When our air conditioner went out last week, we contacted Mario who had done all the original electrical work on our house. He had worked with a handful of laborers to bring our vision of a home in Mexico into existence.
My favorite spot. Doors lead to our bedroom.Hand woven Oaxacan rug hangs over our bed.
We hadn’t seen Mario in a while and he brought his wife to see our obra de arte, work of art. Watching his excitement at showing her around his work, gave me new eyes. Living in this house, I sometimes forget how beautiful it is.
Bathroom mural.More of the bathroom mural.Back gate with artist made angel ironwork.
I find that many houses in the US are beige, gray, black, white and brown with the occasional touch of color being a turquoise throw pillow. I find neutrality boring. Our house has blue floors! It was one of those risks that could have been a disaster but turned into a WOW. We forget how striking it is because, well, we live here.
Light fixtures.
Thank you Mario for reminding us what an obra de arte, work of art we live in.
I started back to physical therapy this week after six weeks of traveling and minimal exercise. The immediate goal is to walk without a limp and be able to step into my shorts one leg at a time. I’m coming up on a year since my accident and it’s time to kick the healing process into high gear.
Bathroom mirror selfie.
My physical therapist told me that in order to build muscle and improve balance, I need to work out HARD with weights and it’s going to hurt.
Multnomah Falls, Columbia River Gorge
He isn’t wrong. I hurt from my hair to my toes and I’m not even back at the gym yet. We hauled exercise equipment down from the States to Mexico and it’s been put to good use.
Our friends from Austin. This was my first outing after the accident. I was in a wheelchair.
I can now walk stairs, stepping one leg after the other, rather than relying on my uninjured side to do the heavy lifting. Hurray for small improvements, especially considering I only began walking with a cane the end of January. Thanks for all your encouragement and support. Little things make a difference.
Guests are like grandchildren, they come for a visit, and then they go home. We certainly enjoy them while they’re here and then we collapse.
My brother and his new bride.
After twenty-two years, they finally tied the knot and came to Bacalar for a honeymoon.
Our friend Michelle took most of the pictures.Lots of sampling of the best of Bacalar cuisine. Mayan fusion at Nixtamal.It was a perfect day to be out on the lake.Captain Blaine, our tour guide.A good time was had by all.
It seems that the older I get, the less enthralled I am with the lights, the gifts, and the fuss. Even our little Mexican town of Bacalar has a Santa parade and school Christmas shows. We’re having some folks over for a potluck so I guess any excuse to gather with friends and family is worth it. However you spend your time, I hope it includes what gives you pleasure. Happy Holidays.
DOS TORTAS
Our first Christmas many moons ago.Our three kids. Me with my brother William. My finger is bandaged because I rocked on it while sitting in my rocking chair.My mother. Isn’t she a beauty?
Healing is not a linear process. To do and not overdo takes trial and error and a lot of finesse. As I begin to put weight on my healing leg, pain and fatigue show up in unexpected ways and places.
In order to respect my body, I’m going to make this week’s blog short and sweet. I thought I’d post some of my artwork, none of which has been produced while I’ve been laid up. Stela has decided that my pens and sketchbook make a lovely place to nap.
Stela our blind pug.One of my first attempts at painting on canvas.A first abstract.CollageMuch of my art is about the Laguna.This one really spoke to me.Mexican singer Lila DownsDark.
Our granddaughters’ sixth birthday party was one of the most fun events I’ve been to in a long time. My daughter was in her element. I swear she should create parties for a living.
Nana’s calligraphy.
Covid caused a postponement from the original date, but for a “thrown together” shindig it was amazing.
Under the sea.Rainbow celebration.Party organizer kicks back.How the adults get by.
Taken by one of the guests.
A yard made for a party.
Gone are the days of homemade cakes and a small gathering of a few besties. The weather was perfect and a good time was had by all.
By the end of the week Lisa and I were spent. Preparing for a hurricane is a lot of damn work, both physical and emotional. We had help from our two workers who dug drainage ditches and filled sandbags. Driving through Bacalar, stores were closed, doorways boarded up and a long line of boats were waiting to be hauled out of the Laguna. Everyone was taking Beryl’s threat very seriously.
“X” marks the spot. Beryl turned North.
In August of 2007 Hurricane Dean made landfall near Bacalar as a category five. Many locals lived through and remember well the damage and months of cleanup. Lisa and I moved to Bacalar in 2013, six years post Dean. The devastation was still a frequent topic of conversation round the ol tequila bottle.
Dean over Bacalar
In 2007 people did not have the predictive technology that we have today. The downside of monitoring the hourly progress of a monster is the tension and stress it brings. Beryl ended up making landfall hours north of us. We got cooler temperatures (yeah) and almost no other storm results.
I’m glad we were as prepared as we could be, but no distraction provided peace of mind while we waited. The day after the “storm” found both of us prostrate with fatigue. We didn’t expect that!
Dos Tortas usually makes its appearance early Sunday, but not this week. I had the blog ready to post when I accidentally deleted it. Argh. Today is the first day we’ve had electricity since the weekend and if you haven’t seen the news, we have hurricane Beryl barreling down on us. Too much stress and my mood is less than stellar. So here is a bit of our week in pictures.
Looks scarier than it is. Critters coming in out of the rain.
The storm before the BIG storm. A waterfall outside the back door.
Needless to say I’m not in the best frame of mind. We will be fine, our house is a concrete bunker and we’ll see you next week. Send good thoughts.
This week we went to Bacalar to repeat the process for Lisa, only to find a sign posted on the door of the license office. Whenever we assume that we’ve got something, anything figured out in Mexico, we receive the expat slap upside the head. This was no exception.
The license issuance process is in Chetumal until further notice. Note, no location is provided.
Dang, now we had to drive to Chetumal, an hour away, for her to acquire said license. It’s been a stormy few days with flooding in low parts of Chetumal. We took advantage of a lull in the tropical storm to venture out. Prayers were said.
We went to two different government offices before being directed to the right location. With our list of required documents in hand we went to breakfast. After all this was going to be an all day adventure! Girls need pancakes!
Not our favorite place to eat but ok in a pinch.
The documents were the same as what had been required of me in Bacalar. However Lisa had to watch a video and take a written test IN SPANISH with no assistance from me.
Thank god for Google Translate.
Her language skills are not great, but with the help of Goggle Translate she managed to get through the video and written test. The only problem was, she failed the test, oops. Back to watch the video again.
With a smile and a good attitude, much can be accomplished.
Lisa has such a way of charming people. After the second go round the official didn’t even look at her test. With a wink and a hand shake, she passed and we were on to the driving test.
Park between the cones and don’t forgot to put on your directional.
When you’ve been driving for over forty years, it’s hard to have beginners mind. Also we had my car which Lisa had only driven twice before.
Smiling through failure.
Needless to say, she did not pass the driving test either! Truth be told, it was designed to trip her up. I couldn’t have done any better. This time the official wagged a finger at her before signing the form and sending us on our way back across town to pay the fee and print the license.
The face of exhaustion.
We were extremely grateful that the weather held, everyone was so nice and the mission was accomplished. We love Mexico but it is always a head scratch and a test of patience.
Next Saturday is what we affectionately call the Swim Across, one of several athletic events held annually in Bacalar. There’s a kayak marathon in the fall and a new half marathon in September. I made the commitment to swim this year because, why not? This week it was time to kick training into high gear.I use the word “training” loosely.
I haven’t set an alarm to wake up since I worked for The State of Texas. Back in the day I would rise every day at five a.m. I walked our Austin neighborhood in the dark relishing the quiet and solitude, before heading home to pack my breakfast and lunch and catching the bus to work. It seems like a lifetime ago.
2015
This week I’ve been rising at six before the wind picks up causing a choppy laguna. I still love the quiet and solitude. The clouds look like wisps of cotton candy before the sun pops over the horizon.
I will never win this event, even as the field narrows. Perhaps if I’m 100 and still swimming but I doubt it. I did buy some new goggles to motivate. Maybe they’ll make me faster.
the adventures of dos tortas 
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