January 31, 2013. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. A Book.

Art of Getting Money is the book I am reading.  It was written by P.T. Barnum.  It is an old book and an old fashioned book but I am enjoying it all the same.  Everything seems so simple.  His gospel is to have you spend just a little less than you earn.  Then put that bit into real estate or stocks or savings and don't touch those funds.   It all seems so easy and it is easy, but it is difficult to carry out.

He makes the point that it does not really matter whether your income is high or not.  The system of getting money is the same.   He understands why people spend all their money and even spend more than they earn, but in his opinion it is inexcusable.  Ken says that it is the same as losing weight.  Everyone knows how to do it but it is difficult to follow the rules.    He is scathing on the spending of money to impress others with clothes.  I know that people do it.  Fortunately, I never fell into that trap but in his opinion it is a foolish policy.

I just read an article saying that 25% of Americans have no net worth.  If this is true, those 25% should read Art of Getting Money, then implement every actions he suggests.  It is an old tale that clearly needs repeating.

January 30, 2013. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. My Work.

Today I had a real task.   The laundry needed to be done and my medications organized for the next four weeks.   Those were the only activities that absolutely positively needed to be done today.   I started in diligently right after breakfast and by 11:00 It was all done.  My work for the day was over.   My life is ridiculous for sure.

The day was beautiful, warm and sunny.  Ken worked on the computer while I read.  We have both discovered  the U Tube videos of brass bands  and individual performers so we listened to several this afternoon.  I listened to a trumpet player named Vencetti  (or something like that)  who was wonderful.    Yesterday we listened to the Black Dyke Gala Concert.   Ken listens on his ear phones while I just play them out loud.

Ken and I walked down to the Hotel for a drink and discovered something new.  The bar has installed a small sushi station so of course I ordered appetizers for the four of us.   It is a good addition to the bar.  And we walked back home after dinner.   Ken is much better than last year when he would take the shuttle home.  This is a good thing!!

January 29, 2013. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. A Nap.

Nothing is better than a good nap in the middle of the afternoon.   It is one of the charms of being retired.

This morning, we did not have even breakfast food in our fridge, so we four ate breakfast at the Mexican restaurant in the mall.  We got there at 10:00 and enjoyed a large and delicious Mexican breakfast.  Ken and I then went to the market....finally.   Don and Doreen and staying for two weeks at the time share hotel as Suzanne is coming to visit us here in the condo.    When we got home and put away the small amount of groceries, I sat down to read, and discovered that by 1:00 my eyes were closing, so I decided to lie down for a nap.

Now this is a wonderful thing.  It is Tuesday, when everyone is at work, and I just lay down and fell fast asleep.  After about half an hour, I woke up to discover that Ken was napping too.  This an unusual thing for us,  so I just closed my eyes again and went back to sleep, wallowing in my decadence.   I was up reading by 2:30 while Ken appeared at 3:00.  Now we think it might be midnight before we fall asleep tonight, but that afternoon nap was delightful.

January 28, 2013. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Success 2.

Does it matter if a grandparent is a success or a failure to a grandchild?   It is probably more important to a child for a parent to be successful than a grandparent.  Even then, we know many people whose father was not a rousing success, yet the offspring has survived and thrived despite the father.  Ken is a perfect example.

My grandfather Houghton died before I was born so I never knew him.  My Father spoke very well of him and always called him a gentleman, which is a compliment.   My Mother said that he was a loving, gentle father and could find no fault in him.  When I think of him I think success but my children and my grandchildren don't know that.  I have a list of all the positions he held in the Salvation Army Corps and there were many.    He was a builder and an architect and he was the treasurer in every church that he attended.

My grandfather Buckley died when I was 9.  We lived in Calgary at the time and my father was in charge of Public Relations in southern Alberta.    I have several memories of him.   He made donuts for us at home.  They were delicious.  I still like cake plain donuts, made for us by Grandpa Buckley.  Another memory I had was when I was with my Father, who was wearing his Salvation Army uniform, driving from beer parlor to beer parlor, trying to find his father who had not come home as promised.   At his funeral, we three children were sitting right behind our parents and the other relatives.   The person who spoke was praising my grandfather, but we knew better, so I looked up at my sister and we got the giggles and we could not stop.  My Mother turned around to stop us, as she knew what was happening.  The other folks behind us thought we were crying because our grandfather had died.  But we knew that the tribute about Harry Buckley was all made up, and not of whole cloth.

Success takes a different tone after one hundred years.    The most important aspect of their life is that they survived!!

January 27, 2013. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Success.

It is so difficult to determine success.   About one hundred years ago, both of my grandfathers emigrated to Canada from England.    Thirty years after they arrived and settled with their families, one grandfather would have been considered a success while the other grandfather a failure.  But from the vantage point of approximately one hundred years, it is difficult to see the difference.

One grandfather, Walter Houghton, settled in Victoria with his wife and five children.  He was a builder and architect and very active in his church.  As soon as the five children completed their education, he and his wife volunteered to be an envoy, teaching the Indians in northern British Columbia.  He was soon diagnosed with cancer and he died.  Everyone spoke very well of him and he died a well loved, successful man, with five productive clever children with lovely families and children of their own.  The most important thing he did was having the children and passing on those genes because, today, no one knows what he did back then.

My other grandfather, Harry Buckley, was from Yorkshire, and was a shoe repair man.  He owned his own shop in Calgary and should have made a good living.  Harry and his wife Alice Swallow married in 1896 and their three children were born shortly after.  Unfortunately, Harry drank too much alcohol, so every so often he was back building his business from scratch.   When he died in his 70s, no one would have considered that he had a successful life, especially my father.   But his three children have done well and the grandchildren too and in truth, no one knows today that he drank too much, only what his grandchildren and great grandchildren are doing.

All I know that neither grandfather passed on funds to their children, which is probably a very good thing.    All the offspring were required to work hard in order to achieve and they did.  So after one hundred years, we can say that both grandfathers were a success, because I would not have been here without their success.

January 26, 2013. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. F. Scott.

He is a wonderful writer, F. Scott Fitzgerald.    He tells you more in half a page than most writers do on three pages.  Every word contributes to the whole.  It is a pleasure to read what he has written.

Several months ago, I read a review of American fiction of the 20th Century.  The reviewer suggested that The Great Gatsby was the best American novel ever written, and that The Beautiful and Damned was perhaps  his second best work.   The reviewer also felt badly about that because he said that no one reads it anymore, even though it was a wonderful book.  So I downloaded it onto my Kindle, to read later.

I started the book two months ago and even though I loved the writing, I hated the people in the book so I read the book a little at a time, until now.   Finally, I got interested in these foolish people and am almost finished.  I still don't like the main characters but I am enjoying every page of the writing.  Just the other day I spotted a series of quotes, all taken from The Beautiful and Damned.

Since I have been reading the book, I have asked lots of folks whether or not they had read it.  No one yet has told me yes.   F. Scott also published over 60 short stories, none of which I have read.  I must find them.

January 25, 2013. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Supper.

Our system for food is not really working.   It turns out that none of us really enjoys going to the market, so when we do shop, we wait until every bit of food in the house is gone, before returning to the store.   We go out to eat for a late lunch, then sit around the table eating supper while we watch the sunset.   Last evening, Ken made a pasta dish which was actually quite tasty.   He heated up left over pasta with rice, and added melted cheese.  It was good but that was the last food in the fridge, except for cereal for breakfast.

Tonight, after a lovely day at the pool and a large lunch sitting by the beach at a new restaurant,  we all decided we did not need much to eat, so we ate the only thing we had which was toast and peanut butter and honey, along with a cup of tea.   We all laughed.  I must say that this is a new experience for me and I am not sure we will do it again.  But at least we are all reducing our waistline, which is a good thing.  Now we really must make a visit to the market tomorrow.  

January 24, 2013. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Pet Peeves..

I hate going to the dentist and I am not sure why.   It is irritating that I must go to the dentist regularly, even though I don't like it.    Some time I will be so old that I will just declare a moratorium on visiting the dentist.   Perhaps that could be a year or do before I die.  But of course, as we generally do not know when we are likely to die, this could be a problem.   I have a suspicion that I don't like to go to the dentist because I am required to keep my mouth open and I can not talk the whole time.  Our dentist in Bethesda bought a house in Nova Scotia just along the shore from us so he became a friends as well as my dentist.  We would talk except my mouth was always open so could not talk.  It was a pet peeve of mine, to ask me a question with my mouth open and full of equipment.

My Bethesda dentist has now retired.  As of December 14 he is free as a breeze to play as much golf as he wishes to do.  I knew he would retire when I realized that the equipment in Mexico was more high tech than his equipment in Bethesda, but by then I had already moved from Chevy Chase so I only found out after the fact.  But I was peeved about that too.  I like the latest equipment to be used on my teeth.  The new cleaning tools are much easier and quicker so I am pleased about that.  Dentists generally do not really hurt you when they do their work, at least mine never did.  It is just the open mouth that is so irritating.  Fortunately, we only visit the dentist every so often, which is a good thing, so I will not be peeved for another year.  Hurrah!!

January 23, 2013. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. The Dentist.

When we moved from Chevy Chase, everything changed.   We left not only our friends and our work associates but also our doctors and dentists.   Our first decision was to use Jackson, Mississippi  as the home for our doctors as Jackson is the Medical school of Mississippi and we also live right in the city.  Other places we live require a drive to the doctors as we live in remote areas.  We are now set with our doctors but we have done nothing about a dentist.

Last year in Nuevo Vallarta, we had our teeth cleaned at the dentist in the mall.  The office was clean and well appointed with  fancy new equipment so we were pleased with the teeth cleaning.  We did it again today.   Last week we made an appointment and today was the day.    The equipment is actually newer than my old dentist in Bethesda which I found interesting.  This year I brought our old x rays for the dentist to review.  But even though we are pleased to use this dentist and dental hygienists, I am not leaving my x ray films here.  I will keep them with me.

In my old life, I had my teeth cleaned every six months but we only come here once a year so perhaps I must chose a new dentist after all.  I think we will select one in Fredericksburg.  With all our doctors in Mississippi, we spend a lot of time visiting doctors when we are there.  I do not wish to add a dentist to that list too.   Being a vagabond is not easy!!

January 22, 2013. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Hockey.

Every night this week the TV is showing a hockey game.   Of course, we turn on the game, as we four are Canadians after all.   Actually, I should say that the hockey game is on the television set but no one is  watching it.  The sound is turned down low, just enough to hear if a goal is scored.   Then we all turn our eyes to the set to see the replay of the goal.  Everyone here is reading and just glancing at the game every so often, or when a goal is scored.

This game is between Winnipeg and Washington and Washington is not winning.  The Washington players are not happy about this and seem to start a fight every few minutes.   Hockey is a wonderful game and why the hockey brains trust allows the fights to be a part of the game is beyond me.    I watch to see the speed of the game not watch two fellows trying to bash each other with their fists.  It makes no sense to me.   But I am not in charge of the National Hockey League, so what I do is to turn off the TV whoever a fight breaks out.   Right now, when four of us were watching or listening, I can not turn off the set, but I refuse to watch any of the rest of the game.  It is actually a rather foolish gesture on my part because no one knows but me, but I feel compelled to do something about the ridiculous fighting that is allowed to continue in the league.  I have taken a stand even though I am the one who misses the rest of the game.  There must be a better way to speak my mind.

January 21, 2013. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. The Pool.

Doreen spent over an hour at the pool this morning,  all by herself.   The day was beautiful so as everyone was busy with their e mails and computers at home,  she went down to read, and discovered that she was the only one there.   It is a lovely spot, just down by the beach behind the fence.   The foliage is beautiful which adds to the charm.

When she came up to the condo, she and I walked to the market to bring home both lunch and dinner.  This business of going to the market regularly is working out quite well.  We even brought home ice cream.

This afternoon we all went down to the pool, except for Don.  The day was perfect with the sun bright and the breeze keeping you cool.   We spent the afternoon reading and swimming and getting in the hot tub.   I always stay in the shade while Doreen loves the sun but today I stayed in the sun for twenty minutes to get my required dose of vitamin D.  Ken too.  Don stayed up in the condo and read so no sun for him.   It was a perfect afternoon.   Ken and I don't spend much time down by the pool but when we do, we really enjoy ourselves.  It is never boring.

January 20, 2013. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. The Walk.

Our plan sounded good.  We four were to walk on the beach until we came to a restaurant.  Then we intended to eat lunch and walk home in time to watch part of the football game.   We started walking north along the shore, heading for Bucerias.   Ken suggested we walk on the beach and I suggested that we continue walking until we found a restaurant.  All four agreed to the plan.

The Seahorse was the first restaurant we came to but it was too close, so we kept walking.   We all four went into the next place, Vince's Cafe, but even though we had walked a long way, we did not stay as it was dirty and expensive, so we left, and kept walking.  And we kept walking.

Finally, we walked out to the road and discovered that we were almost at the Japanese restaurant we have talked about for years, so we four went in.   Some of our group were not used to long walks on the beach, but once again, we got lucky.   We ate dinner, sitting outdoors on their balcony.  It was delicious.  Then we waiting for the trolley to take us home.  It was a day well spent.   And then Baltimore won the football game which is an added bonus to the day!!

January 19, 2013. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. The Trolley.

Whoever started the trolley trips around the complex did a good thing.   It is a big help to us.  The trolley just drives around and around on the same route.  You can get on and off at any time.  And it is free except for a tip for the driver.  Of course, there is no schedule, so you never really know when it will arrive but we get used to just waiting and watching.

Today we got lucky.  We four walked across the street to sit on the bench and wait for the trolley.  It was our intention to take the trolley across the canal and have a walk. finally having lunch overlooking the canal.  It took us only five minutes for the trolley to arrive.   On the way to the canal, I suggested that we continue on to The Ginger, a Thai restaurant by the entrance, so we continued our ride and got off right outside The  Ginger, only to discover that it was not open.    There were several restaurants in a row so we just wandered along checking to see who was open.   Finally, we hit the jackpot.   The last restaurant in the row was the only one open.  Fortunately, it was a good one, an Italian restaurant we have been wanting to dine at for ages.

The food was wonderful.  We four decided that good food and good friends makes for a lovely afternoon.   And when we were finished and went to a bench to await the trolley, the trolley arrived immediately so we were soon home.  Some days you just get lucky.

January 18, 2013. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Shopping.

We were quite a sight, trudging home from the market loaded down with our food.  The refrigerator and fridge now are not empty.....not full but not empty. If fact, you can look into the pantry and smile, because you know that soon a meal will be prepared.

This morning, after a cup of coffee in the apartment, Don and Doreen and Ken and I went to the mall for breakfast.  We were forced to do it because we had no food.  Doreen and I decided that she and I will shop every other day and buy just enough food to last the two days.  So today at the market, the four of us shopped for specific items, then met at the check out counter to be sure our list is complete.  It was fun.

We were loaded down.  Ken and I carrying our backpacks and Doreen with a bag over her shoulder.  Don elected to take the shuttle bus home.  We were a sight, but it was worth the trip.   Tonight we ate our supper on the balcony over looking the sunset.  And we have supplies for breakfast too. Whoopee!!

January 17, 2013. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Friends.

We had a lovely evening with Don and Doreen.   They arrived this afternoon at the door of the condo.   I had not even gone to greet them down stairs.  For shame.   After changing clothes, we four went down to the restaurant/bar on the beach to watch the sunset.  As we have no food and no beverages except water in the apartment, we are forced to go out, which has it's own reward.  It was wonderful watching the beach and the sunset as we all drank Margaritas, at least, three of us did.  Catching up is always a delight so our chatter was non stop.

After coming up to the condo to change, we walked to the Italian seafood restaurant , that sits beside the marina.   The evening was warm and quiet so we enjoyed the good food and talked about old times.  It was a wonderful evening with our good friends.  We have known each other for sixty years and enjoyed every minute together.  Now we will all relish the Mexican weather and the beach and pool.  Ken and I will enjoy the company.  It remains to be seen if we will stick to our system of shopping.  I don't really enjoy shopping, let alone shopping every other day.  Doreen and I will decide tomorrow!!

January 16, 2013. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Humble.

Doing something incredibly stupid does make me humble.  Funny how that happens.  I go along doing well, getting everything done and feeling incredibly confident, then  WHAM.   I are brought back to earth with a resounding bump, after I do something that was wacky.

I have never suffered from a lack of confidence.   How it happened I have no clue.  Neither am I vain.   I care little for how I look.  But throughout my life, I have done things that are so stupid that I always felt was designed to make me humble and bring me back to earth.    Over the years I have made two appointments at the same time.  Right in my book it was obvious but it was not obvious to me, until the last minute, and then it was too late.  Unfortunately, I have many examples.

Today was one of those times.  Our friends Don and Doreen are coming to visit.  Our calendar is right by the phone, giving their arrival.   I went downstairs at 4:45 to meet them.  But they did not come.  While I was waiting I chatted with folks from Portland and I enjoyed the conversation, but when their friends arrived, whose plane landed fifteen minutes after Don and Doreen, I knew something was the matter.  Ken set me straight on the phone.  They arrive tomorrow.  It says so right on the calendar.

I just laughed.  Here we go again.  Another little devil sent to make me humble...again.

January 15, 2013. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. The Beach.

Beaches are interesting and compelling.   And it is always changing.  This afternoon, Ken and I went for a walk on the beach.  It took us ten days of living here to get us down to the beach, perhaps because the beach is a place I really don't like to walk.  In fact, I hate walking on the beach.   It is not level, which throws off your hips.  But today I went and enjoyed every minute.

After our walk, we sat at the restaurant on the edge of the beach and had a drink and watched the action.   The birds were busy feeding along the edge.  Lots of birds.  And we watched the parade of people, walking up and down, up and down.  Dogs being walked too.  There is do doubt that being thin on the beach is the best.   We just missed the dolphins leaping around very close to the shore.   The waiter told us.

A group here watches carefully to try to be sure the turtles get back to the water when they hatch.   In a large area the eggs are watched every evening.  It is very impressive.

January 14, 2013. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Small Things.

Much in life takes place at the very small intersect.   Today, we saw a very small action right in front of our eyes.

As we left our complex this afternoon, the young man at the gate called us over.  His eyes were aglow and he was clearly excited to show us something.  What he was looking at must occur a million times a day, but neither he or us had ever seen it before.   Right before our eyes was a small spider eating a mosquito.    You could clearly see the spider chomping it down.   The guard spotted the small spider on the wall and just as he went to knock it away, he saw the spider quickly grab the mosquito in his mouth.  Ken and I came along at the perfect time.

We often read about the number of bugs that are eaten by bats and swallows and other bugs, but you never see it happen.   But today, there it was,  a tiny spider eating a mosquito at least three times it's size.   It is the natural world at work, on a very small scale.

January 13, 2013. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. A Book.

"The Moral Imagination:  from Burke to Trilling."  by Gertrude Himmelfarb  sounds intimidating, but is not.   Each section is quite short and of course, Gertrude Himmelfarb, even though an historian, is an excellent writer.    Once again, I am enjoying reading about these writers who I missed during my years of education.  I still suffer by the lack of a classical liberal education.

Many people today are concerned about the habits and morals in the country.  This book deals with the question of how thoughts and attitudes are instilled in the population and she shows how writers and politicians make their contribution.   The real anxiety at present is the lack of family structure.   Time after time they agree that the culture comes from the home. And without a population that attends church, who will be taught?

It is a stimulating and interesting book.  It just sounds difficult.

January 12, 2013. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. The Games.

My hat is off to the Baltimore Ravens football team.    They were expected to be beaten badly, but when all was said and done,  the Ravens won.  The game had everything you wanted in a playoff game.  But what I enjoyed the most was that the Ravens organization just staying in the game and kept coming from behind every time the Denver team got ahead.   There was no panic, just the attempt to get another touchdown to get the game back to an even score.   It was very impressive to watch.

I love to watch any competition.   The effort exerted by the players and the attempts of the coaches to  take advantage of the opposition  is what I like to see.   In this Ravens/Broncos game, the Ravens coaches just out coached the opposition.   The Ravens changed their whole front offensive line, just for this game.  And the Ravens tok chances.   The Broncos, on the other hand, appeared to think they were going to win the game.   Twice they took a knee at the end of the second period and again at the end of the game, heading into overtime, leaving 27 seconds to try to score, thinking I assume that they could score the next time.  Now they are shocked.  David has defeated Goliath.  Congratulations to the Ravens.  I loved every minute.

January 11, 2013. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. The Birds.

There are many birds here in Mexico, but unfortunately, most of them I can not identify.  It is sad but true.   This afternoon while sitting overlooking the canal we could see at least twenty brown pelicans roosting in the trees  on the opposite side of the canal.   There were probably many more but without our binoculars, that is what we could see with our naked eyes.  And we saw several small blue herons.   The smaller the birds get, the less I can identify these small birds.   Where is Alice Anne when I need her?

And we saw many iguanas with orange crest all down his back.   The big Daddy sat in the sun at the top of the rocks overseeing his harem.    We watched fishermen trying to catch fish using a net and we watched an attempt at a rescue of a pelican with a broken wing.  We intended to enjoy a leisurely lovely lunch at an Italian restaurant which we did, but in addition, we watched an afternoon of observing the natural world in action.   The food was wonderful and so was the scenery.

January 10, 2013. Nuevo Vallarta. Planning.

Of course, many of the trips we plan never get taken.   Two years ago, Ken and I planned a train trip in North America.  We talked and investigated and explored options.  We set up the whole journey from east to west and south to north.  But we never made reservations.  The logistics of time got in our way so we still have the information, and some day we will see our way clear to take that train travel.  But it has not happened yet.

After sleeping on our plans for our New Zealand trip, we are thinking that three months away was too long, so we will probably scratch the cruise of Australia and Indonesia.  Today we booked the cruise through the Panama Canal, a journey that everyone else has taken but us.  We leave January 19 from Miami.

Ken does not wish to drive all over New Zealand himself so we are checking out guided tours.  Maybe Gill will want to join us.  We have made progress.  Next we will book our flight to New Zealand on February 4.   Ken is checking out time shares in Florida.  We are pecking along at organizing this trip.  It is very exciting.

January 9, 2013. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Time.

Ken and I have spent all day yesterday and all day today talking about a prospective trip in early 2014.   It is one of the activities we do when we are in Mexico.   Nothing interrupts or distracts us from our task so we explore every option, using the Internet to check out all the possibilities of getting us from here to there and back, in addition to what to do when we are there.   It has been fun, with both of us on our iPads tracking flights and cruises and gathering information.

So far, we have an outline of the event, unless Ken comes up with better ideas.  First we celebrate Dave and Irene's 60th anniversary.  They generously have included Ken and me on their family cruise in the Caribbean.  Their whole family will be on the cruise, along with us.  It will be a grand celebration.  Next we stay at a resort for two weeks in Florida, followed by a Panama Canal cruise to Los Angeles.   Years ago, we spent two weeks in Panama and saw the canal and the locks but we have never gone completely through one side and out the other.   Now we will.  Two days later we will fly to New Zealand to visit Gill.  After two weeks in New Zealand we will fly to Sydney and take a cruise all around Australia and then Indonesia. finally flying home at the end of March.

Now, here is the thing.  We travel light so we will wear the same clothes from late December until the end of March.   I know that laundry can be done everywhere in the world, so the clothes will be clean, but it is my guess that when we get home we will throw away all those garments.  We will be sick of the sight of those two pair of pants and those four shirts.    But it sounds exciting to us.  But nothing is booked so all is subject to change!!

January 8, 2013. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. La Isla.

Every year we see improvements in the little outside restaurant just down the street.   I am always impressed.  It is one of those restaurants we always look for because the locals go for lunch.   You know it is inexpensive and also has good food.   This is the third year we have dined there.

This tiny restaurant sits just beside the road.   The six tables are under a red tent.   The first year they brought in water in big jugs.  Flushing the toilet meant pouring a bucket into the back of the commode.  And no door was on the bathroom stall.  Last year, a shower curtain was in place,  and the toilet flushed all by itself.   This year actual wooden doors were on the bathrooms, and there were two of them.   Great improvements.  Also a bar had been constructed in our absence.   They are a very industrious family.  And the mother is a good cook.

Our breakfast bill this morning was $12.  The food was excellent although unusual.   The breakfast I ordered was because I had not eaten it before.  It consisted of tortillas chips smothered with a tomato sauce,  then covered with cheese, chopped onions and cream.  Refried beans on the side.  It was delicious.  Hot fresh flour tortillas and coffee made the breakfast complete.   Ken's plate was full and he ate every bit.  No snacks tonight.  Eventually we will be forced to visit the market.

January 7, 2013. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Breakfast.

We have a new food plan.   For this visit, we will live as the Europeans do, which is, to shop for food every day.   Ken decided on this plan.  The advantages are two.  First,  we take a short walk every day to the market.  The second is that we don't leave a bunch of food left over when we leave at the end of our stay.   The disadvantage is looking at an empty fridge and freezer to say nothing of the pantry.  I will see how long it lasts.

At the mall this morning we ate breakfast/brunch at the Mexican restaurant.  We both ordered from a  "Very Mexican" section.   Ken ate his whole platter and said that it was great.   I could not tell what actually was in it but I could see scrambled eggs and ham and cheese, all put together in some fancy way.  I ordered a fruit plate and Molletes, which were great.  Sounds awful but it is french bread cut in half and toasted, then smothered with beans and melted cheese.   It was a wonderful brunch along with coffee and fruit.  Also,  I had left overs to snack for tonight.  And we did not go near the market.

The third advantage is perhaps the most important one.   As we have no food in the house, there is nothing to eat for a snack, so perhaps I will get thin.  That must be what Ken is after!!

January 6, 2013. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Settled.

Now we are settled, except we have no food.   The refrigerator is as empty as the pantry.   We might leave our place free of food until we lose weight.    The Christmas season has not been kind to our waist line.   Maybe we will eat out once a day until we both get thin.

The restaurant in front of the condo right on the beach reminded us why we like this place.   We walked down about 11:30 to have brunch.    Life slows down when you live here.    The waiters were pleasant and welcomed us home.    The restaurant is right on the beach but has a tile floor.  The shelter shades the full sun but allows you to see the sky.   During our two hour lunch, we got to watch the people on the beach with all the variety in shapes and sizes.  We watched a cruise ship arrive in Puerto Vallarta.   Nothing exciting going on, but it was very pleasant.

And the food was good too, along with the coffee.  The weather is perfect. 80 degrees and a breeze, which along with full sun  makes for wonderful weather.  We are very fortunate.  Our clothes are clean but our larder is empty.   Maybe we are not settled?

January 5, 2013. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Home.

The taxi driver said to us as we drove into the grounds of our condo "Welcome Home."  And he was right, we felt as if we were home.  Except the work was just beginning.  First we brought all our belongings from the locker.  Then we decided to wash all the clothes, so we have been working ever since our arrival.  In the middle, we started watching football, so the dining table is still piled high with my clothes.  Ken is ahead of me.

We bade a fond farewell to Andrew and Christina this morning.  Our system on departing is just to leave quickly.  No fuss and no muss.  Just a quick hug and we are gone.  I know that many people linger when leaving.  I have seen people say goodbye in the front hall, then talk standing outside in the front yard, and finally stand beside the car saying yet another goodbye.  That is not our style.    We always discuss when we will return, and then we are gone.   Our departures take three minutes.  This is probably because I don't like saying goodbye so I want the task completed quickly.  Once when we were leaving our summer job in Arizona, Ken and I left early before anyone else was up.    The evening before,  we told our friends,  who we had worked with all summer,  that we would see them in the morning, but we left without saying goodbye.    People were upset so we never did it again.  Now we always say goodbye, but we do it very quickly.

The temperature today in Nuevo Vallarta was 75.  And it was sunny.  No wonder they call it Paradise.

January 4, 2013. Jackson, Ms. Incentives.

Bribery is very similar to incentives, and they both work well.    Kate and Mary Frances wanted an i Touch, a smaller version of an iPad.   One day when we were all together in Mexico, Mary Frances and Kate came to Andrew and Christina with a proposition.   Mary Frances suggested to Andrew that if she memorized 60 verses of the Odyssey she be given and iTouch.  He agreed, not really thinking that she would do it.  Next, Kate came up with the suggestion that she would memorize the whole Periodic Table, in order to receive an iTouch.  Now this is a really difficult task because it is all totally rote memory, so Andrew and Christina both agreed.   The deal was struck.

Incentives are amazing.   Mary Frances memorized the verses in ten days so was given her iTouch at the end of school, while Kate was just given her iTouch yesterday after writing the whole table from memory.  Even Ken has never memorized the whole thing  and now Kate has done it all. 

Now of course, Andrew thinks they should have made the task more difficult for Mary Frances since she took all of ten days to complete the task.  But a deal is a deal.  The girls are thrilled having their iTouch.  But I bet the next time they have a good suggestion, Andrew and Christina will set the bar high!!

January 3, 2013. Ridgeland, Ms. An Excursion.

Today in Jackson it was cold.  Everyone said so.  But we went out anyway to see the ducks.  But first we went out to lunch with Christina, Molly, Kate and Mary Frances.  Amerigo is a lovely Italian restaurant, well know to us so we were happy to be eating for the first time this trip at a favorite place.

Now I must admit that the temperature was 50 degrees when we four went to see the ducks.   Sitting looking at the ducks makes you cold, especially in the damp air.  Ken and I gave each other binoculars for Christmas, to be left in the car.  The last time we went to see the ducks we had no binoculars in the truck so now the new ones are to be kept in the truck.  They worked well.  The only problem is trying to identify the different ducks.  We needed a birder by our side.

After we all got thoroughly chilled, we drove into Canton and walked around the town square.   The County Courthouse is beautiful but half the stores have closed and moved their business out to the many strip malls.  We did find a store serving hot chocolate and cinnamon buns, so we were happy.  Our excursion was pleasant and interesting but not exciting.   We all four enjoyed our excursion on this cold sunny day.

January 2, 2013. Ridgeland, Ms. Football.

It was the first time we had ever done it before, but we had a blast and have laughed about it ever since..  It was over 25 years ago, and we were on the last few days of  a ski trip.  We had spent a week in Stowe and a week in the Eastern Townships of Quebec and we were spending a few days in Vermont, to finish up our sky vacation at Killington.   Through the two weeks,  skiing was excellent and the snow was packed and perfect with no ice in sight.   By then we had gotten spoiled with such good snow, so when we got to Killington and discovered the hills were only fully covered at the top, we made the wonderful decision to just watch football.

Our accommodation was wonderful, with a TV in each bedroom and a large living room with plenty of comfortable couches and chairs.  It was new years weekend, the we four watched football all day and all evening.  We ordered Pizza delivered to the Motel and Ken went to the grocery store for food while the three of us just watched to our hearts content.   And we kept our skis and gear in the front closet.   Frequently we lost Ken to the bedroom to read or to watch another TV, but must afternoons and evening,  David, Andrew and I watched football games.  We were in hog heaven.

Yesterday at Andrew and Christina's house we also watched two football games.  It was fun.  It is now a right of passage to the new year to watch college football. And we reminisced about our three days of doing nothing but watch football in Vermont.

January 1, 2013 Ridgeland MS New Year

Lots of things you read tell you that life will be difficult in 2013.    I read that the economy will be worse and the weather bad and that the common culture is falling apart.  The truth is that that information has been said before.   Perhaps every ten years or so the pessimists of the world seem to be in charge of the media and the press.  The Sky is Falling Syndrome is alive and well at the beginning of 2013.

Life does not change.  It has always been hard.  The third series of  Downton Abbey is coming to the TV in the US on Sunday.  Would life be better at that time period than now?   Probably not.  Definitely for me, I prefer our life now in 2013.  I would undoubtedly be a chamber maid and certainly would not be Lady Ruth.  Could you imagine me as Lady Ruth, with absolutely nothing to do except entertain the neighbors?  Or 1613, when I would be cooking and grinding meal.

In order to get a rainbow you must have both sunshine and rain.  So here we go into 2013 with our same energy and effort that got us here.  And of course, always trying to find the joy around every corner.    We can do it!!

December 31, 2012. Ridgeland, Ms. A Party.

Nothing can be finer on New Years Eve than having dinner with friends, especially when the children are included too.   Andrew invited friends to dinner tonight.    We were ten adults and twelve children.   Andrew cooked beef tenderloin on the grill and Christina prepared cheesy potatoes and broccoli.   It was delicious.    The children sat at tables in the sun room while the adults were served in the dining room.   We used Christina's grandmothers dishes and silver and crystal.    There is nothing better in the world than celebrating the new year with friends and family.

And we made resolutions.  Ken has already started working on gathering the information to attend concerts and plays so that will be our resolution for 2013.   And we are trying to add more variety to our travel plans, but that must wait until after our 55th.

We have attended big fancy parties on New Years Eve but we prefer the dinner at home with friends.   No forced gaiety, just good conversations and lots of fun.  Now we are ready for 2013.