Musings

A Barred Window and a Dozen Eggs

July 23, 2021

Is San Miguel a vortex?

We have heard whispers.

And after 60 years of hard life lessons, trauma, and discontent, mixed in with some good times, my blossoming, good vibes with the universe and absolute contentment once landing in Mexico, and specifically San Miguel de Allende, must be sourced from cosmic energy. Right?

We have been here for over three years now and the buzz still hasn’t faded. I guess the energy remains strong; we know we do.

We realized a little while ago that we had created a life full of discretionary. We divested all our responsibilities and debts and bills and each day we can wake up and ask, “what happens today?”

It is all about choices. And split-second decisions, possibly after long mental and verbal debates or on a whim; all leading to that one moment.

But, sometimes there are the “what if’s.” Continue Reading…

Musings, San Miguel de Allende

Red Fire Ants and the Itch That Won’t Go Away

June 13, 2021

I have a pharmacy in my bathroom of cremes, lotions, and antihistamines. I am adding to its selection weekly to no avail. My arms still itch, making me scratch nonstop and turn into a royal bitch.

I have a history of sunburns starting in my youth when baby oil and iodine were the suntan lotions of most teenage girls. I added layers of the stuff throughout the afternoon, ending up as red as a lobster by evening. Once it was so bad that I couldn’t wear underwear to school, hiding my blistering body under a maxi halter and sitting down at my desk in a delicate matter.

I thought I learned my lesson years later and switched to other tanning oils and lotions that unfortunately did the same number on my skin. A Ph level wasn’t on my mind.

As time went on, I occasionally used more protective sunscreens but was/am still happiest on a sunny, warm day.

I am fair-skinned. And middle-aged, with a history of those sunburns and living in sunny climate Mexico. The perfect storm. Or so they say. Continue Reading…

Musings

Learning To Live With The Double Me

February 7, 2021

After three months away from each other, my husband finally comes back to San Miguel today. My elbows are ready to knock against his as he will be in self-imposed quarantine for 10-14 days. We do that because it is the right thing for our community and ourselves. But it won’t be easy.

We are lucky we rent a big house, with three floors. Bedrooms on the first and third, so we can maintain a distance while still being near each other. There is going to be a lot of calling back and forth through the stairwell. We also have terraces big enough to be separate, still see each other, blow kisses.

I am ready to have my cheerleader and constructive critic back for my writing practice. At times, I can really put a hell of a lot of pressure on myself. Let that destructive self-talk get in my way.

But I am also applauding myself, and how I have handled being away from Glenn all this time. Continue Reading…

Musings

Wrapping Up 2020, A Year Of Introspection

January 2, 2021

As we enter the new year,  I thought I would reflect on the old, the horrible year of 2020. That, in retrospect, wasn’t too horrible for us.

We started it off in Merida. We had escaped the cold weather in San Miguel in November 2019 headed to the beaches and finished with hosting friends.

Glenn and I had a lot planned for the year, culminating in a six-month trip to South East Asia in September.

Little did we know what actually awaited us.. I should have had an inkling when I got as close to a manic episode as I had been since we moved to Mexico in April 2018. I was teetering on the edge, trying to stay away from tipping entirely. Maybe that was an unconscious prelude to what was to come. Continue Reading…