Monthly Archives: January 2022

Jan30

It’s Been A Fun Week

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It’s Been A Fun Week

There is no such thing as a typical week for me here in Aguascalientes, or for that matter anywhere I live. I do not thrive on routine. To me the word “routine” is a four letter word, along with the word “normal”, neither of which can be used to describe my life.

My characters are still talking to me so I’ve been doing a lot of writing, sometimes at 4 am. I do prefer to write during the day, but after experiencing writer’s block for several months, I’m extremely grateful for writing time regardless of the hour.

I did my usual morning run to the lavenderia. The day varies as I’ve grown quite accustomed to sipping that first cup of coffee and lounging around in bed checking emails and playing Candy Crush before I head out. But when I get close to running out of clean clothes, I brave the cold 40 degree mornings and go to the lavenderia. My reward is to pick up my clothes a few hours later, clean and neatly folded and ready to be put away.

I had a four hour fitness training on Zoom the other day from Washington. It was great to connect with everyone again and I’m looking forward to teaching again when I get back.

Joanne and I hit Costco the other day and here are two of my treasures……cheddar cheese and everything bagel. No idea how many steps we got in, but it was quite a few.

Joanne and I go for some pretty wild drives and have seen some really interesting areas in this city where I’m guessing most gringas don’t venture to. But we do!😜

Went for a haircut the other day. Last one with Paulina until I come back in the fall. Delighted to find a stylist here who actually knows how to layer hair like they do in the USA. And I also enjoy the banter all in Spanish.

I went to the park with Gloria and her daughter Romina. Gloria moves to Tulum next week. I will miss our intercambios and, of course, her delicious empenadas.

A project I’ve been working on this winter is condensing eleven plus years of notes on Spanish grammar and vocabulary into one notebook. And I’m almost done! It’s been a tedious task and I’m grateful to Gloria, Raul and Pedro for their help with grammar. I really understand why my students struggle with learning a second language.

I introduced my friend Carole to Country Break. We had a delightful lunch and I picked up a salad to take home. This amazing salad lasts at least three days and has become a staple in my fridge.

Time for internet church. Have a great Sunday!

Jan26

Voodoo Lounge And Pozole

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Voodoo Lounge And Pozole

As I write this I’m eating a bowl of pozole and listening to Voodoo Lounge. They don’t go together? In my world they do. I know I’m in Mexico because it’s pozole. And I’ve been a fan of The Rolling Stones  for decades.

But as I listen to The Rolling Stones I’m magically beamed back to a hot August night in 1994 mildly buzzed as the smell of pot wafts through the stands of the old Winnipeg stadium. Down below Mick Jagger is strutting his stuff across the stage just as he did back in the 60s when I was a teenager.

Amazing how music can make you travel back in time like it was just yesterday.

So how is your 2022 going? I actually am beginning to wonder why we were all so eager to slam the door on 2021.

With the advent of Omni, I find myself no closer to going back to Canada than I did last year. I have way too many friends now struggling with family crises. I’ve had a few small blips on the radar screen myself this month.

But, ever the optimist, I’m looking forward to the future. February will be a bittersweet month as it’s countdown time until I head up north. It kind of feels like 2020 again when I didn’t know where I was going or how I was getting there.

My playlist for meditation time today will include Matt Redman and Josh Groban in addition to the usual Pachelbel. Lots to contemplate. Lots of people in my life who need prayer.

It’s all about FAITH.

Jan23

Very Hard To Choose

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Very Hard To Choose

I was talking to a friend the other day who asked me why I keep returning to Mexico and what my favorite things about this country are. He asked about places and food specifically. So I will delve into those two first.

Places. There are so many beautiful places in this country. I took a spectacular train trip up the Copper Canyon my first winter in Mexico. We stopped in several areas with amazing views and old churches.

The old churches here in Mexico fascinate me. When I lived in Guadalajara, Isaias and I traveled on the weekends to many small towns in the state of Jalisco. And every one of them had a church adjacent to the main plaza, town square. Here in Aguascalientes I have visited several churches as well. And I have always checked out churches in the various places where I’ve lived in Mexico.

I’ve lived in a few very different places. Three small towns I’ve lived in include Irapuato, Rosarito and San Ciro de Acosta. They’re good for shorter stays. Mazatlan was too touristy although the malecon, beach and sunsets are magnificent. Culiacan is definitely not at the top of my list as a single female although I go back often to visit my Mexican family. Guadalajara is an exciting city and there was a time when I thought I might stay there. This is my third year in Aguascalientes and I enjoy the tranquility here.

I’ve stopped looking for that perfect place to settle down in. Instead I’ve learned to appreciate the things each has to offer from museums to art galleries to beaches to mountains and everything in between. I’ve climbed pyramids, explored a silver mine and gone on tequila tours. I’ve visited zoos and amusement parks. It’s been an amazing eleven plus years.

Moving on to food. The award for the best churros definitely goes to Tlaquepaque. The best tamales are in Sinaloa. I actually thought the tortas were the best too. I think Aguascalientes takes the prize for enchiladas. Pizza…definitely Guadalajara, as well as Chinese food and chicken mole. Aguascalientes also has the best gorditas. I discovered the delicious pastes in Pachuca this winter. It’s also a fallacy that all Mexican food is spicy.

However my very favorite thing about Mexico is the people and the culture. I love walking down the street when complete strangers greet me with “Buenos Dias.” I love buying something at a tienda and saying gracias and the vendor says “no, gracias a ti!” I love getting off a bus and the driver says “que tengas un buen dia.” I could go on and on. The rest of North America should take a lesson from this.

And there is always a mañana, another bus, another train. Stress doesn’t exist the same way it does in the USA or Canada.

This is why I keep returning to Mexico.

Jan21

Closed That Door Long Ago

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Closed That Door Long Ago

Can you ever truly leave the past behind without it coming back to haunt you? It was a distant memory until….wham! It hit me in the face again.

Joanne and I were talking about that just the other day. I confided a teenage memory to her, something that at the time drove me up the wall. It was unbelievable how just as the situation had settled down in my life, something happened to revive it. But that was decades ago.

I actually hadn’t thought about that time in ages. The memory was triggered by something one of my friends is currently going through. And I can so identify with it.

I came home and was checking out my Facebook groups. OMG!!!! There’s a whole article in one of them dealing with that exact memory I had shared with Joanne. Now there are literally shivers running up and down my spine.

Sorry readers. I’m not sharing the memory with you. It borders on the illegal. But I needed to vent so this blog is as good a place as any. I mean, what are the chances of all this resurfacing in 2022?

At least geographically I’m thousands of miles away and I haven’t been in contact with the others involved since 1971. That’s a lot of years ago. But honestly, at this minute it feels like yesterday.

So I wonder, do you ever really close the door on the past?

Jan19

This And That

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This And That

Wednesday, Hump Day and January is more than half over. This week is shaping up to be a lot better than last weekend was.

I watched the two Mamma Mia movies, in Spanish of course. I love the music. The one time I saw Mamma Mia live was at the Concert Hall in Winnipeg. My daughter was with me and I recall that she introduced me to steamers during intermission.

I’ve been in writing mode and my character in crisis is finally settling down. This means less tears for me and a much improved mood. Can’t wait to head up north in March and get my hands on a laptop. I love my tablet, but it isn’t the greatest for writing.

Despite the fact that schools are closed here, it’s been quiet at the park. I enjoy the quiet as I can focus more on my Spanish grammar. I’m consolidating three notebooks I’ve compiled over the years into one and want to make sure I don’t leave out anything.

Sharon and I went out for lunch yesterday and I was delighted to find some decent pizza. However nothing compares with the woodfired pizza in Tlaquepaque. That was the best!

Speaking of Tlaquepaque, I’m planning on heading there next month to visit with friends. Other than the airport, it’s been three years since I’ve spent any time there.

Thanks to social media, this has also been the week of reconnecting with friends who I lived with over the years here in Mexico. They’re now in Bali, Australia, Texas and Maine.

My friend who makes the most amazing empenadas is in Tulum and I’m going through withdrawal. Hope she gets back soon.

Time to put on some 80s music and dive back into my writing.

Have a Wonderful Wednesday!

Jan15

I Went Out For A Walk

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I Went Out For A Walk

It’s been a crazy weekend so far, a real roller coaster ride. And I’m trying to get off of it. But it’s a tough struggle.

It started on Friday when I read something on Facebook. And then I made the mistake of reading the obituaries in my hometown newspaper. And if that wasn’t enough, I received malas noticias from a friend here in Mexico. The icing on the cake is the crisis one of my characters is going through, and I can’t get it out of my head.

Time to clear my head. Time for a long walk, by myself. Hoping I don’t bump into anyone because I just don’t feel like talking right now.

Some people call me homeless because I keep moving around. But this woman is truly homeless and she doesn’t move at all. No, she’s camped out on a boulevard on a busy street here in Las Flores.

I walked by a travel agency and saw this interesting poster. I’m thinking it was an old one, before Covid.

Luckily the only person I had to talk to was the server at Country Break. And yes, I ordered a burger to go along with my “comfort food.”

I think the walk helped. Duolingo is calling. Today’s story is a cheesy one about a secret place. I wonder what Junior will be up to today….

Jan8

2022 Week 1

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2022 Week 1

On January 1st I was in Jilotzingo. Not sure exactly what time I fell asleep after the New Years celebrations, but I do recall sleeping most of the day. Even the coffee refused to perform its magic to revive me.

On January 2nd Angie and I arrived at her home in Pachuca. After being with a house full of people all weekend, I really appreciated the tranquility, especially the garden.

Angie celebrated a birthday on the 4th.

On the 5th it was time for Rosca de Reyes.

I arrived back in Aguascalientes on the 7th.

While I was enjoying the beautiful sunny weather here in Mexico, it was a very different situation in Leavenworth, Washington. My quaint Bavarian village was labeled a disaster area as a snowfall of over four feet crippled the area. Mountain passes were closed and the National Guard was brought in to help dig out the town.

I’m so thankful I’m back in Mexico this winter. Last winter I stayed in Leavenworth due to Covid, and I can count the times I wore boots on one hand. Very different this year.

We were all eager to slam the door on 2021. Between global warming and the virus mutations, I wonder what’s in store for us this year. Only time will tell.

Jan4

Writing In 2022

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Most of what I write about in this blog are stories of my travels and my life while living in numerous different places. Occasionally I write about my family and friends. I also tend to shy away from politics and religion. And I also try to leave Covid on the sidelines.

In 2022, I’ve decided to write a little more introspectively. Is that even a word? I’m not sure just what that means at the moment. But it will be interesting to find out.

After having published two self-help books, I’m currently writing fiction. Imagination rules where fact once presided. A very different style, both enjoyable and frustrating at the same time.

For the time-being, I’ve shelved the idea of writing memoirs for my granddaughter. She turns four next month, so she won’t be ready to read them anytime soon. Thanks to Covid she believes I live in a cellphone. But videocalls are the best way available to maintain contact because we live in different countries.

Years ago I wrote poetry. However I don’t feel quite as creative these days. The idea of deciding if words should or shouldn’t rhyme has lost its appeal.

While I will still write about my travels and my life, in 2022 these posts will be interspersed with topics of a more serious nature. When the mood hits.

Perhaps this post is one of them.

Jan3

Adios 2021 Bienvenido 2022

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I had a fabulous New Years Eve with an amazing family in Jilotzingo. Actually it lasted the entire weekend and today we are finally arrived in Pachuca.

We left Tlalnepantla Friday morning. Traffic was heavy and once we left the highway, it was slow going as we drove through interesting small pueblos.

We arrived in Jilotzingo where we enjoyed a sumptuous lunch of chipotle pollo. We then began the project of stringing grapes on skewers. Here is a photo of Kamira doing this.

A total of 60 were made, one for each person attending the fiesta that night. 12 grapes, twelve months of the year, twelve wishes.

Here is a photo of our hostess. This dynamic lady in her 80s prepared a leg of pork, a turkey, lasagna, ponche and other dishes. Also in the photo are her daughter Liliana and son-in-law Ventura.

Here is a photo of the table. I thought of Canada and the limits of gatherings to 10 people. Happy I’m here in Mexico. Wasn’t able to capture all 60 in one photo.

Here I am in a photo with my friend Angie, her son Ventura and his wife Liliana.

Countdown to midnight followed by toasts and hugs. No idea what time we actually got to sleep, but I do remember texting friends at around 4 am while sipping cognac.

The following photo is dedicated to my friends up north who are either in awe of my nomadic lifestyle or critical of it. The tradition here in Mexico is to walk around the block after midnight carrying a suitcase. This signifies the hope for travel in the coming year. So here I am!

Happy New Year!