Tag Archives: East Wenatchee

Apr2

Shelter In Place

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Shelter In Place

Ominous words that are becoming all too common in our world today. It doesn’t matter where you live, you’ll probably hear the warning at some point.

January 2023. I delayed my trip to Culiacan due to Cartel activity and a shelter in place order. March 2023 less than a week after I returned to Washington, there was a shelter in place up the Chumstick. No Cartel here but apparently guns and shooters around.

This weekend in Chicago a different type of shelter in place. O’Hare and Midway are closed as tornados and other inclement weather plague the central USA. Hundreds of flights were cancelled and thousands of people sought shelter in the terminals. Hundreds were directed to the Tunnel of Lights.

Here in East Wenatchee the sky is clear and the sun is shining down as I write this. Granted the temperature isn’t what it was in Aguascalientes a week ago but there are no funnel clouds. And the white stuff has stayed far enough away on the mountaintops.

I’m sure if I were to check out other world news there would be other shelter in place warnings. But I think I’ve seen enough for one week. I’m going to focus on spending time with friends and maybe do a little more shopping. And I definitely need to get that American phone chip done this week at AT&T as well. Telcel switched me over to T Mobile, a carrier I dislike immensely.

Have A Great Sunday!

Mar29

Back In East Wenatchee

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Back In East Wenatchee

Alaska you are still my favorite airline. You got me and my bag here as scheduled. Connections went smoothly in Los Angeles and Seattle. The Guadalajara airport is a disaster during construction, but the Alaska staff were most attentive and welcoming. So three flights later I arrived back in Wenatchee. Christina picked me up at the airport and minutes later we were back at home.

The snow looks really pretty up in the mountains. And I hope it stays there. I was in Leavenworth on Monday and there are still mounds of snow around. It hasn’t been warm enough to melt all of it yet.

I’m all unpacked and my bedroom is organized. I can see the floor and suitcases are stacked in the closet. It was nice to find some warmer clothes. Washington isn’t Mexico.

Telcel switched me over to T Mobile and I’m not impressed. I have to get down to AT&T in the next few days and get an American chip put in my cellphone. I’m thinking about upgrading my phone as well. This one is past the two year mark so it’s time. I’m afraid I’ve become far too reliant on it.

Other than unpacking and doing laundry, I’ve been busy. Sunday morning at 9 am I went to Sage Hills with Steve and Pamela. It was great to be back at church live and in person instead of online. Of course it was a challenge to be up and out the door so early, something I never did even once when I was in Mexico this past winter.

Monday morning I went to Leavenworth for my 9 am hair appointment with Lisa at Shears. Yep. Two days in a row up and out the door early. Church on Sunday was just across the bridge in Wenatchee. Leavenworth is twenty miles away. But as any woman knows, that hair appointment is far too important and sacrifices must be made to get there on time.

Linda and I went to Gustav’s for lunch after. Then we started binge watching Daisy Jones And The Six. That will do nicely until Virgin River comes out with the new season.

I also squeezed in a quick trip to the East Wenatchee Valley Mall. Bath and Body Works was a must as I was out of absolutely everything. Pretty new packaging since I left last fall as well. And I did get to visit my tree in Cashmere.

By the way, the new puppy is adorable. Sarah is a golden retriever. To me this is a real dog compared to the seven chihuahuas who live here. Of course, she is quite mischievous and loves to chew lol.

Happy Humpday!

Feb26

I’m Just A Little On Edge

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I’m Just A Little On Edge

A month from today I’ll be back in East Wenatchee. I’ve warned everyone that they snow better be gone. I don’t expect it to be 85 like it is here, but I don’t want to see any of that white stuff either.

Charlotte arrived in Calgary the other day to -37 and her car buried under snow. Sharon arrived in Portland after a detour to Seattle because there was too much snow in Portland and the runways were a mess. In the news all I read about is the cold and snow up north and as ready as I am to head home, I don’t want to experience another winter up there.

Yesterday was Koal’s birthday. It’s hard to believe he’s been gone for over fourteen years. I would love to have a dog again but it’s bad enough that I deal with three different Immigrations every year and I can’t fathom doing it with an animal. Of course I do have seven chihuahuas waiting for me in Washington lol.

Today is Madeline’s fifth birthday. It seems like yesterday that I flew to Ontario when she was born. As I recall an ice storm greeted me there. Happy Birthday Madeline! Grandma loves you and we’ll party when I come to visit you in Kelowna this summer.

I’ve been on Zoom a lot this week. The Writer’s Workshop was most informative. The bible study I do with Church of the Rock focused on forgiveness this week, very thought provoking.

Of course in person is still better. I’m looking forward to the next SAIL training in April in Wenatchee. I really miss teaching those classes when I’m here in Mexico for the winter. It’s much more enjoyable to be with other people.

I’ve been listening to a lot of country music while I’ve been writing this week, mainly from the 60s and 70s. I alternate between Spotify, You Tube and of course Alexa. That genre seems to go well with the stage of my main character’s life right now. Of course it also inspired me to revamp the chapter I’m working on.

Have A Great Sunday!

Nov16

Buzz Words

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Buzz Words

The buzz words for this decade are “stay safe.” The ones I heard all the time in the last decade were “be aware.”

In Mexico I live alone, I take long walks alone and I often travel alone, very different from my life back in Washington. But in both places the above buzz words are always on my mind.

After having limited mobility prior to two knee replacement surgeries, I am extremely grateful to be able to take long walks every day. And I am very aware of my surroundings regardless of where I am. And I notice very different things.

Here in Aguascalientes, despite the fact that I live in a lower income neighborhood close to Centro (downtown), I am very comfortable walking the streets day and night. There are always people out walking. I’ve even grown accustomed to seeing young children out at night alone. Some of the shops have crazy hours too. There’s a dentist on my corner who is often there at ten at night. A hairdresser a block away is often cutting hair at midnight. Taco stands are open until the wee hours. And I think nothing of going out to the corner tienda at midnight if I crave a pinguino.

This past summer when I was in Winnipeg I stayed with a friend who lived downtown. Winnipeg can best be described as an urban reserve and is not a city I’d want to raise my kids in today. The downtown area is disgusting and filled with vacant office buildings. There is not a department store or a grocery store in sight. But the panhandlers are definitely out there in abundance. The streets are deserted at night except for the aboriginals who can be seen defecating or urinating on the sidewalks just as they do in the daytime.

When I walk in East Wenatchee I always see people out with their dogs. As I walk by the middle school I see kids out on the track. Further along by the high school I see the football team at practice. And of course there are always lovely gardens and trees as I stroll past the houses as I walk up and down the hills.

However in the blink of an eye things can change. I’ve had “interesting ” experiences in all three countries that I do not intend to ever write about. After all, we are never in control of everything.

Stay safe and be aware, wherever you are.

Apr3

Here And There

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Here And There

I’m sitting here sipping salted caramel tea as I write this. A nice change from the chamomile I drink in Aguascalientes. In the background The Rifleman fills the TV screen. I loved that show as a child and I still do. Not on any of the channels I watch in Mexico.

I enjoy my life where I’ve turned back into a snowbird. When I first arrived in Culiacan I met expats who had decided to revert back to the snowbird life. I didn’t understand it back then, but after living full time in Mexico for almost six years, I made that decision as well.

That was back in 2016 when I retired from teaching ESL. That was also when I discovered Washington state. My planned two week vacation turned into four months when the first snowfall finally chased me back to Mazatlan.

As I was eating a sourdough English muffin with marble cheese for breakfast, I found myself missing gorditas. Yes, that happens. The only Mexican food I eat up here is at Agave Azul in Cashmere. But marble cheese does not exist in Mexico.

I had lunch at Gustav’s with friends the other day. One of my rare red meat fixes. Although the burger was far superior, I found myself missing the country music at Country Break in Aguascalientes.

The mountains here in Washington never cease to amaze me. I see them out my bedroom window. I see them when I go out for walks. The view is magnificent on the drive from East Wenatchee along Highway 2 into Leavenworth.

The NCW Libraries features an abundance of programs and activities in addition to books and movies. I signed up for two of them this month that are offered on Zoom.

The museum in Wenatchee is another of my favorite places. The Martin Luther King Jr. Multicultural Fest is one of the featured events. There is also an art show going on with displays of art from local schools. I will have to check out what programs they are offering this month.

Yesterday Christina and I went out to garage sales and had a blast. We found lots of treasures. Brought back memories of another lifetime in Canada.

Here’s to a new month!

Mar30

Today Is Wednesday

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Today Is Wednesday

Four weeks ago yesterday I crossed the border at Nogales. I’m only allowed 180 days in this country and already 30 precious days have flown by.

I was talking to a friend in Winnipeg last night who asked me what I was planning to do when I got to Canada and how long I was going to stay. The painful truth is that I don’t even want to come to Canada. I come back to see my kids, my granddaughter, and the handful of close friends I keep in touch with. And of course I want to go to the cemetery in Winnipeg. But my life is here in Washington as well as in Mexico.

I’m settling in to life in East Wenatchee. I’ve never lived in Douglas County before. Always in Chelan County. The big difference I’ve noticed is that each county has its own judicial buildings.

While I still teach fitness classes in Leavenworth, I found a new life group from Sage Hills Church just down the street from where I live. And on April 1 the senior center in Wenatchee reopens so that will be an opportunity to meet people and perhaps even play bridge again.

I’m off shortly for a walk. I love watching the trees come to life in the spring. I took this photo of a tree down the street a couple of days ago when it was just beginning to bud.

I peeked out my window a few minutes ago and it’s now in full bloom. A new photo is definitely in order.

Have a great Wednesday!

Que tengas un buen miercoles!

Mar23

Yes I Moved Again

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Yes I Moved Again

Hopefully this is the last Washington move. One night in Seattle, two nights in Leavenworth, one week in Dryden, four nights in Peshastin and now I’m in East Wenatchee.

I’ve unpacked one of my two suitcases. I got here Sunday evening so that’s not bad. The other suitcase has things like pastels and water colors. No time for that yet.

I went into Leavenworth yesterday for a SAIL class. Higher up in the mountains so it’s cooler and there is still snow. I’ll be going into Leavenworth again on Thursday for another class.

We watched House of Gucci last night. I am so glad I watched it in English. Had I watched it in Spanish in Mexico I would have missed a lot of the little nuances. Great movie and I highly recommend it.

For all my hometown friends in Canada…..you are now two hours ahead of me. That means I won’t be calling as regularly as when I was in Aguascalientes in the same time zone. Apparently Washington has also decided to do away with the time change starting in the fall.

The featured photo is the view from my street. I just can’t get enough of these mountains. Living on the flat Canadian prairies for so many years will do that to you. The mountains in Queretero always remind me of the ones here in Washington.

Things are looking better for traveling to Canada this year. Doing away with Covid tests to enter the country is a start. And Amtrak is going to start running to Vancouver again.

My thought for Humpday: