Get Together Sunday, August 18th from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.

I often meet people in Ajijic from the Portland Area and when I am up here, I meet them again. Or else people wanting to visit or move to Ajijic. I am going to be sitting on the patio at Walter Mitty's restaurant this coming Sunday. Hopefully, I can introduce my friends to each other. I will be there from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.. The date is the 18th of August. Their address is: 11830 Kerr Parkway. Lake Oswego, Or 97035.

Their phone number: 503 246 7153.  If you can, please e mail me before that day to let me know if you are planning on coming so I will know how many people to expect. I have not eaten there before so I have no idea of the quality of the food. I have chosen this place because it is within walking distance of where I am staying. I don't have a car and I am too lazy to go any further away from the house. Hope some people will show up. You will have a lot in common and you can share information.....  The food prices look reasonable. If you are at all interested in Mexico, please join us.

Yet Another Morning Thoughts--Anticipating the Future

My last Morning Thoughts post seems to have affected some of my readers. I am always happy to get that kind of feedback. It is strange to be writing my thoughts and sending them out into cyberspace, not knowing if they will be read or appreciated by others. For those of you who commented, thank you. Your comments are much appreciated and what keep me writing.

I am getting ready for a beach trip. I have never been to the Oregon beaches. This is going to be a real pleasure for me. I hope.

I will take lots of photos and post them in a few days. I will be offline for awhile. We are returning Sunday evening. The two dogs are going with us. They love the beach. My son has been saying the magic word, BEACH, to them for several days. They get excited for a brief moment and quickly forget about it when they see that no one is walking out the door. They go back to their naps. (I wonder what dogs dream about.) I keep telling my son that dogs don't anticipate the future and to quit teasing them with the BEACH word. It only confuses them.

I am rereading a book about Happiness. Titled 'Stumbling on Happiness' by Daniel Gilbert. One of his first statements is that the main thing separating us from animals is our ability to anticipate the future. Animals can't do that.  They are always in the present. It is an interesting concept.

 I am starting to anticipate my trip back to Ajijic. Chico is now home with my landlord. He was staying with a friend for a month while my landlord was in Canada. My friend said that the first thing Chico did when he got into our yard was to run to my door. I feel badly about not being there for him. I love that little squirt. I am glad he will be there to greet me when I arrive. Wish I could have done the same for him. I don't know what I would do without Chico's loving presence in my life. I know I would be a very lonely woman.

Since I have been here, I have received two letters. Both were from cremation services. Planning ahead is what they were advertising. Planning ahead for your death. I have no idea of how they got my address or how they knew I am old enough to even consider that kind of service. But my cremation isn't what I was thinking when I mentioned looking forward to the future...... or planning the future. Surely, there must be a lot more fun things for me to look forward to between now and that service.  For one, the BEACH.......

 Even though the dogs are incapable of anticipating it, I can and I am. After all, looking forward to something is half the fun. And in some situations, more fun. (At this age, I have been to a lot of disappointing events. Things that didn't come anywhere near living up to my expectations. Including a couple of marriages....)  I will write again after I return. I hope!

Morning Thoughts--On Loving

Foxy, waiting for Christina to get home from work

I have been thinking a lot about love lately. I put On Loving in the title of this because I am starting to understand more each day that Loving is an active word. Loving someone. Or loving an animal or a place or a thing, means taking care of.....

 I know that I love my son and daughter-in-law. Often when I am in Mexico, I think about them and their two sweet dogs, Foxy and Oscar. I love them all but I am not actively LOVING them. Loving means to be part of their lives. Sharing their hopes and fears. Doing things for them. Washing their dishes.

Loving a place means to be there and sweep the sidewalk. Loving an animal means to feed it and take it for walks. Unfortunately, being human and so limited, we can only be in one place at a time. We are only capable of having one thought in our minds at a time. The rest is unconscious, like a great ocean, constantly shifting and flowing. Within this ocean, we store our love for all the other people, places, animals and things that are not part of our current realities. That doesn't mean that we don't LOVE them. It just means that we aren't actively LOVING them at the moment.

Loving is sometimes harder than just having love because it means that we have to take part in their good, doing whatever we can to make their lives or the place better. We have to PARTICIPATE. And maybe that is what living is all about, participating.  Doing what we can to make this a better world.

That is why I keep on writing this blog, even though I am not currently in Mexico. It is an active loving, keeping it alive. Just as I am now actively loving my son and daughter-in-law. When I get back to Mexico, all these memories of the things we did together will be in my unconscious. Different things will float to the surface from time to time to remind me of this summer. The tragedy of losing my son's father will be softened by the love I shared with my son and daughter-in-law. The active loving that is going on between us now. I am so thankful for this time. But Mexico and my life there, including Chico, are still in my heart, waiting to be renewed.

Watercolors by Artist Gary Moses

Gary with his watercolors

Above are just a few of Gary's beautiful watercolors. He is willing to sell them. If you would like to see them and are interested in buying a few, here is his e mail address: gary@wwwmoses.com

Walk with my Friend through a Portland Neighborhood