Everyday

ROUTINE LIFE

As we have said many times, we are not on vacation.  Our winter life in Mexico is just a relocation to sunnier, warmer weather - normally.  It takes several days to edit the newsletter but today is not one of those sunnier, warmer ones.  It is a rainy, cold - for us - dreary day.  It happens once or twice during the winter; we will not complain much.

Our life here is essentially the same as in Philo - routine.  Some special activities now and then, e.g., chalk art on the street next week.  But mostly just the normal enjoyment of life.  So sometimes there is not a lot of interesting material for a newsletter.  The Muse has done well to describe a bit of the day, although she may have exaggerated some.

We did have one event of note.  I had some small surgery on my eyelids.  It was to help the drooping caused by my ocular myasthenia gravis .  The medication I have been taking has been less and less effective.  It seems that my eyes are a little better; we need to wait several weeks for complete healing.  And I will continue with the same meds.  It looks like my glasses will cover most scars.  My well-known bump was also removed.  The operation was done at Clinica Santa Rosa; Dr. Victor and his staff did a great job as usual.  Thank you!

Over our many issues we have avoided any political commentary.  It is not because we do not have our own ideas and opinions.  But we have not wanted to upset our readers who come from many backgrounds with their own slants on things in that arena. Nonetheless, Mrs.T slipped a bit of commentary in this issue.  The editor is certain you will understand. 

Our days are concentrated (Too strong a word; too much for sure. -dt) on television.  In the morning I watch the news and shout, "You are an idiot", to pictures of Donald Trump.  I personally will be glad when this election is over.  Later in the day Dan spends hours shouting advice or insults at various sports athletes and coaches.  It matters not the sport or the team, Dan has a strong opinion and expresses it loudly. (The Editor is interested in many sports. -dt)  You might wonder if two supposedly intelligent adults could not find a better way to spend their time.  In actual fact you might wonder if someone who shouts at an inanimate box of technology is an idiot.  But that is neither here nor there.  Evidently not!  My friend, Judy, tells her husband, "They cannot hear you!" This behavior seems to occur especially often in husbands.  Evidently it is endemic in Canadian husbands also.  

Dan has been watching chess tournaments on TV.  Sometimes he gets mad at me because I don't know who's winning or losing, not to mention why.(Not true, just annoyed perhaps. -dt)  I like the one commentator named Peter (Peter Leko -dt) who says things like, "He moved his knight, which was quite annoying."  Or, "The player missed a cheapoleeto". (Peter has his own vocabulary -dt)  Years ago I did know a little about chess but now they are doing it a lot differently.(Just using technology. -dt)  Not only that, but a lot of the players have very long names so they use nicknames and I have no idea who they are talking about. (Foreign languages are not Mrs.T's strong point. -dt) I try to keep track of a little bit of Dan's many interests.  Chess is hard for me.  I hate it when he treats me like a fool. (NO! Not true. Rebecca actually follows things fairly well. -dt) Sigh! The world champion is Chinese and his name is Ding (Ding Liren -dt); that is easy to remember.

There have been several small earthquakes in our neighborhood recently.  But I did not feel them.  Judy saw their swimming pool swishing back and forth but she did not feel it either.   

I have personally seen whales jumping in the bay twice.  There are reports many mothers (Cows -dt) calved in the bay this year.  (Undoubtedly the main reason the bay is important to the humpbacks. -dt)

So we are enjoying our usual peaceful winter.  Reading in the shade of our courtyard and working together with our friends on 1000 piece puzzles. (The puzzle crew has been putting them together quite rapidly this season. -dt)

I have been collecting little woven animals (Willow? -dt) that open on their backs or tummies (or back ends -dt) to become purses.  One Sunday I dumped out my discrete little leather purse and carried a plump, jolly, striped piggy to church.  I did get a couple of compliments not to mention several looks.  I told Dan it was 'carry-your-piggy-to-church' day.  I would have loaned him a nice conservative piggy but he did not seem inclined to participate.

I, alas, have stopped SCUBA diving.  My breathing was badly affected when I got COVID.  And I am very low on energy.  I am still able to ride Johnny for a couple of hours every Thursday. (Our neighbor Serah has begun to ride with Mrs.T -dt) After a couple of people shove me up onto the Mexican saddle I am good to go.  Sometimes Johnny turns his head around and looks at me as if to say, "Quit messing around and sit down!" My right side still doesn't work right because of the strokes. (COVID accentuated the effects of her strokes.  -dt)

My Aunt Winkie has died.  She was 98 and was the last of that generation   of the MacDonalds. (Or McDonald -dt)  She told me several years ago that she was ready to go.  An ardent Christian, she died quite confidently.  I figured that God had all the angels sweeping under all the beds in heaven, cleaning the celestial dust bunnies in preparation for her ascent.

A few representative pictures:  https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBeeFj

Thanks to George for a couple of pictures.

We hope you are well and enjoying the winter.

Best wishes.

Dan and Rebecca

www.casa-de-terrible.blogspot.com

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