Author: iagardener55

How interesting is this? Our power went out about thirty odd minutes ago, and, as I mentioned to Ivan, I wondered if there was anyone working today, as it is the first full day of the city services being shutdown, due to the CoVid19 virus.

I am using my iPad Pro, but it is not saving anything that I am typing- not until power is restored, and we have WiFi again. I have typed two posts now, that I am hoping will be saved once the electricity is restored.

We got to listen to a wonderful downpour, but, as there are three floors above us, the rain comes straight down, not at much of an angle. One side of the condo gets pelted while the other side does not.

It has stopped raining now, and some of the other cave dwellers are out in the hallway, talking, and laughing. Just wish someone would restore the power. The night is dark, and full of terrors.

Ask, and ye shall receive. The power has been restored. Now, to get the internet up and running again will be another twenty minutes, or so.

Never mind. It just went off again. Ok, now it came back on. Oh, for the love of Mike!!!

Down here, for us anyway, it is very easy to self-isolate. We are a couple that enjoy each other’s company more than “outsiders”, if you will. We have always been more interested in each other than, say, running over to someone’s house, to watch a movie, or TV show, have a cook out, etc.

Right now, there only twenty one cases of the virus, here in Mexico City. I have the feeling that the CoVid 19 virus will probably not affect us, as we always wash our hands upon leaving any place we have been- the Metro, the grocery store, a taxi. It is second nature to us. It is unfortunate that so many have been affected by this virus. People need to start washing their hands. You can not have any idea who has touched something before you did. And, what was on their hands, that they did not wash off before touching it?

You can really start to see how germaphobes get to be that way, once you start thinking of the possibilities. Gross.

One last thought- why do people not understand the importance of the simple task of washing their hands? So many epidemics, pandemics could be lessened, or stopped altogether, by simple hand washing. What is it that makes people forget something this important? Laziness, that is my guess. People think they have so many more important things to do, they do not have time to wash, with soap and water. You do not need to use hand sanitizers all of the time. In fact, you should not use them too frequently as they remove all of the helpful flora from your skin. But a minute or two, to save the world from this kind of madness- not asking too much.

We were told, this afternoon, that, as of the publishing of this post, quite a bit of businesses throughout the city will be closed, hoping to reopen sometime in April. The amount of people gathering in any one place will be limited to less than six in a car, for example.

Needless to say, we went shopping. Not like you folks have done up North, but we bought enough essentials to get by for the next two weeks. It is rumored that some of the larger grocery stores will reopen, with reduced hours, within the next two to three weeks.

Tomorrow, I will be making a batch of tomato sauce, freeze it in one cup servings, and, when frozen, I will vacuum seal them. That way we can use the beautiful tomatoes we bought today, at the market over the next few weeks.

I have made two different salsas within the last two days, luckily for me. We shared half of both of them, however, so, I will be making more of those as well. They are both so yummy, we use them with almost everything we eat.

Too funny, though- we bought six large containers of yogurt, just in case we really cannot go to the store. We have just discovered apple flavored yogurt- my new favorite. We also bought blueberry with pecans and cereal pieces- my second favorite, and coconut with cereal pieces. We also bought a case of boxed milk, so we should be good.

The day before yesterday, we bought flour tortillas, one kilo with extra butter, and one kilo that are jalapeño flavored. Earlier in the day, we were at our local smaller store, Superama, and bought fresh corn tortillas, also a kilo. Also shared quite a few of all three of those.

This will be an interesting experience, as neither of us has been much involved in any kind of epidemic, much less a pandemic! We are trying to teach, and, remind people to wash their hands. But to live for who-knows-how-long within a semi-closed city will be something new. I will let you know how we progress.

And, to top that off, today, we left the condo about nine o’clock, and, came back around three o’clock. The administrator of the condo had scheduled the cleaning of the cistern on top of the condo, so there was no water available throughout the day. That said, everything I did after we came home required hand washing. Alas, there is still no water. I had to pour some over my hands, over the toilet!! Lovely. Oh, the things we take for granted!!!

Ivan has gone from 230 lbs. to 190 lbs. this morning. It has taken him about eight months, but, just by decreasing the amount of food he eats, he has lost 40 lbs. That, and us walking in the park!

I am so proud of him. It is amazing what changes we can make when we are able to get outside, daily. It has made all of the difference, in both of us.

You have never seen garage trucks like we have here. They look like beetles that are covered with ticks.

Each of the large bags holds different types of garbage – one has plastic that can be resold, another has glass, some have paper, and cardboard, etc. Most trucks, however, have barely an inch of space left on the entire outer surface.

When they stop at any particular place, store, or someone’s house, they immediately go through everything left for them, and divide it into its necessary bag. I am not really sure what happens after they have a full truck, and that is probably for the best.

I am just glad they do such a good job keeping the city clean.

This post will be, mostly, photos.

That wraps up the kitchen. Next I will show you the first bathroom, wheelchair accessible.

I heard the weather is warming up. Enjoy. Remember, though, it is only the beginning of March.

There is a small river, more like a large creek, at the “end” of our colony, called Rio Churubusco. When we first moved here, the water was a neon green, presumably with algae.

Since the end of January, the government has been reconstructing the banks on both sides, as well as constructing concrete walkways. The water has been diverted, somewhere, while they work.

They have completely redone the small walking bridges that cross over the river, as well. And what a nice job they have done, too. I am anxious to see what it looks like when they are finished.

There are six lanes of traffic, three in each direction, that separate one side of the river from the other. I was unaware of the path the river took until we drove on the other side of thee road the other day.

I will attempt a photo of it in the next few days. I am not holding my breath. Nor should you.

I took a walk today- from our condo to Juan’s house. It turned out to be one, and, one tenth of a kilometer, and took me about fifteen minutes to walk there.

The sun was shining, there was a beautiful breeze blowing, plus, there were several others walking, as well. Of course, they were not going to Juan’s house, but they were walking all the same.

As my father in law is still residing at Juan’s house, while we finish unpacking, and putting things away, I needed to refill his medication container, but forgot to go yesterday. So, this morning, about ten thirty, I started out, eventually having to finalize the walk, going through the “maraneras”. (The squatters). Not a very safe place to go, but the walk around the area would have taken me several extra blocks out of the way. I was not interested in that much walking this morning.

I did have my collapsible baton with me, however, and, yes, I do know how to use it. Fortunately, everyone along the way minded their own business, and not mine. I, unlike them, mind everyone’s business, mindful of where I am, and who is around me, in my vicinity, so as not to be taken unawares. That does not interest me in the slightest.

Now, I am back home, cleaning up the kitchen from the breakfast of machacado con huevo that we had. Yummy. However, it is time for lunch, so, I think we will each have a chicken taco, with homemade salsa, and avocado. Delicious.

We were sitting in the median, on the edge of a large planter, (see photo) between oncoming, and going, traffic on one of the main streets in our area of the city the other day.

We were having the car washed. The temperature was twenty eight degrees Celsius, (eighty two degrees Fahrenheit) and there was a lovely breeze blowing. It felt like late spring up North.

Today it is in the upper seventies, low eighties. With a breeze that is directly from Heaven, which makes the heat, dare I say it, lovely? Ok, I said it. One could not, nor should not, ask for a more beautiful day. I do not think it possible.

The trees and flowers are blooming again, the breeze is blowing, and the sun is shining. We are blessed. .

Ivan was unpacking, still, a tote the other day, that had, as we both like to say, “more kitchen stuff”. We have enough “kitchen stuff”, for two or three kitchens.

The pan and lid on the right were hand hammered in Italy, and have brass handles, while the other two are from France, and have cast iron handles. This photo was taken after a quick cleaning with a powder called Bar Tenders Friend.

I had forgotten how much I enjoyed cooking with the copper. They are so easy to heat, cook with, and clean. The small fry pan, in front, in the above photo, has a small area of exposed copper so we are trying to find someone that can re-tin the surface. There are places in the US that re-tin, so there must be someone here that can do it, as well.

Between these, and my cast iron pans, I am set for life.

PS: we have decided we are going to redo them ourselves. We can get the supplies we need right around the corner from the condo. I will let you know how they turn out.