Pictures from Edward James Castle

Edward James, an English poet and eccentric, built this crazy place called Las Pozas in the jungle next door to Xilitla. Check him out at wikipedia or at http://www.architecturalescapes.com/.

Here are some pics....

All this climbing can wipe you out! (See last picture...)

CSI: SMA

It all started with an email message from a friend we received once we arrived in Hawaii, "Did you move your car? I don't know where it is." And then another from some other friend, "We saw the transito police towing your car." But with relief we read the email from a 3rd source, "Don't worry, we have your car, it was just moved around the corner." Thankfully, our friend who we left the keys to our car while working in Hawaii had found it and taken good care of the car.

Fast forward 10 days, 3 days after returning from Hawaii. I'm walking around the front of the van when I notice the front plate is missing. Stolen? Perhaps. More likely, though, is that Transito gave us a ticket. See, when Transito gives you a ticket, they take a plate or your license or something to make you come pay the fine to get it back.

Mary and I stop by the Transito office across from the main square. "See the lady in the booth over there." As we poke our head into the window, there sits a nice Mexican woman with metal shelves behind her filled with license plates. Thousands of them. Really. Shelves are labelled "Guanajuato" "District Federal" "Texas" "California" "US", etc.

"Did you get a citation?" she asks.
No, but we know the car was towed about 10 days ago due to a detour on our street.
Tap, tap, tap into her computer.
"I don't show your plate here," she says.
What if it was stolen?
"You will need to get a report from me here to take to the Municipal Transito Office and then get them to give you a report that it was stolen. That way, if you get stopped by police in Mexico, you can show them the reports and they won't ticket you for not having the front plate."
OK, we say, give us the report.
"42 pesos, please."
What? We have to pay you for the report?
"Yes. And then you will have to pay the Municipal Office 42 pesos as well for their report."
Really? OK, thanks for the information. We'll come back for the report. On the way out, I could have sworn I also saw a sign that said "Department of Redundancy Department". But I may have been dreaming.

1 day later....
It is not just the plate that is missing, but also the plate holder that screws into the bumper. Why would a theif steal a plate, then take an extra 2 minutes to pull off the holder? Do they have 2001 Honda Odyssey that needs a new holder?
WAIT A MINUTE! I know what happened! Transito, when towing our car around the corner, knocked off the plate AND holder. I bet that is what happened. Hurriedly, we race back to the booth to explain the situation.

Tap, tap, tap. "No, I still don't show your plate here. That story does make sense, but..... let me make a call." More tapping on the phone. "Yeah, I got a guy here who has a pretty good story on his plate. Any chance y'all have it over there? No? OK, thanks. Sorry. It is not at the Municipal Office, either."
Can you call the tow company to see if they have it?
"You'll have to go to the municipal building to get that information. And you'll probably still want to get the reports anyway, just so you don't have any problems."
OK, give us your report.
"42 pesos, please."
What? You knocked off our license plate, lost it, and we still have to pay you 42 pesos for your report?
"Yes."
And then pay another 42 pesos for the other report?
"Yes."
OK. Thanks. We'll come back to get the report.

Fast forward 2 more days.....
I hear the neighbor talking to Mary from her roof to our bedroom balcony.
"Did you maid tell you? We have your license plate."
WHAT!??!
"Yeah, when they towed the vehicle, we were out there telling them to just tow it around the corner. So when they knocked the plate off, they handed it to us."
We're so glad you have it!

Another SMA CSI case closed.

Hamantaschen in Mexico?

Getting ready for Purim and realize you don't have a rolling pin to make your hamantaschen? No worries. A tequila bottle (preferably empty) works just fine!

Swinging

No, it is not what you think. I'm talking about our hammock.
We got it last fall, from Hamaca Rada (http://www.mayans.com/), size #14. Very well made and comfy.

We found a place to hang it in the garden, perfect spot. Our gardener, without asking, replaced the dirt underneath with these bricks and made the area look real nice.



The other key was how to hang it. In the little tiendas they sell this incredibly strong rope. Next, and I learned this from Herardo in Troncones, is how to best secure it. He had some short wooden dowels and slipped those through a loop in the rope and the hammock and viola! The beauty is that if you get a rainstorm, you can run out there, pop off the dowels and take the hammock inside to stay dry.
Of course, I couldn't find dowels easily here, but I did find a hardware store selling hammer handles. And they were happy to cut mine in half. Notice how one end is slightly bigger?

Next, my yoga teacher and her husband told me how to sit on it. "Sit on it sideways! It is bad for your back to do it lengthwise!" Good thing we got the size 14. And they were right. It feels much more comfy that direction, too. Maybe you hammock professionals out there knew that, but I'm a little green on swinging!

So now we have this great place to "luxuriate." Last Sunday Mary and I both fell asleep in the hammock.... for almost 2 hours. You know that kind of Sunday afternoon nap, where you sleep, wake for a moment, then fall back asleep, slightly open your eyes, the realize you can just close them again.

The kids like it, too. They'll swing, read, hang out with friends or even their parents (egad!).

I wish you could feel what it is like, with the cool breeze, the warm sun, the quiet motion and gentle squeaking of the rope as you sway back and forth, back and forth...

Wait... you can! Here are 39 seconds of blissful tranquilo!



If that wasn't "good for you", you'll just have to come down and try it out in person!

Jessica's school (by Jessica)

My school is very, very weird.. like nothing you would expect in Austin. I am in 4th grade at a Waldorf school here in San Miguel. There are 7 kids in my class, and 3 are girls and are 4 boys.

For example, we have something called Eurythmy, which is something like ballet. All the boys hate it. And the boys hate the teacher too. So one day, the Eurythmy teacher was teaching English, and right before she came in, the boys put the eraser for the chalkboard on top of the door so when someone opened the door, it would fall on their head. Then they sat down and acted normal. Instead of the teacher, another boy in our class walked into the classroom. The eraser fell on his head. It was really funny. If that had ever happened in Austin, we'd be in really big trouble.

We also eat lunch in our classroom. Our books are all in Spanish. When we learned fractions, we made a REAL pizza, and then we got to eat it. We all play a violin, and the music teachers are 4 brothers and 1 sister that are really nice and good musicians.

I like my teacher Maestra Marcela very much. She is nice, and she likes cats, just like me.

My worst nightmare has come true...

THE GOOD NEWS: it didn't hurt as bad as I thought it would.

THE BAD NEWS: There was a SCORPION in my shorts and it stung me.

I had taken my kids to one of the hot water springs for birthday parties. Hours of fun, eating, pinata-ing later, I had been sitting on the ground in numerous places, and had moved to sit closer to a new friend, Beck. I felt a sharp sting on my thigh, stood up, felt another, unbuttoned the top two buttons of my shorts with my back to the group of chatting parents... and saw, literally, my worst fear of moving to Mexico, right there in my pants!!!! Simultaneously hollering a warning to all the second grade parents that I was about to moon them, I stripped off my pants. (Thank you to the kind person who came running with the cover-up towel -- in my fear, I don't know who it was!)

Wonderful parents all ---- Anabel executed the poor offender, and calmed my fears, Beck and Larry help me juggle stuff and kids, other parents helped take care of another child I had brought with me, Laura took me home with a possible detour to the hospital if needed. Keith waited at home with my bee sting kit, and fresh cut garlic (local rememdy) ready.

I probably didn't get stung badly (I've since read scorpions can control that -- who knew?). But the reaction wasn't as bad as I expected. Don't get me wrong -- it hurts like a bugger.. and your body gets this creepy, dizzy, dreamy, nauseating, sleepy feeling (I read it is neurological). and the sight of that thing is just --- well -- ick!

But definitely not as bad as my worst nightmare..... Now a Tequila hangover......

Day in the Life

Lots of folks ask, what's a day like down there in San Miguel. It differs from day to day, so I'll lay it out, from Keith's perspective, on a weekly view:

Mondays
6:12am wake up, get kids up, breakfast together, pack lunches
7:30am walk about 3 blocks to the bus stop. On the way, we hear the San Antonio church bells ring, see the same dogs and roosters on the tops of houses. Socialize with the other parents at the stop with kisses on the cheek and plans for the day.
7:45am get a ride on the back of Billy's scooter to Meditation
8:00am seated meditation, don't move, just breath, try not to think, wait for the gong at 8:40am
8:45am get a latte and stand in the sunshine
9:15am Tanya's yoga class. Lots of downward facing dog and other stretches that make my muscles shake, but an awesome last 5-8 quiet minutes in corpse pose where she'll cover you with blanket and a bean bag on your eyes
10:40am Back at home, run To Point B business, phone calls, emails, finances, etc.
12:45pm Grab a quick snack
1:00pm More work
1:50 or 3:10pm Back at bus stop to pick up kids. Jason sometimes comes on the early bus.
3:30pm Varies: sometimes comida at home or with other families at local restaurants, sometimes playdates for kids, sometimes more TPB work
5:00pm May go to playground at Parque Juarez and meet up with other families
6:30pm Dinner or light snack if we had comida, bath time
7:30pm Kids in bed for reading or snuggle/talk time
8:00pm More TPB work and emails, phone calls or chat with Mary
10:30pm Bedtime

Tuesdays
Similar mornings up until 8:00am
8:00am TPB work or coffee with friends
10:00am roughly twice a month we head to the Tuesday market, a huge flea market with just about everything being hawked, including some clothes we probably sold in a garage sale in Austin last July, and with great food stalls (tacos, pizzas, churros, fruit)
Similar afternoons and evenings, except Jess is a mother's helper for a cute boy named Kipling

Wednesdays
Just like Mondays, except after school Jessica goes to horseback riding and the boys go the the Club for soccer practice. I usually get in 1000-1600 meters in the pool during soccer practice.
Sometimes Mary and I hit the movies because it's cheap night. So after movies, popcorn, drinks and babysitter, we could be down $24US.

Thursdays
Same as Tuesday except I usually head to the Club to play golf with John from Seattle or other pick up games with mostly 45-65 year old gringo men. Two weeks ago I lost 5 pesos after a good match.
Kids get out at 1:50pm so we try to do some fun activity with them in the afternoon or they have playdates.

Fridays
Just like Wednesdays, except Jess babysits for Kipling again.
We often have lunch over at a BBQ place that serves great chopped bakers and cold beer.
Friday evenings we used to do Shabbat - Jason just reminded us we haven't been keeping up since Dec. so we'll get back into that swing. Then it can be nights with friends or sleepovers or go be "bencheros" in the jardin and talk and watch the teenagers walk around holding hands and flirting and listen to mariachis.

Saturdays
Sleep later.
Soccer games for the boys.
Afternoons can be swimming at the pool or one of the local hot springs or attending a local event or birthday party.
Saturday nights we get date night about 3 times a month if the babysitter shows up (maybe that's why they are so inexpensive!)

Sundays
Sleep later. Sometimes we go out to Cafe de la Parroquia or Cafe Crayola for a good breakfast of pancakes or huevos divorciados.
10:00am Jess has horseback riding again and we usually all head out to watch her
Same afternoons as Sundays.

Also, one nice thing is that most meals are together and we play lots of games at dinner. Sometimes it's Crazy 8's or Go Fish or RF or Mao/Mal if we are waiting for our food at a restaurant. At home, we play "what I like about you" or "concentration" or "spanish words" or "questions around the table".

I left out hammock time, but that will be a future blog entry. Hasta Luego!!!

Gluing our Car Together

Yes, it is true.

Mexico was made for very small cars -- VW bugs and the like. Keith was backing out of one such small area, and the passenger side mirror got caught on a rivet, on a door that was close to the car, and the plastic, protective covering of the mirror snapped off. Mind you, this mirror has been knocked "closed" numerous times when driving down skinny streets and striking another mirror of a parked car on the side of a road. Not for the faint of heart... or the shiny cars.

We are here for another six months -- and plan to sell the car either before we leave, or near Laredo upon our return to the US. We can't see replacing the cover of the mirror at this point. It's really just the cover, right? So we decide to superglue it back together. This really is a great idea, and we already have the glue.

So Keith and I are laughing hysterically as we are actually gluing our car back together. Who would have ever thought?

Then I realize I am actually glued TO THE CAR.

We are both horrified as my thumb is stuck to the mirror. I spend 5 minutes poking, prodding, twisting, and angling to see how far I can move the skin. Still stuck. Definitely stuck. Keith grabs the glue package and tries to read the emergency instructions in Spanish. I understand the acetone, and try to give my worried husband instructions how to find my nail polish remover among a variety of women's cosmetics. He disappears for 5 minutes. A passerby nods hello to me as I try to look as natural as possible. A neighborhood dog comes by looking for a pat on the head. He looks at me strange and then sits down. I swear, he'd break out laughing if he could.

Keith returns, no nail polish remover. I describe the bottle, trying to use my hands to show the shape. I have to bring my free hand down to the mirror, and Keith busts out laughing. I'd punch him in the arm, but I can't reach him.

He returns with the thumb-saving liquid, and after a few tries, I AM FREE!!!!

Time to READ

One new thing our "sabbatical" has allowed Keith and I -- and the kids as well -- to do is read so much more than we could before. I remember seeing in parenting commercials on PBS to "let your kids see you read, it will set an example" and thinking --"YEAH RIGHT --- WHEN???" Hmm, between getting home from work and dinner? Maybe between the 5:30 AM shower and the breakfast bar in the car? Oh, I know, when you get to the school play on your 10 AM lunch break 15 minutes late.

Enough Mommy guilt. We are reading now. Keith and I have delved in book club favorites: "Water for Elephants", "Eat, Pray, Love", "Into the Wild", "Talk Before Sleep", "The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara", "Tepper isn't going Out", and others.

We've some self imrovement and HELP books: "Talking to your Tween", "The Artist's Way", "Raising a Thinking Preteen", "Positive Discipline" (Whenever we get on Jessica's case, she scowls,"is that what those books tell you? Well they're WRONG!!")

And let me tell you --- it is working -- the kids are READING. All the time. We have to ask them to stop. "Put your book away, it's past bedtime", "Stop reading and come eat", "Only one more workbook, then we will need to go outside and play". Don't get me wrong == they still want their legos, TV, computer games, balls, etc., but it's good to see their noses in books.

And fun for us too!

What good books have you read lately that you'd reccomend for Keith and I, and why????


Jessica reading in the hammock

Jason takes up photography

San Miguel is a place for many talented artists. Photography is a passion here. Jason, our 5 year old, is discovering this calling. Either that, or he just loves playing with the camera. Here are some of his recent works of art. Feel free to print and frame!

sick, sick, sick

Bad blogger!!! So much to tell -- but I've (Mary) been so sick with a cold, coughing, fever, stuffiness, sore throat, you get the picture. And it has been going on for weeks -- since before Christmas! (Go ahead -- a collective "aaawwww Mary") It quickly passed through our family, first me, then Keith, then little Jason, then back to me. Skipping Jessica and Jacob (thank goodness).

I did go to the hospital on New Years day to get some relief from my high fever, tremendous headache, racking cough, and tightness in my chest (go ahead -- another "aaawwww Mary") which was treated appropriately with a shot in the arm, an IV with a little cocktail, another shot in the rear, and some great TLC from the Dr. and Nurse. Upon leaving, the Dr. gave us some medicines -- antibiotics and the like, and his parting advice in Spanish -- "drink fluids, soup, Jello, eat fresh fruits and vegetable, and salchichas".... SALCHICHAS??? we confirmed.... yes, he said... salchichas..... hot dogs. Really. "Si, si --- very good for her."

Well -- I'm still sick after finishing the antibiotics (another "awww Mary", just for effect) -- but I have to admit, I haven't had any Hot Dogs -- so maybe that is the problem. Trying round #2 -- a homeopathic route.

SO we will report on Keith's brother's family's visit, Christmas in Mexico, New Year's, Three King's Day, and all the little fun things as soon as I am up and about and able to stop napping!

Adios for now

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