I'm Outtahere!

It has been a long time since I've said or written that phrase!  Too long.  I leave at O-dark-thirty in the morning heading West with the ultimate stop, a dead end road on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

My goal:  To watch the water for whales breaching and calving; to watch for the old oyster diver who free dives without oxygen or anything else and the fishermen with their nets that they set every night and then come every morning to gather their catches.  Every now and then I'll just sit and watch the waves, the sunsets or the giant shipping container ship way out on the horizon heading either to Lazaro Cardenas or who knows where.  And, who cares?  Not me.

Christmas is over.   The stockings have been opened as have all the packages that Matilda and Sebastian
received.  There was nothing that was not oohed and aaahed over, especially the remote controlled racing car that Sebastian received and the science kit that Matilda received from Santa.

Here are a few photos of Christmas 2015 so that my family and friends who are spread all over the world can enjoy.

 The first thing spotted by Sebastian was the combat helmet.  He has worn it for days!

 This is the moment of "shock and awe" when Matilda realized that she now had her own microscope, slides, and all the items to do experiments.  Which she did all afternoon.  We finally moved her out in the courtyard so that neither she or we had anything to worry about.  Ha........

     Scout is helping Sebastian in some way or the other to play with something. 

 Matilda has on her science experiment glasses to protect her eyes while she plays her new keyboard and holds the microphone that is going to launch her singing career on America's Got Talent!

                         The ring in her science kit was a hit as was her Micky Mouse watch.......still wearing the science experiment glasses.

 I don't know what experiment this was - possibly number 204 or something.

Sebastian was determined to get his racing car to go up the cardboard, Evel Kneivel style.  He finally succeeded with glee.

That's all folks!  It was quite a day.

And, so now, I shall quietly steal away to watch the beautiful blue waters of the Pacific Ocean and feel those soft breezes caressing me as I sip a pina colada, every now and then.

Hope ya'll had a good Christmas too.

Seeing Christmas from a Northern Exposure

I have been in the guest house living for the past month, facing North.  Always, in the past, when I wasn't in my house, which is now visible from the guest house, I have been out of town.  For me, when I'm out of town, these houses are out of my mind.

It has not worked out that way this time.  It has been really weird.  The folks staying there are lovely.
They have been blog readers for quite a while so it has been like meeting old friends.  It has nothing to
do with that, but, I have come to the realization that I am a "nester"!  Whoa, finally, at this age, I learned
something new about myself. 

There is nothing I need to be doing in my house, but rather I worry that the house guests are comfortable and happy.  If I'm not here, it is out of sight, out of mind.  Now I'm getting ready to leave the guest house and a new tenant is moving in without me here to do a walk through to explain all the idiosyncrasies of  the house and life in San Miguel, if she is interested.

It is Christmas morning.  No decorations here.  Another weird thing.  I'll be going to son John's where the decorations are, but not as I normally do them.  Aha, another new thing.  I realize I am not ready to give up
those boxes of memories as yet.  I still enjoy decorating the house with fresh flowers, the things the kids made over the last fifty years and the new generation has made in more recent times.

I've looked back at some of those photos this morning and here are a few things I still enjoy seeing.

I also miss seeing my pal and former companion, Velcro.  It just doesn't seem right that she is not here to make me do things that I don't want to do - like get up and down a zillion times a day to open and close the door!  I never realized how much a quiet, non-meowing cat, made a house a home.  I will change that when I return from the beach the first of March.

It has been good to be uprooted and have time to come to many realizations.  To see life and living from a different perspective.  It tells me that I'm still not too old to change and grow!

On that note, from the Ghost of Velcro and me, Babs, I wish all of you Feliz Navidad................

Two Sides of the Coin

On Monday, while at our coffee group's weekly gathering, I was able to get a few interesting photos now that my camera has a new battery!

It wasn't til I downloaded the photos that I saw the absolute contrast between the two things that I photographed.

 I saw this beautiful woman going from table to table asking for help.  Her face and manner said it all.

 In her rebozo were flattened out cardboard boxes which I assume either she or someone else either use for firewood or to make cartoneria figures.

When I meet someone like this, I would like to sit down and ask all kinds of questions.  Such as where were you born, do you have a family, where do you live, how can I help you?  But, instead, since my language capabilities are limited and I want to respect her privacy, I just give her money and hope it helps.

This photo of her, to me, is a sobering photo anytime, but especially at this time of year.

Then, something hilariously funny, to me, happened.  I looked up and saw this.  The caption should be,
How Do You Move Furniture From One Restaurant To Another in San Miguel de Allende?   Yup, that is what this is.

Milagros Restaurant, located on Reloj is opening a new restaurant in the Old San Francisco Hotel restaurant that fronts the jardin across from Starbucks.  It WILL be a roaring success.  I've never had a bad meal there in all the years that I have dined there. As far as I know they will now have two locations.

But, I digress.  At first I saw one person carrying the fuscia colored equipale chairs to the new location.  And, eventually they had a dolly to carry several at one time.  This went on for quite a while.  I think it emphasizes that we are still a small village that figures out how to get things done without all the 21st century amenities.  I treasure that.

My Monday morning was sobering, but then hilariously funny.  I treasure that as well.

The Week That Was

It started out with my camera dying.  More accurately, I discovered on page 92 of the instruction manual, actually it was the battery that died.

Aha, BUT when I bought the camera I also purchased another battery.  My hope was that it would work when charged as it had been in a drawer for seven years and never charged.  Voila, it charged and has been
working ever since!  I'm a Happy Camper........saved by a battery.

The first photo I took was this one off the balcony of the sunset.  The colors are not photo shopped.  That is truly the color the sky was becoming.  Lovely, isn't it?

It has been a week full of preparations, not only for Christmas, but for my son John's birthday today!
Somehow it always sneaks up on me, just like his birth did.  He wasn't due til the first of February, but decided to be a bundle of joy and a great Christmas present, six days early, lo those many years ago.

Last evening, he and the children arrived for a Birthday Dinner cooked by none other then me.  All of his favorite foods.  Including his favorite cheesecake which is simple to make and one of the few desserts that I don't care for, so I'm not tempted to eat it.

The kids and I had candle holders and candles to put in the top of the dessert.  After one sank to the bottom as we tried to put the candle in after the holder was in there, we realized that we had to put the candle in the holder and then gently place it on top of the cheesecake.  Hence, in the photo, you'll see a slight crater where our experiment went awry.

 The number of candles means nothing.  It's just how many holders came in the package and they wanted to put as many on the cake as they could.

Oh, and if you notice, for some reason, all the candles are on one side of the dessert.  But, I'm so over trying to be precise and perfect, that I now see the humor and sweetness in their adorable attempts.

We had no sooner finished dinner and I was clearing the table that Matilda went zooming up the stairs to the bedroom with Sebastian in hot pursuit.  I could not imagine what they were up to until Sebastian came to the bottom stair and announced "First Call." What?  John said they were getting ready for a play and to go sit down.

And, with that, it began........A Santa Story.

 Matilda had taken Sebastian's jacket and turned it into Santa's coat.  She had stuffed a pillow inside and came down the stairs saying with a very deep voice "Ho Ho Ho!"  She had found my "" Believe in Santa Claus" hat too.

 Sebastian had found my reindeer ears that I plan to wear today to a party and he was Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer minus the nose.

 Matilda had found an empty trash bag and some magazines upstairs.  These were the presents that they were going to pass out or leave.  She is again saying loudly, "Ho Ho Ho".

 And, here they are smiling as big as possible.  I was trying not to burst out laughing.

 Sebastian got out the foam rubber ball that we use with the tennis rackets in the house and proclaimed that now he had a nose - yes, a yellow one, but better then no nose.

Finally, after all the shenanigans were over and they were ready to settle down under the blanket and watch TV for a bit, this photo says it all.  Doesn't it?   Two worn out kids who had been going at ninety miles an hour all day were finally worn out!

Whew, I would have hated to have missed getting these photos.  It IS all about the things of life on a daily basis.  Life is never dull around here.

Putting Up the Christmas Tree - 2015

Usually with a title like that, it would be accompanied with many photos of kids putting ornaments on the tree along with lights and the ultimate - the star.

Not this year.  All those things were done, not lights, but, my camera died just as all the hoopla was starting.
To say I was exasperated would be an understatement.

My son John took some photos with his phone and his digital camera, but I don't have any to share with you.
That darn camera is like a third eye for me.  I'm lost without it.   Well, actually, since I'm blind in one eye, it is my second eye - ha.

I digress.  Decorating the tree was a hoot.  The three tubs of decorations were picked up by John yesterday from my house and were open and ready to give to the kids to put on the tree.  No lights as I mentioned, thankfully, but a big tree.  Matilda and Sebastian put everything on the tree, in their own "style", and it is hilarious.

Picture this.  Streamers thrown at the tree.  Non breakable ornaments tucked on the branches.  Then Sebastian took a painted plywood Christmas stocking and tucked it between two branches.  Same thing with a felt covered deer and on and on.  It certainly does not look like the perfect tree we did when I was a child where all the tinsel even had to be hung, one piece at a time along with us spending hours stringing pop corn and hanging that, just so.

It truly looks like a Charlie Brown tree.  Precious.  I hope, somehow, I get a photo of this tree for posterity.
As we came to ornaments, again, all non-breakable, that the kids, their father and aunts had made in kindergarten or later, we would talk about who had made them and how old they were etc.  I think the stories and the history is what makes it all so special.

Weird feelings filled me as I handed over these things.  They truly are the "treasures" of my past.  Many ornaments are at least seventy years old, German glass ornaments that were not put on the tree this year.
I know that every year that I would open these treasure boxes, memories would flood me.  Things like the first decorations that my husband and I bought in 1961.  Or the glass ornaments decorated with glitter with the names of my brothers and sister made by me in kindergarten.  Stuff like that.  I want to share those stories with the grand kids, which I do, in hopes that they will some day carry on the traditions and later with their own children.

Those Christmas ornament boxes and photo albums are the legacy that I have to pass on to my grown children and grandchildren.  Back in the days when we lived in the path of hurricanes, the photo albums were the first thing in the car when we evacuated.  They are that special to me and my family. I'm sure many of you have the same feelings and traditions.

So, the torch has passed.  Well sort of.  With a little common sense and the urging of my son, I brought all the breakable Nativity sets back to where I'm staying to display for a few more years until little hands are more steady and breakable things are more secure.

Even so, I can't share photographs with you.  Rest assured, I'll be out on the hunt for some kind of digital camera before Friday.  Too many things happening this weekend to not be able to save and share.

And, as they say, "It's always something"..........

NEVER leave home without a camera...............

I have never lived somewhere where every direction that you look is something to photograph.  Not only that, but then something cool happens, like a man carrying his son, asleep across his shoulders or you turn the corner and the men from the mountains have come down into town with burros laden with volcanic soil to use in the garden or..........it is endless.

I've learned to NEVER leave home without the camera.

The past two days are prime examples.  The latter photos still make me smile and giggle.

Thursday I met some old time friends that I met on the trip to Guatemala about nine years ago.  They are definitely travelers, both by RV and by other means of travel almost every summer.  We had not gotten together in quite a while and we were all three looking forward to hearing about each others adventures.

The choice for breakfast........Posada Corazon on Aldama 9.  I have walked through the unobtrusive door, right smack dab in the middle of centro, and always been amazed what exists on the other side.  A lovely boutique hotel on exquisite grounds along with a delicious place to have breakfast.  The property is extensive and still has many orange trees blooming with fruit, among other plants.

I feel like I'm in a cocoon when I'm there because of the serene and tranquil feeling.  The wait staff are not overly attentive, but willing to serve something in any weird way you might want it served.  More on that in a minute.

 I had not intended to take any photographs, but the light was so lovely coming in the window and shining on the sitting area and the fireplace, that I grabbed the camera and spun around taking a few photos.

 This little corner has toys for children to play with - a brilliant idea for visiting children who get fidgety at the meal time table.  In the USA, they give kids a paper to color and that sure helps.  That is a trend that only started about twenty five years ago in the USA in earnest.

 Not only is the room cozy but the views from each table look out onto a patio and beyond that all the flora
of San Miguel all the way to the next street.

When my friends arrived, I order the Pozada Corazon special, French toast.  My friends order hot cakes, but one of them wanted an over easy egg between the pancakes.  With some Spanish and gestures, he thought he had gotten his request across.  We all waited to see what we would get.  Well, his egg came on top of fluffy hot cakes and so he just flipped the pancake over, which had the egg as a pancake sandwich sort of.  Then mine came and was French toast with a fried egg on top, which I would never have imagined.
I did not particularly want the egg, so my friend had two fried eggs with his hot cakes.  We chuckled about the whole thing.

It's so darn great to be with friends where there is no pretense and you just say it like it is and have great conversations about a myriad of subjects.  I left there with a big smile on my face, as they did as well.

Then yesterday, I went off with another friend to see an outlet with lots of fabrics and who knew what else, but things very, very inexpensive in most instances.  I really wasn't looking for anything in particular so when I found a meter of oil cloth for 10 pesos (60 cents), a birthday crown for Matilda with rhinestones for the same price and a little purse for 20 pesos, I was done.

My friend was buying fabric.  She is an avid quilter.  And makes all kinds of beautiful things.  I knew we would be there a while so I went out to sit on the front steps of the building while she shopped.

At first I did not notice the old Mexican junk heap parked across the street.  Then I snapped to and saw three mariachi men in full dress already in this, whatever it is vehicle.  I grabbed the camera out of my purse and got the first photo.

 Just about that time two more mariachis came walking up from different directions and another guy pulled up in an old red Mustang, circa 1960's or 70's.  He was in mariachi regalia as well.

 The time was about 11:30AM, so obviously they had a gig somewhere that they couldn't take a bus or walk to, which is unusual.

The last mariachi put his gear in the back and got in the Mustang with the other man and off went the two cars.  This of course, makes me question where were they going, what was the name of the group,  and did they make it to where they were going?

I swear I never tire of these delightful surprises that I experience often here in San Miguel.

Oh, and then last night,  about 8 PM, I heard singing, like hymn singing along with drums and fireworks.
It was the beginning of the observance of Our Lady of Guadalupe.  Yes, eventually the singing and drumming stopped but at midnight and again at 6AM, the fireworks began in earnest.  To say that it was an enthusiastic display of noise would be an understatement.  Truthfully, I just turn over and go back to sleep.

Going "backwards" in a "forward" line.

The morning started out dreary, cloudy and cold.  I had made up my mind that today was the day to go to Celaya.  What that means is Walmart, Home Depot and Costco.

I had been diligently making a list for several days.  It covered items needed for the guest house that I have discovered need to be replaced or fixed.  It included some groceries.  It included items to see if I could find
for the grandchildren for Christmas and then, as always items this time of the year for son's birthday.

This list covered THREE pink post-it notes.  Now that is a serious list.  Added to that, I had a recipe for
yellow squash casserole so I could pick up the rest of those ingredients to finish up the recipe.  And, a little
side note to remind myself to not only get gas before heading out, but also to get minutes in my cell phone.

In other words, a busy morning of "to do's".  The first two came off without a hitch.

As I walked into Walmart and reached in my bag for my list.........no list.  OMGosh, no list.  I came to a stand still which made the "Walmart greeter" look at me strangely, so I pulled myself together, sorta, and headed down an aisle, any aisle just to walk calmly trying to remember the stuff on the list.

I walked most of the store and of course, saw a few things not on the list, like duct tape and did not find the #1 thing on the list A-23 batteries for the wireless doorbell.  Aaargh.

After finishing up, I stopped at the counter where they stamp your parking ticket so you can get a discount for shopping at Walmart.  I promptly unloaded everything into the car and headed to the gate where you put your card in the machine and as I did so, I realized as the gate did not go up, that I had not paid the 3 pesos at the big payment booth outside the mall.

OMGosh, there were three people behind me in line in their cars.  What to do?  I could smash through the wooden gate, a thought which did actually cross my mind........or I could hand motion to the person behind me to back up which caused him and the others to eventually understand that we ALL had to back up so I could go pay 3 pesos, about 18 cents!  As always, everyone was polite...........thankfully.

I did go pay the 3 pesos and headed off to Home Depot where I had purchased the door bells to see if they possibly had the A-23 batteries.  Nope, nada.   The joys of shopping in Mexico!

I'm already worn out looking for things that were on my now non-existent list and head for Costco.

The store was packed.  It was like a weekend day!  But, I stuck to my non-existent list and was out of there in record time.  Could not find the ever elusive basic crock pot that I've looked for for at least a year nor several other things.  I will resort to the internet.

As I arrived back here at the guest house, there on the dining room table was my list!  At least I could take time to look at it and see how much I did not remember to get.  Believe it or not, I only forgot chicken broth.

I'm totally amazed.

I felt a siesta coming on...........too much excitement for one day!  Ha.........

Garbage in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

One never knows what to expect when the garbage truck is heading down the street.  I always try to hurry up so I can see if they have on some wacky costumes such as sombreros, or as in this case, some kind of mask with horns hanging on the back of the truck.

Once I saw them with huge, and I do mean huge, white wings hanging over the back of the truck.  As you can see one guy sorts, one guy catches the bags that others on the street throw up to them and the guy on the right bangs on the truck so the driver will move on down the street.

To know that the garbage truck is coming, there is a kid, who must be stone deaf with two metal pieces that he bangs together, about a block in front of the truck, He bangs them so loud that you see people come flying out of their houses with cans and bags in tow.  It is a deafening sound.

When the garbage truck in my neighborhood comes on Tuesdays, I can hear the kid banging on the metal bars two blocks away.  Hence, I say, he must be stone deaf.

The whole thing is a crescendo of activity of humans who enjoy life and don't appear to mind having a job that for most would be a job that they would not want.  These guys don't seem to mind.  They wave, they smile and they definitely can throw those cans up into the back of the truck in true athletic fashion.

I have more photos, but gave up finding them last night.  It's just one of those minor adventures that always makes me grab for my camera to document another bit of life on the streets of San Miguel.

Peace from San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

I can always tell when something bad has happened in the USA based on the hits on the blog as it relates to
living in Mexico.  This week has been no exception.  Actually even more hits on certain blog posts from 2011 and 2013!

Almost every day there are readers on the blog post written on October 13, 2013, "Driving to Mexico".
This week it has also included ones I wrote on Medical care in Mexico and Cost of Living.

The horrible events in the last month in Paris, Colorado Springs and now San Bernadino California have taken their toll on the psyche of many people in the USA.

I can totally understand.

As a gesture of caring, I send you this photo of peace from the jardin of San Miguel.  Hopefully this image
will bring some solace to your soul.

On another note, I have not written in about a week.  I've traveled, vertically, about 1000 miles - up and down stairs from one house to the other.  I'm settled in the guest house and have been doing a few things to spiff it up for the next person.  It was amazing how much stuff I needed to move over here to live for a month since there are holidays, kids, and other stuff to do before I leave!

I had no idea, no one ever said anything, that weather stripping was needed on lots of windows and doors here in the guest house.  In addition, I've rehung some art, moved furniture around  and put light bulbs in, all over the place!  No one but me will ever notice these things, but I know.  In addition, I've tried twice to get a small can of a special color of paint and the two times I've gone to Comex they said no they couldn't do it, so I need to find somewhere that will make a quart of a special color for me.  Ahh, the joys of Mexico.

Next weekend, I'll be in the throes of hopefully baking with Matilda and Sebastian and decorating John's house for the holidays.  Nada for me this year, thankfully.  Ha, I sound like the Grinch Who Stole Christmas!
But, I'm leaving right after Christmas and have no need for decorations at my house.  This is all about Matilda and Sebastian......

That's it from South of the Border where our 80+ daily high has disappeared to be replaced by high 60's yesterday.  It is definitely the impetus to get me out of town and headed for the beach as soon as I possibly
can go!

PEACE my friends.

A "Unique" and Memorable Thanksgiving - 2015

This year Thanksgiving was different then most years.  Usually it's mostly all family, in Texas, and at some point I was cooking Thanksgiving, even if we were having it at someone else's house.

I enjoy Thanksgiving so much.  It's a fun day of sharing with no expectations other then that the food will be yummy.  That one will have good conversations and a memory or two will be tucked away for future remembrances.

On Thursday I ventured to a home in San Miguel that I did not even know existed on that street.  I had no expectations because, truly, one never knows what is behind the iron gates that are right up against the sidewalk in centro.  I've walked past that gate for fifteen years and never gave it a thought.

I was bowled over when I walked insede, by the extensive gardens, pathways and ultimately to the home where the party was happening.

How did I end up there?  Well, my son John and Matilda and Sebastian were there.  John had prepared quite a bit of the meal.  Delicious, to put it mildly.  Others brought dishes as well.  All was yummy.

We ate upstairs on the roof terrace.  Now I have seen quite a few roof terraces.  Nothing like this.  It was huge, well designed and wait til you see the photos of what was the backdrop!  I just kept exclaiming about how surprising and beautiful the setting was for a Thanksgiving dinner.

 This is a window on the backside of the Oratorio Church!  The art work on the window facing is traditional from the 17th and 18th century.  I would love to know when it was painted!

 John is in the blue shirt getting all the food ready on the serving counter while a new friend visiting from Charleston, S.C. was guiding Scout, the dog, to where we were going to be sitting. He and his wife were
on their first visit to San Miguel and exclaiming about everything.  I think they'll be back.

 There was even a kid's table for Sebastian and Matilda and their new friends........

From every direction, the views were lovely.

 The backdrop for this event were the churches that are along Plaza Civica.  Who knew it extended
this far back? 

 The weather was great!  The new friends were fascinating to meet and converse with during the meal
and afterwards, of course.  The people were from Aspen, formerly Oakland and Houston, and       Charleston, S.C.

And, here was the delicious meal that was enjoyed by all.  How divine!

Greetings on Thanksgiving Day 2015

Prior to today, I dug through stacks of photos looking for one particular shot of a turkey standing on a hill outside the window of my room in Patzcuaro one year.

He was a GRAND turkey with a "Gobble, gobble, gobble" sound that made me chuckle just at the sound.

Well, I chuckled for about an hour.  He never stopped.  Especially when he was going at 4AM one night!
Who knew that turkeys gobbled that much.  Certainly not me because I had never been that close to a turkey for that long of a period of time in my life.

The next time I stayed at that hotel I was traveling with my friends Ron and Fred.  I made sure to get a room NOT in the back where the turkey had been just in case it was still alive.  However, by some strange coincidence, Ron and Fred got that room. 

They asked me to come look out their window and what to my wondering eyes did appear?  About ten turkeys!  It did not take long for them to change rooms.  We all chuckled.

Turkey is the national dish in Guatemala.  They prepare it all kinds of ways.  I loved every morsel as turkey is one of the foods that I cook often and eat often.  It is prepared quite a bit in Mexico as well, but not nearly like it is in Guatemala.

I'm able to write this blog today because I'm NOT cooking the Thanksgiving meal.  It seems so strange!

For so many years it was a marathon of baking, cooking, prepping and attempting to get it all out and ready to serve at the same time.  Somehow it always worked.  It was easy to do twenty years ago - even for 20 people or more.  But now, today, without an oven, I can plead that it is not possible any more for me to do the whole thing.

Luckily all I've had to do is bake a pecan pie and a corn souffle' to take to Thanksgiving dinner later this afternoon.  In the past, I would still be in my flannel jammies, Granny slippers and a heavy robe because it all used to start at about 6AM so it would be ready by 2PM.  I feel like a "lady of leisure" today.........kinda nice.

However, in the midst of this, I'm moving tomorrow!   Only across the garden path, don't panic!  It's amazing how much there is to move so I can stay here til December 26th in the guest house, then change to summer clothes and head directly for the beach for two months.  Being gone for three months is daunting even though I wanted to do this.  Obviously I did not think out all the ramifications.

Blog readers Shelagh and husband Peter arrive Tuesday night to stay in my house.  I can assure you and them that the house is spotless.  It's interesting what happens when company is coming!

Then after I leave for the beach, the new tenant, Darcy, arrives to live in the guest house for 2016.  It too has gotten a bit of spiffing done along with getting pricing requested by Darcy to install upper and lower cabinets in the kitchen along with a small island.  In addition, she is having a large closet built in the bedroom upstairs.
Hopefully I can get that accomplished before her arrival.

I will be SO SO ready to get to the beach where no one can reach me.  Ha!  Yup,  I'll only go into town about once a week to check emails as where I'm staying there is no internet, phone or TV.  It is definitely a break from the world!  Woo hoo.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!  I would say how grateful I am for everything today, but I'm grateful EVERY day for my life, my family and all of my friends. 

NEVER Plan Ten Things in One Day...........in Mexico!

I knew better!  I knew better!  I knew better!  I made the list anyway.  Some little things like, stop at the Blue Door Bakery.  Buy the two newspapers.  Photograph the children on Revolution Day.  And, the list went on to include grabbing a quick bite of lunch, getting to the lecture series that started today, going grocery shopping.  Well, you get the drift.

I literally leapt out of bed this morning and was ready to leave the house at 9:30!  Typically I saunter down about 11AM and that allows plenty of time for all that I do on Friday.  But, no, not today.  Today was the day of the parade of the little Zapatas and all those from the Revolution.  Little being the operative word.  This desfile (parade) is made up of kindergarteners dressed as the super heroes of Mexico.  The other is the Primavera parade in the spring which is butterflies, bumble bees, lady bugs and other assorted characters.

I had not had a chance to photograph the children in a few years.  I was NOT going to miss them today.

Hence, my arrival at the parking garage on Mesones at 9:45!  The manager asked me, I thought, if I knew
there was a parade today.  "Si, si," I answered.  Off I went not giving that comment another thought.  I later realized he was telling me of the parade in case I was going to need to get the car in a couple of hours.


I found my place in the jardin after getting the newspapers, but not stopping at the bakery.  I wanted to be sure to get a good viewing position for photographing. 

It seemed a little odd that I was the only person on the bench, but I expected more people soon.  Eventually a few showed up, but by now it was 11AM.  And then I was told the usual little parade was coming from four different directions.  Uh oh, how could that be?  There aren't that many little kindergartners........... 

Noon arrives.  We can hear drums, but so far no marchers or little kids.  Rats, I had to leave as I needed to get the car and get to where I was to start a lecture series.  Not possible.  One of the four points of the direction of the parade was the street where my car was parked.

Off I went, winding my way through the cobblestone streets heading in the direction that I needed to go.  Hmmm, the weather had certainly warmed up since 9:30AM and I was walking as close to the building as possible to stay out of the sun which was now beaming down at around 80F or more.  

Aha, I saw a taxi!  I waved him down. Told him where I needed to go as time was flying past and the fun began.  Almost all the streets were closed.  But, he was so solicitous and determined to get me as close as possible to my destination that I began to chuckle.  To this kid who was about 20, I probably looked like an ancient crone!  He even drove backward down a street because he told me the police would not realize that he was driving onto the street but would think he was leaving the street.  I was laughing out loud by this point and he would look at me from time to time and grin.

He got me to within a few doors of the restaurant and I jumped out, thanked him profusely and paid him.  Grabbed a bite to eat, QUICKLY.  As I came back out on the street, I could see a parade for as far as my eyes could see.  Nary a small child marching anywhere.  Instead, cheerleaders, people doing a CPR demonstration, the two ambulances of San Miguel and who knows what else.  Where was Zapata?  Not to be seen.  At least not on this street.

Dashing into the Instituto for the first of three talks on the Mayans by a very knowledgeable archaeologist, many people were talking about their adventure in trying to get to the lecture on time with all the streets closed.   There was a sense of determination and exhilaration that somehow we had outfoxed the powers to be.

I pulled out my list after the three hours at the Instituto, looked at it, crumpled it up and said, "Manana". 
I then remembered that everyone always says, "Never, ever try to do more then THREE things in San Miguel in a day".  No truer words were ever spoken.

By the way, here are a few photos from Revolution Day 2009!