102 Recreo - My Address in San Miguel

It is Sunday morning. No cars rumble about the city streets, no doll-sellers, or flower-sellers, or old men selling foam puzzle maps of the United States and Mexico approach me. Sultan and I are alone on the street........

But When you Turn the Corner...

PANDIMONIUM breaks out!

Except for very early in the morning, the jardin (park) is NEVER a quiet place. It is the center of the city, and the heart of San Miguel, where even a flu scare can't stop the music! But every day I am amazed all over again at the difference in the two streets.

Time with Sultan

This little guy continues to be who I spend most of my time with here in San Miguel. Tonight though I will slip away for a Danzon dance lesson with the girls!

Morning Café with Sultán

It's cool today in San Miguel so Sultan and I took an extra looooong morning walk ending at El Ten Ten Pia - one of the few cafes that allow dogs anymore. Life is changing....even here in old Mexico....pero, todavía - es buena!

~ Nancy

A Few of My Favorite San Miguel Things

The View

This is the view I come back to each time I leave, and return to my casita - when i open the big brown door VOILA!

Los Muchos Rostros de Sultan/ the Many Face of Sultan

He really is a sweet little guy!

Dancin in Streets and in the Jardin

The body knows a lanuage the mind never wholly masters. ~ Anonymous

Making Pozole con 'Hakki'

I met a nice young women, Jacqueline,(the locals call her Hakki) through a mutual acquantance and she invited me over for dinner - and she's giving me her yummy recipe for Pozole! We hope to gather at her place this evening with other women for a potluck, but a big storm is predicted and the sky isn't looking too good and my head is swelling up like a balloon....We may just stay in tonight.

WHAT DID YOU DO FOR MOTHERS DAY?

The Face of an Angel

 

This little nina was pretending to mop up the floor when Donna Quathamer, Founder of Hogar de Los Angeles, and I entered her classroom this morning. Oh my gosh! I would take her home in a heartbeat. You may remember me talking about this place from last year.

It began as a free daycare located in the heart of San Miguel - a safe haven for the kids of mothers who come from the outskirts of town to work, or sell their handmade folkart. Often these kids had been left at home ALONE, before Hogar de Los Angeles.

Donna had been asking the mothers for two years - "What is the one thing that might make your life better?" Consistently she was told, "A safe place for my babies. Someone to care for them while I work."

Hogar de Los Angeles is indeed that, and so much more. Besides caring for the kids up to age 5, they have an after school program for the olders ones - including help with homework! Eveyone receives free medical care right there on site provided by one of two (married) wonderful Mexican doctors who "wanted to give back to their community." Hogar de Los Angeles also helps construct bathrooms for those who don't have one, it helps with transportation as well as provides summer camp for the olders kids.

Everything done at 'Hogar' is done on a co-oporative basis. Everyone helps - each mother volunteers a certain amoutn of her time. Everyones' diginity is respected and maintained.

Check it out!!! www.youareanangel.org Change a life. Be an angel!

One Good Hombre

Norm surprised me with flowers today. He said they were for Mother's Day this coming Sunday, but I told him, "No," they must be for Nurses Week. I'll probably need something sparkly for Mother's Day. :-)

livin large and lovin it in San Miguel,

Norm & NANcy

A Dog and His Owner

I've always heard that after a period of time we all begin to look like our dogs. .....and to think.... I never used to believe it! All is wonderful in San Miguel. Mary and Q left this morning saying they had a great time even with so many businesses etc. closed. We sure enjoyed their company. So, it's quiet in la casita this afternoon. Nancy got her cap put on her tooth this morning and that's just about all the excitment for the day.....Ah, life is bueno.

Nancy Hold the Policeman's Horse

San Miguel has begun something new - policemen on horseback! We aren't certain if they are simply 'Eye-Candy, or if they are there to patrol the streets. either way we like their presence in the jardin and on the streets. Here Nancy holds his horse while the policeman goes into a shop.

All Decorated Up and No Party

All festivities are canceled for five days in San Miguel - in fact I believe in ALL of Mexico due to that darned flu bug. Bummer. Here Sultan and Nancy explore where the party WAS going to be....I wonder it folks here will 'make up for lost time' when the ban is lifted?

H1N1 Flu Scare Shuts Down the Town

Mary and Sultan are warming up to each other. Here they are on our morning walk. We had hoped they (Mary, Quinn and Norm) could go on the Saturday Adventurers Tour today, but it, and nearly everything else in San Miguel, has been canceled because of the flu. The flu, by the way, has not made it's way to San Miguel. We hear it's in Iowa. ..Bummer.

Walking Nancy

Every morning and every evening Sultan, the cute little schnauzer we are caring for, takes Nancy out for a walk. She needs the exercise. No worries in San Miguel and no cases of the Swine flu yet! Hope are are well at home. We heard maybe 2 cases in Burlington. Is that correct? I think we'd better stay on here!
con mucho carina,
Nancy & Norm

There's No Bull Here Today

Here are Mary and Quinn at the entrance to the Bull Ring just a block from our casita. Norm is happy there is a bullfight before he leaves, but unfortunately after Mary and Quinn leave. Me? I'll stay home and root for the bull.

Mary & Quinn Have Arrived !

We don't have the SWINE FLU! No one in San Miguel has the Swine. The margaritas are great though! It's Quinn's 50th birthday today and we will go out tonight and all get the 'margarita flu." Email him HAPPY BIRTHDAY wishes and make him crazy with wondering how you knew. Ask him about AARP.

A Walk at Sunrise

I'm actually happy that Sultan (the schnauzer I'm sitting with here in San Miguel) likes to walk early in the morning. There aren't many people out, and sunrise is a pretty sight. Here's a 'snap' from this morning's walk. I saw only two children wearing masks - probably protective parents. So far, (cross your fingers) there have been NO CASES of Swine Flu here.

Panteon Guadelupe Cemetery

This morning's trek took us out to the edge of town to explore the cemetary. I was surprised to find that, for the most part, the graves are above ground, similiar to how cemeterys are in New Orleans. Many had individula crypts, but many were also packed 4 high as in this picture. Some of the graves were elaborate with statues and crosses, others were quite stark - just a wooden or metal cross with had writing on it, but almost without fail every site was decorated with fresh or plastic flowers, tinsel, and garlands. Mexico respects death. Just as Socorro, my old Spanish teacher, once told me, " Nancy, I have family in this life; I have family in the other. There is no difference."

Marisa Boullosa's Art

This is from one of the exhibits at Belles Arts. the write up is from the local paper- La Atencione. "...a series of portraits made from linoleum cuts and printed onto colored fabrics, portrays the sad faces of tired and suffering women."

It truly is a powerful piece. the brooms with the red reminded me of blood....and that was BEFORE I read the write up!

At Belles Artes

Since we don't have the pooch (Sultan) yet this week, we are taking advantage and seeing the sites that will be difficult to go to once we do. Today's adventure, (after a trip to the dentist for Nancy's broken tooth which was an adventure in itself) was Belles Artes. It's a wonderful building that was originally a convent, but now it's an art school. With the cool breeze whispering through the foyers this afternoon we could almost imagine all those little nuns who lived their lives out in this place.

Nancy Especially like this mural of women. We don't remrember it from past trips. It may, or may not be new - but it was new to us!

Charo del Ingenio - El Jardin Botanico

Today's adventure was a bus and a trek to the Jardin Bontanical - the cacti gardens just outside of town. Since this is the 'rainy' season the cacti are blooming and were they ever beautiful. I hope you enjoy the slideshow!

Our Casita's Garden

It's hard to imagine that this garden 'belongs' to us for two months. This is our view as we sip slow morning coffee.

Welcome Back to San Miguel de Allende

We arrived Saturday afternoon after a pleasant bus ride - yes, I said pleasant. The buses in Mexico are wonderful! Very comfortable, large seats, and they give you drinks and even a snack if you want it. They showed two movies and they were fairly recent ones! Mostly for the kids, but this is much better than the old "Rambo' ones they showed back in the 90's when we started coming down here.

When we arrived the Cervantes (the folks that we're house/dog sitting for) had not only prepared our casita by cleaning it spotless and putting out new linens complete with fresh flowers - they also presented us a fruit basket, wine and granola snacks for in the next morning so we wouldn't have to rush to the market! And, it didn't stop there. No, no, they whisked us over to their beautiful home where Ilidko had prepared and feast of Mexican food. Chili Rellanos (eat your heart out) and all the fixings. We had a lovely dinner with stimulating conversation, then back to our casita to settle in for the night.

And the flowers are out! We've never been here in the Spring and it is amazing to see, even more than usual, all the bursts of color around. Check out this fellow walking through the park with bouquets on his shoulder. Ah......so good to be back.

Songs for the Ladies

Tuna Normal was back in the Bibleotecta (library) today to play music for the ladies. Oh it's so fun that things never change in San Miguel!

Travel Shrine Update

I am doing the countdown until we leave for Mexico ...siete, seis, cinco...... And, since I am going to be 'a writer in San Miguel,' I added writing tools - books and my favorite fountain pen - to my shrine.
Also, check out the cute photo of the schnauzer as well as the aging senora in the hat. :-)

con mucho carina,

Nancy

The Kids of Casa de Los Angeles & NP WORLD NEWS

I've got one more writing assignment while in San Miguel! NP WORLD NEWS, a glossy newsletter for nurse practitioners is interested in an article about Casa de Los Angeles. This is something I've wanted to do since I first discovered this wonderful daycare and so-much-more for the underprivileged women and children of the San Miguel area. Stay tuned for more on this. You'll be the first to get the "scoop."