Seen on a dirt road in México...

Sorry about the bad quality of the picture. But, I took it through the side van windows as we passed this guy.

Yes. He is going somewhere. With 2 sheep strapped to the back of his motorcycle.

Did I mention they were LIVE sheep??

just whining

I usually feel pretty good when my Mexican friends and neighbors tell me I have adjusted well to Mexican living. And, I usually feel pretty well-adjusted.

However, there are two times I start chafing a bit at the experience.

The first is when we have to do anything dealing with paperwork. Being part of two countries at one time is a tricky game, held together by all kinds of red tape. A lot of the experience has to do with who you deal with in trying to get whatever document you need. You could have a great experience with a really nice, understanding person. Or you could want to run screaming through the city after being made to go in endless circles for no apparent reason.

The other time is when I or my babies are feeling sick.

One thing about "sick" is it tends to make you yearn for certain things--like maybe a certain snack or a long soak in a hot bath. Or, it makes you want those things for your kids.

A major thing is LAUNDRY when the sickies come around. Often, sickness brings with it all kinds of reasons for "soiled" laundry--or just the need for "higher sanitization"... This week finds us with that "need". Each day, I have been washing all bedding... towels... clothes... stuffed animals....toys... all day long and into the night. The tricky part comes with "no dryer".

I generally enjoy not having a dryer and joining in with my fellow Mexicanos in doing our part to save the earth. We have the luxury of mostly sunny weather most of the year, so why not? But, when I am pulling load after load out of the washer, it makes for some interesting creativity in figuring out how to get everything dry on time. Think blankies and bearies. Whew.

Ah, yes! And the times when everything stops because the water tank on the roof emptied from all the washing... and ya gotta wait for it to trickle full again.

So, yeah. There you have it... my moaning for conveniences as I massage my aching back. The "nice" thing about "sickies" is.... Now my house smells like bleach and Fabuloso. It's probably the best time for you to come over and visit, if you're into the clean house thing.

Just excuse my pruney, sandpapery hands.

For the ladies...

Guess what? I was a guest writer on MomLife Today!

Check it out....

try Me in this

Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,
That there may be food in My house,
And try Me now in this,”
Says the LORD of hosts,

If I will not open for you the windows of heaven
And pour out for you such blessing
That there will not be room enough to receive it.
Malachi 3:10

I know talking about money is usually taboo... but, I think that those of you that read my stuff are close enough friends that you'll be "okay" with it.

We are facing a "tight" time financially. It seems that all the bills came at the same time: my visa, the rent and an outrageous electricity bill. We were looking at the month of December and literally wondering how we were going to be able to make it.

We get our support money in once a month. We saw what came in, and saw that it wouldn't really even cover what we owed, let alone have for food and gas.

Then came the issue of the tithe.

Saturday night, we discussed writing an note of "how much we owed God" and give the December's tithe in January. Sunday morning, we decided we should follow the principle of God first, in everything.

And Jesus said to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
Matthew 22:21

To be able to get groceries for the week, we decided to round up whatever "non-essentials" (even if some of them made me sentimental) we could find and do a garage sale in front of our house. (I've also found that doing a garage sale is one of the best way to "break the ice" with the neighbors = added bonus!)

Do you know what? When we laid our heads down on the pillow, we realized we were blessed. God had caused the sale to go well. He had given us back all of what we had given Him in the morning.

And added one peso more.

Lord-- We have tried You, and we have seen.

why, yes i am! thank you!

You remember that one popular song:

"You're so vaaain
You pro'lly think this blog is aboutchoo
You're so vaaaaiiiinnn!"

So, yes. I guess I am. And I do.

Because, I had to get pictures for my Mexican visa a couple of weeks ago. It went with the same lady Rey and Aleni did... and she was just as picky with me.

The requirements for the shot was one straight-on shot and one profile shot. All hair had to be pulled away from the face. No jewelry. No make-up. No smiling.

Talk about out of my comfort zone for picture-taking. I mean, hello. My grand-babies could be looking at this picture years from now... Also, haven't you read that verse in the Bible:

"Likewise, ye women, adorn thyself with the longest hair possible so as to cover the unseemly parts of your face during picture taking."

Anyhoo. I submit one shot. And, being vain as I am, I only submit the profile shot. Because the other one was skeery.

random weirdness.

At almost all the major intersections of our city, you will be swarmed by people hoping to get a few cents off of you. Guys juggling flaming rods, kids juggling oranges, people selling ice cream, peanuts,toys, whatever. People in wheelchairs or slings asking for help with a medical bill. And, most of all, people jumping on your hood to squirt down your windshield and squeegee it "clean".

I usually just get super annoyed at all the commotion... but, I've actually found it's way easier to have a 2 peso coin ready in your hand to give to whoever is the most persistent, than it is to make a mean face and say, "No, I really mean it--I'm not interested."

So, yesterday I was sitting at the red light, pesos in hand as a teenage guy flung himself over my hood to scrub away on the windshield. Side note: It is rather awkward when you are alone to know where to look at this point. Over him? At you shoes? Anyhoo....

I had grabbed a can of watermelon something to drink on the way out of the store, so I was holding that in the hand that wasn't on the steering wheel. After I gave the kid his money, he leaned his head in the window and said, "Are you pistiando?"

Yes, I left that last word in Spanish, because I had no idea what it was. I assured him I wasn't (how could I be if I didn't even know what it was? haha). "OH!!" He shouted, as he strode off, "I really thought you were pistiando."

Hmmm. Well, thankfully I live with a Spanish to English dictionary (aka my hubby). I asked him what it was, and he said it basically means "Getting drunk."

So, the guy thought I had a can of the good stuff popped open and was slurping it down as I drove through town. It made me wonder what he would've done if I really was drinking a Corona. Told me how dangerous it was? Or asked for his own slurp?

Questions....