HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE

Art Work By Carlos Valdez  (Which of these two do you like better)

Horses Along the Road

I took this photo in the car on the way to my friend's swimming pool. We were charmed by the baby horse walking along behind the others. I haven't been taking many photos lately. Just trying to get well so I will be able to walk again. Still hobbling around on crutches.....  But it is hard to complain when the weather is beautiful like it has been lately. Nights and mornings are cold in my casita abut I have Chico to keep me warm.....

Wednesday Market in Ajijic Just Before Christmas

repair man

Taking a break from all the activity at the market

The two photos just above are the entrance to the market. It was too crowded for me to even attempt to walk in there but a few hours later it thinned out and I walked up through it for the first time since my accident. It was nice to see people I hadn't seen for almost three months but my ankle hurt after that walk. The day I came to the house sitting job, the shortest day of the year, the 21st, was the day that an electricity pole fell down and we had no electricity for a day and a night and half the next day. I took photos of the repair men and the truck. No electricity means no running water. I am glad there were a lot of candles here. You never know when the electricity will go out here. I bought coffee beans from the young man in a purple t shirt. Good coffee but I didn't have it ground....so no coffee the next day. He has an old fashioned meat grinder that he uses to grind his coffee. No electricity. No problem. 

Season's Greetings to Everyone

Chico on the Bed

It is cold and dark out. I am lucky to have a fireplace and lots of wood. This fire started quickly. I guess I am getting better or maybe it was because of the one long burning presto log that was left over from my landlord's wood stash. Whatever the reason, it was nice to get it going in under ten minutes. A fire always feels to me like another presence is in the room, another life.  So it is me and Chico and the fire tonight. Maybe there are a couple of cockroaches hiding out here under things. I also saw a spider a few days ago.  I wish all of you a very happy holiday season, filled with warmth, love and good health but no cockroaches or spiders.

Spirit in the Fire

 See how the fire has grown? It sure looks like a spirit to me in there. Maybe I have just been alone too long. My mother always said I had a vivid imagination. Sometimes I think she didn't mean that as a compliment. Sometimes she did, especially towards the end of her life.  She appreciated it more as the everyday world became less important to her.  Wherever you are now Mom, I love you and I miss you.

Lunch with Emily at Panino's Restaurant

Panino's Restaurant has delicious food and the prices are reasonable. It was crowded today. I guess a lot of other people feel the same way I do about this place.

The Raspberry and Strawberry Sales People near El Torito

Santa's Helper

Visiting with Friends

My friends Stacey and Dennis

The LCS Cat is Still There

In the lower photo are the Poinsettias growing so tall.

My Friend Emily

My friend Lamar

My friend Don

This morning four of my friends showed up at my door. I have been alone for weeks now. All of a sudden they all showed up at once. What a nice surprise. Emily was here bright and early. Then Don and Lamar showed up and then Stacey arrived.  We all went to the Lake Chapala Society and we sat and had coffee and talked for a couple of hours. What a wonderful day for me. I used two crutches this time. I did too much the last time I was out. I feel like I am just emerging from a long sleep. Back in the world again.

Out Alone in the World Again

 
Today is the first time since my accident that I have walked out alone into the world. What a great experience. I used one crutch. I managed to get to the edge of the market. I was afraid to go up into it because there were many people there. Maybe because it is almost Christmas. But I bought some fruits and vegetables at the edge of the market and also four DVDs. I took these photos. I felt such a sense of excitement to be around people again. And the music was playing. Wow, life is very interesting....

Of course I got carried away and had to struggle home with a huge bag of groceries. But it was wonderful just to sit there in the sunshine and watch people again.

Physical Therapy in Mexico

I haven't been writing much because I am still stuck at home in a chair. I was sure people would have lost interest in my blog because I have neglected it for so long but I got the information that  many people are still reading it. I appreciate that.  I go to a house sitting job next week. I will be there over Christmas. It is only a week long and I don't have to walk a dog or anything. Just feed the dog and cat. That's about all I can do now.

People have been encouraging me to have physical therapy. My doctor said it wasn't necessary. I had it after my knee operation. I had a torn and twisted meniscus two years ago. It was forty five dollars a visit so I didn't do it long. She came to my house for the therapy. But my landlord has been using another physical therapist because he had a hip replacement. He called the therapist and she came right over yesterday. She charged less than twenty dollars and she was a big help. I will probably have her come over a few more times. She said I had good flexibility. My foot is still swollen. But she thinks I will be walking in a few weeks. That is great news. I have been terribly depressed here in this chair. I have been missing all the holidays and all the fun..... Friends have gotten tired of dripping by. One friend said, maybe they don't like to hang around a depressed and dependent person. I guess that is understandable. Someone else said to me, they are acquaintances, not friends. There is a huge difference between the two. Acquaintances are people you spend time with when you are having fun. Friends are people who come to you and help out when you need it.

One of the hardest things for me has to been to ask for help. I have always prided myself on being self sufficient. But I have had to ask for a lot of help. I understand why people would get tired of that.

One friend is taking me to her pool every other day and having me stay for dinner. She has been a real help and I think the swimming is going to make the healing process much faster.   I will never be able to repay her for this kindness. So as it is, I owe a lot of people many favors.........friends and acquaintances.  To me, a friend is someone I can trust with all my secrets and who trusts me with his/her secrets.  (Maybe that is bad. My mother used to say to me not to say anything you don't want to be published on the front page of the newspaper. She was smart. )  But it is also great to know a person is there for me too. I hope someday to be able to return all these favors.

The Healing Process

I haven't been writing lately. Too discouraged. The healing process is very slow. I saw the doctor last night. First time I had been out of the yard since house sitting. Christmas lights were up and it was a beautiful evening.

The doctor said I don't need physical therapy. He just gave me some very painful exercises to do three times a day. That will keep me busy.  I house sit again in two weeks. I will be at the other house over Christmas. But it won't be any kind of special day for me. The special day will be when I can walk again without pain.   That will be my Christmas present! 

Nothing new in my life since I am not doing anything. I am on my third D. H. Lawrence novel.  Interesting man. He has some strange ideas about the relationship between men and women. He always comes back to the power struggle between them. The will. Whose will will prevail? The love/hate that exists between men and women. A person can love someone one minute and hate that same person the next. 

I still want to read the novel he wrote while he was living here but it isn't in the library now. I think having an electronic reader would be a very good thing. Then I could get any books I wanted online. I have heard that there are many free books online. If any of you have one of those readers, please tell me if you think they are worthwhile.

I like the feel of a book in my hand. It would take me awhile to get used to reading on a screen. But if I ever decide to live away from the Lake Chapala Society Library, it would be a wonderful thing to have because I don't know anywhere in Mexico that has a good English language library. Except Oaxaca. I have heard they have an even larger library than here.

Bire of Paradise

This Bird of Paradise is growing at my doorway. My friend Lamar came by and brought me groceries. We spent the day sitting in the garden and talking. We listened to the humming of the bees and the songs of the birds. The sun was warm on us. I am satisfied with simple pleasures these days. I no longer think of the outside world. I have finally settled into this lifestyle..... This may not be a good thing......

Memories, Not So Fond

My friend Gayle just sent me this photo. This is me in the hospital with a double dose of morphine drip pumping into me. Imagine the expression on my face without the drug......

Morning with My Friend Leslie and her Dog Boomer

Leslie and her dog Boomer came by to visit with me this morning. I am back in my casita and this is my yard. Chico and Boomer loved playing with each other and of course I always like seeing Leslie.  Everyone's e mails also cheered me up this morning. Thank you for caring.

Dealing with Pain

I haven't been writing much. I have been so discouraged about the slow process of healing and all the pain involved that I didn't write. No reason to share this hard process with others. It is a private, continuing struggle that sometimes never seems to end or make any progress. It has been seven weeks now since the surgery and I still can't walk. Discouraging. So I am not writing on the blog until I feel happier. We all suffer and no reason to add my suffering into the mix. I hope to one day be walking around again.

Thanksgiving with My Friend Don

My friend Don came up to get me in a taxi and took me out for a Thanksgiving lunch at Bubba's Restaurant. We had smoked turkey and many other great dishes. Mostly, I enjoyed the company. I have been spending too much time alone in my chair. I go back to my casita on Monday. I am looking forward to seeing Chico again.

Out To Lunch

Panino's special Spaghetti. Delicious!

Me with Mario

This is my first time out of the house in almost three weeks. My friend Mario took me to Panino's Restaurant. I felt like I had just taken a hit of acid. Not that I do foolish stuff like that. But I did acid a couple of times when I was in my early twenties and as far as I can remember, it was very much like my outing. Maybe because all of my senses were opened up from no outside stimulation for so long. I felt aware of everything around me, and even expressions of people's faces half a block from me. It was overwhelming. I am going to have to take this returning to the world a little at a time......right now I am out to lunch in more ways than one.

Winter is Here

I am getting e mails from people north of the border telling me about the winters that are starting. My family is in Portland, Oregon. They are expecting snow.  I just read that a huge storm has hit Seattle. I feel so lucky to be living here where the sun is still hot in the afternoons. I am still not walking but I am standing a few minutes every hour or so. That is a start. I am going back to my casita on Monday. It is always nice to go back home. I will get to see Chico again. I miss him when I am not there. Animals, they are such comforts to us humans. Think of how hard life would be if animals didn't love us.

The cat here finally trusts me and whenever I am sitting down reading she jumps onto my lap. She makes her needs known to me. If she doesn't want me to pet her, she makes sharp jerks of her tail. If she wants to be petted she turns over on her back and exposes her stomach to me. Cats are interesting. They are so different from dogs. I love them both.

Interesting Visitors

Yesterday a new friend, Joan came to visit. My friend Lamar also came and he brought hot dogs, cheese and buns for lunch. Joan lives in Salem, Oregon and before she came down she asked if I needed anything. I told her I needed my computer power cable from my son's house. She was going to Portland to shop and she stopped by his house twice to get it for me. Then when she brought it here, I was sure it was the wrong cord because of no plug. It had traveled a long ways with her. But later on in the day, I saw that the plug comes out of the old cord that I squashed and it fits right into the new one. What a relief. It was an interesting day. She lived in India for a year and Thailand for two years and she is thinking of retiring here. Also Sara, the cat, caught a lizard which we had to rescue twice from her. I hope she doesn't find him again. That is not a very smart lizard to continue hanging around the same area after being captured twice.

Pat at Sunset

Ray at Sunset

The above photos were taken by my friends Pat and Ray Hudson last night on the Malecon in Ajijic. The full moon drumming party. It looks like they had fun. Wish I could have joined them. 

Today Pat came by and brought a delicious cheese cake for me. We had coffee and we talked. She went to a full moon party last night, a drumming circle. She sent me photos which she said I could use on my blog today. I could hear them from my house in El Parque, or maybe it was another drumming circle. Lots of parties are going on this time of the year. Parades, parties, etc.....But I am still stuck in my chair. Thank you Pat for letting me use your lovely photos.  And for visiting with me.