Are You Certain......

A couple of weeks ago, one of my Houston neighbors commented to one of my blog entries, "Are you certain this is a place you want to live full time?"

I was thinking about that question this weekend as we prepare to come back to Houston to clean out the house for the people who want to buy it.

It hasn't been an unusual weekend but it has been a nice weekend.

Friday morning I headed into town for Yoga. A stop at Buena Vida for bottled water and I saw Meg and Sandy having breakfast. Not much time to visit, just hugs and then across the street to the Yoga Co-op at Bellas Artes. It was a good session. I always leave there feeling centered, aware of my body and on an emotional high.

I walked up Canal and through the Jardin and saw that they were setting up a stage and getting ready for a political rally later in the day. The Jardin was crowded with Mexicans and just a few foreigners since this is the low season for tourists. The food vendors had moved their carts back under the trees.....I'm not sure whether it was because of the preparations for the rally or to escape the sun.

I walked on toward home and stopped to visit with Rick and Deb at Zocalo. I told them that the Houston house was under contract so we would be here full time. Lots of hugs and excitement from them. I heard about their Semanta Santa adventures. We have to follow them next year. After I left Zocalo, I ran into Tom who was buying flowers. Their daughter was expected from the airport in the next hour or so. I told him what a lovely evening we had at dinner at their house on Monday. We walked along together chatting until we reached his house then I walked on home.

In the afternoon there was time for a siesta along with working at the computer trying to catch up with some image processing.

Friday evening we met Barry and Tracy at Romano's Restaurante. After a drink in the bar, we went up to the terrace and while we sat sat there we watched the setting sun outline the clouds with that proverbial silver lining before becoming a red-orange ball and slipping below the horizon. The day had been hot but on the terrace lit by candle light we were cooled by a gentle breeze. We talked about immigration, houses, friends, kids, and trips to New York City. Easy talk among friends. I met Barry and Tracy right after we bought our house. It was one of those friendships that immediately took hold. We lingered at the table long past the sunset and then walked back to Colonia San Antonio together.

Saturday Ned had errands in town and I had some chores around the house and more work in Photoshop at the computer. About 5:30 we went up on the terrace, sipped cool drinks and watched the Egrets flying back to the trees in the Parque. Some hummingbirds came to the feeder or to sample the Mexican sage blossoms. The shadows grew longer and the town glistened in the setting sun light. The breeze turned a bit cooler. We could hear the early evening street vendors announcing their wares. We decided to go into the Centro for dinner.

Again we walk. There is no getting the car out to go the three-fourths of a mile to the Centro even though it is uphill. If we think about it at all, we tell ourselves it is good for our hearts. But here walking isn't "exercise." It is just going where you want to go.

Luckily we planned to eat at the sidewalk cafe at the Posada San Francisco because when we reached the Jardin, there were Mariachi's playing at one cafe, a seated audience in front of the Parroquia listening to a men's chorus, some huge piece of equipment on a flat bed truck in front of the bank about which we speculated had they just lowered it from the roof, were they getting ready to put it on the roof or was there some other purpose. It didn't move off the flat bed truck all evening and we don't know what the equipment was doing there.

The Jardin was full of people....young families with toddlers playing with toys bought from the vendors, people rushing across the Jardin toward the Monjas Church in the finest of suits and ties and cocktail dresses. We decided it must be a wedding. Young couples cuddled on the benches, older couples walked hand in hand. Grown children helped elderly parents up and down the stairs. More than the usual number of food vendors were set up around the Jardin.

We remembered that this was the evening when there would be a Mass for Pedro Vargas, a world famous entertainer who was born in San Miguel. And there were fireworks set up in front of the Parroquia to be exploded later.

After we circled around the Jardin a time or two just checking on what was going on, we went to the cafe for dinner. We were seated at a table by the window and there was a trio playing and singing in the cafe. We order drinks, then dinner and watched the world go by outside. Just when I'm thinking that I have seen hardly a gringo all evening, Carrie, David, Bob and a friend of theirs walked by and stopped to chat.

We left the restaurant just in time to walk across the Jardin and see the fireworks. We see Barbara and Mike. They have been to dinner to celebrate Mike's birthday. They live in San Miguel full time and Barbara remarked that she never gets tired of seeing the fireworks....that is saying a lot because we have them all the time. I understand. I feel the same way.

We walk home. As we pass the Instituto, we pause a few minutes to watch the wedding party arrive for the reception. Along Calle Orizaba we hear music from cars that pass as well as some from some of the houses. The men's bar on the corner of 20 de Enero is lively with music and voices. The Exquisito Taco stand is doing a good business and there is a steady stream of young people dressed to attract the opposite sex headed toward centro and leaving a trail of perfumed air behind them.

We nod and speak to our neighbors sitting outside talking or selling jellos and custards from tables in front of their house. "Buenos Noches," we say. They smile and reply, "Buenos Noches." Our dreams float under the ceiling fan and mix with the far-off sound of music from the reception at the Instituto. We sleep well.

Today, Ned went to the market. I spent the morning "exploring" for images as I walk in Colonia San Antonio. I came home and downloaded them and then started processing some of them. Tonight we are cooking in. Something simple....Roasted pork tenderloin, broccoli, and salad. I think we will eat on the patio.

"Are you certain......"
Yes, I'm certain.