Mi Vida en Mexico

A few words on Pinterest

2012-01-23T18:48:00.005-06:00

A few months ago I began noticing friends on Facebook were talking about this thing called Pinterest. My obvious first question was, "What is this and how do you pronouce it." Didn't know if it was a new foreign word I hadn't seen before or a new cyber word like Google, Groupon, etc. The comments being posted by my friends were exuberant, verging on obsessive and made me curious. I have really well educated, intelligent friends and family so I thought, "what the heck, I'll check it out."

So, just before Christmas I decided to Google Pinterest (how 21st century is that) and find out for myself what all the fuss was about. Huh, I don't understand. What are you supposed to do with it? How does it work? What's it for? etc, etc. etc. Then my Nephew, Mike, asked his wifeMarisa, who uses Pinterest what it was...she explained that it was a website for crafty people. (All this was done via Facebook -- another obsession I have developed). Well, I'm crafty. I love to knit, crochet, cook, read, etc. I looked at the site again and I still didn't get it. I was beginning to feel really old at this point.

We went to Dallas after Christmas to visit my brother and his family and Mike and Marisa were there with their Blackberries, iPhones, iPads, etc. So I asked them about Pinterest and the expression on Maria's face went from "oh it's nice to see you Aunt Donna" to "here let me show how cool this site is and all the cool things you can do on it."

Well, today is January 24, 2012 -- a few days shy of a month since I was in Dallas and learning from my resident "expert" about Pinterest and I too am hooked. I have 12 followers now and I follow over 50 people. I have created several of my own collections of "stuff" and can spend hours on the damn thing looking around. I now understand all the comments like, I think this is going to be a problem and I spent hours on the computer today on Pinterest.

I too am a new joiner. I found a meatloaf recipe (Paula Deene) that I'm making tonight. I have found knitting stuff, quotes I love, recipes, and pictures of places I want to visit and I've only just begun. This probably won't impact my knitting time too much, but it's a great place to find things that you like, pin them, and find more.

Happy Pinning Everyone! If you haven't signed up for an account, I encourage you to do so and explore the things you love!

Just a quick update

2012-01-16T18:04:00.002-06:00

It's been a really long time since I've posted anything here. I got a replacement iPad for Christmas (2011) and I've been busy adding bookmarks and finding stuff in the app store.

Roy had some serious skin surgery in the early part of December so we didn't get to Texas till after Christmas. Visited JoAnn in Longview for a few days, then into Dallas for a few days. I got to see all the nieces and nephews and met the newest member of the Frizzell family, Lucy, what a cutie. Kathyrn was so cute this year, not so shy and spent a lot of time sitting and talking with Roy. Sergei was home from Texas Tech and it was great to hear how he's enjoying college and studying architecture.

We then went to Houston for a couple more days. I got to spend a couple of nights with my friend Susan which was so fun. We went to Berings one morning. I haven't been there for years. THE BEST hardware store in the world. We also went to Goode Company Seafood for dinner. Another place I haven't been to in years. I had the sweetest, juiciest fried oysters --- yummy!!!!

The bad thing, for me, about going to Texas in the winter is I always get sick. So again this year, I got a sinus infection which I came home with. I've been back 11 days and finally am feeling better. I'm going to suggest that we celebrate Christmas in July!

Rain, Rain, Rain

2011-07-04T11:32:00.002-05:00

Well, the rainy season is upon us in all it's glory. We've had Hurricane Beatriz come from the Pacific Coast and then Hurricane Arlene come from the Gulf Coast. It's been cloudy, cool, and wet for a week. A friend told me last night that Arlene apparently had enough steam to completely move across the country and has reformed and is coming back inland on the west coast. Amazing!

In between the first major storm in early June and the hurricanes we did have a normal period of sunny skies and rainy nights which is perfection.

I LOVE the cool temps and the green mountains but I miss the sun and I am affected by SADD. I look forward to the sun coming back out.

Also, finished reading Geraldine Brooks first book, "Nine Parts of Desire" about women in Islam countries. It was written in 1995 but is amazingly relavent today. Highly recommend it.

40 years ago today

2011-06-04T14:26:00.002-05:00

I remember it as if it were yesterday. I graduated from Martin Spalding High School, Severn, Maryland 1971. There were 150 ladies graduating that day. It was one of those great days in one's life that closes one door and opens the next. I worked that summer at a department store to save up money for my big move to NYC to study fashion merchandising at Tobé Coburn School on Madison Avenue at 71st Street. While I was in school I lived at the East End Hotel for Women on East End Avenue at 78th street. Nice easy walk to school from there (weather permitting).

My brother Don came to my graduation which was really a special thing. I always thought that I annoyed Don because he was 20 years older than me, his children were my age, and we had little in common except we shared a Mom and a Dad. Now, looking back, I realize that I was important to him -- I was his baby sister! :-)

One of my high school friends and I have reconnected through Facebook and she's trying to organize a class reunion. I haven't gone to any of the others. I left Maryland the Sept following graduation and moved to NYC. I lived there for 4 years and then moved to Dallas, Texas where my Mom and Spence had moved in 1971. I never really kept in touch with any of my friends from HS, so it was nice when Nina Picciano found me on FB and we starting chatting. She's still living in the area, Washington D.C. so she's kept up with more old friends then me.

Anyway, just was thinking about what today was this morning and thought I'd jot down my thoughts.

1971 - Graduated High School, Maryland

1971-1974 - NYC

1974-1999 Dallas, Texas

1999 - Married, moved to Houston, Texas (and retired --wooohooo)

2005- moved to Ajijic, Mexico

Beach, Rain & Pink Eye

2011-06-04T13:44:00.008-05:00

Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico 2011

We went to Mazatlan over Memorial Day weekend (it's not MD here though) with Marta & Lupe et al and stayed at the Riu Mazatlan -- one of our favorite all inclusive resorts.

I love this picture 'cause the sun is reflecting on the ocean. Taken from our 11th floor balcony at the Riu Mataztlan.

I think the Pacific Ocean is so beautiful because of the rock formations that come all the way to the edge of the beach.

1st Day after 1st Rain of the Season

Morning after the first rain of the season. Lots of wind -- blew over the table and chairs on our neighbors mirador. I'm going to chronicle the changes to our mountain as the rainy season progresss. I want to see how long it takes for the mountains to turn green starting from the first official rain (that's when the water is running down the streets from the mountain to the lake).

Pink Eye

How in the world did I get pink eye????? I didn't ever get it as a child (which is when I thought you got this kind of thing). My friend Judy, who's a nurse, asked me if I'd been swimming recently. I just got back from a weekend in Mazatlan and I did got swimming in the pool, but I've been to this resort many times before and have never gotten pink eye! The day we were leaving (Mon May 30) I woke up with swollen glands and sneezing (not like allergies though) so I took some antihistamine meds I never leave home without and the symptoms seemed to go away -- hahaha!

It's very gross. I woke up on Thursday morning, June 2nd with my left eye crusted over and I googled conjunctivitis and figured that was what I had -- it's the infection kind, not allergic conjunctivitis -- oh joy. So by that evening my left eye was swollen almost closed and my right eye was getting yellow crusties in it too. Went to see Dr. Lastra on Friday morning and he agreed that was what I had. Still have swollen glands and sneezing like a cold. Dr. L said I probably was getting a cold and it settled in my eye -- Eye Flu!

Now on antibiotic drops and ointment for 14 days, but that's not doing anything for my swollen glands or overall feeling of exhaustion. Haven't been sleeping well -- feel achy all over my body and I have a low-grade fever on and off during the day and night. YUCK!

One good thing, we had our first heavy rains last night. Cooled everything down about 10 degrees which has been very nice today.

it's 5:20 a.m.

2011-04-07T05:18:00.002-05:00

and I can't sleep ------- so pissed off. I'm exhausted, my legs are jumpy and my feet are aching. What's going on. I leave in 5 hours for the airport to go to Houston and I want to sleep but I'm sitting in the living room looking at the computer. ARRRRGGGGGHHHHH

Food & Wine Festival in Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo

2011-04-04T15:29:00.013-05:00

We are having dinner at the Ixtapa Marina -- (L-R) Elizabeth, Pat, Kae, Joan and me

Having comida at Carmalita's in Zihuatanejo. This was a wonderful surprise we discovered from Rick Bayless who tweeted about finding this place. He told us about it at one of the events and Carmalita (in the purple blouse) was visited by many of us who attended the Food & Wine Festival. BEST real Mexican food I've ever eaten. Her recipes are from her Mom and Abeulita!

I had the pleasure of going to "Food & Wine" magazine's Food & Wine Festival in Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo - 32 Tastes of Mexico the last week of March, 2011. I went with friends from Ajijic Pat Owens and Joan Brummitt, and a couple of Pat's friends from Seattle, Elizabeth and Kae.

Rick Bayless was the featured chef and we got to see him cook twice. He has the most amazing countenance and spirit ALL the time -- it is real, not forced. It was such fun to meet him and see him work. We ate some amazing food and drank wonderful new wines from Baja California.

Señor Rick Bayless at the Market to Table event

This sign was in the lobby of our hotel -- I didn't make this up!

We also got to tour through 3 new homes in Zihuatanejo in a very private gated community of four homes called Monte Cristo. Our taxi driver had to leave his driver's license at the gate when he came to pick us up to go back to our hotel.

Casa Conte - the couple who owned this house were from Orange County, CA and actually were here for the event.

Casa Tulum - view from the infinity pool overlooking Pacific Ocean

Casa Alegría master bedroom pool -- nice!

This house had 5 swimming pools, 5 bedrooms, an amazing outdoor living area facing the wide open Pacific Ocean, and 3 casitas. The "owner" was a really rich man from San Diego who has never been to the house, and according to the architect just sent him lots and lots of money to build and furnish the house. Can you say laundered money! That was our story about the house! These are 2 of the 5 pools! The one above is off the master bedroom and the one below is off the outdoor terraza/living room.

Because the house is built on top of a bill the breezes were strong! At each of the houses there was a different vineyard represented and lovely tapas.

Cameron's a big boy

2011-02-14T12:04:00.003-06:00

such a sweet face!

They love to take baths together

Forrest is under the little table and Cameron is starting to get up on his hands and toes -- won't be long before he's mobile too. Forrest started to walk when he was 9 months old.

Lauren called to tell us that Cameron went to his pediatrician for his 6 months check-up and he is in the 95% for his weight and height. He is 6 months old and weighs 22.5 lbs -- his OLDER brother who is 2 1/2 years old weights 28 lbs. They are almost the same size and they wear the same size diapers. OMG!

I am going to Houston this weekend for a visit -- and I told Lauren I was going to bring a back brace so I can pick Cameron up and not hurt my back -- LOL! Can't wait to see them!

He's our chunky monkey!!!!!

Cameron is here

2010-08-06T12:57:00.006-05:00

Awwww - what a face!

Our second grandson, Forrest's little brother, came to us on Wednesday, August 4, 2010 at 4:55pm -- 11 days before his "official" due date. By the way -- this is President Obama's birthday too little man!

He is perfect and muy guapo como su hermano y Papa! He looks a lot like Forrest, except his hair is dark brown like his mommy's hair was when she was born -- so it may be that Cameron will favor his Daddy's side of the family.

Forrest has been checked out and poked and is ready to come home. His Pediatrician said he's perfect too! And why not?!!!!! Papi (aka Roy) took Forrest to the hospital this morning to see his Mommy and meet Cameron. Lauren, Joesph and Cameron are supposed to be going home today and get started on a new adventure in all their lives.

Roy has been in town since last Thursday helping with Forrest and at their home while Lauren was at the hospital having Cameron. I know, from what Roy has told me, he's exhausted but thrilled to have had so much one on one time with Forrest. Taking care of a two year old takes lots of stamina! And Forrest is a very lucky boy to have gotten so much of Papi's undivided attention too!

I'm going to be going up for my visit next week around the 12th or 13th. They want to get home and get settled so we have agreed it would be better for me to wait a bit -- which I am happy to do.

Saying Adios to an old friend

2010-08-06T12:10:00.006-05:00

This is our rental house on Aldama 2005 -- Beau, Susie and Rey

Christmas 2003

Beau in our casita where we lived while remolding was going on in the big house 2006

I said goodbye to our oldest dog, Beau, this morning. He has been getting worse and worse over the last year and Roy and I have been talking about when we would let him go. I was ready sooner then Roy, but hey you get there when you get there and I'm glad we had him for so long. Roy finally understood that Beau was suffering and we needed to be able to let him go and end his suffering. So today at 11:25 am, August 6, 2010 I said adios to an old and sweet, loving friend.

Beau took very good care of us while we lived in Bellaire, Texas. He loved to sit at the glass front door and wait to terrorize the mailmen when he came up to deliver mail. When we lived on Aldama, here in Ajijic, he loved to stand on the roof and command respect from the passersby. When we drove here to live, Beau was our "big black dog" who protected us from the crooked traffic police who tried to shake us down for money.

We will miss him and his fierce loyalty and love! Everyone needs to have a Beau in their lives and we are so grateful that he came into ours. I will miss you my friend.

We think Beau was maybe 16 years old. He was a lab/chow mix that Roy adopted from the Houston SPCA when Beau was 6 months old. Roy and I have been married for 11 1/2 years and I think that Beau came to live with Roy and Lauren when Lauren was 12 or 13 and she is 28 now -- so that puts Beau around 15-16 years old. That's a very long life for a big dog. AND he was never sick a day in his life.

Beau's hips started getting bad about a year ago until finally he wasn't able to get himself up when he fell down (which he was doing a lot towards the end). He lost his hearing a couple of years ago, which was a blessing because we live in a town that loves to shot off cohetes whenever there's a reason, e.g. a visit from La Virgen de Guadalupe, La Virgen de Zapopan, Las Fiestas de San Andres, La Virgen del Rosario, funerals, parades, birthdays, Las Chivas score a goal, you see what I mean. The doctor explained to me today the reason Beau walked around a lot (which was incredibly painful to watch) was because he was getting dementia.

It's been a while - Ramblings

2010-07-30T15:44:00.004-05:00

We are going to be grandparents again soon with a second grandson, Cameron. He will be coming any day now. Roy left yesterday to go to Houston to be on baby watch and to take care of Forrest when Cameron does come -- wanna have some normalcy for Forrest in the midst of the impending chaos.

As much as I love to see Roy walk into the airport and fly away (love, love, love having the house all to myself sometimes) I also really miss him not being here. I'm invited to another Baron family fiesta tomorrow afternoon, and I will miss Roy not being there with me. I can speak some Spanish and understand a bit more, but it's hard to go by myself. I feel like a bump on a log. But I know he would say to go, so I will do what is best for me and include myself in their party. Mama Chuy's sister from Santa Ana, CA is coming for a visit -- and they always invite us to join them. Such a wonderful family!

Spent the morning untangling yarn that Magda got into and winding it into balls. There were 3 skeins of yarn so it was a bit easier then I thought it would be because the skeins were still tied in several places so the mess was not so bad. Good thing I love this dog so much cause this is one of her favorite pass times -- messing with Mommy's yarn.

I've been reading a bit more this summer too. Finished "A Reliable Wife" and "Litte Bee" -- both great books, well written, character driven with lots of personal turmoil and conflict. Now I'm reading Ann Pachett's "Run" which I need to have finished by next Wed for another book group.

So far since the rainy season began on June 13th we've been having A LOT of rain. Today actually is a very pretty blue skies trimmed with cirrus cumulus clouds around the edges day. Enjoying my hummingbirds and other birds at the fountain and lots of beautiful flowers in the garden.

Beau is really not doing very well -- hasn't been for about a year now. Roy is struggling with saying goodbye to him and I have such sadness when I look into his eyes. I am watching our sweet, proud lab slowly dwindle away and it breaks my heart. About every other meal he proceeds to vomit up directly after eating (and Magda proceeds to clean up (yuck)) and he's not able to stand up and poop because his hips and legs are too weak to support him long enough in a stooped position for enough time to finish so we have lots and lots of accidents in the house now. He kind of walks and poops these days.

Roy's going to be up in Houston for probably 2 weeks and I'm thinking I may have Memo come by the house and check on Beau and get his opinion about letting him go. If it were my decision alone, I would have done it a while ago, but he was Roy's dog before I came along so I don't feel I can make that decision on my own. Maybe it will be easier for Roy, for me to do it, while he's gone...no se!

more later once Cameron arrives...

Thankful

2009-11-28T16:26:00.002-06:00

Sorry, no pictures right now, just wanted to say again how thankful I am that my hubby has gotten to a doctor before some huge life altering event happened to him as well as the rest of his family and friends!

I am also thankful for my friends and family too. I am planning a trip North to visit family and friends in Dallas, Longview and Houston. I just wish I could stay longer -- it seems like a long time away from home when you're buying tickets, but when I get there I don't want to leave as quickly as the return home date arrives.

We had a nice thanksgiving dinner with friends from my Tuesday book group. We bought a pre-lit Christmas tree too which has been connected, plug in, fluffed, and is awaiting ornaments! I will take lots of pictures of the house once it's all decorated and will post them shortly.

Just wanted to say again home grateful I feel for my life here in Mexico and for my generous husband for providing me with a life of a princess! I have "heard" from many of you on Facebook that your thanksgivings were good too! I hope you have a fun time getting ready for the next big holiday -- Christmas! Be safe and well -- I am looking forward to seeing some of you in a short time!

Peace and love to you and yours...

Mazatlan, October 2009

2009-11-19T21:25:00.002-06:00

This is the beach on the hotel where we stayed in Mazatlan.

The cool Fowler Family, Joseph, Forrest (in the shades) and Lauren

The dudes on the beach. Forrest didn't like standing in the wet sand when the waves went back out. The mountain in the background is called Rock Island and you can tour it. It's very near the airport for the town -- which you can see is on the other end of town from our hotel.

I have no idea what I'm saying, but the hands are in motion -- must have been something good.

My sweet baby with the big, blue eyes.

Joseph took a surfing lesson and made quick friends with the instructor. After they were finished surfing, they headed into town and Joseph got a tour of all the GOOD places to eat fresh seafood.

Sunset off our balcony -- all the rooms have an ocean view -- amazing!

We stayed at the Rui Resort, Emerald Bay, Mazatlan. The hotel was just opened in March 2009 so it's very new and at the far end of the beach. All the rooms face the ocean so everyone has a view like this no matter what you pay. You could watch the cruise ships going out in the evenings on their way to Cabo San Lucas. I hope we go back again in May next spring.

10 Reasons to forget last week!

2009-11-03T12:54:00.005-06:00

I wanted to show you pictures of our trip to Mazatlan, but I can't -- no pictures on my computer.

Let's go back a few weeks...my hard drive crashed again on this laptop for the 2nd time, so I lost all my bookmarked pages (again) and Roy had to reinstall Windows (again). I have no sound on my computer so I can't hear videos, or my aquarium or my farm animals (that's another story). Very frustrating.

So, just now, I was going to write about our trip to Mazatlan and add some of our beautiful pictures and now I find I am not connected to our home network and cannot access our shared pictures file. Another frustration. So I'll tell post pictures later.

First off, we were leaving on Sunday morning around 3:45 and Lupe was going to pick us up at 3:30 to take us to the bus. I waited until Saturday afternoon to do laundry and during this process the dryer decided to stop working (#1). Roy is a master fixer -- so he fooled around and it started again so I could finish doing laundry before we left on our trip.

On Tuesday, our trip coordinator Marta (Lupe is her husband), came to Roy and asked for a favor. He said, of course, which he always does. It seems the hotel where we were staying had gotten our reservations wrong and only had our group confirmed for 2 nights and not 3 so Roy whipped out his good 'ole AMEX (don't leave home without it) and he put 1 more night for our entire group (about 40 people) on his credit card $29,000 pesos (#2)!! We're going to get the money back, not a problem with that -- we were just the only ones there with a credit card with a large enough credit limit to help her out.

We were scheduled to leave on Wed afternoon around 1:00pm. At 2:30 am on Wed. Roy woke me up complaining (which he never does) about severe pain in his lower belly. We called for the hotel doctor who came to our room and by 3:30 am he was on his way, via ambulance, to the hospital in Mazatlan to figure out what was going on. He (we) stayed in the hospital for 2 nights and he was diagnosed with a kidney stone and had surgery to break up a 1cm stone in his kidney that would not pass! (#3). We have insurance here in Mexico, but there is a one year waiting period so this expense comes out of our pocket too (#4). The hospital, urologist, cardiologist, GM, hotel doctor, meds, nurses, etc was about $50,000 pesos.

We now have to get home another way because our return trip was to be by bus with our group. On to the Mazatlan airport and tickets on Mexicana Air (#5) for both of us -- $1500 pesos. After a 5 hour wait at the airport -- we arrive back at the Guadalajara airport and our friend, Tom Faloon, is waiting for us to bring us to Ajijic.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, that while Roy is in the hospital, we receive word from our friend, Tom, that Beau is near death (#6)! Beau has been Roy's big, black, dog for more than 16 years! He is part black lab, part chow and has the sweetest disposition and temperment of all our dogs combined. When we get back to the house, Beau is laying on a pallet outside our bedroom covered with blankets and not moving. Roy, who is just out of surgery and hospital, lies on the floor with Beau for several hours because we both think he won't be with us for much longer.

Monday, I have a dentist appointment at 9:30am. I go out to leave and the car won't start (#7). It's the battery, of course it is! So we call our mechanic and he buys and installs a new battery (#8) for $2000 pesos but it's not taking a charge when the car is running -- it's the alternator (#9). We give our mechanic $3000 pesos to buy parts in Guad so he can repair our alternator. No car Monday or Tuesday (#10).

Today is Tuesday. I am without a car and low on cash! LOL The total for our trip to Mazatlan and the car so far has been about including refills on prescriptions here $58,800

The good news is that we are home, Roy is healing, and the dogs got groomed this morning $350 pesos.

Our trip to the beach was not what we had planned for it to be. However, the hotel was wonderful, the weather was perfect, we had a balcony with a magnificent view of the ocean and sunsets. The food was good, the pools were beautiful and Lauren, Joseph and Forrest were a delight to spend time with. We all had fun (except maybe for Roy because he admitted to me this morning that he'd been feeling poorly and had back pains for 2 weeks before we left). That's my husband, suffer in silence. Very frustrating, but I think he's gotten the hint that he needs to take better care of himself -- if he wants to be around to take of all of us. Even while Roy was in the hospital he was worrying about Lauren, me, and Keith, his business partner! That's what I love about him the most -- and find it to be very frustrating too!

When I have access to our pictures I'll post some of them -- Mazatlan is a great place for a vacation.

I wanted some more yard

2009-08-18T15:30:00.002-05:00

I wanted to remove the slate patio for more yard and a place for another tree. We had workers here repairing the leak in the roof of the covered patio so while they were already going to be here for that job we included a "re-working" of the large area surrounding the fountain that was slate. It was very "hard" looking and hot when the sun was beating on it, which most days here in Ajijic it is sunny.

Most work in Mexico is done by hand. A man and his pick axe hacking away at the slate. The picture above shows the beginning of the project.

This next picture shows what was revealed when the worker got under the slate. What we found was an entire other patio under the slate and concrete...a very common occurence here. You don't like your floor, we'll just lay a new one on top of the old one -- no one will ever know! The patio below the slate was laidout in a parquet design so obviously it was planned and designed that way.

Apparently the previous, previous owners had gone to a great deal of work to have this brick patio installed. However, the previous owners, from whom we bought the house, decided they wanted slate. It is handsome and elegant looking, but it doesn't wear well in the elements.

This picture shows how thick the concrete layer was they poured over the brick and then the cement layer for the slate to attached to...OMG how deep does this go down? I am going to guess about 6" deep. I was off a bit -- I just went out and measured and it's at least 5" thick. That's a lot of hacking and pounding.

This morning, I went out to take pictures and this is what was left of the "patio" before the guys came back to keep hacking and pounding and digging away. Magda had to come out and make her inspection prior to today's work beginning.

Well, as you can see in this picture, the one guy in the foreground seems to be leaning on, what's that, a machine of some kind. The Maestro decided to rent a jack hammer for the day so the work would go faster for the two fellows working here. Thank you Miguel! It's an electric jack hammer so not quite as loud as a pneumatic one -- thank goodness. The pounding will be done by this evening as well as the digging!

Magda is super angry she can't go outside and flirt with the trabadores. She's been whining for 2 days now. It's a really good thing Roy's working in Houston because between Magda's pathetic crying and scratching at the door and the pounding and noise -- he wouldn't be a happy man right now.

The next part is the fill dirt and some new flagstone steps to and from the house to the garage and grass! It will be much cooler and softer looking too. AND I have more areas to grow flowers, etc. I am hoping we put in a plumeria tree (that's the blossom the Hawaiian's use to make leis) and maybe even a little lime tree for fresh limonadas y margaritas!

I'll post the after pictures once the yard is in so you can see how much nicer it is and will become!

Facebook & Farm Town

2009-08-08T22:12:00.003-05:00

Well, I've developed a new addiction friends, Facebook and Farm Town. OMG -- I can stay on Facebook all day and into the night. It is a wonderful way to keep up with the goings on in friends' and families' lives. AND, since joining Facebook I have found out about a game called "Farm Town".

It is an amazing waste of time and I can't stop thinking about my farm! When I first went on and started my farm I didn't get it -- what's the purpose of this silliness? You get 570 coins when you start and you buy and plow some fields and plant a couple of crops, have no more money left, and THEN WHAT? What's the fun in this silly game. I don't get the point of it. Roy googled strategies and chat forums about Farm Town for me so we could figure out HOW to play and how to advance.

A couple of my friends invited me to be their neighbors at Farm Town. They started explaining what you do to "grow" your farm. I started working on their farms making more coins by harvesting and plowing for them. I went from level 1 to level 24 in about 2 weeks -- that's obsessive behavior! I have withdrawal when I can't get into my farm, when the server for Farm Town bumps me out, or when my computer internet is slow or down all together. I plan my crops around when my friends and I will be available to harvest for each other.

I wake up in the morning and immediately log onto Farm Town to see what's going on and what is ready to harvest. If none of my "neighbors" are home, I go to the marketplace and wait to be hired to work on some stranger's farm so I can get more coins and more points to get more stuff to plant and decorate my farm. It's crazy and I love it! It's one of the only addictions I've had that's not shortening my life or costing me money -- at least as far as I know!

If you want to be my Farm Town neighbor, let me know. With more neighbors I get to do buy more stuff like streams, lakes, big houses, and expensive crops that make more coins!!!!!!! See what I mean -- I've lost my mind.

Posting pictures, wierd celebrity obsession, whinning

2009-07-08T10:51:00.005-05:00

As I am not a very techie person it seems to take me a long time to 1) remember how to post pictures on my blog, facebook, ravelry, etc. and 2) to then get them where I want them in the damn blog, facebook, ravelry, etc. I refer to Roy as "Help Desk"! We even have friends here in Mexico that call on Roy now when they need something figured out!

Do I sound like I'm whinning -- You betcha!

I am so sick of Michael Jackson, his family, his legal issues, his drug use, his beatification yesterday, etc. There was nothing else on TV yesterday except that crap -- I use TV to entertain and sometimes inform myself and there was none of that to be found leading up to and including yesterday. As someone said -- there are real issues to be talking about in the world now -- NOT MJ! WOW where did that come from....

Thank you I needed to get that off my chest.

Back to my original post title: posting pictures. I want to post pics on my ravelry page, but it's a pain in my a** to do it.

Can someone please let me know if there's an easy way to download just some pictures off your camera, put them someplace logical and push a button to then "paste" them where you would like to view them and let others view them as well??? Probably not -- too logical.

Enough whinning for today (maybe, not promising). Hope your day is turning out better than mine.

Visit to Texas

2009-06-20T16:25:00.002-05:00

I was back in Texas for a couple of weeks and saw lots of family and friends. My Dad was in hospice in Longview, and is in good spirits and still smiling! Love you Spence and JoAnn. It was hard to see him immobile in a hospital bed but I'm so glad I was able to go and see him. My brother Mike went with me on the drive from Dallas. We had a good visit and did lots of reminiscing!

While in Dallas a tornado went over my brother's house -- pretty scary! Mike and Marisa were there for dinner and when they finally got home (which isn't too far) all their pool furniture was in the pool -- but the old fence was still standing pooooh! I enjoyed the time we all had to just be together and eat, talk, and watch some TV. Amy, David, William and Kathryn came up from Richards for a big garage sale at Mike and Willa's church. Even Carolyn got to come up for a night. We had a pool/BBQ party at Mike and Marisa's on Thurs so I got to see almost everyone expect Daniel (Carolyn's hubby) who had to work in Waco.

Went to Houston for my grandson, Forrest's, first birthday party. So much fun -- lots of little children and noise! Lauren and Forrest go to Gymboree and many of their friends came. It was so wonderful to see Dad's holding their babies and being involved with the party. Not like when I was little. Moms did the children stuff and the Dad's smoked and drank cocktails and talked about sports or business. Very refreshing to see fathers eager to participate! What a blessing for them and their children. Forrest wasn't having any of the cupcake with bright green icing though. He smeared off the icing and rubbed it on his ears, and hair, and face -- great pics. The little man was coming down with a cold so by that night he wasn't feeling too well along with his Daddy, Joseph. Roy came down with it by Monday -- so far Lauren and I have dodged the bullet!

Roy and I got to see Forrest's day care school too. It's really nice. Great security and the teacher/child ratio for his group is great. He's happy and has fun -- that's all you want for the little man! They read, dance, eat lunch together and learn something everyday. I'm so proud!

We also were there to close on the sale of our Bellaire house. There were many, many, many, many glitches in this process (as of today we still don't have our money). The buyer has no shame! Lauren's going to go to closing for us on Monday and hopefully call us with good news! We think things are all okay -- but with this guy it ain't over til they slide the check across the table! If for some reason he blows it Monday -- he ain't getting our house. We'd rather leave it empty then screw around with him any more -- he's used up all our patience.

I got to spend a lot of time with some friends too while in Houston. Some I haven't seen in a couple of years. I even met some new friends -- hi Pam and Lizzy! This, for me, is one of the hard parts about leaving Houston -- I miss my knittin' buddies! When we left Houston on Friday it was 98 degrees -- even hotter and more humid when I was in Dallas if you can believe that! When we landed in Guadalajara is was 78 degrees and raining. It was 68 when we got to our house! At 2:00 this afternoon it was 77 degrees and the mountains are turning velvet green! Muy bonita!

I am happy to be home with my dogs and hubby! I love it here, but I do miss my friends and the kids so very much. We all have to make trade offs though and thank God for email, facebook, Ravelry, VOIP phones, and blogs!

COME SEE US!

Knitting with Friends

2009-06-07T17:34:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I had 4 friends over to knit. It was soooo much fun. They looked through my library and borrowed some books and Roy even served us cool drinks. Having a group here to knit with on a regular basis has been something I've missed from Houston. There was a group that I used to go to but the makeup of the group changed and there was lots of drama associated with who was there and who wasn't wanted -- so I stopped going.

This group is small and they have been getting together once a week for some time so I'm happy to have found them. We also have several alternatives for purchasing yarn here now too. Another couple of crafters who go back and forth to the US monthly have opened a yarn shop with mostly acrylic, but they will bring back special order stuff too -- like Lion Brand naturals, Vanna White yarn, etc. Still no Malabrigo though! -- I am dying to see this stuff. Got plans to visit several stores in Texas while I'm there to check out what's up!

Also, I've found a couple of people on Ravelry that live here lakeside. I've got plans to hook up with one of them later this month. Ravelry is truly amazing.

Well, sitting in my bedroom with 2 fans going and getting ready to break out the wet washcloths -- it's really freakin' hot today -- 93 on the patio -- and no A/C! This will be over soon, but OMG while we go through these dog days of spring here in Mexico it's pretty brutal!

Memorial Day

2009-05-24T10:49:00.005-05:00

Memorial Day for me is not just remembering and giving thanks for those citizens and friends of the USA who have given the ultimate sacrifice for me, but remembering and giving thanks for all my friends and family who have sacrificed and loved me during my journey here on this plain!

I am feeling sentimental today and missing people that I don't get to see anymore on a regular basis. Thank GOD for the internet, facebook, blogs, email, Ravelry, and the phone. I don't think I would have been able to move to Mexico without being able to stay in touch with my extended family.

I recently have reconnected with friends from Dallas through facebook. What a gift! I spent many, many hours, days, weeks, months, and years with these people. They had quite a positive impact on my life in forming how I think about myself, life, the world, spirit!

THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING!
I love you this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!much!

Please know that you are often in my thoughts even though I'm over 1000 miles away. Hope everyone reading has a wonderful, grateful, reflective Memorial Day weekend!

Orenburg progress report

2009-05-15T15:11:00.006-05:00

These balls of yarn are the three colors I'm using in the project. This is the first section of the right edge then you pick up stitches along the straight edge being created and use the copper color. The main triangle will be the sable color in the middle -- perrty huh?!

detail of the tooth edge

I've gotton some knitting done on the Orenburg lace and wanted to share some pictures of my progress. Once I wrote out the repeat lines from the chart I started enjoying the knitting more and making progress. However, it's getting a bit redundant.

Russian knitters primarily use k2tog or k3tog for decrease no matter which side you're on. I like that!

Anyway, I don't have a good book to read this weekend so most of my time will be knitting -- hopefully I can make good progress.

Orenburg Lace

2009-05-13T16:28:00.001-05:00

I have started a shawl that I bought at a knitting conference in Sugarland, TX several years ago. It's a russian lace shawl that was featured in Piecework, Sept/Oct 2002, pg 51; "Triangular Warm Shawl" designed by Galina Khmeleva. It is all charted. I use to be able to do charts, even liked working from them--no sweat! My eyes are older now and my glasses aren't that great so words are better.

Roy scanned and enlarged the first chart for me, but it was taking me forever, knit one row, rip rip rip, knit it again, rip rip rip. So today I took the time to write out each row of the repeat section and away I went. Much more fun now and quicker. Actually making some progress.

By the way, I LOVE RAVELRY ! I found someone there who has made this same shawl and she (Karen from Bethesda, MD) has already helped me with my first "problem" in reading the chart. Knitters are the friendliest people.

Small world, Karen's husband used to live in San Miguel de Allende a while ago! I'll get a picture soon so you can see the progress I'm making.

Feather & Fan

2009-05-09T12:54:00.002-05:00

too close and I can't get it in focus!

I have knitted many feather & fan shawls, baby blankets and samplers, but when I received this pattern (as a surprise) in the mail from my buddy Virginia Martinez I was looking for something to knit. This fit the bill.

I had previously gotten two different colorways of the new Noro Silk Garden sock yarn and so was ready to go. If I had gotten the pattern and then gone out to find yarn for the project I would not have used these two colorways -- one was for socks for Roy and the other was going to be a pair of bright socks for me. When I was working on the shawl, I wasn't sure I liked how it was turning out, but Roy kept telling me it was pretty.

One of the things I learned early on is that when you're the knitter you are sometimes too close to the project to see it the way others will. This is one of those projects. I think it turned out really well because of the light/dark effect of the two yarns -- two rows with one ball and two rows with the other.

I wish I cold take better pictures of my knitting, cause I think it's much prettier in person than in these pictures. Anyway...

SF Update

2009-04-30T21:50:00.003-05:00

Roy and I went out to the grocery store today because I wanted to stock up on bottled water, fruits and veggies, soda, snacks, etc. As I mentioned in my previous post, we were told restaurants were going to be closed, but that seems not to be the case. Almost all of our favorites are open and have dine-in service available. We are guessing that the suggestion to close is more for big places in Guad where many millions of people live. Here, at this time of year, if a restaurant has more than 10 people at a time that's a good night. But now, I have lots of food in the house and I'll need to cook it up to make room in the refrigerator again. I did cook Steak Diane tonight from Paula Deen's cookbook and made a side salad. It was real good!!!! Roy was sweet and cleaned up the kitchen for me. That's the part you don't see on the Food Network cooking shows. The people cooking are not doing any of the cleaning up -- and when you cook there's lots to clean up! Some of those guys don't even do all their own cooking -- it's not as easy as it looks on the TV.

The village is very quiet except for a few boys in our neighborhood who are playing in the street. Not many delivery trucks or even traffic for that matter. Still no confirmed cases of the flu here in Jalisco. Thanks to everyone who's written to me on my blog with your kind thoughts.

BUT OMG is it ever getting warm! This month is going to be a long one. It's in the high 80's (that means it's almost 90) on our terraza by late afternoon and tonight there's no breeze except for the fans -- thank god for electricity! Some of you may not realize there is not A/C here -- way toooo expensive, but our house is an old adobe construction so the walls are about 16" thick and that helps keep the inside cooler between 6-10 degrees. Even still, when it's 90 outside it's about 79-80 inside and it makes it hard for me to cool off enough to fall asleep easily. But one month out of 12 isn't a bad trade off for almost perfect weather for the other 11 months.

I'll keep you posted and thanks for following my blog! It's really nice to know people are reading.

Swine Flu

2009-04-29T18:34:00.003-05:00

Well, as of today at 5:30pm there are no confirmed cases of swine flu in Jalisco, which is the state I live in here in Mexico, however the Governor of Jalisco has ordered all restaurants here closed except for take out food until May 6th. That's pretty alarming to me. I'm gonna have to cook more and I worry for the restaurants here at Lake Chapala who depend on tourists and/or gringos for their main customer base.

Roy, who is the quintessential under reactor, is not worried at all. I, of the get more nervous and lean towards panic group, am a bit more concerned. I'm hoping that the W.H.O. is being diligent about their reporting so they get everyone's attention and possibly more funding for vaccines and this is not going to be a black plague event in the 21st century.

When you live in a foreign country maybe you feel more vulnerable. I wish I was in the US right now, but don't want to get on an airplane which is the 3rd rail in spreading germs.

A very few people here lakeside are wearing face covers, which the CDC and WHO say doesn't do anything except keep your germs off someone else. But if it makes you feel better -- go for it!

I want to go out and stock pile water, canned foods, soda, vodka...

Keep you posted...

I miss Texas and Bluebonnets

2009-04-16T11:12:00.003-05:00

I just started adding my knitting and crocheting books to my Ravelry site -- that place is awesome. I also found a blog of another Houston knitter in Ravelry and she'd posted pictures of the bluebonnets blooming. If you've ever seen a field of bluebonnet in the Spring then you know how I'm feeling right now -- they are incredible. Thank you again so much Lady Bird Johnson!

This isn't a picture of bluebonnets -- but I guess you can figure that out on your own -- but it is a picture from the pier in Ajijic of a sunset in April on the lake -- pretty cool huh!

I miss Texas sometimes , but there is something special about Lake Chapala too. Happy Spring my friends and family back "home".

Patzcuaro

2009-04-05T19:37:00.005-05:00

This was taken in a shop in the town of Santa Clara de Cobre (copper) near Patzcuaro. These are samples of bathroom and kitchen sinks. The town plaza's park benches are all copper, the light fixtures on the plaza are copper too. Anything and everything that you could want made in copper someone in this town can do it.

I am standing in the middle of an olive tree that was brought from Spain to the town of Tzintzuntzan, by Fransican monks in the 16th century. The trees are still alive but looking like they could use some help.

This one of the island in Lake Patzcuaro

This is an island in the middle of Lake Patzcuaro. Isla Janitzio, is the largest of three islands and people get to and from them by boat.

This is the interior courtyard of Casa Encantada, the B&B where we stayed.

This is the Grand Plaza in the center of town. It is one of several plazas in Patzcuaro. Our B&B was just around the corner from this plaza within walking distance.

This is part of the open kitchen where we ate breakfast everyday The dishes are native to Michoacan and are painted a beautiful green glaze on clay pottery.

Are We Safe Here?

2009-04-03T19:25:00.003-05:00

I've had lots of friends and family asking me if I feel safe here in Mexico -- what with all the negative press you're getting in the US on CNN (Catastrophe News Network) and the traditional big 3 networks. In a word...YES!

We live in the western central highlands of Mexico in the State of Guadalajara. Most of what you hear and see on the news in the US is about what is happening on the border states. We are far, far away from the "gangland" stuff and it seems that you're safe in Mexico as long as you are not living close to the US!

Roy and I have often said that we feel as safe here in Ajijic as we did in Bellaire. We were in Patzcuaro, Morelia last weekend for our 10th anniversary watching CNN on TV and watching Anderson Cooper reporting from Ciudad Juarez and El Paso, Texas on the other side of the border. WE WERE IN MEXICO and hearing how unsafe it was and how Mexico was near a failed state! It's hard to equate walking around a beautiful plaza with Mexican families and young people walking around, eating dinner, taking pictures, selling "stuff", and hearing that this country has failed and everyone should run for their lives!

I'm not denying what is happening in the border cities. It is very scary and sad -- but mostly, I think, for those involved in the illegal activities both here in Mexico and in the US. I don't assume to know what the answers are, but I am very happy and proud that President Calderon has been so committed to trying to solve this enormous problem.

Don't worry about us. We are very happy here and feel so very safe in our little neighborhood. I don't know all my neighbors' names, but I say hello every day and waive to those I see when I'm out in the village. We are not isolated here. Like any neighborhood, we know who belongs and who's "new in town".

Traveling...finally

2009-03-29T21:07:00.003-05:00

It's been way, way too long since I've posted. Lauren, Joseph and Forrest have been here and are back in Texas and Roy and I just got back from Patzcuaro, Michoacan where we went for our 10th wedding anniversary. We said when we got back from our honeymoon in Maui that we'd go back to Hawaii for our 10th, but it snuck up on us and we've been waiting for Roy to retire so we could start traveling aroung our new country.

I promise there will be pictures coming, but for now let me just say that we had a wonderful trip, and loved the state of Michoacan. It's about 2000 feet higher than Lake Chapala and it's got many more trees than here -- I said many times while we were in the car that I felt like I was driving in the mountains of Colorado or northern California. Eucalyptus trees, pine trees, lots of evergreen trees so it's much greener there now than here even though the rainy season hasn't started yet. AND the temps are much lower there too. Great for me being the hottie that I am. I even turned on the electric blanket one night!

Back home now and it's definitely warmer here. This morning when we left Patzcuaro at 10:30am it was 61 and when we got home at 5:00pm it was 84. Remember we don't have AC. But Roy says it's a dry heat so it's not so bad!

A Few of My Favorite Things

2009-02-26T18:35:00.006-06:00

Yes, this is the same plant that you see in a box at Christmas time. I have about half a dozen blooming right now in the yard! They are sooo beautiful.

This poinsettia was a pot plant we bought a couple of Christmases ago! Put it in the garden, cut it way back and voila! In a couple of years it'll be 3 feet tall!

I've taken some pictures of some of my favorite flowers blooming now. Bougainvilleas, amaryllis, hibiscus, and a poinsettia! Enjoy

Late Winter here at Lakeside is the prettiest time of the year. The avocado is blooming, along with the orange tree, birds of paradise, lantana, various succulents, etc. If you ever want to come for a visit, just let me know! I highly recommend February and March.

He's Here

2009-02-26T18:18:00.003-06:00

Friday Jan 20th Roy arrived in Ajijic to begin his new full-time life here in Mexico. It was not without lots of mixed feelings. He turned off the cable and cancelled the phone -- a number we've had for 35+ years. The notice from the post office that our mail will be forwarded came in the mail this week. No turning back. Lauren and Forrest took Roy to the airport and I think there were some tears shed too.

Here he is on his first full day of retirement. He said he was going to take lots of siestas and he wasn't kidding. That's Rey Rey and Magda with him keeping daddie company! I think that after 3 or 4 months of this he'll be ready to find something to do that's meaningful and fun, but he said he's looking forward to the down time for right now!

Mexico Blogs

2009-02-08T09:17:00.002-06:00

I have links on my blog to too different blogs about living in Mexico. One is a daily blog by a lady (I don't know her personally -- actually through her blog I may, but have not met her in person yet), the other is written by a couple who live here (don't know them either).

If you want to see pictures of what my life looks like here in Mexico, I recommend you check out these two blogs. Jim and Carol's blog is well written and there are lots of beautiful pictures of things like Manzanillo, Colima, and The Lake Chapala Society here in Ajijic. LCS is a expat organization here in the village. It's an amazing place, beautiful gardens, lots of services for gringos and close to my house. The other blog is written by a single woman living here. She writes daily and is sharing what her experience is like living here.

Enjoy!

Roy's on his way

2009-01-29T14:01:00.002-06:00

Roy's making the final trek to Ajijic in Joseph's truck with most all of the stuff that didn't get moved down a year and a half ago on the "big" truck. He should be arriving here this evening after a long 12+ hour day of driving. Good news, the weather across Mexico today is clear and beautiful. He got books on tape from some of our Christmas gift cards so he's got something to keep him awake and not so lonely.

Parts of the drive are really beautiful and some parts are like driving across West Texas, flat and boring! I'll be happy once he's here and safe.

Paid taxes today

2009-01-29T13:55:00.002-06:00

I went to Chapala today to pay our annual house taxes. There was an increase from last year of, wait for it, .07% -- that's right you read that correctly -- less than 1% increase. The entire bill was less than $900 pesos which in today's dollars is about $65.00 US. Again, you read that correctly, we paid $65.00 today for our annual taxes for a 3 bedroom, 3 bath house plus a one bedroom, one bath casita -- approximately 3500 sq. ft in total.

It's this place grand!

Something cool

2009-01-20T20:42:00.004-06:00

I just logged onto to Ravelry and had a message in my mailbox asking if they could use one of my pictures on the pattern page for the Cascade Ripples Throw. Check it out!!!!!

This is really cool. I'm almost as famous as my friend Kenny -- who's going to have a pattern published in Interweave Knits next month!

My Brother Don

2009-01-17T08:40:00.002-06:00

I just got back from Fort Worth a few days ago after returning to Texas for my older brother's funeral. WOW, not what I thought I'd be doing a few weeks after Christmas.

It was very sudden and unexpected. He was driving home from picking up take-out Chinese food when he had a massive heart attack and died instantly, and after hitting 7 cars and running up a very steep embankment from Bryant Irvin Rd to SH 183 and jumping the guard rail, his car stopped on SH 183 heading east. No one, thank God, was hurt in the accident that followed his heart attack.

I went back to Texas immediately and got to spend some great time with my family and meet some of his friends and co-workers. It's not the way I'd have preferred we got together, but it was wonderful to see, hug, laugh, cry, and reminisce with everyone. My how the family has expanded over the years.

There's so much to say...The funeral was very subdued and emotional. I hadn't really had much of an emotional reaction to his death prior. But when Jim, Mary, Susie, and Ann got up for Jim to read what they had all written about their dad I fell apart. I realized then, Don was really more like a dad to me too, in so many ways, then a brother, especially after our Dad and Mom both died in 1974 and 1975 respectively.

Don was 20 years old when I was born. He and Pattie Ann were married in 1953 and started having their own family. Mary and I are only 13 months apart. Mary, Susie, Jim, and Ann are more like my siblings then nieces and nephew. But they still introduce me as "Aunt Donna" which always get a funny response!

Don was a pilot in the US Air Force and retired as a Colonel. He majored in dairy husbandry at the University of Maryland thinking he was going to come back to the farm and be a dairyman. Our family had a large dairy farm in Howard County Maryland, very close to the Howard County Fair Grounds.

While in the Air Force they lived in Carlisle, PA; Austin and Lubbock, TX; Hampton, VA; Montgomery, AL and Japan. He did 2 tours of duty in Viet Nam and I found out a couple of days before the funeral that he was awarded The Bronze Star. NO ONE KNEW ABOUT THIS. HE HADN'T EVEN TOLD HIS WIFE. That's my brother Don. He was the Dean of the Army War College in Pennsylvania. He wrote one of the first books on the lessons of Viet Nam. After he retired from his military career, he moved to Fort Worth, Texas and started an investment company for military personnel and worked there for 20+ years. THEN he decided it was time to really retire, and get serious about his golf game. His favorite place on earth was Hawaii.

He is buried at the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery. Not exactly Maui, but it is a very beautiful place with rolling hills and lakes and fountains and birds!

My brother was a serious, introspective man when I was a young girl growing up. I never really knew him. In fact, I could probably say he scared me a bit. I was more comfortable with my sister-in-law Pattie Ann and she was the one who hugged me and made me feel a part of their family after our Mom died. As I got older Don and I became better friends. I wasn't so needy and he didn't feel so much responsibility for me and my brother Mike who was younger then he too. The last time I saw Don was 2 years ago at my niece Carolyn's wedding in Dallas. The four of us, Don, Joy, Mike and me have had several occasions over the years to all be together as adults and I am grateful for those events.

I remember he had an awesome, distinctive laugh and he could tell you something funny and make himself crack up laughing to the point he'd cry. He was happy and content in his life. I believe he died with no regrets or unfinished business. For that I truly grateful. He was a much loved and respected man. He will be sorely missed by Pattie, his children and their families, his brother and sisters, and friends.

Good-bye my brother/dad! I love you and will miss you too.

Happy Retirement

2009-01-06T11:49:00.002-06:00

Well, it's finally here. He said he was going to do it, but being the skeptic I am I said I wouldn't believe it until I saw it. We've been talking about this day coming for several years and it has happened. We may yet be living again in the same country, state, town, and even same house!

ROY IS RETIRED! Well, he's retired from Aon, that is. After spending Christmas in Dallas, Roy had to drive back on Monday Dec 29th cause he had to be in the office on his last day, Dec 31, 2008 -- that apparently was really not necessary after all.

Now his job is taking lots of naps and hanging out at the Fowler's house -- at least until he makes the drive down with our last bits of stuff from the Bellaire house to the Ajijic house.

We thought we had a builder interested in buying our lot, but that fell through so now the plan is to get the house inspection ready to put on the market to sell. Wish us luck!

My Christmas in Texas -- 2008

2009-01-06T11:20:00.002-06:00

Just got back to Mexico from my 2 week trip to visit my brother Mike and his growing family in Richardson, Texas; my Dad and JoAnn in Longview, Cassie and Lauren, Joseph, Forrest and friends in Houston.

The time always goes by too fast. I can't fit in everyone I'd love to see and hope that friends will understand.

I got back to Texas on Monday night 12/22 and quickly shopped til I dropped for 2 days to get all the Christmas shopping finished. We spent Christmas eve with the Fowlers (Lauren, Joseph and Forrest) and I got to see Forrest for the 1st time (in person) since he was a week old. My goodness he's changed! He's crawling now (5 1/2 months) and sitting up alone and we all predict he'll be walking soon. Roy and I have discussed setting up an education fund for him -- but now agree that we should put an orthopedic surgeon on retainer cause there will be broken bones and stitches in the little man's future. He does not like to stay still!

Christmas Day we drove to Dallas to visit my brother Mike and his wife Willa and my nieces and nephews, their spouses, and children. Sergei and Max got a Wii for Christmas as we had a ball playing golf, tennis, bowling, soccer, dodging the soccer balls and panda heads, hula-hoops, aerobics, etc. It was a great Christmas! And of course, Willa fed us all with wonderful dinners and lunches! Thank you Willa for all your service to us to make our Christmases so wonderful.

On Saturday Roy, Mike and I drove to Longview to see Spence and JoAnn. He's 81 now and looks great. He's a bit weak, but much happier and hopeful. He's decided that he's not ready to die just yet (what a blessing -- cause he's been waiting for God for 11 years). We played a game together and Spence even tried to sort of cheat, kind of. He just withheld all the rules until after he'd played his hand! Gotta watch this guy. JoAnn is an angel on earth and I am and will always be so grateful that she came into our lives. She takes great care of Spence and all has a smile on her lips and in her heart.

On Sunday Roy drove back to Houston* and I stayed over a couple more days to visit my long-time friend, Cassie. We drove to Nocona (near Wichita Falls) to visit her Mom who had hip replacement surgery. She's home now and doing great. Cassie and I drank lots of coffee -- YEAH Tassimo! What an amazing appliance that thing is. Knitted, ate wonder food full of memories for me from my many years living in Dallas, shopped, drove around Dallas, and talked for endless hours. Of lest I forget -- I got to play with her new puppy Tipsy. What a cutie and such a mess! Love you Tips!

I flew back to Houston on Southwest (what a great organization that airline continues to be) on New Year's Eve and was in bed and asleep long before midnight. New Year's Day we went to the Fowlers and I cooked black-eyed pea soup (it's a southern tradition to have black-eyed peas on New Year's Day) and we watched football and played with the baby. I got to spend some time with my wonderful knitting family in Houston at Nancy's Knits and enjoyed our special day on Sunday Jan 4th. Thanks everyone for coming -- it was wonderful to see you all. I made a new friend (Maxine) and got to be with old friends too.

* This is another story I'll share in another post. Happy Retirement

Magda loves yarn too!

2008-12-21T14:09:00.005-06:00

This is my Mom's knitting chair. We sit here together sometimes when she's knitting. I thought she'd enjoy my decorations!

Hi everyone, aren't I cute!!! I found some of my Mom's yarn while she was out of the house. I love yarn almost as much as she does. But when she got home, the look on her face wasn't what I expected. I thought she'd be so happy that we could love yarn together, but nooooooo -- she got mad at me. What's that all about?

Magda has never shown any interest in my yarn until recently. As I wrote earlier, Friday night she went completely crazy with yarn I had in my basket. I should have seen it coming after this episode with just a couple of yarns. My bad!

She has a really bad habit of knowing when she's doing something wrong. Then when you try to get whatever she has taken off with, she runs off and hides under the bed or runs around the yard. This is here listening to mommy ask for the yarn back! HA

But I love her :~))

Calamity

2008-12-21T12:20:00.002-06:00

Roy and I went to dinner on Friday night. When we got home, my lantern moon basket (the round one with handles) which was full to the top with sock yarns for my blanket (approx 20 different balls) was emptied and ALL the yarn was spread from the living room to our bedroom. Magda apparently was bored!

I was sick when I saw it. Lots of chewed up ball bands, lots of tangles, lots of mess. My stomach is hurting now just remembering it all. Until recently, she's never shown any interest in yarn before. So, I've kept all the yarn for this project in the basket next to my chair -- no problem, until now. It took me about 5-6 hours to straighten up one skein of Lamb's Pride sock yarn.

I was sitting on the floor in my bedroom trying to sort out the worst tangles and even resorted to, say it with me -- SCISSORS! Those of you who know me well know I abhor scissors around yarn, except for cutting yarn with a purpose. To cut into a mess of yarn and create more ends is a sin in my world. Today, being Sunday, I'm asking for forgiveness from the knitting gods and doing penance.

Magda is still with us, so far. Roy told me he was glad that he'd bought the "taxidermy at home" kit for Christmas cause we may need it now. LOL :~)) She can't grow up fast enough!

Lazy Weekend and ramdom thoughts

2008-12-08T08:15:00.004-06:00

Okay, this is not a first -- I never got dressed all weekend long. I didn't get out of the bedroom on Saturday until 6:30 or 7:00pm except to feed myself, the dogs, and hummingbirds. Sunday I did leave the bedroom, however, and ventured as far as the living room to watch TV shows I had TiVo'd. That was around 10:00am.

I knitted, read, watched TV, and played games on Pogo.com (which by the way if you don't know about this website, and like to play lots of different free games, I highly recommend). I love weekends like this. No one was here but me and the doggies.

I would be happy if groceries would just appear in the kitchen. All the food doesn't have to come cooked, although frozen stuff you just heat and serve isn't bad. I love my alone, quiet time. I think I could live like a hermit, just my pets and me, for a long time. I think, though, that I'd require electricity for my satellite radio, a coffee pot, the refrigerator of course, and my phone so I could talk to people. Calls would be controlled, I think only outgoing at first -- to see how I liked that -- not sure how long I would want to be isolated and control the isolation, just a thought...

When I was a little girl and we had moved from the farm into "town", my bedroom was on the top level of our house -- if you know what a "Cape Cod" house is there are multiple levels of 1/2 floor plans so from the outside it looks like a 2 story house, but there are really 3. Anyway, I lived upstairs across the hall from my Meemaw (I loved her so much and she loved me too). We shared a 1/2 bath in the middle. My room was also the way you got into the attic, through my closet. When I was small I used to hang out in my closet -- could be because it was away from all the chaos in the house. I think I felt safer there. I had my dolls and my own world. I think that's where I went to "survive". Could be that my bedroom has always been the place that I felt safest. I could "hide" from the world "out there" and pretend I was in control. Just another thought...

I gravitate towards activities that I can do alone. Knitting, reading, watching TV, gardening, these activities don't require group participation -- although you can do most of them with other people. Sometimes I like doing some of them with other people especially knitting -- that seems to be an activity that calls out for community. What are you working on? Where did you get that pattern, yarn, needles, etc. I want to do that too, want to do a knit along together? I feel pretty safe in this community. Good people -- knitters and crocheters. My Aunt taught me to knit and crochet when I was young. I loved her too and she loved me. She was one of my anchors then. Meemaw, Aunt Gertrude, Joy -- they all helped keep me here, grounded.

Anyway, it's Monday now and I have to get out of bed soon (I'm writing this from my laptop) and shower cause Socorro will be here around 10:00 and I have my Spanish class at 11:30. So here I go, preparing to reenter the outside world.

WOW, that came up from nowhere. Thanks for listening.

Fiesta de San Andres 2008

2008-12-06T09:53:00.004-06:00

We made it through the Fiestas de Los Patronales this year. We (Roy, the dogs and me) spent a lot of time in the bedroom because we had pillows in the windows to muffle the sound of the cohetes, which is Spanish for sky rockets. Beau and Magda especially don't care for them. Rey seems not to be bothered as much. During the 9 days there are literally tens of 1000s of cohetes fired off starting at 6:00am until midnight. VIVA MEXICO! Can you say beach house?

For those of you who are not familiar with skyrockets, they are like M80s on a stick. If they go off close to the house it feels like a sonic boom. It hurts my ears just thinking about it now. When we lived in our rent house we were east and perpendicular to the plaza and church and the sound was muffled. Now we live directly above the plaza and church and sound apparently travels up -- go figure! I don't remember that fact being in the real estate brochure.

There's a party every night of the 9 nights in the plaza. Big bands, lots of cerveza, tequila, michiladas, food, people, etc. There's also a castillo, which is Spanish for castle, which is made of sparklers, firecrackers, and fireworks. It's quite a sight to see. They are made by hand and have several sections. They are lit from the bottom and each section spins and twirls and lights the next higher section until it reaches the top. Some are quite elaborate depending on the patrons of that night and how much money they have raised.

If you like to eat, drink and party -- this is another great time to visit.

I'm it -- Marisa tagged me

2008-11-23T11:34:00.004-06:00

Apparently I have been tagged and have been trying to come up with 7 things that you don't know about me...some of them may leave you scratching your head thinking, "what was she thinking?"

1. I was the Secretary for the Dallas County Young Republicans in 1982-83.

2. My mom, brother Mike and I took the train from Baltimore to Lubbock, Texas to visit my brother Don when I was 5 years old. It was a ball running between the cars, eating and sleeping on the train and sitting in the observation car with the bubble top. It was the summer of 1957. DDT was not outlawed then and at night the trucks would drive through the neighborhoods spraying for mosquitoes. With the windows open and the attic fans going the fumes would be pulled into the house and gag us! Twitch, did someone say something about a twitch!

3. I was robbed at gun point when I lived in NYC while entering my 5th floor walk-up apt. That guy was really desperate to get my stuff cause he had to walk up 5 flights of stars to get it. He pointed a gun in my face (it was a revolver and I could see all the bullets in their chambers) and told me to go to my apt. He pulled the phone cord out of the wall, tied me up with it and made me sit in my bathtub while he loaded up my 2 suitcases with stereo, money, jewelry, etc. He told me not to move for 15 minuets and I believed him. Muy tonta!

4. My mom, brother Mike, and I were caught in a blizzard in Maryland driving home from school one day. I was 4-5 years old (kindergarten). It was a white out and Mom had to drive with her head out the driver's side window and Mike was hanging out the other window guiding her so she didn't drive off the highway. We had to abandon the car at the entrance to our neighborhood (cause the roads hadn't been plowed there yet) and walk about a mile to our house. I left my gloves in the car and probably had a mild case of frost bite by the time we got back home. My mom had to run water over my hands to unfreeze them. OMG, that process has left scares in my memories! Again muy tonta!

5. When I was a younger, single woman I went to a KVIL radio happy hour party at a new club "Elan" in Dallas. Leeza Gibbons was a local TV personality in Dallas at the time and was interviewing people in line (that's so you'll know how long ago this was). I met a guy that night. He asked me out for a date. We went to a party at a Cowboy's house. Well, how can I say this easily...it was a swap party and people were watching porn on the TVs, walking out completely naked, and swapping partners. You'll be happy to know I never took off anything, didn't touch anyone, didn't swap anything, and after a couple of beers, asked him to take me home!!!
Another muy tonta moment.

P.S. Not all blind dates are good and not all are bad. My first date with Roy was a blind date, however, we didn't meet at a bar but were introduced through a mutual friend.

6. I waited on Joe Nameth, Barbara Walters, and Robert Wagner while working at Bonwit Teller as a Christmas Elf in 1973. I followed Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman down Park Ave one spring day for a couple of blocks. I ran into John Lennon and Yoko Ono (I smiled and he smiled back) coming out of my dentist's building. Roy and I walked past Prince Phillip in London when he was getting out of his limo in Leichester Square going to the theater.

7. I had to be tutored in geometry in the 10th grade so that I could graduate. I totally didn't get it (the final grade was a D)! Now that I'm a knitter I understand and appreciate math so much more. I also wish I had learned more then. Roy is a math major -- really, really smart like my brother Mike and my nephew Mike. Roy's helped me appreciate math more now that I have to use it. Knitting is all about the math!

Well there you have it -- 7 things you may or may not have known about me. Some of them pretty stupid things too!

Christmas is coming

2008-11-09T13:31:00.004-06:00

I can hardly believe another year has almost passed. I'm starting to panic about Christmas presents. Every year I plan to make more and more things for gifts, but I have a problem making and giving knitted things for people who look at them and respond with "oh, thanks"! ARE YOU KIDDING ME! SERIOUSLY? It's only happened a few times. I'm a quick learner here.

I am making socks for my 81 year old day this year. He asked me for a pair. I'm also making socks for a friend's mom who is a needle worker herself so she'll be happy and appreciative about getting handmade socks. I have been working on an afghan for my housekeeper -- it's about 15% done -- YIKES. I'm running out of time.

I guess the thing that's hard for me about giving hand knitted things is when people who don't make things with their hand don't get it -- how much time and effort goes into making anything by hand. If this means I have expectations and should be able to give something with no strings attached, then I'm just not there. I can buy something and/or give you a gift card or money and do that without expectations -- but when it comes from my heart and hands it's a bit harder for me to be detached.

Then it seems, there are people who don't want something that's hand made -- no matter who made it or what it is. I understand this to some degree, but there's nothing more special then to receive something that with every stitch and turn of the needles love and good thoughts are placed into the fabric created. And those thoughts and well wishes are just for you alone!

WOW that was cathartic! Gotta run -- need to keep knitting.

Hope Won

2008-11-06T14:03:00.002-06:00

I'm so excited that Barack Obama was elected to be the 44th president of the United States of America. I am proud that our country was able to see beyond color and gender and, in my opinon pick the right person for this time in our world. There are probably people in my family who may disagree with me, but that's what's so great about this country -- we're allowed to disagree and engage in healthy debate.

He needs and deserves our prayers as he goes forward to tackle the some of the toughest issues facing us and the world. I believe he is up to the task.

Gobama!!!!!

22 Days

2008-10-21T09:41:00.003-05:00

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!

2008-10-16T14:46:00.002-05:00

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

2008-10-16T12:44:00.007-05:00

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

2008-10-10T14:38:00.004-05:00

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

2008-10-03T11:56:00.002-05:00

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!

Didn't work

2008-09-29T12:46:00.000-05:00

ARGGH! Sabina! (This is the Spanish word for sheet -- get it :>))

I don't like this stuff. It's too hard!!!!! WHINNNING!!!!!!

I want to post a picture

I tried and the post went into drafts and I could not get it to post

I copied and pasted and made another posting here

This is pissing me off!

I'm going to try and post a picture here again. Well, my picture came through, but i don't want it on top i want it HERE (insert picture of socks here)

SABINA otra vez!

P.S. The balloon is from the Regatta de los globos which was held on my birthday 13 Septiembre 2008. These are paper balloons that teams of people make and compete to see whose ballon goes the furthest. This ballon was the biggest that day and was made by the team that our carpenter, Sergio, was working on! It made it off the ground and floated for a while before it tilted and burned up.

Missin' Texas

2008-09-29T12:43:00.000-05:00

I have been trying to upload pictures onto my Ravelry page and it's soooo frustrating. I want to be a part of this new medium, but I was born in the wrong part of the last century. I wish I lived closer to my nephew Mike cause he could teach me in a NY minute how to do all the stuff.

It's an amazing day today, clear blue skies, calm winds from the Northeast, cool temps in the upper 60s lower 70s and I miss Texas! I can't fly back because the airfares have gotten ridiculous and then there's that whole economy thing going on right now.....Just feeling a little blue today in spite of living in paradise.

Finished my first pair of Monkey socks. They were fun to knit -- going to start working on socks for Spencer for Christmas and my friend Cassie. I'm going to attempt to upload a picture of the Monkey socks so ya'll can see 'em! Hasta luego!

2008-09-23T13:23:00.000-05:00

Just now I tried to get into my blog to post and had no idea how to get there, but you can see I did make it. I have so much to learn about living in the web...Trying to add pictures, yikes. They say the way to stay young to keep learning new things, I'm working on turning the clock back.

Roy se fue a Houston esta manana (I don't know how to do accents on letters or nn letter with the squiggly line in this blog) so please accept my apologies for the errors. If you do know, can you please fill me in on the secret.

Sitting in my chair looking out at the garden, watching Larry our house lizard run around the yard and walls, birds splashing in the fountain and all the dogs sleeping. Here's the fountain and some of the garden. Aren't they pretty?

Roy made it back to Houston fine. Next call will be once he gets to the house in Bellaire. Housekeeper came yesterday and hopefully cleaned out the frig cause I know it was gross! She definitely earned her salary yesterday.

Finished reading The Appeal by John Grisham. Very timely novel about dirty election campaigns and corporate greed.

well, enough for now...

today is the beginning

2008-09-22T10:32:00.000-05:00

well here goes...I just turned 56 (must be like a mid-life thing) and I thought I'd start my own blog. Lauren and Marisa have one and I read them all the time. Love being able to keep up with what's happening in their lives, so I thought what the hell, why not! Seems to be the thing to do these days. I hope my family will read this and find out things about me that they might not already know, but if not, I think I'll find this process cathartic for myself.

September and October are the best months to live here. The weather is magnificent. Cool mornings and evenings and lots of sunshine. The Bonafont water delivery guy just stopped at the house so I could buy two full garafones de aqua para la casa.

I am truly tranquil here. I love these people. They are kind, gracious, polite, friendly y mas. I don't feel "right" when I'm not here and yet yo extrano mis amigos y familia en Los Estados Unidos tambien. Knitting helps keep me sane. I have lots of projects planned and not near enough time to knit.

I'm reading John Grisham's newest novel "The Appeal" right now -- in fact I should be reading because Book Group is tomorrow and I want to report on the book. And with that I will stop, finish my book, and knit some. Ande le pues!