3 King's Day...school...changes...

hmmm   am still wondering what to do, blogwise.   am not sure yet if I'll keep it up....
after being here a bit more than a week, things are seeming overwhelming...it's a lot to readjust to...
and a lot to learn to do without...(washing machine, tub....) things I love & take for granted.
must decide if the warm weather trade off is quite worth it.... I know at home I'd be probably in bed with an electric blanket... and or shoveling snow...   here, I'm sweating...and am washing by hand, like back in the day, like the year +  that we lived in Morocco...when I was young and didn't even own a washer anyway.... then, I just went up to the rooftop, scrubbed on the built-in concrete scrub board & hung the wash on clotheslines on the roof.   so, really, I'm back to that?    yes, I can go to the laudromat & pay for wash service;  or, I can just really go home and do it myself there.   Again, trade offs.  Maybe a washer is in the future...but not here and now...

Other things are getting to me, like the noise.  Maybe because it's busy here now, but it bothers me.
There seem to be way too many tourists...noise all around...I'm already sensitive to noise, and Mexico can be a noisy country...music, golf carts, even the sea is noisy!
I wish there were a noise ordinance here--I think it would be a plus for the area & ambiance.
Somehow, it seems intense on many fronts...and it's making me homesick...

Am redoing blog format. It was in Spanish, as a motivator. Plus, I set it up here in Mexico when I started it some long time ago, and it seemed the default plan, & I didn't bother to change it.
 Now there is Spanish all around me; yes, I need more lessons, but have learned what I could from the blog format; I do need more Spanish instruction at another level, & will need to seek it out.  Or, just be content where I'm at.  I can usually get by, but it is not at the level of  fluency I wish.

Sofi is in school here now...she will no doubt learn Spanish.  I fret about her, as I should...another worry.   I want us all to be 'global citizens.  It is work. Sumi brought her just after our arrival, and now she is with us. They had a lot of fun together here. She is doing great actually...better than I am!  She has an open mind & great flexibility and willingness to learn.
Yes, she can be by herself and work with her Leap Pad, so that is a good thing.  Still, it's a bit of stress for me to work things out on a daily basis with some limitations here...

The hammock was a big hit; feeding fish at Garrafon de Castilla was super fun for her....

It was Dia de Los Reyes, 3 Kings' Day on Jan 6th, so we bought a Rosca de Reyes (traditional cake for this occasion the the bakery), and then a nice neighbor lady brought one over for us...what a treat...and hers had cream cheese filling so it was much better.  Anyway, we had plenty to share with several neighbors...   Luckily, or 'un' she got the little plastic Jesus doll, meaning, I guess according to local custom, that she will have to host a dinner for all on Candlemas, Feb 2nd, the next religious holiday;  not sure of the significance, but there must be a connection.   hmmm   must fin out.... 

anyway, am sure we will not be assisiting her!  Maybe we'll just take her out to eat instead! 

Think I have heard stories of folks getting the little plastic Jesus in their bite of cake, and whisking it out of their mouth, unsuspecting & out of view, so as NOT to have to host the dinner for all on Candlemas...

But, I noticed in our 'rosca' there turned out to be several little Jesus dolls, maybe to 'spread' the hosting duties around, as it probably just is too much for one person nowadays.


So,  am just trying to get through every day, sometimes helping friends who are here, with problems that always arise....
It's a rare day without some problem to deal with here;  I compare it to camping out, and maybe I'm getting too old for this.

I'm hoping to rediscover the charm of this place... hopefully, it will still be here....

Happy New Year...worldwide

Guess since I'm now in Mexico, yet thinking of home, and even family in China...wow...it is a small world, yet a big word...   yet, in just a bit, I'll have more family here, as Sumi and Sofi arrive, mom for a week, and daughter for longer.... That will feel more like home.  We'll see how it goes...
Plane travel...wow.  It still can impress.  It can erase distance.  Airports, I read, are the new cities of the future.

anyway...will put up some more travel pics, while waiting...

             












and,
we did take time to smell the flowers...
and there were some lovely rose bushes, not far from our room...
  some yellow...some red....delicious smells...

 Look at the height of these old palms on the hacienda...I'm not sure what type they are....ancient!

Here's a peek into the hacienda kitchen...
I snuck a photo when Maria Elena was gone...

The dining room...  The pool... and t

The pool... and, they had their own chapel on the grounds...

So, all in all, a good stay...even if the night was chilly, and we couldn't or didn't take time to figure out the space heater... too much trouble for our short stay...  had a photo, but can't seem to get it to load...
oh well...may add later.           There are so many more pics. what to choose?  what to focus on?

It's New Year's  and I wasn't even going to blog;  I wasn't even going to CONTINUE this blog...
I read where the average life of a blog is 3 years. I'm amazed I kept it up as long as I have...
It's something I need to mull over...

Good-Bye Snow...Hello, Mexico

So, the 20 inch snowfall on the day before we planned to go did not help preparation plans. We still did leave last Sat, and arrived yesterday, the following Sat.   It seems amazing that we even did it, with pretty late plans formulating for this whole endeavor.  We had thought of driving a year ago; then, also in the fall; also, even this winter, but never truly thinking we would do it; So, when we did decide, we just went with it, and somehow pulled it off.  Guess it was meant to happen.

We 'escaped' from WI  (I think 'Escape TO WI' was a slogan once...) around noon, with Grandma and Frida (the dog) in tow. Bruce, the other dog, is having some vacation time at the neighbors. hope it's ok. Since he's scarier looking, it would probably have been a plus to have him along, but dealing with one dog was enough.

But anyway...from WI with a stay w/friends in MO, and then Steve's sister Sall in Fort Worth, Tex, where we left Gram for a stay.  Here is the day before Xmas eve photo of Gram with her kids!
(her photo request  :-)



 and, Sall with her 2 dogs, Buffy and Sweetie....very sweet I'm sure, esp without extra company in the house. But, they had to give up some of their precious space for us--intruders into their lifestyle.  And then, even more limiting, there was a snowfall right after we left which meant they couldn't even be out in the yard much.  They gave up a lot of freedom, to accomodate guests!


 Here we are parked outside Sall's place in Fort Worth, Texas.
She lives around TCU in a nice neighborhood.

And then, again in Laredo, where we finally felt warmth.   And wow! palm trees....

 
  So, we got to Laredo in 3 days and stayed there to cross the border early in am of 25th, figuring it would be a slow day.   I think I was too freaked out around Immigration to even get any photos.  Plus, it would probably not have been allowed, and we didn't want to push it.



After crossing the border, we had to do a hairpin turn and swing into the Immigration station to process paperwork, show documents, etc.

 

Bienvenido a Mexico.....Welcome to Mexico!

Really, not as bad as we thought.  But, once underway and out on highway, we did have a heart stopping pullover, where they questioned the documents, with somehow did not show we had a small trailer.  After reassuring we had no 'armas' (guns) and no motorcycles stuffed in there...and offering a bribe, and debating the price, even raising it from 500 -800 pesos...think we just exhausted the policia guy's timeframe, and our (my) frantic state must have convinced him to let us go on. 
 

 The drive to the next city of Monterrey was, to me, rather bleak. Between dry parched areas, some mountains, maybe some surface mining of ? something that's probably used in road contruction...it was just an area to get through. And then there was a lot of ugly industrial production stuff--probably Wal-Mart plants, etc... and large lots of minimal looking housing to put the workers needed....just overall, not pleasant to look at, and actually more to feel bad about, as how factories are taking advantage of minimal employment of a desperate job force...who are willing to live in such conditions to have work. Sorry I didn't get photos of the housing...I was probably just too appalled.

 The mountains were not bad, but after awhile, it just added to the bleakness of the whole scene.

Mountains we saw later in the trip were much nicer.

So, after maybe 200 miles, we got to Saltillo, which turned out to be a nice place, and we found an old hacienda which had been recommended by other... El Murillo.  The weather, esp the evening, was more chilly, and guess Saltillo is called the 'Denver of Mexico' being quite high. It is the high plains area, or 'altiplano' of Mexico, which we continued in for quite some time even after Saltillo.

There were just such pretty plantings all over...nicely maintained--it made everything feel so natural and fresh after the bleak landscape we had just driven through.

And the most memorable part was Maria Elena, who was born and raised in the area. She was our total hostess--checked us in; took the 700 pesos (reasonable, for an hacienda!), and made us an evening meal, as well as breakfast...and made the fire for both!
A total new age woman, I'd say... so gracious.

More later....but, we made it.  A total of 8 days....too many miles, a few shakedown, a few bribes, but no breakdowns.  I was lucky to be in the hands of a great driver, and grateful to have made it to our destination.  Not sure it's a trip I would do again... But, as is our motto---'now for something completely different,'  (a Monty Python quote), it lived up to the billing.  A bit adventurous, a bit 'pushing the envelope' and the best part is....it's behind us!   whew!           

Bizarro Blizzard

Maybe it did seem like the end of the word yesterday...Or, at least the beginning of a new world...

We're in a new white wolrd...all white...all over...all the time...

 plowing, snow blowing, cars not starting, house cold, fingers numb, branches on wires,
electricity out....  yes, Beautiful to look;   Difficult to deal with.    Hard to rationalize being here....

Focus...Focus...

 That is sometimes what Sofi says to the dogs when they are acting crazy and needing to calm down...
"Hey Guys....Focus!"     It's really cute that she's transferring things she hears at 4 yr old Kindergarten, and recycling these phrases.  Am sure the teacher tells the kids to 'Focus' fairly often.   They DO need to focus...and me too!  (and the dogs, too!)

It's esp. daunting right now as we're between Thanksgiving and Xmas...days are short...at 7pm it feels like at least 10pm, since it's already been dark for like 3 hours...so it's hard to think of staying here longer, yet paralyzing to think of getting ready to get on the road..

I should be doing Xmas cards, but I find myself doing crosswords...a new obsession...or maybe, just procrastination.  Then, there are several birthdays thrown in...mine (which followed my mother's by 2 days, & it's one less we celebrate, now that she's not with us...except to tip a glass in her honor), and mine we just now lump with Sofi's, which was the 14th...and we celebrated the day after.  I wanted to just lump Xmas right in there, & distribute gifts early...but held off, so she could have her day to herself.  And yet...too many things remain to be done in the limited time available....
And maybe my real problem is...I'm going to be going away...and MISSING MY FAMILY HERE!!!
   How do people do that?     (Steve says I just need to get to Mexico...then, I won't want to leave...
He has more of a problem coming back here!)

Here is Evie with her newly acquired lineup of Nutcrackers, which I 'willed' to her, in downsizing.  She is a huge 'Nutcracker' fan.  She  has already attended many showings of the Nutcracker, and also The Christmas Carol and knows dialog, characters, etc. from both, and songs.

Here's Gram with her newest little granddaughter, Olivia.  Never enough huggin' for gram.

It's fun to watch the little ones at their birthday parties, and how they share (or don't) with their invitees. 

There is nothing like a well prepared, birthday dinner with family.  Somehow I missed getting the cake & candle blowing.

The train...absolute hit, as Sofi is a total train nut.  Everyone has their specialty.

For Violet, happiness is a nice, bendable snake which can fit into a used box.

I did find a photo of the birthday girl & her cousin Evie, shared from a facebook post by Nat, w/ Rachel.
yay! for blowing out the birthday candles....they did mine too!

Well, I count my blessings to have a wonderful family... and, with what's in the news, I know we all want to spend every precious minute with our families.  We are so blessed.
----------------------------------------



Having choices just makes life more difficult sometimes.
It's hard to go away.
I'm not sure about being a
snowbird...
Focus...Focus...

 

...and Hocus, Pocus.
I guess it might happen.



I'll sort it all out somehow.
I want to get away, but I want to bring my family with me.....I'm going to work at that!