Tag Archives: courses

Feb1

Here Comes February 2nd

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Here Comes February 2nd

Who here remembers the sitcom Room 222? I recall watching it around 1970ish. Teaching has sure changed since back then. Of course the whole world has changed.

So the other day I went on an old sitcom binge. Unfortunately all were in English. But it was fun! Different Strokes, Facts of Life, Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley, Three’s Company and a few more.

February 2nd is coming up. Groundhog Day up in the north. Here in Mexico it’s Dia de la Candelaria. Back on King’s Day when we had the Rosca, small plastic figures of the baby Jesus were hidden in the bread. Legend is that whoever finds them brings the tamales on February 2nd. Carole, if you’re reading this, are you bringing them to a party in Toronto?

I had a great time at Costco earlier in the week. My friends in Washington tease me when I tell them I have a membership solely to be able to buy Cheddar cheese. The stores near me have a variety of Mexican cheese but Costco is the only place with the Cheddar.

It’s getting hot again. 80s this week. Looking at the pics my friends post of snow cools me off though. I don’t miss the snow.

I start a new class online tomorrow. It will probably be the last one this winter. Once I get back to Washington fitness classes and training will occupy much of my time. And of course I’m looking forward to seeing all my friends too.

My characters are still talking to me so I’m still focused on my writing. I finally have my timeline all straightened out and that was a rather tedious task.

Constitution Day is coming up this weekend. It’s always interesting keeping up with holidays in three different countries, especially when they don’t always coincide. My province in Canada has Louis Riel day later in the month while the USA celebrates Washington’s birthday. They’re all good excuses for a long weekend.

Happy Humpday!

Jan25

Coming Up

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Coming Up

I looked at the date on the calendar last night and wondered how come I have only two months left until I head back up north. The time is flying by way too fast. And the older I get the faster it goes.

I fly out of Guadalajara and will be back in East Wenatchee two months from today. Other than my trip to Culiacan, I haven’t done any other traveling this winter. I hope to go to Puerto Vallarta next month but that’s about it. I’ve focused on writing this winter and I’ve taken some courses online. So travel has pretty much been on the backburner this winter.

Tonight I’m doing a library program online from Washington. It’s about Mount St Helens 40 years after the blast. It should be interesting. And I’ll be participating in a Women’s study with Church of the Rock in Winnipeg for the next six weeks. Whatever did we do before we had Zoom?

I’m also going to be taking another psychology course but I haven’t registered for that one yet. I’m still trying to decide. There are so many available and they all appeal.

Duolingo……. I haven’t forgotten you either. I’ve actually come out of retirement and have referred you to a new student who is anxious to learn English. Such a fun place to learn a language!

But I do find time for friends too. I’m meeting a friend from Portland for lunch today. We haven’t seen each other since King’s Day and that was earlier in the month before I went to Culiacan.

Happy Humpday!

Jan22

Happy Sunday

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Happy Sunday

It’s been a good week. No crazy emails from Canadians abroad. The trip back from Culiacan was uneventful. Even the internet connection has been behaving itself.

One of my friends went back to Toronto this week so we had one last lunch together. She’s thinking of heading off to Europe. Meanwhile she sent me a photo of a Chinese New Years celebration. That brought back some memories. I haven’t seen that anywhere I’ve lived in Mexico.

I’ve been terrible about phone calls this year. I do have a long distance plan but somehow have been doing a lot more texting this year. But I did call a friend in Leavenworth and a friend in East Wenatchee this week. And it was great to hear their voices and catch up on the news although unfortunately it wasn’t all good.

Yesterday I got together with another friend from Calgary. We hadn’t seen each other in quite a while so we had a lot to catch up on. We were in the Jardin De San Marcos and somehow three hours flew by.

I’ve still been spending a lot of time writing. And at crazy hours and times. The other night at 3:30 am I found myself eating a salad and drinking coffee. I just lose track of time. Good thing I put alarms in my phone to remind me to eat!

The only routine thing I do is online church on Sundays. I haven’t decided which college course to take yet this month but I’m going to look for one with some flexible times. Thankfully Duolingo is around 24/7.

Have a great Sunday!

Nov20

Experiences Versus Things

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Experiences Versus Things

I’m really enjoying the course I’m taking from Yale University right now. It’s one of the best ones I’ve taken in a long time. This week the discussion has centered around experiences versus things and how they affect happiness. Some interesting strategies have been presented and I’ve already been implementing some of them. The weekly assignments are challenging and I actually look forward to the hours I spend both inside and outside of class while taking this course.

Buen Fin is this weekend in Mexico. It’s a time when I avoid the stores. There are way too many people cramming the aisles in search of bargains. This is Mexico’s version of Black Friday. I’m not interested in fighting crowds when I shop. I much prefer a more leisurely experience. Yes. I know. I can shop online. But I’m old school. I still prefer the hands on and in person experience. And that is why it took me two years to replace my laptop that bit the dust when Covid first hit.

Monday is also Revolution Day here in Mexico. It’s actually a government holiday and not a religious one. Although the date is really November 20th, it’s being celebrated on Monday the 21st to make it a long weekend. Mexicans are big on their history. In my teaching days my students would always have essays to write about this day. Diaz had been president for thirty-five years. In the presidential election of 1910, a wealthy landowner named Madero opposed Diaz. Diaz had Madero thrown in jail. However Madero escaped from jail and issued the Plan of San Luis Potosi, declaring himself as president and nullifying the election. Madero encouraged Mexicans to rise up against Diaz. This was the start of the Mexican Revolution.

Other news here in Aguascalientes this week. A helicopter crashed in Jesus Maria killing five people. Luckily the pilot was able to bring it down in a vacant lot. However the state security minister was one of the five who died. This tragedy is on the heels of a Pemex oil truck that failed to beat the train. After the train hit the truck, it wound up crashing into an overpass destroying a major traffic artery in the city, as well as setting several homes on fire.

Choose experiences over things. Share them with others. Watch your happiness soar.

Have a great Sunday!

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