Wednesday, September 28, 2005
Lest We Forget
I think I've posted before about this blog from a reporter in Mississippi. His post today, September 28, made me realize how little I really understand what the people along the Gulf Coast are going through.
Climbing Out
Yesterday was a deep hole. Grief is a funny thing. It would seem that after 10 years it wouldn't come and hit you again with the same overwhelming sense of loss. It would seem that after 10 years you would be to the point that you can remember and smile. But yesterday brought that raw feeling of what was lost.
The weight of the loss weighs you down, tightens the muscles of your chest, clamping your rib cage tight so that at times you have to tell your shoulders to relax and come down from around your ears, tell your chest muscles to relax to let you take deep belly breaths.
When Margaret died, many shared the same sense of loss and I was comforted by them. But yesterday the sadness was overwhelming and I felt all alone. Today, it is back to normal. I still miss her but I'm not in that deep black hole.
The weight of the loss weighs you down, tightens the muscles of your chest, clamping your rib cage tight so that at times you have to tell your shoulders to relax and come down from around your ears, tell your chest muscles to relax to let you take deep belly breaths.
When Margaret died, many shared the same sense of loss and I was comforted by them. But yesterday the sadness was overwhelming and I felt all alone. Today, it is back to normal. I still miss her but I'm not in that deep black hole.
Monday, September 26, 2005
Margaret Ann
In the South you always have two first names. My sister's name was Margaret Ann. The two names seem to stick at least through elementary school. I don't remember exactly when Margaret Ann became just Margaret but I can still hear my mother calling her home for supper...another southern term...."Margaret Ann, supper's ready. Come on in."
Margaret Ann was my baby sister born in September just before I was four in December. I remember my Daddy had me outside with him while he cut the grass so Momma could rest. When we went in Momma was on the bathroom floor and I had to go spend the night with a neighbor. I do remember that when Daddy came the next morning and told me I had a baby sister, I got a new toy, a doctor set with a stethesocope and thermometer. I think at the time the new toy was more important than the sister.
It is funny how you remember bits and pieces of your childhood....like sound bites but that is the way I remember my sister and me growing up, sleeping in the same bed, fighting, playing but in many ways we were far enough apart in age that we just went our separate ways with school and friends.
I was always jealous of her because she could make people laugh. I can hear my Aunt Lucille saying, "I'm telling you that child says the cutest things," while she shook her head in amazement at Margaret Ann's latest pronouncement. I always wanted to say cute things but saying cute things wasn't a part of my personality. I was the older sister, serious and always responsible.
We grew up. I married, made Margaret's dress for the Senior Prom. I had three sons. One of my sons was the ring bearer at her first marriage. She had a son. She divorced. I had a dinner party for the family after her second marriage to Bill. She moved to West Texas. She went to work at IBM. I returned to work. Life moves on but while life was happening we were growing closer and realizing the emotional connection that we shared with each other. No one knows you like your sister.
Margaret's ability to say "cute things" continued. She could make you laugh and sometimes it got her in trouble at work while at the same time made her loved by all her co-workers. One of her friends told me that Margaret cracked up a meeting when regional management was telling the local office how they were solving a problem with more computers. Everyone was wondering how that would solve the problem when the problem was greater than having more terminals. Margaret piped up and said, "I'm not understanding how this is going to help. You can put more straws in the coke bottle but you still have the same amount of coke."
When she didn't answer the telephone all that day, I knew something was wrong. Finally when she called me, my first words were, "What the hell is wrong?" She replied, "I have breast cancer." Not just breast cancer but Stage III breast cancer.
My Mother had breast cancer before she was 30 years old. Back then the surgery was radical, and I do mean radical. Just skin left to cover the chest; lymph nodes and muscle taken from the arm pit. Radiation was a new treatment and it burned and blistered. Momma survived the cancer and the surgery and treatment but Margaret and my life was forever affected by her cancer.
Margaret had surgery, chemo and radiation. We visited back and forth, Houston to Midland, Midland to Houston. We shopped. We laughed. We drank wine. We cooked together. Life was good. Then the cancer came back in the spine. Margaret was a paraplegic for the last ten months of her life. Never did she give up hope. Never did she complain. I went out to Midland every month for a week to be with her and help Bill care for her. As always, we talked and laughed. We were close. We were sisters.
Margaret died just before her birthday ten years ago and was buried on her birthday, September 27. Your baby sister isn't suppose to die before you. Sometimes I sure do need to talk to her. I wish she was here.
Sidewalks in San Miguel
You never know what will be in the middle of the sidewalk in San Miguel. It could be a chicken or a dog. But the one thing you can be sure of is that it will not be a flat level walkway. In fact there are lots of places where there is no sidewalk at all. The cobblestone street ends at the house. At best, most of the sidewalks are about 24 inches wide. That width is broken by steps leading up to the front doors of houses and sometimes you need really long legs to step up to where the sidewalk begins again as the street climbs up a hill.
God be with you in the dark. You can fall on your face if you step off the sidewalk thinking it is only a regular step of 8 inches when actually from where you are on the sidewalk to the next part of the sidewalk is 24 inches.
Uneven sidewalks are not the only problem. There could be a tree that takes up the whole sidewalk or maybe the pay phone. It is really hard to stay on the sidewalk when someone is using the phone. I don't know how anyone uses a baby stroller but you see them bouncing the baby along all the time.
Oh, well, walking in the cobblestones streets is suppose to be good for your blood pressure and balance.
Sunday, September 25, 2005
The Rita I Won't Forget
Late last night as we were still glued to the TV watching the continuing tragedy of Rita's wrath, CNN played a short video that someone who survived the storm surge brought to them. I could not get that short film clip out of my mind as I tried to go to sleep last night.
The video had been made as the storm surge came rolling into the man's house and as they climbed into the attic to escape. I think of "rising water" in terms of Houston's flooding bayous where the water just creeps up and up like filling a glass. This water was in constant motion, rolling and flexing and splashing higher. The rooms of the house seemed to become one with the water swaying in and out. Hollywood makes these horror movies about things or elements that move and flow and invade a space. Nothing Hollywood has ever done is as menacing as this storm surge as it came into this house as if it were searching for things to take back to the Gulf of Mexico.
Nothing has brought the horror of these storms home like this short film clip did and I don't think I can ever forget it.
The video had been made as the storm surge came rolling into the man's house and as they climbed into the attic to escape. I think of "rising water" in terms of Houston's flooding bayous where the water just creeps up and up like filling a glass. This water was in constant motion, rolling and flexing and splashing higher. The rooms of the house seemed to become one with the water swaying in and out. Hollywood makes these horror movies about things or elements that move and flow and invade a space. Nothing Hollywood has ever done is as menacing as this storm surge as it came into this house as if it were searching for things to take back to the Gulf of Mexico.
Nothing has brought the horror of these storms home like this short film clip did and I don't think I can ever forget it.
San Miguel Awakening
Sunday morning quiet dotted with the ring of church bells
Crisply colored buildings in slanting light
Hillsides outlined in soft haze not yet burned away
Soft cool breeze slightly rippling Independence Day flags
Pigeons searching the ground for crumbs dropped
Roosters crowing to encourage the sun's march across the sky
Bent old woman making a daily pilgrimage up the hill to church
Jose returning with pan dulces from the bakery
I wish I could capture all of these in one photograph but maybe it is a multimedia experience. I think of the movie Frida and how the videographer captured the smokey parties, the heat, the noise, the sexual tension, the very atmosphere. Stephen, my friend, photographs with an 8x10 camera and with his dinner party series, probably captures more "atmosphere" of peopled environment than anyone I know in one image. And another friend, Frank, has been playing with a technique of photographing an event over time that captures the ebb and flow.
Always challenges to create but this morning I think I'll pull up my chair a little closer to the window and let myself be emerged in San Miguel Awakening.
Crisply colored buildings in slanting light
Hillsides outlined in soft haze not yet burned away
Soft cool breeze slightly rippling Independence Day flags
Pigeons searching the ground for crumbs dropped
Roosters crowing to encourage the sun's march across the sky
Bent old woman making a daily pilgrimage up the hill to church
Jose returning with pan dulces from the bakery
I wish I could capture all of these in one photograph but maybe it is a multimedia experience. I think of the movie Frida and how the videographer captured the smokey parties, the heat, the noise, the sexual tension, the very atmosphere. Stephen, my friend, photographs with an 8x10 camera and with his dinner party series, probably captures more "atmosphere" of peopled environment than anyone I know in one image. And another friend, Frank, has been playing with a technique of photographing an event over time that captures the ebb and flow.
Always challenges to create but this morning I think I'll pull up my chair a little closer to the window and let myself be emerged in San Miguel Awakening.
Saturday, September 24, 2005
Sanmiguelada
Sanmiguelada, the running of the bulls was today. The Sanmiguelada is like Spring Break for college kids. Like Spring Break in the USA, it is the bars and discos that profit handsomely from the event which has been taking place in San Miguel de Allende since 1973.
The kids started arriving yesterday so early into this morning we could hear the music faintly wafting across the town into our bedroom window. By this morning the town was overrun with cars and young people. There are laws about bringing liquor into town and usually some is confiscated from trunks of cars but the kids seem to be able to buy enough in the bars to reinforce their courage in facing down the bulls.
Everyone was up and on the street by noon in "the uniform" of blue jeans, white shirt, straw hat and red kerchief tied around the neck. The plaza becomes so packed that it is almost impossible to move. The bulls are unloaded into the main plaza and the young men surround them ready to run if the bull charges. Actually it is more fall back into the masses rather than run. As usual, some of the young men were hurt and carted off to the hospital. Another San Miguel blogger captured some pictures of the crowds.
After a while the bulls are loaded back on to the trucks and the party begins. It will go on well into Sunday morning. Many of the residents of the town leave for a few days rather than deal with the chaos of this weekend and next weekend which will be the Festival of San Miguel.
Others of us cope by having a party of our own. Joan and Mel invited friends for a pot luck comida and to watch the Running of the Bulls on TV. Watching it on TV is really t
he only way to see it.
Joan and Mel have a beautiful house in our neighborhood with a large patio and portico. Joan uses much color in her house. One wall maybe egg-yolk yellow, another salmon, a molding of fern greens and a ceiling of sky blues. You don't notice the riot of color. You just feel surrounded by warmth. But when you really start to look you realize how skillfully she has used color to create this feeling. The patio has the finest specimen of a pepper tree I have ever seen. There was a lot of good food and a lot of good conversation.
The kids started arriving yesterday so early into this morning we could hear the music faintly wafting across the town into our bedroom window. By this morning the town was overrun with cars and young people. There are laws about bringing liquor into town and usually some is confiscated from trunks of cars but the kids seem to be able to buy enough in the bars to reinforce their courage in facing down the bulls.
Everyone was up and on the street by noon in "the uniform" of blue jeans, white shirt, straw hat and red kerchief tied around the neck. The plaza becomes so packed that it is almost impossible to move. The bulls are unloaded into the main plaza and the young men surround them ready to run if the bull charges. Actually it is more fall back into the masses rather than run. As usual, some of the young men were hurt and carted off to the hospital. Another San Miguel blogger captured some pictures of the crowds.
After a while the bulls are loaded back on to the trucks and the party begins. It will go on well into Sunday morning. Many of the residents of the town leave for a few days rather than deal with the chaos of this weekend and next weekend which will be the Festival of San Miguel.
Others of us cope by having a party of our own. Joan and Mel invited friends for a pot luck comida and to watch the Running of the Bulls on TV. Watching it on TV is really t
he only way to see it.Joan and Mel have a beautiful house in our neighborhood with a large patio and portico. Joan uses much color in her house. One wall maybe egg-yolk yellow, another salmon, a molding of fern greens and a ceiling of sky blues. You don't notice the riot of color. You just feel surrounded by warmth. But when you really start to look you realize how skillfully she has used color to create this feeling. The patio has the finest specimen of a pepper tree I have ever seen. There was a lot of good food and a lot of good conversation.
Aftermath
Houston prepared for a visit from Rita but she decided not to come. This is one time being stoodup is okay. I've had reports from one son and several neighbors that there was some wind, some rain but less than many of the summer storms that sometime happen in Houston.
We have been watching TV this morning and so far we haven't heard reports of a massive storm surge along the Louisiana coast like the one that devastated so much of the Alabama and Mississippi coasts during Katrina. It may be another hour or two before we can get a full assessment.
Now Houston needs to get ready for another gridlock on the highways as all the evacuees return home.
We have been watching TV this morning and so far we haven't heard reports of a massive storm surge along the Louisiana coast like the one that devastated so much of the Alabama and Mississippi coasts during Katrina. It may be another hour or two before we can get a full assessment.
Now Houston needs to get ready for another gridlock on the highways as all the evacuees return home.
Friday, September 23, 2005
Prepared
While it isn't certain, there is a higher degree of certainty in the prediction for the landfall of hurricane Rita. That landfall has shifted East of Galveston to closer to the Texas-Louisiana border. This doesn't mean that Galveston and Houston are in the clear. It just means that they will not take the brunt of the storm head on and they will not be on the "wet" side of the storm. Still, Houston and Galveston will be hit by Hurricane Rita before this time tomorrow.
Yesterday we watched the lines of traffic on TV as people evacuated North. In the afternoon I was incredulous as the newscasters talked about the people on the highway in the heat with no water. NO WATER? Where have these people been for the last three weeks? Didn't they see the suffering of the people in New Orleans because of heat and NO WATER. Haven't they heard the endless news over and over and over about having at least 3 days supplies of water and food. For the last three days, the TV has been showing bumper to bumper traffic of people evacuating and giving statistics on how slow the traffic was moving. So why when they were loading the family in the car didn't they put in gallon jugs of water. It isn't even like they had to go to the store and buy it. They could get it from their tap before they left home. My heart goes out to all the people who have no control over the devastation this storm is making in their lives but I can't muster up a lot of sympathy for the people who started out on the highway without any water in the car.
Another thing that left me shaking my head, a newscaster was talking by cell phone with someone in the creeping traffic on I-45. The driver was reporting on how slow the traffic was moving. Right at the end of the conversation the newscaster asked him, where is your house? Where did you start from? The driver named a town that is 75 or 80 miles from the coast. Here he is slowing the traffic with his car when there are people who are truly evacuating from a 20+ foot storm surge that will in all probability take their life and completely destroy their homes if they can't get out of the way of Rita.
I'm proud of my State and my city. Proud of them for taking on a large portion of the evacuees from Louisiana and proud of the way they have handled the preparation for Rita. The news people are saying that "we" learned the lessons from Katrina. I think that this level of planning was in place in Texas long before Katrina. Houston and Texas can just get things done when the going gets tough. After tropical storm Allison in 2001 when the Houston Medical Center was put out of commission by flooding, plans were put in place and the money was spent to not ever be in that situation again. There appears to be a high level of cooperation between all the State emergency and government agencies. If President Bush can get the Federal response teams to be a help and not a hindrance, I think things will be handled as well as they can be under the circumstances. Okay, I'll get off my soapbox now.
Yesterday, Son Michael went to our house in Houston and moved in all the garden furniture and pot plants and tried to tie down everything else. He plastic bagged and tied up all of my many, many 3-ring binders of negatives and put them in the darkroom where there are no windows to break. Bless his heart. It was 100 sultry degrees while he was doing that.
The neighborhood where we live in Houston, the Old Sixth Ward, is an old inner city neighborhood with some of the oldest houses in Houston. Some have been maintained and some very nicely remodeled but some of them are in poor repair. Many of the neighbors have boarded up and they are staying. My prayers are with them.
Two of our sons, Gary and Mike and his family who live in Houston are staying put.
Pray for the safety of all our citizens along the Gulf Coast of the United States of America.
Yesterday we watched the lines of traffic on TV as people evacuated North. In the afternoon I was incredulous as the newscasters talked about the people on the highway in the heat with no water. NO WATER? Where have these people been for the last three weeks? Didn't they see the suffering of the people in New Orleans because of heat and NO WATER. Haven't they heard the endless news over and over and over about having at least 3 days supplies of water and food. For the last three days, the TV has been showing bumper to bumper traffic of people evacuating and giving statistics on how slow the traffic was moving. So why when they were loading the family in the car didn't they put in gallon jugs of water. It isn't even like they had to go to the store and buy it. They could get it from their tap before they left home. My heart goes out to all the people who have no control over the devastation this storm is making in their lives but I can't muster up a lot of sympathy for the people who started out on the highway without any water in the car.
Another thing that left me shaking my head, a newscaster was talking by cell phone with someone in the creeping traffic on I-45. The driver was reporting on how slow the traffic was moving. Right at the end of the conversation the newscaster asked him, where is your house? Where did you start from? The driver named a town that is 75 or 80 miles from the coast. Here he is slowing the traffic with his car when there are people who are truly evacuating from a 20+ foot storm surge that will in all probability take their life and completely destroy their homes if they can't get out of the way of Rita.
I'm proud of my State and my city. Proud of them for taking on a large portion of the evacuees from Louisiana and proud of the way they have handled the preparation for Rita. The news people are saying that "we" learned the lessons from Katrina. I think that this level of planning was in place in Texas long before Katrina. Houston and Texas can just get things done when the going gets tough. After tropical storm Allison in 2001 when the Houston Medical Center was put out of commission by flooding, plans were put in place and the money was spent to not ever be in that situation again. There appears to be a high level of cooperation between all the State emergency and government agencies. If President Bush can get the Federal response teams to be a help and not a hindrance, I think things will be handled as well as they can be under the circumstances. Okay, I'll get off my soapbox now.
Yesterday, Son Michael went to our house in Houston and moved in all the garden furniture and pot plants and tried to tie down everything else. He plastic bagged and tied up all of my many, many 3-ring binders of negatives and put them in the darkroom where there are no windows to break. Bless his heart. It was 100 sultry degrees while he was doing that.
The neighborhood where we live in Houston, the Old Sixth Ward, is an old inner city neighborhood with some of the oldest houses in Houston. Some have been maintained and some very nicely remodeled but some of them are in poor repair. Many of the neighbors have boarded up and they are staying. My prayers are with them.
Two of our sons, Gary and Mike and his family who live in Houston are staying put.
Pray for the safety of all our citizens along the Gulf Coast of the United States of America.
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Watching
We are becoming obsessed with the storm. Either we are watching the TV national newscasts, watching time bites of the local Houston stations newscasts via computer, or reading weather service bulletins. It is like watching a train wreck happening, we can't take our eyes and minds off Rita. Now we are waiting for the next advisory to see if the storm continues to move North which could put Houston on the east side of the eye. That would be a much better situation.
We just talked with one of our sons in Houston. He is the one with the two little boys. At this point they play to stay. He said that most of the people in his neighborhood are staying. He is going over to our house today to bring in the garden furniture and also to wrap my negatives in garbage bags and put them in the darkroom that doesn't have a window that might break.
Yesterday afternoon I felt helpless and sad. This morning my spirits are better. Oh, I still feel quite helpless but not so sad. Still very worried for my family and friends.
We just talked with one of our sons in Houston. He is the one with the two little boys. At this point they play to stay. He said that most of the people in his neighborhood are staying. He is going over to our house today to bring in the garden furniture and also to wrap my negatives in garbage bags and put them in the darkroom that doesn't have a window that might break.
Yesterday afternoon I felt helpless and sad. This morning my spirits are better. Oh, I still feel quite helpless but not so sad. Still very worried for my family and friends.
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Sad and helpless
Today we have watched Hurricane Rita gather strength and continue the path to the Texas Coast probably landing somewhere between Corpus Christi and Galveston. This morning I felt calm but concerned as the day has gone on I am feeling so helpless and terribly sad. Not about my possessions in Texas but for my family and friends and all the people who must face this monster storm's destruction.
I have read about the massive storm surge that could cause flooding as far as Houston and even if it doesn't come that far, it will hold back the drain-off from the bayous that drain Houston into the Gulf. If looks like Houston will be on the "wet" side of the eye of Rita so Houston will most likely get hit not only from strong winds but also heavy rains. Flooding can be expected.
In 2001, Tropical Storm Allison dumped 20-30 inches of rain on Houston in a short period of time. Massive flooding. This picture is from 2001 and is just west of downtown Houston. Buffalo Bayou is flooding over a large green belt area. Buffalo Bayou becomes the Houston Ship Channel just a few miles to the East of downtown Houston. The storm surge is expected to be more concentrated in the Ship Channel and so downtown Houston will be in the middle of the surge from the sea and the run-off of the rain.
I have read about the massive storm surge that could cause flooding as far as Houston and even if it doesn't come that far, it will hold back the drain-off from the bayous that drain Houston into the Gulf. If looks like Houston will be on the "wet" side of the eye of Rita so Houston will most likely get hit not only from strong winds but also heavy rains. Flooding can be expected.
In 2001, Tropical Storm Allison dumped 20-30 inches of rain on Houston in a short period of time. Massive flooding. This picture is from 2001 and is just west of downtown Houston. Buffalo Bayou is flooding over a large green belt area. Buffalo Bayou becomes the Houston Ship Channel just a few miles to the East of downtown Houston. The storm surge is expected to be more concentrated in the Ship Channel and so downtown Houston will be in the middle of the surge from the sea and the run-off of the rain.
This image is a underpass at Houston Avenue and Memorial Drive...again just West of downtown Houston. The traffic through this underpass includes buses and 18-wheelers. This picture was taken after the water had receded from the bridge which is now crossable.
Hurricane Rita
We are in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Hurricane Rita, category 4 storm, is out in the warm water of the Gulf of Mexico. Our other house is in Houston, Texas. The storm will probably make landfall somewhere on the Texas coast. Some models bring it in near Galveston which is on the coast just 50 miles from Houston. An article in the Houston Chronicle from several months ago outlines what this could mean for Houston.
So you might be wondering are we headed for Houston. No we aren't. We don't know what we would do if we went back. Board up windows? Our windows are 5 feet wide and 8 foot tall. In the living area on top of those windows is another set of windows that are 5 feet wide and 3 foot tall. IF we could get plywood, how would we get up high enough to put the plywood up on the high windows and how could we handle the sheets of plywood.
During tropical storm Allison which dumped 20-30 inches of rain on Houston in a very short time and caused terrible flooding in much of the city, we didn't come anywhere near to being flooded. Buffalo Bayou was very flooded and came to the end of our street but we are maybe 10 to 15 feet higher. Still if there is a significant storm surge from the Gulf, up the Houston Ship Channel to Buffalo Bayou and there is significant rainfall....who knows what might flood in our area. If we came back, we definitely couldn't do anything to stop the flooding. Thankgoodness, we do have flood insurance.
We are tracking the storm but what surprises me is our attitude about it....concerned but calm. We are concerned for our family and friends in Houston and what they need to do. I am worried about my negatives. They are stored on the second floor in many, many 3-ring binders. They won't flood but if windows blow out or we loose the roof, they will be water damaged. The same with family pictures. All the rest is important "stuff" that is a part of our lives and yet, it is "stuff." And we seem to be able to collect "stuff" without even thinking about it.
I don't know if this attitude is because we are older or if it is because we are already letting go of the Houston house to live in full time in Mexico. This attitude surprises me.
All I'm worrying about are family and friends. Now that is truly something to worry about.
So you might be wondering are we headed for Houston. No we aren't. We don't know what we would do if we went back. Board up windows? Our windows are 5 feet wide and 8 foot tall. In the living area on top of those windows is another set of windows that are 5 feet wide and 3 foot tall. IF we could get plywood, how would we get up high enough to put the plywood up on the high windows and how could we handle the sheets of plywood.
During tropical storm Allison which dumped 20-30 inches of rain on Houston in a very short time and caused terrible flooding in much of the city, we didn't come anywhere near to being flooded. Buffalo Bayou was very flooded and came to the end of our street but we are maybe 10 to 15 feet higher. Still if there is a significant storm surge from the Gulf, up the Houston Ship Channel to Buffalo Bayou and there is significant rainfall....who knows what might flood in our area. If we came back, we definitely couldn't do anything to stop the flooding. Thankgoodness, we do have flood insurance.
We are tracking the storm but what surprises me is our attitude about it....concerned but calm. We are concerned for our family and friends in Houston and what they need to do. I am worried about my negatives. They are stored on the second floor in many, many 3-ring binders. They won't flood but if windows blow out or we loose the roof, they will be water damaged. The same with family pictures. All the rest is important "stuff" that is a part of our lives and yet, it is "stuff." And we seem to be able to collect "stuff" without even thinking about it.
I don't know if this attitude is because we are older or if it is because we are already letting go of the Houston house to live in full time in Mexico. This attitude surprises me.
All I'm worrying about are family and friends. Now that is truly something to worry about.
Lensbaby
Recently my blogger friend, Tommy Williams asked if he was the only one who didn't like lensbabies. Those of you who are not photographers are wondering what is a lensbaby. A lensbaby is a quirky lens that can be used on a film or digital camera. The lens is on a flexible tube that can be used to change the plane of focus. I commented in Tommy's blog that I wanted to like it and had tried to create a digital holga look. So far any good images from the lensbaby are few and far between.
While experimenting with a technique today, I used it on a lensbaby image and converted it to black and white. I kind of like this one and it is making me think about a project I might want to do.
You never know when some new "tool" will spawn some new ideas so you just can't be closed minded.
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Printing
I used this image to make my first large color print from the new Epson 4000 printer. What can I say, except I'm very happy with this printer. The image was shot around Easter of this year and this is the first print I've made of it. I didn't even bother making a small "proof" print first....just went right to the big one.All my photography friends have heard my moaning and groaning about digital color printing. They could get what they saw on the monitor from their printers but I wasn't. I had two custom profiles made for the Epson 2200 and Entrada paper...still the shadows tended to block up. The color was off although I had a "Spyder" to calibrate the monitor. I learned to "read" the eye-dropper in PhotoShop to judge the highlights and shadows but still I constantly had problems. I bought ImagePrint software and that was a big improvement in my printing. But still I had more problems than most people. Was it just me?
Now my new set-up, new monitor, new calibration hardware and software, new printer, new version of PhotoShop, new RIP for printing black and white, new software for reducing noise, new software for converting digital color files to black and white and it all seems to be coming together. You would think with so many NEW things, I would be having more problems but not so.
On September 11, I wrote about printing acceptable black and white images. I'm still in multiple learning curves but I'm happy with the quality of both the color and black and white prints I can produce now. The issue now is making images that are worthy of being printed.
The Next Construction Project
The next construction project? Yes we are launched on another one. This time we are putting up a tejado or roof over a part of the new terrace. We had a roof over part of the old terrace and we saved the beams and roof tiles when it was taken down. The tiles and smaller beams have been stored on the patio but the three major beams that were about 12 feet long and 12 inches square were lifted from the second floor to the new roof as we were building the new studio. It would be a major effort to get them up from the ground.
I'm having a gas line run over to the back wall of the covered area so we can put in a fireplace or chimenea if we want it. There are a lot of cool evenings and a fireplace will be welcome addition. I'm not sure how I will "decorate" this new space. I've thought about cushioned chairs and love seats for a comfortable seating area but I'm leaning more to a big table with comfy chairs because we typically go up there with drinks and snacks. I like the conversation area that is created with a round table.
Basically this project is building 5 brick columns to support the beams, putting the beams in place, then the smaller boards to support the tiles and then placing the tiles. They tell us it will take two weeks. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the estimate is right.
Projects still on the drawing board; redoing the patio and redoing the kitchen. But we can only take so much construction at a time.
I'm having a gas line run over to the back wall of the covered area so we can put in a fireplace or chimenea if we want it. There are a lot of cool evenings and a fireplace will be welcome addition. I'm not sure how I will "decorate" this new space. I've thought about cushioned chairs and love seats for a comfortable seating area but I'm leaning more to a big table with comfy chairs because we typically go up there with drinks and snacks. I like the conversation area that is created with a round table.
Basically this project is building 5 brick columns to support the beams, putting the beams in place, then the smaller boards to support the tiles and then placing the tiles. They tell us it will take two weeks. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the estimate is right.
Projects still on the drawing board; redoing the patio and redoing the kitchen. But we can only take so much construction at a time.
Monday, September 19, 2005
Katrina Photographs from a Master
After photographing the aftermath of Hurrican Katrina Vincent Laforet an adjunct professor in the Graduate Program of Columbia University said, "As a photographer, this was one of the easiest assignments I've ever had to photograph. As a human being, it was the toughest."
Laforet is a staff photographer at The New York Times and he is also a multimedia producer for the Times online. He is the recipient of several awards including a shared Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography (2002). He was named Photographer of the Year by the National Press Photographer's Association in 2002 and 2003 and by the New York Press Photographer's Association in 2001.
It will take a few seconds for this multimedia presentation to load but these are not the usual photographs from the local news photographer.
Laforet is a staff photographer at The New York Times and he is also a multimedia producer for the Times online. He is the recipient of several awards including a shared Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography (2002). He was named Photographer of the Year by the National Press Photographer's Association in 2002 and 2003 and by the New York Press Photographer's Association in 2001.
It will take a few seconds for this multimedia presentation to load but these are not the usual photographs from the local news photographer.
Sunday, September 18, 2005
Blog Anniversary
I started this blog on March 17 of this year. There are 148 posts todate. I can't believe I've kept it up. But the nicest thing about this six month anniversary are the new friends I've met along the way.
One of those new friends brought up an interesting question for me the other day. He wrote about saving his blog to his computer instead of having it stored at the pleasure of some other entity in cyberspace. That started me thinking about how I could archive mine. So far, I've just copied and pasted into WordPerfect but there has to be a more eloquent way to save the text and picture format. Besides that, I realized that the archive only goes back 300 posts. I've half way there....time to start trying to figure this out.
One of those new friends brought up an interesting question for me the other day. He wrote about saving his blog to his computer instead of having it stored at the pleasure of some other entity in cyberspace. That started me thinking about how I could archive mine. So far, I've just copied and pasted into WordPerfect but there has to be a more eloquent way to save the text and picture format. Besides that, I realized that the archive only goes back 300 posts. I've half way there....time to start trying to figure this out.
Independence Day Comida
Mexicans celebrate fiestas with music, dancing, fireworks and food. Mexican Independence Day would not have been complete without a special comida. Rick and Deb Hall who own Zocalo, a shop filled with the finest of Mexican Folk Art, invited us for Comida. You would never turn down an invitation to one of their comidas because they do know how to set an amazing table of Mexican foods. Beside the food, their hospitality is so warm and relaxing and the people you meet there are very interesting.
The Halls live out of town off the road to Dolores Hidalgo. They have a garden and a portico across the front of the house as well as a covered patio off to the side with a table and chairs. The house is an amazing blaze of color that compliments their collection of Mexican folk art and books.
Today the comida was going to be traditional with Chiles en nogada. Can you image roasting and peeling that many poblano peppers. Then you make the filling and then the creamy walnut sauce. But you aren't finished yet, there are still pomegranates to seed. Side dishes included rice, squash topped with cheese and beans. Later in the afternoon after we were all back to reclining in the chairs of the sala or portico, there was carrot cake.
Click here to see more pictures of this lovely afternoon and the delicious food. When we left about 7:30 PM the moon was just coming up above the mountains.
Mexican Independence Day
We've been celebrating Independence Day with our Mexican neighbors. We have joined them in flying the Mexican flag from one of our new studio windows. San Miguel de Allende, Dolores Hidalgo and Queretaro are considered the cradle of Mexican Independence so the celebrations are special. It was 195 years ago that the Mexicans declared their independence from Spain with cries of "Viva Mexico." About 7:30 on the 15th we walked into town to check out the Jardin. We had no plans to stay for La Grita of "Viva Mexico" which takes place at 11:00 PM because we have done that before and the crowds in the Jardin are huge. You are caught in the masses and you can't move. But we did have dinner at the San Francisco Cafe where we could watch all the developing activities. Families pushing strollers and watching their children dressed in the costumes of the peasants who fought for independence. Young teen girls with shiny hair, tight jeans and tops that give flashes of their bellies. At least one of them would have a cell phone to the ear. Men with a young woman on the arm dressed in a halter top, a short skirt and spike heels....don't ask me how they walk on the cobblestone streets with those heels, I haven't a clue. Older couples parading arm and arm. A trio was playing in the restaurant but they were competing with the music of a dance troupe on the far side of the Jardin and with music videos being shown on a big screen on our side of the Jardin. Layers of sights and layers of noise.
About 10:00 we headed back toward our house and we were obviously going in the wrong direction because hoards of people were walking into town. It was definitely going to be the usual mass of people to shout the Grita. No celebration is without fireworks in Mexico. We went up to the terrace where we can see some of the fireworks but only the tops and smoke of the castillos. When we went to bed we could still hear music from the Jardin. Today Carlos told me that he danced until 3:00 AM and everyone had a wonderful time.
On the 16th is the official celebration. There are parades, bullfights, and of course more fireworks. We have been hearing drum and bugle corps from many of the schools practicing every morning and afternoon for the parade. Beside the drums and bugles there is the Queen of the Festival and her court, many, many school children in their uniforms including sweaters or jackets....forget that it was 90 degrees, police and military. The streets for about 2 miles were lined with people. The Mexicans are very patriotic.
And would you believe, more fireworks, music and celebrations again on the night of the 16th. The Mexicans know how to celebrate.
On Flickr you'll find some photographs of the festivities.
Thursday, September 15, 2005
It's a Small, Small World
Yesterday, at Rancho Calypso Juan wrote a nice piece about the Mexican images of Steve Bridger, blogger of the website MexicanWave and myself. Juan and I've have been writing back and forth since we found each other's blogs several months ago so Juan said he hoped it would be okay to call me an amiga. I wrote back that I had made lots of cyber-friends over the last 12+ years and now he was one of them. Steve wrote that he could be an amigo too. Steve also said that I should tell the story of how we met for the second time in April of this year. It is a pretty good story.
Right after we bought our house three years ago, we had friends come to San Miguel de Allende to see us. They fell in love with San Miguel too and decided that they would like to come back and stay longer. We contacted one of the many rental agents here in San Miguel and they looked at several houses including one on Clavel that we have rented several times here in Colonia San Antonio. When we went to show them the house on Clavel, we met the young family who were currently renting the house. I remember that he was from England or Australia and she was from Mexico....somewhere close San Miguel. The baby was precious.
Fastforward three years. I've joined Flickr which is a web hosting site for photographs. Not only do I have my images there but I can go searching for other photographers who have photographs on subjects that interest me. Well of course I go looking to see who else is photographing in Mexico. Actually, I'm not sure if I found Steve or he found me but we became a mutual admiration society because we had both photographed so many of the same places in Mexico. In our emails I found out that he was from England, that he had spent some time in San Miguel three years ago, that he had a Mexican wife whose family lived near to San Miguel and a daughter close to 4 years old.
You know how it is in the comic strips when suddenly there is a light bulb above the person's head. Well, I'm sure you could have seen one above mine. I asked, "Did you rent a house in Colonia San Antonio on Clavel?" Steve replied, "Uh, yes" I reminded him about the visitors that came to look at the house while he was there. It was one of those "Oh, my God" moments. Separated by three years and the Atlantic ocean and suddenly we were connecting again.
What was really neat about our connection is that Steve and his family that now included another daughter were coming back to San Miguel for another visit. We had the opportunity to visit several times while they were here for a month or so. Steve and Gicela are definitely our English/Mexican friends now.
Through the internet I've made new friends and reconnected with old ones. It is a small, small world, isn't it?
Right after we bought our house three years ago, we had friends come to San Miguel de Allende to see us. They fell in love with San Miguel too and decided that they would like to come back and stay longer. We contacted one of the many rental agents here in San Miguel and they looked at several houses including one on Clavel that we have rented several times here in Colonia San Antonio. When we went to show them the house on Clavel, we met the young family who were currently renting the house. I remember that he was from England or Australia and she was from Mexico....somewhere close San Miguel. The baby was precious.
Fastforward three years. I've joined Flickr which is a web hosting site for photographs. Not only do I have my images there but I can go searching for other photographers who have photographs on subjects that interest me. Well of course I go looking to see who else is photographing in Mexico. Actually, I'm not sure if I found Steve or he found me but we became a mutual admiration society because we had both photographed so many of the same places in Mexico. In our emails I found out that he was from England, that he had spent some time in San Miguel three years ago, that he had a Mexican wife whose family lived near to San Miguel and a daughter close to 4 years old.
You know how it is in the comic strips when suddenly there is a light bulb above the person's head. Well, I'm sure you could have seen one above mine. I asked, "Did you rent a house in Colonia San Antonio on Clavel?" Steve replied, "Uh, yes" I reminded him about the visitors that came to look at the house while he was there. It was one of those "Oh, my God" moments. Separated by three years and the Atlantic ocean and suddenly we were connecting again.
What was really neat about our connection is that Steve and his family that now included another daughter were coming back to San Miguel for another visit. We had the opportunity to visit several times while they were here for a month or so. Steve and Gicela are definitely our English/Mexican friends now.
Through the internet I've made new friends and reconnected with old ones. It is a small, small world, isn't it?
Communication Errors
A while ago I wrote about the seasons changing and asked if anyone had a word that described the time between when the sky begins to lighten and when the sun is up in the morning....a word similar to twilight for the darkening light in the evening.
BillO left this comment on the post: "My dictionary says that twilight can be in the morning or in the evening. The time between first light and sunrise in the morning is defined as twilight. The time between sunset and dark is also twilight. Maybe they could be distinguished as "twilight of the dawn" or "twilight of the dusk".
BillO, I was looking at a an on-line limited edition dictionary which didn't give me this extended meaning. So I'm glad to know that twilight can also mean that inbetween time in the morning but I don't think I can use it that way. In my mind's eye, it just doesn't work. Aren't words strange. It isn't just the letters or the sound of the word but the "picture it brings to mind." When I think of twilight I think of the lowering light of evening.
And we wonder why we have so much trouble communicating with each other. It isn't just the dictionary meaning. Is is also the meaning that the other person's brain associates with that sound or that group of letters.
BillO left this comment on the post: "My dictionary says that twilight can be in the morning or in the evening. The time between first light and sunrise in the morning is defined as twilight. The time between sunset and dark is also twilight. Maybe they could be distinguished as "twilight of the dawn" or "twilight of the dusk".
BillO, I was looking at a an on-line limited edition dictionary which didn't give me this extended meaning. So I'm glad to know that twilight can also mean that inbetween time in the morning but I don't think I can use it that way. In my mind's eye, it just doesn't work. Aren't words strange. It isn't just the letters or the sound of the word but the "picture it brings to mind." When I think of twilight I think of the lowering light of evening.
And we wonder why we have so much trouble communicating with each other. It isn't just the dictionary meaning. Is is also the meaning that the other person's brain associates with that sound or that group of letters.
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Curtains, Act II
Several days ago I wrote about the disaster of the new curtains for the studio. Act II doesn't get any better.
Today Carlos brought the curtains back. Now they have about a 2 inch hem and the lining is about 6 inches above the hem of the curtain so that you see through the curtain above the hem. The hems should be 5 to 6 inches deep and the lining should come below the beginning of the hem. Horrible. I've sent them away again. I've told him what needs to be done to the curtains. I've made curtains and drapes and I've been a pretty good seamstress in my day. I have no confidence that this is going to be resolved properly. Grrr.....
Today Carlos brought the curtains back. Now they have about a 2 inch hem and the lining is about 6 inches above the hem of the curtain so that you see through the curtain above the hem. The hems should be 5 to 6 inches deep and the lining should come below the beginning of the hem. Horrible. I've sent them away again. I've told him what needs to be done to the curtains. I've made curtains and drapes and I've been a pretty good seamstress in my day. I have no confidence that this is going to be resolved properly. Grrr.....
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Why Didn't Someone Tell Me?
I bought the Epson 4000 printer and carted it off to Mexico. I knew I'd need more inks for it so I have a box of 110 ml and 220 ml cartridges sitting on the shelf ready to be used. Over the weekend in the Yahoo group for the 4000, I found a file that included instructions on setting up and using the printer. Mine is set up and running but I flip through the PDF pages and suddenly something catches my eye....A HINT that says always have an extra waste ink tank available because when it is full, the printer will not operate until replaced. Why didn't someone tell me before I headed off to Mexico? It isn't like I can run over to Microcenter and pick one up. Yes I can still order it via the internet but now I'll have to wait longer and pay duty on it.
What can I do? At some point I'll have to have it. I get on the internet to look for the replacement. I go to several sites that sell Epson printers. I can find printers and papers but no reference for a waste ink tank. Finally I find it at the Epson store for $40, then finally at B&H but only by a specific word search. Same price. Since it is a needed consumable why is it so hard to find? Add shipping, duties and handling and I'm sure this "consumable" will cost $60. And what is sad about it, is that this tank is holding the very expensive Epson inks that have been "wasted" with start-ups and cleaning cycles. Now on top of the cost of the inks, I need to pay for an expensive tank to collect the "waste."
I'm complaining to my friend Chuck, who lives in San Miguel too. He also has a large format Epson printer, although not the 4000. He tells me that there is a way to over ride the printer software that stops the printer when it determines that the tank is full. At least this works on his wide format printer. In fact he says that the software stops the printer long before the tank is actually full so you can over ride the warning and continue with the same tank. In addition, he opens the used tank, throws out the pads, replaces them with tampons, closes it up and uses it again like new....no problems.
I may order one replacement tank, but when the old one comes out, I will definitely be checking it out to see if it is a candidate for tampon refurbishment.
What can I do? At some point I'll have to have it. I get on the internet to look for the replacement. I go to several sites that sell Epson printers. I can find printers and papers but no reference for a waste ink tank. Finally I find it at the Epson store for $40, then finally at B&H but only by a specific word search. Same price. Since it is a needed consumable why is it so hard to find? Add shipping, duties and handling and I'm sure this "consumable" will cost $60. And what is sad about it, is that this tank is holding the very expensive Epson inks that have been "wasted" with start-ups and cleaning cycles. Now on top of the cost of the inks, I need to pay for an expensive tank to collect the "waste."
I'm complaining to my friend Chuck, who lives in San Miguel too. He also has a large format Epson printer, although not the 4000. He tells me that there is a way to over ride the printer software that stops the printer when it determines that the tank is full. At least this works on his wide format printer. In fact he says that the software stops the printer long before the tank is actually full so you can over ride the warning and continue with the same tank. In addition, he opens the used tank, throws out the pads, replaces them with tampons, closes it up and uses it again like new....no problems.
I may order one replacement tank, but when the old one comes out, I will definitely be checking it out to see if it is a candidate for tampon refurbishment.
Monday, September 12, 2005
Way to Go, Houston
I read Off the Kuff for a different take on the news about Houston and Texas. There are two reports in it that those of you following the Katrina refugees might be interested in....the September 11th report from Melissa Noriega and also her first report on September 6.
Houston is the fourth largest city in the USA. It is a city without zoning. It is a wildcatter city. It is a generous city. It is a diverse city. It is a city that can get things done. I'm proud to be a Houstonian.
Houston is the fourth largest city in the USA. It is a city without zoning. It is a wildcatter city. It is a generous city. It is a diverse city. It is a city that can get things done. I'm proud to be a Houstonian.
Sunday, September 11, 2005
Could This be IT?
Could this be it (black and white photographically speaking)?
If you aren't a black and white photographer this post may not make much sense but if you are, you will understand my joy.....I think I've found a way to make black and white digital prints that I can accept. I've looked at lots of master crafted black and white prints and I've spent so many, many hours in the darkroom learning how to make a good print. Over the last couple of years I've spent lots and lots of time trying different techniques, software and equipment trying to make a good digital black and white print. I know what quality I'm looking for and until now, I haven't been able to achieve it digitally. Now, I think I can.
These two images were shot in the Colonia I live in in San Miguel de Allende and while I'm using them to do some test printing, I'm not claiming them as "art." What you see on your monitor may not illustrate what I'm talking about but trust me, I'm seeing it in the prints from these images.
There may be three things that contribute to my enthusiasm. First of all, I'm getting better with using PhotoShop. The second and third go together....The Epson 4000 printer and the Quadtone Rip. In the print of the above image, I can see detail in the deep shadows of the crook of the tree branches and there is good definition in the bark as well as the textures of the wall.
If you aren't a black and white photographer this post may not make much sense but if you are, you will understand my joy.....I think I've found a way to make black and white digital prints that I can accept. I've looked at lots of master crafted black and white prints and I've spent so many, many hours in the darkroom learning how to make a good print. Over the last couple of years I've spent lots and lots of time trying different techniques, software and equipment trying to make a good digital black and white print. I know what quality I'm looking for and until now, I haven't been able to achieve it digitally. Now, I think I can.
These two images were shot in the Colonia I live in in San Miguel de Allende and while I'm using them to do some test printing, I'm not claiming them as "art." What you see on your monitor may not illustrate what I'm talking about but trust me, I'm seeing it in the prints from these images.
There may be three things that contribute to my enthusiasm. First of all, I'm getting better with using PhotoShop. The second and third go together....The Epson 4000 printer and the Quadtone Rip. In the print of the above image, I can see detail in the deep shadows of the crook of the tree branches and there is good definition in the bark as well as the textures of the wall.
This image shows white/white but also the delicate variations of very near white. I haven't been able to achieve this as well in a black and white print before now using the Epson 2200 and Imageprint. It boils down to this, what I'm seeing on my calibrated monitor, I'm getting in the Black and White print.
Also with the Quadtone RIP, I think I've found a printing curve that works for me. It is a slight sepia tone...just a bit warm.
We'll see as I keep testing but this evening, I'm pretty happy.
Saturday Night Dinner
The dinner party was fun. The Lewises and the Smiths had not met before and it is always fun to introduce new people and have it click. After the guests arrived, I put the Rice and the Chicken Piquant in the oven and we took our Shrimp Remoulade up to the new terrace. We have a great view from the terrace but we kept getting a few sprinkles of rain so we didn't stay there as long as I thought we would but it didn't stop the talking even when we came back downstairs.
When the things in the oven were done, I dressed the salad and let everyone serve themselves. Right after I served the dessert, the sky really opened up with lightening, thunder and rain. We sat at the
table enjoying all the conversation until almost midnight. By then the rain had let up and our guests could walk home. That is one of the nicest things about San Miguel, you can walk most anywhere you want to go. By the time everyone left, we weren't in the mood to do the dishes so this is what greeted us this morning.
I think all the dishes turned out okay with the adjustments that you have to make for cooking here. I've written before about the lack of canned tomatoes in San Miguel. So to make the Chicken Piquante, I bought tomatoes, peeled them and cooked them in the sauce. There is some difference from using canned tomatoes but the taste is still good. I haven't found long-grain rice here either but I had brought some with me when we came back a couple of weeks ago. Yesterday was the first time I had made homemade ice cream in about a year. I probably should have looked at the recipe first but I just launched in making it and while it tasted okay, it would have been smoother if I had followed the recipe. I "borrowed" Phil's recipe for remoulade sauce and added a couple of things to it and it was delicious. Definitely a keeper because you can get by without horseradish or Creole mustard which most of the recipes I looked up on the internet called for.
Phil's Remoulade Sauce
Phil Jefferies gave me this recipe and I've added a few things to it. It makes about 3 cups of sauce. Delicious on shrimp. Good with fried fish, or as a sandwich spread.
2 cups mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
4 tablespoons Dijon mustard (Creole mustard if you have it)
4 tablespoons capers minced
2 tablespoons parsley minced
2 tablespoons shallots (or use onions or green onions)
1 clove garlic minced
2 tablespoons sweet pickle minced
1 tablespoons horseradish (if you have it)
I added:
4 tablespoons catsup
cayenne to taste since I didn't have any horseradish
1/2 to 1 teaspoon paprika
Mix and let flavors meld in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before serving.
When the things in the oven were done, I dressed the salad and let everyone serve themselves. Right after I served the dessert, the sky really opened up with lightening, thunder and rain. We sat at the
table enjoying all the conversation until almost midnight. By then the rain had let up and our guests could walk home. That is one of the nicest things about San Miguel, you can walk most anywhere you want to go. By the time everyone left, we weren't in the mood to do the dishes so this is what greeted us this morning.I think all the dishes turned out okay with the adjustments that you have to make for cooking here. I've written before about the lack of canned tomatoes in San Miguel. So to make the Chicken Piquante, I bought tomatoes, peeled them and cooked them in the sauce. There is some difference from using canned tomatoes but the taste is still good. I haven't found long-grain rice here either but I had brought some with me when we came back a couple of weeks ago. Yesterday was the first time I had made homemade ice cream in about a year. I probably should have looked at the recipe first but I just launched in making it and while it tasted okay, it would have been smoother if I had followed the recipe. I "borrowed" Phil's recipe for remoulade sauce and added a couple of things to it and it was delicious. Definitely a keeper because you can get by without horseradish or Creole mustard which most of the recipes I looked up on the internet called for.
Phil's Remoulade Sauce
Phil Jefferies gave me this recipe and I've added a few things to it. It makes about 3 cups of sauce. Delicious on shrimp. Good with fried fish, or as a sandwich spread.
2 cups mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
4 tablespoons Dijon mustard (Creole mustard if you have it)
4 tablespoons capers minced
2 tablespoons parsley minced
2 tablespoons shallots (or use onions or green onions)
1 clove garlic minced
2 tablespoons sweet pickle minced
1 tablespoons horseradish (if you have it)
I added:
4 tablespoons catsup
cayenne to taste since I didn't have any horseradish
1/2 to 1 teaspoon paprika
Mix and let flavors meld in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before serving.
Saturday, September 10, 2005
Chiles en Nogada
Doesn't this look delicious? It is Chiles en Nogada or a poblano pepper stuffed with a spicy fruit and meat mixture and covered with a creamy walnut sauce garnished with pomegranate seeds. It is usually served in September because the celebration for Mexican Independence day begins on September 15th at 11:00 PM. The dish has the colors of the Mexican flag....the green of the poblano, the white of the creamy walnut sauce and the red of the pomegranate seeds. All of the ingredients are abundantly fresh at this time of year. The dish is served at room temperature. If you saw the movie or read the book Like Water for Chocolate this is one of the dishes from it.
Update: You will find a recipe for Chiles en Nogada here
Last night we walked into the centro to see what was happening. We visited with Fidel at one of our favorite stores. Checked on Loreto to see if there were any remnants of the Loreto celebration still in progress. Walked past several of the churches in the Centro and saw a red car decorated and waiting outside the church for the bride and groom. We stopped to have dinner at the Correo Cafe across the street from the postoffice. We knew that during September they serve Chiles en Nogada and of course, we can't let September go by without enjoying this dish. You can order the dish with one or two poblanos. We ordered one....I don't know how they can get two on the plate much less how you would be able to eat two. It was good but the filling didn't have as much spice as we would have liked. I guess we'll just have to try it again, and again, and again.
Friday, September 09, 2005
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.
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.
Thursday, September 08, 2005
New Orleans Refugees in Houston
Since I'm from Houston, I'm interested in how the refugees from New Orleans are doing in my hometown. Yes, Jesse Jackson, I used the term refugees which until you started it, didn't have a specific racial connotation....so there. Come get me if you wanna fight!
At any rate, I've been looking for blogs from Houston that give me a fly on the wall viewpoint. Although one of these is from the Chronicle it doesn't seem to be too officially edited. The other two are from "pro" bloggers who use their blogs to give their viewpoint of happening in Houston and Texas in general. I'm still looking for a blog from a "regular" person....maybe someone who is volunteering or from a church that is helping the refugees.
http://blogs.chron.com/domeblog/
http://lonestartimes.com/
http://bloghouston.com/
At any rate, I've been looking for blogs from Houston that give me a fly on the wall viewpoint. Although one of these is from the Chronicle it doesn't seem to be too officially edited. The other two are from "pro" bloggers who use their blogs to give their viewpoint of happening in Houston and Texas in general. I'm still looking for a blog from a "regular" person....maybe someone who is volunteering or from a church that is helping the refugees.
http://blogs.chron.com/domeblog/
http://lonestartimes.com/
http://bloghouston.com/
The Season is Changing
It isn't officially Fall but I'm noticing a difference in the weather here in San Miguel de Allende. I've started wearing my denim shirt a little longer in the mornings and yesterday I put it on in the late afternoon. First time I have worn it in the afternoon since we came in March. That doesn't mean that the middle of the day isn't warm. It is but the cool hours are getting longer and cooler. I wish I could tell you the temperature but somewhere in our comings and goings we have misplaced the outdoor thermometer.
The daylight hours are also shifting. When I wake up in the morning the sky is still in that inbetween time of daylight and dark and that time seems to linger longer....an excuse for me to linger longer in bed too.
I was trying to find a word for this time of the morning but the word that kept coming to mind was "twilight" which of course is about the evening. The on-line dictionary defines twilight as "the time from when the sun begins to set to the onset of total darkness." When I think of the morning, "dawn" comes to mind but that doesn't have the same connotation in my mind and so I looked it up in the dictionary too. "Dawn: the first appearance of light in the morning." The first appearance of light isn't the same as "twilight" which is about a period of transition.
Can someone think of a word that better describes the time when the sky begins to lighten to when the sun actually rises?
The daylight hours are also shifting. When I wake up in the morning the sky is still in that inbetween time of daylight and dark and that time seems to linger longer....an excuse for me to linger longer in bed too.
I was trying to find a word for this time of the morning but the word that kept coming to mind was "twilight" which of course is about the evening. The on-line dictionary defines twilight as "the time from when the sun begins to set to the onset of total darkness." When I think of the morning, "dawn" comes to mind but that doesn't have the same connotation in my mind and so I looked it up in the dictionary too. "Dawn: the first appearance of light in the morning." The first appearance of light isn't the same as "twilight" which is about a period of transition.
Can someone think of a word that better describes the time when the sky begins to lighten to when the sun actually rises?
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
Squash Blossom Time
I mentioned the other day that I was seeing the ladies selling hands full of squash blossoms on the street so it is time to use them in my cooking. I stopped at Phil's house on the way home from the market yesterday and she saw squash blossoms in my sack. She wanted to know what I was going to do with them. She said that she and Joanie had been wondering how to use them in a recipe.
Well, as you know I don't always use recipes and I was planning to wing it last night too. I told her that I was going to do something with chicken in a cream sauce with the squash blossoms and serve it over rice. She told me to write it down as I prepared the dish. I didn't measure anything but I'll try to recreate what I did, more or less.
Creamy Squash Blossom Sauce with Breast of Chicken
2 servings
1 pound of chicken breast. I had chicken breast that were flattened and I cut them into one inch pieces but it would look better for a dinner party to have whole boned chicken breast-1/2 of the breast per person.
1/2 large onion chopped
2 large cloves of garlic chopped
1 bunch of squash blossoms about the size of a bunch of spinach...maybe a little larger. Break off the stems with the stamen and cut crosswise in 3/4 inch pieces.
1/2 to 3/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup crema (in the USA you would use whipping cream...not quite the same but it will do)
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
Heat the butter and olive oil to hot and add chicken pieces with some salt and pepper. Saute quickly but don't over cook because they will be added back in at the end and finish cooking. Take the chicken out and set aside. Add the onion and saute until beginning to carmelize. Add garlic, cook for about one minute. Add the squash blossoms. They will wilt down like spinach. Add the chicken broth and cook for a few minutes....maybe 5 minutes. Stir in the crema and add the chicken back in. Cook for several minutes to reduce. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. Serve over rice.
Variations
For a dinner party: Since I had small pieces of chicken I could make the dish very quickly but if you are using whole chicken breasts, start by lightly browning the breasts, remove. Saute the onion and garlic. Add the chicken broth and chicken, cover and cook until the chicken is almost done. Remove the chicken and broth and saute the squash blossoms, then return the broth and chicken and complete the dish. Also, if I were doing this for a party, I'd save a squash blossom as a garnish for the plate.
Quesadillas: Saute onion and garlic, add the squash blossoms, season. Put on tortilla, add Asadero cheese (actually I like to add a mix of cheeses to quesadillas....maybe asadero cheese, goat cheese and a bit of cheddar). Then add some oil to a pan, place quesadilla in pan and heat flipping until cheese melts. You could also add some shredded chicken to the quesadilla. Serve with guacamole and salsa.
For those who like some heat: Add 1/4 to 1/2 finely chopped serrano per person to the mixture.
Soup: Make basically the same as the original recipe above but if available add one chopped leek instead of the onion. You could use the boney pieces of the chicken. Put in the onion/leek, garlic, serrano, chicken and 4 cups of water. Season. Stew until the chicken is tender and falling off the bones. Remove the bones from the soup. Add some thin slices of carrots (1/2 - 3/4 cup of sliced carrots and/or add some diced zucchini). When the carrots are tender, add the squash blossoms. Cook until the squash blossoms are wilted but not until they are unrecognizable. If desired, add 1/2 cup crema to make a creamy soup. If you have leftover rice, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of cooked rice. Adjust seasonings.
Well, as you know I don't always use recipes and I was planning to wing it last night too. I told her that I was going to do something with chicken in a cream sauce with the squash blossoms and serve it over rice. She told me to write it down as I prepared the dish. I didn't measure anything but I'll try to recreate what I did, more or less.
Creamy Squash Blossom Sauce with Breast of Chicken
2 servings
1 pound of chicken breast. I had chicken breast that were flattened and I cut them into one inch pieces but it would look better for a dinner party to have whole boned chicken breast-1/2 of the breast per person.
1/2 large onion chopped
2 large cloves of garlic chopped
1 bunch of squash blossoms about the size of a bunch of spinach...maybe a little larger. Break off the stems with the stamen and cut crosswise in 3/4 inch pieces.
1/2 to 3/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup crema (in the USA you would use whipping cream...not quite the same but it will do)
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
Heat the butter and olive oil to hot and add chicken pieces with some salt and pepper. Saute quickly but don't over cook because they will be added back in at the end and finish cooking. Take the chicken out and set aside. Add the onion and saute until beginning to carmelize. Add garlic, cook for about one minute. Add the squash blossoms. They will wilt down like spinach. Add the chicken broth and cook for a few minutes....maybe 5 minutes. Stir in the crema and add the chicken back in. Cook for several minutes to reduce. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. Serve over rice.
Variations
For a dinner party: Since I had small pieces of chicken I could make the dish very quickly but if you are using whole chicken breasts, start by lightly browning the breasts, remove. Saute the onion and garlic. Add the chicken broth and chicken, cover and cook until the chicken is almost done. Remove the chicken and broth and saute the squash blossoms, then return the broth and chicken and complete the dish. Also, if I were doing this for a party, I'd save a squash blossom as a garnish for the plate.
Quesadillas: Saute onion and garlic, add the squash blossoms, season. Put on tortilla, add Asadero cheese (actually I like to add a mix of cheeses to quesadillas....maybe asadero cheese, goat cheese and a bit of cheddar). Then add some oil to a pan, place quesadilla in pan and heat flipping until cheese melts. You could also add some shredded chicken to the quesadilla. Serve with guacamole and salsa.
For those who like some heat: Add 1/4 to 1/2 finely chopped serrano per person to the mixture.
Soup: Make basically the same as the original recipe above but if available add one chopped leek instead of the onion. You could use the boney pieces of the chicken. Put in the onion/leek, garlic, serrano, chicken and 4 cups of water. Season. Stew until the chicken is tender and falling off the bones. Remove the bones from the soup. Add some thin slices of carrots (1/2 - 3/4 cup of sliced carrots and/or add some diced zucchini). When the carrots are tender, add the squash blossoms. Cook until the squash blossoms are wilted but not until they are unrecognizable. If desired, add 1/2 cup crema to make a creamy soup. If you have leftover rice, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of cooked rice. Adjust seasonings.
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Another Katrina Blog
If your brain isn't already over saturated with news about the hurricane and devastation, take a look at this blog. I'm looking for first-hand reports rather than edited, approved media pieces.
It is coming together....
The room that we built this year is starting to come together. I've brought down some more equipment and we now have two tables and a desk set up in a "U" shape. We had the furniture made in Dolores Hidalgo and it turned out okay except I'm finding that I need one more table. The Epson Stylus Pro 4000 printer is BIG.
Ned has the 24x60 inch desk and I have the "L" part of the worksurface which is 10 feet of space and every bit of it is covered with equipment. Fortunately we have more room and I'll add another 30x40 table that can hold the printer which takes up almost a 36" square space. The additional table will give me an open desk space for stacking prints and working. My workspace is covered with lamp, scanner, 2 LCD monitors, computer, 2 small back up batteries, 2 external HD and the printer. The maze of cables and cords is amazing and it seems like no matter how careful we try to be to have a plan for where they are plugged in and to keep them from getting tangled, they are tangled.
There is wonderful light in this room and if I were a painter or sculptor it would be perfect but I'm a photographer and I need a lower, consistent light when I'm working on images. I'm having curtains made that I can close during the day when I need to work but most of the time we enjoy this wonderful view of our street and the centro skyline.
I'm very happy with my new equipment. The Epson 4000 is an amazing printer. I knew that from other people who have one but even from the small amount of printing I've done so far with it, it looks like it has wonderful paper profiles and I'm not seeing the blocking of the shadows as much as I do with the Epson 2200.
The other thing that I'm very pleased with is my new LCD monitor. Many photographers are sold on high-end CRT monitors for imaging because they feel that they can be calibrated to a higher degree of accuracy. But the high-end CRTs are going out of production. I did a lot of research and ended up buying the NEC LCD 1980SXi that has the widest viewing angle of any LCD, the capability of color calibration and is much lighter weight and has a much smaller footprint than an equivalent CRT. I bought the 19" because I have another LCD that I can use for palettes in PhotoShop, but primarily because the cost of the 21" was almost double the cost of the 19" monitor. Using my new Eye-one display-2 from Gretag MacBeth to calibrate the NEC monitor and using the paper profiles for the printer is giving me an excellent color match between the monitor and the print.
Last, but not least, is the new computer, a HP Pavilion a1130n with AMD Athlon 64 3500+ processor, upgraded with a 128 Meg video card, two more Gigs of RAM for a total of 3 Gigs and an additional HD. So far it is performing like a champ with my digital files.
The open closet where I have a 4ft. chrome rolling shelf storage unit is providing easy access storage. If I can find another 40-44 inch similar unit I may add that. We still want a couple of comfortable chairs and a hammock for in front of the fireplace as well as a bookcase, armoire or some other piece for the window/fireplace end of the room. The good thing is, I don't have to do anything right away. I can take my time and when I see what our needs are and I find the right thing, I'll get it.
What a great space. I'm very fortunate to have it to work in.
Ned has the 24x60 inch desk and I have the "L" part of the worksurface which is 10 feet of space and every bit of it is covered with equipment. Fortunately we have more room and I'll add another 30x40 table that can hold the printer which takes up almost a 36" square space. The additional table will give me an open desk space for stacking prints and working. My workspace is covered with lamp, scanner, 2 LCD monitors, computer, 2 small back up batteries, 2 external HD and the printer. The maze of cables and cords is amazing and it seems like no matter how careful we try to be to have a plan for where they are plugged in and to keep them from getting tangled, they are tangled.
There is wonderful light in this room and if I were a painter or sculptor it would be perfect but I'm a photographer and I need a lower, consistent light when I'm working on images. I'm having curtains made that I can close during the day when I need to work but most of the time we enjoy this wonderful view of our street and the centro skyline.
I'm very happy with my new equipment. The Epson 4000 is an amazing printer. I knew that from other people who have one but even from the small amount of printing I've done so far with it, it looks like it has wonderful paper profiles and I'm not seeing the blocking of the shadows as much as I do with the Epson 2200.
The other thing that I'm very pleased with is my new LCD monitor. Many photographers are sold on high-end CRT monitors for imaging because they feel that they can be calibrated to a higher degree of accuracy. But the high-end CRTs are going out of production. I did a lot of research and ended up buying the NEC LCD 1980SXi that has the widest viewing angle of any LCD, the capability of color calibration and is much lighter weight and has a much smaller footprint than an equivalent CRT. I bought the 19" because I have another LCD that I can use for palettes in PhotoShop, but primarily because the cost of the 21" was almost double the cost of the 19" monitor. Using my new Eye-one display-2 from Gretag MacBeth to calibrate the NEC monitor and using the paper profiles for the printer is giving me an excellent color match between the monitor and the print.
Last, but not least, is the new computer, a HP Pavilion a1130n with AMD Athlon 64 3500+ processor, upgraded with a 128 Meg video card, two more Gigs of RAM for a total of 3 Gigs and an additional HD. So far it is performing like a champ with my digital files.
The open closet where I have a 4ft. chrome rolling shelf storage unit is providing easy access storage. If I can find another 40-44 inch similar unit I may add that. We still want a couple of comfortable chairs and a hammock for in front of the fireplace as well as a bookcase, armoire or some other piece for the window/fireplace end of the room. The good thing is, I don't have to do anything right away. I can take my time and when I see what our needs are and I find the right thing, I'll get it.
What a great space. I'm very fortunate to have it to work in.
Monday, September 05, 2005
Bird's eye view
I've been reading a blog from some people who stayed in New Orleans to keep an internet website up and running. Thought some of my readers might be interested in it to even though the survivors have been rescued. New Orleans is still a place of devastation and it is interesting to read how someone outside the media is seeing what is happening.
Saturday, September 03, 2005
A Picture is worth.......
Are you tired of seeing the same film bites over and over and over on TV? I am. I've wondered if it isn't possible for them to be shooting new film or don't the networks have cameras stationed anywhere but overpasses or the tops of buildings. The images are becoming boring but the situation is compelling and my heart goes out to the plight of these people.
Today my friend Frank sent a URL to images from The Times-Picyuane newspaper in New Orleans. I have been going through the galleries of images and I'm overwhelmed with emotion. For me these individual images capture the situation in New Orleans better than all of the film bites on TV. I ask myself why. Is it because I am a photographer? Is it because I have time to study the image rather than just have it flash by on the screen? Is it because each of them captures a "decisive moment." Is it because the photographers are more talented than the cameramen....maybe I should say camera persons to be PC. Is it because of the quality of the image, good composition and amazingly real color that has a sense of depth and reality to it, a depth of field that has a perception of place and vision? I think it is all of those things.
If you want to see the last week in New Orleans take a look. Let me know if you agree that it is much different and more compelling than our TV reruns.
Today my friend Frank sent a URL to images from The Times-Picyuane newspaper in New Orleans. I have been going through the galleries of images and I'm overwhelmed with emotion. For me these individual images capture the situation in New Orleans better than all of the film bites on TV. I ask myself why. Is it because I am a photographer? Is it because I have time to study the image rather than just have it flash by on the screen? Is it because each of them captures a "decisive moment." Is it because the photographers are more talented than the cameramen....maybe I should say camera persons to be PC. Is it because of the quality of the image, good composition and amazingly real color that has a sense of depth and reality to it, a depth of field that has a perception of place and vision? I think it is all of those things.
If you want to see the last week in New Orleans take a look. Let me know if you agree that it is much different and more compelling than our TV reruns.
Thursday, September 01, 2005
Katrina
I have sat glued to the television watching the devastation from the hurricane. The situation in New Orleans and along the Gulf coast is unbelievable. I've tried to imagine what it must be like to have to abandon your home and all the things that matter so much, pictures, grandmother's silver, art, mementos from the children, the table your father made in woodshop....not that they are more important than life but these kinds of things are touchstones in our lives. Now they are gone. Jobs....gone. Houses.....gone. Loved ones.....lost.
How will they ever put their lives back together again?
How will they ever put their lives back together again?
Once upon a Mexican Mattress
Once we started coming to Mexico, it didn't take us long to figure out that we needed a room with two beds because all of the mattress were terrible and sunk in the middle. We like to cuddle but when you have to hold on the side of the bed to keep from sleeping on top of each other, that is beyond cuddling. We stayed several times in a B&B in Mexico City near the Reforma. Lovely old house and we met some very interesting people at the breakfast table. The first time we stayed there we had a beautiful room in the main house which the owner told us was the room where he was born. I swear that the mattress was the one he was born on. The mattress was terrible.
Over the last 10 years it seems like most of the old, broken down mattresses in hotels and B&B have been replaced. Last week I was reminded of this when we stayed in the hotel in Saltillo. We did have a room with two beds but when I laid down on the mattress, it was nice and firm but it brought back lots of memories of mattresses in the past that were not like that.
There are still differences in Mexican mattresses and USA mattresses. This will matter to you if you are buying a mattress in Mexico. The standard Mexican Queen size mattress is 60x75 while the USA mattresses are 60x80. The strange thing is if you go to Costco in Queretaro to buy a mattress....a Sealy Posturepedic Mattress that you would think would be to USA measurements, it will be 60x75. This means that your fitted sheets from the USA might not fit it tightly. We found a place here in San Miguel de Allende that has Mexican mattresses made to USA measurements, 60x80. We bought the Mexican mattress.
Now Mexican pillows are another story.
Over the last 10 years it seems like most of the old, broken down mattresses in hotels and B&B have been replaced. Last week I was reminded of this when we stayed in the hotel in Saltillo. We did have a room with two beds but when I laid down on the mattress, it was nice and firm but it brought back lots of memories of mattresses in the past that were not like that.
There are still differences in Mexican mattresses and USA mattresses. This will matter to you if you are buying a mattress in Mexico. The standard Mexican Queen size mattress is 60x75 while the USA mattresses are 60x80. The strange thing is if you go to Costco in Queretaro to buy a mattress....a Sealy Posturepedic Mattress that you would think would be to USA measurements, it will be 60x75. This means that your fitted sheets from the USA might not fit it tightly. We found a place here in San Miguel de Allende that has Mexican mattresses made to USA measurements, 60x80. We bought the Mexican mattress.
Now Mexican pillows are another story.
Like Father, Like Son
I called to check on Maxwell and how he was doing with Kindergarten. Susan told me that he has been going for 11 days and he has lost 2 plastic containers and his lunch box and maybe one or two other things. I started laughing.....he is like his father. Doug lost sweaters, jackets, shoes, keys, books....anything that wasn't permanently attached to his body.
Then Doug got on the phone to talk and he told me that he had a talk with Maxwell about keeping up with his stuff. Maxwell told him that he had been trying really, really hard but he didn't know what happened. He thought that maybe the germs had taken his lunch box off. I started laughing again. Doug was always my child with the wild explanations about what had happened to him.
Oh, they are going to have fun raising this boy. Like Father, like son.
Then Doug got on the phone to talk and he told me that he had a talk with Maxwell about keeping up with his stuff. Maxwell told him that he had been trying really, really hard but he didn't know what happened. He thought that maybe the germs had taken his lunch box off. I started laughing again. Doug was always my child with the wild explanations about what had happened to him.
Oh, they are going to have fun raising this boy. Like Father, like son.
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