Starting to think of home

Now that we have about a month left of our current stay here in Mexico City, my thoughts are turning to going home to Chicago.  I have started the airline tickets search as well as making a partial list of what will go back to Chicago with us and what will stay here for when we return next year.  I'm planning where I want to eat with my family when we get back, and I can't wait to visit Barnes and Noble and Joann Fabrics.  I want to have a backyard bbq with friends and family and I want to take long walka with the dogs through our neighborhood.  My limit for a stay here in Mexico seems to be five months.  Longer than that and I get too lonely for Chicago and especially for my family.  By the time we leave in September we will have been here for almost six months.

And our time here in Mexico City has been good.  We've traveled with friends to Patzcuaro, visited so many beautiful and fun neighborhoods in Mexico City, and we have visited with our family here.  We have had backyard bbqs with family and friends and have thoroughly enjoyed the garden that Arturo has worked so hard on, as well as the glorious view of the mountains from our bedroom balcony.  We have created a daily routine here that I will miss when we are back in Chicago.  Mexico has been good to us during these months. If my family lived here with us it would be close to perfect.  But they don't, and that is why my heart can never be completely content when we are in Mexico.

The last two weeks we have been so lucky to have our good friends from Chicago, Tom and Goya, here in Mexico.  They have been staying in the Condesa neighborhood in a super lovely condo.  We have spent good days and evenings with them going through Mexico City's neighborhoods and eating at fun places.  They leave tomorrow and we will miss them very much but it is easier because we will see them again in a month.  Next week I'll post a blog about one of the visits we made with Tom and Goya to see the great Mexican artists Rina Lazo and Arturo Garcia Bustos.  That was a super day!

In the meantime, here are a few photos but I have to say that I have not taken many pictures at all during the last two weeks.  Instead, I've been too busy talking with Goya.  I'm hoping Tom can send me some of the ones he has taken when they get back to Chicago!

Have a great weekend!

Polanco's Modern Architecture

I'm fascinated with the older homes and buildings in the Polanco neighborhood and I've posted many such photos, but the last time we were there I started focusing on the newer architecture.  It was a Sunday afternoon and after eating we walked through the neighborhoods enjoying the quiet (something that is out of the ordinary for Mexico City) and empty streets.  I started looking up at the building and realized that many of the new structures are actually quite beautiful.  I still prefer the older buildings, but I can live with these:

I had to take this one that is below though.  I will always love color over steel and white.  For me, the house below has so much more character and charm. I can imagine the people who have lived in such houses over the years and I can invent stories for them in my head.  For some reason that is harder for me to do with the newer buildings.  I realize it is all a matter of taste though and I understand why people love modern architecture as much as I love the older styles.

As to our architectural changes here in our house, we are all covered with cement dust.  It's in my eyes, nose and apparently my lungs since I've been coughing for two days now.  We keep telling ourselves it is only temporary.  I actually tried to take a picture of all the dust floating through the air but the photo didn't do the scene justice.

For my friends in Chicago - enjoy the Blackhawks Victory Parade!!  I was downtown for the last one and it was so much fun!  I want to be there for next year's parade so there had better be a repeat.

 

Colonia Maza

We are always on the lookout  to discover places in Mexico City that are new for us.  I have to be frank about how we came to find Colonia Maza even if it is a bit tacky.  Arturo and I love plants and flowers and we want to fill the house with both.  However, we aren't here all year and when we leave for up to six months, they will all die.  So, we have been looking for good quality artificial plants and flowers.  You should see some of the looks we have gotten from vendors when we go to the outdoor and indoor flower and plants markets and ask them if they have fake ones.  One kind vendor must have taken pity on us and told us about Colonia Maza.  Colonia Maza has streets and streets of shops selling high quality artificial flowers and plants that make you look twice and I actually had to touch them to see if they are real or not.  It is a crafters' paradise too with stores that offer scrapbooking supplies, wood and ceramics to paint, do it yourself party decorations as well as party decor for every type of occasion, ribbons, the list goes on.  And let me tell you it was a constant battle to keep Poukie from peeing on everything - he thought they were real too.

We bought a bunch of flowers and made two beautiful arrangements.  However, the house construction is causing so much concrete dust everywhere that Arturo put them away before I could take the pictures.  Actually, I could have taken the pictures because they were on display for a couple of days but I didn't know they were going to disappear on me.  Another day I will post them.  And we will return to Maza for plants next time.

On the good news front, the remaining two puppies, siblings of puppy Caine, checked out okay at the vet's yesterday!  They show no signs of the heart disease that the other puppies died from.  It was time for some good news.  In the words of their caretakers:

Absolutely speechless! Our 2 little miracles, (say that again) MIRACLES have escaped the heart disease that took the lives of Mama, Jasmine, Snapdragon and Caine. The Doctor said their hearts are beating strong and they should live healthy long lives. We needed this so badly. The heartache was beginning to be too much too bare. Even though it's Wednesday, I think a happy dance and a celebration is just what the Dr ordered! We are truly blessed. Thank you for sending prayers and love! 

That made my day yesterday.

Museo de Arte Popular

The Museo de Arte Popular, located in the Historical Center of Mexico City, has a fun exhibition right now that we, Arturo, his mom, brother Alfonos, sister Marcela and brother-in-law Antonio visited yesterday.  Montserrat Pecanins, a woman who was born in Spain but has lived much of her life in Mexico City, is a former art gallery owner, plus many other things, and who creates large shadow boxes of dancers, musicians,  and performers.  The exhibition showcases these wonderfully eccentric, intricate and elaborate boxes that she creates with moving figures.  These are a couple of my favorites:
                                                               

 This one was one of my favorites because she created a bookstore and made lots of tiny books that you can't see here.

She has drawers full of sequins, lace, brocades, pearls, jewelry, fabrics, buttons and whatever other embellishments catch her eye.  As you can see, she loves bright, bold colors.

Arturo and his mom met her a couple of years ago since she was also a gallery owner and Arturo seems to know tons of people in the arts.  She owned her first gallery, located in Barcelona, together with her younger twin sisters.  All three spent most of their time in Mexico City where they were very well known in the artistic community.

 

This one is of the famous composer, Agustin Lara.

Our next stop was to eat at a neighborhood restaurant.  You know the kind of simple, but great food kind of place that isn't in the tourist books but where all the locals go?  That's this one.  It is right in front of one of Latin America's oldest radio station, XEW.  Sorry but I don't know the name of the restaurant.  Next time.  They have the best enchiladas in mole - I may have mentioned that before - as well as pancita and chicken soup.  Lots of other good things too.

l-r: Alonso, Josefina, my mother-in-law, Arturo, me and Marcela

We rounded off the day walking around the center.  Arturo's mom is a great guide considering that she lived there for many years and Alfonso was born in the historic center.

Prayers for Little Puppy Caine and a Walk in the Neighborhood of Arturo's Beginnings

First, I want to say a couple of things about this cute little guy to my left.  He is one of the three surviving puppies of Mama Petunia, a pregnant pit bull who was brutally beaten, burned and left to die.  She survived long enough, with the help of a wonderful organization, Pittie Rescue, for the puppies to be born.  Only five of the puppies lived and unfortunately, because of the abuse and infections Mama Petunia had, two of those five died within the first several weeks.  Those of us following the story have had the opportunity to see the three remaining puppies grow, play and love being alive.  Now little Caine is sick.  There appears to be something wrong with his heart.

I know there are many humans in the world who are in need of help, prayers and monetary assistance.  However, we are for the most part the most fortunate ones in the world and I believe there is always a place in a heart for more compassion.  I'm praying for Caine and his remaining siblings to live and I hope you can add your own prayers.  No living being or animal deserves to be abused in any way. And I'm praying for the dogs' caretakers who have already had their hearts broken three times, that they not be broken again.

On to another topic, yesterday we went to the Centro of Mexico City searching for pumps and heaters for the outdoor jacuzzi that Arturo is building.  The Centro is the older part of Mexico City that still has every type of shop that you could need:  electrical, lighting fixtures, plumbing, fabric stores (my favorites!), hardware, etc.  Arturo's paternal grandfather had a machine shop in what is now a Best Western hotel, and his maternal grandmother had a "merceria" which is a store that sells threads, yarns, ribbons and some paper goods like notebooks.  The machine shop and the merceria were on the same street and that is how Arturo's parents met.  I love going to that area as it is like taking a step way back in history.

We didn't buy anything for the jacuzzi but we did walk for several hours, with the dogs of course, and Arturo collected many business cards filled with prices for what he wants.  We also ate there, I had enchiladas with mole and Arturo ate his favorite dish - caldo de pollo (chicken soup), which meant I didn't have to cook yesterday.



And I'll leave you with this goofy picture of Poukie that I took when we got back home yesterday.  Who knows what he was pouting about or if he was punishing himself for something.

Flowers and San Angel

When I'm in Chicago, planting my annuals in pots and placing them throughout my back yard and porch is one of my favorite things to do.  I can sit outside on the deck and look at them for hours with a cup of coffee or wine and a book in hand. I didn't get to do that last summer, nor will I this summer as we won't be returning to Chicago until late September.  I miss those times!  You may think I'm crazy being that Mexico has year round flowers.  And the flowers and greenery here is absolutely beautiful and I love it with all my heart.  But I guess the difference here is that because we are surrounded all year with flowers, I start to take them for granted.  Something that we should never ever do, and I promise I will stop that nonsense.

These beauties are right outside my bedroom window and are climbing up the wall.

 I am so incredibly lucky to wake up to these and to see them a thousand times during the day.  I love the bright pinks, fuchsias and reds.  So while I don't have my potted annuals here, I instead have a garden all year long.






And speaking of gardens, last weekend we went to the Saturday outdoor art market in the San Angel neighborhood.  The artists set up their artwork in their designated spaces in the park every Saturday and it's such a fun place to go to.  I always find at least a dozen paintings that I would like to purchase, and I'm always telling Arturo which artists he should invite to Chicago for a gallery show.  Sometimes he listens, maybe.  Probably not.

 The artists often don't want anyone taking pictures of their artwork, so I tried to be discreet and take these from a safe distance.

Taking a break and munching on something.  The dogs love going there too!  Seriously, I think they are taking over our lives.  But in a good way.

This is another must visit place when you come to Mexico City.

La Lagunilla - Mexico City's Antiques Market

Yesterday was Arturo's birthday (Happy 58th mi amor!) and he wanted to spend it in one of his favorite places in Mexico City - La Lagunilla, a large flea market that has one large section with only vintage and antiques.That is the part of the market that we hit on many Sundays, while bypassing the rest of the stands.  We've come to know many of the vendors and have found artwork, furniture, household items and so much more.  Arturo has a great eye for what is good and what is junk and we've decorated our house here with some of his finds.  For example:

He bought two of these armoires about two years ago.  They actually are from the United States but somehow they made their way to Mexico City.

He loves paper mache horses and this is the first one he bought at La Lagunilla.  It needs some restoration work but is a really fun piece.

Continuing with the horse theme, he bought this little guy yesterday.  It also is made from paper mache and needs some work.  He bargained the vendor down to less than half the original asking price.  He's pretty good at that - unlike me who if I get them to go down by 20% I think I've won the lottery.





The piece below is one of two:  they are the pitchers that bars used in the past to serve the beverage "pulque" that is made from cactus and is an alcoholic drink.  It is becoming more popular in the U.S. lately.

The pictures that follow are all from the market. 

 If you ever are in Mexico City, and if you like vintage and antiques, you will have to visit La Lagunilla.  Let us know if you are here and we'll be happy to take you there!

Happy Monday!

Citlali had to wear a sock because she has an infection in her paw.  Here she is milking it for all it's worth.

This isn't one of ours but I thought she .looked kind of cute.  In a weird way.

Makes Me Smile

Happy people lift the spirits of just about everyone whom they touch - whether you see them in person, read about them, look at something they have created or just hear stories about them.  While I have never met her, Ree Drummond, aka  the Pioneer Woman, seems to be one of those happy people.  Her life, at least the parts she shares with the world through her blog and books, reads like a fairy tale.  But I don't think that is why she is happy.  Instead, I think she naturally is a well adjusted, fun person who has been lucky, but who also has worked hard for what she has achieved and knows how to appreciate what she has.

So, as I said above, because happy people make me happy, I have her cookbooks propped up against the wall in my kitchen.  Every time I look over at the covers, I smile.  Simple things, yet so important.

Feeling inspired, I mentioned to Arturo that maybe I could start a blog about restaurants in Mexico City.  I thought that we could go around the town eating, taking photos of the food and restaurants, and then blog about it.  He said that if I could come up with the funding to do that, then he would go along with it.  This was right after I had an idea to create a new type of coffee table that would have built in coasters that I would design out of mosaic tile.  I think that he is getting tired of my ideas.  But he knows that they won't stop coming so he is resigned.

I want to point out that while I have a lot of projects that I have started, and while it does take me a long time to finish them since I have a short attention span, I did manage to complete this shawl for my mother in law.  It was supposed to be a gift for Mothers Day so I wasn't too late.  It feels good to finish something!  Happy Wednesday!

Monday in Mexico, Volcanos, Cars and Holes

Mondays for Arturo and I are different from most days of the week for a rather simple reason.  We don't have a car on Mondays and we live out in a suburb that doesn't have much in the way of public transportation.  We don't have a car on Mondays because in Mexico City, part of the plan to reduce air pollution involves prohibiting cars that are seven years old (I think) from being used one day per week.  The day depends on your license plate number (I think).  Should get my facts right but truthfully, they don't matter that much since our car is a VW '87 bug.

I should note that Arturo really loves this car. Because of my constant complaints though we are looking for a used car that can COMFORTABLY transport us if we want to take a day trip somewhere.  Which we do.   So he is busy looking.

Even though it is annoying to not have use of our car one day per week, the air pollution in Mexico City has decreased substantially since the 1980's and 1990's even though the City is even larger now than it was then.   Proves that things can change for the better if people work to come up with solutions.

So, since we are housebound today, it has become cleaning day.  I like to have my house clean but I'm not a big fan of actually doing that, so I'm happy to say that I have finished cleaning for the day!  For some reason though, the cleaning made Citlali extremely nervous (it's not like we don't do this every week) and she is pretty much glued to me and won't stop shaking.  I wish they could talk sometimes so that I could fix whatever problem she seems to think she has.

 

Arturo is out in the backyard and has been there for hours.  I know he's digging a hole but I don't want to go ask him what exactly he's doing because then he may ask me to help.  Which I would do, but if I can avoid it even better.  I think he wants to lay stones down in the bottom level of the garden and he is going to bury the root of a tree he cut down last year.  He's made pretty good progress on his own so I will just stay up in my little office.

In other news today, el Popo, the very active volcano that sits on the outskirts of Mexico City, is once again very active.  El Popocatepetl has been active for as long as I can remember and through the years there have been a number of high alerts.  Thousands of people live on its base so the government has an evacuation plan in place in case he really decides to explode this time.  I think it is a "he".  I do know it means "Smoking Mountain".  It's beautiful and frightening.  Volcanos and earthquakes.  Can't say that Mexico City doesn't offer excitement.

Happy Monday!

Condesa - My Kind of Neighborhood

I know that I've mentioned once or twice how much I would love to live in Condesa, a vibrant, fun and dog friendly neighborhood in Mexico City.  Well, I'm about to talk about it again.  We went there yesterday with the dogs and I only became more determined to someday soon move there.  While we live in a lovely suburb called Satelite, it just so happens that I'm too much of a city person and a suburb is too quiet and laid back for me.  I need to see lots of people, activity and dogs around me, to say nothing of coffee shops, book stores, fun restaurants and beautiful parks that make my day.

This is one of the parks that I love.  It is actually sponsored by the pet food company Pedigree and dogs are everywhere. 

Here come two beautiful Dobermans.  We had to get out of their way because Poukie went nuts and decided he wanted to fight them both.  He only wants to do that because he knows we will save him from himself at the last minute.  Goofy dog.

The architecture is a blend of the old (meaning late 1800's to early 1900's) and the modern.  I'd love to live in one of the older buildings - all I need is an apartment.  Two bedrooms would be nice.

This is an example of the modern style.

And here are some of the older buildings.  I love this one as it conveniently has a restaurant on the street level that serves pizza!

There is a coffee shop that I wanted to find because they have a book club that meets there bi weekly.  Unfortunately, I didn't bring the address with me because I didn't know we were going to Condesa until we were half way there.  When I told Arturo that it would have been nice to know where I was going - I thought we were going to look at used cars since our '87 VW is not the most comfortable car around - he told me that two days ago I had said I wanted to go to Condesa.  I said that was true, but since he didn't even answer me when I suggested that, how the heck was I to know that he actually listened to what I was saying.  Not to complain, but I think that half the time that I'm telling him things, I'm actually just talking to the dogs who really do seem to listen to me.  Too bad they can't talk back.

Anyway, all I need to do now is to figure out how to get us to Condesa.   Updates will follow!