up to the Parroquia.  There are a lot of weddings in San Miguel - all weekend long, hour by hour.  When I looked at the webcam last night about 10PM, the crowds were shoulder to shoulder.  Just packed.  Walking around talking and visiting.  Amazing.

And, here is the last photo.  John, Matilda and Sebastian acting silly while I took a photo of them.  Fun times.

Today locals will be at the cemeteries to complete the cleaning of the gravesites.  Putting flowers on them and getting ready to return tomorrow for Day of the Dead.  Today honors the children and those who have died this year.  Tomorrow is for the others.

There is a huge catrina parade tonight from the Rosewood Hotel to the jardin for more fun and frivolity.  I've never seen it but I hear it has grown a lot in the last four or five years since it was started.

My intention is to go to the cemeteries today and tomorrow to photograph and to see all the altars set up in the jardin to honor those who have crossed over.

Whew, its a spiritual and happy time in Mexico!  Wish you were here.