¿What do I do all day?

I’m tap dancing as fast as I can

2012-01-25T18:50:00.001-06:00

When I get emails from friends asking if I accidently dropped my computer into the washing machine, I know I need to post something.

I’ve taken a leave from writing. Nothing bad, just been busy doing other stuff. My daughter, La Primera, had another baby girl. I will be going later in the year to visit. The new baby is beautiful, but that is to be expected.

I learned a new Spanish word, neumólogo, which means pulmonologist. Even after living here for more than eight years, I find it freaking amazing that I can call a specialist´s office for an appointment and be asked if I want to come in that very day. Our situation was a little different, but the quality of care and caring is exactly like Jonna wrote about recently. Husband is feeling much better, life is good again.

Getting rid of stuff in our house has been going well. Debi mentioned in her blog that she needed a ropero (wardrobe). By an amazing coincidence, I have more roperos than I need. A deal was struck. She had the tree trimmers come and transport it to her house. A Yucatecan friend of mine says “Mexico el pais de maravillas donde todo es posible”, the longer I live here the more true I believe that statement to be. Where else would the tree service double as movers? They balanced the wardrobe on top of their truck and away they went. Waving off my offer of a rope to tie it down.

I’ve decided that our KitchenAid mixer needs a new home. I just don’t use it. The blender gets used daily, the food processor at least once a week, but I can’t remember the last time I used the mixer. I use my stick blender more often than the stand mixer. I guess I should put an ad in the IWC bulletin board.

Speaking of the IWC, I am running for treasurer. I was blinded by the idea of maybe doing a Roaring 20’s party for Valentine’s Day. Though now I am thinking of a Titanic event for April. I always have big ambitions.

Phone laundering service

2012-01-11T09:41:00.001-06:00

I washed another cell phone today. Though it may already have been toast before I did it. I blame last night’s deluge. I got soaked to the skin while running around on the roof making sure drains weren’t clogged.

Entering the house, I stripped off my clothes and left them in a pile on the tile. This morning I threw the still soaking wet clothes in the washer. After the machine ran for a few minutes, it occurred to me that I hadn’t seen my cell phone today.

Now the cell is sitting in a bowl of rice hopefully recuperating. I just put two hundred pesos of credit on my phone yesterday.

Improving and Improvising

2012-01-05T18:49:00.001-06:00

Practicing what I learned last week, I painted a portrait this week. I told Greenwood that I wanted to do something Rembrandt like. I had a photo from Halloween of BK’s husband dressed as a sultan and I wanted to use that as a jumping off point.

We looked at an art book with Rembrandt’s paintings and those of his contemporaries. The turban and oriental costume was a frequent theme in art of that time.

Greenwood pointed out to me that the backgrounds were dark to light. You can’t really tell in this photo but the lower right corner is much lighter than the upper left.

I under painted the figure in shades of brown with the pants and pearls both being white. This is also one of my smallest paintings 14cm x 28cm (5.5” x 11”). I didn’t want to be too detailed.

I want to take this to the framers and have a heavy gold frame put on it.

This is the painting that I did last week. It makes me think of old seed packets or labels on cans of vegetables. A midcentury sort of feeling to the realism. It’s hung with out a frame contributing to the poster feeling. Here is the original photo to compare.

Can I play too?

2012-01-04T15:41:00.001-06:00

The 1912 project is looking for people to sew. They are transcribing patterns from La Mode Illustree and want volunteers to test out the patterns. I love,love,love Titanic era clothes. My garden party dress was inspired by the era and I am no stranger to historical costuming though my eras tend to be much earlier.

Anyway, I would love to volunteer for the project. I’d really love to make some of the girl’s outfits for my granddaughters.

looking forward to 2012

2012-01-02T17:11:00.001-06:00

Making New Year’s resolutions is not my thing. I’m more of a five year plan kind of girl. When things are bad, I tell myself, I’ll just do this for five years, then I’ll reevaluate. Five years just seems like the largest chunk of time that I can imagine staying the same. Admittedly one day at a time has been my byword many times in my life too. Anyway, back to the point, I have goals for this year.

Number one on my list is to continue getting rid of stuff. I’m mulling over the feasibility of a yard sale. Maybe I can get together with a couple of friends? Paring down my possessions is a goal, but I haven’t really formulated by how much. I have some kitchen stuff, including a kitchen aid mixer that I hardly ever use. I also have a set of dishes just taking up space.

Hand in hand with getting rid of stuff is using up my fabric stash. I did really well for awhile but some new fabric seems to have found it’s way into my hoard. So I am going to have a sewing day once a week. I just have to figure out which day and stick to it!

I found a website that that has a free painting course online. I have started doing the work. One of the requirements is setting up a blog and uploading your work. I’m thinking more on the lines of auditing the class, so I’m not sure I am going to go the whole route. I am going to continue with my painting classes with Greenwood of course. I’d also like to sell some of my paintings, mostly to pay for my classes and to make room in the studio. If anyone is interested, send me an email, my contact information is on my profile. ~~I get enough spam without posting it.~~

Another big goal is to finish landscaping the yard. The gardener showed up the day after Christmas and got a good start on it. He laid the left over bricks for me and promised to come back last Friday to do some more work. Eventually, he will show up again, but until then I have been doing stuff on my own. It’s good exercise.

Speaking of exercise, I’m not motivated enough to commit to a real plan. However, I am looking forward to it getting warm enough to swim again. The primal/paleo diet is going great. I love eating like this. I didn’t put on any extra weight over the holidays and as of today I am back to 137. According to my diet plan I can expect to be down to my goal weight by May or maybe August. I’d really like to be a size 6 again before I visit my family, but a size 8 would acceptable.

Oh, yeah, and I am getting a hair cut. I haven’t decided on a style.

Just what I needed to hear

2011-12-30T09:52:00.001-06:00

My friend, PG’s husband is an artist, he also teaches art at the university level, listening to my woes he switched into teacher mode.He advised me. “What you should do is under paint in browns and white or black and white first. Think of it like drawing with paint instead of pencil.” He explained that it is a time honored technique.

Thursday, at my painting class, I tried it. Taking it easy, I decided on a still life. I cropped this photo to make it more interesting. It took a long time to do the first step. I worked with raw umber and white.

Adding color went very fast. All the hard stuff, like tones and shadows had already been worked out.

For the first time in a long while, I finished my painting in one session! I’m very excited.

You will have to wait until next week to see my finished still life, I left it to dry and be framed. I was beginning to despair of never making any progress, now I am excited and feeling like I can paint!

illiterate in two languages

2011-12-27T09:36:00.001-06:00

My friend, Jonna, sometimes jokes that she is illiterate in two languages. I am beginning to think that I can’t spell in two languages. I’ve always been good at spelling. One of my first real non-babysitting jobs was correcting papers for a sixth grade teacher.

Staring at the spellcheck underlined word, I couldn’t understand what I had done wrong.I try to correct spellings first before depending on spellcheck. Spellcheck and I don’t always agree. Our vocabularies are usually quite dissimilar and it’s guesses can change my sentences in a bizarre way when I let autocorrect function automatically.Therefore, I try to figure out my errors on my own, correcting without relying on the computer. Sounding the word out, doesn’t help anymore, I seem to be using Spanish phonetics rather than English in my orthography. “F” replaces “ph” as in foto or farmacy. I have consistently been using “e” instead of “i” and vice versa. For example,the word that was causing me so much problem? Entertainment, I spelled it intertainment and no matter what I couldn’t figure out where I had gone wrong.

The morning after.

2011-12-26T10:44:00.001-06:00

Mr. Dog, Husband and I are all in a stupor today. Mr. Dog is sleeping off a plate of salami, several meatballs with tomato sauce and heaping helping of cochinita. Husband and I are crashing from a sugar high.

Meal planning for the next week is going to be simple, there is at least a kilo and a half of meat balls and the same amount of cochinita left over from Christmas day. I going to freeze the one without sauce and we’ll eat the ones with tomato sauce over the next couple of days.

Mulling over the idea of putting up my decorations,there are still eleven more days of Christmas. Giving it up as a bad idea, I decide that I have other things to do. I may stop in at Miguels Fantasia and buy some stuff for next year while the sales are good, however. Right now that doesn’t sound even vaguely interesting.

Eric C sent me some photos of Christmas day, true to form,I didn’t take any myself.

That’s me in the kitchen finally wearing my Ecuadorian blouse and faja.

The terraza from the kitchen door and through the kitchen window.

Every one says that they had a nice time. I know that I did.

Lettuce eat

2011-12-23T10:19:00.001-06:00

Feeling better, but still tiring easily, I’ve been surfing the web. Husband refers to those Enquirer type blurbs on Yahoo! etc as click bait, and I fell for one, hook, line and sinker. I believe it read “Why cheese is addicting”. Intrigued, because I never knew that cheese is addicting and picturing cheesehead 12 step groups, I clicked.

The video clip was an interview with a plant based dietician. She said that cheese gives off quesomorphins, but pronounced it so it sounded like morphine not endorphins.Disappointed in my hope for a harrowing tale of cheese addicts losing their homes due to their habits, I idly watched the clip, guided more by inertia than any desire to watch the interview.

The dietician was promoting her book and veganism. Vegans,in my experience, tend to extremism. The dietician made the claim that romaine lettuce has as much protein as steak.As she spoke, a caption proclaimed calorie for calorie romaine has as much protein as steak.

In my quest for better health, I have come across some interesting information and come to the conclusion that we simply do not eat enough vegetables. According to one source, primitive man consumed as much as 1000 calories a day in vegetables, with fiber totals of 100 grams daily. The USDA recommends 14 grams of fiber for every 1000 calories consumed. I also looked up the amount of protein we should get daily. According to the formula that I decided to use, Husband requires 70 grams and I require 51 grams of protein daily. Also in order to maintain our current weights, he should consume 1879 calories, while I need 1623.

Back to the romaine, according to my food log, a head of romaine (626 grams) has just 106 calories, a nice 13.1 grams of fiber and 7.7 grams of protein. If for some weird reason Husband wanted to get all his protein from romaine, he’d need to eat 10 heads daily. He would lose weight of course, since he’d only get 1,060 calories which is way below the recommended minimum of 1500 for a man. Though he’d certainly exceed his fiber requirement.

If he wanted to get his protein needs from beef, an ounce (28 grams) has 63 calories,no fiber and 9.2 grams of protein. He’d need 7.61 ounces or 257.6 grams of beef and consume just 479.43 calories.A starvation diet by any count.

It’s all meaningless, of course, but my point is that if your only goal is protein intake and consuming less calories,you are better off eating beef than romaine. I can’t imagine eating over 6 kilos of lettuce but could easily polish off a quarter kilo of beef all by myself. However, a nice salad made of romaine, succulent beef slices with a sprinkling of nuts and chunks of tangerine adorning it, sounds like a more nutritious and sane compromise. Of course being addicted to cheese, maybe a sprinkle of parmesan too.

Too many wants

2011-12-20T14:48:00.001-06:00

The virus is in retreat, I feel better. Well enough to get into trouble, but not healthy enough to dig my way out again. Husband got a new phone after I laundered my old one. He has been wanting one more like his palm device that he used to use, he really doesn’t call many people, but he wanted to use it for schedules etc. Liking the phone that he had, which had been mine for a brief while, we traded. He got a new super duper phone and I got one that I already understood. We were both happy.

Have you ever noticed that when people discover a new thing that works for them, a diet, a new product, or a place to live, they want to share it? Husband has been badgering me to trade in my phone and buy one like his. Loving me and wanting me to have the best, he cannot understand my reluctance. It’s like my computer, he needed a new one, we got a great deal on an HP Laptop for him, such a great deal that his enthusiasm convinced me to buy one too. I used it a while but keep coming back to my tiny netbook, which sits on my lap. So there it sits and I feel guilty about it. We spent about $800 on it. I feel like I should use it, but I don’t want it on my lap. It makes me feel very bad, that I wasted so much money on something I didn’t need or really want because I got greedy.

So being sick and crabby, yesterday, when he once again started trying to sell me on getting a new phone, I got mad at him. They say you are never really angry about the things you get mad about. I could have bought a new serger and had money left over. I’m not even sure that I want a serger, but I like the idea of having one. I think I will mull it over for awhile.

I have a virus

2011-12-18T07:48:00.002-06:00

Not a computer virus, the house call doctor came and told me that I should feel better in 3 or 4 days.

Eating bad things

2011-12-16T16:27:00.001-06:00

Our bathroom is in disarray, the painter never showed up and I haven’t felt up to going out and locating him or a replacement. In anticipation of painting, we removed all the shelves and only the most necessary things are left sitting on the built in ledge across the room from the sink. Rushing to get ready, I grabbed my toothbrush and the toothpaste without really looking. I went to flip the top and it didn’t flip. Being frazzled, I just ignored my puzzlement and twisted the top off. Juggling more than a few things as I walked to the sink, I managed to drop most of the tooth paste off the brush onto the floor. Sticking the brush into my mouth so to have my hands free to clean up the floor, I noticed an odd taste, instead of the overpowering minty freshness of Colgate, there was a hint of lavender. That is when I realized that I had put VEET on my toothbrush! Veet is a Mexican brand of Nair.

Immediately spitting it out, I hastily rinsed with water from the sink. I threw away the toothbrush, grabbed Husband’s toothbrush and brushed vigorously with Colgate, then I tossed his toothbrush into the trash for good measure. I also rinsed my mouth out with oil and ate two tums.

Being the sort of person that can’t read about side effects without being convinced that I am suffering from them, I was sure that my tongue was going numb and my lips swelling to Mick Jagger proportions. However, knowing that about myself, I decided to forgo a trip to the emergency room. I already was running late. Arriving at my destinations, I immediately told two of my friends my tale of woe, ending with “so if anything happens to me …” and my girlfriends chimed in “we’ll know what to tell the paramedics.”

I’ve been rushing too and fro and being scatter brained because of it. I’ve decided that I need to slow down and take it easy. This hectic life is not for me, putting too much salt in crackers is minor compared to almost poisoning myself. So I am taking this time to remind myself to be focused and present, and to relax. I am off to sit on the terraza and read a book. Maybe watch the leaves fall, whatever, just to be present and calm.

94% humidity? in December?

2011-12-11T11:46:00.001-06:00

Having acclimated to the humidity, my skin feels dry in the winter months. Just like my scoffing at the puffy jackets, I remember being a bit dubious when a salesperson suggested that I might want a heavier moisturizer for these dry months. Growing up in Northern California, winter always meant heavy rains and being chilled to the bone. One thing that I love is that the rainy season here is in summer. Getting drenched is a relief and you dry off soon enough. Swimming in the rain is fun, as long as there is no lightening. So imagine my dismay at the heavy drizzles we’ve been having the last two days!

I am wearing leggings, a scarf on my head and a sweater! My usual chanclas have been replaced by socks and sneakers! Our weekly brunch at El Pendulo took place inside the restaurant instead of outside. The humidity is being reported as 94%, which is 50% too much. The temperature outside is 68`F, I don’t even what to guess what it is inside the house, but let’s just say that the butter isn’t melting outside the refrigerator today.

No wonder I feel crummy and unenergetic. Of course, that means I do less and doing less I feel the cold more. It’s a vicious cycle

It’s Wild! Definitely more NOT less!

2011-12-09T09:40:00.001-06:00

Normally, I don’t lack for words. However, It’s Wild-more or less, was stunning. I don’t really give photography much thought. Maybe I just haven’t been exposed to really good works?
Husband and I walked to the Peon Contreras, arriving a little early for the 9 pm inauguration of the exhibit. We went inside the opera house, which was dim and mostly unoccupied, except for a bored security guard at the front desk, who was more interested in chatting with his two friends than dealing with us. Looking blank at first, he told us to go down the side street past the restaurant. Fortunately, there is a sign on the door.

We were able to see most of the prints before the official opening, which was nice. I want to go back and look again. The gallery quickly filled up as it got closer to the official opening time. After the welcoming speeches in Spanish and English, the ribbon was cut, drinks served and hors d'oeuvres passed around.Making the rounds greeting friends, I saw Debi and Tom. Debi commented that whenever she goes to events like this, the first hour seems to be spent greeting friends. I understand completely. We viewed the rest of the show and decided to escape.

I wanted to say good-bye to Cherie, but she was unfortunately standing near a waiter holding a tray of appetizers. It was like trying to swim among piranhas in a feeding frenzy. People were grabbing food like they hadn’t eaten all day.

Strolling home along Calle 60 which was closed to traffic for the weekend, the evening was cool but pleasant. Walking past restaurants sprawling into the street, most of them with competing live music, waiters beckoning passersby proved to hard to resist.Not having braved the masses in competition for sustenance at the show, we decided to grab a bite. Sitting ringside to the parade of strolling humanity, we order guacamole and chicharron de queso. Chicharron de queso, is basically a slice of cheese fried until crispy and dry.It’s a bit too salty, I’m not all that keen on it, but thought it would be a good replacement for the chips. A classic margarita seemed like a good idea too.

Sated, happy and tired. It was way past our normal bedtime when we finally arrived home. Weighing myself this morning, I found that I had gained back the kilo that I had lost. Frankly, it was well worth it.

Still flying high

2011-12-08T07:40:00.001-06:00

“A Call for Actors” showed up in my mailbox, the IWC newsletter, and on YoListo. Could it be that the universe was trying to get my attention? Outside of my family the thing that I miss the most is performing. At the IWC Halloween party, I did an impromptu sword dance which really brought home that fact.

They asked for a resume of acting experience. I used to have one, but along with my professional CV, it didn’t make the move. I did my best to reconstruct my performance history. I agonized over it and hopefully it will fill the bill. Since most of my experience is historical re-enactment, I took time to explain each event rather than a bald, RPFN –monger, SPFN-monger,Goldrush! San Francisco!, Californio. That doesn’t tell you anything unless you know what a monger or a Californio is.
Then there was the headshot. Traditionally, your headshot is an 8x10 to which you staple your CV so one face is the your face and the other your experiences. Searching my photos, I realized that while I have some good headshots, none of them would survive being blown up to that size. More deliberating ensued. Figuring that a small head shot was better than none, I attached a 3x5. Turns out that I probably didn’t need to do that. Anticipating,that people wouldn’t necessarily have photos, they had a photographer on hand.

Waiting for my turn, I felt that old nervous tummy churning feeling. Amazingly, once I was onstage, script in hand,it all disappeared, channeled into performing energy. I read for two parts. Not having been on stage since 2007, I found myself wandering around the stage area. Mentally reprimanding myself to plant my feet, deliver the line and then move, I think I did better. It was a small space so I read in a fairly normal voice. However, when they asked me to project, an interesting thing happened to me. The act of projecting awaked some body memory. My actions got bigger, my character more obvious,the energy higher. I ended feeling higher than a kite.

Now, I am waiting for a call back. Whether I got a part or not, it was so much fun, I am still buzzed.

Caught up in the Christmas decorating spirit

2011-12-07T07:32:00.001-06:00

Needing a Christmas tree, my friend, BK created one. BK and I work well together,though our tastes are very different. She claims that she is too left brained to be creative. It’s not true, as evidenced by the Christmas tree she made.

We went shopping and looked at the available artificial trees,but none of them really fit the bill. I kept saying you need something tall and skinny to fill that space and pushed forward my idea of a two dimensional tree using swags.

“I have some chicken wire, maybe we can use that?” BK mused. Enthusiastically, I agreed, I pictured an advant-garde tree adorned with a few ribbons and large sparkly balls. BK had other ideas. She bought garland, white LED lights, and Christmas balls in gold and silver. She ended up with was a narrow eight foot tree tastefully adorned with organdy bows and clusters of ornaments. It looks like an expensive boutique designer tree. Not at all what I had envisioned, much more glamorous. Amusingly, our mutual friends asked if I had made the tree for her.

Leaving her house, I was feeling inspired. Having seen lots and lots of wreath ideas in online magazines, I wanted to supplement my scant decorations. Miguel’s Fantasia had signs proclaiming half off on Christmas merchandise.

I entered with a plan. I was going to buy two white wreaths, some artificial poinsettias (or roses) and butterflies. In my mind’s eye, I had it envisioned perfectly. Silver, pale pink and green were my choices. Wandering down the aisles, I found the perfect poinsettias, except they were trimmed with gold! None of the butterflies were in the right color! I spent more than an hour, meandering through the enormous store gathering materials. I had a cart load of supplies, but wasn’t happy with how they looked. Shell-shocked and dazed by all the glitter, I had an epiphany. I think these flashes of inspiration are brought on by a combination of fatigue and sensory overload. I would change my color scheme!

Abandoning my cart, I started again. This time, I stocked up on ivory, gold and bronze, eschewing the premade white wreath, I got a plain wire frame. Making my escape from the store, I caught a taxi home.

Walking in the front door, I felt like I had been hit in the head with a sledge. Somehow,in my creative frenzy, I had forgotten something. Our entry way, our recibidor is decorated in silver and black!

Don’t casting directors read the books?

2011-12-05T06:56:00.001-06:00

Rarely do I comment on this blog regarding popular culture or movies that I have seen. However, as a Jack Reacher fan, I was stunned when Husband told me that they had cast Tom Cruise as Reacher!

Cruise certainly has the chops and presence for playing the part, but he lacks an essential Reacher physical characteristic. Reacher is big! Personally, I would want to see the Rock as Reacher.

Just wanted to get my opinion out there. Don’t worry I will return to my customary banalities.

crackers, sort of

2011-12-04T15:31:00.001-06:00

Reading the free cookbook I got from Mark’s Daily Apple, the recipe for sunflower and sesame seed crackers caught my eye. I also found the link to the original version which includes two more steps, soaking the seeds and leaving to cool in the oven. I didn’t do either of those steps, but I intend to next time.

Having read or heard somewhere that sesame seeds need to be crushed in order for humans to digest them, I ground them instead of leaving them whole. Adding chia seeds because I thought they would boost the protein and look kinda cool, was another deviation. Unfortunately,I also put too much salt in mine, I spaced out and put in an entire tablespoon of salt! in the batter. Don’t do it, you are supposed to sprinkle salt on top of the crackers before baking, not into the mix. I tasted the dough, and decided since I had already put in too much salt to go whole hog. I used to really like honey-mustard pretzels so a tablespoon of honey and one of prepared French’s mustard got tossed in too.

They are still saltier than I would like, but otherwise not so bad. I think I may have made my version thinner than the original, but it’s hard to judge from the photos. The directions said roll out as thin as you can. I can roll out a pretty thin dough, I’ve had plenty of practice when making pooris or chapatis. Using the teflon baking sheet, I think I rolled the thinnest possible cracker.

I also made shrimp pate. Shrimp are an amazing food, hardly any calories per shrimp. Coconut shrimp is one of our favorites,deep frying them and covering them with coconut raises the count a bit. This pate is fairly low calorie even including the two tablespoons of butter I used.

I have lost 1 1/2 pounds since starting this new way of eating. Husband hasn’t lost any, but he deviates more than I do. He also has a tendency to drop weight all at once, he goes along with no weight loss and then boom, he weighs five pounds less, or at least that is the way it always seems to me!

return of the false friends

2011-12-04T13:02:00.001-06:00

Here is a post that I wrote about false cognates, False Friends.
Introduce is still a hard one for me, or rather remembering to presentar rather than introducir people. Most of the other ones, I do all right with.

I am off to the kitchen to make some crackers using sesame and sunflower seeds instead of grains. Enjoy the re-run, I'll post about my efforts later.

Oh, don't forget to read the comments, some of the bloopers people shared are really funny,

Eggplant pizza crust? is that going too far?

2011-12-03T17:04:00.001-06:00

I love eggplant, stir fry tofu and eggplant is really tasty, especially when you replace the tofu with pork, I’ve baked it in bread, I’ve cooked eggplant lots of ways including stuffing them, but I have never used them to make a pizza crust. I’ve put grilled eggplant on a pizza, but never put a pizza on an eggplant.

On two separate primal food websites, I found similar recipes for a pizza crust using eggplant as the main ingredient. I decided to go with the Melanzana Margherita Pizza recipe on The Food Lovers Primal Palate, which is where I got the coconut flour waffle recipe that I tweaked. Eggplant was no problem, I found beautiful ones while I was at Wal*Mart, they were $52 a kilo, but I bought two anyway.

The only sticking point was parchment paper. The baking store doesn’t sell it.If they do, the girl behind the counter didn’t know about it, which is a distinct possibility. But this post isn’t about the infamous No hay response.

Walking down Paseo Montejo with Husband, we passed the Italian restaurant supply, the home of wonderful and pricy kitchen paraphernalia. The merchandise is simply first class and well worth the money. However, usually I don’t need first class, but I do like browse in that store. They had parchment paper, or rather nonstick teflon coated baking sheets! True to form, it was $275 a sheet, but it’s good for 3000 uses so if you prorate it out that’s less than a centavo per use, so it’s almost free…It isn’t like I have to persuade Husband with the cloud cuckoo land logic, he just tells me “Buy it.” It’s me who must be coaxed to buy things like that.

Cutting the baking sheet into quarters to fit into our small oven, I was ready to make the pizza crust. I decided to make a tomato based sauce and used bell peppers, green olives and shrimp as the toppings. Surprisingly enough, it was really good. A thin crisp crust that I would not hesitate to serve to anyone. Sometimes you just have to take a chance.

landscape escape

2011-12-02T11:15:00.001-06:00

Trying something new at my art class, I painted a triptych, not the gorgeous religious ones you find in Russian and Greek Orthodox churches like the example on the left.
Though the more I look at the more I want to do something like that.
Inspiration is everywhere, you just have to look, don’t you?
Back to the subject at hand.
I started with this photograph that I took of el Parque Arquelógico de Pumapungo, Cuenca. It’s a little busy so with Greenwood’s guidance, I simplified it and stretched it out.
Here are my three paintings, first as individual separate renderings and last as a triptych.

Keeping track got easier

2011-12-01T17:30:00.001-06:00

Tracking every bite of food that you eat, makes a big difference in being successful in losing weight. I read that taking a photo of each and every thing you eat is even a more powerful tool in the fight against fat. I’m not willing to photography my food but I do keep track of what I eat. I used to just write it down. Then I discovered online food tracking.

The free USDA My Pyramid Tracker is a pretty good food tracker. It even includes dishes like tostones (fried green plantains) in the data base. However, it doesn’t include other foods which I eat like chia seed. Often I would find myself making substitutions,imputing flaxseed for chia seed. The most tedious part would be when a dish wasn’t on the list, so I would have to calculate how much of each and every ingredient I consumed. However, I love the detailed breakdowns of nutrients and the different formats it offers.

Switching to About.com’s Calorie Count, was a big deal to me. I’m not good with change when it comes to computer software. The program isn’t perfect for me,it doesn’t track omega 3s and 6s for example. It does however have a feature where you can add in foods. Even more importantly you can type in a recipe and get the nutritional data. So when I prepare ropa vieja for lunch, I can enter the ingredients, how many servings it yields and how many of those servings I ate. Then I can save the recipe to memory. So whenever we have ropa vieja, I can chose it from the menu to add to my daily food intake. You can also save meals to memory, so if I always serve a particular dipping sauce with spring rolls, I can combine that as a meal. If a food is not in the data bank, you can add it.

You know you have acclimatized when…

2011-11-30T09:22:00.001-06:00

Sitting at the table on Thanksgiving, Husband and I idly watched the butter slowly melting in the butter dish. It isn’t unusual for butter to melt here, but what we realized later was that neither of us felt warm. Wearing short sleeves and feeling comfortable, both of us thought the day pleasant, but certainly not warm.

It’s that time of year, when we put on sweaters or long sleeves, while our friends nob call us whimps. Recently, I was in Progreso visiting Barb. It was a nice day, warm in the sun but pleasant, almost cool, in the shade. Barb and Mr. B, her husband found the weather a bit warmer than me. While I have a hard time venturing into the pool they are swimming all the time.

Right now as I type this, I am aware that my feet are cold. I have on a ratty long sleeve robe but no socks and I can feel the chill. Once I get back up and around, I’m sure that I’ll warm up.

The down comforter still hasn’t made it’s way onto our bed, but I did change from cotton sheets to cotton flannel sheets. We have had the polar fleece blanket on the bed since blanket day, but just the regular sheets. We’ve also stopped leaving the windows open all night.

Gotta get my cooking mojo back

2011-11-28T19:25:00.001-06:00

Having been the perpetrator of some truly awful meals lately, I have been feeling down. Yesterday, I baked a non-wheat bread that could most generously be described as similar to a spinach frittata but not as good. I even used half a cup of pine nuts in it!

This morning, I redeemed myself! We had waffles. Wheat and dairy free waffles, and they were good! I found a recipe online, which would be better for pancakes, but I wanted thicker batter, so I tweaked it by adding more coconut flour and some cardamom. I also added some coconut oil because waffle recipes, in my experience, have oil and are a thicker batter. I also used a blender instead of a mixer, because I like being able to pour directly out of the blender.

I make coconut flour with dried coconut in the blender using the grind setting. I start by pulsing and finish by grinding it as fine as I can. I also use this to make instant coconut milk when I am in a hurry.

Feeling renewed confidence in my abilities,I made a beef curry for lunch. Against my instincts,I followed the recipe and boiled the beef chunks in coconut milk with curry paste. It was so tough that only Mr. Dog ate it. I think I should have done it more like beef satay. First thinly slicing the beef then marinating it in the curry paste for a while. Instead of boiling , quickly stir frying in coconut oil adding the coconut milk last. Maybe next time.

We had cheese for dinner. Just a slice of cheese. I wasn’t taking any chances.

Coconut Flour Waffles

2011-11-28T19:02:00.001-06:00

I adapted this recipe from The Food Lover’s Primal Palate, I wanted a thicker batter.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp coconut flour
1 tbsp coconut oil
1tbsp boiling water
4 eggs
1 tbsp coconut milk
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cardamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp baking soda
5 drops of liquid stevia (or to taste)

Combine 1 tbsp coconut flour,coconut oil and boiling water in a small bowl (I use a custard cup) set aside to cool.

Preheat your waffle iron. If you normally grease your iron, do so.Combine all ingredients including cool coconut milk in a blender. Whir in on blend until it becomes a smooth batter. Pour the batter into the waffle iron, don’t overfill. Cook until the waffle stops steaming. My waffle iron has a light that turns green when it’s ready, but it is only teasing me.

I served them with butter, but they would be really good with berries and whipped cream for dessert.

Makes about 4 waffles

sleepy and grouchy

2011-11-27T14:06:00.001-06:00

For the last week, I have been sleepy and grouchy. I’m sure it’s the lack of coffee. Ironically, one of the reasons that I decided to cut back was because I couldn’t sleep. However, I didn’t think that I would try to catch up on slumbers in one day.

Take yesterday for example, I woke up at 4:30 and managed to stay in bed another hour. The monthly IWC meeting ran over time, but I found myself nodding off at noon! I had planned on doing some shopping on my way home, but asked a friend for a ride instead. However, Husband, had walked downtown to meet me and have lunch.

After running a couple of errands, he suggested Las Vigas for lunch. I countered with Madame Cameron because they have a seafood buffet. I figured it would be easy to get a wheat free meal there. Having waited too long to eat, I was grouchy. We opted for the buffet, it was mediocre. I had some octopus escabiche and ceviche plus some mixed veggies. Husband ate the shrimp pasta and ceviche. Oh and there was an empanada of maybe tuna. Anyway, I wish we had eaten at Las Vigas, but I was starving and a buffet sounded like it would be faster.

We walked to the square where no taxis could be found. We ran in to Hammockman’s wife, La Dulce ,and started to chat. I was fading fast though and we cut our visit short. Fortunately, a cab happened by and whisked us home, where I fell into bed and slept until after 6 pm. I think I went to bed at 10 pm last night and fell right to sleep.In between I had a caffeine deprivation headache.

This morning, I got up at the civilized hour of seven, went to Maxi-carne and Dunosusa after a tiny cup of espresso and a glass of carrot juice. Even though it looked like the bici-ruta was canceled we had our Sunday brunch at El Pendulo, where I admired Samantha’s six puppies, all of them have already found homes! Now I am fighting off sleep as I type this. How long will this last? When will I be normal again? Just how many hours can I sleep every day?

Black Friday? We don’t have it here!

2011-11-25T07:51:00.001-06:00

Having spent most of my working life in retail management, I am intimately acquainted with Black Friday. People lose their minds chasing the good deal. I don’t miss it at all.Yeah, the bargains are incredible, the acquiring of stuff at a good price is seductive, but I have long ago opted out of that game. Debi had a great post about giving services instead of goods as gifts. I like that idea, we have done things like that in the past. I am all for experiences instead of material goods.

I once bought a pony for my kids with the money that I had been saving up to buy a new couch. I figured the girls (Mijo was still a baby) would remember having a pony forever but never think twice about having an old couch. I was right. I don’t truly recommend buying a pony or any other pet on a whim, it’s a big obligation. I have a rule that I never get my kids any pets that I don’t want myself. I did break that rule with the bearded dragon, but that was a special circumstance. That is a story for another time.

While we don’t have Black Friday, we do have quincena, which is the fifteen day pay cycle. Also there is a mandatory Christmas extra paycheck called the aguinaldo that must be paid before the twentieth of ~~November~~ December (I got confused). There are great deals on electronics, clothes are on sale, bargains abound. Centro is bustling. It isn’t a coincidence that the state fair is put on in November. People come from all over to shop at the fair. The last day of the fair, the crowds are filled with people hauling blankets, pots and pans, and who knows what else that they acquired at bargain prices. It’s a circus, not up to Black Friday standards, but pretty impressive none the less.

Orphan Dinner

2011-11-24T09:25:00.001-06:00

Defined as a dinner party or a holiday get together with friends who have no family to spend the holidays with. Usually a potluck event.

The phrase resonated with me, it’s a big part of the ex-pat experience. Most of us don’t have family here but most of us have made friends. We’re bonded by similar interests, world views or simply by sharing a common language.

Some people do fly “home” for the holidays, but most don’t. It gets expensive and sometimes it’s physically challenging. I haven’t spent Thanksgiving with my family in three years. It’s always been one of my favorite holidays, sharing first place with Halloween, Independence Day (July 4th) comes in third. I like Christmas and Easter for the family dinners and the decorations but they aren’t big on my list. Any holiday that has mandatory gift giving stresses me out, I like receiving presents, I like giving them but as an expression of love and affection not because I am supposed to do it.

Back to the pot lucks, we’re off to one this afternoon. It should be fun, a small group maybe ten people. I don’t remember what we did last year, the year before we were in Chiapas.The year that I was in California, Husband went to a celebration with friends, a lovely couple who have since moved to another part of Mexico. Another group of people we know go to the Hyatt for the Thanksgiving buffet, they reserve a table, enjoy a first class meal with friends with the added bonus of no dishes to wash.

Tomorrow, I am going to inspect my ornaments and start thinking about decorating.

going wheat free in a wheat filled world

2011-11-22T07:31:00.001-06:00

Recently, I started reading a book called, Wheat Belly, Lose the Wheat, Lose the Belly by Dr. William Davis. While looking for a link for this blog post, I found his website, but I haven’t looked at it yet. Mrs. WB is a big fan of Dr.Joseph Mercola, who also advocates less grains in the diet. Then there is Banting, the precursor to low carb, which lead me to decide that we needed a low carb lifestyle. All these sources seem to be saying to me, kick the carbohydrates.

Carbs have slowly crept back into my diet, not as many as before but they,especially wheat have snuck back. There are the burritas (flour tortillas filled with ham and cheese then topped with cream and salsa verde) that I like to have for Sunday brunch, pita bread with hummus and tortas de carne asada. I haven’t gained back my weight but I’m stalled at 138/140 which is too much for my slender 5’2” frame.

I am skeptical about all the claims, I firmly believe that there is no silver bullet, but I also think that losing weight is as close to a cure all as there ever was.

One of the things that I want to try is the occasional fast, which means no caffeine. During the last couple of months, I’ve cut back slowly on coffee. Drinking coffee is a hard habit to break especially if you have a cup at regular intervals. The advice that I’ve read is that you don’t stop, but you half the amount you drink, slowly weaning yourself off the brew. I am hoping this helps with my headaches too, though I think they are linked to sugar. Which leads me back to wheat and carbs.

Kicking coffee

2011-11-21T07:57:00.001-06:00

Husband and I are long time coffee drinkers. Being Cuban, I started young with a little coffee in my milk, and as I got older the proportions changed to a little milk with my coffee. Working, I drank a lot of crummy vending machine coffee.

Arriving here, we discovered Cubita, probably the best coffee ever. However, our source disappeared and we haven't seen anyone carrying the brand, which is imported from Cuba.

On the advice of friends, we checked out Cafico. For several years, very good espresso ground coffee was delivered to our door. Returning from vacation, we phoned for a coffee delivery. No one answered the phone, this went on for several days. Finally, in desperation, we changed to buying Blason espresso ground coffee. It is almost as good as Cafico's espresso, quite a bit cheaper and available at both Chedraui and Costco (it's even less expensive at Costco).

However, we've decided to cut back on coffee. We are down to one lone cup first thing in the morning, except Saturday, we had a small espresso tacita or as the cool kids say it tazacita, at 5:30 pm because we were going out. We were awake until midnight, which was a bit of overkill.

Sunday, I fell started falling asleep at five in the afternoon! Talk about rebound! I resisted having a cup to perk me up. I treasure my morning cup now, savouring it's aroma and flavour, sometimes thinking "Another cup wouldn't hurt would it?". In the afternoon, I wistfully think about a little pick me up, with a pastry. Tea is nice, but not the same thing.

Mérida is a vortex

2011-11-19T09:26:00.001-06:00

Mérida is an exciting place to live, interesting people and stimulating ideas fill the air. Like ships attracted to the Burmuda Triangle,talent is attracted to Mérida. Fortunately, unlike the Triangle, the talent doesn’t disappear. There are places where innovative and creative people seem to congregate,Mérida, is one of them.
I feel like I am in Paris during the turn of the last century. Painters, writers, photographers, intellectuals, creative and interesting people of all types seem drawn here. Mérida´s elegant tree-lined boulevard, Paseo de Montejo is often referred to as Mérida’s “Champs Elysees, some of the houses were literally transported to Mérida from Paris, while others were copied and rebuilt. I see that as foreshadowing. Mérida is not Paris, it´s something different, with it´s own vibrant energy. Let me give you a just a few examples.
My painting teacher, Greenwood, is married to the equally talented Cherie Pettillo, a writer and photographer. Cherie, is being featured in a solo photography exhibition, at the Peon Contreras Gallery. It’s Wild-More or Less, which opens on Thursday, December 8th (at 9pm) and runs until January 5th, 2012. I can’t wait.
Joanna van der Gracht de Rosado, author of Magic Made In Mexico,is writing a novel, it promises to be a good read. She also paints and draws.
Lorraine Bailey Bowes, PhD,one of kindest,most sincere people I have ever known. She was the person who greeted me when I joined the IWC, with a genuinely felt “I am so happy you chose to join us”. She is writing a book on relationships. I´ve read a few chapters and I am impressed. I truly believe it´s going to be an important book. She also writes a blog, Totally Win At Love: Smart Talk About Sex and Relationships, which is well written, interesting and has information that I wish I had had available to me when I was dating. When her book comes out, I am sending a copy to each of my kids.
Then there is Remixto, a culinary salón that feeds your passion to cook and enjoy modern mexican food, beautiful food, great videos and well written prose. I can’t wait until they start serving their intriguing and imaginative Sunday brunches again.
This is just a small sampling of the caliber of people attracted to Mérida. I haven´t mentioned the culture and talent that was native to this city. You could spend a lifetime here and never be bored.

Speechless

2011-11-18T21:31:00.001-06:00

No I haven’t actually been speechless, but I haven’t been able to come up with anything really interesting to write about. My phone crisis has been resolved, the phone works but the screen gets fuzzy after a few minutes. I blame the blow dryer. My sim card is safely enthroned in Husband’s cell phone and his is waiting for a new home.

The weather has been variable, from warm to drizzly. Nothing remarkable.

I went to the State Fair, but only to shop with BK. I bought 3 sizes of tiny dishes to add to my collection.I suspect that they are made for kids to play with. However, I use them for holding pre-measured ingredients when cooking, to hold our morning vitamins and for condiments when I serve Indian food. My guess is that the smallest ones hold a couple of tablespoons and the largest one half a cup, very handy to have around. I want to go back with Husband to see the exhibits. BK wants to go back to shop more. So it looks like a few trips to Xmakuil are in store for me this year.

Mr Dog has taken to sleeping on the couch when we aren’t around. The other day, he didn’t even have the good graces to jump off the coach when we entered the room. He just lifted his head and looked at us and went back to sleep. He has my number. He has never been allowed on the furniture, though we always knew he would defiantly climb up as soon as we left the house. Previously, he would jump down as soon as he heard us, putting on an innocent air. Instead of reprimanding him, I have taken to covering the sofa with a sheet. I am getting soft hearted.

Life as usual, nothing really outstanding. Just life

Back from the dead

2011-11-16T06:57:00.001-06:00

Norm is my hero! He suggested I put my soggy cell in a bag of rice and it worked! While replacing all the various parts, holding my breath and waiting, I noticed that the display screen looked normal. Hope started to gather, pressing the key that wakes up my phone, I saw a glimmer of light. Then I heard the telcel tone! Success!
I am back in communication with the world. Happily, now I don’t have to venture out and buy a new cell phone. It’s getting harder and harder to buy a device that merely communicates with other people. I know that technophiles like Jonna are more than willing to stand in line to wait for the newest and the greatest, especially if it’s Apple but I am a Luddite at heart.
Calling myself a Luddite is probably going overboard. Technology is what makes being an ex-pat in the 21th century so easy. Not just cell phones and VOIP (voice over the internet protocol) like Skype, which help us keep in touch, but things like e-books and e-magazines. Books in English are expensive and hard to come by here. Mérida has the Mérida English Language Library (MELL) which is a wonderful resource but being able to get books online for my Kindle has been an amazing experience.
The internet is what makes the ex-pat experience so easy these days.
Researching our move, I read every book our library system had to offer. When we settled on Mexico, I purchased every book our bookstores had available. The internet had some information but not like now. It is so much easier now.
It seems like many of the magazines that I am interested in are now available as downloads. No more waiting to see if this month’s issue will arrive intact, or even if it will arrive. Many seem to be offering all their back issues on CD. The world really is at my fingertips.
As incongruous as it seems, I can fire up my computer and learn how to make soap from scratch or find recipes on making jam. So while I long for simplicity, I am looking at technology to supply some of it.

Someone is probably getting a new cell phone

2011-11-15T11:40:00.001-06:00

I managed to wash my cell phone today. When I saw it in the bottom of the washer, I was dismayed. Wracking my brain,what to do? panic set in. I found my blow dryer and started to dry it,in my panicked state, I couldn't get the back off. Finally, I removed the back, then the battery and sim card. The was about a teaspoon of water pooling inside. I wiped everything out with a dry towel.
Feeling like everything was now under control, I looked up instructions on the internet. I did almost everything right, except the blow dryer part. The instructions(I read several with to make sure), were divided on the use of blowdryers, but to my dismay, they all counsel against it. I think I burnt out my screen.
Everything is sitting outside and I am waiting for a miracle.
Husband would like a different cell phone, so I am thinking of putting my sim card in his and he can get a new phone. How is that for making lemonaide?

A new fork in the road

2011-11-13T10:27:00.001-06:00

Filled with enthusiasm from attending Malcom Massey’s talk on e-publishing, I mentally went over the possibilities. I could self publish a book! What kind of book? My Griselda stories? a cookbook? The best blog posts from this blog? A novel?
Then I thought about painting, fixing our house, crafts and all the other things that I do. So the book idea goes on the back burner, it’s not time to go down that road yet.

So much to do in Merida this week

2011-11-12T09:00:00.001-06:00

A body at rest tends to stay at rest. As in physics, as in life. It’s difficult to overcome inertia.We get comfortable at home and don’t venture out. Resolving to nip this problem in the bud before it becomes too deeply engrained a habit, I checked out the events schedules on Yucatan Today and Yucatan Living’s websites.

The classical guitar concert at the Peon Contreras looks interesting, 8pm isn’t too late. We are not night owls and many events start at 9pm or later. I suggested to Husband that we go tonight and Sunday. Like many events in Merida, it’s free.

This morning at 11 am,MELL has a talk on self publishing an e-book. Husband agreed to walk to the library with me. He’ll look at books while I learn about e-publishing.

Afterwards, we are going out to lunch. There is a new vegetarian restaurant called Dafnis near the Parque Santa Ana which is a possibility. I also keep walking by a new seafood place called Madame Cameron (madam shrimp), we might go there if I can remember where it is located. I keep thinking somewhere around Calle 57 y Calle 60 but we all know about my sense of direction.

Then there is the State Fair at Xmakuil, this will be our first year attending without a car. We’ve gone every year since we moved here.This year, I am planning on taking the bus which I can catch on Calle 69 x C58 y C 56. I want to go a few times.The robot zoo interests me. If it’s anywhere as cool as the dinosaur exhibit last year, it will be well worth attending.

The weather cools and the social calendar starts to fill up. La Maestra is having her annual pozole party for Revolution Day. She makes three pots of pozole, red, white and green with all the trimmings. Forget the amazing cabbage soup diet, I want to go on a pozole diet!

We’ve lived here going on eight years, I hear noises outside and think “oh it’s a parade”, not “oh,my gawd,what is happening?”. I look forward to the antorchistas and Guadaloupe day. It doesn’t bother me that the Christmas decorations are starting to appear everywhere. Secretly, I think they are just Independence and Revolution Day decorations augmented with the occasional Santa Claus and candy cane. How can you not love living in a country whose colors are red, green and white?

Steve stole my title

2011-11-11T17:42:00.001-06:00

11.11.11 was going to be my post title until I read Steve Cotton’s post today on mexpatriot-in the key of steve, not that I couldn’t just use the title too.Titles cannot be copyrighted. Of course, the truth is that he beat me to the title,he didn’t steal it, unless he is prescient.

11.11.11 is a powerful date for numerologists, gamblers and other people who see magic in dates and mathematics. I like the idea of magic, I have been known to consult tarot cards and read my horoscope on occasion. An astrologer did my natal chart once, but I gave him the wrong birth hour.What can I say? I’m lucky that I remember the date of my birth let alone the hour.Knowing that I was unclear he gave me two options,one based on what I thought was my birth hour, and one on what actually was my birth hour. Using the correct time,he was spot on. Using what I remembered as my hour, gave an entirely different reading. Generally speaking, I find that the tarot is much more helpful than reading a horoscope in the paper when I am conflicted. A very wise friend told me once that if you have to make a decision, flip a coin, be very still and listen to your reaction to the coin flip. If you feel relieved that is one thing if you swear then that is another answer for you. Simple.

It’s not what the cards say, it’s what they mean to me.

Realizing that every time that I have ever second guessed myself it has not gone well, I think that is very good advice indeed. I find that I consult the tarot when I am feeling unsure. It isn’t that I really expect to predict the future but rather I use it as a way to see how I really feel about things. I like the idea of magic, but I believe in science. Magic is just how we explain things we don’t fully understand.

Aging in Mérida

2011-11-10T08:11:00.001-06:00

Senility has raised it’s head in our household. Mr. Dog is getting old.

He has lived more than half of his fourteen years in the Yucatan. Lately, he gets confused easily, sometimes he forgets which doors open inward and which lead out, to the detriment of our screens.

His legs sometimes betray him, they clip obstacles which just a year ago he would have leapt gracefully over. There’s an occasional tremor in his rear legs, an instability when going down stairs.

We suspect that Mr. Dog’s vision is failing too. Playing with his favorite squeaky toy, he cannot locate it when it gets too far away.

Sometimes, he seems to forget that he already ate dinner, though that may just be his dog nature manifesting itself.

He sleeps more these days. At 9:30 pm he gets up from his nap and heads for the bedroom. Glancing back at us, asking if we’re coming, he sits in front of the bedroom door waiting to be let in. He is the first to go bed and the last to leave the bedroom. For most of his life his interest in what we are doing kept him up as long as someone was awake and his eagerness to start the day had him not only up at 6am with Husband but sometimes he was already out and about before Husband even opened his eyes.
He is still at his best in the morning. His happy, puppy like behavior and enthusiasm for life is most evident in the morning hours.
Lately, his steel gray coat has gathered a sprinkling of white hairs, and his back sways a little, giving him a little old dog shape. Similar to the potbelly of a thin but elderly man.
Complaining to our Veterinarian that Mr. Dog was slowing down, he observed that “No one lives forever, and who really would want to?”. A fatalistic philosophy, but a realistic one. As long as Mr. Dog is happy and not in pain, we will continue to enjoy our time together, because let’s face it we’re getting old too.

Crazy idea? Just my style.

2011-11-09T10:09:00.000-06:00

Quilting is not my thing. The idea of quilting is intriguing but the reality of it is that I don’t have the patience, precision nor persistence to plan and pull it off. Quilting started as a way to save money, piecing scraps together to make new blankets and has evolved into an art form. It’s all gotten rather expensive,in my opinion. The fabrics aren’t cheap by any means, but if you’re going to put that much energy into something, you want it to last.

However, there is one type of quilt that does call out to me, the crazy quilt. I have bits and pieces of crochet, embroidered handkerchiefs and blouses and other bits and pieces. I am thinking of making a quilt out of all those things. Not a big one, just a small one.

It’s another way to whittle down my fabric stash.Even though the turbans and pantaloons took up quite a bit. There is still more in the stash.

I’m really excited by the idea. I used to have a great book on the stitches for crazy quilts but it seems to not have made the move south with us. Now I just have to gather up what I do have and see how it all looks. Wish me luck.

My friend, MK took this photo at the IWC Halloween Party. Her husband is the sheik who is wearing authentic attire, not one of my fantasy creations. It was just a happy coincidence and really adds to the photo.

Testing the Offline editor

2011-11-08T13:43:00.001-06:00

I am trying out my new offline editor, Livewriter, it’s a Windows product. Husband is a diehard “I don’t do Windows” kind of guy. However, it’s what came with my laptops and I am used to it. I
Ariel remains my favorite font, but I thought I’d see how I felt about Comic San MS. It’s very readable and has a flair to it, but it does take a bit of getting used to. It almost looks like my handwriting when I print. Just to spice things up a bit, I thought I would throw in the sorts of random objects that catch my attention. Marble tiles in sidewalks and rocks in the sand.

Always the costumer, a shop selling raiment to adorn statues of saints caught my eye.
It would be an interesting sideline for me, don’t you think?
I think I would be good at it. This font is called Calibri.

Now the time has come to upload this post and see how it looks online.

I was especially happy with how the photos are manipulated, until I uploaded the post. It looked great in my draft not so good online. Back to the drawing board.
This font is aptly name Impact. I believe I will save it for a special occasion.

The Versatile Blogger Award

2011-11-07T06:24:00.002-06:00

Leslie Lemon of Motherhood in Mexico and the outstanding cooking blog La Cocina de Leslie nominated me for the versatile blogger award. She must not have seen my last post, So far averaging one post a day.
It's a meme, like a blogger chain letter. However, I am flattered. One of my problems with being nominated is that some of my favorite blogs have already been nominated! Like a chain email you received from a friend, you have so many mutual friends that you have to scramble to find other friends who to send it on to so you can get the prize (good luck or whatever).
You can see that I have problems with accepting compliments. So with no further ado, seven things you don't know about me. That should be hard since my audience base is mostly family, and things that my parents don't know about me are things I have no plans to share.

My first date with Mijo's father was at a shooting range. I was a much better shot.
I am geographically impaired (okay many of you know that about me)
I have never eaten tripe
Tripe is not on my bucket list
I do not have a bucket list
If I had a bucket list, spending a month in India would be on it
I'm a Buddhist except when I'm filling our Immigration forms then I am Catholic.

All the bloggers that I read deserve awards. It's hard to post good readable stuff all the time, and you all manage it very well. So everyone take a bow and consider yourselves nominated

Shrug is not always a verb

2011-11-06T13:15:00.001-06:00

Remember the $10 ( that's about seventy-five cents those of you still thinking in dollars) tank tops that I bought for Tuafor?

Adapting the directions that I found on Cut out and Keep, I made a shrug for Tuafor. One of my favorite things about this shrug is that I incorporated a pair of lace sleeves that I saved from one of my tops.While I was removing the lace trim on a nylon top that had wasn't worth saving I decided to save the sleeves too. I've been trying to temper this tendency of mine to hoard scraps. Saving lace trim didn't seem too outrageous but I felt a little guilty about the sleeves. They sat on the end table for a few days while I argued with myself about keeping them.
While hacking apart the tank top, inspiration struck! The shrug needed sleeves, the brown looked good next to the burgundy tank top, it all came together with the addition of a couple of fabric flowers crafted from scraps.
The tiered skirt really doesn't do much for me, even if it does have lots of lace. I'm waiting to hear what Tuafor liked before I make any more stuff.

So far averaging one post a day!

2011-11-06T09:14:00.002-06:00

Averaging my posts, I can claim that I have still posted daily on average this go round. But the truth is that I post twice one day and not at all on another. It's okay, I am sure I didn't lose readership over it. Speaking of readership, I have been tracking my blog since November 10, 2008. Since then I have had 33,251 unique visitors out of 102,924 visits. According to my stats this blog averages 93.99 visits a day since I started keeping track.
What does that mean? I really don't know. I do know that around 60% of my readers have returned more than once, they've given me a second chance. Thank you, I appreciate it.
My blogging certainly has changed since my first post, I like to think my writing has improved since then. However, when I check to see the most popular post I've ever written Photos from Allbrook Mall still holds that honor. Expo de Oaxaca has the number two spot which makes a little more sense in a blog written about living in Mexico. Oh,you know,because I am so bored, and have nothing else to do has the number three spot. Makes you wonder what people are searching for when they find that post? Photos of costumes? things to do when bored? do they read the post and run off in a hurry? do they even read the post? I think those people who read Dealing with noise (number four on the list) are probably more satisfied with the results of their search.
What recipe has been searched for and gotten the most hits? Nom Su Hao - Vietnamese Kohlrabi Salad, but if I check my defunct Theresa's Cooking Blog the number one recipe is Hojaldres, Panamanian Fried Bread, which, by the way, is really good. However, I'm thinking if someone wanted to start a good blog on Panama there seems to be an opportunity.
I had hoped that looking at my statistics would help me figure out what my readers are interested in, what to post about, how to keep you coming back. Trying to set goals by reading my statistics reminds me of those vocational tests that I took when I thought about enlisting in the Army. I was young and lacking direction, I really wanted to go to Europe so I went down and spoke with my recruiter, who promised me either my posting choice or job choice. I took the test, he said that I qualified in all the areas but scored most strongly in electronics and mechanics. Neither of which appealed to me, mechanics because it involved getting very greasy and electronics just seemed boring. I am left once again, to find my own way. Ignoring the people who want more information about Panama like I learned to not answer the recruiters phone calls.

Best Blogger Conference Yet!

2011-11-05T19:24:00.005-06:00

Returning from the 4th Annual Latin American Blogger's Conference brimming with new ideas. I just don't know what I enjoyed more, the panel discussion, Barry and Marc's presentations or the workshop on blogger (the wordpress people had their own workshop).

I am amazed at the talent and knowledge of the bloggers who came to the conference and their generosity in sharing their knowledge. There was an underlying theme that freely sharing information benefits everyone.I believe that is true, in life and in blogging.

Because of the conference, I am going to look into an off-line editor that hopefully will eliminate some formatting issues that I have been having placing photos in my blog. I'm also going to take the time to finally update my blogroll. There are a couple of other things that I am planning on trying out.

slow as molasses

2011-11-04T10:17:00.002-06:00

I don't know what is slower, our internet connection, my operating system (windows) or my little laptop (acer). I have a new faster better laptop, but this one fits better on my lap.
Watching The Big Bang Theory I was struck by how much technology I don't use. Sheldon was trying to contact Amy. He said he IM'd her, tweeted her, emailed her and some other stuff that I didn't catch. I email and blog that's about it for me. I have a facebook account with 10 friends, 8 of which are family members. I never update my status because it doesn't make sense to me. I do upload the occasional photo, but mostly I use it to see photos of my grandchildren.
Oh, I have skype. I like skype, it gives me the illusion that my kids might call me. Though I have learned that phones calls only go out of Mexico very seldom into Mexico. Admittedly, my comadre calls me, but she is exceptional that way.
Have you ever noticed that there seems to be a designated contact person in families? The one who calls everyone and passes on the news? I call my parents and my mom says "I was thinking of calling you, but I couldn't think of anything new to say." and then we talk for two hours. I don't know about what, just stuff. I really like it.
I call my sister and she says "Hello stranger" and I laugh and remind her that the phone is a two way instrument. She always laughs right back at me and agrees.
My daughter and I speak more often, she says that I always ask the same questions. My answer is that I am always interested in the same stuff, the kids, the soon to be born baby's name, the stuff that moms always are interested in. Maybe I should have a checklist? Just say "Hello, items 1 thru 5, any changes?" .
Sometimes I wonder if the reason no one calls is that they don't really want to talk to me? Or is it that they have grown accustomed to me calling and it's my role in the relationship? I blog so my family knows what I am up to, what I think,so do they forget that I have no idea what they are doing? Or is it more complicated than that?

Pasta and philosophy

2011-11-03T10:07:00.001-06:00

Raviolis we love raviolis! Remember that commercial with the ravioli song? I can't find it online but it was running through my head yesterday. BK gave me a ravioli sealer for a present, yesterday we got together and made raviolis.
We used wonton wrappers which fit the sealer perfectly, next time I will make the pasta from scratch. The pasta machine that I brought back from California has been sitting unused on a shelf taunting me for over a year. Now I am afraid that I will find out that it's quietly succumbed to the Yucatecan climate, silently rusting, a reminder that just because I want something it doesn't mean I need it.
I know that I am being hard on myself, that my divorce from consumerism is a journey, just like life itself. I have too much stuff, but I am working on it. Lately, I have been looking at the things that I have acquired and thinking about what I can sell or give away.
We have two extra beds, an airbed, several extra bedrooms and no guests. We have vague promises of visits but the people who have visited have stayed in hotels. So if you want to buy a double or a single bed send me an email. Then there are a couple of extra roperos. A side effect of having less clothing is less of a need of places to store them.
I want more experiences and less material stuff. Yesterday's ravioli making fit the bill perfectly.

Chilly not chile

2011-11-01T10:15:00.000-06:00

It's not exactly a cold snap but it is cooler than we are used to here. Husband suggested some hot chocolate this morning and I accepted.
It's not good when the humidity and the temperature meet in the middle. Last time I checked it was 72 degrees and 68 percent humidity.
It isn't cold enough for my winter clothes, just brisk. Too cold to swim. However, I do have a plan. Discussing how much pool exercise really makes a difference and lamenting my reluctance to brave the chilly waters of my pool at painting class, my teacher, commented that he was thinking about acquiring a wet suit. Laugh all you want, but I think that is a brilliant idea. Now I just have to figure out where one buys such a thing. Even though I've bamboozled my readership into thinking I can make anything, I believe a wet suit is totally beyond my abilities, I have never even seen one except on TV.

Costume revealed

2011-10-31T08:58:00.001-06:00

Breaking with my longstanding tradition of stitching on costumes until the very last second, I finished my costume a few days ago. There is a sizable dent in my fabric stash, some of it went into a sultan costume for BK's husband. I cut out the vest, but she decorated it and made his pantaloons. Our turbans were created for the event by skillful tying.The sultan sat patiently while BK stitched a large jewel to his recently wrapped headdress.
BK and I gilded the lily by adding more bangles and bracelets to our outfits.The sultan got a sash and a sword. Said sword was featured in a dance that I performed after drinking two glasses of wine. I am sure that there are photos out there of that!

BK had an Indian Shalwar Kameeze with a matching shawl that she borrowed the pantaloons from. The shawl was reincarnated as a popper and veil. Her top is a purchased coin decorated halter with matching hip scarf.
To be honest, I would have bought one too, but the look is less than flattering on me. Let's just say that I need a little more help defying gravity.

Before my friends arrived I posed for some photos for Husband.

My braid! This is the same braids that I used last year for the Grito. After unraveling the two, they were braided in one heavy braid and some pearls, cording and a couple of necklaces were intertwined into it. Did I mention it was heavy?

So should I change my profile photo?

Don't have no body....

2011-10-30T08:26:00.000-06:00

No words just pictures....

Not Miss Muffet

2011-10-29T09:15:00.001-05:00

Here is my Duct Tape Double wearing the witch mask and costume. She is just waiting for her borrowed hat to complete the look. I made her arms and a head. The white eyed look didn't do it for me so I reached through the blank eye sockets and drew some eyeballs. I must of gotten the angle just right because they seem to track you as you walk back and forth in front of

The spider is pretty big, I was going to make several but he took up all my stuffing. I had a bag of new fiberfill and three old pillows so I expected to be able to make several spiders. It's been quite awhile since I last made any stuffed toys. The eyes gave me fits. I made two little eyes on the side of the head but they didn't seem correct. Finally, I looked up spider eyes. Turns out that there is a wide variation of eyes so I just went with eight eyes in two rows.

All the skulls are decorated. Tonight we go and decorate. I can't wait! Husband gave my costume a name, it's called the faceless woman. Tomorrow I will reveal it.

First cold of the season

2011-10-28T09:01:00.001-05:00

Those of you NOB, are thinking "what cold season?". I am wearing sweat pants and a tank top, which sums up how I feel. Lousy, I didn't even brush my hair just gathered it up in hair tie. Eventually, I have to comb it, but not right now. It makes my head hurt to think about. I am not well. I have been having a tickle in my throat for the last few days.Today, I woke up with a full blown head cold.
I made te gripal, which is a tea mix that I buy that has eucalyptus leaves and some other fuzzy plant parts in it. I'm feeling too tired to walk over to the counter and fetch out the package, so that is as complete an ingredient list as I am serving up today. In fact this is as long a post as I am serving also. Hasta luego

¡Sí me disturba!

2011-10-26T17:04:00.001-05:00

Storing your tools at the last job seems to be a common theme here. A few weeks ago we had some work done that required scaffolding. The contractor's truck was full so he asked if he could come by Saturday and pick up the scaffolding and the bags of debris he was supposed to also remove. He asked " ¿ No le disturba?" I assured him that it was fine where he put it since he was coming back in two days.
Today,the gardener made an appearance and I want to transplant a bunch of stuff to where the scaffolding is being stored. Well, now it is in my way. " Y ¡Sí me disturba!"
I realize that it could be much worse . One of the carpenters who worked for us 6 years ago has yet to reclaim his ladder. At this point it's been so long that I consider it abandoned. Honestly, I went several times to his house to remind him but after a couple of years, I just decided it wasn't my problem. It isn't a great ladder but it is handy to have around. La Muchacha likes to use it when she needs to reach high places. We have two ladders of our own but they are heavier and taller.

Now that I think of it a set of scaffolding probably isn't a bad thing to have in a house with 18 foot ceilings, but I really would like him to take the escrombro away too.

Maybe I should call him on Saturday and remind him?

Rina go away!

2011-10-25T15:59:00.000-05:00

Rina,Rina go away,
don't blow and make the palms trees sway.
I have plans for this weekend
that don't include mopping and sweepin'.
My friends are coming to visit here
So Rina please be a dear
away from the pennisula you must veer.

You're decorating what?

2011-10-24T22:26:00.002-05:00

I'm on the decorating committee for the IWC Halloween party this Sunday. I like being on committee for a specific purpose for a short length of time. This one suits me to a tea. I wouldn't want to be an officer or a member of a standing committee or project.

Which is why I have half a dozen unicell (styrofoam) skulls sitting in a plastic bag waiting to be decorated. There were twelve to start but someone else is doing half of them. I already did one, it's really fun. Gluing sequins and other sparkly things combined with flowers and geometric motifs draw with felt pen didn't seem like it would mimic the sugar skulls you see on Day of the Dead altars but it's working!

I'll take some photos later but I don't want to publish them until after the party. My costume is coming along. I'm also making a witch costume for my duct tape double to wear to the party. Talk about not having a date for the ball, not too many people take a dress makers dummy to a party. The funniest part is that BK and I were walking down Calle 65 heading to Huacho Martin to buy some large plastic jewels when we spotted a display of latex masks in one of the clothing stores. Right next to the sweaters and underwear was a table of masks, plastic scythes,brooms and those head bands with a knife handle on one side and the blade on the other. There was the perfect witch mask, the hook nose and warts. Now I just have to stuff it and put in on DD, and she can go to the party too! Take that Dr Frankenstein!

Back on the blogging bandwagon

2011-10-23T08:45:00.000-05:00

Wow four posts in three days! I'm planning to blog daily until the new year. Just thought that I would warn you all.

Costumes, kids and Halloween. What can be more fun than that? BK invited me to join her and another friend as judges at an annual Halloween party. This party has been held for 25 years by an expat who started when her kids were little. This year there were 1000 participants! I forgot my camera of course.

While reviewing the flyer for the event, I was struck by one of the rules that stated do not hit or yell at the judges I asked Carol, the crayola crayon costume clad organizer if that was a common occurrence? She explained that the rules had developed over time as the result of actual incidents, but she assured me that no judges had been assaulted since they started using the judging booth.

There is an interesting difference in how Mexicans think that we celebrate Halloween NOB and the way we actually do it. The central costuming theme was more macabre than fantasy inspired. The attire most resembling what I imagine when I think of little kids and Halloween costumes were on the dogs! There were dogs dressed in costumes ranging from a pink spotted dinosaur, a scarecrow complete with straw hat, a chihuahua wrapped in mummy bandages, even a tuxedo wearing poodle. Speaking of poodles one of my favorite costumes was a 3 year old dressed up as a white poodle wearing a tutu, too cute.

This Sunday is the IWC Halloween party, I have my costume around 90% finished. I have a time honored tradition of sewing on costumes up until the last moment. This year, I think I'll manage to finish a bit earlier. BK, her husband and I are doing a group entry. Husband is staying home. He doesn't do costumes. Though early in our relationship I did get him to go to a costume event in Yuba City, but that is a story for another day.

Penguins in sweaters

2011-10-22T09:33:00.001-05:00

Knitting for penguins

I thought that this was a put on. But it isn't. The photos of the two little penguins strolling down the shore totally made my day.

ROLFLMAO

What do you eat?

2011-10-22T08:59:00.000-05:00

On the forum that I frequent, Yolisto, someone asked about what people ate. Whether we (the expats) had found that our cooking and eating had changed by living here. I started this big long post in response but as I wrote it I realized that I was probably NOT the sort of person who he was targeting.However I do have some thoughts on the subject.
People who move to a foreign country generally keep to their native style of cooking. Which is why when I go NOB I can go out and easily eat Vietnamese, Indian, Italian,Chinese, Japanese, Texas Barbeque, and French food. For Cuban food, I can go eat at my mother's house. That is the point. You might start introducing foreign foods into your diet, if you are adventurous, but generally you stick with what you know.

I'm very fortunate in that my mother is a very curious and intelligent woman, when she would encounter a new vegetable in the supermarket, she'd immediately question someone buying it. How do you use this? If that failed she would just bring it home,do some research and find out how to prepare it. Which is why I know that you can eat turnips raw in a salad. Most of the odd vegetables to find their way home with my mother were things like parsnips, turnips and mesclun. The mesclun was more readily accepted by the hoard than the root vegetables.

It's the second generation that becomes more native. My children eat more "American" than me, I didn't marry another Cuban-American so my cooking changed somewhat.

Now that I live in Mexico, I make more Cuban food than previously, simply because the ingredients are available. Though to be honest, when I find yucca it's often in a less than desirable state.

Busy Bee, that's me!

2011-10-21T13:01:00.003-05:00

In honor of the Borg, I have new nicknames for the granddaughters. They are now Juannafor, Tuafor, Threeoffour (formerly known as la nieta) and the once and future baby girl due in January who will be Fouroffour.
La Primera mentioned to me that Tuafor was suffering from a serious case of handmedown syndrome. I offered to make her a few things. She is still small enough that I can whip up stuff for her pretty quickly and young enough to like girlie stuff like twirly skirts. I have a friend who is heading NOB soon, which means the sewing machine has been whirling along. So for I have these things made.

I planned on some simple skirts then I found a total deal on some sleeveless tops. At $10 each, I bought 6, so far I have combined one with fabric from my stash to create a long sleeve dress. I count stash fabric as free so it's the seventy-five cent dress.

Next I made a pinafore because I love the look. It may be a tad old fashioned but what can I say? It's a good dress up look.

I'm not sure about the shirred dress. There are lots and lots of choices of patterns at the fabric stores, but I didn't like the way most of the fabrics felt so I opted for the eyelet. I bought 1 1/2 meters for around $30 a meter. What's that two fifty us? I thought the little cap sleeve might take it up a notch, but now I just don't know.

The denim skirt is from the legs of a pair of old jeans that I had laying around waiting for me to replace the elastic. I've always said that I would rather make something new from scratch rather than repair things, so that's one more thing I don't have to feel guilty about not fixing.

Chatting with Pop, he asked about my paintings, so here are a few. The parrot (a red lored parrot) gave me fits. Apparently, I have no clue as to how birds are put together. Fortunately, Greenwood is very patient and with his guidance I finally finished my first and last parrot painting.

The park scene was my trademark overly ambitious endeavor. I call it ~~Vladamir the spy goes to the park~~. Conversations in a Park. I combined a couple of photos that I had taken of interesting people.

The building with flowers is from our trip to Ecuador, it just looked so European to me with the stucco and geraniums.

And the last painting, was an epic fail. I had this old style photo of me in my Californio costume that had been taken in the Victorian Picture Parlor. I thought it would be cool to do it as a Catrina, it looks like it belongs in the haunted mansion at Disneyland. Except for a Halloween haunted house, I cannot imagine ever framing it or even displaying it. I may paint over it.

Cracking up

2011-10-10T10:29:00.000-05:00

The lightening flashes and splits the world in pieces. Light hurts my eyes making it difficult to see. The zigzags are disconcerting, reading is impossible. The first time I was really concerned, I even consulted a doctor. Am I hallucinating? Going blind? It's none of those things, I am having what is called a silent migraine or migraine with aura. Normally, it just last a short time and I go on with my life, no one wiser. However, yesterday, I had one followed by a regular migraine. Yuck.

I searched the web and found some images that portray more or less what I see when I have these

photo courtesy of Lens 101

flashes.
The flashing one really depicts it well almost enough to enduce a headache by looking at it. Just thinking about it is enough to make me want to find a cool wet cloth and a dark room.

photo courtesy of The straight dope

Trying new stuff out

2011-10-08T14:42:00.000-05:00

I don't know if you noticed but for a couple of days I had changed my blog template. I like the crispness of it but I couldn't find my links or other information that previously appeared on the sidebars.

So I'm back to my tried and true format. Maybe I will change again later.

Prototype

2011-10-02T12:49:00.000-05:00

Here is my prototype for my tunic top. I raised the waistline to make it empire. The cap sleeves just looked silly by the way. Instead of using facings I made bias binding. This is some fabric that I bought and kept saving for just the right project. I tend to do that, buy fabric and not use it. Sort of like all those blouses and sweaters you find in Grandma's closet that she is saving for "good".
I need to adjust the shoulder a little bit but other than that the fit is pretty good.
The next one will be a tad shorter and have a bit of trim. I think I might interface the belt to make it crisper since it looks like it got scrunched up in the photo.

Altering everything

2011-09-30T17:59:00.000-05:00

Sorting through some papers, I found a pattern that I had downloaded for free but never got around to taping the 30 some pages together. It wasn't long before I realized that there had been some sort of glitch when I printed it out. The pattern pieces were all offset, some by as much as an inch. It took me awhile but I finally got all my pieces matched up and I added the missing lines as best as I could. It's a pretty simple pattern, which is good, because I either didn't print out the pattern instructions or I downloaded them onto my previous computer.

Since the web is my friend, a search was in order. I found some mixed reviews of the pattern. Not that it really matters since I have to alter patterns so much that I usually don't bother with store bought patterns.

The last time that I was NOB, I bought a book called "Fitting Solutions, Pattern-Altering Tips For Garments That Fit" from Taunton Press. So I am off to re-read the section on narrow backs and full busts. Then of course, I have to add ~~a lot of~~ some width to the waist and hips. I'm making the sleeveless collarless version, I'm afraid that if I go with the Peter Pan collar and cap sleeves I'll just look like a Mennonite gone rogue. Retro is all good and cute when you are young and cute, but I don't think I can pull it off. I don't want to end up looking too Arsenic and Old Lace instead of just a little eccentric.

Tying up all the loose ends

2011-09-29T18:13:00.000-05:00

Finding myself surrounded by UFO's (Un-Finished Objects), I have been diligently working on reducing the pile. The altered book has been set aside for another day. The bridesmaid jewelry that I made for a friend's daughter's wedding gift has been delivered. Today the clothes that I sewed and crocheted for La Nieta were entrusted to a friend who is leaving tomorrow for NOB. Maybe La Primera will send me photos of her modeling them?

Speaking of modeling,I bought some new clothes. Now, that was an adventure. Not the sort of heartwarming Hallmark movie adventure that ends with everyone smiling either. My personal dress style has devolved into a very casual poorly fitting nondescript version of my former self. I need a style intervention. Someone should send my name into one of those shows where they do fashion make overs. They could title it Expat shouldn't mean looking dowdy or S.O.B. means south of the border not sloppy overweight broad.

I have bought 3 new tops in as many days, it isn't like I haven't tried on a lot of clothes. Unfortunately, if I like it, it's only available in unitalla. Unitalla is Spanish for "There is no way that this item will fit you and if you can manage to cram yourself into it, there are no words to describe how unattractive this really cute outfit will look on you." If it's available in my size it looks like someone's grandmother would wear it to a soiree. My mother who is in her 80's and lives 20 minutes from the nearest town looks more stylish.

In desperation, I took to the web, I love Anthropologie, sigh, what is it with clothes? I found a top I liked a lot, it was only $148, when I spend $148 on a top it's pesos not dollars! At this rate it may be cheaper to fly NOB to shop at the thrift stores. My only hope is to buy some nice tees and jazz them up. Or start sewing my own clothes again.Before doing that I have to figure out what my style is or rather what I want my style to be and just start sewing. I don't want a lot of clothes because I am still losing weight. Joanna took some photos yesterday and published them on her blog, I am the plump one wearing turquoise and squinting. I know that Joanna always takes photos where ever she goes ~~like a good blogger does~~ so why can't I ever remember to dress appropriately and wear a bit of lipstick?

I'm thinking that I need to go to the Sears, Chappur and Liverpool and try on clothes with a friend. Take notes and figure this fashion thing out. I used to have style, it wasn't that long ago, I am sure that I can have it again.

You all are invited!

2011-09-13T15:12:00.000-05:00

The Fourth Annual Latin American Blogger's Conference is going to be held on November 5th 2011 in Merida. Read all about it on the conference blog.
I am looking forward to meeting new bloggers and seeing old friends and generally having a good time. You can register at Conference Information.

A Wee Spot of Rain

2011-09-08T11:33:00.000-05:00

Nate dropped quite a bit of water on us last night, it's almost noon and there is still water in the street. Even after draining about four inches of water out of the pool yesterday, today we have an infinity pool. Fortunately, the pool guys came so the water level is once again down below the edge. The weather forecast is for more rain and stronger winds so maybe we'll drain more out.
Our plants look wonderful, the air feels clean and it's reasonably cool outside.
I made some covers for two of our skylights, the ones with ventilation holes. Normally, a few drops of rain make their way into the air tubes but the tubes have mosquito screen and slant towards the outside which keeps most of the water on the roof. I don't mind the occasional drop or two, yesterday, there was a bit more. So using an old shower curtain I made a cover very similar to the ones that you use to cover washing machines. The second cover is a bit less transparent, it's made of oilcloth.
I need more water snakes, but I am out of sand. I do however have some polystyrene pellets that I bought for another never started project. I know that they work well for draft snakes but I'm not sure how they will do for water. I wonder if a mix of pellets and sand would work? That would make my existing snakes lighter if I did that. The web has let me down, I have found information regarding mixing the pellets with soil to make a lighter planting mix but nothing about stopping the rain.
Blogging about it isn't going to get them made. So I am off to try it out. I'll report back tomorrow on how it all works out.

Yearly Rituals

2011-09-07T09:34:00.000-05:00

Glancing at our FM2 cards for some reason, I realized that our renewal date was upon us. Applications for renewal are supposed to be done 30 days before expiration. For the last seven years we've dutifully done so, and as a result our visas have gone from expiring in November to mid-September. September is a bit problematic since El Grito is in the middle of the month, but we aren't planning on going away again this year, so we'll just have to wait and see how the process goes.

I did everything the same as last year. Showing up at 8:45 we were number 36 in line to speak to the reception desk. We were issued number 27 and sent inside to wait our turn in the air conditioned lounge.Reasoning that most people arrive prior to 9 am and very few afterwards, next year we are going to try arriving at ten and see what happens.
Choosing the option to use our previous migratory documents (with photo) as identification, assuming that since it is INM's own document it would be in their system already and seemed optimal, applying online seemed even easier than last year. Maybe it was because I did everything the exact same way,taking the bold risk that if it worked last year, it would work this year. This year, the young lady accepting our documents patiently explained that using our passports as identification was preferable. She did accept the application as printed in spite of us using the less desirable identification. Whenever I deal with tramites (official paperwork) I have internal conversations that would put a schizophrenic to shame. If you want me to NOT use my migratory document (with photograph) as identification, why is that an option? I refrained from asking, instead I replied that I would remember that for next time. She then reviewed our bank statements and asked about the deposits. This is the very first time anyone since we have been here has inquired about our bank statements. Her concern being that while Husband received more than enough money to qualify for his visa, he didn't have enough to support me too. I pointed out a CD and explained the concept, she agreed that we had enough money. I smiled. Then it was my turn, while our bank accounts are joint, my name doesn't appear on the statements. So it's just easier for me to be declared Husband's dependent rather than requesting a letter every year from the bank and translating it into Spanish. My memory may be failing me, but I remember only writing a letter declaring my dependency upon Husband when I applied for renewal. This year, Husband had to write a letter saying that he supported me and we lived together. The agent supplied a sheet of paper and a pen, dictating the letter. At some point she asked if we had paid our fees yet? Out loud I explained that we would gladly prepay our fees first but we didn't have the account number or the amount. Internally, I wondered if we are expected to make a trip to INM, pick up the payment slip and prepay before turning in any paperwork why don't they supply the forms before you speak to the agent? Maybe they do but you need to know to ask? So many things are not spelled out to you here, you need to ask questions but often it just doesn't occur to me what questions should I be asking.

Finally after observing that we really should have two copies of everything, me offering to take the papers and make additional copies, her declining the offer, we went off to pay our fees. It's an intricate dance, but I am learning the steps.

rational human being

2011-09-05T10:09:00.000-05:00

I read once that the reason people gamble is not because they win, but rather because they only win sometimes. Intermittent rewards are valued more than consistent ones. Which is how I justify my current lackadaisical attitude towards blogging. I have been blogging in my sleep, I wake up with these feelings of having written a brilliant and compelling blog post. I can just remember it, tantalizing me with wisps of memory, then like the scent of a distant flor de mayo, it's gone.
Assuming that I really have been creating nocturnal blog posts in my sleep,a notebook and pen kept by my bedside would help me greatly. However, I'm not sure that I really want to know what my subconscious is up to. I have a lot going on these days, a lot on my plate as they say.
Having several unfinished projects competing for my attention is normal for me. I tend to start things, work with unbrindled enthusiasm for awhile, then set the project aside to percolate. Planning first, then revising before begining would be more productive, I'm really good at that. Too good sometimes, the planning becomes the project and I never begin. Gathering information, researching, and looking for the one true way until I am so confused and overwhelmed that I never even start.
Complaining of not reaching my goals and generally feeling overwhelmed to my good friend Mrs WB, she offered the following counsel. First, she observed that my deadlines were self emposed, so I can change them. Another friend once told me that you always need a plan, if only to know when you are deviating from the plan or if the plan needs revising. Second, she suggested that I make a list and prioritize my projects. What project really is weighing on me? Funny thing, I already know this stuff, I just forgot. Being so tightly wound up that I couldn't see the forest for the trees (to mix my metaphores. All I can seem to see was all this unfinished business. An enourmous pile of projects getting larger and more daunting.

Fungus among us

2011-08-25T10:57:00.001-05:00

Itching ears drove me to uncharacteristic behavior. I willingly went to the doctor. It was that or drive a knitting needle into my eardrum, which even in my distracted state, I knew wouldn't really solve the problem. I thought that I had a sinus infection and the pressure was bothering my ears.
Generally, we go directly to specialists, but yesterday I wanted just a general practitioner. Having had good luck with the BEST clinic next to Farmacias Similares in San Cristóbal de las Casas, I decided to use them instead of urgencias (emergency room ) at Clínica Yucatán. Since we were already heading downtown to catch the bus to Costco, we chose the clinic on La Plaza de la Independencia.
It worked out perfectly, we had breakfast, took the bus to Costco and back returning at 10:00 am just half an hour after the clinic opened.
The doctor was immediately available. He took my information and glanced into my ears. "Tienes hongos" he immediately announced.¡ Hongos!, fungus in my ears! When we first came here, a pharmacist had sagely observed to me that "Yucatan is a paradise for fungus", apparently I am getting old and moldy like a forgotten pair of leather shoes left too long in a damp closet. My diagnosis of a sinus infection wasn´t that far off, I also have a throat infection. He wrote out a prescription for an anti-fungal cream, ear drops, an antibiotic and a cold pill. The consult was $35 and the medicine came to $195 but that includes 4 boxes of paracetamol. All together around eighteen dollars for everything including the analgesics.
Today, I am taking things easy. Or rather easier than usual, the dog groomer came and gave Mr Dog a trim and bath, the pool service is due any minute now. The most strenuous thing on my list today is to call and see if the coffee guy is back from vacation so I can order coffee. We are reduced to drinking instant Nescafe! We may need to find an alternate coffee purveyor because this is putting a serious crimp in our lifestyle. I cannot contemplate going back to how it was when we first came here when it was Nescafe or nothing.

now what?

2011-08-18T10:31:00.000-05:00

Doing my habitual morning surfing, I often run across articles with titles like 5 easy ways to lose 5 pounds. However we already seem to be doing those things. Here is a list of the most common tips and what we're doing. There do seem to be more than five.

They always advise cutting out extra sugar, which we've done. Stevia or rather sweeteners with stevia have pretty much replaced sugar in our household.
Substituting whole grains for refined grains is often touted. Speaking of grains, quinoa (which you can find at Pacsadeli for three times what it costs in Ecuador), amaranth, chia seed,and other ancient grains are being rediscovered. While I haven't found amaranth flour or raw grains here, the puffed version is readily available. Bulgar wheat, whole wheat flour, brown rice and even corn meal can be found here.
Using smaller plates can reduce your calorie consumption by 10%. That was one of the first things I did. It was the simplest thing that we did.
Eat more fruits and vegetables. This has been surprisingly difficult, but we're doing it. The trick seems to be having stuff readily available. Salad mix from Costco does makes it easy to have a daily salad.
Plate the food in the kitchen. Amazing how much more I will eat if it's served family style.
Avoid ready made foods. Like mixes, frozen meals and canned goods. Not an issue. I tend to buy ingredients for food not ready made food.
Eliminate or avoid carbohydrates. We're on the low carb bandwagon.
Eat beans and other legumes. Apparently the fiber in black beans is the kind that combat belly fat. I read somewhere that two cups a day is ideal. while we do eat plenty of black beans, moros y cristianos, frijol colado, black bean and shrimp enchiladas are often on the menu, I cannot imagine consuming 2 cups daily. Lentils are a big favorite in our household, dal , spicy lentil patties and pottage (potaje in Spanish) are some of the ways we eat lentils.
Exercise 15 minutes a day. Between walking almost everywhere and a daily dip, we're meeting this goal.

It seems like we're doing all the easy stuff already. I keep hoping for some magic way to lose five or ten more pounds. Slowly and steadily the pounds and inches have been coming off during the last two years. I keep reminding myself that it only feels like I went to sleep one night 25 years old and slim and woke up the next day 56 and tubby.It took hard work to get so out of shape and it's taking hard work to get back in shape. I wonder if Husband would notice if I started serving a cup of frijol colado, black bean and shrimp enchiladas accompanied by moros y cristianos made with brown rice every day for lunch? I'd sneak in some mango chutney and sliced papaya for variety.

Who buys this stuff anyway?

2011-08-17T12:53:00.000-05:00

Unaccountable shortages happen here. When we first came here, for about two weeks, baking soda was unavailable. No one, anywhere,had any bicarbonato to sell. None of the supers, the mercado nor the pharmacies. Then suddenly, it appeared on the shelves again.

Doing a big grocery shopping today at Chedraui, I couldn't find garbanzo beans (chick peas). Having lived here close to a decade I know to look for canned garbanzos next to the canned corn. I found chestnuts (the real kind, not water chestnuts) and escargo in cans but no garbanzos. I'm still scratching my head over that, this is Chedraui Itzaes not Chedraui Norte, who in my neighborhood buys those items? Furthermore, how long have they been on the shelf?

When I paid for my food, I asked the clerk about the garbanzos. She informed me that they had been out of them for a month! Is there a big Lebanese festival going on that I don't know about? Do people serve hummus for the Feast of the Ascension?I wonder if there is a corresponding shortage of tahini?

I wanted to make Caldo Tlapeño and without the garbanzos it's just chicken and vegetable soup. However, chile poblanos were less than $12/kilo, so I'm making chile rellenos instead. I couldn't find any plátanos machos so I won't be filling them with picadillo Oaxaqueño like I planned either. Tomatoes were amazingly cheap ($3.85/kilo) so whatever I end up making, I know that it will include fresh tomato sauce!

Posting while sleep deprived

2011-08-15T08:28:00.000-05:00

Groggy from lack of sleep, a coherent post seems to lurk in the back of my brain unwilling to flow through my fingertips, never reaching the keyboard. It isn’t the fireworks that keep me awake, I sleep like the dead, very few things disturb my rest. Only crying babies and whining dogs have the power to penetrate my subconscious. After almost seven years, Mr. Dog is as prosaic about the loud pops as any Mérida street dog, but unfortunately, our guest, Miss Z, whines and cries when she hears fire crackers.

The annual celebration of the Feast of the Ascension (of the Virgin Mary into heaven) is winding down. Living between two churches, we are accustomed to parades, fireworks and little street carnivals. We watch the nightly fireworks displays from our roof; we even wandered down to check out the carnival. We go mostly to people watch and meander among booths offering salchipapas, marquesitas, churros and plantains in various forms. The only game that tempted me was the target shooting, I’m not coordinated enough for any of the others. Husband suggested I have a go at the brincoline, bouncy castles are to my taste but unfortunately I’ve grown too dignified with age. Eventually we cross the street, lured to the Extra. Husband has what looks like a Dove bar and I chose an ice cream sandwich.

At home we’re greeted by the pack. Everything is fine until bedtime. Miss Z cannot settle down. Husband comforts her and once she is calm sets her down. Around 11 pm, I awake, and against all my principles, I reach down and pick her up. She is used to sleeping in a hammock with her teenaged mistress so this is familiar to her. She snuggles against me as I pet her. Eventually, we both fall asleep. She whimpers, I wake up and we go through the routine again.

This morning she is frisky and perky while I am not.

More Ecuador

2011-08-11T13:48:00.000-05:00

Building being restored in Quito, with scrim in front to show what it will look like.

Blogging about Ecuador just doesn't have any urgency for me, our vacation is in the past and acquiring that soft blur that memories of places you've visited acquire.

Being most familiar with California we found ourselves comparing Quito to San Francisco. The weather, the hills and the well dressed people. Men wearing business suits everywhere we looked, even the casually dressed people looked dressed up to our eyes.

Quito

If Quito had been a little warmer,I'd think about living there. The first night we huddled for warmth under the blankets from our bed and the extra bed in our room. I had some problems with the altitude, shortness of breath, a slight persistent headache and some fatigue. Husband had less problems.

They close off the streets in the old town on Sundays which is when I took the majority of my photos.

While we were there we visited Mitad del Mundo,( middle of the world) and took the obligatory photos of us standing on the equator.

There's an interesting museum in the tower with an observatory on top. I left my camera with Husband, so true to form I missed taking panaramic views of the park.

The park was cute, with several museums, a open air bandstand, restaurants and cute little shops in small cabins complete with front gardens. We watched with amusement as a store keeper shooed one of the resident llamas away from her roses. You could tell she wanted to do more than flutter her hands at the ravenous herd but was inhibited by the tourists. Eventually the insolent llamas wandered slowly back to their pen.

The handicrafts for sale were very nice and the prices were very reasonable. However, I just couldn't see any big need in my life for alpaca scarves, hand knit woolen socks and hats or sweaters they don't go well with my swimsuit collection.

Just when I thought it couldn't get better

2011-08-05T14:22:00.002-05:00

Servicio a domicilio (home delivery) is one of my favorite things. It's not just pizza and chicken, everyone delivers. Cafico not only has great coffee,they deliver for free if you order a kilo. The drug store will deliver, heck, Mr. Dog had a sonogram in our living room, and the lab will send a technician to do a blood draw if you want to pay extra. Today, I ordered my groceries online. Thanks to Yucatango's post Superama delivers, I learned that Superama on Montejo has a website which I bookmarked and then forgot about.

I forgot about it until today. Husband and I want to make some Sangria. Unfortunately, you can't buy booze until after 10 am. So our normal practice of grocery shopping in the cool of the morning wasn't going to work. Besides, I had a manicure and pedicure this morning (on my terraza, La Manicurista also offers servicio a domicilio). One thing lead to another and it was past noon when we were ready to leave. Neither of us relished the idea of heading out, but I am meeting friends at a botanas bar at 3pm and have plans to attend the First Friday gathering at Hennessy' tonight (two of my NOB friends are here this week! Lucky me, but it makes for a busier than normal social life).This was the perfect opportunity to try out the Superama service.

I ordered about $500 worth of food. The clerk called to inform me that dates are seasonal and they didn't have the ham I wanted. We found an agreeable substitute for the ham. As far as I know there is no substitute for dates. So I will think of something else.

The delivery charge is $49!! That is less than the cab ride home would run us. Okay, I probably wouldn't have gone to Superama in the first place. However, this has possibilities, who knows maybe Comercial Mexicana has online ordering? I love MegaBalcones!

Mr. Dog is informing me that someone is at our door! Could it be my groceries are here already?

Arte a media carta

2011-07-30T13:43:00.000-05:00

Checking my inbox, there was this exciting notice:

CALLING ALL ARTISTS!!!

AANY is holding a benefit to help raise money to transport and house artists for the December Show.

Attached is a brief description of the event. They are asking for donations of YOUR work to be sold at the event. All art donations will be small( 1/2 letter size and can be as creative and fun as you want to make them). ALL work will be presented for sale at the benefit.
Anything goes so dust off that creative gene!

Here is an opportunity to have some fun and help ANNY.

Who knows? Besides having fun and helping a good cause, you may very well make a name for yourself and be DISCOVERED!!!

At first, I thought about painting a small picture. I have been thinking about trying my hand at some smaller things, then I hit upon an idea. What about an altered book? I have a book that is the perfect size, it came from the free book box at MELL, plus it was just terrible. Why not turn a disappointing read into a work of art? I am totally excited.
Mixed media has always fascinated me.
Preparing the book is going to be the hardest part, Husband says the idea of me tearing pages out of a book is completely at conflict with his image of me. After that I am going to glue some pages together, which will then require me to wait until tomorrow to start work on the project. I hate waiting.
While the glue dries, I am off to find some images to download at The Graphics Fairy to combine with other fun stuff.

Lessons in taxi and bus riding

2011-07-27T19:12:00.000-05:00

Since the tragic demise of the Volvo, we've been either walking or taking public transportation. We've learned a few things.

If it rains, taxis will become scarcer than storm drains.
4:30 to 5:30 pm is shift change for taxi drivers,plan accordingly.
Buses are very full between 5pm and 7pm, plan accordingly.
If the exchange tells you fifteen minutes and no taxi arrives, call again, don't wait (see #s 5 & 6).
Sometimes taxi drivers will pick up another fare instead on their way to pick you up.
Taxi drivers will tell dispatch that you weren't there waiting for them,so they left.
Have more than one taxi company's phone number in your cell phone.
The bus map is not accurate.
The air conditioner will often drip on the occupants of the rear seats of the bus but won't cool you down.
The clima on the bus is best at least two seats up from the rear of the bus.
Young Yucatecans will still give up their seats to gray haired ladies.
Always carry change, some taxi drivers will conveniently not have change.
It's easier to get out your bus fare before boarding.

I think there are more lessons to be learned but that's enough for now.

Our version of medical tourism

2011-07-26T09:32:00.000-05:00

Husband first experienced Ecuadorean health care while we were in Olón. An infected toe, brought on by an over enthusiastic pedicure in Mérida, lead us to a pharmacy. Like many small stores in Ecuador, we didn't actually enter. The pharmacist came out into the street and peered at Husband's toe. Antibiotics, soaking in warm water and cleaning with hydrogen peroxide was her recommendation. Husband asked if she was an MD, since she wasn't and we don't like to use antibiotics unnecessarily, we requested a bottle of hydrogen peroxide. The bottle turned out to contain alcohol instead, ouch.
When his toe didn't improve, we made our way to the doctor's office we had seen by the main square. The doctor recommended surgery to remove a portion of the toenail. Hobbling around Ecuador with a bandaged toe for the remainder of our trip was not appealing so we asked for a plan B. He then prescribed a treatment of antibiotics, soaking in warm water and cleaning with hydrogen peroxide. He had peroxide and the antibiotics on hand. The entire bill was twenty-two dollars.
Since we are nothing if not thorough, we checked out another facet of the Ecuadorean health care system in Quito.
Deciding that nine extra hours of our lives was well worth the extra forty dollars we would spend to fly, we took a commuter flight to Quito from Guyaquil. The flight was too short for a meal, but the flight attendants passed around a basket of caramel type candies. Husband bit down on one and his bridge came out.
After settling in at the Hotel Andino, we inquired about restaurants and a dentist. Within walking distance of our hotel there were both. Husband felt that he would enjoy his food more if he had all his teeth, so we set off to find the dentist.
The dentist office was in the basement of a highrise medical building, we walked downstairs and were greeted by the dentist himself. While he was replacing the bridge, he also noted that Husband had a couple of cavities. Husband decided to have those filled too. The power went out while Husband was in the chair, the dentist wandered out to the anteroom and chatted with me while we waited for the power to come back on. I asked if power outages were common? He assured me that it wasn't common and we shouldn't have to wait long. He was correct, eighty dollars and about an hour from when we started, we left. The office was clean but spartan, his equipment modern and his prices were comparable to what we were used to in Mérida.
We went off in search of a late lunch and a nap, both of which were easily found.

If not the food, then what?

2011-07-25T18:59:00.000-05:00


Salinas

That question is best answered in photo form.

The seafood in Salinas was wonderful. We had very good meals in Salinas. Unfortunately, I don´t remember the names of any of the restaurants.

As we sat on the malecon, we watched a man place a cardboard box on the wet sand. He carefully extracted a live lobstar from the carton. To our puzzlement we watched him withdraw a half dozen crustaceans from the container. Seeing that the box was probably large enough for a small hibatchi, we anticipated an impromtu restaurant serving grilled lobstars. Sadly, only damp sand remained in the box. We joked about his strange choice in pets, while he gathered up fresh wet sand, restacked the lobstars and set off to hawk his wares among the remaining tourists.


Olón

We spent four days in Olón across the bay from the world famous surf mecca of Montañita. It was peaceful and remote. I´d seriously concider living there if there was a high speed internet and a grocery store. Marcelo and Doris, our hosts at the Hostel Isramar told us that shopping for groceries took up a whole day since the nearest stores of any kind are in Salinas.

We had a day trip to Puerto López but after the peace of Olón we didn´t like it. There was nothing there to hold our interest.

Puerto López fishing fleet


Puerto López

From the coast we flew to Quito, where we got to sample the health care system.

Eating our way across Ecuador

2011-07-22T11:57:00.001-05:00

Having read my blog posts, you all know that food is a big interest of mine. My idea of a great souvenir is a cookbook of regional cuisine. Unfortunately, I didn't bring one back from Ecuador, I spied a slim volume in a store window in Quito but didn't feel the book was worth almost $40.Unfortunately, it was the only regional cookbook I ever saw. Books are expensive in Mexico because Mexicans don't buy many books due to their costs, I wonder if the situation is the same in Ecuador?

Someone asked me how I rate the food I ate there. It's better than Yucatecan food in general but not as good as the Mexican food available in the rest of the republic. If cost is your main criteria, the food is better in Ecuador. For $2.00 you get a 6 ounce glass of juice, soup, a small chop (either pork or beef) or a piece of chicken, an overly generous serving of white rice, a tiny salad, some vegetables and a simple dessert. We had variations of this meal everywhere in Ecuador, there wasn't that much difference between the $2.00 version and the $6.00 except instead of jello, dessert was cake or ice cream.

The huge quantities of white rice aside, it's not a bad way to eat. We didn't see people consuming liters of Coca cola with their meals, which combined with the hilly terrain could explain why we saw few really obese people.

A few meals really stand out. Acting on the recommendation of an ex-pat we met in Cuenca, we decided stop at Zoe's for botanas and wine. The appetizer menu was limited, but we decided on a couple of different things, neither of which was available. Hunger makes me impulsive, so rather than look at entrees, I chose nachos (at around $7 or $8) and a trio of brochettes for $5. The wine was very good. Imported goods are expensive in Ecuador, which I am sure could account for the high price of the cute little casserole dish of what tasted like Hormel's canned beef chili and beans garnished with Tostitos that arrived at our table, accompanied by three unmemorable spears adorned with meat.

Unfortunately, I don't remember the name of the tapas bar in Cuenca.While they were pricey too, the tapas were interesting . Thin slices of eggplant adorned with imported Spanish manchego cheese and the meat and cheese platter with Serrano ham were pricy but did not disappoint. With so many restaurants to chose from, it says a lot that we ate at Cafe Eucalyptus twice. The food and wine was excellent, the service was good and the espresso was one of the best we had in Ecuador.

Uninspired is the kindest adjective I can think to describe most of the many breakfasts we consumed. I don´t expect more than scrambled eggs,bread, juice and coffee from the meal included with lodging.However when we ate in restaurants I was disappointed that most places didn´t serve much else. Bacon was missing from all the menus! I missed the variety of offerings that Mexican restaurants serve for breakfast.

As a big fan of street food I was disappointed. We tried Sharmwa, lured by a sign proclaiming Arabic food and what looked like al pastor roasting on the familiar spit. Husband´s expression was priceless when he bit into his pita bread laden with meat. Cardboard, in his opinion is equally as tasty as chicken breast, even if it´s marinated and roasted on a spit. The café árabe was equally disappointing.

Grabbing an arepa or empanada in the stand by the university was much more interesting. Arepas are a filled round patty with taste similar to cornbread, I loved them. They were available with a meat or cheese filling. Another thing I missed was salsa picante, there is only one type of hot sauce and it reminds me of Tabasco sauce, no depth, just heat. The one time I asked for salsa picante to jazz up the plain scrambled eggs the waiter shrugged and said there was nothing available.

Coffee over all was disappointing in Ecuador. Cafe tinto is a strong brew served in a small cruet similar to what we use for olive oil and vinegar. Your choice of hot milk or hot water is brought to the table where you add the cafe tinto to taste. We got the impression that it´s brewed in the morning and left out to acquire it´s distinctive flavor. We were treated to day old cafe tinto one morning in our hotel.

Overall, the seafood was good, the set menus were nutritious and filling, the street food tended to salchipapas and other hotdogs. I never did get an opportunity to try cuy. The baked goods and ice cream were wonderful.

We arrived in Cuenca during a church holiday and were treated to rows and rows of booths selling confections. Donuts, cocadas of many kinds, turrón, candied fruits and many other delights. There were pastries filled with cream, dipped in chocolate or plain. It took considerable restraint not put ourselves in a sugar induced coma.

Salinas holds a welcome parade for us

2011-07-19T09:32:00.000-05:00

Waking up from my nap with the thought "why would anyone put a xylophone in a clothes dryer?", I tried to remember my dream. As I sat quietly so as to not wake Husband, I heard the clothes drier thumping. Then I heard the tinkly sound of a child's toy playing the same tune over and over again. Fully awake now, I realized that the thumping was actually drumming. As soon as Husband woke, we set off to find the source of the sound.

A block away from our hotel we found what appeared to be an elementary school marching band.

Young girls in white dresses adorned with appliques of sea life were milling around while the drums kept on beating.

Either they expected the parade to begin soon or they were just bored but the band played on and on. We wandered down the street, eventually returning about an hour later. The girls were still milling, the drummer drumming and the lone xylophone adding to the ambiance.
Striking up a conversation with a stranger, I found out that the parade was running late. More participants arrived and the parade celebrating the annual welcome to the whales began.

This group kept getting larger as participants in various stages of undress joined while the parade was in progress. Fashionably late isn't just a Mexican trait.

More cheerleaders and dancers in traditional costumes.
Every group stopped and performed a routine.

We walked along the short parade route and stopped at the judging stand. Picture taking was too difficult at that point because we had fallen victim to a Pinguino man and his wares. Pinguinos are not the Hostess cupcakes wannabes of Mexico, instead it's a brand of ice cream with the familar heart logo of Holanda brand.

Those sorts of experiences happened through out our trip. Spanish with a different accent, but still Spanish. Familiar things from home. Home being Yucatan.

Albrook Mall style Depot/Mall

2011-07-18T10:06:00.001-05:00

Johnny, the desk clerk at the Tangara Guest House, called a private taxi service to take us to the Terminal Terrestre Guayaquil. It's modeled after the Albrook Mall in Panama City, which we visited on our Panama vacation a few years back. Albrook is much bigger, which is not to say Guayaquil's is small. The bus depot/mall had three stories and was plenty big.

Buying a prepaid cell phone was the first order of the day.We chose Claro as our carrier, our other choice was MovieStar but I had heard from friends in Mexico that their service was less than stellar. I was in no way influenced by the fact that the Claro store was the first thing I saw upon entering the mall. The cell phone served as a time piece more often than as a communication device, but we still felt better having it. Many guidebooks advocate having your taxi driver see you text his cab number to someone. Not that we had anyone to text and I never did remember to do it. Luckily no one seemed to want to kidnap us.

Finding the correct bus line was more than a little confusing. The buses are located on a different floor from the ticket booths. The ticket booths lined a long seemingly endless hall. We wandered down the hall, never finding the correct line. Finally, as we were staring at a large billboard trying to decipher which bus line we wanted, an employee took pity on us and directed us down yet another hall to the correct window.

Paying the $3.30 (that's about forty pesos in real money) each for the three hour bus ride made me a bit nervous about the quality of the bus. We were relieved to find ourselves on a comfortable modern bus complete with bathroom. Not quite up to ADO GEL standards but nothing to complain about, especially at 10% of the price.

Arriving in Salinas, we decided that the first order of business was food. Spotting a Cebichería just down the street we brushed off the "guides" who were offering to help us find a hotel and made straight for the restaurant. The ambiance was bleak, some cement tables, benches and photos of food. The word lobster caught Husband's eye. He order the small lobster a la plancha at $15.00, they were out, so he upgraded to the medium size at $20. I ordered a more modest langostinos ajillo, a mere $8.00. While waiting for our food, we made jokes about blowing our weeks food budget on one meal since Ecuador is famous for it's two and three dollar executive lunches. A huge plate of rice arrived, then another big plate overflowing with a lobster tail split in half. I know that my food arrived immediately after and it was good, but the memories of that lobster overshadow everything else.

Meanwhile back in Merida

2011-07-17T18:43:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure which one is irking me more, Skype, our new bank or Verified by Visa.
Our wonderful Credit Union merged with another one. They have a new name, for a company with Tech in their name, they sure don't have a good handle on technology. This is only the latest in a set of glitches.

Skype accepts payments with Visa and Pay pal. I'm more than a little wary of pay pal, so I choose to use my credit card. Wanting their customers to feel safe, Skype uses a service called Verified by Visa. Every year when I renew our subscriptions, I have issues with the VbyV. Most of them are because the only time I ever deal with them is when I renew the Skype. Usually I am prepared and more or less resigned to the run around.

When I tried to pay, VbyV referred me to the bank. The reason for the referral? It had been more than 30 days since I used the service last. Duh. However when I tried to call the number from my land line the call wouldn't go through. After awhile I remembered reading somewhere that you can't dial toll free USA numbers from Mexico. Finally, it dawned on me, that I might be able to dial it using Skype.

The pleasant CSR explained that I didn't have an account, and would need to sign up on the website. She also explained that there were problems with how my phone number was displayed. She suggested that I talk to the bank, apparently she worked for VbyV. She connected me to the bank. The CSR at the bank updated my information but said it might take 24 hours to get into the system.

The next day, I once again made an effort to pay. Enrolling using the VbyV link on the Skype payment site was a no go, I was referred me back to Last Tech because my data didn't match. Venturing directly to the V by V website to enroll didn't work either because according to the website I was already enrolled! Today, I once again attempted to pay for my subscription. Failure.

Sighing, I endeavored to reach V by V by phone, after dialing the number 6 times and having the call dropped, I have given up for today.I've had Skype for quite awhile, for the first time ever, I was unable to complete my call.

I hate technology sometimes. The V by V is so secure, I cannot make a purchase. Our new bank has upgraded us to the point that the service is unusable.

At least Blogger is letting me post today.

What I did on my summer vacation 2011

2011-07-15T19:21:00.000-05:00

Having always wanted to travel, Husband and I set out to see the world. We thought about going to Europe. We fantasized about the mysterious Far East. We consulted our bank account and set off for South America. For some reason it was cheaper to fly to Ecuador than California, it was even cheaper than flying around the Republic.

Being ~~terribly frightened~~ a bit apprehensive regarding altitude sickness, we opted to start our adventure in Guayaquil. Guayaquil reminds me of Oakland. Not the scary, get shot for driving through the wrong neighborhood Oakland, but the Lake Merritt, Art Deco Oakland of my youth.

Guayaquil has been described as a devastatingly hot and humid city. It was no hotter nor more humid than Mérida. Actually, I think it may have been less so. However, we missed the cooling afternoon breezes that we're used to enjoying. Without those breezes, it felt stuffy and cloying. Fortunately, it wasn't like that every day.

One thing we immediately noticed was the attitude of the people. If we smiled and greeted people, it was returned but people seemed more guarded than we have come to expect.

While drivers stayed in their lanes and generally seemed more obedient to traffic laws, there was a lot of gridlock. The every driver for him self mode of driving prevailed in Guayaquil just like Mérida. Since Guayaquil isn't a colonial city the streets were wide enough to handle the volume of vehicles.

We only stayed in Guayaquil long enough to recover from our long flight. We were anxious to head to Salinas and enjoy the fabled cebiche (no that isn't a typo, they spell it that way) and see the beaches.

I have a big head

2011-07-14T16:06:00.000-05:00

My daughter quotes the dinosaur in this clip all the time. I feel like that dinosaur right now. I have a huge head cold. It is making life miserable for me. I caught it in Cuenca and it incubated on the thirteen hour trip home. Now I have a full grown stuffy head, I feel like the NyQuil poster child.
I have a lot of thoughts that I want to share about our adventures, but I am afraid that I my writing will be what I call Joe Genius quality. Joe Genius quality term papers were a specialty of one of my college chums. He'd get stoned,stay up all night and write a brilliant paper, so brilliant that no one understood it, not even him.

Re-inventing yourself

2011-06-29T04:42:00.003-05:00

Several years ago Husband and I had dinner with a friend, she brought along a new love interest. She was excited, this man was educated and a war hero. Fortunately, the relationship never took off. Everything about him seemed false, from his claim to being a tunnel rat to his advanced degrees. I understand the urge to embellish, to try to claim higher status, to want to impress new acquaintances. I don't understand completely inventing a past.

In my opinion, when you move to a new country, you get a fresh start. It doesn't really matter what you did before. If you always wanted to attend the symphony but weren't able to before, you can do so here. Culture is more accessible and if you are retired time is no longer a constraint.

I always wanted to be an artist. I have always been creative. In college I was an art major but unfortunately I dropped out. Now I have the time and opportunity to paint. I am not creating Art with a capitol A, I am painting and drawing. I still do other creative things, lately I have been refinishing furniture and painting walls. I still make jewelry, sew and do other crafts, but painting is my focus.

It isn't about my past, it is about my present. I am living an abundant and creative life just like I always wanted. Abundance doesn't mean having lots of stuff, in fact I am feeling burdened by too much stuff. Abundance to me means having choices and enough of what I need. My needs are simple, good food, good friends and the time to enjoy them. The Spanish toast "Salud, amor y pesetas y el tiempo para gozarlos" really resonates with me.

Hammockman, a sane voice in the blogosphere

2011-06-27T07:32:00.000-05:00

Have you read Hammockman's post today? Many paths, same destination.
I totally agree.You will always find what you are looking for. We are always filtering reality, that is why two people will have different versions of the same event. I once attended a management seminar where I learned about the "good person/bad person" filter. If you label one employee a "bad person (BP)" and another employee a "good person (GP)" it affects how you view their actions. The exact same act will illicit a different response from you because of the way you view that person. For example if my best friend and my mother say some thing to me I will respond differently to it, because of our relationships.

I haven't noticed any extra grumpiness around me, I am speaking of real physical people not virtual web based people. Of course, I am an upbeat person who smiles at strangers and generally they smile back. Since I live here year round without the benefit of air conditioning, I have developed strategies to deal with the heat. I don't avoid air conditioning however I am so acclimated that I chill easily. I like to combine heat avoidance with visits to museums. Culture was never so cool.

As for rising and falling house values, a house is worth what someone wants to pay for it. All monetary values are artificial, isn't that what supply and demand are about? I remember in California, my neighbor had decided that her home was worth a certain amount. She sold it for 25k less than she expected, which was still several times what she paid for it. However instead of being happy for the tremendous profit she had made she chose to be upset because in her mind she had lost that money. Money she never had.

Speaking of housing. I think of the housing market in Merida's historical center as being similar to the Victorian houses in San Francisco. In the 1960s you couldn't give away a Victorian house in San Francisco, no one wanted such old fashioned dilapidated homes. As artists and other bought the houses, restored and refurbished them, the houses once again became desirable. I don't know what a Victorian costs now, but when I left California they were in the millions, dollars not pesos. Even with the housing bust, you can't buy one for less than $700 a square foot. Gee, if my house was in San Francisco it would be worth around two million dollars even today! Wow! That's enough to make you not to be grumpy.

ta dah!

2011-06-25T06:16:00.000-05:00

This is the pool before we put in the new pavers and of course we still need to paint the wall.

Paint and more paint

2011-06-24T15:56:00.000-05:00

On the wall above the pool are painted five large squares of color. Husband says it looks like modern art, sort of Cubist. It isn't a mural in the making but rather my attempts to live with some colors before we paint the wall. I’m a sucker for a good paint name. So we have verde agave, rojo hacienda, rojo tomate, mostaza, and turquesa. The turquoise is the hands down favorite of everyone that I have polled. The agave green which is a grayish green tone was my choice until BK pointed out that while flowers would certainly look good against it, foliage would probably blend. The hacienda red looked more like a dark peach than terracotta. The mustard yellow which was applied with a watery brush was too close to resembling an equally watery substance familiar to new mothers. The effect that the tomato red created when reflected in the pool was not good, maybe it’s fun to swim in wine dark waters when you are in a mangrove, but not in a dipping pool.

The turquoise meets all my requirements. It looks good reflected in the water, the water looks even more inviting. While it’s tropical in feeling the color isn’t garish like orange or hot pink might be. The slightly lighter shade of turquoise on the paint color chart is even named tropical! Flowers, foliage and pots look good set against it as a background and cemento blanco looks clean and modern alongside it.

I’m pretty sure that we’ll paint the wall turquoise, but right now, I am waiting because what if I find another better color? A sky blue or maybe the color of the deep Aegean Sea sounds interesting. The new pavers around the pool give it all a very Mediterranean feel. The contractor over estimated and there is a large stack of left over ado-creto pavers which would make some pretty planters. Husband wisely says that we should finish doing any construction before we paint the wall.

Right on schedule

2011-06-22T14:24:00.002-05:00

The rains have returned, right on schedule. It’s officially hurricane season, which for Mérida really just means the rainy season. Hurricanes do come through, but so seldom that we don’t worry as much as we would if we lived in Cancun. Just when we are despairing of ever increasing temperatures, the afternoon showers arrive, cooling everything. All is not sunshine and roses though, our pool water turned green! I realize that this is common, a chemical reaction from the alkaline water, no acid rain in Yucatán. Fortunately, our pool service knows how to deal with the problem. He balances the chemicals, adds algaecide and the water is pristine again. Worth the 70 pesos we pay him every week.

Right now, I am enjoying the weather, bring on the rain! Mr. Dog does his impression of Lassie when we are swimming and it starts to sprinkle. He runs to the water’s edge and starts back. He glances over his shoulder and sees to his dismay that we are still paddling around. Finally, Husband heeds the warning and starts out of the water. Mr. Dog wags his tail, feeling satisfied until he notices that I am still paddling around. He rushes back to the edge and tries to coax me out. I rise out, not quite as gracefully as Venus rising from the sea, but Mr. Dog is overjoyed. He feels free to go inside and hide from the threatening weather, his duty done, his owners safe.

Caught cheating

2011-05-25T16:49:00.000-05:00

Husband caught me cheating. Watching me put together a salad of kohlrabi and carrots, he asked "Is that Thai?". I squirmed, hemmed and hawed until I finally answered "No, it's Vietnamese."

Not only was that salad Vietnamese, but the chicken we had the other day was Vietnamese too. He forgave me, he likes South East Asian Cuisine.

This salad is especially good with beer. I put more chilies on mine after Husband went across the street and bought us a "caguama" of Sol to share. I think I am becoming addicted to the combination of chile serrano, chopped mint and cilantro.

The more chiles you put in the salad the better the beer tastes. Trust me.

Nom Su Hao- Vietnamese Kohlrabi Salad

2011-05-25T16:47:00.000-05:00

Once again I checked out Madhur Jaffrey's Step by Step Cooking from the library. Kohlrabi is available in the mercado and the supermarkets, the Spanish name is colinabo (kohl een na boh). The clerk asked me what it was when he rang me up at Mega. It took me a moment to remember. I tried "Kohlrabi?" which gained me time to have the word filter up from my subconscious. That and the unripe tomatoes that I bought probably guarantee the lad will remember me next time.

After I made this I realized that I could have used my Bron professional mandoline to make the julienne strips! Next time that is what I will do.

serves 4.

14 oz kohlrabi with leaves (mine didn't have any leaves, I bought them anyway) yield is 8 oz peeled.
1 medium-small carrot ( I used two small)
salt
4 teaspoons distilled white vinegar (I used lime juice, the vinegar here is strong!)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon chili powder (chile piquin)
10 -12 mint leaves (yerba buena)
2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (I like the small leaf cilantro,not the large leaf)

to serve

optional 1 fresh hot red or green chili (I used a red serrano)
1/4 cup roasted peanuts

peel the kohlrabi into 1/16 inch thick slices. Stacking a few slices at a time, cut lengthwise into 1/16th inch julienne strips.
peel the carrots, cut into 1/16th julienne strips 1 1/2 to 2 inches long.
put carrots and kohlrabi into a bowl. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Set aside for 15 minutes. The kohlrabi will begin to sweat. Squeeze out as much moisture as you can and pat dry. I use cloth towels, the book recommends paper. return the vegetables to the clean dry bowl.
Add vinegar (lime juice),sugar, chili powder and a pinch of salt (I thought it didn't need more salt so I skipped the salt). toss to mix. Taste the salad and adjust the seasoning (I was right, I didn't add any more salt here either!). Cut the chili into fine threads (she says the chili is optional, I think it's essential). Chop the peanuts coarsely. just before serving add the peanuts to the salad and toss well. Serve the salad garnished with the chili shreds. I put the salad in the refrigerator for half an hour before serving and added the peanuts to the individual servings. I think you could use more chili slivers.

Nothing serious

2011-05-22T05:53:00.009-05:00

Mrs WB and I have painting class together on Fridays. She paints tropical landscapes, sea shells, boats and all sorts of pretty paintings. I always admire her efforts, but somehow I can't seem to follow her lead. It never occurs to me to paint a landscape, my fevered brain wants to paint things like Iguanas Playing Poker inspired by CM Coolidge's Dogs Playing Poker series. I have, so far, resisted the temptation. However I indulged my penchant for whimsy with a pair of Catrin paintings, a revolutionary Adelita and a Bella Epocha lady. Last Friday they were joined by this trio of Mariachis. I couldn't resist giving them all mustaches and eyebrows.

Mariachis with Mustaches mixed media

Normally my paintings are acrylic on board, this time I also used a white grease pencil, various Sharpie indelible markers and other felt pens in my possession. I also put a coat of triple glaze over it all.
Here are all my skeletons lined up in front of a cupboard that I refinishing.


all my skeletons

I'm not sure what I am going to do next, but maybe I should try something less off beat?

The weather, the all purpose excuse.

2011-05-21T15:21:00.001-05:00

Last night was the first night that I didn't wake up because I was cold at 3 am, Husband had covered me with a blanket when he woke up to turn off the overhead fan. According to the thermometer it was 75 degrees when I finally got out of my hammock. I was full of energy when I woke up. No doubt it was the brisk morning air.

Now it's 3 pm and influenced, no doubt, by the fact that it's 99 degrees Fahrenheit outside, I am sleepy and bored. Not that I don't have lots to do, I have a couple of sewing projects, furniture to paint and papers to sort. The first two are interesting while the last, is more important. In my present state, I doubt that I would do a good job of any of it.

In my defense, I have been up and about since 6 am this morning. After feeding Mr. Dog and watering all the plants, we paid bills and did a few errands this morning, finishing every thing and returning home before 10 am. First, we walked to the Plaza de Indepencia and had breakfast at Bisquits Obregon.

I like Mexican breakfasts especially the specials in places like Biquits, VIPS and Sanbornes, which I think of as Mexican Denny's. However don't be deceived by the name and order biscuits there, like I once did. They do serve a decent breakfast,especially if you buy the paquetes. While I was intrigued by the photo of the Doblado Mexicana, I prudently asked what it was made of. A folded Mexican is an apparently an omelet with hot dogs in it, I passed. While I will willing eat pigs ear in adobo, chicharrones de cerdo, fried bananas, yucca, and a whole assortment of weird foods, I don't eat hot dogs unless they are Polish sausages. Husband likes the huevos Veracruzano and while I, curious as to what constitutes an Aztec sheet, ordered Sabana Azteca. Turns out it's a grilled chicken breast covered in a stripe of crema, a stripe of salsa verde sitting next to some nopales in salsa roja. This was accompanied by a slab of cubed potatoes with onions and some beans in a little taco cup. I ate it all. Since it was a paquete, my cafe americano and a plate of papaya was included.

I don't remember what the bill came to, I think it was $160 after the 5% senior discount. Eating out isn't as cheap as it used to, even our tab at el Pendulo on Sundays is usually around $100.

Husband weighed himself the other day and he's lost 5 pounds. I am jealous, but I figure walking to town and back used up the extra calories I consumed at breakfast.

One of our errands today involved paying La Luz. Our bill arrived a couple of days ago but I mislaid it. Without an actual bill we needed to go to the CFE office. Armed with our account number from last month's bill I used the automatic bill paying machine. I like those machines,Telmex has them too. Unfortunately, the day we paid the phone bill, all the machines but one were out of change. If I had been thinking clearly, I would have just credited our change to next month's bill, but instead we waited for about ten minutes for our turn and one peso change. I have no idea what I was thinking. I blame the heat.

Lessons I never learned

2011-05-17T17:04:00.000-05:00

My Abuelo Pepe used to tell a story about how he turned a bicycle into a car. He was very mechanically inclined. He found an old bicycle, which he fixed up with paint and replacement parts. The bicycle served him well but he wasn't content with it, so one day, he sold it. The money from the bike sale was just enough to purchase an ailing motorcycle. Once again, he painted and repaired. The motorcycle in turn provided the seed money for a model T. Which is how my Abuelo Pepe got a free car.

image courtesy Wikipedia

Somehow, besides being downwardly mobile economically from my grandparents, I seem to have gotten this lesson backwards too. Our Volvo has been declared a total loss by the insurance company and they will be giving us enough money to buy a bicycle, maybe two if we are frugal.

image courtesy The Graphics Fairy

A kilo a week that's all I ask....

2011-05-14T08:59:00.000-05:00

Not everyone reads the comments, I try to answer each and every one. I know some bloggers don't answer in the comments, instead they send emails. Sometimes the answers are long enough to serve as posts of their own. This one for example:

krisla has left a new comment on your post "No maybe about it, May rocks!":

So..am curious...are the good results due to the lo carb diet, & can you recommend? still wavering on that...
great if you are having success.
& LOVE the Thai/Indian painting.(I have an adopted Indian daughter) cute!
-kris

Posted by krisla to ¿What do I do all day? at May 13, 2011 8:58 PM

I think cutting out carbs has helped us quite a bit. Mostly, it has made me mindful of what we're eating. Neither of us are emotional eaters, in fact, I tend to lose my appetite during times of stress. We just had gotten into some bad habits. Carbohydrates are easy to eat, nothing is faster than a plate of aglio olio or fettuccine Alfredo especially for someone like me who has a hard time making decisions when she's hungry.

It is completely amazing how much rice, pasta and unrefined wheat flour was in our diet! Eating more salads, more vegetables and more protein has taken conscious effort but I think it's paid off.
The next big change has been the pool, we go in at least once a day and move around. Pretending to jump rope, walk laps and hang on to the side and just kick have reaped benefits in the two short months we've been doing it.

Not having the car means more walking and less impulse shopping. Walking six blocks to catch the bus to Costco really makes us think about what we want to buy there. We don't just pop in on our way home from elsewhere and buy just one wheel of Brie. Our shopping is more intentional.

The Thai food that we've been eating has been heavy on vegetables and fruit. Yesterday I made drunken noodles, only a quarter of the dish was noodles, there was easily the same amount of shredded cabbage plus all the other goodies. Pad Thai has noodles which are balanced out by bean sprouts. We like the leaf salads, I put all the ingredients in small bowls and we make each tidbit one at a time. Eating that way slows down the process and makes us eat less but enjoy it more. Then there's the chiles, we've been having chiles almost every day, I've read that there is evidence that capsaicin, is a thermogenic agent, and that Vitamin C increases metabolism, both of which are found in chile peppers.

Then there is the portion control and avoidance of sugar. I have been using some sugar in the Thai food, while I do like stevia and use it instead of sugar in my coffee and many other things, it doesn't taste like brown sugar. Sometimes I use half stevia and half molasses or piñoncillo.

In conclusion (doesn't that make this post sound like a term paper?), I think it's been a number of things, smaller portions, more vegetables, less grains and those that we do eat are whole grains, more activity. It is easy but it takes focus. Which is just fine, since I don't want to wander through life unconscious.

No maybe about it, May rocks!

2011-05-13T16:40:00.000-05:00

May is proving to be a very successful month on many fronts.I weighed myself the other day, and I have lost 3 pounds. Husband asked me if I knew what that meant? My reply was that we'd been having lots of vegetables and salads recently. Nodding sagely he agreed but added "Not just more vegetables and salads but THAI style vegetables and salads!!" My answer to his claim is that if I always cook Thai food, then it won't be special anymore. He isn't buying my line of reasoning.

On the creative side, not that cooking isn't creative, my painting class is going very well. Remember way back in January when I first started painting? I did a post titled Planning a painting, then reality intervened and I put off the painting of Laxshimi until my painting ability caught up with drawing skills.
It took me three weeks but I finished it! This is my largest painting to date.

Today in class, I decided to do something different. I chose a very limited palette of colors, mostly blues. I love this painting. I call it Girl with Attitude. She just may be my best thing to date.

son in law eggs

2011-05-10T07:33:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, we has vegetarian pad Thai for lunch. Not that we needed the carbs or anything. It is quick however and has the virtue of calling for bean sprouts as an ingredient. There were a whole lot of bean sprouts in the refrigerator so I have been finding recipes to use them up.

Later that evening, I prepared son-in-law eggs. The recipe is pretty simple. Take hard cooked eggs, cut them in half. Deep fry them face down until golden and bubbly. Drain face up while you make a sauce from 2 tablespoons oil, 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup fish sauce. I used grated piñoncillo, you heat the oil, melt the sugar in the oil (stir it so it doesn't burn) and then add the fish sauce. Simmer until thick and smooth. Cover the eggs with the sauce, garnish with crisp fried onion flakes, chile slivers and cilantro. Husband liked them, me not so much, but they do make a good high protein snack except for the sugar.

Green papayas and flip flops

2011-05-09T08:13:00.000-05:00

Finding a greenish papaya at Chedraui, I made this version of Som Tam, shredded green papaya salad. Since the papaya was not really unripe the salad missed the true tartness of Som Tam, it was still very good. The only substitute I made was using a smashed anchovy fillet instead of shrimp paste.The times that we've had this salad in Thai restaurants it's been a much simpler salad, a mound of pale green shreds, this is more robust, I loved the crunch of the cucumber and bean sprouts, the bursts of peanut flavor and the mint really added to the Thai flavours. Husband had seconds.

Our weekly craft group meets today, for my project I am going to customize a pair of flip flops using these directions from Craft Stylish because I also found some jelly flipflops at Chedraui while I was there. All the supplies aren't available here, I am going to use a different glue but otherwise it should be easy. Foamy is a craft staple.

We're doing well in our new car-less experience, we've been without a car before, so we aren't starting from scratch.The Chedraui shopping expedition that yielded the papaya and flipflops went very well, we walked to the store and returned via bus. It's been two weeks since our car went into the shop, as far as we know they are still looking for parts.We're assuming a that the car will not be repaired, but who knows? So far it hasn't been much of an inconvenience. I'll let you know how it goes.

return of the crafty lady

2011-05-07T16:21:00.000-05:00

This table used to be painted an uninspiring dark brown. Following (more or less) the directions I found on Vintage Revivals, I silver leafed the lower portion. Black faux marble seemed like the perfect complement. The whole thing has been sealed with triple glaze and is now waiting to serve as the focal point for my redecoration of the recibidor (foyer).

I must admit that I am a better faux painter than a photographer.

Albóndigas de Tailandia

2011-05-06T18:40:00.000-05:00

Husband's birthday is in May. I have been racking my brain for gift ideas. Today, I hit on one. I am cooking Thai food every day for him this month.It's his favorite cuisine. Starting today, I am making at least one Thai dish every day this month. I did warn Husband that I wasn't promising a full Thai meal every day but I would do my best. Which is why I made Panaeng Neua for lunch today. The recipe name translates into beef balls but it's really meatballs in a peanut sauce not anything really exotic.I am calling them Albóndigas estilo Tailandia because it still sounds exotic but I know how to pronounce it.
It was really tasty, easy to make (I already had coconut milk in the refrigerator) and quick to cook, what more can you ask for. Husband felt that they would be great appetizers if made a bit smaller, I agree.
Lunch today was quinoa pilaf, steamed oriental vegetables and the Panaeng Neua.
I'll worry about tomorrow's lunch mañana.

Panaeng Neua (Thai Beef Balls in Peanut Sauce)

2011-05-06T18:20:00.001-05:00

This recipe is from The Original Thai Coobook by Jennifer Brennan.

1 pound medium lean ground beef I just used carne molida de res
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil I used coconut oil
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons red curry paste (Krung Gaeng Ped) I bought it at Pacsadeli but I have a recipe if you need one
1 cup thick coconut milk coconut milk made from the first press NOT coconut cream
2 tablespoons chunky peanut butter or ground peanuts I used ground peanuts
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar I used one pack of granulated Stevia
2 tablespoons fish sauce I bought it at Pacsadeli
1 teaspoon fresh mint or sweet basil leaves chopped I used fresh mint, I recommend it. Unless you have Thai basil.

Shape the beef into small firm balls about 1" in diameter. Press and roll the balls in the flour, dusting off the excess. Heat the oil in a wok until a haze forms and fry the garlic for 1 minute. Add all the meatballs and continue frying until brown, stirring and tilting the wok to cook the balls uniformly. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.In the remainder of the oil in the wok, fry the Red Curry Paste for about 2 minutes,stirring well to prevent sticking. Add the "thick" coconut milk and stir in the peanut butter. Continue cooking and stirring until you have a smooth, uniform consistency. Season with sugar and fish sauce. Return the meat balls to the sauce and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes or until the meatballs are reheated throughout. Remove to a serving dish. garnish with mint or basil sprinkled on top.

makes 4 to 6 servings