Month: July 2022

There is an old saying that says “no good deed goes unpunished”.

I, unfortunately, am a perfect example of this very thing.

I had a post the other day about filling the trash can with water, and all of the exercise I got in doing thus. I was tired afterwards, as anyone could imagine, however, the worst was yet to come.

That night I developed a fever, and chills such as I have not had the opportunity to experience in awhile.

I went to bed around 11:00pm, with the assistance of Benadryl and Ibuprofen, but was too warm for the comforter. Instead, I covered with the flannel top sheet, and the wool blanket, both folded in half. Even those were almost too much.

I woke up, sometime in the wee hours of the morning, frozen solid, in a semi fetal position. Fortunately, I wasn’t using the comforter, so I was able to cover myself with that. After what seemed like hours, I was able to straighten out, then figure out, I was not well.

Before sunrise, the coughing started. My chest felt like I was breathing through sandpaper. All of the muscles in my upper back, and chest were cramped, and painful. I downed more Ibuprofen, covered up, and tried to sleep. Between the coughing, the headache, and the muscle aches I was able to sleep for a bit.

Well, folks, that was 4 days ago. I was in bed for most of the next 2 days, up most of yesterday, knitting my shawl, and am much better today. I am going home with Ivan, and Jesús, however, when they come here today. It is so cold, and I am no where even close to being prepared for it this time.

I am not at all keen about going back to the city as life here is very relaxing, and more to my preferred way of living. However, life goes on, does it not?

Stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.

Captain Arab chased Moby Dick.

Ivan and I chase sleep.

Sometimes we catch it, sleep, that is, sometimes we don’t. When we do it usually isn’t until the late hours of the night; or early hours of the morning. Not really sure how to say that.

We usually don’t fall asleep until close to dawn. There. That’s what I meant. We end up sleeping most of the day away as well.

Being a morning person, this has been difficult. I want to sleep at night, but without taking a Benadryl, sleep eludes me. When I do take one, then I’m constipated for 2 days. So, let’s assess.

Constipation, and sleep? Or, no sleep. Tough call. As I am not a fan of the former, I usually choose

Ibuprofen. Sometimes it helps me relax, sometimes it just eases my back pain. I guess you can’t have everything.

I have sleep apps on my phone, in their own little folder even. I’ve tried saying the Rosary, slowly, meaningfully. Nope. Not even the communion of saints seem to be able to help me.

I toss, and turn, get up, put on socks, (cuz it’s freezing over here), change pajama bottoms, or put on another pair over the ones currently in use.

Then, after about 20 minutes, I get to reverse all of the above. All of a sudden I’m perspiring; next thing, the perspiration if drying, and freezing, (figuratively), at the same time. Ugh.

I remember my Gramma Manda saying she rarely slept, the older she got. Well that’s just great. Now, not only do I have her beard, I have her insomnia. Gifts that keep on giving.

I know, you’re all sorry I’m up at 1:30am typing this little ditty, but don’t be. I try to do creative things with this wakefulness, not just watch YouTube, though it is enticing. Tomorrow night, if I can’t sleep, I’m going to start

Just Dance Rasputin. It’s on YT. Take a look. Though, maybe if I did that during the daylight hours I would be tired enough to sleep at night. I’ll let you know.

Stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.

What an odd feeling- being here, in Los Altos without my friend.

It feels as if I am in a hostel, in some other part of the world, taking a vacation without Ivan. Neither pleasant, nor unpleasant, to be honest. I miss him every minute, but have had 3 days of total relaxation, such as I have never known.

Today, and everyday until we go home, I started my volunteered duty of filling the trash can with the water we use to flush the toilet.

Not difficult, agreed. The source of said water, however, is across the large kitchen, and outside on the porch, then, up 16 steps, all the while carrying a bucket of water. Return, refill, repeat. 22 times.

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To say that I will be sore tomorrow is an understatement. To say that by the time we go back home I should expect to be in a tiny bit better shape than I am now, and maybe, hopefully, will have lost a bit of weight. All good things.

In fact, I am so tired at this typing I can hardly stay awake. That said

Stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.

So, the guys left this morning at 2:30am. Yup, still the 25th.

I can’t sleep. It’s 4:00am now, and I am still awake. Not even a little bit sleepy. What’s a person to do at that hour, I ask you?

Well, clever person that I am, I decided to stop fighting sleep, stop wasting time, got up, and

Filed my nails.

I put on Ivan’s headlamp, turned it to a fairly low light, and filed away. It took me about 20 minutes, more, or less. I was giving some consideration to stopping, and going back to bed when that was decided for me.

The headlamp stopped working. It was out of charge. Hahaha.

I didn’t get to sleep until after 8:00, however.

At 6:57am a rooster crowed in a near yard, so, of course, I had to count how much time lapsed in between crows. During the first minute, exactly, and I do mean that literally, every 12 seconds. He waited, according to my phone, 1 minute, then started again, less exact this time. The third chorus, once again, perfect, at 12 second intervals. Who needs an alarm.

Anyway, as he was waking others, I was able to drift off for approximately 3 solid hours of relaxing sleep, and peaceful dreams.

Finally.

Stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.

Ivan, and Jesús left just this morning, about 2:30am, and got home about 6:30am.

As I am typing this, it is only Monday, the 25th of July. These last few posts all took place the 23rd, 24th, and today, the 25th. Of course, you are reading them further on, but they happened all within 2 1/2 days.

I have been texting Ivan all day, but he has been trying to sleep. Just a few minutes ago, he answered the phone, and we talked for a few minutes. Amazing how only a few hours can make so much difference.

Of course I miss him; he’s my other half. However, with all of the things we forgot to bring with us, he has his work cut out for himself. Over the next few days, he needs to be on a search and seize routine; rounding up all of the necessaries we should have brought with us.

LIKE A FLIPPING COAT.

Was that too much to ask? Something warm to cover oneself from the cold wind, and driving rain?

Anyway, he got an hour or so of real sleep, and I got 3, so what more can one expect? Each was better than the nothing we’d been getting. For sure.

You already know we are here during an amazingly wet rainy season. I don’t mind; I love rain. Here, on the roof above the “tienda”, is a tin roof. When it rains, like it has been, it is so loud it is difficult to hear anything.

Brandon is trying to sit up, trying to roll over, and is so beautifully responsive to our voices, Ivan’s, and mine, it warms my heart. I will show you a quick photo of him this afternoon, as I was speaking to him, in English, of course. He doesn’t respond as strongly if I speak to him in Spanish.

Enough for today. My fingers are little ice cubes, trying their best to bend to the keys on the keyboard.

Did I mention it was so good to hear his voice? Amazing.

Stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.

There has been a howling wind all day today.

It went quite nicely with the torrential rains.

Unfortunately for the folks dwelling in this village, (puebla), it put a very big damper on their religious festivities. Evidently it was the feast of the adoration of the child king. I can’t find it anywhere in my internet searches, but it has been a definite celebration.

The fireworks, read intermittent bombings, began last night, just after midnight, so, actually, it was today. Music, all kinds of very wet festivities, that never let up, except during the torrential raining episodes.

Did I mention that this all happened just in front of the house here? I’m not sure if that was considered an honor or torture. As neither of us has slept in days, for us, well, to be perfectly honest, it was mostly fun.

Being here allows us to be so much more relaxed, comfortable, at peace. Tranquil is the word that best describes us while we are here.

Enough for now. Stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.

Liz, the kids, and I are spending the next few weeks here, in Los Altos.

It’s a school break for Gabi, and it’s been awhile since any of us were here, but Jesús has to work. So, what were we to do?

Liz, and I made the “sacrifice”, 😂😂😂, to stay for a bit. Really though, the sacrifice is on Ivan, and Jesús’s side. We will be here with the families, but they will be home, alone.

It has been pouring down rain for at least a half hour without letting up. I can’t remember ever experiencing rain like this. Well, now that I am trying to remember, it rained like this in Houston, during the hurricanes. Obviously there was more wind with the hurricanes, while here, it is freezing cold.

The guys are going back to the city very early tomorrow morning, leaving us here. They’re coming back, however many Saturday’s we’re here, to repeat until we all go home together.

It has ben years since Ivan, and I have spent time apart. I am hoping it will be a good thing. You know, absence of the heart…..

Thanks to all for the birthday wishes. Being 67 years old is pretty awesome, so far. 🤗

Stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.

I don’t get to say that about many things I do, or have done, but recently, I did a genius thing. Tell me if you don’t agree.

No, never mind; don’t tell me. Just read it, and except that it really, really, really works for us. And, if it works for you, if you have a similar situation, then good on all of us. So,

let me tell you what I did that was so amazing.

We have a queen sized bed; frame, mattress, and sheets. However, years ago I read a customer comment on the first duvet that I was thinking to buy from Amazon, and she said that they had a queen sized bed but used duvets, and blankets that were king sized, so they hung over the side of the bed edge nicer.

It hit me like a bolt of lightening. Now, we only possess king sized duvets, and blankets.

Lovely. But, what does that have to do with “genius”, you ask? Nothing really. It was just a bit of background. 😉

But, now, get ready for the reveal.

As I mentioned before, we use normal queen sized top, and fitted sheets, mostly flannel. However, when the top sheet is placed on the bed in the normal fashion, the header piece at the top, and the body going down the bed, the sides are too short for those of us that enjoy that longer length over the sides.

Ready?

I discovered, one early a.m. inability to sleep night, that if I changed the sheet direction, placing the header over either side of the bed, with the body across the sheet, it fits exactly from the headboard to about 10” off the end of the bed. (It’s a 12“ mattress.)

The overhang of the sheet to each side is almost the same as a king duvet. Perfect. Ok, genius, really.

So, now, we both get to have our tootsies covered, if we stick out a foot to cool off, plus, as it is the same “width” as the duvet, so they both have the same feel when getting in, and out of the bed.

Oh, no, we don’t use a comforter inside the duvet if using a top sheet. It gets way too hot if we do. We have a lightweight comforter for the summer, and a heavyweight for the winter, but I have hidden the summer one, and have absolutely no idea where it is. I’m thinking we took it to Los Altos, but as it’s been a few months since we were there, I can’t remember. Next time we go, I need to do a search.

Until then, stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.

It took just a bit over 3 days to get over the allergic reaction.

During the whole following week, however, anything that I had previously “gotten by” with eating, became another set of smaller reactions. Pineapple, mango, avocados, fruit juices, were all touch and go. Mostly going, if you can read into that correctly.

All over with now, thankfully. Just thought I’d touch base, and bring you up to speed.

Stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.

As of this morning, I have very minimal itching.

Thank you all for your concern.

On another subject, I have cut up the sirloin primal, and the cap, or picaña, which is absolutely the best.

The rest of the meat will start out as steaks, but if they are too tough, they will be ground into ground beef, mixed with ground pork, and made into Italian sausage. Only a good thing.

It is raining, complete with thunder, and lightening, and I am in Heaven. Actually, I’m in Mexico, but you get the idea.

Went to Costco today, and only spent one arm, and half a leg. That’s ok. We needed “stuff”, so we bought it.

I am teaching Liz how to cut up primal cuts of meat, and vacuum sealing them to be preserved for the future. She is a quick study.

So, stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect.