THIS AND THAT - CHRISTMAS 2016
After being here for several winters we have adjusted to having Christmas here is Mexico. No, there is no snow. And no pine trees. But we have our very nice little table-top artificial tree. And our beautiful nascimento. {New ornaments this year included a very nice crystal heart from Judy and a beaded scorpion (!?) Mrs.T bought.}
Of course we very much miss family, but everyone has become more far flung and are rarely going to gather at one place at the same time. We telephone everyone and may even do video calls in the near future. And Nick and Rita will be here for separate visits after the first of the year. J&J from Zanesville are in town now.
Mrs.T has a few comments about recent events. We hope you enjoy her observations. No pictures.
Judy and I were feeling festive so we got our toenails painted Red with golden sparkles. Oh Christmas toes! Oh Christmas toes! How lovely are your sparkles! I was warbling happily to the tune of "Oh Christmas Tree". Dan, who has no musical appreciation, made a rather derogatory comment. Oh well. (Judy is our Dr. Puzzle and Mrs.T's frequent shopping companion. -dt)
The community Christmas Pasada was held again this year after missing a year, so that was good. This is kind of a block party with Christmas carols, pinatas, a clown, and lots of free food. We especially enjoy it because it is an event that both the Mexicans and the gringos share with joyful enthusiasm. (The pasada is really for the neighbor children; Rebecca fits right in. -dt)
I was entering the bathroom one day when EEK!! A little gecko jumped right in front of my face. I am not afraid of geckos but it startled me. Since then I have seen him quite often, usually hiding behind the waste basket. Whenever I see him I admonish him, "Eat ants!" He must be listening because the ant population, which had been a problem, is way down. Dan claims to have seen him clutching a teeny, tiny GEICO insurance policy.
Judy was going to make Christmas ornaments with the orphans. Brenda and I went along to help. As my hands are pretty shaky my help consisted of mostly translation and hugs. The orphans were mostly enthusiastic and liked hugs.
The spring tide reinforced by a close moon has reconfigured the beach yet again; you can walk in and not be stuck in a trough. Scuba diving has been good for me and last week I saw a tractor crab for the first time. He was round, instead of flat. When I first saw him rolling across the ocean floor i thought he was a hermit crab. Alex picked him up so that I could see him. When I set him down on the ocean floor he started digging frantically to bury himself, Once he got a nice hole he splashed sand furiously on top of himself. He waited a moment and then he cautiously poked up his two eyes to see if we were still there. Overall however diving has been pretty slow this year. I heard Alex tell another divemaster all he had going for him was two boats and Rebecca. Dan was speculating if I was worth as much as a boat or half a boat or what.
I put away the Christmas puzzle and tomorrow I will start on a new one. On Christmas morning we followed our shadows down the road and over the bridge to Church. It was not well attended, probably everyone went the night before. (That was verified to us by VCW who said the Advent Wreath fell during the procession and created excitement with the candles going everywhere. -dt) And I missed the absent choir. Still it touched my heart to hear the two-thousand-year-old story of the Christmas miracle. And what baby is not a miracle whatever else you do or do not believe.
EEK the gecko sends you all lots of kisses. (They are called kissing gekos because they call to each other making smoochie sounds. And God bless us every one!
Happy New Year!
Go Bucks!
Dan and Rebecca
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