Author: iagardener55

Yesterday, Ivan was out, and about, with Enrique, and came home with two bottles of the most wonderful tasting honey imaginable. I wish now, that I had had the foresight to take a photo of it in the original bottles. (The original bottles are the old fashioned quart milk bottles).

I also wish that I could describe the flavor of this honey to you. It is, however, so elusive, that it is hard to describe. I think I taste vanilla, or, better yet, a hint of, (ok, just think about this), snickerdoodle cookies. Just a hint, mind you.

So, when was the last time you had to try to describe the flavor of honey, one that did not taste like “ordinary”, mass produced honey? Huh? Probably never, will be your answer. It is not easy, because the flavor is not like anything you have ever eaten, in your life.

The honey is local, he thinks, and bought “en la calle”, on the street. Some things should never be bought on the street, from a street vendor, but honey is definitely not one of those things.

Frequently, the street vendors have products that are produced from an original source, more “organic’ if you will: a farmer; a bee keeper (in this case); a woman that weaves with string, and beads; a man that weaves with pine needles. Their products are not mass produced, refined, homogenized. They have flavor, texture, beauty, simple elegance.

When we get the shelving finished in the living room, we will find all of the treasures that we have purchased over the years, and display them. Most of what we have were handmade by someone, imperfect in the final product, but beautiful beyond words because of their imperfections.

None of the furniture, that we have in the condo, is perfect, nor did we want them to be. All of the furniture we have is, and will be, handmade to our specifications. In fact, our entire condo has been remodeled to what we want, not what the builders decided thirty years ago.

While we wait for the bicycles, the shelves, our office, to get here, stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and, protect your loved ones.

Post script: day seven without an “elected” president in the US.

As I am typing this post, it is still election day. The weather is absolutely gorgeous, about fifty two degrees Fahrenheit, twelve degrees Celsius. The sky is overcast and we are on our way to have breakfast at Toks.

We had a bit of work done on the Mercedes, recently, and will take a taxi to pick it up, after breakfast, of course.

We have decided to keep it for another year or two, and, having come to that decision, must maintain it responsibly. The power steering needed to be drained, and refilled; the windshield washer reservoir needed fixing, as the fluid kept leaking; the oil needed to be changed to synthetic, and, there was a faulty part having something to do with the power steering as well. So, for about a half million dollars, we should, once again, have a smooth driving, smooth riding car. (Though, truth be told, we both enjoy the BMW so much more).

We have just ordered “tres café Americanos”, three American coffees, but, are still waiting to order breakfast. While we wait, stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and, protect your loved ones.

Post script: the car drives, and rides, like we are floating on a cloud. Thank you, again, AutoFix.

Today is the day folks, when the future of the United States is to be decided. Either the beginning of the end, with Biden, or, on to another prosperous future with President Trump. We have already voted. Have you?

Try to imagine, those of you that have not retired yet, Biden is going to stop Medicare, AND, your SS benefits, if elected. Do not know about you, but to have worked all of one’s life, hoping to retire with one’s SS benefits and Medicare, only to have them taken from one would be a disaster. Only you can be responsible for such a future.

Those of us that are already receiving our benefits will keep them. Those of you still working will have to continue to work in order to have anything whatsoever.

Until the votes are counted, stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and, protect your loved ones.

God bless the US.

Have I told you that I am still growing out my hair? As it is now, it is just to my shoulders, and it has so much more salt than pepper, it is really starting to look descent.

Yesterday, however, I was as ready to shave my head. Today, I am more relaxed, more amenable to letting it grow. It is definitely more work than I care about giving it, but, Ivan likes it, so there it that.

I wear headbands that match whatever I am wearing, and that helps, some. To have hair in my face, however, makes me crazy(er) than usual. I cannot stand the tiny wisps touching my face; it feels like bugs.

We shall see what happens when we start riding the bikes. Probably going to do the “bun” business with a baseball cap and be done with it.

When all this takes place, I will let you know. Until then, stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and, protect your loved ones.

The other day, we received eight zipped plastic “bags” of black garlic that I ordered from Amazon. We have never tried black garlic, but have heard about the health benefits thereof.

WOW! We were completely blown away by the tastes, and textures, of the de fe w de q no . It was nothing like we expected. It was dark, soft, muddy, vanilla in taste, hard to describe, actually. It was wonderful!!!

And, yesterday, we got the box of goodies, from my sister in law, that she received from Amazon, in our name. It was like Christmas. We were both digging through the box, looking for the things we each ordered. I got sixteen packs of seeds for my indoor herb garden; Ivan got his Fannie May mint chocolates, and, his favorites, Truffles.

Another fun fact- I ordered our bicycles from Amazon.com.mx the other day. Wow. The savings account took a bit of a hit with that. They are from Schwinn, the tires are only twenty inches tall, and it is foldable, and, about twenty four pounds in weight. The fold-ability will allow us to take them up to the condo, for safety. If you look them up on line, they are called the Loop. In case you do not want to look it up, here are a few photos.

I cannot wait to start riding the bikes. We have a newly remodeled bike, and walking path less than a kilometer from the condo that is absolutely breathtaking. New palm trees, new flowering plants, on both sides of the path with the Rio Churubusco (river) running through it. (I could not help myself). I have no idea how long it is, or the altitude of the terrain but will find out in a few short weeks.

The bike should be here in two to four weeks, so, while we wait, stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and, protect your loved ones.

It is about nine twenty two; it is Sunday night, October twenty fifth, and I just realized, DLS time must have ended last night! Nobody told me!

When I went out to the kitchen just now, by golly, the stove said it was ten twenty three. Hmmm.

Each morning, my CPAP cleaning machine, the SoClean2, is scheduled to start up at eleven o’clock, and runoff ten minutes. Today, however, thinking back on it, it started at ten o’clock. Weird, I thought at the time.

Now, I realize, for some reason, we have already changed the clocks here. (All of our clocks, watches, phones, computers, etc., are automatically changed by computer). My calendar shows that this should not happen until next Sunday! What the heck?

Actually, somewhere in my feeble memory, I am thinking that the same thing happened last year. I am so confused.

Anyway, on another subject altogether, my bread is becoming increasingly easier to make with each loaf. While we wait for more bread, stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and, protect your loved ones.

Ivan and I watched a video, the other day, on YouTube that had physicians giving a press conference about the ineffectiveness of masks against the CoVid 19 pandemic.

They were saying that people are, once again, becoming complacent about their personal hygiene. If people would use their common sense, stay away from people that appear to be ill, wash their hands at every opportunity, the virus would not be rearing its ugly head again.

They were quoting Dr. Fauci, the Director of Infectious Diseases, as saying that he felt masks, in, and of, themselves would be ineffective in the long run. This is a virus, not a bacteria; they are very different in the bodies reaction to them.

Depending on the specific viral strain, it can live, for varying periods, on inanimate objects, being transmitted from one to another by droplets, physical contact, ingestion, to name a few.

However, a virus is like a “lock”, needing a specific “key” to unlock it. Therefore, you may have, and probably have, already been exposed, but are asymptotic, without symptoms.

Bacteria, on the other hand, are quite opportunistic, and infect a host much more easily. Bacteria can be treated with antibiotics, whereas, with a virus, at least prior to this virus, one can only treat the symptoms; fever, chills, and, cough. The virus has to “run its course “.

We are trying to wait, patiently, for this to be over, done. While we do that, stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and, protect your loved ones.

I just spent the last few hours, (none of your business exactly how many hours), in London, England. I was there, in the Langham Hotel, with several of the contestants from season two MasterChef Australia

Of course I was not really there, but, it sure felt like I was. I have watched as many of the MasterChef series as we can get down here, and have not been disappointed yet. I do so enjoy watching the contestants make food from their memories, what they have seen on TV maybe, or, as Ivan always says, “by the seat of their pants”.

He tells me to cook by the seat of my pants, but that is something about which I know nothing. My mother cooked less than a dozen different meals, and I was never home to watch her cook them, so I have no background knowledge from which to work. My father liked beef, a few canned vegetables, and mom’s chocolate cake. Not much to go on there.

Since I have been married, I have learned how to make so many different dishes, Mexican dishes, mostly. Now, living here, I have the opportunity to watch others cooking, or listen to them talk about cooking; how they would do this, or that, instead of this, or that.

One can learn tons of recipes on the internet, as well. You can see if it looks like something you would like to make, and eat, or not. There are websites, beyond counting, that can help with learning how to cook any type of food imaginable.

We made our menudo last week, and are just coming to the end of what was left. l cannot tell you how much better it was this time, than when we made it up North. The flavor was amazing.

In the coming few weeks we are going to start trying to make tamales. While we get those perfected, stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and, protect your loved ones.

I have started a “collection “; I am collecting handheld bathroom mirrors from the nineteen fifties, or older. So far, I have purchased three; let me see if I have photos.

This mirror has four layers of silver, is quite heavy, and is from the late eighteen hundreds, very early nineteen hundreds. The patina is beautiful, though, I would love to see how it would shine if polished. No, I will not polish it, and ruin the value. It is lovely as it is. I am proud to own it.

This one is from late nineteen hundred ten to the early twenties, I am told. Both of the mirrors themselves, are very well maintained with little, or no, defects. When the third mirror gets here, from the States, I will show that to you as well. If anyone has a vintage/antique handheld mirror, in good condition, please contact me.

Until that day, please, stay vigilant. But, also, stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones.

I have to tell you that, on Day 195, while we were “out and about”, I was able to write four posts. Driving around the city, with the beautiful weather, the sunshine, the breeze through the open windows, it has a wonderful way of freeing my mind, letting it go where it wanted. I have only to keep up with it, and type, explaining the things I see, hear, and, feel. It is a breathtaking experience, I have to say.

Allowing me the opportunity to journal our experiences has been, is, and will be, the experience of a lifetime. I want to thank any of you that have come along for the ride with us. I hope you are enjoying this as much as we are.

I will also say that I have had great pleasure showing you the wonderful, and amazing life we are finally able to live; retired, safe, and, most importantly, healthy and happy. Who can ask for more? Not us, for sure.

We are blessed, and we know it. We acknowledge it. We speak of it almost daily. We listen to the news of the world, and know that we moved at the exact time that benefited us. If we were still in the States, we would have lost everything. Here, we have more than we need. Have no fear of us getting above ourselves; we help everyone around us as to their needs.

Most times, we help family and friends without anyone else’s knowledge. We have always said that it is no one’s business what we do with our money, and will never be otherwise.

So, while we are here, living each day con gusto, stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones.