January 31, 2017. Playa Royale, Mexico. The Farmers Market.

The line for the fish monger was short, so that was the first place we stopped.  Three men take your order so in a jig time, you are over to the cashier taking your money.   We bought 2 pieces of fresh tune, 16 good sized shrimp and a red snapper filet.  For Mexico, its was very efficient.  500 pesos.

The next stop was the bakery.  The bread and rolls  are delicious.  I felt as if I wanted to buy a loaf of every type of bread, but of course that is impossible.  But I bought 4 different types of bread plus 4 fancy rolls.   I lady serving so you must wait.  300 pesos.

The last task was shopping for fruit and vegetables.  It was crowded.  People using their elbows to get at the produce.  But Ken and I stuck to out guns and bought potatoes, carrots, asparagus, cucumbers, tomatoes, mangoes and onions.  Lots of everything.  Three ladies add up your produce and give you the number.  It was quick.  180 pesos.

Ken suggested we take a box to carry on his walker, which was an excellent idea.  We must use cash. No credit card.   My purse may run out of pesos so we must be careful with our expenditures.  The Farmers Market is a great success.   We are delighted it is right across the street.  Our goodies cost $45.  The first  thing I did when we got home was to sit down and eat one of those wonderful rolls. The Farmers Market is wonderful and was our walk for the day.  Ken and I were happy.

January 30, 2017. Playa Royale, Mexico. Exercise.

My solution to almost everything is to get more exercise and drink more water.    I have given that advise to many people.  Of course, I was a physical education teacher so I obviously thought everyone needed more exercise in their day.  I have no idea where I learned to tell people to drink more water.  And I do not know if anyone took my advise but I never changed my tune.  Get more exercise and drink more water was my schtick.  And I stuck to it.

My poor husband has heard this all his life with me, but a few years ago I stopped encouraging him to get more exercise and drink more water.  I had  given up.  Ever since I retired, I have kept silent about his activities.  After all, he knows more about the body then I do, so I shut my mouth, which is not so easy for me.

Today was a red letter day.  I was getting my shoes on to go for a walk and Ken asked if I wanted to walk along the bicycle path.  Of course I said yes.  Yesterday we went for a walk around the pool.  Today when we were walking, Ken commented that his legs feel better if he gets a moderate amount of exercise.   I felt as if the sirens should go off and the lights should flash.   We have been married almost 59 years and regularly he has heard me say those magic words about exercise and water.   Finally he has seen the light, at least about exercise.  He did not say a thing about water.

January 29, 2017. Playa Royale, Mexico. Pleasure.

Every day I find something that brings me pleasure.   Because we are often at home,  I must dig hard, but I am always successful.   Today watching the hockey all star game gave me lots of pleasure.  In the past, all star games were boring, just like  the football all star game being played right now.  But the format for the hockey made it interesting, plus the winning team were given one million dollars to share among the  players and coaches.   For once, the league did a good job.

The players are voted onto the all star teams by the fans and the coaches.  Then the players were divided onto four teams, each with a coach.    The games lasted for two ten minute halves.  In the event of s tie, they went immediately to a shootout.  They played three a side.  In other words, the ice  was mostly empty so these stars were able to fly.  The winner os the first game would play the winner of the second game, for the million dollar prize.

I loved all the scoring.  Of course no penalties were called, nor any body checks, but lots of offense.  And the players played hard especially the goalies.  I have watched base ball all star games where the players were not even pretending to be interested.  The players seemed to enjoy the games too.  I hope the same format is used next year because I loved the games.  And yes, Crosby's team won.

January 28, 2017. Playa Royale, Mexico. A Walk.

People who see me think I am nuts.   I look pretty normal.  My color is good.  I have hair.  And I certainly am not emaciated.  Once I get up to speed, my walking looks pretty good too.  But I have taken to walking  on the walkway outside our condo, the same  one I used two years ago when I could not really walk anywhere else.   Last year I always had someone with me when taking a walk out side.   Now no one is with us so I have only Ken to walk with me.  He often does not wish to walk.  I am a bit anxious walking by myself so I have decided to walk outside my own door.

When you come to our condo on the elevator to the 7th floor,  you walk along a balcony overlooking the mountains.  The walkway, which is about 10 foot wide,  is covered and has a hand rail the whole way.  The walkway runs along the width of the building so it is a wonderful place to walk.  The floor is also perfectly flat so I do not need to look constantly at my feet.  I have decided to walk along the walkway when ever I need to walk alone.

The late afternoon is the best time to walk because the sun sets over the Pacific, on the opposite side of the building.  With a breeze from the mountains, my walks are perfect.   The big difference for me walking this year compared to two years ago is that now I can charge along and make as many trips as I want without singing my marching songs to keep me going.  Now that is progress.

January 27, 2017. Playa Royale, Mexico. Another March.

Today was the 40th March for Life in Washington, D.C.  These folks were marching for a purpose.  The speakers were impressive.  No one used foul  language such you heard in last Saturday's march.  These folks today were walking to oppose abortions.

The idea that birth begins at conception is obvious.   In my mind, when you have an abortion you are killing a human life, so I have never accepted abortion as a type of birth control.  I also believe in personal responsibility for your actions.   Years ago, I would get verbally abused when I mentioned abortion.  Now more that 60% of Americans do not approve of abortions so I can discuss abortions without  getting yelled at,  except for the liberal left.  They still say that a woman can have an abortion right until delivery.

The same people who declare that capital punishment should be illegal will turn around in the next sentence and promote abortions, thus killing all the babies. Clearly, the fetus has no rights, only the mother.  My hats are off for all the people who walked for life.   Their movement is growing.

January 26, 2017. Playa Royale, Mexico. Dr. Salvador Villalobos.

Dr. Villalobos is my new eye guy.  I met him for the first time today at 5:30 in his office.  The first thing I noticed about him was that he was on time.  I was ushered into his office promptly at 5:30.  The second thing was his consulting room.  He had all the high tech machines that I see in my doctor's offices in Texas and Mississippi.   I told him what I needed.  He opened a file on me in his computer so it was quick and easy.  Then he asked me questions that I was unable to answer, such as what procedure I had on my eyes.  He named the options but I still did not know.

I was there to ask him to check my pressures, which he did.  But first he looked in my eyes and then told me the name of the procedures.  My pressures were 12 and 12.5, which were perfectly acceptable.  He assured me that my eyes are doing well with no signs of anything abnormal.  So I thanked him and left, after paying my bill of 600 pesos, the equivalent of $30.  The receptionist called for a taxi and then helped me down the stairs and into the cab.   These Mexicans are very helpful and polite.

His office is in a new area for me, Fluviol in Puerto Vallarta.  Lots of commerce and lots of residences, some quite beautiful, interspersed with medical offices.  The taxi driver drove me directly to the  correct office, after first calling for direction.  When we arrived, he accompanied me into the office to be sure I was in the right place.  On the way there I figured out a technique to keep me calm.  I look out the side windows but never in front.  These taxi drivers drive fast and they stay close to the cars ahead.  I have tried to tell them not  to drive fast but sometimes they ignore me.  Now I just look out  the view from the side and I never look at the card ahead of us.  Than all is well.

Tomorrow I will e mail my pressures to Dr. Kosko in Mississippi, who was not pleased that I was leaving for Mexico.  Once again, the medical community in PV answered my call for help.

January 25, 2017. Playa Royale, Mexico. The Restaurant on the Beach.

When we walked into the restaurant, the waiters shook our hands and said, "Welcome home".    The same  waiters have been working there every year since we moved here so the environment is pleasant and comfortable.  And we can sit looking out at  sea.  The floor is stone even though we are right on the beach and there is a cover so  we are shaded from the sun.   The  restaurant is a pleasant place to eat lunch.  And the. breeze keeps us cool.

Today Pat and Tom took the bus from Puerto Vallarta to come and have lunch with us.  Every year we get together at least once during the time we are all living here.  They live in Toronto.  I can report that they both look marvelous.  They said the same about us.  We sat on our balcony a bit, then walked down to the restaurant and  returned to our balcony after lunch.  We had a full year of activities to discuss so we were busy the whole time.  Next year Tom turns 75 so they are thinking of bringing their whole extended family of 12 here for a week.  We explored all their options.  One house they found on VRBO was big enough but came with a staff of 5.   I am not sure what you would do with a staff of 5 and neither could they so they passed that one by.  I will be interested to see what they decide.

Our lunch was delightful.  It was a pleasure seeing Pat and Tom again.

January 24, 2017. Playa Royale, Mexico. Margaret and David.

David's boat is sitting at the bottom of the lake.  It is a sail boat.  Just last week he was told it had sunk.  They keep their boat on Lake Kelona, a lake that does not freeze.   The folks at the Marina contacted their home and the house sitter contacted them here in Mexico.  So far, David has no idea why it sunk or how to get it up.  He thinks it might be best to leave it stay under water until the Spring.  They have been here all of January and I must say, that finding your big boat at the bottom of the lake spoils your vacation.

Margaret and David live next door to us at Playa Royale in 703.   Except for last year, we have always spent at least a few weeks here together.  They are good neighbors and we like them.  This evening they invited us for a drink.  We spent almost 2 hours sitting on their balcony talking.

They live in Kimberley, BC, which is a charming town nestled in the mountains.  They live outside of the town on 40 acres, where they keep their horse and dogs and grow a big garden.  The area is beautiful.  Margaret is a retired doctor so perhaps that is why we get along so well.  She understands all our maladies.   They bike to Bucerias several times a week for breakfast and they use their boogie boards in the ocean most days.  In other words, they are more active than us.  But we like them anyway.  We will miss them when they leave next week.

January 23, 2017. Playa Royale, Mexico. An American Success.

This is a true story, the tale of an American woman.  I met her in 1988, when she was looking for a job.  My jobs were full but I always interview everyone who asks, both staff and agents, so I met her on a Saturday morning.  We talked for an hour.  I kept careful notes.  What was most impressive to me was why she and her husband wanted to move to  Maryland.  They had one daughter who was in Kindergarten in Brooklyn, New York.  Both the lady and her husband graduated from Brooklyn High School and she knew her education was terrible, so they wanted to move to Montgomery County, because the schools were good.  She had no family in Maryland.  They were all in Brooklyn.  But she wanted her only daughter to attend good schools.  Both she and her husband were looking for jobs.  When one of them got a job, they would move and the other would get a job too.

I had no job but I thanked her for meeting with me.  I was impressed with her, even though her diction and speech patterns were not good.  I kept my notes in my file.

Two weeks later, one of my administrative staff quit so I called the young lady.  I offered her the job.  She gave notice at her work, and three weeks later she started to work in the office.  Her husband and daughter moved along with the lady.  The daughter did well at school.  The husband and the lady joined a local church  because they thought the daughter would have better friends, and she did.  The daughter graduated from high school and went to college on a scholarship.  She graduated with a B. of Sc. with an RN.  She was accepted at Medical school in a 6 year program.  In exchange for working in the dialysis lab, the daughter was given tuition.  Parents provided room and board.

 That daughter is now on the faculty of  Duke University in the  Anesthesia department.   That is a true American success story.  That young lady I interviewed was Regina.

Shortly after she started work, Peppy took her in hand, and gave her instructions as to how to speak properly on the phone.  It was the funniest thing I have every heard.  Peppy forcing Regina to speak exactly as Peppy was speaking.  And Regina wanted to be able to do it properly too.  They worked for an hour.  Regina never again spoke incorrectly on the phone.  She wanted to get better and she did.

January 22, 2017. Playa Royale, Mexico. The March.

Why on earth were all those women marching down the Mall in DC?  There seemed to have no purpose other than to get together, use gallons and gallons of gasoline and make themselves feel good.   But they accomplished nothing.  I listened carefully to the interviews and the leaders had no answer as to what they were doing.  In the United States of America it is very little for a woman to protest so the leaders all stated that it was not a protest march.  So what were they doing?

The sad thing is that the American women's movements have yet to lift a finger to help other countries where women do not  really have any opportunities.  Nor do they raise their voice about the lives of women living in Muslim countries.  It would have made sense if they had marched to the Saudi embassy to protest that women can not drive there.  But no.  They march for no purpose, accomplishing nothing.   I can think of at least fifty things these women could have been doing to help other women, but that would need real work and organization.

American feminists have not had a new idea in 25 years at least.  When did they come up with this ridiculous idea to drag all these women downtown and march not only in DC but in other cities around the world.  When are they going to start helping women who are needy?  Classes for keeping a budget, set up co-op babysitting pools,  parenting classes.  My Salvation Army background cries out for action that is going to help people in need.  This march was a farce.

January 21, 2017. Playa Royale. Mexico. The Election.

Ken and I put our heads in the sand and tried to pay no attention to the election.  Of course, that is impossible as we both read on the internet and I read several magazines.  But we never watched the election on TV.  No debates.  No speeches.  No news.  We did not even watch the election results.  This is unusual for us but Ken was fed up with politicians in general and I did not like either candidate, so we sat this one out.

After the election was over, the election seemed interesting to me and I have been reading everything in sight ever since.   The first thing I noted was that all the polls were wrong.  I mean they were all wrong.  It wasn't until about 5 on Election Day  that it appeared that Hillary Clinton might lose.   The liberals were astonished that they might lose and the far left liberals began to have a nervous breakdown, from which they have not yet recovered.

The second fact I gleaned after the fact is that Donald Trump won, even though every newspaper in the country except 2 were supporting  Hillary.  Also every TV channel was in the Hillary camp.  And yet she lost.

In retrospect, Donald Trump ran as a third party candidate.  The elite of the Republican Party did not support him.  The Bushes, Mitt Romney all were in the Never Trump corner as were all the conservative periodicals, so Donald Trump won without the conservative wing of the Republican party.  He got his message out via social medias.  No one in all my old magazines ever gave Trump a ghost of a chance to win.  But he did.

This is the first time in American history that someone won the presidency  without ever running for office before, except for a General, who had just won the second world war.  This election will be studied  for years to come.   I am just getting up to date with what happened.  And it is fascinating.

January 20, 2017. Playa Royale, Mexico. A Walk.

Once upon a time we did a lot of walking.  But not any more.  Now going for a walk is a big deal.  Yesterday Ken and I walked down to the shopping mall, a distance of about one half mile.   First we crossed the street to visit the hospital to see if they could give me a name of an eye doctor, and they did.  We continued along the sidewalk to the mall where Ken needed stuff from the pharmacy.  I waited outside of the market and watched the people walking by, which is always interesting.

Mexican ice cream is delicious so we ate a dish  before coming home.  Then we walked home down the bicycle path, which is in the center of the boulevard.    The path is new and smooth and shaded, so is perfect for walking.  I am told that bicycle drivers hate walkers on the path but we do it anyway.

Ken uses his walker.  When I get started, I am able to walk quite quickly while Ken walks slowly, so I wait at each corner to allow him to catch up.  Walking beside him is impossible because I can not see him beside me so I am always bumping in to him.  We have learned that we do better if I am ahead, so that is what we do.  I can report that we did fine on the mile long walk.  We ignore our legs and just keep going. Tomorrow we will walk again.

January 19, 2017. Playa Royale, Mexico. More Wonderings.

Years ago, when we were in Costa Rico, I had a conversation with a local about politicians.  He told me that in Central and South America, people get elected and during their tenure, they get rich.  We were looking at the house of a past president.  The house was big.  My eyes were big.  He also said that he had read that in the US, this did not happen.  I agreed with him and  gave hime a couple of examples such as Truman and Eisenhower who were both definitely not rich when they left office.

I had been wondering how our soon to be ex-president could afford to buy an expensive house in Kalorama, in NW Washington.   Then I read on the internet that both of the Obamas are multi millionaires, and they got their money during the 8 years when they were in the White House.  How did this happen?   No one seems to know the answer but I am still wondering.

Our pattern has always been to get successful, then go into politics.  Both the Clintons and the Obamas prove me wrong.   Maybe we are becoming a banana republic after all.

January 18, 2018. Playa Royale, Mexico. Just Wondering.

While sitting with Wendy waiting for her taxi taking her to the airport, an attractive lady walked from her car  into the building.  She was wearing an attractive beige dress and high heeled shoes.  The shoes were sandals with a wedge heel.  If she turned her ankle  she would have a bad sprain. I am wondering why she was wearing those ridiculous shoes?

I am wondering about democracy.  In our world, once an election is over, the winner takes the position and the loser gets a job.  Why are these people continuing to protest the election?   What are they protesting?   I watch little news but today I heard that people are going to try to interrupt the inauguration.   I am wondering why.

I am wondering what happened to civility and grace.  I have heard many rude impolite remarks since the election, which makes me think that these folks do not really understand the system.   These people look like fools.  I am wondering if they realize how idiotic they seem.    They think we live in a banana republic where if the wrong guy wins,  the old president just stays in power.   What do all these protests accomplish?   I am just wondering.

January 17, 2017. Playa Royale, Mexico. The Market.

The line for the fish monger was long.  I refused to get in that long line, even though Ken assured me that the fish man would run of fish by the time we were leaving.   "I am not standing in line", said I, so we kept walking down to the Farmers Market, which was behind the building beside the canal.

This market is a huge success.  There must have been over 100 vendors, selling everything from food to fabric.  Each vendor is under their own tent.  Three years ago it was small but now there are four rows with objects for sale on each side of the row.  Our goal today was  to buy fish, bread and vegetables, and to have a good walk.

 Mid way in our walk, we stopped for a glass of juice and a bun.  Tents with chairs are scattered around the market, making it easy for us to eat and rest.   An elderly couple were also eating so we chatted about their home, which was Boise, Idaho.  For the first time in fifteen years there is a foot of snow in their yard.

After 90 minutes of looking and walking, we decided to leave.  On the way out, we bought tuna and mahi-mahi  from the fish man.  No line but no shrimp.  We did buy lots of good bread but no fruit and vegetables.  There was a line so I passed by.  On the way out, nearly at the road we noticed a man holding a jar  of honey.  Of course we stopped to talk and discovered that he was selling honey.  As I had forgotten to buy honey at the Mega, I was delighted to buy a big jar.  He noted that I was coughing so he assured me that I needed to buy a small container of this dark stuff called Royal Jelly and eat a half spoonful each day.  The Queen bee eats it, says the nice man.  Of course we bought a small jar and even though I ate my first  dose, I am still coughing.  

January 16, 2016. Playa Royale, Mexico. The Mega.

The best time to go to the Mega grocery store is Monday afternoon.  I arrived at 1:30 and the place was not crowded a bit.  The funniest part of being at the store is watching folks try to read the objects on the shelves.    When you are not local, figuring out what is in the packager can be a trick.  Sometimes there is a pictures, which helps, but most non speaking Spanish folks spend lots of time trying to figure out what is the can or box.  Imported stuff is expensive so we shoppers are always trying to buy Mexican made food but first we must figure out what is inside.  

Two  years ago I brought home a box that I thought was a soup mix.  The instructions were to add water and heat.  But it turned out to be dog food.  Who could tell?   There were no pictures of dogs.

I know to quit shopping when my cart is too full and when I lose my cart.  This afternoon, I had left the produce to last so I was piling the fruit and vegetables into an already full cart.  Instead of moving my heavy cart, I left it in an obvious place.  Except after I had picked up several bags of things,  I could not find my cart.  I needed a young man to find it for me .  He thought I was daft.   So I quickly checked out and got into a waiting taxi.  The kind driver loaded all my stuff into his trunk and also on the big cart to take the groceries up to our unit.  

Ken unloaded the groceries and put them away while I drank a glass of water.    He found no dog food  this year.  I have become an experiences shopper in Mexico at the Mega.

January 15, 2017. Playa Royale, Mexico. Rita and Ian.

For the past two years, Rita and Ian have looked after us in Mexico.  They had tickets to come next Tuesday.  But now Rita needs some one to look after her.  She is in the hospital fighting  massive infections in her bladder, lungs and  blood.  She was in hospital over Christmas when she had a bad bout with coughing and was unable to speak.  For several days, she had every test known o man,  Mri, Ct scan Pt scan, all to no avail.  They could not tell why she had a coughing fit.  She came home from the hospital and was told to resume normal activities.

But she did not get better.  Finally, she fainted in the bathroom and was taken back to the hospital, where they discovered massive infections.  She probably. came home with the infection.  She is still in the hospital but hopes to come home next week,  but first the infection in her blood must be gone. Rita loves  Nuevo Vallarta so it a bitter pill to cancel their trip.  But first she must get well.

The good thing for her is that she is not  getting worse.  She feels much better now.  Ian will look after her instead of the other way around.  I received an e mail from her this evening, the first I have had in a week, so I think she is on the mend.  We will miss them here but more importantly, she must slowly return to good health.  Perhaps when she is well and we are back in Mississippi. they. could visit us in our new home.   I hope so.  

January 14, 2017. Playa Royale, Mexico. The Big Shift.

On Wednesday, Alana had to return to school in Hamilton.  Now today Katy and Brock left for Toronto and work.  Today, Wendy and Ken stayed to help us move into our condo at Playa Royale, which is just down the road from Paradise Village.  A big golf cart brought us here and the kind bellman brought all our bags to our 701.  Immediately after checking in and depositing our bags, we four walked to the restaurant on the beach, one of our favorite places for lunch.  

Then,  Wendy and Ken brought all our belongings from the 2 lockers and piled them on the dining table.  What took them 20 minutes would have taken me hours so we appreciated their efforts.  Wendy and I began putting things away which  is always  fun.  I can even remember where we keep things.

The final task for the young ones was to go to the grocery store, which  they did, returning with enough supplies to last us a few days.  Next week Ken and I will take a taxi to the Mega grocery store  but for now we are set.  We are organized.  The computers are plugged in and working.  All our belongings are in their proper place.  We are grateful to Wendy and Ken for staying an  extra day to help us.  And we are  enjoying them for an extra day too.   Tomorrow, they return to cold weather. But for now, we four are enjoying 80 degrees while sitting on the balcony.  Pretty nice to have this big shift behind us.

January 13, 2017. Paradise Village, Mexico. The Pool.

What a sight.  With Katy pushing from behind and Brock pulling from in front, we finally hauled me out of our pool.  I thought for a while that we were going to need a crane.

Our Villa at Paradise Village is big and beautiful.  And it comes with a small swimming pool in our back yard over looking the marina.  The water is kept warm so is pleasant to enter and easy to stay for a long time.   I entered the pool at 5:30 by myself.  As I usually do, I did my exercises in the deep end.  I did a lot of them.  Then Katy and Brock joined me, followed by Ken B.  We watched the birds and we talked.  My Ken joined us from the patio, with me swimming around the whole time.

Finally, it was time to get out and change for dinner.  I managed to get up two steps but I could not make the last big one.  My legs just refused to work.  But with the two young ones helping, I was able to get up the last step, finally.  It was quite a sight.  Ken thinks it might be time for me to lose weight. We will see.

January 12, 2017. Paradise Village, Mexico. Bucerias.

Sitting beside the beach in Bucerias and eating wonderful seafood makes you think you are a King.   Or a Queen.  We 6 took a cab to have a late lunch.  Ken had selected a restaurant but when we told the taxi driver he recommended a different place.  In the past, Ken and I have just asked the driver to take us to a good restaurant.  We have always been pleased with the results so today we all agreed to his choice.  We were glad he did.  The seafood was delicious.  And the ambiance delightful.

When it was time to go home, the young folks decided to poke around the shops in Bucerias, then walk home along the beach.  It is a long walk but eventually they arrived home just after 7:15.  We were happy to see them home as dark had descended.

Today was our first excursion since our arrival.  It was well worth the hassle.  

January 11, 2017. Paradise Village, Mexico. Dining Out.

One of the great pleasures of living in Mexico in the winter is eating dinner out side.  And you do not even feel chilly.  Last evening we 7 enjoyed a delightful dinner sitting beside the canal at the Porto Bello restaurant, which is on the other side of the canal.  Alana could only stay with us for a short time before returning to her studies at McMaster University so we celebrated her visit.  The five of them had seen the release of the turtles, then took a cab to the restaurant, all five of them in one small taxi.  Ken and I had taken our own just ahead of them.  Katy sat on Wendy's lap with the four of them jammed into the small back seat.

Last year, there were two excellent restaurants side by side, one a steak house and the other the Italian.  But when we arrived to decide where we should eat, we discovered that the steak house had closed in October of 2016.  I felt sorry they had closed but we thoroughly enjoyed our dinner at Porto Bello.  Our dinner was fun and festive.  And we loved dining out in the fresh air.  But we took a van to  bring us all home.  Today Alana took a flight to return to Toronto.  We sent her off in fine style with our wonderful dinner.  And Wendy paid the bill.

January 10, 2017. Paradise Village, Mexico. Releasing Turtles.

Our five went along the beach to be a part of releasing turtles.  A volunteer group has been successful in tending the turtle eggs until such time as they hatch.  They then return the baby turtles to the same place on the beach and release them so they can scurry down to the water, making sure the birds do not eat them.  The leaders of the group gave a short talk giving their story of success.  When they began their work, they released five hundred turtles.  Now they release ten thousand each season.

The baby turtles can fit on the palm of your hand.  Watching them racing  down to the water was exciting they all said.   The waves kept pushing them back to the beach, but they kept trying and eventually they made it into the deep water.  The volunteers help because the turtles are attracted to the light of the moon shining on the water but because there is such heavy development along the beach the turtles get confused and head to the lights along the road.  Then they die.  This program has been in place for 14 years.   Alana, Katy, Brock, Ken and Wendy all think highly of their efforts and  enjoyed their presentation.  Hats off to the volunteers.

January 9, 2017. Paradise Village, Mexico. The Villa.

The Penthouse was spacious and gracious, but the Villa is better.  Everyone says.  This afternoon, the bellman  came to the Coba tower and moved all our belonging to Villa number 3.  I had forgotten how beautiful it is.  Ken and I have decided to stay in the bedroom on the mail floor overlooking the pool. The huge master bedroom is on the second floor so Wendy and Ken are using that room, which has its own hot tub on the outside patio adjacent  to the bedroom.   Katy and Brock mentioned that their whole apartment can fit into the kitchen.  So we have had great fun enjoying the space.

The five have gone to the Mexican Fiesta right on the beach.  Ken and I have attended three or four Fiestas here so we declined to accompany them.  To us there is too much food and noise.  But they will have a great time, while we will stay home and eat ice cream for dinner.

They have already used the pool.  We will enjoy this place for the rest of the week.

January 8, 2017. Paradise Village, Mexico. Perfect Weather.

Last evening, we seven dined outdoor at the Italian seafood restaurant, overlooking the marina.   The weather was perfect for dining outside.  And we were delighted to finally be together.  Ken and I have never spent any time with Alana and Katy so we are delighted to be able to get to know them.  Ken B.  was with us last year at the Hood Rock Cafe but Brock has joined us this year.  Some time soon, Katy and Brock will be married.  It is official.

Our day went according to plan.  The taxi appeared an hour early, which pleased us.  And he helped us down the still slick driveway.  The flights were on time.  The restaurant in Dallas for breakfast was excellent and we were fed on the plane to Puerto Vallarta.  After checking in,  we rested.

But dinner was perfect.  Wendy and family are resilient and are cheerfully ensconced in the Penthouse.  They spent the afternoon by the pool and at the beach.  And they figured out the system for the Palapas.    We will enjoy our week with Wendy's family in this perfect weather.

January 7, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. A Sense of Humor.

Today, a person needs a sense of humor.  Nothing today has gone as planned.  It is kind of funny.  First, the flight was cancelled along with hundreds of others.  Gill is supposed to fly from Liverpool to New York today, but the driver, Mr. Gaskell,  can not drive due to the snow and wind so she is stuck in Liverpool, while we are stuck in Jackson.

The second item on our list was the villa at Paradise Village.  We booked it a year ago but today, along with many apologies, the manager e mailed us to say that the villa will not be available until Monday, so Wendy and family will be in a three bedroom penthouse overlooking the marina while Ken and I will be in a one bedroom for tomorrow night.  Then we all move to the villa on Monday.  I thought it interesting that they e mailed us at the time when we would be checking in.  Not good.

And the last item was our transportation to the airport.  Christina insists on driving us but her Mother, Linda felt ill and was taken to the hospital so Christina is at the hospital tending to her mother.   I called a cab.  People tell me that the cabs in Jackson are not dependable which is why Christina insists on driving us.  We will check out the system because tomorrow morning, a taxi is coming  to take us to the airport.  And we hope the planes will be able to fly.

The old adage says that if something can go wrong, it will...eventually.  Today is that day.  It is actually kind of funny.

January 6, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Weather Delay.

We were expecting to get up early in the morning to catch our 6:00 flight to Dallas, followed by a plane to Puerto Vallarta, but the weather intervened.  Today in Jackson, we had sleet and hail and freezing rain which made the roads impassable.  The airport closed this afternoon and will stay closed until after 4:00 Saturday afternoon.  We could get to Dallas but we could not get to PV.   So now we will travel on Sunday and hope the airport opens tomorrow evening.  Who would have thought that we could not get out of Jackson because of iced roads?   This is the deep south!!.

This has never happened to us before where we can not even make the first leg of our journey.  We have had almost everything happen to us over the years, but not this, where we stay home an extra day.  Unfortunately, our Wonderful Wendy and her family are staying with us at Paradise Village which means she must check in herself and get organized into our villa.  Fortunately, they are all resilient, so I hope they make out OK.

 At home here, food has been put in the freezer.   Bags are sitting by the front door.   Medications for tomorrow are packed.  The computer,  iPads and Kindles are in backpacks.  Clothes have been washed.    Tomorrow, I am going to stay all day in my nightshirt and sneak into bags for medications only.  Tomorrow I was expecting 82 degrees but here it will be cold.  I am treating this as a free day where I will do no useful work.   One lesson I have learned from this delay:  when you invite company, make sure to arrive a few days earlier than the company.    But who would have thought it?

January 5, 2017. Madison, Mississippi.

Ken and I have completed our visits to doctors for this time in Mississippi.   Every week seemed to be taken up with appointments.  And of course, Ken does double duty because I can not drive.  Today our Cardiologist thinks we are doing fine, which we already knew.  We will see him in a year when we must have ultra sounds and heart scans.  But for now we are good to go.

My eye doctor tells me that I must find an Opthamologist in Puerto Vallarta.  He hopes the doctor is a specialist in glaucoma.  My pressures must be taken in three weeks, so I have three weeks to find one.  Two years ago we went to PV knowing that I needed an Oncologist who could give me the infusion of chemotherapy.   The second day after we arrived we walked to the hospital across the street.  We spoke to a clerk, who called a doctor still in his scrubs.  When I told him what I needed, he called the Oncologist on her cell phone, who agreed to treat me.  My appointment for the treatment was to be in three weeks, so I was all set.  Everything worked out well.

 I am better off this year than two years ago so I feel sure I will be able to find a good doctor specializing in eyes.  Ken will look on the Internet and we will walk across the street and ask them too.  Last time I just got lucky, meeting the young doctor willing to help.   My task is to find a doctor within three weeks.   We can do this.  

January 4, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. Hockey.

What a day of hockey.  And the good guys won.

The Junior World Championship of hockey is being held in Toronto and Montreal.  We have watched parts of many games this week.  I will watch any sport but I especially like to watch young people play their games, so the junior tournament was perfect for me.  The players have great skill and much energy so the games were excellent.  Right off the bat, it was clear that four teams were the best.  Sweden, Russia, Canada and the USA and sure enough, those four teams were in the semifinals.

The semi finals were held today. The American team beat the Russians in a shootout.  The score was tied at regulation, 3 all,  and still tied after ten minutes of overtime.    The shootout went 7 rounds but the American team won.  You had to feel sorry for the Russians but I was delighted to see the Americans win.  They are an excellent team and it was a pleasure watching them play.  Their quarter final game over the Swiss was not their best game but they won.  The game for the gold will be tomorrow evening.  This was the first time the Americans have beaten the Russians in the medal rounds for a very long time.

This  evening, the Swedish team played the Canadians in the other semi final.  The commentators all thought Sweden was the stronger team.  But they lost.  The Canadians played their best game and from the mid point of the second period they shut down the Swedish attack and the final score was 5 to 2 for Canada.   The game was great fun and not nearly as nerve racking as the afternoon game with the Americans.

So for once, all the good guys won.  Now the Canadians will play against the Americans for the gold medal.  The American team will need to play better against the Canadians than they did against the Swiss and the Russians.   But no matter what, it will be exciting.  I am cheering for both teams.

January 3, 2016. Madison, Mississippi. The Reservoir.

Now the reservoir looks normal.  The stump that we could see has disappeared.  When we arrived, it was a foot and a half out of the water.  We had never seen that stump before we arrived in the Fall.  This lake was made by building a dam which covered the trees and bushes as it flooded.  Right in front of our house was a park full of rose bushes.  The stump beside our dock is left over from the trees.  Fortunately, the stump is fairly close to the shore so should not impede boats.  Ken thinks it should have a marker, now that we know it is there.

For two days and two night it rained.  Yesterday afternoon, all TV channels were giving information about the storm and the tornados.  For two hours, all local channels had been taken over by the emergency services of the state.  Just when I was about to watch the Outdoor Hockey game in St. Louis, the channel was taken over by the emergency weather reporting.    They stayed on TV until we were no longer under a tornado watch.  Weird.   We were supposed to immediately go to the lowest spot in our house and stay there.  The trouble for us was that we had no storm where we live.  Later in the day we had thunder and lightning but no wind.  But lots and lots of rain.  All day and all night.  I think we are back to normal with our water levels.  The Reservoir looks much better.  We are pleased.

January 2, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. A New Year's Party.

I have no idea why we were invited to the party in 1969, but we did.  And we went.  Dave and Irene  visited us in Galveston, and they came to the party too.  The plan was for Norman, who was 15 would babysit for our boys.  David was 5 months and Andrew 20 months.  Wendy, 11 years old and Kenny at 7, were there too.  When we left for the party, the boys were both asleep.  But shortly after we left, David woke up and started crying.  And continued crying.   Poor Norm went to a neighbor for help, to no avail despite the bottles of milk or water.   By the time we arrived home, everyone was asleep.  Many years later, Norm reminded David and Andrew that they owed him a babysitting time with his own children.  I don't recall whether or not they paid their debt.

The hosts name were Peaches and Shrub.  They were about our age.  Shrub was from a prominent and wealthy family in  Galveston.  The men in their family had been for many generations named after a part of a tree.  The father's name was Tree and the grandfather Branch.  I am not making this up.  At University, David met a young man who had also been born on the island of Galveston.  His name was Twig.   Who David told me about Twig, I told him about the party.  Twig was a trust fund kid.  He was rich and irresponsible  and eventually was kicked out of school for grades, attendance and drugs.  I suspect that Twig will not be running their large Insurance business.  

The party was memorable, only because of the hosts name.  Peaches and Shrub.  Only in the South.

January 1, 2017. Madison, Mississippi. The New Year.

There is something about a clean slate that brings optimism.   My artist friend Eleanor says that nothing brings her more joy than standing in front of a totally clear piece of canvas when she is just beginning to paint a new piece.  That would terrify me, but looking at the beginning of a new year gives me the same feeling.   Ken says that getting old is a major adventure because he never knows every morning what will happen to him that day.   Certainly we do not know what the year will bring us but we are quietly optimistic.

As we evaluate our situations Ken and I think that we are in better condition than we have been in either of the last three years on January 1st.   Ken never expected to be as old as he is and he thinks that nothing he has now should kill him any time soon, so that is good.  The medicine helps his Parkinson's symptoms and his head works well.  His cough is still terrible and he does not know why.   He is also able to get work done around the house which pleases him.

 I have had three clear scans and I have a normal amount of energy.  The neuropathy in my body is irritating but I can function with my legs.   When I am walking on level ground my gait is almost normal.  I am no longer going blind.  I can see 20/20 with my right eye and 20/50 in my left.  It is getting better.  My peripheral vision is gone in my left eye and not good in my right.  When we return from Mexico the eye Doctor will give me a sphere of vision test.  In order to drive I must have 120 degrees of vision combined in both eyes.    The pressures are normal in both eyes.  So progress has been made.  

So here we go, flying to Mexico on January 7.  The good Doctor is not pleased to have me leaving to go to a place with no glaucoma specialist to look after me but I assured him that Puerto Vallarta surely has one.  Our system has worked so far so here we go.   80 degrees suits us just fine.