Category: Initial post

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.

Unfortunately, the allergic reaction is not completely done with me just yet.

I am taking Benadryl daily; to no real affect. I still itch everywhere. It comes in small spurts, like small eruptions of itches. If I touch a spot, inadvertently, that spot starts itching. Very annoying.

Fortunately, though, I have had no difficulty breathing. That is my worst nightmare. Of my 4 memorable reactions, only 2 have resulted in difficulty breathing, thank the good Lord. It is such a horrible feeling, I cannot describe it.

Enough said. I am definitely better, and am hoping this is completely gone in the next 24-36 hours. One can only hope.

Stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect yourselves.

Once again, I have been the object of the fierceness of nature, or nature’s nemesis.

Pesticides.

About 11pm last night, I went to the kitchen, and ate 4 ribs of celery, rinsed quickly, under the running water of the kitchen sink, (I didn’t soak them in the disinfectant, as I should have). Slathered with peanut butter, they were delicious.

For about the next half hour.

Then it began; my night of Hell on Earth.

The palms of both my hands started to itch, then, the itching became unrelieved by scratching, slapping, anything. I ran cold water over them, not even considering, yet, that it was an allergic reaction to whatever I didn’t rinse off the celery.

After about 30 minutes of this torture, reality hit me square int the face, so, I got up, and took 75mg. of Benadryl, and 800 mg Ibuprofen, hoping I had caught it in time. (In this family, if one takes Benadryl, one simply must take the Ibuprofen at the same time. If not, it makes our legs jump, for hours.)

I sat up for about 2 hours, hoping the itching would stop; definitely not interested in an ED visit. Truth be told, it only got worse. It spread to my arm pits, my groin, under my breasts, my scalp, ears, face.

Then, as quickly as it started, I became too sleepy to stay awake any longer, so I went to bed. And slept.

Until about 2pm today. When I got up, I noticed a bit of itching, still. Then, I saw the hives. It’s a fairly dramatic sight, seeing your whole body covered with all different sized red weals.

The itching is coming back in droves. I just took another 100mg of Benadryl, and 1G of Ibuprofen. I am taking this itch-racked sack of weals to bed for the rest of the day. We’ll see what happens tomorrow.

Stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash your hands, (and your produce), cover your mouth, and protect yourselves.

We traveled about 45 minutes the other day, to attend a 15th birthday celebration, a quinceañera, for one of Jesús’ female cousins.

Everything here, in the hall, is very pretty, but extremely loud. Poor baby Brandon is having a bit of a time trying to sleep.

Now, it is almost 9:00pm; we’ve been here 2 hours, and are just now being served dinner. 😁

The first course was a delicious, creamy mushroom soup, served with several bowls of white bread. A wonderful way to begin our dinner.

Next, we enjoyed spaghetti with a white sauce, that included small bits of a green chile. I think it was probably serrano. It wasn’t too spicy, but added a note of interest.

I’m pretty excited about what’s coming next.

I am here to say that the sliced pork roast in gravy, with real mashed potatoes, with small potato bits even, was delicious. The photo I took was in motion so I can’t post it. I do believe you know what pork and potatoes look like, however. It tasted as good as it looked. This photo is the best I can offer.

Now, there’s going to be more loud music and dancing; just as I was regaining some of my hearing. Then, (read hopefully soon), we’ll be on our way back home.

Nope. That didn’t happen. There was drinking and dancing until 2am. A great time was had by all.

Stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect yourselves.

I forgot to mention that I was one of two females in slacks. The 70+ other females all wore dresses.

Ugh.