Time flies............in Mexico.........when you're living it!

Where the heck does the time go?  I received a couple of emails the other day inquiring as to whether I'm
okay or not as I have not posted in a couple of weeks.........Really?  That long?  Amazing.

All that has been going on is LIFE.  I have had a list of "To do's" and believe it or not, I'm getting caught up
on all those little piddly things that you hate to stop and do.  But, I have persevered.  I tell you about one
episode farther on down this post.  It's funny now, but not so much at the time.

Have had visitors in town.  One couple stayed in the guest house in 2004 and came back to visit.  In the intervening years they moved from Atlanta, Georgia to Santa Fe, New Mexico.  Quite a difference.  Lovely
people and it was really delightful to see them again.

Another couple from Texas who came down is an interesting story.  I met the woman in a Chico's in Kingwood, Texas where my daughter lives.  As our conversation continued in the store, somehow San Miguel came up.  That was about three years ago.  Now the couple has sold their home and is here looking
for a place to live to see if this is where they want to settle!  Amazing, isn't it?  Also another fascinating couple who have lived all over the world.

In the meantime, since I last wrote, school is on vacation.  Graduation for the sixth graders was last Friday.
Graduation from kinder or primary and secondary is a BIG deal in Mexico, just like the USA.  Believe it
or not, education is important not only to the kids, but to the parents as well.   I watch them daily coming up
the hill or at recess or after school.  A beautiful sight to see.

Photographs of each of the graduates were hanging on the gate of the primary school.  Parents came for the ceremony.  What a joyful day.

Back to my household projects..........and a mini fiasco.

I decided it was time to put up house numbers for the guest house and my house besides the large plaque on the outside wall that says Casa Tranquila.  Last Sunday morning was the day.  Out I went with the two tile
plaques and the gorilla glue. 

I spread the gorilla glue, liberally, on the back of the top one and with my fingers held it as hard against the wall as I could until it would adhere to it.  About two minutes, minimum.  As I was doing this I realized I might have used a bit too much glue as it was coming over the top of the tile and oozing down the wall from
the bottom.  However, I did not want to move my fingers.  It was imperative, I thought to keep on pressing
the tile against the wall...........even if glue was on my fingers.......

It stuck all right, the first tile.  Then since I already had glue on my fingers anyway and as yet they were not stuck together, I went ahead and did the bottom tile.  Again, the two minute press.  By now, my four fingers on the right and the four fingers on the left were stuck to each other!  It was a shocking sight.   BUT the tiles
were still on the wall.  Whew.

A three hour episode ensued of HOT soapy water, and peeling glue off the skin.  More hot soapy water, acetone, which is a nail polish remover and finally an emery board.  All of the dried glue was not off of my hands and wrists by bedtime, but at least my fingers were no longer stuck together.  The following morning with one more soapy soak, I was glue free.

There is still one more tile to adhere to the wall.  Each time I look at it, I wonder if I want to go through that again.  Someone suggested I wear rubber gloves.  Now wouldn't that have looked cute on the outside wall?
Two house numbers and two rubber gloves dangling and stuck to the house numbers?  No, I think the suffering was best.

I have checked daily - the house numbers are STILL on the wall!  I'm so thrilled, ha.

Yesterday I was off to go by the mechanic's shop to see if he was there and to schedule repair time for the 1997 Nissan Pathfinder which is my mode of transportation.  It is up to THREE major things that need to
be repaired.  The "rocking" that happens at 50 mph which has been happening for about a year.  Now, also
the tailpipe and muffler are hanging lower and need to be reattached to whatever it is usually attached to.  Those high topes (speed bumps) play havoc on the underside of cars here.  Luckily my Pathfinder is higher then most cars.  So that needs to be fixed.  Then, last but not least, a cover for my front headlight needs to be purchased and attached.  If you read the blog regularly, you know that last February the light fell out and was secured with electrical tape for the journey back from the beach.  Then duct tape in silver replaced the black electrical tape.  Can you tell I've become a procrastinator in the last few years?

But, here is my philosophy.  Why take a car to be repaired when there is only one thing that needs fixing.  Why not wait til there is enough stuff to make it worthwhile?  Luis, the mechanic, just shakes his head at me
and as he turns away, I do see a little smile.  I'm sure he is thinking "loco gringa".  He's too nice though to ever say that and is always happy to see me.  I asked him the cost of labor to fix all this and he said "Not much" which usually means about 400 to 700 pesos at most.  In US dollars that is about $20 to $35 USD!
Luis has kept this car running so well for all these years.  In fact, after I get all this fixed, I might take off for
the border in the fall.  Haven't made that road trip in a few years........We'll see.

Here is a mural painted on a shop's door across from the mechanic's work space.  In person it is amazing.  About twenty feet high.  Quite extraordinary.  My camera does not do it justice.

Speaking of extraordinary,  I was gifted with this sight this morning as I came upstairs to get my coffee.
I immediately headed back downstairs to get the camera to take a photo to share with you.  FIVE night
blooming cereus blooming all at once!  Never have had that many blooms on one plant all open at the same time.  The fragrance was exquisite as well as the sight.

Life is good.........here in Mexico!