It's our last week or so in Mexico and we've continued with our normal relentless pace but it's been a ton of fun. Some of the highlights (and there are many) include, starting with the most important:
ONE: The baby finally arrived!
For those of you following Michael's blog, last week our neighbor Mimi (and Mom Irma) sent her grandfather, Xavier, over to roust us about 2 in the morning after a fun Mother's Day fiesta in the jardin.
We spent the night in the Manzanillo hospital with them, walking Mimi around the parking lot in the dark while we tried to kickstart her labor a little more efficiently. When we finally left them mid-morning to return to La Manz, Mimi was being admitted to the hospital.
Then, no word, day after day. Just that they were okay and that baby hadn't been born yet.
Finally, last Wednesday we got word that the baby girl had arrived and was fine, but there had been some problems with Mimi. After a cesarean section, Mimi lost a lot of blood. Had she not been in the hospital, she wouldn't be with us today.
Mother and child are now safely home in La Manzanilla, where we got the full report from the local doctor who was making a house call. Check out Grandma Irma, Mimi, Sylvia and Devani, and the local doctor (with a backpack) in the picture.A house call? I love this place!
And last week when Michael and I walked 'downtown' for dinner, we spotted a local version of "urgent care" --- a pickup truck parked in front of the local pharmacy/doctor with an IV rigged up over the cab, attached to an elderly gentleman asleep in the front seat.
TWO: We went horseback riding!
Michael bravely agreed to accompany me on horseback for a tour of a friend's ranch near where we're building in Arroyo Seco. We rode through orchards to a nearby freshwater lagoon filled with a ton of birds and wildlife. It was amazing. And it really reminds me a lot of Southwest Florida, especially Sanibel Island.
So now I have this hot idea that we'll buy a horse or two when we return in December. It seems a perfect way to explore the countryside and the beaches around us. Michael is asking a lot of questions from the locals, like exactly how much dinero will it take to keep a horse in Mexico.I think he's comparing costs of slip fees and yardwork from our former boating life to hay, barns and vet bills. I'll let you know when the verdict comes in.
THREE: Our palapa, ramada and bodega are almost done!
We've been visiting Arroyo Seco almost daily to check the progress on our building projects, see if more decisions need to be made. The workers have been making rapid progress with early mornings and late evenings, all day Saturday. I've been impressed. And it's requiring a lot of coordination to have the concrete go in at the right time for the posts for the palapa and the ramada, etc.
Friday night we'll have the requisite fiesta to thank the workers for all the hard work and the dedication to project. If we were living nearby, we would have been expected to feed the workers either daily or weekly, depending on the size of the project and the proximity to available food.
As I told my neighbor today, I'd know just what to do to throw a fiesta in the states --- what food to serve, what time, what the expectations would be. But here, I'm depending on local friends to help me. I've assured them that if they ever have to throw a fiesta in the U.S., I'm there for them.
We're now on Countdown status as we prepare to close down projects until the end of the year. This last week we're taking a vacation from our frenetic life and heading to the beach to celebrate our 18th wedding anniversary and to spend some time with my cousin Lynn and friends.
The next blog post with be from Seneca Lake in New York, where I join up with my music buddies and prepare for a June wedding.
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