Tuesday, 18 January 2022: Casa Colibri

We learned last week that Jordan and Erich aren’t coming.  They've just got too much going on nd the flights don't seem to be working out for them.  Justin and I are bummed; ok,, I am bummer, Justin is totally bummed.  Then, yesterday heard from Rick and Brenda that it is likely they will not gone.  Well... thankfully, Cousin Mike and his daughter will visit and Bill Dean will visit.  YEA!

We booked our flights and hotel for Mexico City!!!  Bill Dean will come here for a short week then we will all go to Mexico City together.  We couldn't ask for a better tour guide.  

While I was in the throws of booking flights and hotels I thought I’d address our return flight in March. I was on the phone for 21 minutes before I got disconnected. Called back; 31 minutes and disconnected again. Third time is a charm right. This time it was Jesus (no irony there), one hour and 11 minutes and our return flight was booked.  Sure, we already had a flight but Aeromexico had notified us two months ago that the times and dates had been changed as an overnight in Mexico City was required.  I didn't do anything about it at the time since I knew it would change again.  Today was the day and now we are booked with all travel on the same day Merida, Mexico City, Chicago.  It will be a very long day for a little black dog.  There have been times I thought about driving a car back to the border and I sincerely am considering that we will need to drive next year.  Yes, All for the damn dog.  

In Soriana, a large Mexican chain grocery store, I often see bread that is sliced horizontally.  Dellene will remember that our mother's used to special order this bread to make a sandwich loaf for wedding and baby showers and similar lady luncheons.  They'd make a combination of chicken salad, egg salad, pimento cheese, cream cheese, olives and walnuts or something similar and remake the loaf then ice the entire loaf with whipped cream cheese and then slice into individual servings.  It was a production to assemble and quite impressive to serve.  And now I see loaves and loaves of this bread ready for purchase.  I can only imagine hoe it is served in local Mexican homes where mayo and hotdogs reign supreme.   

Dellene and Lorayne are in Fort Worth ...yes, without me.  Dellene drove in from Austin and Lorayne came in from Tulsa for a long weekend.  They are seeing the sights.  I know they are having a great time.  

I had a new local experience today in Celestun.  I needed to get some antibiotics so I went to the local farmacia where I'd hoped to by them OTC.  I was told that's not possible and I needed a script so I went down the block to a new local clinic.  No appointment, no waiting.  The receptionist nurse didn't speak English and I wasn't willing to trust my Spanish so I waited for the doctor.  Maybe two minutes later when he came out I told him my story.  He replied "I can help you."  They say the most beautiful words a person can hear is their own name.  Well, today "I can help you" trumped "Paula" by a mile.  With script in hand I went back to the farmacia, got my meds and was on my way.  Cost at the doc, 250 pesos.  Cost at the farmacia, 150 pesos.  A total of about $20, no more than 45 minutes and no one asked for proof of insurance.  No, I wont be filing a claim for this.  

Tuesday, 11 Jan 2022: Casa Colibri

 

Justin and I are hosting our own “Artist-in-Residence” program.  Artist Monica Petrus is here today to paint at least one mural in our commons.  Monica is from California but she lives in Merida now.  Justin found her on the Internet.  After visiting her in her studio to learn that we really liked her work, we invited her here.  In addition to painting, one of Monica’s passions is restoring haciendas.  She’s even been on House Hunters International!  How weird is it that Justin and I know three sets of people who’ve found their way to that format — Xavier and Nicole from Kaiserslautern, Rob and Rob, also from K-town and now Monica.  Her hacienda is in Hocoba, about forty-five minutes east of Merida. 

Part of the arrangement with Monica is that she spends the night and we provide meals.  Anyone who knows e knows that I am fine with that.  Tonight we had cinnamon chicken.  I hadn’t made that in a while and I’ll want it again soon.  We invited Abraham to join us and later, Jonathan and his girlfriend, Nelly, joined us too.  It was a pleasant, social evening.  

   

               

         

Justin talked to Ric this morning.  It was -5 degrees yesterday morning in Green Bay.  Can I tell you how glad I am that we are not there?

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Later...

Sunday, 9 January 2022: Celestun

Justin and I just celebrated our anniversary but this week we also marked a much more dark anniversary. Insurrection at the Capital.  The event still fills the news.  I still shake my head.... my head that dons a mask!

Last week Margerie Taylor Green was banned from twitter permanently...too bad, so sad.  

We also had Ephinany last week.  Most of those in Mexico refer to the day as Tres Reyes. The special cakes are everywhere and no one wants to get the baby Jesus in their serving.  That means you will need to provide the tamales on Fat Tuesday.

We didn’t go to Merida for the Lions game and guess what?  The Packers lost.  It’s ok because our play-off spot is secure, and because Jordan Love was in for at least the second half, but clearly, Justin and I did not do our part.  

We had to put Colula down this morning.  That certainly wasn’t fun.  Thankfully Katherine was here for us.  Abraham was a wreck.  He selected a spot behind the courtyard where Justin will plant a tree.  She was my Rin Tin Tina.  

Tuesday, 4 January 2022: Casa Colibri

Today would have been my dads birthday.  Although I do recognize that this is the day, I don’t have much more to say on that front.

So...years and years ago I started baking oatmeal, or at least Steel cut oats.  They take too long to prepare each morning so I’d bake some on the weekend at then take to work to eat at my desk.  I know, not a healthy habit, but one of necessity.  Then I learned to bake a roux.  Cajun cooks seemed to have mixed reviews on this approach but the result was almost foolproof.  During the pandemic I learned to bake risotto.  Again, mixed reviews, but good results.  As I am writing this, in the oven is my first attempt at baked polenta.  Italian mothers around the world are poo-pooing and grimacing.  I’ll let you know of the result, but so far, it is promising.  

When complete, the polenta will be part of the cabbage, polenta and blue cheese dish we enjoy from time to time.  It’s a labor of love and well worth the effort.  

Sunday, 2 January 2022: Merida

Today marked the coldest Packers vs. Vikings kickoff at Lambeau Field at 10’. No snow in the forecast at least. 78’ here in Merida   Not surprisingly, Justin and I were at Boston’s.  And, what a win.   We got to spend the entire game with Rudolpho.  The rest of the gang was in the separate room in the back.  Justin doesn’t like the screens in there and prefers to sit at the bar.  Well, it seems Rudolpho doesn’t care for the screens in there either so it was just the three of us at the bar...what a hoot.  Tomorrow our stay at the Aluxes Hotel is over.  We treated ourselves to a nicer hotel for New Year’s and our anniversary.  We sure didn’t need the suite but it was nice to be back in the centro.

Since we are planning for murals in our house, I've been looking at public art through a different lens.  I quite like some of what we saw at our new hotel.  

Justin liked this idea for orchids  

Saturday, 1 January 2022: Las Aluxes Hotel, Merida

I guess lots of folks are happy to see 2021 end.  Me?  I’m so happy to be welcoming in 2022 with Justin and to be here in Merida.  We celebrated our 8th anniversary yesterday and today a new year begins.  We are healthy.  We are happy.  We are doing just fine.

 We went to dinner last night at Bikiak Enoteca, a great Spanish restaurant in Merida.  We’d been there for lunch several years ago with Mimi and decided we’d go back for our special celebratory dinner.  The Lebanese sommelier was a hoot.  I was not too impressed with the use of antiseptic gel on the cork as he opened our bottles of wine.  I asked but as soon as I did I realized it might have just been that long since I had a bottle of wine opened by a sommelier at my dinner table...usually, that’s me or Justin in the kitchen.  Our charcuterie board of Spanish hams and cheeses was divine and the Valencia paella was good.  Thankfully.  The music was too loud and was certainly not suited to fine dining.  Are we just getting too old?  We moved into the restaurant’s bar where it was a bit more quiet as soon as we could.  

We rang in the New Year in a small park a few blocks down from our hotel when we were walking Gemma... pretty good timing to be outside for fireworks.  Or at least the sound of fireworks.  We didn’t have a display as much as the noises of revelry.  Gemma wasn’t too stressed.  Maybe that too is a sign of her hearing failing...no, she’s not the only one.

This morning we moseyed down to breakfast in our hotel.  Then, we watched the Rose Bowl Parade in English!  We Ubered to go explore in the market.  Mercado San Benito was empty. Kinda earie.

  

We often leave the TV on when we leave Gemma in a hotel room. It was a rookie mistake to leave the parade on.  Gemma barks at horses. The Rose Bowl parade was on a loop and there were lots and lots of horses in the parade.

Next stop for us was the Plaza Grande.  Yes, I found another little Mexican dress. 

 I just cant help myself.  Then, we took a buggy ride back to our hotel.  

We vegged in front of the TV.  We finished power watching Modern Family and then the movie Don’t Look Up.  We were good Texans -- I'd made Texas caviar and artichoke spinach dip. We should be good for 2022.  

The rest of the world was saddened as Betty White died right before her 100th birthday.  Meanwhile, Ghislaine Maxwell was found guilty. 

Saturday, 25 December 2021: Merida

Merry Christmas!  We spent the morning at the Hotel Zar.  Justin and I both connected with friends and family from all around the world and from previous lifetimes.  I think I should make plans to visit with several of those I haven’t seen in a while particularly Christina and Brian and Stavros.  I know I’ll see Dellene and Lorayne and of course we will see the kids but I need to see a few others too. 

Boston’s for packer football game against the Cleveland Browns.  Lorayne wasn’t too pleased with the outcome. Packers now 12-3 for the season.

 

Friday, 24 December 2021: Tetiz and Merida

We took Abraham to Tetiz where he will spend Christmas with his family as we were headed to Merida.  Yes, even on Christmas because the Packers play tomorrow!  We stopped first to meet Monica in her studio.  Justin found her on Facebook.  We quite liked some of her work we saw on line and wanted to meet her personally.  In chatting with her, we knew we wanted to invite her to our home for murals.  Now, just to decide what and where???

We got finished with that errand in time to go, at Katherine's suggestion, to Hacienda Teya.  During the 1600's Hacienda San Ildefonso Teya  was one of the largest and most profitable cattle ranches in Yucatán. It was converted to agriculture and during the nineteenth century was part of the henequen boom.  Today it is a wedding/event venue mostly.  The grounds were exquisite; the food was so, so.  Yes, I was disappointed but it was a nice celebration.

Then on to Merida for check in at our hotel.  Time to get ready for football tomorrow.  

Tuesday, 21 December 2021: Casa Colibri

Justin and I enjoyed Shakshuka for breakfast.  I make it a bit differently that described by NYT, and we quite like the "improvements."  I get such a bang out of reading the comments on the recipes.  I don't add any of my own because I am not going to provide more fodder for others.  Instead, I'll just keep trying new recipes and enjoying that experience.  

Abraham and Justin working and planning on improvements in the courtyard.  There is more talk of a pool, and as much as I would like that, I am still saying no.

Winter solstice was today.  A big storm blew in over the weekend while we were in Mérida.  There are lots of dead starfish on the beach and the shore line seems to change almost each day.  

      

Packers beat Baltimore Ravens clinching the north. YEA!!!

Sunday, 12 December 2021: Celestun

Today is Virgin de Guadalupe day in Mexico. It marks an appearance of the Virgin Mary to a young indigenous man on December 12th 1531 near Mexico City.  And thus began Christianity as we know it is Mexico.  Today, tens of thousands of people make their pilgrimage to Mexico City  (many on their knees) while locals celebrate by bringing flowers, performing dances and songs at their local churches. 

We learned from Rudolpho that many refer to this time between today and Ephiphany as a “marathon”.  Lot of Christmas and New Years' parties and places to be and celebrations.  

We went to visit Katherine at her hacienda.  I was fascinated with the techniques for some of the restoration work.  Goodness knows she's got a mountain of work in front of her.   

            

Next stop for us was MIDO to look at granite.  There warehouse was huge!  Quite a bit different from Isacc's where we've gotten our granite previously.  We saw some awesome stone.  We will see...

Earlier this week we celebrated Robert's birthday.  goodness he's getting tall.