22 Days

3 weeks, 2/3 of a month, it's something you'd hear at an AA meeting, "I have 22 days today." For me it represents the number of continuous days of sleep deprivation that I've been enduring.

October, in Ajijic, is the celebration of the Virgin of the Rosary. She represents one of the (many) manifestations of the Virgin Mary. EVERY morning at 5:00am the village is startled awake to the resplendent sounds of bottle rocks exploding into the dark, QUIET, dawn. Everyone is invited (including apparently the dead) to come say the rosary at the Church.

I am aware of this event coming at the same time every year, but you just don't realize how bad it's going to be until you experience it yet again in the wee hours of October 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and so on, and so on, and so on.....

I am pretty sure I'm loosing my mind right about now.

AND what did I through into this mix this month, nothing less than having my hyper-active, ADD, sometimes demonically possessed dog, Magda spayed yesterday. She's not allowed to jump or climb stairs. Did I mention we live in a 2 story house. She wants to be held, she wants to be by my side, she wants me. Rey who, while I am writing this, is looking up at me from the floor with that "Mommy I love you and want to sit with you" look and touching my leg softly with his cold nose. Wow, some would think, "oh that's so sweet", but no, not me! I want to run far, far away and be all alone with no one or nothing wanting or expecting anything of me. Oh yeah, then there's the guilt you feel for not wanting to be there for them!

Oh and lest I forget, I also scheduled today to have the two tinacos (water tanks) on the roof cleaned and repaired. Antonio and his son are here and have to go up and down the stairs that Magda's not allowed to climb or descend. The bottom on the stair case is now barricaded with chairs, plaster urns, etc. to prevent her from climbing and thus prevents them from descending.

There is a reason God decided that I should not be a mother. I'm a great Aunt, friend, wife, sister, daughter, but not a mother. That job is not for the weak or faint of heart. My step-daughter Lauren just became a mother and my respect for her has increased exponentially. She is truly called to the position! KUDOS Lauren.

Being needed and being sleep deprived are not two things that compliment each other, for me. I don't have an ounce of anything to offer today. I'm spent. And there are 9 more days of this...

P.S. Even though the weather at this time of the year is some of the best, don't plan to visit us unless you're an early bird!

I did it!

OMG --- I finally figured out how to move pictures around in my blogs! HAPPY DANCE!

And I figured out how to retrieve posts from the drafts place and edit them and post them, without having to cut and past to another posting! Two new things in one day! WOOHOO!

Now I can get back to working on the sock yarn blanket. Andale pues!

Not your grandma's granny square

Sock Yarn Blanket Project

The first tier

I'm so excited I'm about to burst. Got lots to say...thinking of cute quips and lead ins about this project I started on Sunday to use up bits of leftover sock yarn. I found this pattern on Ravelry, and I'm sorry I don't remember where, but I put it in my queue 'cause it was so different.

It's called "Sock Yarn Blanket." A young mother, Shelly Kang, has posted all the details on her blog, The Heathen Housewife. She wrote this about 2 years ago in the wee hours of the morning in between breast feedings, cooking for her growing family, and knitting (she's an incredible knitter -- I wish I had her talent!)

When I was younger, I used to make granny square blankets with my leftover yarn from crocheting. Remember the movie, Like Water for Chocolate, the young woman in that movie kept crocheting a long, long thingie while she was grieving. The end of the movie is her walking down a long road with this thing following behind her for miles. At that time in my life, I too was crocheting to deal with some recent grief in my life. Now that I'm a knitter and have learned to make mitered squares, which in my opinion are much cooler looking than granny squares, I decided to make a mitered square blanket.

I have collected an amazing stash of sock yarn, much to the chagrin of my sweet husband. Now I have something to do with this stash. Have to admit though, I'm feeling guilty not making socks with some these Opal, Koigu, Cherry Tree Hill, Lorna's Laces yarns 'cause they are so beautiful.

I am a collector. Ask Roy...... I have in the past collected bears, angels, rocks, crystals, coffee mugs, watermelon stuff, shoes, silver jewelry, and most recently yarns. I have a lot of stuff! I have a lot of yarn! I love yarn! I have yarn that I don't even know what to make with it, but it's sooo beautiful and that's why I wanted it. I have been blessed to have the means to have lots of stuff and especially yarn.

So now I'm making something with these socks yarns that I've collected. Hope this puts a smile on my DH's face.

A few of my favorite things!

Magda

Magda's working on her tan today

Our not so Beverly Hill's chihuahua -- isn't she a cutie!

The view from my chair! The house across the street is Bruno Mariscol's. He's a painter and musician here in Ajijic. He also designed the "logo" with the word Ajijic that looks like a fish. His store in on Colon and he sells tequila, t-shirts, stickers for your car, y mas! I have a little sticker of a dog that is the word Ajijic. Oh yeah, here's another look at the beautifully trimmed avocado tree!

Just another beautiful day in Ajijic.

Trimming our Avocado

We have a 15-20+ foot avocado tree in our yard. Normally the gardener would trim it, but our full-time guy quit this summer and we have someone who comes once a week for 2 hours to mow the yard and water. The rest is up to me right now.

Last year when Ramon trimmed out the tree I was horrified at how it looked. Gardeners here don't learn from training or from professionals, but rather from watching their friends and/or family. When a tree is trimmed it ends of looking like a donut -- with the hole in the middle and round edges. I think it's ugly and ruins the shape of the tree.

Having studied under Paul James, The Garden Guy, from Tulsa OK, via HGTV, I thought I'd trim our tree this year myself.

I borrowed a limb lopper from some friends and got jiggy with it Wednesday afternoon and Thursday. Physical work is exhausting, but very gratifying. We ended up with 7 large black garbage bags of chopped up limbs -- and even if I say so myself -- I think it looks fantastic. I still have a little bit more tweaking to do, but so far I'm very proud of myself.

I did however break a window upstairs while pulling on the lopper and long pole broke the glass! But I managed to not fall off the ladder, poke myself in the eye, or drop anything on the dogs. Overall, I'd say well done!