What will be in my suitcase when I go back to Mexico

I bought these four black plaques many years ago at a yard sale in Portland. The woman selling them had brought them back from her trip to Vietnam. They are very heavy, inlaid with abalone shells. They are 15 inches wide by 31 inches long. They barely fit into my suitcase and they must weigh about fifteen pounds each. Looks like I won't be bringing back much else and I sure hope they don't want to charge me duty on them in Mexico.

My family never liked them. My son said, "They look like things that hang on Chinese restaurant walls."  My daughter-in-law agreed with him.

But I have always loved them. I am now in the process of trying to wrap them so they won't break on the airplane..... My family gave me permission to have them back.

One lesson I have learned from this experience is, Never give anything to a loved one if you value it far more than the loved one does.....  It isn't appreciated and just gets stuffed in a garage somewhere.

Now that I think about it, I bought them from the son of the woman who brought them from Vietnam. I remember him yelling in the house asking if she would take my lower offer...... (She refused. I bought them at her price because I loved them so much.)  Maybe he didn't like them either. Maybe he had them stored in his garage and was cleaning it out in that sale.  I wonder what the mother thought about bringing them all the way back from Vietnam and then selling them cheaply at a yard sale.

These photos aren't very good but you can see a little bit of what they look like. These are things you either love or hate.  Certainly not typical yard sale items. I am going to hang them up in my pretend kitchen when I get back. If they make it back in good shape.

Meeting at Walter Mitty's in Lake Oswego

I am planning another meeting in Lake Oswego at Walter Mitty's for people interested in Mexico and specifically the Lake Chapala area. It will be at two in the afternoon on Saturday Nov 23rd. The address is 11830 Kerr Parkway. If you are coming, let me know, or just show up... We will be in the side dining room.  Thanks, Patricia

Morning Thoughts--Friendships

My long time friend just left this morning for her drive back to Oakland. I met her when our children were a year old in the summer of 1967 in San Francisco. That is where we were living at the time. She drove up to visit with me over the weekend.  I  hadn't seen her for ten years. What a treat to see her again!

I moved out of San Francisco when my son was only two years old.  I went to Santa Cruz and my friend moved to Oakland. Over the years, I always thought of myself as the country mouse and visiting her was like visiting the city mouse. I could only stay a few days because of feeling overwhelmed by all the stimulation.

Our lives are even more polarized since I have moved to Mexico. We spent this weekend shopping. Grocery shopping, shopping at the second hand stores, shopping at the big box stores. She filled her van up with things she had bought.  Once again, I felt overwhelmed by all the stimulation and crowds. Every store was packed with shoppers. My friend even got into a fender bender in one of the parking lots. I found myself longing for the simple life of Ajijic. 

For once, I am the one who is staying in one place. My family is now in India. My old friend is on the road back towards Oakland.  I am still here.  There is something to be said for staying in one place while the world swirls all around you. Lots of time to think. I like thinking time. And mostly what I am thinking is that I love my life in Mexico and I wouldn't trade it for anything........

Last night my friend said to me, "What do you do in Ajijic? Don't you get bored?"

So I brought out my blog posts and my articles on Accesslakechapala.com and the monthly Ajijic calendar and the monthly magazine from there and spread them all out before her. I went on and on for about an hour and I think she lost interest in the first ten minutes of this speech. But for me, it was fun. It refreshed my memories of my home in Mexico and why I love living there. She is a city mouse all the way. No matter what I told her could convince her to even want to visit me down there.

But we still respect and love each other, even though our lives have gone into such different directions. Even though it had been ten years since I saw her last, it felt like only a month. That is what friendships are all about in my mind. Respect and love.

Being with her reminded me of my former self, of our former selves....... I like this time of my life better because finally I am beginning to know who I am and what I want. That took years to find out. I am a country mouse, contented to live in simplicity. Mexico is the ideal spot for me. Mexico, the land of Manana.....

Morning Thoughts---Cats and Cold

It is hard for me to think when I am so COLD. I am not used to this weather and I was told that it isn't even winter weather yet here in Portland.  I am so spoiled by the beautiful, sunny, warm weather in Mexico.  Yesterday I spent the entire afternoon in front of the fireplace, reading and feeding it more wood.

I got an e mail from my friend and neighbor a couple of days ago, saying that the cat who likes to sit at my window somehow got into my casita before I left. She was stuck in there for two days until my friend was checking on Chico and she heard the cat crying.

Poor thing. She had water because Chico's water bowl was in there and my bathroom sink drips. She had Chico's food in a bowl too. I hate to think of where she was going to the bathroom. I thought this experience would have made her disappear but she is a very persistent cat. My friend said she was back the next day, gazing in my window.   I am so glad my friend saw her and let her out of there. I can't think of a worse welcome home than a dead cat in my casita. Okay, a dead person would be worse but since I live alone, that isn't likely to happen.

I am going back to the fire to try to get warm. Now I am the one envying people lucky enough to live in Mexico in the wintertime. 

Morning Thoughts

Trees in front of the house.

I am in Portland now. I arrived on Halloween. Fortunately, it was an easy trip up here.  I didn't go through LAX. People often ask me about violence in Mexico. The States has its share of violence too. I have had several problems with TSA people in the L.A. airport so I don't go through there anymore. But I certainly wouldn't be tempted to take a gun there and shoot them. Crazy people live all over the world. And they can get guns. And they do. It is sad.

I am trying to get used to this cold weather. I wear a jacket all the time, even in the house. Mexico, I miss your sunshine!

It is good to be with my family again. They leave for India in a week. I am hoping and praying that their trip will be good and they will all stay well. Every so often I think about taking a trip to India or Thailand or Bali. But then the thoughts disappear when I consider the twenty hours or so on the airplane. Something about that recycled air. It makes me sneeze. I thought I had a head cold by the time I got off the plane this time but by morning I was fine again. That was only a two and a half hour flight. I can't imagine what a twenty hour flight would do to me now. My back is so bad that I probably wouldn't even be able to walk after sitting so long.

So, the traveling thoughts quickly disappear. This January I need to be in Ajijic anyway because I am going to apply for permanent residency. I don't have to prove my income because I have been there a long time. It will cost me 800 dollars but after that I won't have to apply again. No more yearly paperwork and expense to be able to stay there.

I will return to Ajijic on December 4th. I hope to have another get together with people who are interested in visiting the lakeside area while I am here. Let me know if you would like to come. We will meet at the restaurant in Lake Oswego again.