Sunday, April 26, 2015

I'm Up, Up and Away


But, not in a hot air balloon.   This photo was taken one Sunday morning.  It is highly unusual to see this many hot air balloons at one time.  It was around Easter.  Many tourists willing to pay the bucks to have
this experience.  For me, just photographing it is enough.

However, I am going up,  up and away on Wednesday but, in the blue skies of United.  Instead of driving the fourteen hours, it seemed way more sensible this trip to use Frequent Flyer miles and be there in two.

Off  I go for several weeks.  Returning just in time for the arrival of new tenants for the guest house and the rainy season.  Two good things.

The weather here has been magnificent.  Yesterday it barely hit 80F and is in the low 50's at night.  Sleeping with the doors open and having them open all day to enjoy the fresh air and breezes is a delight.

So, the guest house is rented.  All the projects are over.  I've had a couple additions of some new furnishings in my house and all is well with the world.  The gardens are a profusion of flowers, to put it mildly.

Now, off to Texas to enjoy walking the beach in Galveston.  Eating yummy seafood.  Visiting with dear friends and family in Galveston and Houston.  Experiencing my first granddaughter's graduation from college along with my youngest daughter Julie graduating from college as well!  It is going to be a rip roaring good time.  Old friends I haven't seen since the 80's have contacted me and while I'm in Kingwood, we hope to gather together with other friends to catch up on the last 30 years.  OH MY.

I'll need to return to San Miguel to rest up from all the fun and frivolity.  As I sit here writing, the church bells are pealing.  One of my favorite sounds on this peaceful day.

Hope wherever you are and whatever you are doing, it is peaceful, beautiful weather and happiness in your life as well.

Sunday, April 19, 2015

Life Passed in the Flicker of an Eye

This past week was so busy it seems like it was over in a day!  The pace was schizophrenic.

First of all, a woman from Davis, California had flown in for a week to stay in the guest house to see if she wanted to live here full time.  For health reasons, it does not seem possible.  I did not know until this week that we, at 6400 ft elevation, are 1200 ft above Denver's elevation.  People with breathing problems have a really hard time here.  Many must leave later on in life when it becomes a major issue.

Then, in the throes of showing the house, with the woman's permission, I also worked
on the epic courtyard sale of the century.........well, maybe the year.  Hopefully my last, forever.

It was a sale in centro, near the jardin, with no parking.  That added to the intrigue of how to shlep  all my stuff down there, first of all.  Then setting up, selling and being there for a couple of days.  It was an adventure.

Here are some of the things you missed.
     Gourds, camera items (a collection of 40 years) and Eskimo prints are gone.  But beautifully framed     artwork in front of table is still available.
    Textiles, ice cream maker, pennants from the 40's and 50's all gone.   Bisque head dolls are still available.
                                                  Many First Edition books still available.
                                         Everything on this table sold - except the scissors, ha.

                                         Nothing left on these two tables above or the table below..
First edition books.  Even a Hemingway among others.  Bisque head dolls from Germany.  Tarahumara baskets from Copper Canyon.  A beautiful lithograph, framed and decorative house hold items galore.

But, wait, not EVERYTHING sold, so if you see something that tickles your fancy, just ask, it might still be
available.

A couple of funny things happened during the two days.  One woman came up to my table where I had costume jewelry along with a few expensive things.  I had a bracelet for 50 pesos, $3.50USD.  She wanted to know if the emeralds and diamonds were real!  I was speechless and chuckled.  It never sold and it was good costume jewelry. 

The other funny thing was when a woman came in with her chihuahua and schnauzer.  We had a man posted at the door to keep things running smoothly.  She handed him her leashes and proceeded to shop.  He was
startled a bit. 

The sweetest thing that happened was two little girls came up to me where I had the stickers in all colors that we used for pricing items.  They wanted a sticker so I put them on the tips of their fingers and they walked around that way behind their parents.  They still had their fingers in the air as they left the sale with a smile on their faces.  Precious.

For me, I have a new respect for people who handle estate sales.  This whole thing took several weeks of planning, gathering items, marketing, pricing, displaying and selling.  I think I must be out of practice because I didn't used to think anything of having four or five sales a year.  I used to go to auctions in Houston and surrounding areas.  Then when I had a garage full of armoires or some such items, voila, a sale would ensue.
What fun, I thought at the time.  Not so much any more.

Hopefully when I go to the "great cloud in the sky", my kids will have fun having the last grand sale.  I'll chuckle as I dangle my toes over the edge of the cloud knowing I'm not down there shlepping stuff around!


Sunday, April 12, 2015

The personification of JOY!

 On Saturday the kids arrived to dye Easter eggs and make a bunny cake.  The cake was so funny with a lopsided ear and frosting that stuck to the cake.   BUT, we got it done.  Of course, the conversation was about how the Easter Bunny carries all the eggs to hide along with various other topics that made me bite the inside of my mouth to keep from laughing.  Like, "What happens if the Bunny sees Velcro the cat?" 
 It was chilly Easter morning as they arrived about 10AM.  Matilda had on her pink furry coat.
 But Sebastian had eggs on his mind and being the person who found the most!  It was a race.
 Dad was trying to film it from one side.  I was trying to stay out of the way, but to get a few shots for posterity.
 After they thought they had found all the eggs, it was determined they had more to find.  Matilda had the most, of course!
 This photo was taken the instant Matilda found her Easter basket.  Joy and surprise should be the title of this!
 Then there was a little dance as Sebastian found his basket as well.  Don't you love all the petals from the jacaranda tree for them to dance on? And their exhuberance?
     Wow, were these kids happy with their baskets that had bubbles and some candy in them.
I don't know if they were more excited about that or when they found coins inside the plastic eggs.  Above is Sebastian trying to barter with his sister for something different!  Interestingly, instead of eating candy, the kids peeled the hard boiled eggs and ate those............What a fun, fun time~. 

Thursday, April 02, 2015

A Gift from Zinacantan - A Beautiful Rebozo

A lovely couple who recently moved to San Miguel gifted me with this magnificent rebozo a couple of days ago.

It all started about three years ago while they lived in Playa del Carmen.  She of French-Italian descent and he from New Jersey.  After having lived there for many, many years,  it seemed to them it was time to move
on.

Hence, they began reading Babsblog which often has some tidbit or the other about living in San Miguel de Allende.   The wife contacted me quite a while ago with various questions.  Then she wrote and said they were moving to San Miguel.  They did, right before the winter season.  Can you imagine coming from the tropical coast to San Miguel, in the bajio to live?  Especially as the winter season began?  What a shock for
them.  Heck, this winter was a shock for all of us.

In addition, the husband after arriving here had a severe heart issue that caused him to be hospitalized after being cared for by more then one doctor here in town.  It was a bad scene, although he is recuperating and his health is much better now.

I was not aware of any of this. In fact, I wasn't sure they had actually come to San Miguel to live until I recently received an email saying that "Yes indeed they are here and wanted to meet".  That they were leaving San Miguel to return to the USA and were going to live in Florida.

We set up to meet this week.  What an interesting couple.  They have been living about five minutes away from me and I didn't even know it.  We talked for almost two hours.  Her lilting accent was a delight.  Her zest for life was apparent.  He, it was obvious, adores her.

Having read the post I had written last month about my previous visit to Zinacantan, they gifted me with this magnificent rebozo.  To say I was surprised and overwhelmed would be an understatement.

What a generous gift.   It is not the first gift I've received  from a reader, but certainly a lovely remembrance of Mexico and Chiapas.

Thanks to Evelyne and Joe for their spirit, their kindness and, of course, their generosity!

What a lucky lady I am to have the opportunity to meet such lovely people because of writing these posts.