Friday, 13 December 2019: Casa Colibri

Today was Chris Mirka’s birthday.  We joined her in celebration at Hacienda San Jose Pachul.  It was nice to see Richard and Jose again and it was a perfect ending to a crazy week.

On Friday Ricardo showed up at eleven o’clock after saying he’d be here at nine.  Maggui was here on Wednesday to clean as was the exterminator.  Aholi came on Thursday.  All this work going on is great and it means we were providing lunch each day — that’s a full time job.  

"Flat" chicken -- one of my favorites!

For Justin it was bodega week at Casa Colibri.  He cleaned out both the large and small bodega from top to bottom and all in between.  

Robert turned ten  this week and his birthday party was on Thursday.  I learned that Sandra’s birthday is 17 August— should have known she was a Leo.  She darned near killed me in Pilates this week.  It’s getting tougher but I guess that is good.  

Justin and Jeremy worked on the catamaran a few days.  One day they commandeered Abraham to get the mast stepped.  We are getting closer...

Monday, 9 December 2019: Casa Colibri

We stayed home this weekend.  It was really nice.  Nancy came on Saturday.  Since Allison and Jeremy are returning to Texas soon, I’ve asked Nancy to change us to Thursday’s.  In the grand scheme of things it doesn’t really matter what day of the week she comes but I still want my Saturday.

Lolita came to paint on Sunday.  Since she can only come one day each week, we will be able to keep her in work for a long, long time.  

Evaristo came, we thought, only to deliver the materials for windows and screens, he worked at least half day on Sunday.  

Today, Monday, the house was full of workers.  Evaristo and his team were installing the windows and screens in the grand cocina while his colleague worked to repair the pig fence, the overhead door on the large bodega and then they even worked on our front gate.  Ivan and Jonathan meanwhile worked on the water, finalizing all the connections in all the rooms after hooking up the solar water heaters on the roof.   Lunch for seven today was an oven panini I read about on the Internet. (No pictures, perhaps they were all too hungry.)  It was a success and I’ll make it again.  Yes, I cooked in my new oven.  [I realized latr that the cinderblock i'd used as a weight in the oven was no longer in the litcken.  I guess Nancy didn't think that was cooking equipment.]

I can't make this picture any bigger.  This is huge! To have our solar water heaters hooked up is a HUGE step.  

If you look closely you'll see sparks flying as this guys welds.  

Note the location of the visor that protects his eyes.  

Colula likes the spot under the oven.  

A hibiscus in our jardin.  

Tuesday, 3 December 2019: Casa Colibri

We got Mimi off and on her way home.  She’ll fly first to Mexico City and then to Atlanta.  

When Mimi was here we learned that there is an art to standing up.  Yes, at this age, we are only now learning this fact.  The nexus of the new-found knowledge is that Mimi’s granddaughter stated that while she was a girl and mommy was a girl that Mimi was not, instead she was an old lady.  The distinction, through the eyes of a four-year old, was that Mimi made noises when she stood up.  Well, out of the mouths of babes.  So, we learned that one needs to stand... count to five... and then begin to walk.  We don’t need to rush these things.  If we take our time, we won’t need to be all hunched over and moaning and groaning like an old lady.  If you doubt this process, I encourage you to try it.  Whether you are standing up in a restaurant or getting up out of bed, no matter, take a moment to let your legs, hips and brain all get to a point where they are sharing the goal of forward motion... then you are ready to take the first step.  We all need to learn to count to five.  

We passed on breakfast at Casa Carmita and headed to Izamal, a small city about an hour on the west side of Merida.  We found a junk store along the way that we affectionately dubbed “junk store #42”.  Perhaps we will go back there for a few planters, vases and knick knacks.

Izamal is a quaint little village where all the buildings are yellow and, probably not surprisingly, we found a church there and we found good Mexican food.  My menu Spanish is pretty good but sometimes, you just don’t know.  I saw that the poc chuc was served with the marinated red onions that I like, so, when I ordered my panuchos, I told the waitress that I wanted the red poc chuc onions on top rather than sliced white onions.  She smiled and said ok and then I wondered ... would I really get the onions I wanted or would I get poc chuc on top of my panuchos?  As it turned out my fears were not necessary and my panuchos were wonderful.  

We found a great little store where Justin and I were quite interested in the goods made from sisal.  Several of the lamps and pieces of artwork definitely spoke to both of us but we settled on a few smaller items.  And, low and behold, we found some woven pieces we will be able to use for the lamp shades in our living room.  I do still like the terra-cotta pieces we have, or rather had, but we’ve not been able to find replacement pieces.  These choiceswill be fine and I’m eager to get them in place.  

Some decorating ideas for later

It was dark when we drove home and that road is just a bear.  

Friday, 29 November 2019: Hacienda San Jose Pachul

Black Friday.  We awoke rather early this morning to a host of ants.  They were all over. I sprayed and began sweeping; later, Abraham swept up just as many as I had done an hour earlier.  YUK!

Continuing my move into the grand cocina, I moved out of the refrigerator in the guest kitchen and told Abraham that would be his kitchen for a while.  He and Justin made a few plans for plants and for cleaning out the bodegas before we left at 11:30 to go to see Richard and Jose.  We’d made reservations for five so when Seema and Kanwarpal changed their plans and headed to Merida we were rather in a pickle.  I wasn’t willing to risk my relationship with Richard and Jose and I knew Mimi would pay for all three meals if she had to,  but we found a better alternative in asking Janet and Tim to join us.

We got to the Hacienda at exactly 12:30.  We enjoyed a few sour orange margaritas as we putzed in the pool.  Luncheon was served around 2:00pm.  Asparagus soup, poached pear and beet salad, Chile en Nogata (we had a choice of four entrees and this was my fav) and chocolate mousse and a bottle of wine later I was miserably stuffed...again.

 

We all went for a swim before lunch so there was not much in the way of hair or make-up for our luncheon.  

I want to remember both the sansevaria in the 

vase and the colors in this bathroom.  

When we got home and got settled and bit Mimi farewell for the evening, I put on my jammies and it was only 6:56pm. 

Maybe I’ll be more exciting tomorrow... maybe not.  

Thursday, 28 November 2019: Casa Colibri

The week was filled with Pilates and workers as well as friends, food and tequila.  Seema and Kanwarpol changed their minds and left yesterday.  They had originally planned to stay through Saturday but decided they wanted to explore in Merida.  They seemed to have enjoyed their visit here with us; I think Mimi is glad now to be "off duty."

Not only do we have running very hot water in our new sink in the kitchen...










… we also have the beginnings of kitchen cabinets.  Antonio came to install the doors on what will be the broom closet/water closet.  In our house "water closet" doesnt have a British meaning.  Instead it is the closet where we keep the water.  More cabinets to come in less than two weeks.  

This morning I woke up quite early and started cooking for thanksgiving.  Carole came over to make our pumpkin pie.  Since she has no propane tank, and since she is in charge of the pie, she needed to bake it at our house. I provided the pumpkin and pie plate but Carole provided the skills and love.   And, I needed to be out of the oven with the dressing and the sweet potatoes before Justin went in the oven at 10:15. Maybe next year we really will have two ovens.

Ivan and Jonathan worked to ensure all the outlets were awake and that the oven and stove were hooked up.  This meant that I had to move back into the main kitchen.  Yes, today of all days, I had to move kitchens.  I really wish I’d had on a fitbit to track my steps.  I must have walked ten miles in between the two spots.  Meanwhile, Mimi was the dish fairy. Anytime Justin or I turned around all day, the dishes were clean and draining.  She worked all stinking day.

Dinner was at three pm: Carole, Tim and Janet, Allison and Jeremy, Robbie, Abraham, Mimi, Justin and me.  We had enough food for an army and it was so delicious.  Tim and Janet stayed longer than the others and Janet, thankfully, pitched in to scrub dishes.  

Right about 8pm we bid Mimi buenos noches and headed to bed.  I wasn’t necesarily sleepy, but I was shot.  We do have so much for which we are grateful.   It was great to be able to share the day with such good friends.