Author: iagardener55

We learned, just the other day, that our friends, Jesús and Lizbeth, are pregnant again. (She said it was okay to tell you.)

Excellent, because, as you may remember, they had a stillborn baby girl just before this Christmas past; at six months gestation. They go to the cemetery to visit her every time we go to Los Altos. Very sad.

She has been depressed every since, but has, over the past few months, slowly come out of the depression. We do not doubt that, living in that tiny cell upstairs, has played a significant part in that episode. Now that they are down here, with us, they all three seem to be thriving. Amazing what a bit of human touch, love, kindness, and understanding can do for people!

That said, they give as well as they get; they help us remain human as well. In fact, when she returns from Los Altos in two weeks, she is going to teach me how to make sauces for the meat we cook. Already, she/they help us around the apartment with anything that needs to be done. Liz came downstairs yesterday just to help me fold, and put away, all of the Pico tops I have, (and I have close to three dozen of them. Check them out on eBay! Most are made of bamboo!)

Anyway, we folded them, then put them back into the felt bins I had taken them out of; that was when I thought I was going to use the drawers in the newest cabinets, just inside our bedroom door. Alas, there are too many of them, so into the bin they went. Now, they are all back up on the shelf in the closet, where they started last year;)

In fact, she inspired me to redo my half of our closet, moving all of my blouses up to the top pole, and put whatever slacks, or leggings I have yet to fold, on that second pole. Oh, it also allows me to have plane sight of the shoes I am currently interested in wearing. (Normally, they are under the bed, fighting with the dust bunny population. And losing.) Here is what I mean.

Day before yesterday, we cleaned in our bedroom, Liz, and I. What a chore that was, let me tell you. Yikes! I should have saved all of the dust bunny population to make throw pillows! Hahaha! (No. Seriously!)

I am off to put together some of the things we are taking to LA with us tonight. We are driving up to leave Liz, and Gabi, with her folks for two weeks, as I mentioned earlier. I am very sure that she will be sorely missed here, but greatly enjoyed there.

Stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones, will you?

We had hail the other afternoon. Quite a bit, for here. Here is what it looked like.

Earlier, there was a clap of thunder that just about knocked my socks off. Though I enjoy a good thunderstorm, that one took my breath away. It was fun to watch, however.

That was the highlight of the past couple of days. Liz, as I have told you, is helping me keep the apartment clean, and let me tell you, she is a cleaning demon. It is so nice to have someone else around here; she, and Gabi, keep us company while she and I do the cleaning. We only clean an hour or two, usually tackling one room at a time.

She has been coming down two days a week to help me, but now that they are sleeping here, she is here a bit more often. I really appreciate everything she does around here; I know it is too much for me to do on my own. With all of the stuff we still have to go through, though we are making great strides in that department, it is still more than I can manage.

I did not think, at first, that I could have her cleaning somewhere in the apartment, and me be in another room, doing whatever I needed to do, Hah! Everything works just fine. She does her thing, and I do mine. If we are in the bedrooms, we can talk to one another while continuing to work. She is such a joy.

Then, there is Gabi. He spends quite a bit of his time here sitting with Señor Iván, watching his computer programs. Everyone in Jesús’s family calls Ivan Señor Iván, out of respect. Of course, that makes me Señora Diana. It makes us proud.

I am off to try to get a nap before the day begins. I slept almost ten hours night before last, but nothing last night. It is almost six o’clock in the morning, and, with any luck, I can sneak in an hour or two.

Please, stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones.

Post script: did not work. I closed my eyes, but my brain kept taking over. Oh, well. There is always tonight.

While walking in the park the other day, Liz and I had the opportunity to witness a real live superhero in action. It was thrilling, to say the least. He is Sonic, the hedgehog, played, in the following video, by Jesús Gabriel Garcia- we just call him Gabi.

Though he is only four years old, he changes our lives every day. They, Gabi, and his folks, have come to live with us as the size of their dwelling absolutely does not work for them. It makes me feel ashamed to think that the administrator of this building thinks it is acceptable. Believe me, prison cells are bigger.

Anyway, something else I wanted to tell you about are the cuttings I took from a jade plant, in the park, just across the street from our building. All of the jade plants around the park are huge old things that remind of me tortoises; big, leathery shells. The plants themselves have trunks on them with three inch circumferences. Let me see if I can show you what I did with the cuttings.

My plan is to “reallocate” more cuttings later on in the week, as back up. I am in the process of propagating some of the succulents that we have, so back ups are a must. The problem, as I see it head on, is that it takes weeks for the divided portion to take root, and begin its reproduction. It will definitely be a test of my patience3.

I do not know if you can tell in the photo, but the geranium is growing at about a forty five degree angle towards the opening between buildings; nothing is growing straight up. The two jars contain the roots of some cilantro we bought, recently, at a local market.

The roots, most of them, rotted, and were discarded. (I almost was sick to my stomach; the smell was horrible. It was a very good thing they were “out the back”.) The geranium got a face lift, and will, hopefully, recover before the weather changes too much. It looks better, anyway.

That is about all I have to report on for now. See you again, soon. Until then, stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones.

Never say it! Yesterday, I missed my renewal date for this domain site. I have since renewed it, and, I am happy to report, good for three years. I am not sure if I will continue much past that, however.

Three years seems like a long time, especially in these times of lethal viruses; with people bringing allowed to do the horrible things they are doing. It makes me want to become a hermit, which would be quite easily done.

Sorry about that last paragraph; someone will probably decide it was a racist statement.

I am so tired of reading in the news that everything we think, say, or feel is becoming misconstrued as racist ideology. I really could care less what color your skin is. If you are intelligent, then, you are. If you are an idiot, then, you are. The color of your skin is completely irrelevant; to me, anyway. I base my perception of you on the things you say, and do, not what the others of your race do. I expect you to do the same of me.

In no way do I represent all others of the Anglo-Saxon race, nor do I wish to. Each person, as an individual, must represent themselves as they will. I will admit to being an intelligent WASC, living my dream in a part of the world that does not understand what the heck is going on in the USA. I am well educated scholastically, as well as socially, and enjoy being allowed the freedom to express my views when, and how, or if I want, while not being slurred for doing so.

Wow! Tell us how you really feel Diana!

Glad I got all of that off my chest. On to better things.

Stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones.

Tai-chi? Tai-Chi Qigong, actually. I am going to give it a whirl, along with the stretching yoga that I am doing.

For example, today, my joints are rather sore from two weeks of stretching, though I must say that I am much more flexible than I was two weeks ago. That having been said, it is not saying much. The girl that I emulate, while forcing my joints to bend farther than they have in years, can touch everything to everywhere! I cannot. Not now, not ever!

Nor do I want to. That is not why I am doing the stretching. I have discovered that I can walk with considerably less discomfort on the days after having stretched the night before, than when I do not stretch. I have also learned that I have to stretch immediately before walking, if I want to do the full two times around the park.

I have to tell you that this quarantine crap is really taking its toll on me. The lack of movement is a slow, and steady trap that my body is finding hard to escape. I feel like I my muscles are slowly being wound with a spiders web; slowly becoming stone. Plus, it hurts to be getting so stiff.

So, now I am going to try Tai-chi Qigong. If it works, great. If not, it is better than sitting around, watching shows on the computer, and getting more stiff by the day.

A very special birthday greeting to my sister, Martha, with whom I got to share all of her wonderful music albums growing up. (I also got to sneak peeks in her desk drawers when she was out of the house, but she never knew that, so do not tell her. She had the neatest stuff!)

Stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones. Please.

Unfortunately for all concerned, Juan did not do well the other night.

The apartment is still too disorganized for hime, and he has become too used to the house of his nephew so we had to take him back. He said he enjoyed his stay but felt that Juan needed him at the house, and wanted to return.

As he is not a prisoner, we did just that.

The business with his SS benefits has been cleared up but will take some time to reissue his money. As that money is divided up amongst those taking direct care of him, it will be some time before that can happen. I can only hope they all understand.

While we see how things progress, please, stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones.

I have downloaded a new app to keep my brain from going to mush. It is called Impulse, and is full of brain games. This is what the app looks like, in case you want to download it also.

Here is an example of one of the puzzles that defeated me. Let me know if you know, or think, you know the answer. Once it was revealed to me, and I worked it backwards, it was obvious. Am guessing that is why it is called a puzzle.

Being in the middle of the rainy season, so I have been told, it is difficult to get out frequently without being soaked to the bone. The app has helped keep my brain active, whilst we take breaks from the cleaning, sorting, and, rearranging of all the stuff with which we still have to contend.

Speaking of that, we have, in the past two weeks, emptied and rearranged twelve more totes, designating quite a bit to going to LA; their outcomes to be determined. We have set aside several items, clothing, household items, and the like, for Jesús’s, and Lizbeth’s parents that we think they will like, but more importantly, be able to use, as we cannot.

Another idea just whipped past me; too bad I was unable to retrieve it. Ugh!

I have several things to do in the kitchen, so I am going to close this for today. I apologize for the lack of substance. It appears that sleep is an illusive dream of ours; mine, more so than his. Ivan is able to go back to bed, and sleep; alas, I am not. Some days my brain can tolerate this sleeplessness, other days, it rebels. Today, it is in the rebellious state.

So, please, stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones.

We were at a picnic/cookout this past weekend, in a beautiful park, for no other reason than to get together, and, enjoy the family’s company during this difficult time.

We were in the southwest portion of Mexico City; about as close to the next state as is possible, having a wonderful day.

The sun was shining, through heavy rain-filled clouds, however. When it was out from under, is was about sixty five degrees Fahrenheit, eighteen degrees Celsius. When it was cloud covered, the temperature dropped about five degrees; easily.

Despite a light sweater, I was, at times, quite chilled. I opened the trunk of the car, and sat on the ledge, soaking up the few rays of sunshine available to me. Then, as I could no longer pretend to be warm, on went the fleece vest, and the windbreaker jacket. Finally, I had to admit, the sparse sunshine was not enough. In fact, I was downright cold.

The fire had been started, potato chips eaten, sodas drank. Then ….

We waited, patiently, for whatever would be served for dinner. It appeared, very pleasantly, we would be eating pork, and longaniza; my two favorite types of meat. And, there was plenty of each to be had.

Here, much unlike up North, there are almost no “sides”; no potato salads, no baked beans, no coleslaws, no macaroni salads; nothin, that is, to take up the very empty space in your stomach that is being reserved for the “all you could possibly eat” tacos. Yum.

Of course, someone had to cook all of this endless meat; two of Jesús’s cousins, Iris, and Isabel, plus his sister, Ana, were the cooks, for the most part. Others “helped”, but the meat, spring onions, cactus, and tortillas, were all prepped, and, cooked by “the girls”. And, the most inhospitable place it was.

This is what they had to contend with, all the while they were cooking.

While we waited, an enterprising young man, selling two types of cheese from Oaxaca, and a paste of blackberries frequently eaten together, made his daily quota; thanks, totally, to el Señor Ivan. Cheese, and paste, for all.

Not all of us sat around, relaxing, basking in the sunshine. The younger family members made there way to the other side of the park, to shoot paint balls at each other. Let me tell you what; those little buggers are hard, and hurt when not shot to explode on the helmet, or padded vest. Here is a photo of the warriors elite.

During the day, between the spurts of sunshine, it grew colder, windier, and darker. We got no rain until about two minutes outside the park. After that, torrents for the next twenty minutes or so.

Still, we laughed, watched the little ones run around, and, best of all, relaxed. What a glorious day.

Please, stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones; as we are.

Juan de Dios!!! Yay! We went over to Juan’s house, about five thirty, had a cup of coffee, with an obligatory piece of sweet bread, then, the three of us came home.

We gave Juan “the tour” of the apartment, taking our time with each space, then, sat at the table in the living room, and had a wonderful two hour conversation. He ate two small helpings of honeydew melon, took his evening meds, and is, at the moment, watching news clips with Ivan, in our bedroom.

We plan on walking at least once a day, hopefully twice, around the park. He was excited to see there is a park right outside our building! So are we. One of the many reasons we bought this place. Oh, I also showed him a few photos of the before, and “so far” in our remodeling. He was glad we made the changes we have. He, too, thought the apartment was too dark with the dark tile everywhere.

Anyway, we will all be going to bed sometime in the near future, to rise, and shine, tomorrow morning. I cannot wait to fix Juan some breakfast, like I used to in Iowa.

Please, now, more than ever, stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones.

There is not a lot to tell you today; we have not brought Juan home yet. There is still more to be done here before we can do that.

You really cannot imagine how much “stuff” we still have to go through, and how many totes we still need to get rid of. It is overwhelming most of the time. If we bring him over soon, we will have him sleep in the spare bedroom, until his room is finished. Should not be too long.

Most of the plants are surviving, in spite of the cool weather; not all of them, however. That is okay with me. I am going to try not to replace the dead plants, except with the occasional flowering plant, like orchids, or anthuriums. Both of those plant types seem to be doing well at the moment, and have such beautiful colors, that will be my next direction- color. The larger plants, the rubber tree, the large Marginata, and the Swiss cheese plants are all doing well, enjoying the sun coming in through the windows in the spare bedroom, soon to be renamed “the office”.

I am staying on top of the cleaning, and laundry, with Liz’s help. Two days a week will be such a blessing. Now, however, it is time to do a load, or two, of laundry. Stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones.