Apr30

Challengers and Bluegrass

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Challengers and Bluegrass

It was a busy weekend. I should have been thinking about doing laundry and packing but there were too many other distractions. I decided to take advantage of those instead.

We went to see the movie “Challengers.” Although I’m not a huge tennis fan, I was drawn in by the twists and turns in this movie. It was well done and delivered more than one strong message. I highly recommend that you go and see it.

The Bluegrass concert in Cashmere was most enjoyable. Thunder Ridge is a band from Portland. But Saturday night they were more of a hodge-podge of musicians as a couple of the regulars weren’t able to make it. However they put on an amazing performance although they had only rehearsed for a short time earlier in the day.

Do you remember the movie “The Graduate?” Back in the 60s we all thought it was pretty awesome. But it’s 2024 now and when I watched it the other night on TV, I had a very different opinion. Boring and predictable. Lame acting. Corny. Hmmm. Do we even use the word “corny” today? My age is showing.

We’ve had rain and it’s been cold. And the weather doesn’t look too promising in Canada either. Wonder if I need to pack my Columbia ski jacket and my Sorels. But it’s May. It isn’t supposed to be winter. Maybe I’ll throw in some warmer clothes just in case. Days like this I really miss Mexico.

On that note it’s time to get out the packing cubes. My next post will be coming to you from Canada.

Have a great week!

Apr23

New To My Carry On

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New To My Carry On

When I come up here to Washington each spring, there are things I do as a matter of routine although I am not a person who does well with routine. Some people thrive on it, but I prefer flexibility and my middle name should be “Change.”

The first week back I did do something which has become a biannual routine. I did a CPR refresher. I did them in Canada when I was working in social services and then there was a lull for a few years when I lived fulltime in Mexico. Once I moved to Leavenworth CPR refreshers became routine in my volunteer work at church and in teaching fitness classes. It’s interesting how ideas change from course to course, especially with regards to the issue of providing breaths in addition to compressions.

This year the course was a combo of CPR and First Aid. And I was introduced to Naloxone, an emergency treatment in case of opioid overdose. I had read about it previously but at the course our instructor encouraged us to obtain at least one kit and to keep it handy. I went home that night, went online and ordered a kit. I opted for the nasal spray. The kit contains two single dose nasal spray devices and arrived in the mail in one week.

I did some research and it is legal to have it in my carry-on. It is also legal in Canada, my destination next month, although it is not as easily obtainable in that country. And I’m thinking it’s something that I can easily throw in my purse as well. So forget guns and pepper spray; this Washingtonian will be carrying Naloxone.

Apr20

Mindful Musing

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Mindful Musing

It’s been a relaxing couple of weeks since I’ve been back. I’ve made an effort to be more mindful and I’m actually feeling the rewards. I’m not nearly as stressed as I thought I’d be seeing as I’m still settling in and will be traveling again in less than two weeks.

For one thing, I haven’t dived back into teaching yet. I have gone to a training session and I did do a CPR refresher. But I haven’t gone back to Tai Chi classes as I’m still waiting for this sciatica to let up. And it probably will just before I have to board that next four hour flight to Minneapolis. But the long flights take a toll on my back although I make a point of getting up every now and then and walking a little. At least I’ll have a layover and will be able to walk around a little before my connecting flight to Winnipeg.

The highlight of this week was going to writers group on Wednesday. It was great to see everyone again and meet new members. The stories and poems we shared were especially amazing. I have missed the support and encouragement of my writing friends. Unfortunately it was a bit of a tease as I won’t be back now until June.

I’m looking forward to doing some volunteer work on Monday with my friend in Cashmere. Joanne is a professional volunteer in her retirement years and always has interesting things I can help her with. This time I’m helping her prepare for a kids event.

After church tomorrow, Joyce and I are going to a concert in Wenatchee. It’s a benefit for the Ukraine. One of the women in my life group will be singing and I’m sure I’ll recognize a few others in the different choral ensembles who will be performing.

I’ve started coloring again. It has been relaxing and I must admit I sleep better since I’ve cut back on the videogames and turn to my gel pens and markers instead. When I get back in June I intend to pull out my paints and pastels that are currently hidden away in my closet.

The course I’m taking online has now switched topics from nutrition and reading food labels to mindfulness. And I’m making a serious attempt to have mindfulness become my middle name.

The other day I was sitting outside waiting for a friend to pick me up when a cat sauntered by. He eyed me suspiciously through the fence. Yes. He. I’ve decided that Marmalade is a male. I gave him that name because of his coloring. And his tail has these magnificent ring-like stripes. I watched him as he nonchalantly made his way down the street.

On another day I was treated to a small procession of quail strolling across the street. Mama in front and the babies trailing behind. They were all oblivious to the traffic that had stopped for them so that they could safely proceed to their intended destination.

It’s common to see cats in the neighborhood as well as quail. But I know I looked at them differently this time. Mindful musing.

Apr9

Back in Washington

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Back in Washington

Coming back after 6 months away is always a blur of adjusting and getting organized. We’re actually going to hit 60 today which is a far cry from 87. My sciatica is complaining. But in time it will settle down. It wasn’t exactly thrilled with the 4 hour flight back from Mexico.

I’m unpacked and getting organized. I went to AT&T and got my phone number for the year. I’ve been busy texting and messaging my new number to friends. My What’s App stays on my Mexican number. Also have been dealing with credit card companies to register the new number and access my online accounts. They don’t like it when I change countries and phone numbers as often as I do.

Adjusting to an English world. The only Spanish I’ve done since I’m back is on Duolingo, although I have texted friends in Mexico in Spanish.

Only one trip to Costco so far in terms of shopping. Joyce and I are going to Dollar Tree tomorrow after lunch at the Senior Center. I don’t really miss Waldo’s in Mexico and much prefer the American version of a dollar store.

Did a Bible study with my life group on Zoom this morning. We’re planning on getting together in person later in the month. Not everyone lives in Wenatchee or East Wenatchee so it does take some planning.

I just came home from a SAIL Lunch and Learn and it was nice to reconnect with everyone after several months away. But I don’t intend to do any teaching until I get back from Canada in June. Did I say Canada? Yes I’m back on a plane in 3 weeks to head up north.

Speaking of planes, I didn’t get sucked out of my window seat on the Boeing 737 on my way back from Mexico. No blown tires, cracked windshields or missing parts of the fuselage either. Great flights that left on time and arrived early. Even Immigration welcomed me back.

Yesterday was definitely one of the highlights of my first week back. I traveled to Leavenworth to Shears for my hair appointment. Lisa always has her hands full dealing with the mess the Mexican hairstylists make and she had her hands full yesterday. But as usual she did an amazing job.

Yesterday in Leavenworth I also got to see Linda. We picked up sandwiches at Dan’s and settled in to watch the Virgin River Christmas episodes. We’re also making plans to attend the Leavenworth Summer Theater productions.

I have a CPR refresher on Thursday and then I will finally have a day to relax on Friday, if you call doing laundry and housecleaning relaxing.

Another highlight was going in person to Sage Hills Church on Sunday. So much nicer than on-line. And I got to meet some of the women from my Zoom life group in person as well.

Sunday afternoon Clairesse and I went to Blue Spoon for some delightful frozen yogurt. We had a lot to catch up on. That happens when you don’t see each other for 6 months.

Sunday night Christina and I watched a movie together. We decided that Sunday nights will be movie nights while I’m here.

I haven’t even looked at my WIP since I’ve been back. I had a lot more time for writing when I was in Mexico. But that’s okay. I still have friends to see and places to go and things to do. And I have writers’ group next week!

And my dear tree in Cashmere, I haven’t forgotten you. I promise I’ll come visit you really soon.

Mar30

Last Post From Aguascalientes

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Last Post From Aguascalientes

The winter flew by fast. But my six months is up. I’m taking a break from packing. It’s easier packing to leave than to come here. Everything goes and nothing is left behind. But it’s still not a task I enjoy. I do love my packing cubes, so that definitely helps.

It’s been a week of goodbyes with friends—one last torta, one last desayuno, one last hamburguesa, one last cerveza together until October. That’s the hard part about leaving.

Tomorrow is Easter Sunday. Last year I went to Sage Hills in Wenatchee. This year I’ll be at one of the Catholic churches nearby. I wonder where I’ll be for Easter next year.

I will miss my lackadaisical days of writing when I feel like it. My life is a lot more structured up north. My April calendar is already filling up and I’m not even back yet. But I must admit I’m looking forward to my hair appointment at Shears. Every year I try out different stylists in Mexico but they can never quite seem to get it right.

I spoke to my daughter yesterday. I can’t believe my baby turned forty. Wasn’t it just yesterday I gave birth to her? Okay, I’ve embarrassed her enough if she’s reading this.

My journey home begins tomorrow at midnight when I take ETN to Puerto Vallarta. I opted for only one day there on the way back. Semana Santa is pretty crazy there. On Tuesday it’s Alaska to Wenatchee via Sea-Tac. And I refuse to check the weather forecast because I know it won’t be in the eighties and sunny.

To all who celebrate, have a blessed Easter. He is risen!

Mar22

Food In The News

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Food In The News

In my determination to avoid reading all the negativity in world news, I decided to turn to reading about something on the lighter side when checking out the headlines.

Anyone who knows me is well aware that I’m a chocoholic. So I read with interest an article about Cadbury and two new chocolate bars on the horizon. Boasting larger chunks than Dairy Milk, both Nutty Praline Crisp and Caramel Nut Crunch sound delightful.

Costco is now offering ice cream in the food court. Chocolate, vanilla and twist. No idea if that’s here in Mexico now as I won’t be going to Costco again until I’m back in East Wenatchee next month.

Wendy’s—your new Frosty flavor doesn’t appeal to me although I have heard others say they are excited about it. Orange Creamsicle. I was never fond of that back in my childhood and always opted for Fudgsicles instead. And I will stick to ordering my chocolate Frosty.

Oreos. You are selling churro oreos? Okay, I’ll try them. But the real McCoy is the churros here in Mexico, especially the ones filled with cajeta or chocolate.

For nut lovers, Planters has some new nut duos that sound interesting. Cashews with Espresso Hazelnuts is the one that appeals most to me. Peppercorn pistachios with Parmesan Cashews comes second. In third place is Buffalo Cashews with Ranch Almonds.

Pepperidge Farm Cinnamon Raisin bread has long been a favorite. The new flavor is Lemon Blueberry Swirl. I’m undecided about that one.

Subway is changing their drinks from Coca Cola to Pepsi. I rarely patronize Subway but will now avoid it as I prefer Coke.

On that note, I’m going out to find some ribeye tacos and guacamole.

Provecho!

Mar18

Destress

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Destress

In the course I’m taking, we have now gone from recognizing habits to stress management. And that is a topic that I’m sure everyone needs help with in their lives right now. But first I’ll digress to the habit that I decided to deal with in this course.

Months ago I decided that I was spending too much time on social media. I stopped scrolling. Next I started unfollowing friends. When I go on Facebook I check out the expat and travel groups I belong to. I check out the writers groups. I tell friends that they need to DM me if they post anything important as I don’t scroll. And I’m now at a point where I follow only a handful of the six hundred friends I have on Facebook. I also dissed Instagram and Twitter long ago.

But the habit I’m focusing on now is cutting back and watching the news online. Talk about stress! Is there anything going on in this world right now that comes close to resembling positivity? Between the wars going on, the politics, the food recalls and the crazy weather………that’s a real cocktail for stress. But the big one for me right now is Boeing.

Door plugs, blown out tires, planes freezing in midair, cracked windshields, missing panels………I can hardly wait to board that flight back home in two weeks! I’ve almost forgotten the days when I used to enjoy flying. Now it’s just the most efficient way to get from point A to point B and it is far from enjoyable.

This is my new strategy. I check my newsfeeds in my email every morning. And when I’m online, as tempting as it is to click on that little news button, I’m limiting that as well. And I’m only reading the headlines. If it’s another article about a plane with a malfunction or an emergency landing for sure I’m going to ignore it. I’m determined to keep my cortisol levels down.

Of course watching the movies on Lifetime may help my Spanish but probably increases that cortisol level. The movies are primarily labelled as thrillers and my Spanish vocabulary now includes words such as stalking, harassing, kidnapping, hostages, nightmares, killers and sexual assault that tend to show up in daily newscasts around the globe but that I hope will never be a part of my own daily life.

Time to meditate. Peaceful. Tranquil. Calming. Think I’ll envision an ocean and billowy clouds today.

Mar14

Life 101

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Life 101

Life 101: Mental and Physical Self-Care. University of California, Irvine. That’s the course I’ve just started this month on Coursera. This week we’re discussing habits. We’re learning how to overcome bad habits and turn things around so that we form good habits. We’re learning how to look at our current life situation and interpret things in a more positive way than we have in the past. We’re learning how to strive for goals differently by considering the benefits of intrinsic motivation over extrinsic motivation.

The beauty of taking a course on Coursera is that I work at my own pace. Other courses I’ve done on Zoom demand that you be there on certain times and on certain days. With the nomadic lifestyle I follow, this is difficult and sometimes even impossible. Thankfully some of the writers’ workshops I attend on Zoom frequently send me recordings of the session and that is quite helpful.

Less than three weeks left until I fly back to Washington. I finally went down to Central yesterday and got my bus ticket to Puerto Vallarta. I have a hotel booked and I fly back up north to Wenatchee via Seattle on April 2nd. This winter went by way too fast.

I’ve been stockpiling meds as the cost here is about a third of what it is in the USA. I really don’t enjoy all these tedious last minute things to do before I leave. And I especially despise having to say goodbye to friends. It’s interesting the close relationships you develop with people although you’re only in a place for a few months.

And then there are other friends who have left Aguascalientes and are now living in other areas in Mexico as well as in the USA. But Aguascalientes has become home to me. I love my neighborhood and the delightful tiendas and papalerias. I have my favorite restaurants that haven’t changed much over the years. There are the familiar parks and streets that are comforting. However, I still look forward to the time I spend up north.

When I first arrived in Mexico in 2010 I met several people in Mazatlan who had decided to leave Mexico and return to the USA. I really pondered that one until I reached year six living fulltime in Mexico. That first visit to Leavenworth in 2016 had an impact. I became a snowbird after that. And I have been blessed to enjoy the best of both worlds.

But it’s still hard to say Adios when it’s time to leave.

Mar10

March 14

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March 14

March 14. Pi Day. The Greek symbol for 3.14 is π, and 3.14 are the first three digits of Pi. It’s hard to believe that a symbol for a mathematical concept has become somewhat of a national holiday celebration. But back in 1988, a man named Larry Shaw was working at The Exploratorium, a science museum in San Francisco. He declared that Pi Day be celebrated on March 14. Years later on March 11, 2009 the U.S. House of Representatives made it official by declaring that March 14 be National Pi Day. Students, teachers, mathematicians and science geeks are very much aware of the significance of Pi Day. I’m not as interested in going into all the detail about circles and calculus as they are. But it’s interesting to note that March 14 is also Albert Einstein’s birthday.

March 14. The Ides of March. This dates back to ancient Roman times when March 14 was thought of as a day of doom and gloom. Bad things happened on that date commonly also associated with a full moon. I first became aware of The Ides of March in middle school when we studied Julius Caesar, a play by William Shakespeare. A soothsayer warned Caesar, a Roman dictator, to “beware The Ides of March.” Sure enough, Caesar was assassinated on March 14, 44 BC.

That’s your history lesson for this month.

On another note, I’m down to my last month in Mexico before I return to Washington state. That means the snow and cold have less than a month to disappear before I get back. I’m afraid that hearing temps have soared up to 50 does not create the enthusiasm for me as it does for Washingtonians. I’ve become accustomed to 80s. At least I have a closet full of warm clothes awaiting me.

Alexa:

What’s the difference between a cat and a comma? A cat has claws at the end of its paws and a comma is a pause at the end of a clause

Have a great Sunday!

Feb29

February

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February

February may be a short month but it’s been a busy one. And it’s a leap year which means that today is a leap day. And I have only one month left until I fly back up north.

I was tutoring Emiliano yesterday and he told me that his classroom at school is haunted. I had to double check the translator on that one to make sure I heard him right. He told me that at night the chairs and desks move around. He says the windows and lockers open up too. Apparently a few years ago a student fell down the stairs as well. An interesting legend.

Texas is burning up. The state has set a record for the largest wildfire. Gusting winds are in the forecast. I wonder if it will spread to any neighboring states.

On the plus side once again a partial government shutdown has been averted. That makes me happy. Air traffic controllers were set to walk off the job along with many other workers. But I also wonder how long it’s possible to put these last minute short term deals together before all hell breaks loose.

Most of my Zoom meetings are done now. While the programs and classes I’ve attended have been interesting, they have also consumed way too many weeknights this month. And then there’s the task of reorganizing my notes and putting them in files. I’m looking forward to having more free time now for writing.

I went our for breakfast with my friend Gloria yesterday to celebrate her birthday. We went to one of my favorite neighborhood cafes where they actually prepare chilaquiles that are not too picante. I find that as I’ve grown older my body doesn’t enjoy spicy foods the way it used to.

On the topic of foods, a new restaurant opened up close by. I had the most delicious ribeye tacos and the guacamole was also amazing. Can’t wait to go back and try other items on the menu.

Movie of the week I watched in Spanish was The Sixth Sense. It was a lot more challenging than the English version I saw many years ago. But it’s still a great movie.

Time to practice Spanish with Duolingo.

Saludos!