Yoga, errands and disasters

I am trying to get back to Yoga 3 days a week. Usually I try for 3 days but manage to make it 2 days a week. However, Yoga classes have been few and far between since we returned to San Miguel de Allende in March due to the construction of the studio. While we were building there was always something that we had to talk about to the Architecto or the Maestro so I could never get away on time. The class is at 9:30 AM and I need to leave here about 9:10 to walk into the Centro and still have time to catch my breath before the class begins. I go to a Yoga Co-op that has classes at the Bellas Artes, a beautiful old monastery that has been made into a art and music school.

I love yoga and feel it keeps my arthritic old body moving pretty well. I'm not trying to do some of the complicated poses but just doing what I can and I can really tell that it helps with the flexibility of my hips and also my balance. The room where the Yoga class meets is a long room with mirrors so I think at one time it must have been for ballet classes. I always put my mat down in a space in the back of the room and that space has good spirits for me. I can totally get into my breathe and the movements there. If the class isn't full, the leaders use to invite me to come closer. Finally I have refused often enough that they have given up and just let me be even if like today there was only 8 or 9 of us.

We are having some friends in for dinner tomorrow night so after class I walked up Mesones to Bonanza which is a grocery store. The store may be 12 Ft wide and 75 Ft. deep. No room for rolling carts here. You pick up a basket and squeeze down the aisles. You can never count on them having the same thing twice but you can usually find what you need or a good substitute. They have bulk spices, grains and nuts but no fresh vegetables. Today I saw that they have cottage cheese AND Ricotta cheese. I've been buying these items in Costco in Queretaro.

After checking out of Bonanza, I walked to the big covered market for most of my vegetables but especially to get fresh flowers. Fresh flowers come in on Wednesday afternoon or Thursday morning. While it is a large market with lots of vendors, the aisles are very narrow and I'm carrying my yoga mat, backpack and my purchases from Bonanza. I was able to put most of the vegetables in the backpack but after I bought a dozen gladiolas and two bunches of crocosima, me and my packages were taking up the whole aisle. I stepped out of the market and hailed a cab. No way I can walk through the streets that are starting to get very full of weekend visitors.

I still need to go to Espinos, a grocery store closer to home for some of the heavy items that I need for tomorrow night's dinner. I think the menu will be pretty simple and in honor of New Orleans:

spicy pecans with our cocktails
Shrimp remoulade
Chicken piquant (chicken baked in a red creole sauce)
Almond rice
Green salad
French bread
Bananas Foster with homemade ice cream (Mexican style)

A disaster just happened at our house. I found a large fabric remnant from Calico Corner in Houston on sale at a good price. It was a stripe that I thought would work in the new studio. Although on sale, the amount of fabric necessary to make the curtains for the new studio was not an insignificant amount of money but I bought it and brought it down with us.

Jose Luis is a very good upholsterer here in San Miguel and he has made many things for me and my friends. I wanted Jose Luis to make the curtains but he was too busy so he passed the job on to his brother who also does upholstery. Brother Carlos just came with the curtains. They are too short and too skimpy. The too short is the disaster. The hems are deep enough that they can be salvaged....not like I really wanted them, hanging from just below the ceiling to make the room look taller but at least they will cover the windows. I'm really upset but I keep taking deep breaths and telling myself, this is Mexico. Let it go. Besides, I should just be thankful I have this house when so many of my fellow countrymen are without any place to live today. I guess it really isn't a disaster....just a disappointment.

Always helps to get things in prospective.