Tag Archives: weather

Nov14

November 13

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November 13

Yesterday was quite an interesting Friday the 13th. I gave up being superstitious years ago and decided to do some touristy things in Summerland.

My first stop was the library. I showed my new local ID (driver’s license and health card) and now have a library card to add to my collection. But I miss my Cashmere Library and its small town feel.

From there I wandered down to the Museum. Once again it made me think of Washington, this time Wenatchee. Exhibits on the main floor and a model railroad on the second floor.

Despite the fact that it was a dreary cloudy day for a change, I opted to sit outside at the park for a while. Children from a nearby daycare were happily playing on a climbing apparatus. A man was throwing a stick which his dog happily retrieved over and over again. I chatted briefly with a woman walking her dog.

I thought of my brother yesterday. Earlier in the week he’d messaged me that the house we’d grown up in was now on the market. And he had arranged a viewing. I haven’t heard back from him yet. We grew up in that home together, but I’m sure we have very different memories of our childhood.

And then I opened the breaking news report. A complete ground stop in the USA. The airlines and the airports have been deluged with problems for a while now, but this is different. And I wonder if we will ever learn the truth behind the ground stop and not just what the government wants us to hear.

I went to a Christmas Craft Fair this morning for the first time in over a decade. In Mexico I usually enjoy strolling through the street markets at this time of year. But I was glad we were indoors today. My body is still screaming at me to go somewhere warm.

The sun is actually peaking through the clouds today. It was too cold for coffee on the deck this morning, but perhaps an herbal tea before the sun hides behind Giants Head Mountain.

Have a great weekend!

Oct30

Friday Feelings

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Friday Feelings

October ends tomorrow. That means it’s Halloween tomorrow night. In 2016 I volunteered at Light The Night at a church in Leavenworth, Washington. After that it’s become a blur of Dia De Los Muertos. It seems strange not to be wandering down to El Centro in Aguascalientes to admire the Catrinas and the Alters. And Summerland sure doesn’t decorate the way Cashmere does for Halloween.

I was perusing my morning newsfeeds and emails while listening to The Monkees on Spotify. Really? Bubble Gum music from the sixties? It was what I was in the mood for. But don’t worry. Once I get down to my WIP the music will change.

While it’s not raining or hailing today, it’s too cold to sit out on the deck sipping coffee. Makes me wonder what I’m in store for this winter. Last time I experienced a Canadian winter was back in 2009. So please keep me in your prayers.

Speaking of prayers, I am so grateful for Zoom so that I can participate in a women’s Bible Study. I’ve been in this one for almost five years and the other ladies have become good friends although we only occasionally meet up in person. We’re all a great source of support for each other and I look forward to Tuesday mornings.

And speaking of mornings, my driver picked me up at 9 am yesterday to go grocery shopping. Those of you who know me are well aware that I am not a morning person. While I am usually up early, I don’t like to venture out until the afternoon. So my act of defiance was to sleep in until 10 this morning.

It’s now after 1 and time to dive into my WIP. The outline is just about complete although I may still add a twist or two. Writing fiction is just too much fun!

Whatever you’re celebrating this weekend, enjoy and stay safe!

Oct14

It Was Supposed To Be Only Once

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It Was Supposed To Be Only Once

I left Winnipeg in 2010 to teach English in Mexico for one year. ONE year.

In 2016 I flew to Seattle from Mazatlan to visit a friend in Leavenworth. ONE visit.

I guess ONE just isn’t in my vocabulary. At least not yet. Mexico has been home for sixteen years and Washington State has been home for ten years.

And now I’m in Summerland, BC, Canada. ONE winter.

My body is screaming at me, “You idiot! So what if there are hurricanes? You should be packed and on your way back to Mexico for the winter.”

And my mind is protesting too. “You missed all those gorgeous leaves in Leavenworth! And what about your tree in Cashmere?”

That requires a little explanation. I’ve been photographing a red maple tree in Cashmere since 2016. I’m not there so my friends are visiting my tree and taking pics. Ann has been there twice already and she dragged Connie along with her the other day. They both live in Leavenworth. They tell me the tree isn’t doing so well. Does it miss me too?

But I’m adapting to life in Canada. The atmosphere here is certainly different than in Washington State or in Mexico. And I’m not referring to air quality.

This past weekend we celebrated Thanksgiving in Canada. The people I rent from are amazing and included me in their family holiday dinner. What a memorable time! Dinner on the beach with wonderful people and great food. I am truly thankful.

So while I am slowly assimilating into the Canadian way of life again, I am thankful for Zoom and video calls. That still keeps one foot in my two other countries.

Happy Humpday!

May29

Birthdays

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Birthdays

A few months ago my friend Joanne had her 79th birthday. She commented to me that she was now celebrating her 80th year. A few days ago I turned 74. And she reminded me that I was now celebrating my 75th year.

The celebrations actually began two days before my actual birthday. A friend took me out for lunch that day. And my life group celebrated members with May birthdays, where I helped blow out candles on a cake with three others. And then the day before my birthday my granddaughter surprised me with a video call.

And then there was the actual day. I went to a movie with a friend in the afternoon and then went out for dinner with other friends that night.

I’ve celebrated birthdays in several places in the last few years; Culiacan, Mazatlan, Tlaquepaque, Aguascalientes, Leavenworth and East Wenatchee to name only a few. But the most memorable ones were the days when my kids were young and we were all together. These are far more memorable than my own birthdays as a child.

So what else have I been doing since I’m back? Mostly spending time with friends I haven’t seen in seven months. And I’m back volunteering. Then there’s writers group and book club. I’m back at church and I also attended a Memorial Day service. It goes without saying that I’ve been enjoying the warm weather here after freezing in Winnipeg for a month.

This weekend is going to be more of a musical one. But more about that in my next post.

Have a great weekend!

May8

Still in Winnipeg

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Still in Winnipeg

May 8. Still here. It’s been 3 weeks and I accomplished my goal of publishing a book. A bonus was seeing my son and visiting with friends. A minus was the cold weather along with flurries.

This morning my brother came over and I was able to share some of the 2000 photos I scanned a couple of years ago. Thank you external hard drives!

Yesterday I went to a luncheon with 30 plus other women. Years ago when I taught water aerobics at the YMCA we used to go out for coffee after. They now have monthly luncheons and I’m actually in Winnipeg and was able to attend. I haven’t seen most of these women since I left in 2010, so it was nice to get together. And of course there were several new faces too.

Last night Donna and I went to a concert by the St. James Divisional Youth Choir. Students ranged in age from elementary to high school. It was delightful! Some really powerful voices in this group.

The rest of my time here is going to be a blur of goodbyes until I fly to Seattle on Tuesday. I’m especially looking forward to seeing my son on Mother’s Day.

Once I get back to Washington, I’ll write a post about the book I just published.

Apr24

It’s About Time!

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It’s About Time!

Okay. I’ve had more than a two week break from posting. Time to write again.

I’ve been in Winnipeg for over a week. Bus trip to Puerto Vallarta went smoothly; missed the farmers’ blockades. And my WestJet flight actually went and was a direct flight as promised. No snow on the ground when we landed. But the following morning there was snow on the ground and it was cold. But I’m tough. Off I went to the hairdresser on Friday so I could feel human again.

The highlight of my visit has been seeing my son. An accountant, he is up to his eyeballs in work until April 30th. I did not expect to see him until sometime in May. However my amazing friend Donna insisted that we stop by his office anyways. His firm moved since I was last in Winnipeg. Their new offices were a mere 3 blocks away from the hairdresser. But it was after 5 and the elevator and stairwells were locked off. I was disappointed, but as usual when life throws me curve balls, I shrug it off and deal with it.

On Monday Donna was moving me from her place to my friend Rita’s. We made a detour to Kyle’s office. And I got to see him!!!! He gave me a tour of the new offices which occupy the entire third floor of the building. I was most impressed with the size and the numerous windows in his own personal office. Did I feel guilty about disturbing him at work? Nope! I haven’t seen him in 2 years. And I have to add that I love him and am so incredibly proud of him.

It’s now Friday and I’m pet sitting. Rita is in Toronto this weekend visiting her kids. As I look out the window at the gloomy sky, I wonder if the snow will return this weekend as forecasted. The temperature has already plummeted. 75 yesterday and only 48 today.

Time for some herbal tea. If I were still in Mexico I’d be drinking Suerox.

Mar19

Changes

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Changes

It was a tough decision to figure out where to go this spring. It usually isn’t. And it’s never easy to say goodbye to people either. But it is that time of year again. So I booked a flight and I know where I’m going. The big unknown is how long I’ll be there. And where I’ll be going after.

I don’t enjoy traveling anymore. And this year especially I’m glad I won’t be traveling during spring break. I made that mistake a few years ago long before TSA agents were going without pay, and it was crazy enough back then. The photos I’ve seen of airports today are unnerving. They’re like scenes out of a bad movie. Cancellations due to inclement weather only add to the chaos.

I’m also contemplating taking a break from social media for a while. I keep getting bombarded with questions. When are you leaving? Where are you going? How long will you be gone? When will I see you again? And of course that gets me thinking at how reliant I’ve become on social media. And that’s probably not a good thing. It’s far too easy to text than to talk. But at least I text a fair amount in Spanish so that’s a plus.

I’ve seriously down-sized my newsfeeds. I’m beginning to understand why my parents never wanted me to watch the newscasts on TV when I was a child. And I’m thankful that my kids are grown and adults now. I sure wouldn’t want to be raising kids in today’s world. As a child my biggest worry back then was if we were going to have a fire drill at school with snow on the ground. And the only snow day I recall was the blizzard in 1966 that crippled the entire city of Winnipeg.

I wonder what the history books will say years from now. Will there even be books as we know them? Or will they be digital? What will classrooms look like? Better yet, will there even be classrooms? As it is, I take a fair number of courses online and I listen to audiobooks.

Change is why my life is far from boring and doesn’t lack for adventure. I may be a Boomer, but I don’t live there now.

Mar4

Stuck In My Head

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Stuck In My Head

Good afternoon! It’s a balmy 80 degrees headed for a high of 85 degrees today. And I’ve had this song stuck in my head since I got up early this morning. The Lonely Goatherd. It’s from The sound of Music, a delightful musical I see every summer up in the hills at the amphitheater in Leavenworth.

I had planned on walking down to the pharmacy, but we know what Robbie Burns says about plans. So I’ll leave that task for another day. Besides, I have a Bible Study this afternoon and a student coming after that. But I am going to walk down to the chicken rosticeria in a few minutes before it gets too hot.

The above was on Monday. And it’s now Wednesday, Humpday.

Monday night there was a Shelter In Place. No. Not here in Aguascalientes. Not even in Mexico. This one was back in East Wenatchee, Washington in my neighborhood.

Last night was Conversation Club. This is a group I facilitate for adults who want to improve their English skills. We meet at 5 pm Mexican time and are usually done by 6:30 or 7 at the latest. But last night we went for almost 5 hours! It was really amazing and most gratifying for me. Topics of conversation ranged from bereavement to broken bones to health insurance to music to cruising to meditation and more.

My order for capirotada was just confirmed on What’s App. I can’t wait until she brings it on Friday! Up north my favorite bread pudding usually has pecans and a caramel sauce. But down here the Mexican version available during Lent is my favorite.

Tomorrow is Thursday and that means there is a tianguis on my street. I will go in search of pineapple, watermelon and other fruit. And of course I will browse through the clothes, knick-knacks, jewelry and other miscellaneous items.

I registered for another online program with NCW. This one is related to Women’s History Month. And this coming Sunday does mark International Women’s Day.

I’ve been reading about the controversy in Canada right now about changing the clocks in spring and fall. We don’t change the clocks here in Mexico. That makes it less confusing. I hope Canada does away with it too.

How is your humpday going?

Feb1

It’s Been A While

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It’s Been A While

Yes. I’m still here. I know it’s been quite a while since I’ve posted. The truth is that I haven’t been inspired. No. It’s not writers block. It’s completely different. I’ve still been working on my WIP. My characters are still talking to me. Actually, I think it’s the world. The uncertainty. The tension. The chaos. There’s no escape.

In my newsfeed this morning I was reading about the protests in Puerto Vallarta. The locals are demonstrating regarding injustice for a change. Apparently it now takes hours instead of minutes to access the airport, if you are able to at all. Tons of complaints about people missing their flights.

The situation in Sinaloa is worse. The government is now deploying even more troops to Culiacan in a feeble attempt to bring peace to the area. They’ve been unsuccessful so far and I doubt that this action will have much of an impact.

There are blizzards in Florida. Iguanas are falling out of trees. Other local wildlife are struggling for their lives in this rather unusual climate. Disney is closing rides involving water and reducing hours in the theme parks. There are a lot of red flags on the beaches.

And I won’t even touch on the political climate in Canada or the USA. Or anywhere else in the world, for that matter. It is what it is.

January was a great month for my Seahawks. They annihilated the 49ers and beat out the Rams in a close one. On to the Super Bowl next Sunday! Go Seahawks!

I’m looking forward to watching some of the Winter Olympics on TV. I wonder how you say “bobsledding” in Spanish.

I’m off to Wateke Weekend later this afternoon. I’m craving a Jumbo Dog smothered in onions and tomatoes and salsas. It will be a nice change from cochinita pibil.

Jan14

Brrrr. It’s Cold.

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Brrrr. It’s Cold.

Apparently we are in the midst of a cold snap here in Aguascalientes. This morning I went to Costco wearing a long-sleeve top and a hoodie. The temperature was a balmy 59 degrees. The expected high today is only 70. But I won’t complain. Besides, who would listen?

Costco. Such a different array of products on the shelves and in the freezers here. But I have a small fridge and no freezer. The container of cottage cheese and the carton of hard-boiled eggs take up an entire shelf. And I have to leave room for the cheddar cheese. Those are my staples here in Mexico and is why I have a Costco membership. These items are always available whereas they aren’t usually stocked at other grocery stores here in Aguascalientes and definitely not at my tiendita. The cost of a Costco membership here is also less than half of what it is in the USA and it’s valid in every country.

I’ve started thinking about flights. I plan to head north after Easter. Usually the only stress is how long a layover. But now we have atmospheric rivers and bomb cyclones to contend with. Will LAX even be around in April? At the moment the relationship between Mexico and the USA is a little on the unsettling side. So that’s another stressor. And then there is the where should I go and where will I stay issue. However, seeing as this is all pretty much not in my control, I’m going to be mindful and enjoy my time in the sunshine.

Speaking of being mindful, I registered for a series of programs on Zoom offered by North Central Washington Libraries on this very topic. And my Sage Hills group began a Bible Study this month on Revelation. I also read books online on Libby. I’m so very thankful for the Internet.

The Wateke Weekends have begun again after the holidays. I was delighted to find those amazing cinnamon rolls again. This time I passed on the peanut butter and chocolate frostings and went for the cream cheese. Delicious!

Tomorrow is the tianguis on my street. I’m looking forward to buying some fresh fruit to go along with the cottage cheese. I’m still on the hunt for celery. I’ve only seen it once at the tianguis and Costco didn’t even have it today.

Conversation Club starts up again next week. We’ve had a long break and I hope the participants haven’t forgotten all their English. While it’s easy for me to practice my Spanish everywhere, opportunities to speak English are quite limited here.

I’ll close with this. Today is Wednesday. It’s also Humpday. And it’s the middle of the week. Monday and Tuesday we are climbing. We get to Wednesday and then begin the slide down to the weekend.

WTF? Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. So get your minds out of the gutter.

Have a great day!