Livingthedreamwithdiana.com

HE DID IT. HE REALLY DID IT!

My husband trimmed my horribly nasty, full of split ends being pulled out of my head every time I combed it, my hair!!!!! He did a superior job of it too, I am happy to say. Unfortunately, I did not take a photo of the mess it was, however, it was at least two to three inches below my shoulders, and, it was a mess.

I lost an absurd amount of hair every time I brushed my hair, thinning my already too thin hair so, as I said to our cousin Marco last week, I look like a homeless woman, living on the streets.

I have not had my hair trimmed in close to a year now, with the current living situation as it is, high alert, salons closed. Well, I do not need one now, or for the foreseeable future. You decide.

That simple, loving gesture has made such an impact on my self esteem, I do not have the words to express it. Gracias, mi amor.

Anyone that really knows me, knows that I have struggled, all of my life actually, with low self worth. I will say that it has been my constant nemesis since I was in grade school. Were there, are there, times when that slips into the background of my thoughts? Absolutely. Thank you Lord.

With the quarantine, we have only gone to the store, delivered groceries where needed, and back to our luxury jail cells. Fortunately, we are free to move about the entire jail, and have privileges not known to many of the incarcerated; not those incarcerated down here, that is.

We have seen the US has a new President, President Joe Biden. This is not a political site, so I will not discuss my feelings on this platform. He is the new President of the United States, and that alone, demands our respect. Like him, or not, he is the leader of that free, and wonderful country.

All I am going to say on the subject is this- watch your civil liberties, people. Already, you have no freedom to express your political views on your SMS sites. Newsmen, real newsmen, are being cancelled, on the internet, because they have differing views about the things that are happening. Be prepared to have even more of your rights subjected to the ideas of his new government.

Let us put that on hold, while we wait to see what happens to your paychecks, those of you actually getting paychecks, in the next few months. While we wait, stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones.

Most importantly, however, happy something birthday to my youngest sister, Nancy. I will forever think of her as my “little” sister, as long as I am able to remember her. We love you dearly.

I have not posted anything for awhile because we are incarcerated here, in the condo. There does not seem to be any means of escaped, either.

We are going back to Los Altos this weekend to pick up Liz and Gaby, and bring them home. We will only be spending Saturday night, returning Sunday afternoon. That will be a short burst of Heaven, but I will take whatever I can get.

We are going to go through a house for sale while we are there. Hopefully something will come of that; who knows?

While we are waiting to go, stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones.

We have been to Veracruz now, a few times, and are looking at purchasing a second home in Los Altos.

We have not had the opportunity to go through it yet, but will, when we return at the end of this month.

It appears to have several bedrooms, is quite large for the village, and has been on the market for about three years now. With the smallness of the village, and the country in the grips of the quarantine for this past year, few in the village have the money to buy a home.

We will wait as patiently as possible to see what is behind the facade. Until then, stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones.

Wow. What a horrible weekend I just survived. I will say, simply, RESPECTO DE AFECTO!!!

Let me explain, if you will. We no longer drink alcohol during the week, and have not for the past several weeks. This past Friday night, we decided to try a bit of our favorite brandy, from Spain, called Terry. Ivan mixes it with a bit of carbonated water, here, the brand name is called Topo Chico, a little Coca Cola, and ice.

This brandy is smooth, but mostly, it is a bit sweet. (Much to my chagrin)!!! Little did I realize that, after a few hours, we had finished the bottle, and went to bed.

About seven twenty, Saturday morning, came the first of a thirteen hour fight to get to the bathroom in time for the rudeness that was to follow.

Never, in all of my sixty five and one half years, have I ever been that violently ill, for so many hours; relentlessly.

There was no respite, save for the hour between bouts of vomiting and diarrhea. As I was never sure when the next episode was coming, poor Diana got no sleep, and was so sore from vomiting I could hardly breathe. I wore my abdominal binder for two days, ate Ibuprofen like candy, but to no avail.

And now, we cannot find anymore Ibuprofen, because of the virus, so I have no idea what I am going to do.

As always, I will continue to survive, as I do, and should be back to my “norm” in the next few days.

Please, if you have an ounce of brains, learn from my mistake. Respect the affect.

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

Another plus that has come with staying in the home of friends, most new, two- less new, is that one’s command of a different language increases exponentially.

When one is completely immersed in the experience, it becomes less scary and more loving. The family here, still in Los Altos, is multi generational, with Jesús’ parents being the patriarchal members.

Unfortunately, this photo only shows about one third of the family members here for this celebration. I can, with some accuracy, pick out the siblings of Jesús, and, with marginally less accuracy, the spouses of the siblings. Their children, however, are completely undoable. (Not sure if that is a real word, but it is in this post).

Along with these sixty or seventy family members, comes the task of feeding and housing all of them. Here is a photo of the stacks of corn tortillas Maria, mother of Jesús, has bought twice already, in three days.

All of these were made fresh today, and sold about one and one half blocks from the house. The cost for all three bags was about five dollars and forty cents, or twelve pesos per kilo.

I will try to write more often now that we into a new year. While we wait for that to actually happen, stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones.

Finally, it is here; the start of a new year. And here, in Los Altos, it is about forty degrees. I am finally cold.

This old man was burned in effigy last night as it represented the last of 2020. The shirt was filled with small fire crackers. It made quite the noise and flash. Happy New Year everyone.

Here is the final product of last night’s effigy.

Nothing left of last year’s affects. On to the New Year.

We are all still in our pjs, doing absolutely nothing but napping. Bedtime was two thirty this morning. Ugh.

During this new year, stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones.

We had a wonderful Christmas Eve, with the family of our friends Jesús, Lizbeht, their son Gaby, and Liz’s mother, Alicia. In fact, Ivan just told me “this is what Christmas feels like. This is where they needed to be”. I agree wholeheartedly!

They are going to stay here until we go back to Los Altos, on the thirtieth. We will be staying in a hotel in a city close to LA, called Perote.

We, more Ivan than me, have been “cleaning” for the past two days. OMG! I am almost paralyzed! The condo requires vacuuming every other day, as well as mopping the white tile floor. Have I done this, every other day? Peshaw! Anyone that knows me knows how much I enjoy (not) cleaning.

THIS PLACE IS IMMACULATE! This is our Christmas gift for them, the four of them. Take a look:

A few days ago, this room was filled with all kinds of stuff. Now, it is being used as it should be used- a spare bedroom. They are so happy to be sleeping in a space that has wiggle room; all except Gaby. Gaby is used to a smaller space, and is unfamiliar, here, with this amount of space. He has plenty of room to roam when they are in Los Altos, but not here.

Fast forward: today is New Years Eve, and, once again, we are in Los Altos, celebrating the end of a very difficult year, ushering in, what we all hope becomes a year better than the former.

Happy birthday to my BIL Larry. And a Happy New Year to all of you. While we wait to bring in the year with celebration, stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and, protect your loved ones.

This old man is going to be burned in effigy later as it represents the last of 2020. The shirt is filled with small fire crackers. It should make quite the noise and flash. Happy New Year everyone.

Published on the 26th of December, 2020. Yes, they are out of order; continue.

Over the weekend of December fourth, we were in the car, on our way to Veracruz. By “we”, I mean Of course, not long after starting out, I was ready for a nap. Ugh.

When I was growing up, and our parents took all of us on a vacation, my younger sister, Nancy, and I, would fall asleep, within ten minutes of listening to the tar strips, on the pavement, through the floorboard of the car. (Nancy got one side, and, I got the other. Heaven. Truly).

The roads were considered highways by nineteen sixties standards; I can, however, safely say they were just paved roads.

The highway was a toll road so it was in better shape than the public highway. And the scenery was beautiful. So much of it resembled the states up North. One of the areas we passed through resembled Oklahoma, going through the foothills.

Later, we had traveled about an hour and a half, with dormant fields on either side of the road. The only thing growing, then, were scrub trees, cacti, and agave.

We left the four lane highway about thirty minutes later, winding our way through small town after small town, on two lanes.

Then, there was construction. The pavement was gone, completely; the road was rough, and it was exactly what I was hoping not to see.

We were back on paved two lane, a few kilometers farther, and there were plowed fields, growing cauliflower and broccoli.

NOW, we can see clouds coming over the tops of the mountains, in the distance. Gorgeous.

When we get back to town, and have internet, I will download some photos. It could not be more majestic, in this little village.

Until I can upload photos, stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones.

Post script: I wrote this post on our way, to and from, the very small city of Los Altos, in the state of Veracruz, Mexico, three and a half weeks ago. The posts that will follow, are the things, good AND bad, that have transpired in the several weeks hence. Thank you for your patience. The photos are some incredible views of another part of this beautiful country. Please come back.

Recently, we went to Los Altos, Veracruz, to visit the homes of our friends, Jesús, and, his wife, Lizbeht. Here, they live on the rooftop of the condo, in a small, (I really mean tiny), one and a half rooms dwelling, with their four year old son Gaby.

Right now, Liz’ mother is living with them, because, on the sixth of December, at six and a half months gestation, Jesús and Liz’s baby girl died while they were trying to get to a hospital that would take them.

Each of the hospitals said they were unable to take them, for various reasons; too full with CoVid19 patients; not enough staff; you do not have insurance. The denials were the same, just different reasons.

Liz went into labor after traveling the four hours from Veracruz to Mexico City. She has had, in the past few years, a few miscarriages, so this pregnancy was welcomed, but guarded.

It has been very hard to put this behind all of us, (obviously for them more than for us), but, we had been doing so many little things, in the background, to welcome her into the “family”; our family; the family we chose.

While we were in Veracruz, we met both of their families; many live very near, or, in the house of Jesús’s parents. The house is very small from the outside, but is built deep, and, on three levels, giving it much more space than it appears. Here is their house, from the road.

While we were there, Liz’s dad drove us, about an hour outside the city, up into the mountains, to a place that we consider very close to our Shangri La. Let me show you just a few photos. (There will be more photos to come, as we will probably be buying a house there, sort of a “vacation” home. Here goes.

We have not spent a more wonderful day than we did on this day. I have many more photos to show you, and will, when I am able to upload them.

For now, enjoy these while you stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and, protect your loved ones.

I have tons of photos to share with you, but it will take time, as there are about two hundred photos from our travels. I hope you will be patient and enjoy them.

This will be short, and to the point.

HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS, (with less than ten people gathered in your homes), and, an even more SPECTACULAR NEW YEAR, (also with less than ten people).

PLEASE! Do not have too many people in your homes for the holidays; I implore you.

That is what both of our governments are requesting, even though, they will, probably, all be having parties with multi-generations of families, their favorite constituents, favorite lobbyists, etc. What are the rest of us to do?

Here, the country of Mexico is in a state of “red” regarding the virus. We cannot go out to the stores; assemble with more than ten people; there are fewer hospitals available for help; we cannot buy alcohol!!!!! (We have Mercado Libre! Hahaha)

People. Use your common sense. If your people have all been taking care of themselves, and their families, and you feel comfortable having them in your homes, do so. We will be doing the same here.

On that note- stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and, protect your loved ones.

May the spirit of God, yours, and mine, fill you with love, and compassion for the world around us. God bless us, everyone!!!