Tag Archives: Maria’s Taco Xpress

God Bless Texas

16 Apr

The Tortas are heading into their final week of vacation in Austin. It’s been fun beyond words. When we lived here, we did not take the time to be tourists in our own city. We’ve been eating great food, visiting locations old and new, and loving on family and friends. 

I’m not a big fan of taking photos of food, but here are a few that I couldn’t resist. A vegan bacon cheese burger from the Cove in San Antonio. Absolutely delicious. Stuffed zucchini at Cuba512 at Westgate and Wm. Cannon. We’ve eaten Thai, Indian, and lots of Texas Mexican food. Yum yum.

A cemetery in Round Rock from the 1800’s that houses the remains of Texas slaves. There are also beautiful old headstones from later times.

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Sunset Valley Farmers Market

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An art gallery in San Antonio while visiting friend Alison.

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A Texas rattlesnake at Roberta’s house.

McKinney Falls State Park outside of Austin.

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Maria’s Tacos with friend Harper.

As you can see it’s been a varied and enjoyable trip. The upcoming week is scheduled with lunch dates and a party. Today we’re hanging out with the grands. Our trip has been so much more than we expected. A truly memorable vacation. God bless Texas.

DOS TORTAS

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Think Global Shop Local

5 Oct

In the mid-1970’s when I lived and traveled in Mexico; there were no grocery stores. Large open-air mercados showed up predictably, one or two days a week and were the norm. We took our woven bags and baskets to bring home purchases. Bulk items such as frijoles were wrapped in newspaper. Plastic bags were non-existent.

Saturday Farmer's Market in Chetumal

Saturday Farmer’s Market in Chetumal

Coconuts in season. Open with a machete.

Coconuts in season. Open with a machete.

Then there were little corner stores where one could exchange an empty bottle and buy a coke. There were a few non-perishables sold and kerosene for the hot water heater.
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Today there are large grocery stores much as we have in the States. Some are familiar such as Walmart and Sam’s Club. Others are Mexican – Chedraui and Soriana.

The little corner stores are still the backbone of Mexico. When I first arrived a year ago, I saw abarrotes and didn’t know what it meant. Pulling out my handy pocket dictionery, I found “groceries”.

A busy little store.

A busy little store.

There are also mini-supers, tiendas and bodegas. Some are small enough to be operated out of a living room. The role that they play for low income people is invaluable. Where else can you buy one aspirin or one roll of toilet paper? Occasionaly there are eggs on the counter or tortillas warm in an insulated container. Mostly the tiendas are full of chips, candy, soda, alcohol and other processed foods.

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Like the U.S., Mexico has its problems with obesity and diabetes, and the shelves of five liter bottles of coke abound.

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This store expanded to include fruit, clothes and plants.

This store expanded to include fruit, clothes and plants.

Every block has its little store. They function as a social center where gossip is exchanged and neighborhood news reported. The other day we bought thirty sheets of copy paper and ten paper clips. Bacalar is truly a world apart, even for Mexico.

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Sunrise of the Week.

Sunrise of the Week.

Feliz Dia De Gracias

1 Dec

The Tortas are off on holiday to Florida visiting family. Here’s an earlier post from our preparation for the move to Mexico. It all seems so long ago. Have  a wonderful holiday.

Date night with Lisa.

Date night with Lisa.

I met Lisa on September 16,1994 in a lesbian bar. That’s why last night was such a perfect send off for our last weekend in Austin. We had spent the day packing the trailer. Looking from our pile of stuff to that tiny trailer had caused me some exceedingly restless nights. Lisa’s history of packing 18-wheelers gave me some hope, but I still had little faith. The end results were amazing. We had help from our sons, their dad and Lisa’s cousin. I was in charge of recording where everything was put in the trailer, writing furiously as they squeezed things into every nook. If I didn’t see it with my own eyes, I would never have believed how much we fit in that trailer.

Friends had told us of a fun sounding event happening last night. It was a reunion of folks who used to hang at a bar named Rusty’s, long gone the way of lesbian bars in Austin. We took naps, dusted off our only pair of clean shorts and headed over to Maria’s Tacos for an old fashioned lesbian soiree and drag show. We had a blast. A last chance to dance a little two-step, run into some old friends and visit the time capsule of our past. It was absolutely the best send off possible. Had I not seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed we could step back in time, except of course for the cell phones, gray hair and extra weight LOL.

An end to a perfect day.

A Room Full of Stuff

Fit this in the Trailer? OMG

Packed

Packed

Find Something? I doubt it.

Find Something? I doubt it.

Grandson, Lisa, DIL, Sons & their dad.

Going to Miss You Sweeties

Maria's Tacos

Maria’s Tacos

Great Drag Show

Life is a Cabaret

Refrigerator Magnet

Thought For the Day

If I Didn’t See With My Own Eyes

18 Aug

I met Lisa on September 16,1994 in a lesbian bar. That’s why last night was such a perfect send off for our last weekend in Austin. We had spent the day packing the trailer. Looking from our pile of stuff to that tiny trailer had caused me some exceedingly restless nights. Lisa’s history of packing 18-wheelers gave me some hope, but I still had little faith. The end results were amazing. We had help from our sons, their dad and Lisa’s cousin. I was in charge of recording where everything was put in the trailer, writing furiously as they squeezed things into every nook. If I didn’t see it with my own eyes, I would never have believed how much we fit in that trailer.

Friends had told us of a fun sounding event happening last night. It was a reunion of folks who used to hang at a bar named Rusty’s, long gone the way of lesbian bars in Austin. We took naps, dusted off our only pair of clean shorts and headed over to Maria’s Tacos for an old fashioned lesbian soiree and drag show. We had a blast. A last chance to dance a little two-step, run into some old friends and visit the time capsule of our past. It was absolutely the best send off possible. Had I not seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed we could step back in time, except of course for the cell phones, gray hair and extra weight LOL.

An end to a perfect day.

A Room Full of Stuff

Fit this in the Trailer? OMG

Packed

Packed

Find Something? I doubt it.

Find Something? I doubt it.

Grandson, Lisa, DIL, Sons & their dad.

Going to Miss You Sweeties

Maria's Tacos

Maria’s Tacos

Great Drag Show

Life is a Cabaret

Refrigerator Magnet

Thought For the Day

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