Tag Archives: Mexico

Jan22

Everything Is On Fire This Week

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Everything Is On Fire This Week

It all began on Monday with the inauguration of Donald Trump. And that has got my Mexican neighbors all fired up, not to mention all the Canadians and residents of other countries around the world.

Then there’s the other fires – the wildfires in California. Today I watched videos of brushfires surrounding the Fashion Valley Mall and Mission Valley Mall in San Diego. Those were two of my favorite malls when I was there.

Friends are asking me if I’m researching flights back to Washington yet. A lot can happen between now and May. Will LAX even be there? The winds around LA are kicking up again.

And now I’ll add something that will fire up my American friends. I renewed my Mexican Costco membership for a mere 529 pesos ($25 US). And yes, I use it in the USA and Canada.

All this fire and it’s only Wednesday.

Jan16

Plans For A Crazy Day

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Plans For A Crazy Day

Today is one of those crazy days. My mind keeps wandering as I’m trying to focus on my writing. I’m working on the Epilogue now. And things haven’t exactly turned out the way I’d anticipated when I’d first started writing this book. And that’s okay. Plans don’t always work out.

Plans. My thoughts drift to the sermon the pastor gave last Sunday. It was all about plans and God’s plans for us. And I sometimes wonder about that. Why did I wind up in Aguascalientes? No ocean here. I don’t hang out with gringos. The art galleries and museums are nothing compared with those in Guadalajara. And then there’s Washington state. I keep being drawn back there. The lure of the mountains and life in the USA.

Yes. Life in the USA. I grew up hearing about how we were so lucky to be living in Canada. Such a great country. The way things are going right now, I don’t think it’s such a great country. Despite the political divide, I prefer my life in the USA. The big drawback to me is that my kids still live in Canada and don’t want to visit me in Washington or Mexico.

Back to plans. My TV has been doing weird things like freezing and no volume and no nothing today. So there goes that plan of watching a movie in Spanish in an attempt to improve my skills in that language. But I have been doing some texting in Spanish today so that helps.

Speaking of today, I had planned on going to the tianguis on my street today. But it’s almost 2:30 and I’ve missed it once again. Oh well, there’s always next week. And I really should take some pics.

Pics. I’m slowly but surely organizing all the pics I scanned when I was in Winnipeg last summer. My son has promised to send me a link so that I can share a few thousand with him.

My son. The other night I missed a video call from my daughter in Kelowna as I was doing a course online at that time. When I called her back, to my surprise my son and his girlfriend were there visiting from Winnipeg. My kids don’t exactly keep me updated on their travels. But it was so great to do a video call and see them all together. Only wish I could’ve been there with them.

Of course that was another long ago plan that never happened. My kids and I all living in the same city and seeing each other all the time. That was the way I grew up. But someone up above had a different plan for me.

Back to my plan for today. Back to my Epilogue. And I’m listening to The Rolling Stones in the background.

What’s your plan for today? And how is it working out for you?

Jan12

What Snack Would You Eat Right Now?

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What Snack Would You Eat Right Now?

This prompt works for me today. As I write this, the wind is howling, the rain is falling and the temperature is far below normal for this time of year. No. I’m not in Washington. I’m in Mexico. And I am about to have a snack.

The water is heating in the microwave for my cocoa. And the bag of popcorn is next in line for the microwave. This is definitely not my usual afternoon snack here in Mexico.

Usual snacks include guacamole, fruit or veggies. Some flavor of an electrolyte drink is also common, or a Coke or a beer. But it’s not usually anything hot.

I’ve also been drinking a lot of herbal tea in the past few days. Yes, it’s been that cold here. Mid 60s instead of mid 70s. But I can hear my friends up north chiding me as they are submerged in snow, so I’ll stop complaining.

And now it’s time for my snack………

Daily writing prompt
What snack would you eat right now?
View all responses
Jan2

King’s Day……Dia de Reyes

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King’s Day……Dia de Reyes

A 4.7 earthquake in San Francisco. A vehicle exploding in Las Vegas. A terrorist killing and injuring many after recklessly plowing into a crowd of revelers. And it’s only January 2nd! And that’s only in the USA! Crazy things have been happening all over the world.

Here in Aguascalientes it’s peaceful. The only loud noise was the fireworks in the sky at midnight on New Years Eve. And life is pretty much back to normal as the holidays are almost over. Yes, almost over. The kids are still out of school until after King’s Day.

King’s Day? What is that? The first thing to know is that King’s Day is celebrated on January 6th. It is also known as Three Kings Day or Epiphany.

This is a Christian holiday commemorating the day the Three Wisemen arrived to present their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the baby Jesus. These were expensive gifts given predominantly to royalty. It also emphasizes the importance of the birth of baby Jesus.

Here in Mexico, King’s Day is known as Dia de Reyes. Traditionally, this is the day when children receive gifts and treats. Another tradition is the Rosca de Reyes, a special wreath-shaped bread adorned with fruit and nut decorations. Inside are hidden baby Jesus figurines. Whoever finds the figurine brings the tamales for the party on Candlemas, February 2.

Another tradition in Mexico is that all Christmas decorations remain on display until Dia de Reyes.

So amid all the chaos in the world today, King’s Day is definitely a much needed cause for celebration in 2025.

Dec31

Adios 2024 Bienvenido 2025

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Adios 2024 Bienvenido 2025

This will be my last post for 2024. Was it just yesterday I wrote my first post of the year? It seems like the older I get the faster the time flies by. And it scares me when I hear people decades younger remark about the very same thing. Just wait til you get to be my age!

I hope you enjoyed the post I shared again about some of the New Years Traditions here in Mexico. I originally published it back in 2022.

It’s a balmy 76 degrees here although it feels warmer with the bright sunlight. I have welcomed in the new year from somewhere in Mexico for the past fifteen years except for the one year I was in Washington during Covid. And I will take the heat over cold and snow anyday.

To all my readers, I thank you for your support. I wish you all the best in the year 2025. Here’s to a year of Health and Happiness for all!

Dec17

Posada

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Posada

The word “posada” means “inn.” Posadas are generally held from December 16th-24th. Although posadas have become synonymous with parties, the roots are religious ones. They commemorate the journey to Bethlehem by Joseph and Mary. Back in the 16th century, Augustinian missionaries introduced these searches for shelter in order to teach the Nativity story and to replace other pagan rituals. In the end, the innkeeper lets the pilgrims in and there is a celebration.

I’ve lived in different places in Mexico and have seen different celebrations.

One of the most memorable was in San Ciro. There was a procession down the main street of this small town that included Mary riding on a donkey. The procession culminated at the Catholic church where children sang and danced before smashing open a pinata.

In Culiacan the school held a dinner party for the staff. The tradition of singing and looking for shelter before the birth of Jesus was a big part of the celebration. And of course we adults got to break open a pinata.

Here in Aguascalientes I’ve seen groups of people singing out on the streets going from door to door in search of shelter, just as Joseph and Mary did.

In Tlaquepaque I was invited to a house party the first year I was there. I need to clarify here that house parties rarely began before eleven at night and usually ended at around seven in the morning. That year I only lasted until five. In the years following I made sure I had a long siesta before the party.

The schools where I taught had posadas for the students. The pinatas were always the highlights. The seven points represent the seven deadly sins. When the pinatas are broken open, the candy that falls out represents the faith that good things follow when evil is conquered.

Aside from the candy that falls from the pinata, a celebration would not be complete without food. The traditional drink is ponche (a warm fruit punch often spiked with tequila.) Tamales ( filled corn husks) are the main course and bunuelos ( a fried pastry) are a typical dessert.

Oh oh! I have a new neighbor two doors down and she makes bunuelos!

Dec9

My Writing Goals For 2025

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My Writing Goals For 2025

It’s almost the end of December and that means 2024 is almost over. It’s time to set some goals for next year. I don’t do resolutions. I do goals. They’re more meaningful to me and I’m more likely to strive to achieve them.

First and foremost are my writing goals. When I’m here in Mexico, I have more time to write. More importantly I have more time to write without interruption. This means I sometimes boot up my laptop at midnight and write for a few hours. Breakfast can sometimes be at two in the afternoon or later. My time is my own.

I’ll start with the novel I’m writing. It’s actually turning into a trilogy. While there is some fine tuning I still have to do on all three parts, I’m into the homestretch now. My goal is to have this ready for publishing in the spring when I return up north. Then I need to decide which country to publish it in. My first two books were published in the USA but now I’m leaning towards having the next one published in Canada.

WordPress is presenting its annual bloganuary again this year. I’m going to attempt it. This means a writing prompt a day for thirty-one days. I won’t post all of them to my blog, but I do intend to post a few of the more interesting ones. Sometimes these writing prompts can be quite bizarre.

Another goal I have is to write in Spanish. Until now I have primarily been writing in English. My writing in Spanish tends to be on What’s App, Facebook and texts. While my main focus in Spanish has always been in speaking, I want to do some writing to improve my grammar rather than merely the exercises on Duolingo.

And when I’m not writing, I still have all those pics I scanned last summer that need to be organized………….

Dec3

Poinsettia

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Poinsettia

As I was scrolling through my newsfeed this morning, I found an article that was a refreshing change from politics and war. It was about the poinsettia and the story behind it. When I lived in Tlaquepaque, a school where I taught actually had a poinsettia tree growing out in the courtyard.

The poinsettia has its roots in Mexican culture, dating back to when the Aztecs used the red leaves to make dye and medicine for fevers.

Legend has it that this plant first bloomed after a battle near Taxco between Montezuma and the Chontales tribe. Apparently the Chontales were reluctant to pay their taxes. When the battle ended, the road to Taxco was a bloody one covered with dead warriors. Red flowers amazingly bloomed. The Aztecs believed that these flowers were sacred and that the souls of the dead returned as hummingbirds to drink from the petals.

There is another Mexican legend regarding poinsettias. Two very poor children wanted to bring a gift to Baby Jesus for the Christmas Eve service. But they had no money. An angel appeared and told them to pick some weeds and put them next to the Baby Jesus. They did and the weeds became beautiful red poinsettias.

Franciscan friars used poinsettias in their Christmas celebrations. They believed that the star-shaped leaves signified the Star of Bethlehem and that the red color was a reminder of Christ’s sacrifice.

How did the poinsettia arrive in the United States? Joel Poinsett was the first American ambassador to Mexico. He adored these beautiful flowers and in 1825 brought them to the USA. Hence the name poinsettia.

Poinsettias are synonymous with Christmas all around the globe. While the most popular color is red, there are also varieties in pink, white and yellow as well.

I recall buying poinsettia plants when I lived in Canada. They were always red and I was never successful in keeping them alive for more than a few weeks after Christmas. I kept them indoors due to the frigid temperatures outside, but obviously they thrive better outdoors in a warmer climate.

Nov26

A Different Pet Story

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A Different Pet Story

Where I’m from in Canada, people have some pretty standard pets. Dogs, cats, birds, fish, hamsters, turtles. It’s much the same in the USA but a little different here in Mexico. Iguanas, tarantulas and piranhas are just a few of the more common and unusual pets.

The other day I was having lunch with some of my Mexican friends here in Aguascalientes. Victor shared this story about a pet with me.

Victor was babysitting a pet for his nephew who was away. Unfortunately this pet passed away. Victor buried it out in the garden. Victor thought about replacing this pet but was unable to do so. It turns out that the pet in question was a porcupine.

I don’t know about you, but I have never heard of a pet porcupine before. And I don’t think a porcupine would be my first choice.

I’ll leave you to ponder that one.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Nov15

Hola de Aguascalientes

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Hola de Aguascalientes

Three flights and a bus trip. Every time I vow that it’s too exhausting I somehow do it again. And a big thank you to Alaska Airlines for bumping me up to First Class on number three. You’re my favorite airline.

Day four and I’m finally unpacked. I did it gradually this year instead of in a one day marathon. I didn’t have the energy or the inclination to do it any faster. I was also alternating trips to the corner tienda to stock my fridge and pick up other miscellaneous items.

The tienguis on Thursday was larger than the one when I left last spring. I think everyone is gearing up for Christmas here just like they’re doing up north. Of course the temperature was 84 degrees instead of the 44 when I left Wenatchee. The dreary rain has been replaced by brilliant sunshine.

Two new items in my room this year. Raul built me a desk. It’s much more comfortable than sitting in bed with my laptop. He also bought me a new microwave. I’m busy reading the manual in an attempt to improve my Spanish. That is huge. Those of you who know me are aware that I never read manuals.

I also started doing Duolingo again. After several months away, I need all the practice I can get, especially when it comes to grammar.

I watched a movie in Spanish this morning. My goal is to watch at least three a week. I don’t watch TV in English while I’m here and I don’t use subtitles when I watch movies in Spanish.

The two hour time difference was most welcome as it gave me a chance to get some badly needed sleep when I arrived. Of course it also means that I have to remember who is on which time zone now when I call my friends. Sorry about those 5 am texts some of you received the other day. It will get better.

I haven’t activated my Mexican number yet as I’ve decided to keep my American one. It’s a pain every spring when I return to Washington and have to get a new number. And I will get that Mexican chip going soon. It just isn’t a priority. There are people to see and places to go and that come first.

On Monday we have a holiday here – Revolution Day. And it’s also Buen Fin, the Mexican equivalent of Black Friday. The fun goes all weekend.

Speaking of weekends, have a good one!