Christmas Eve is the event to celebrate here in Mexico. It’s 2 in the morning and I can hear music, fireworks and laughter. Most have had a family dinner and the party continues. One year I saw a Santa in the garbage on Xmas morning; it was quiet, the party was over.

Ah, that sunset glow.

And who doesn’t love flowers?

I took a bike ride today for exercise and captured a peaceful moment.

I was sitting inside the store visiting with my friend Luis when a tiny little girl came in to purchase a diaper. She must have been 3 or 4 years old and alone. Luis asked her what size and she said it was for a baby. He sent her away to find out if it was a small or large one that was needed. She returns a minute later and purchases one small diaper for 5 pesos (about 25 cents). I regret that I didn’t take her picture because she was just too cute. I did get her name. It was Angela Norbeta.

As I stir my favorite brew of morning coffee I am reminded of the first time I drank coffee. I was at a restaurant in Yosemite Valley with friends. Everyone ordered coffee so I did too. I just mimicked others as they doctored up their cups of joe. I opted for just a little bit of sugar and some cream. I liked it. I was officially a coffee drinker from that day on.

Quiet evening in town made it an easy ride about.

Found an old fb post by accident and sharing it again today:

Well, I’ve been busy working and yet, finding the many things to be grateful for each day: A good nights sleep. A pretty drive to work as the vineyards take on fall colors. Leaves a blowin’ and leaves a settling down. Knowing where the only candle I have is when I needed it recently. A good ebook by the candles glow. A trip to Mexico planned and gaining steam, oh boy! Family, friends, life, art, music. Last but not least, sappy, holiday movies. Cheers!

Always a colorful sunset; looking out my window.

I had a chance to practice listening and speaking in Spanish when I conversed with a couple of women at a nearby hotel today. It was just a simple conversation as we talked about where we lived and where we came from. We all laughed when I told them that I was born in San Francisco. What was funny is that the younger woman responded “ah, San Pancho”. A nickname for someone named Francisco is Pancho. I picked up on the joke right away. I thought it was rather clever as I had never heard that one before.

Dining at a local eatery and it was quite yummy.

A view of my town on the lagoon side.

Some day…

Some day…

A little activity in my neighborhood today was acutually quite noisy with the cement mixer churning.

I am studying Spanish with a friend and I mentioned the word hábil which means skilled. My friend tells me that homo habilis was the first primate tool maker. I am now thinking about how language connects the dots. When we start to look at the common denominators, we as a species could probably relate to each other better. When one is being judgmental the looking is for the negatives and the differences. As a practice looking for what I have in common with you and the next guy could be more useful at the playground. 🤪

I had a teacher in High School that was always good for a laugh. He is a friend so I see his posts on fb. He sometimes answers those silly questionnaires that probably track people. Responding to the request to replace a word in a song to ‘sausage’ he writes “I left my heart in sausage (now I have heartburn)”. He still makes me laugh.

I am thanking my lucky stars as opposed to seeing stars after a brief encounter with a coconut. I have a little ritual after my daily swim. I go to the side of the pool near some steps and remove my fins. Then I remove my swim goggles and swim cap. I lean back briefly to completely wet my hair. At that moment yesterday there was a sudden splash in front of me. At first I thought it was a volleyball until the thing bobbled up to the surface. It was a coconut about 6 inches in diameter and it had some weight to it. I was standing in a few feet of water so the hit to my pelvic area caused no pain.

You know, it has been said that “timing is everything”. Had I not leant back at the moment I did, that sucker could have hit me right on the top of my head. It was coming from a very tall (not exaggerating) palm. One man who saw this happen reminded me how lucky I was. At the end of the day I can only think that with all the precautions one takes to be safe, anything can happen.

Motto for today: live it up!

Five years ago today I was in Paris. It was my first trip ever to Europe. A highlight of that trip was an afternoon at the Luxembourg Gardens.

I just looked out the window and noticed this colorful sky.

My friend Luis once told me that Mexicans seldom go to bed early. The evidence is in. There is often music to be heard until the wee hours of the morning in my hood. I’ve gotten used to it. Así es.

Sunset.

I asked Siri to show me photos of bicycles and an old favorite popped up.

I grew up in San Francisco therefore I was very familiar with the Muni system. While in high school I took on a part time job and everyday drove with friends downtown from the outer Richmond. Returning home in the evenings was usually on the 2 Clement line. What is etched in my mind is how mesmerized I would get staring out the window and gazing at different buildings and dwellings. I often saw the flicker of a tv emanating from a window. That was enthralling. I would wonder about the lives of the people in their homes watching the boob tube. I would somehow feel connected to these strangers from a distance. It was a mystery, always in black and white, and I looked forward to it 5 days a week.

Here in Mexico people often work 6 days a week; most of the ones I meet at least. Last night I asked my good friend about that. “Luis, why is it that everyone works 6 days a week?” His response was immediate, “we have lots of children”. We both laughed hard. It could be true.