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Nancy & Paul

Paul and I are excited about our son Adam and his wife Martha making us grandparents of a little girl this coming January!

We have known for a while about their wonderful news, but I hesitated to share it with you until I had asked them if it would be all right. I'm glad I waited, because just yesterday they called with the news that their latest test changed the boy they had been expecting...to a girl.

It's funny. They liked lots of girl names, but had only a couple boy names. And we had always felt that if they ever had a child, it would be a girl. So it had felt a little strange when we thought that it was a boy, the girl-thing felt so strong.

Throws me for a loop, though, since I bought yarn when I went to the US in July to make a blanket for him....in blue and white! Yarn is hard to find around here so I need to put my thinking cap to get something appropriate that isn't blue. (Does anyone know of a nice yarn store in Mexico???)

Since we're so far away from our grandkids up North right now, it will be great to have them just an hour away by air in Mexico City. I'll try hard not to be a nuisance, guys!

Adam and Martha are smart, hardworking, funny, love to read, love art, love to get dirty in the garden. They have a ton of varied interests and are always having people over, traveling somewhere, or have a new project going on. I believe that their child will be challenged daily with new ideas and that is what a child needs to develop to her full potential.

I think she already looks smart and beautiful.

It's going to seem strange to say this, but I can kind of get into being dripping wet a lot of the time.

I had read a post Jonna made a long time ago where she said she kind of got into the heat. I really couldn't understand it at the time, but now I can.

This morning I vacuumed the entire house. I came back from walking the dogs already pretty wet. Then the activity of vacuuming turned me into a faucet. I was dripping everywhere, and I mean everywhere! I was dripping on the floor and my clothes were soaked. The only thing I disliked was when it dripped into my eyes. My glasses had big drops on them.

Afterwards I took a shower and (of course) changed my clothes. A nice loose dress and long undies. For the rest of the day, depending on my activity level I was either dry or dripping. Or something in between.

We have air conditioning in the bedrooms and office and for an hour this afternoon I turned it on. But then it was time for a dog walk (they don't have a backyard anymore, after all!) and the dripping started again.

Later, I got sidetracked on the computer and forgot about shutting the blinds, and started dripping again! (Do you see I now have a menu bar underneath the header graphic at the top of the page?)

Then it was dinner time, and another walk, and I am still dripping even though we just turned on the air. Give me five minutes and I'll be nice and cool. Later, a nice cold shower, and bed.

It's just ordinary life here in Mexico these days. The humidity hasn't been too bad this summer so far, until yesterday. It just felt wet most of the day. I didn't eat or drink enough and had kind of a bad moment in the late afternoon but after a bunch of water, a smoothie, and a shower I was back to normal. You really need to pay attention to your body in the heat. I won't make that mistake again.

The men who have been working in our backyard worked throughout the whole day in the heat and humidity, breaking up concrete, mixing concrete and hauling sand and gravel in. I am amazed at how they can work. Truly, I was dripping all down my face, and neck, and back just sweeping the patio this morning!

Paul and I realized that even though we are by no means fluent in Spanish in our ordinary life we do just fine.

He went to the doctor yesterday about his hip and came back saying how much he loves the health care system here! He went to the doctor's office to make an appointment and was told the doctor could see him in a few minutes. The doctor wanted him to get an X-ray, and sent him to a clinic a block away, saying he should come back with the X-ray. He was in and out with his X-ray in just a few minutes. How often would that happen to you up North? The doctor thinks it's inflammation, so I went and got the injection for him and he'll run up to the clinic so they can give him the shot sometime today. Easy as pie. Hopefully he will be back to his old self soon.

Today I had to go to the farmacia for Paul's shot, and also the super medicine for Lucy. Over to the Mercado for Neem capsules for Lucy, too. Then to the eyeglass place because my glasses had a problem. Back to the farmacia.

So the thing that is kind of giving me a thrill is that I don't get apprehensive before I venture out anymore, and I don't rehearse what I am going to need to say. I just go and do my thing, my ordinary things, in Spanish.

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I said I'd give an update on the peace walk in Mazatlan....well, it's kind of a funny story. People were supposed to gather at the Fisherman's Monument at 5 pm, with the walk starting from there at 6 pm and heading towards the Plaza Republica.

So, Paul and I headed down to the Fisherman's Monument (maybe a mile) but no one was there at 6:05. We walked along Najera up to Serdan and walked along to Zaragoza (another mile I guess.) We didn't see anyone who looked like a marcher, so we were thinking it had been called off. No police, or leftover candle stubs or anything.

By now we were about to expire from the walking in pretty much the hottest part of the day so we stopped at a tienda and bought cokes. Sat in the park on Zaragoza and drank our cokes. Paul's hip has been bothering him lately and he decided he wasn't up to continuing over to the Plaza Republica to see what was up.

I regret we didn't go over there because as it turned out there were 2,500 people and they left EARLY, go figure. The local paper, the Noroeste, has a video of the march here. Live and learn.

As an aside, (two days after the peace march) this morning's paper reports that a young couple and their 5 year old son were shot in their car in Mazatlan yesterday. The child has survived so far. We assume it is drug related, with the story of white pickup trucks, black pickup trucks and a Hummer, but it is pretty unsettling.

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You can see from the picture above that the ginger is growing! I got inspired by LaGringa's post, and am looking forward to my very own ginger farm!

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While we are waiting for the permit from INAH, the historic preservation department, for permission to build the roof in the backyard, the guys are preparing to pour footings. They've cut out the cement where they need them and are putting all kinds of rebar, etc. there. They are going to pour the new slab over the existing, which will be the tiled area under the new roof. The rest of the concrete in the yard will be removed, but not right now. They can use the surface for mixing concrete, and since it is still rainy season keeping the slab until the last minute will prevent a muddy mess.

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Why does blogger put the picture every time at the top of the post?

If you switch from Compose Mode to Edit HTML Mode it adds weird div tags all over the place?

Why is it when I comment on some Blogger blogs you have a check box for receiving follow up comments by email and sometimes it doesn't?

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Paul and I read the Noroeste every morning without fail, our trusty dictionary by our side. Here's something we read in the paper and have been chuckling about. Maybe it is our "new word of the day?"

Two kids, aged ten and twelve, stole a car here in Mazatlan. Somehow they started it with a spoon, the paper says. Here's the funny part: "Los muchachitos iban zigzagueando por las calles, no sabían manejar bien, por eso los policías los vieron y es cuando les marcan el alto." So now our favorite word is zigzagueando!

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I have decided that it is high time for THE LATIN AMERICAN BLOGGER AWARDS! The winners below are only the first set of awards...no telling when the second Latin American Blogger Awards will be announced.

So, without further ado, here we go - in no particular order:

MOST BEAUTIFUL - I have read Heather in Paradise's post on beauty at least a dozen times, and every time I read it I want to thank her for it. Absolutely beautiful.

MOST AWFUL AND HEARTWARMING - Jennifer and Chuck in Mazatlán were robbed a while back, and her first post about what happened is wonderful. But the saga continued, and I marveled at their ability to stay sane throughout and how the whole thing ended up. There are five follow up posts that I recommend you read in this order - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. I think you'll agree about the awful and heartwarming award once you read them.

MOST FRIENDLY - Wayne in Isla Mujeres comments frequently and is a good friend to so many bloggers! He knocked himself out putting together the Blogger Meetup last April. I count him as a friend even though we haven't met - yet.

BEST DISCONTINUED BLOG - The Road to Merida is a wonderful blog (written by mom Andrea) of two months with her family living in Merida. She is funny, irreverent, and shares so much in a very intimate and disarming way.

MOST PERSONAL & VARIED - Jonna at Blah Blah Blah Ginger! writes about a multitude of interesting topics. From dogs & cats, to remodeling a house in Merida, to their condo on the beach in Akumal, to traveling, and RVs, painful dentistry, and much more. I couldn't figure out how to link to individual posts on her blog so you'll just have to go there and browse around!

MOST HILARIOUS - You need to read Elliott in Ajijic's post on her old life vs. her new life, especially if you used to work in an office. She is always hilarious!

MOST GUTSY - Cynthia and Mike moved from the Pacific Northwest to Mexico City to teach English. Along the way they had a multitude of challenges and setbacks - medical issues when they visited Mexico City, to disillusionment with the teaching arrangements once they got there. Not people to cave in when the going got tough, they regrouped, and with help of blogger Brenda and others, ended up in Guyamas, in a great living situation and with a teaching gig. You guys are gutsy and strong!

MOST INTERESTING - John lives in San Miguel de Allende. He gets around, though. Wherever he travels he posts wonderful in-depth accounting of the most interesting bits. His travels in Europe, Argentina, and around México are always - and I mean always - wonderful. I tried to pick out one post as a favorite, but I couldn't as they are always interesting, and accompanied by exquisite pictures as well.

MOST INTELLECTUAL, HIP & EDGY - Malcolm and Jillian of Dropped In have dropped out from blogging a little bit lately, but I am hoping they'll be back soon. They live at the beach in the Yucatan and look at the world from a fresh perspective. Unafraid and witty, they always make me think. And laugh. And wish I was in my 30's again. Read this post for sure, and check out the rest.

BEST PHOTOGRAPHY - Award goes to Billie in San Miguel de Allende. Her photographs are thought provoking and challenging without being sentimental or trite. I've loved being introduced to the Holga and have learned quite a lot about photography from her. Oh, as well as about Mexico, cooking, friendship, growing older, and much much more.

MOST RELIABLE - The Working Gringos at Yucatan Living have been one of my favorites for a long time. They have basically created a portal for information on Merida and the Yucatan - which sounds dry and businesslike - but oh, no, it isn't. From interviews with people living and working in the area, to excursions into the countryside, to restaurant reviews, and the details of building a house or getting your car licensed - there is something for everyone. Even if you don't live in the Yucatan.

So there you have it! The winners of the FIRST LATIN AMERICAN BLOGGERS AWARDS!

Mazatlán will be joining with 67 other cities around the country in a silent march this evening to show solidarity against rising crime levels.

Everyone will gather at 5 pm at the Fisherman's Monument to sing the national anthem. We will all be wearing white and carrying candles. The march will be silent, and will end at the Plazuela Republica.

It is the hope that this simultaneous march will send a message that the people of México are united in their desire for the end to violence and uncertainty.

If you're in Mazatlán or any of the other cities participating, we encourage you to participate. If your city doesn't have an organized walk, perhaps a candle in your front window at 6 pm Mexico City time would be a good alternative.

Last night's sunset was so beautiful! The rainy season really brings out a whole different look to the sky at night, and I like it.

Life has been quiet lately, both of us have felt a bit out of sorts. We're just so used to bopping around town alot and it is just too hot and steamy to do much walking during the day. Paul has been working a fair bit, too.

On top of that, the dogs got a touch of something and Lucy's ears got goopy again. More medicine and worries. If her ears aren't better this afternoon I will call the vet and get the stronger medicine for her. Floppy ear dogs have problems in the humidity here!

We've also had to cancel our planned week driving trip to Guadalajara, Morelia, and Patzcuaro. Our dogsitter had to cancel at the last minute and we just weren't able to fix things up with a substitute...especially with Lucy not being 100% well. We hope to reschedule it soon.

But the good news is that Monday they are going to start on the remodeling of the back yard. We have gone back and forth on what we want to do to the back yard - for a while we were thinking about a pool - but then we got a bid and had to rethink the plan. We are going to have a long roof put over the house side wall - constructed with salvaged ebony posts and salvaged vigas. We're going to use cement tile on the floor. The balance of the backyard will be grass and plants - our seriously pruned hibiscus and bouganvillia are thriving, and they, along with the palm and bamboo should provide a nice foundation for the rest of the plants. I know the dogs will welcome the grass and the cover from the roof will keep the house cool and give us a nice place to sit and rock in the shade.

Another great bit of news is that it seems pretty likely that we'll see our son and his family from Washington in November. I miss them all a lot so hearing that they're coming really made my day! Here's a picture of them taken at their other grandma's house this summer.

I've been on a roll lately (hmmm...a blogroll) finding people blogging about their lives in Mexico. Check them out:

Family moves to Merida - their ¡Vamanos! blog is about their life in Mérida. The whole family moved for Dad's work, and they expect to stay in Mexico until 2010.

Larry & Indra in Progreso write Yucatan Rebirth. They are almost done building their house, and their most recent post gives a nice tour of Progreso.

David Lida in Mexico City - Very interesting writer (of several books) His posts are always relevant and I have added one of his books to my Amazon wish list.

Mexico Bob lives and works in Irapuato. He seems like a very nice, genuine, intelligent person - and his posts are well written and interesting.

Our final link is to a page on Mexico Guru with a quiz that will help you decide where to retire in Mexico. Fun and harmless.

I told you all in a previous post that my career was in property management. One of the main things property managers do is to make sure the structure stays sound....protect the roof, keep water out, etc. But my work life was in the Pacific Northwest where wood is used for everything! It will rot if it gets wet! My new life with cement and tile is taking a bit of getting used to.

I get aggravated by bad planning. They do this a lot around here...the patio needed to have a lip at the doorway so the water will flow towards the drain - I get that part. But why not install the door so all the water that hits the door doesn't flow down and into the house?

I'm not satisfied piling towels where there are problems, so I had to figure out a work around. I took two of the metal seed guards from our bird cage and they keep 95% of the water outside where it belongs.

Our kitchen window is another case of bad planning somewhere in the last century. See the scupper (downspout thing) that dumps its water right on top of the window? Grrrr. So I took one of the plexiglass inserts to the seed guards and taped up the bottom of the window. As part of our backyard renovation we are going to have a long roof for this side of the house that will keep all three windows on this side nice and dry.

Here's another funny solution. Above our office, upstairs, there is a long wide window that I just love because it turns the stairwell into a chimney and evacuates the hot air nicely. But if it gets to raining hard the water will bounce up and in. I needed a way to be able to close them - fast - without running to the garage for the ladder. So, if you look carefully you'll see that each window has a piece of cord tied around the handle which are hanging down in the center of the doorway right now, since the windows are closed. Kind of dumb looking but it works! (It kind of reminds me of a contraption I built as a kid so I could turn the light switch off from my bed when I heard my mom coming...)

It has been raining a lot the last few days. We're ready for it to stop and give us a couple days to dry out, but really, we're not complaining. Everything is green, the streets are clean, and the dams are filling up. That's good.

Rainy season is in full swing here in Mazatlán. We've been trying to learn to read the sky to have some idea if rain will come, or not. It's a new vocabulary of clouds and air feel and what the birds are doing that we are trying to learn.

I'd been ready for the rainstorm Saturday night. All the windows were shut, a few things were moved out of the way that would get wet, and a couple of problem windows had towels at their base. When we got up Sunday it was still a bit drizzly, but it cleared up as the day went on, and turned into a beautiful evening.

This morning we had already let the dogs know we were heading out for a walk when all of a sudden it started raining. It's been raining for more than an hour now and I have no idea if it will stop shortly or not. Ni modo!

Below is a video from this morning of our cinnamon hummingbird having a bath in the rain. It is almost like having a pet bird - he is in our patio about 80% of the time, and he really does seem to chirp more when he sees us.

Paul and I have a thing for black dogs. Back in the US we even named our property Black Dog Farm. Lucy the lab mix was our first black dog. Here's Lucy with our second black dog, a Scottish Terrier, Angus. Angus died about a year before we moved, of cancer.

Angus did have a chance to meet Henry, though. Henry joined our pack when my boss and his family (after careful research and $750) decided (after 1 week) that they couldn't actually have a puppy.

Henry is a Schnauzer-Poodle mix. It is a designer breed called a Schnoodle. For most of his life, we have kept him trimmed like a schnauzer, (see previous post) but we decided to see if he wanted to try being a poodle for a while. It is hot here and he had some mats under his chin.



I think after the summer he'll go back to being a schnauzer again!

It is quite a thrill to hear a whistle at the front door and find the postman waiting with an unexpected box! Some of our family members sent us the most wonderful package, full of dog toys and gourmet jams and preserves.

We were also amazed that it got here in one week, but they did send it priority mail.

This was a real treat, and made us very happy. Now we had better go tell them how thrilled we are! You can tell Henry and Lucy are happy, can't you?

I am always on the lookout for interesting people blogging from Mexico. Here are a few I am adding to my blogroll:

Joy in Mexico City - Joy and her dog Charlie live in the Condesa neighborhood of Mexico City. I love her energy and writing style.

Paul in Merida - Paul writes Hammock Musings from Merida. He writes about everything from poetry to finances.

Allan and Matt in Playa del Carmen - These guys and their two dogs are enroute to Playa right now, moving from Boston. They are having fun so far - it should be interesting to follow along!

Toni in Walamo - Toni is a young Michigan woman who came to Walamo, a very small town outside Mazatlán, to teach English for the summer. She lived with a family and I really enjoyed her stories of small town life. She has headed home now so I won't add her to the blog roll but thought you might enjoy reading her blog.

Hot days change the way you think about food.

It started out kind of normally for me with an espresso and a piece of toast with peanut butter.

We went to Mega for groceries mid-morning. So, for lunch I had a croissant a la Mega and a bit of Watermelon-Jicama-Mint salad that I made with our newly purchased produce. And a bag of gomitas, courtesy of Grocery Shopping Day.

Dinner was a half of a cucumber and about 20 almonds. Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey ice cream for dessert...don't even ask what that cost, or how far it had to travel to get here!

Around nine this evening I made palomitas (popcorn) popped on the stove, in oil, with red pepper flakes added to the oil. And a glass of wine.

A weird food day, but a good day!

Here's a picture of my new friend. I believe it is a Cinnamon hummingbird (Amazilla rutila). He has decided that he owns our feeder, us, and our patio. If another bird comes while he is here, he chases them off and then immediately returns, making a little beeping sound that I have decided means "I'm back."

I don't understand why my wrists are the first place on my body to perspire when I start getting hot. Seems strange to me. (You can see a bit of my tattoo)

We've been watching the transformation of the building across from Shrimp Bucket on the malecon and now it seems the remodel of the new tourist office is complete. I'm not sure if it's open yet, but if not it is very close. One of the reasons they wanted this location is because there is parking nearby - we wonder what that will do to the group of about 8 men who run a car wash business using the parking there?

I bought a few new dog toys when I was up in the US last month. Henry likes the blue one best!

It's a beach day today...Paul needs a break - he worked about 40 hours this week, which is remarkably like actually working. The only difference is he doesn't have to go to meetings and he is usually sitting at his computer without a shirt on!

It is important to vote. If you're an American citizen living abroad, you need to take steps now to obtain an absentee ballot from your home state. (If you haven't already!) It really is easy. Just go to www.votefromabroad.org and follow the instructions.

I hope all of the American bloggers living outside the US will take the time to follow the link above to make sure their voice is heard.

Below is a short video (with Gwyneth Paltrow) encouraging voting from abroad created by Democrats Abroad.

Rainy season is thunder and lightning storm season here in Mazatlán. With most of the rain coming at night, that means most thunder and lightning comes at night.

I've been up this morning since 5 am. Lightning started flashing and I had forgotten to put the little folded cardboard shim in our bedroom window, so it was rattling. Then Henry got worried and jumped on the bed. I was awake so I decided to shut down our computers (we leave them on to combat the humidity) and let the dogs out before it started raining.

Of course we had been up late last night playing old Tom Waits music (New Coat of Paint, The Heart of Saturday Night, Ol' 55, The Ghost of Saturday Night), and talking while drinking wine (me) and tequila (Paul.) Way too late to be up at 5 am.

Then I made a cup of espresso, grabbed my knitting and went to sit on the couch in the office, which is the only furniture the dogs are allowed on. Henry trembled next to me, flinching at each flash of lightning. He is way worse when there is a lot of thunder, but there wasn't much this morning.

So, it's now 6:30 and I am tired. I know I can't go back to sleep, so I guess today will be a siesta day for me. How can I learn to sleep through these little storms? I just wish I wasn't such a light sleeper.