Singing and Playing the BLUES!

The Blahs are gone!  The BLUES were here last night...............I mean they were all over the place - especially at Mc Gonigel's Mucky Duck in Houston.

The entertainment was Peter Case.  He is a piece of work.  A master guitarist.  An incredibly insightful songwriter and the best harmonica player this side of Jimmy Reed.  Lordy, it was hard not to jump up and dance around.  It was like I was back in the bayous of south Louisiana, where I grew up lo those many years ago.

It reminded me of being in one of those little divey places on a Sunday afternoon listening to whoever was the best at the time.  Often it was Ville Platte or Mamou or wherever............always, always great music.

Peter Case hit that chord in me last night!  I just kept saying, "Damn, damn, damn".  Bob was looking at me as though he had never seen me before.  (I rarely curse in others company).  It was THAT good.

Don't you just love when something unexpected takes you away from all your cares and woes and just moves you to another level of life?.  I sure do.  I was thrilled to have the experience.The music scene in Houston can be just unbelievable at times.

The night before there was free entertainment at the Duck.  We went.  It was so darn "same same" and so darn predictable that I could hardly wait for it to be over.

That sure wasn't the case last night.  Peter ended the night with Jimi Hendrix, Woody Guthrie and a few other epic performers from our past.

I truly did not want the night to end.  Gratefully I have a new Peter Case CD with some blues on it to tide me over til the next time.  I certainly hope there will be a next time.

It is hard for me to believe that until last February I had never heard of Ramblin' Jack, Chip Taylor, Tom Russell, Chris Smither, Dave Alvin, Rick Shea or Peter Case.  Each one in his own way has enriched my life with music unlike my usual tendencies.  I couldn't live without music.  Having grown up listening to blues, doo wop, and dancing to it all, it's a joy.  All kinds of music including classical, jazz and country. My affinity however goes back to my roots - and that is what all those musicians listed above play - roots music with a dose of blues from many of them.

I am one happy person today.

A Case of the Blahs!

I know it is the weather.  It has been raining since last Saturday!  This is Tuesday.  It's not supposed to be this way.

It is nearly death defying to get on the freeways in this kind of weather.  Yesterday I left Kingwood, a northern suburb of Houston to drive back on the freeway for another eye doctor appointment.  Woo hee, I was relieved to get off that freeway and still be alive.

It was raining hard but you would never have known it from the speed of the cars and the big semis going way over the speed limit.  I just kept hoping no one had to slam on their brakes as it would have been a disaster of epic proportions.

The latest on the eye fiasco is that the prescription for a new contact lens was incorrect.  Of course this is Thanksgiving week and the chance I'll have the new one before everything shuts down is slim, very slim, to none.  They said "Maybe".  I'm slightly bummed as I was ready to head home to San Miguel next Sunday.  Oh well..........

It is really interesting how clouds and rain zap me of all energy.  I have a list of things I want to get done but truly will have to force myself to get out in this weather today to accomplish anything.

Does rainy, cold weather do that to you?

Tomorrow I become a Grammy again and head back to Kingwood to cook Hannah's favorite birthday dinner including an angel food cake with whip cream frosting.  There's a story there.  It's a family tradition.  As I grew up, my mother always made one for me and my brother's birthday.  I, of course, did the same for my children.  However, I was truly surprised when Hannah said it is her favorite cake too and would I make that for her.  "Gladly", I said.  I'll head up tomorrow with Andrew's superman pajamas and Hannah's gifts.  Andrew doesn't read so I can say what I'm getting for him but Hannah does so I'm not divulging her gifts until she opens them.  They'll be 16.  Hard to believe.

Unfortunately I'm not cooking Thanksgiving dinner as other plans have been made.  It will be a different day but I'm open to see what it will be like to not be cooking all day........At least I'll be with family as even Jessica is coming home from college.  YEAH.  Four grandkids to snuggle with in front of the fireplace.

Tonight will be fun!  Going to brave the weather to get out with my friend Bob to hear Peter Case in concert at the Mucky Duck.  A great music place in Houston.  An intimate venue where you feel like you're in an English pub. It is the destination for many talented artists.

Since my posts have been sporadic on this trip, I'll wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving wherever you will be just in case I don't post again before the big day.

Hope the sun comes out soon to chase the blahhhhhhs away.

One thing after another and another and another.

In the interest of full disclosure, I must let you know that I am fine.  I'm not in San Miguel but all is well.  I've received phone calls, emails and Facebook messages asking if I'm okay after writing the post, "Should I, Shouldn't I" a week ago.

"Should I, Shouldn't I" had many layers to it.  About two months ago,  the eyesight in the only eye I can see out of began to diminish radically.  I was freaked out. I didn't say anything to anyone as I wanted to try to figure out what was happening.  I even thought perhaps I had put the wrong contact lense in my eye.  After assuring myself that that  wasn't the answer, I went to the eye doctor in San Miguel.

The good news was that it was NOT glaucoma, macular degeration, a detached retina or anything else I could think of.  He did say he saw a cataract starting to form and that my vision was now 20/60 and not the 20/20 that I had up until about September!  He said I might just have to live with that.  I'm so glad he said that cause I thought, "What, that can't be possible? I need a second opinion".  So I had that going on.

Then the engine light came on in the car. "Really?  What else?", I thought.  The trusty mechanic Luis thought and thought and said I needed to have it checked out in the US as he couldn't imagine how many parts I might need.  Lordy.

My granddaughter and grandson are turning 16 next week and I certainly didn't want to miss that event.

It's costly to drive up and back - about $500 USD.  There were other things happening as well and I just couldn't decide if I could go or not.

After writing the blog post, I was jostled to decide to drive up for all the above reasons and more.  I'm SO glad that I did! 

I arrived last Friday.  I've been to the eye doctor here who I have gone to for a number of years.  It was apparent to him and his partner that I have a cataract and it needs to be removed.  I can wait several months.  In the meantime, a new contact lens is being made to return my vision to 20/20 and that will eventually return to 20/60 and I'll have the surgery.

I've been to the car dealership where I paid for a diagnosis of the car.  Whew, car parts in the USA are so expensive.  I got a list of the parts.  I talked to the head of the Parts Dept who reassured me that I can drive the car back to San Miguel without mishap or further damage to the car.  Luis can get parts in the "after market" as they say, and fix the car down there for a fraction of the cost.

The birthday celebration happens next week.   I'm ready for that.

In addition, I've complete Christmas shopping for Sebastian and Matilda along with completing other things I needed to attend to.

Of course I packed all the wrong clothes.  As I arrived it was in the 80's and steadily escalated.  However in Houston one can just wait a bit and the weather will flip.  It's now cold and so the clothes I brought are fine.

I'm so relieved that I'm here.  That I've taken action to rectify things that needed to be attended to and that ultimately all will be well.

As I drove up, I came to the conclusion that this is probably my last time to drive up and back alone.
Not that anything happened, but it's just time.   If I can't find a rider, I won't come by car.

It's just too exhausting.  I don't know why.

I haven't been able to write before this as there was a snafu on the computer where I'm staying that prevented me from commenting or even posting a blog post.

Patience prevailed.  Hope you were patient and waited around to see what the                                   heck was going on!

Stay tuned.  More later.  Hopefully with photos!

Should I, Shouldn't I?

I'm a very decisive person.  You may have gathered that from reading the blog for a while.
However sometimes I just can't figure out what to do about a situation.

Living alone doesn't afford one the opportunity to turn to a partner and say, "What should I do?"
Sometimes, for me, another person's perception helps to clarify my quandary and lead to a decision.

Does that happen to you?

I'm in a place like that today.  Actually I've been going through it for a couple of days.  Not typical for me.  In fact, I've just about driven myself crazy trying to come to a decision, even if it isn't the right one.

Often I'll make a list of the pros and cons.  I did that.  They were even.  Oy vey.
So, here I sit, still undecided about what to do.

It is a VERY uncomfortable position for me.

How do you decide something when you can't make up your mind?

I need help!

Velcro............the Cat that Sticks to You!

In the world of catdom much is happening.  At least I discovered this yesterday while watching
CBS Sunday Morning.

There was a segment on cat videos.  A cat video convention or program of some kind in Minnesota. (I was doing other things as this segment was on the TV, so I missed some of the details).  The
fact that there was this event in Minnesota brought me back to sit and watch the segment.

It said that 13,000 people paid to watch cat videos and to judge the best one at which time a trophy was awarded to "Grumpy Cat"!

Now, if you haven't heard of Grumpy Cat don't feel left out.  I had never either.  It appears we are the only ones!  Grumpy Cat has "followers".  Grumpy Cat has an agent.  In addition, all kinds of merchandise for sale and I presume a website.  Grumpy Cat makes money due, in part, to the fact that he was born with his mouth turning down in a frown.

I'm NOT making this up.

So, it got me to thinking.   Hmmmm, what about Velcro's antics?  A cat sleeping?  Not interesting enough.  A cat leaping on my chest at nap time to sleep with me?  Nope.  A cat drinking water out of the sink?  Boring...........A cat bringing in dead creatures?  Well, if I amped that up to a scene of terror, mine, maybe so.

I've decided that Velcro, although a good cat, does not rate an agent nor would she make money for me.  That however is all right with me.

We have gone from cohabitation to actually connecting from time to time now.  It IS about time.
She has been a full-time, non-paying live-in for the last seven years.

And, she has brought many smiles to me and to others.

Saturday in Parque Juarez - San Miguel de Allende

It started with breakfast at Cafe Monet.  Me, my favorite oatmeal.  Sebastian, Matilda and their Dad, John, had eggs, bolillo's, pancakes, bacon and orange juice.  Oh my, what a feast!

Even though it was nippy early in the morning, around 50, off we trekked to Parque Juarez for a fun filled hour or so on the swings and slides.

Sebastian loves the swings.  The higher, the better.  He yells and giggles.  Matilda is the same way but not to the degree that Sebastian is.  I looked at the photo above.  I was startled that Sebastian now looks EXACTLY like his dad did at this age.  I have a zillion pictures to show that are startlingly alike.
Yup, he is his Dad's son!

Matilda looks reflective in this photo.  Then she got into the fun and was giggling along with Sebastian.

 \
After the swings, it was up on the slide.  I love to see how they enjoy doing things together.
Matilda is ALWAYS watching over Sebastian.  Such a sweet trait.  Here they were
playing a game with their dad of seeing who got to the bottom first.  John would say, "One, two three, GO"  With squeals of delight, down the slide they would go to see who would "win".

Over and over this went on.  They never seemed to tire of climbing back up, just so they could go down again.

Then Sebastian wanted to hold Matilda's hand.  Don't you just love this photo?

I certainly do.  I'm so grateful for every minute that I get to be with them and watch
them interact and to watch them having fun with their Daddy.

Life is good.

NOT Enough..............Bench Time!

When I moved down here twelve years ago, my goal was to spend as much time being a bench warmer in the jardin as possible.  I did get to do that for a while, several times a week.  The conversations were delightful.
The question I asked, usually was "How did you come to San Miguel?"

I  waited with anticipation for the saga that was always forthcoming.  I loved the one by the man, who has become a friend, who was on the bus, got off and has never left!

Or the woman that read about San Miguel, packed her car, never having even been to Mexico and drove down and is still here!

To me, it's like hearing "The Grapes of Wrath" over and over.  I never tire of meeting the people and hearing the stories.

Well, it seems lately - like for the last six months or so - I don't get to the bench near enough times a week. IF I'm lucky maybe twice.

The Monday Morning Koffee Klatch group meets at 11AM and that cuts into my bench time, darn.

It's kinda hard to be two places at once, even though I often try.  Usually at 11:45 when the bells ring, I stand up and scurry to the bench for at least 45 minutes.  Not long enough.

Lately it seems that my Friday time is usurped by some insignificant chore that I need to get done, darn.

However today I was DETERMINED to get there.  I set the alarm for a relatively early time, 7AM.  I was up and out of the house by 9:15AM.  I dashed to centro to get as many chores out of the way as possible so I could be on the bench by 11AM.  I was. 

The sun was shining.  A soft breeze was blowing.  Not many people around.  Two dogs lying in the sun (now they have the RIGHT idea).  The Mexican woman who sells flowers walked by and spoke and smiled.  Then a couple of acquaintances arrived for shoe shines.  I just let it all wash over me.
The people, the sun, the breeze and eventually, the church bells.

The sense of contentment when I can sit and observe life in Mexico is a wondrous thing.

I never take it for granted.  I need to do it more often.

Want to join me?  It's a simple pleasure with great rewards.

Dealing with Immigration in San Miguel de Allende, This Year

Yup, it has been a yearly affair now for almost 13 years.  Never was it a problem until last year
when I got caught in the change over to the new regulations.  It was a doozy.  It took longer then six weeks because I applied for an FM-2, which until November 1st last year was a permanent residency.
I got the FM-2 on October 31st and it disappeared on November 1~! 

My visa became an Immigrante, not an FM-2.  If I wanted permanente, I had to start over.
Not on your life.

So, this year after that fiasco, I decided to continue with the Immigrante for 3 more years so that I can keep my US plated car, made in Japan, here in Mexico.  I'll worry in three years what I'm going to do
about transportation.  The old "Scarlett syndrome".  I do well in that mode.

Therefore, I forked out 6310 pesos, close to $500 USD for a two year extension last week.  It took me about fifteen minutes to have my photo taken and sign a gazillion forms.  I have a facilitator, my faithful and talented friend, Patty Garcia.  Patty got me through the fiasco last year and every year before that.

I'm now waiting for a call to go and be fingerprinted, wait for the new visa and voila, I'll be done until November 2015.  This is a good thing.

I did not have to prove income to extend the immigrante visa.

Someone who reads the blog and is buying property in Mexico asked me about having money in the Mexican bank versus the US bank and how much it has to be.  Patty's answer was, "Go to the Consulate in the USA where you are going to apply for your visa and ask THEM their requirements.
Each Consulate is substantially the same, but each has some distinctive requirements".  "Those are the requirements that you must follow" 

Okay then, you have the answer from the most knowledgeable facilitator I know.  When I got my first visa all those years ago, I went to the Mexican Consulate office in Houston.  Got the information from the source, went back with the documents the next day and had my visa in 24 hours!  I have no idea if it is still that way.  But, wherever you are, go to yours and get the details.

Then, after you get the visa, you must have your passport and the document stamped when you enter the country either by car or whatever means of transportation that you use.  Then you have THIRTY days to go to Immigration wherever you are moving to reapply for the visa.  Remember THIRTY days from the date you enter Mexico, not 31.

As I write this, I wait patiently for my new visa.  I'll let you know when I get it - probably about six weeks from now, I"m told!

Some things don't get better - it used to cost 1200 pesos for one year and you had the new visa in less then three weeks.  Oh well, patience, patience, patience.

A Rainbow Gift!

Mid-day yesterday the sky was blue and beautiful.  Then about 3PM clouds rolled in from the East and a frog-straglin' rainstorm insued giving us a little over half an inch of rain! 

As the storm came close to the end, the sun came out............good grief, I knew there was a rainbow somewhere.  Looking out windows to the North, I spotted it.  Ran downstairs to get my camera and then ran up four flights of stairs to the roof to get this photo!

Who says I don't get enough exercise?  Two flights down, four flights up........FAST!
I was rewarded, as it continued to rain, with this photo.

It is always a gift to see a rainbow.  My daughter said many, many years ago when her grandmother died, "Mom, if you ever see a rainbow, it means someone you love on the other side is here".  I've never forgotten that and each time I see one, I think of those people who I love and miss.

After seeing the rainbow, I thought of a dear friend here in San Miguel whose husband died last year.
I immediately called her and told her to rush and look for the rainbow.  She saw it out her kitchen window where she was standing.  Billie is so much better of a photographer then I am.  I so hope she got a photo of it and thought of Ned.

Yes, gifts don't have to be something you buy - they can be a gift from the Universe which to me is much more of a treasure!

"It's Better to be Absolutely Ridiculous then Absolutely Boring!"

I saw this quote recently.  It could not be more appropriate for the birthday party
that I attended on Friday afternoon for two 68 year old men!

It all started out quite elegant with table decorations of beauty.  The menu included marigold petal pancakes, cream of pumpkin, marigold petals and corn soup followed by tamales stuffed with pork and covered in a huitlacoche sauce.  It all ended, eventually, with Day of the Dead bread glazed with brown sugar and tejocote.  Okay, foodies what is that?  None of us knew or know.

The celebrants, Trey and Frank began to open their gifts.  That's when it all went to silliness!

One of the guests, who will remain nameless, brought blond wigs that had been
trimmed for each recipient along with straw hats.  The hats said "Born to be Wild".
It is pretty fun to see how people's personalities change once they put on a prop or costume.

We were all laughing at the shenanigans - some of which I cannot show as Facebook or Google might ban me forever.  Let me just say that the other guests got into the act as well.  It was so much fun.
Thankfully we were in a private dining room.

I think the older we get, the easier it is to be totally "over the top" silly.  Yup, we're all adopting a childlike behavior pattern.  Heck, who is going to tell us we can't?
Laughing is good for the soul, they say.

Happy Birthday Trey and Frank - may you live another 68 years or..........well, you know what I mean.

Roots on the Rails - Heading South from Seattle to LA - The Final Chapter

Sara, the Grand Turismo, mentioned that the trip back on the same tracks that we went north on would seem like a whole new trip!  Hmmmm, I thought.  She was so right.  It seemed like we had never seen any of this.  The wetlands above were one example.

This tree was in Salem Oregon.  Home of my friend and fellow blogger, Steve Cotton.

I don't even know what to say about this RAT.  It just appeared on the side of the track and made all of us grab for our cameras while we were in the dome car. Obviously it was HUGE!

The private "sleeping car" gave a new definition of the term closeness.  About 5 x 8 (I'm guessing) it was an adventure to find what one needed to dress each day, much less anything else.  I searched and searched in my suitcase all week for the battery charger for my camera.  I KNEW I had packed it.  I arrived home to find it - in a "special place" in a pocket in the suitcase that I never even thought to look in!  Aaaargh.

Even the walkways were narrow.  As the train swayed and lurched, I learned to have my arms out on both sides to use as balancing agents as I moved as fast as possible to my destination.  Each time was an "adventure".

I loved the light fixtures above the bed.  They had either a pink light or a green one.  I won't even attempt to explain those colors.  However it reminded me of a light my parents had attached to the headboard of their bed when I was a tiny child.  I even have photos of i from back then circa 1940's.  Seeing it here in this cabin brought back sweet memories.

See the little leather pocket attached to the wall?  That's where I put my glasses so I wouldn't lose them.....

I don't even know what to say about the water closet.  If you needed it for one function you backed in....if you needed to use the sink, which dropped down from the wall, you walked in, one foot.  Notice the razor blade depository on the wall to the left of the sink.  A trip back in time.

There was also a shelf where  you could leave your shoes, in the olden days.  There was a small door in the walkways to pick up those shoes, shine them, and have them back for the owners in the morning!
How cool!

This gives you an idea of how close the water closet was to the bed.  Thank heavens there were hooks in the room so one could have a few things out of the suitcase during the day.

Thursday night as we headed back to LA, Peter, Rick, Dave and Chris treated us to a blues concert.
It was a real treat.

Peter and that magnificent harmonica was sweet music to my Southern ears.

Chris as well, really jammed with some great blues.
All of them gave  a stellar performance.

I have no idea what body of water this is unless it is San Francisco Bay with the big freighter heading out.

The landscape was constantly changing.  I loved how these tenacious trees were hanging on for dear life.

Near Santa Barbara we saw fields and fields of oil rigs.  Of course, being from Texas, I'm used to seeing them.  But, truthfully, not this many all at one time except in east Texas near Kilgore.

Purple mountains majesty came to my mind when I took this photo.

Last but not least, from the dome car was our train passing another train.
Woo hoo.

I've reflected now for a week about why this trip had such an impact on me besides all the things I've already said.  I have come to the conclusion that it was so intense because it was as though we were in a time capsule.  No outside influences - TV, radio, internet, telephone.  Just the "in the moment" experience.

The intensity of it all still lingers in a kind of sad way because it ended!  And, in an awesome way because I was so privileged to have experience something that I didn't even know existed.

Thanks for the memories!

San Miguel de Allende - San Juan de Dios Cemetery - Day of the Dead

The large panteon (cemetery) here in San Miguel is always a difficult place to visit around this time of the year.  The street is narrow and is the most current cemetery hence has zillions of visitors.  They were there yesterday and today.  It was poignant to see young and old walking there from all over town to take flowers, food and candles to decorate the graves.

I personally like this cemetery.  It is older with graves only as recent as 1935 from what I can find.
Hence, not a lot of tourists or visitors.

I jumped out of bed and scurried over this morning so I could photograph just in case hordes of people might show up later today.  I and about three other people were there.  I could walk freely and again, as I have done so many years in the past, I could walk in peace and serenity thinking about how blessed and beautiful, how spiritual and tranquil the tradition of the cleaning and decorating of the graves is and has been for over 3000 years!

I like that no matter how grand or how simple the gravesite is, it has been decorated, even if it is just a few marigold flower petals.

The papel picado tissue paper flags gently fly in the breeze reminding me of the prayer flags used in other parts of the World.  Often I wonder how and if traditions came from other parts of the world to Mexico via the Bering Straits.

This grave is one of the oldest - simple but holding a former citizen of San Miguel who was, in my opinion, lucky to have lived here in a simpler time without cars, and all the other modern "conveniences" of today.

Typically the cemeteries and altars are made of flowers, flower petals, seeds, beans and colored sawdust gathered from the carpenters all over town who save it to be used for this tradition.
Nothing is wasted in Mexico!

The simplicity always touches my soul.

As I entered the cemetery, I'm telling you the truth, my camera started acting weird.  The zoom was going in and out.  The camera stopped working.  It took some weird photos once I did get it back on and working.  The above photo, to me, looks otherworldly.  I didn't know it came out like this until I downloaded it to the computer.  Probably my favorite photo of the day!

And, this headstone, broken but still decorated.  The cemetery is locked at all times now.  It used to be that you could walk in at any time.  I assume vandalism caused this broken headstone.  Sad.

Another old, but not forgotten headstone.

If you are interested in seeing other photos of Day of the Dead in other parts of Mexico, go to this time of the year in previous years and see and read.  In 2008 after having visited Puebla and Tlaxcala, I posted photos of the City of Puebla, Huaquechula where the satin altars for children are made.  People come from all over the world to witness this tradition.  Photos of Santa Maria Tonantzanella, not sure about that spelling, are also there. 

In addition, I visited the Sierra Gorda with the churches of Father Serra along with Las Pozas, the sculpture gardens of Edward James.  In that region, their altars are covered with orchids as they grow wild!  There are very few tourists and visitors in the distant villages.  Therefore the purity of the traditions are not influenced by any commercial aspect.

Of course, last but certainly not least, Patzcuaro and the villages surround Lake Patzcuaro have been photographed by me many times.  It is my ultimate destination to absorb this spirtual and personal Dia de Los Muertos.