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This place makes me smile

I’d decided it was time to cover our two plastic tables on the upstairs patio with a tablecloth.  These are plastic Coca Cola tables that have a groove on each side to keep spilled or sweating drinks from dripping off the edge.  The problem is these grooves collect rain and dew and dirt, too.  I figured my favorite heavy duty flowered plastic would be perfect!  I think it looks pretty cool (above), don’t you?  (23 pesos per meter) While I...

Water girl

Me at Stinson, about 7 years old I need to be close to the coast.  I can’t even imagine what it would be like to live in the middle of a lot of land.  South Dakota. Nebraska.  Even Colorado.  Somehow it just feels wrong, just too far from the edge. Some of my family lives in Florida.  I’ve visited, and can never get used to the sun rising over water and setting over land.  I’m just a West coast girl,...

A step back in time

In early April, we had visitors here for a couple of weeks…and as soon as they left we headed to Mérida for the blogger get together and I never shared any of the photos from their visits.  So, in part in order to avoid all talk of the country-wide shut down, here goes! Son Adam and his family came first.  One not so funny thing…when we left the house to go get them at the airport, Guadalupe was finishing up...

This post might have to hold you…

We have had family here for almost two weeks, my apologies to those of you who came looking for a new post! It has been so fun!  First son Adam, daughter in law Martha, and granddaughter Consuelo arrived.  We had a few days with them, and then my sister joined the fun. We have been to the beach at Playa Norte, the beach at Stone Island, and many places in between.  The mercado, shopping, pedicures, playing with the baby, playing...

Critters we know and love

Paul and I both love animals. When we lived on 10 acres in Washington State we had a variety of animals. We had chickens, of course. I even sold movable chicken houses that I imported from England for a while. We had ducks on our pond. We had rabbits. We had birds – Pionus Maya and Amazon Tiko. We had pygmy goats Lexus and Wrangler. We had a miniature donkey, Sweet Pea. We had various cats over the years. But...

The books of 2008

I have always been an avid reader.  One of my worries when we moved to Mexico was that I would struggle to find enough quality reading material to satisfy me.  I used several strategies to make sure I always had enough to read. I ordered from Amazon.  I used our local English library.  I traded with friends.  I bought books (a suitcase full) when I went to the US in July.  I bought books at Sandi Books in Guadalajara.  I...

What’s up?

Well, of course, it is baby Consuelo!  My son has been wonderful, sending lots of pictures and video, but I just HAVE to go visit her…so I am off to Mexico City for a long weekend Friday.  YAY!  In the picture above, do you notice the blanket  that’s keeping her warm?  Yep, that’s the blanket I knit for her. I finished a bit of knitting recently.  This shawl is about all I need at night  in Mazatlán, and I just...

Happy Birthday

I am a sentimental fool, totally in love with a granddaughter I haven’t even met in person.  She is so beautiful, and in her I feel such hope for the future.  We all sense the potential that she is about to explore, and I feel the optimism of her entire family for a world that she is a part of. That she will be loved –  is loved – is without question.  She will be encouraged but not coddled.  She’ll...

I remember a long time ago…

  Today would have been my dad’s 82nd. birthday.  He died in 1982 and while I frequently don’t notice the anniversary of his death, I always remember his birthday.  He was an incredible person…brilliant, thoughtful, kooky, loving, and hardworking. I started to write a short summary of what made him so interesting and special, and it started to go on for too long and I realized that it wouldn’t do him justice.  But still I thought I would like to...

Meet Poncho and Lefty

Tiko If you’ve been reading our blog for a while, you know that we had to leave our Yellow-shouldered Amazon, Tiko, back in the US with my best friend while we sorted out how to bring him into Mexico.  Unfortunately, it seems impossible to bring him into Mexico at this time, due to red tape relating to bird flu.  A picture of Tiko is above. (If you want to see a video of him talking and climbing around on his...

Family Fun

I am so excited – son Phil and his family are here!  We have been having a wonderful time, Sunday hung around the house, went out for drinks, and made a wonderful dinner at home.  Monday we walked the dogs and rambled around Centro and then went to Stone Island for a day of swimming, lounging, and relaxing.  What could be better than that? This morning we’re going out to breakfast and this evening heading to a Venados game –...

Knitting update

I’ve talked about how I enjoy knitting on the blog before…so I thought I’d show my finished sweater.  I think it’s funny that for me here in Mazatlan this will be something I wear in the winter!  It’s made out of a beautiful cotton yarn that I brought with me when we moved here. I still haven’t found a source for yarn here in Mazatlan, or I guess I should say yarn that I’d consider using.  Not to be elitist,...

It’s a family thing…

Paul and I are excited about our son Adam and his wife Martha making us grandparents of a little girl this coming January! We have known for a while about their wonderful news, but I hesitated to share it with you until I had asked them if it would be all right. I’m glad I waited, because just yesterday they called with the news that their latest test changed the boy they had been expecting…to a girl. It’s funny. They...

Light sleeper

Rainy season is thunder and lightning storm season here in Mazatlán. With most of the rain coming at night, that means most thunder and lightning comes at night. I’ve been up this morning since 5 am. Lightning started flashing and I had forgotten to put the little folded cardboard shim in our bedroom window, so it was rattling. Then Henry got worried and jumped on the bed. I was awake so I decided to shut down our computers (we leave...

Yin and Yang

Erica and Owen on Lake Whatcom   I knew that ten months separation from the US meant there would be some culture shock for me during my trip North. A few observations: Driving was almost boring. I clicked away at the XM Radio in my rental and waited and waited for people to wake up and drive! Merging is a little practiced art in Washington. People don’t just GO when it’s their turn. Turn signals were blinking everywhere I looked....