The Month of May

l thought that when l arrived here in Mexico the end of December that l would have so much time.  l have found that living in two countries you need time to adjust to the differences.  Those differences here are the language, money, food, weather, living conditions, friends you have not seen or spent time with for six months.........As for time..........from the minute l arrived til this week-end the fun has not stopped.  The only way it does stop is by saying no to the invitations.Now this gypsy has amigos in San Pancho, Sayulita and Vallarta.  With Utleys move to Vallarta a whole new area to play has opened up.....(more about that later).

This season started with a wonderful fun party  when l arrived for New Years in Vallarta.  Actually it is not for everyone but for those who get in the spirit, and are young at heart, Vallarta really knows how to celebrate.l enjoy dancing in the street until the fireworks at midnight pull you to the beach for the display, then its back to dancing..........The Malecon is beautiful and welcoming, food vendors, music, families, mimes, and most recently twenty-one artist were selected to build pongas, paint them with their distinctive style of art.  l was pleased because there were a number of artist l have studied with and a dear amigo from San Pancho, Ariel Sainz was one of the artist selected.  The pongas have been on display on the Malecon and join the wonderful sand sculptures, and other sculptures that line the streets of the Malecon.  Now that the entire length of the Malecon has been turned into a walking street, it is even more delightful.

l have attended a number of fundraisers all for the betterment of the pueblos, the children and any other reason ex-pats can think of ways to spend their money..........really l find the people who come back year after year very generous and willing to pitch in to help the community........The yearly San Pancho festival this year just continues to grow, bringing together musician artist and like pied pipers delighting all the music lovers around this magnificent Bay of Banderas.

Dinner parties at this casa have been a pleasure to be a part of.  Guest arrive early and leave veeeery late.  Conversations, the mixture of amigos, amigas seem to blend comfortably, the meals always prepared by someone who wants to cook are gourmet.  This year l brought my espresso machine, so its late night lattes, for this gypsy who basks in her element when good friends are all enjoying themselves.

l participated with a group of women  in an art show that we all organized  this year.  Several of the women who were in the show and l have painted  together since my arrival here in Mexico.  l find now my interest has shifted.........after attending several rather unsuccessful art workshops.........l am finding that l want to paint alone quietly, paint outside, follow the light, paint at my own pace and be able to be more creative.  Possibly that is  why l approach the art l create as a multi-media artist, l grow bored with the stagnant,  the personalities grow weary and the gypsy in me grows restless, seeking what is next, around the corner...........

What is next and around the corner is a retrospect of the creative work of the  artist Ariel, l mentioned earlier.  A group of us, Carmen, Tim, Utley, Roberto, Gloria, myself will host this retrospect  as a community event at the Cultural Center Friday evening here in Sayulita...........Saturday, join Utley and others at the Vallarta Film Festival to be present for the viewing of a political video Ariel entered  for the Festival.  He will be a receipient of an award for the video.........Sunday night with dear amigos,amigas, Julia, Carmen, Utley, Tim, Roger, Linda will be  attending a huge Vallarta fundraiser partially hosted by the American Consulant for all the non-profits along the Bay......l attended last year and it was a very entertaining evening with performers, food, drinks, fireworks, music and at least 500  attending............and after all that.............l will have one more party before l leave this magnificent house on the side of the mountain that overlooks the bay and has brought me so much pleasure, peace, joy............such a gift................

My departure date is around the 21st or so of May...........As l start to pack up l realize how much l carry around back and forth between the two countries...... but l also find that l do like some of my own  familiar  "things" that l am comfortable with...........however Entre Amigos in San Pancho has added a thrift store and l have hauled several huge bags over there all ready.................and so goes the time from December to May.

Life on the Coast of Mexico

lt is mid day and sunny.  All morning l have observed small boats coming  into the bay.  Over the week-end Sayulita hosted a surfing contest and the town was filled with young spirited people everywhere.  l am trying my hardest to be original  writing this  about why this place makes my heart sing but sometimes words are just that ........... words.........writing about deeper feelings are difficult to express.  lf l complain about unpaved roads, well we have those in California also in the Upper Carmel Valley and Big Sur Coast. lf l complain about resources or lack of l only have to drive to Vallarta.  l guess l really do not have alot to complain about, so it must just be part of the human condition or possibly in the soul of a gypsy.  The more settled and comfortable l feel here with all the activity  the more l long to hit the road.  l have several ideas about where l want to go but for now, doggone that view of the bay of Nayarit has mesmerized me again, the light is shifting, the palm trees are slightly, lazily moving with the breeze, even the birds seem to be taking a siesta.  All is well on this beautiful piece of the coast of Mexico.

Happy New Year from Riveria Nayarit

Amigos, this gypsy has had so many, many adventures that if l did not sit down and write about them today l would find myself in the next month.  Who ever said January was a down month after the holidays  sure is'nt  one of my amigos.  l arrived in the South just like any good travelin gypsy would, all wordly possession in a car load  filled with goodies.........my traveling buddy for this trip was sure there would not be enough room for him in the car for the trip here.

Driving South from Phoenix to San Carlos the weather was still cool, but after a wonderful night spent there the weather began to change and arriving in Mazatlan it was downright very cool.........The heat was merely the heat of the day, but by evening it was coooooold............After Mazatlan, l began to smell the air of San Blas, Las Varas, Rincon De Guayabitas, San Poncho, Sayulita............home..........home...........home............As l sit here writing, a flock of birds all in single row file fly by the huge bay windows  and the view beyond of the bay though palm trees...........l have been so distracted by the view while l was throwing pillows around (for the most dramatic affect) playing house, bringing out lavender, sage, spices and spreading around the  house where l am now at, well a gypsy could easily clip her lifestyle and just sit here and never get tired of the view......last night the full moon casting a path all across the bay was awesome............l could close the blinds and that certainly would stop all this distraction of mother natures bounty...........but sad to say l am not going to do  that.  l will just have to learn how to balance the mesmerizing view with the busyness of partys, dinners, music, art, shopping, oh yes the beach.........and  the wonderful weather...........it is a bit muggy, l can tell...........my straight haircut is having a mind of its own and my natural curl is taking over........

New Years  week-end was a blast.............My amigo Utley introduced me to New Years in Vallarta three years ago  just to see their wonderful firework display.  We accidently discovered one of the best kept secrets about partying in Vallarta and that is the wonderful street dance in old town.............three hours of dancing for us,  the wonderful firework display on the beach at midnight, dinner earlier in one of our favorite retarantes (discovered by Julia) dessert (in another restaurant) and lots of water (dancing works up a thirst)..this gypsy and the gang (Utley, Fred, Julia) all had smiles, smiles, cause the music was soooooooooo good, the people all friendly, having a wonderful time........l needed a taxi to go back to the condo where we were staying.........my feet could not have carried me one more step.......next day..back to Sayulita (brunch in Bucerias at another favorite restaurant on the beach) and San Poncho where l have been reuniting with ol amigos and my travelin buddy Fred  who has fallen in  amor with  San Poncho, julia lives there.

When one lives in a bit of paradise gypsys need to give credit where credit is due, after all even my imagination at times cannot whip up what happens in real vida............l was driving back from the pueblo on the road to Casa Arroyo (where l am at) minding my business, driving slow (watching out for run away cars from above, small children, dogs, etc., and that is why l saw the really long "sorta vine" move in the road............beautiful brown, black, maybe some green.........realized it was a snake......l think l will put up a sign at the bottom of the road saying, Caution:  Snake Crossing.........but a few days later Utley points out the view of what is happening from his deck........two iguanas doing the wild thing, of course the male strutted on his little fat legs up the road afterwards.............the pajaros............oh my goddess..............l thought somebody was being choked to death, nothing could croak that loud.......but it was just a group of birds making their sounds for all of us to enjoy, the colors, the abundance of los pajaros such a delightful touch to all the other animales here.

The music here is outrageously goooooooood.  Live music everywhere,  take last night for another just sorta fall into the scene.  Began the evening with dear amigos eating a delightful dinner of sushi, then going to listen to Dave, Joe and Allan playing at one of the local restaurants...........and several musicians visiting the area  spontaneously asking Dave during the break if they could play a couple of songs........again best darn music, enough for this ol gypsy to start the toe tapping, the belly rolling............Besides Mexicos music scene being great, Cuban music is everywhere..........Enough writing, the view is distracting me once again.  Shucks.............

Happy Holidays

The holidays are upon me.  l ignored, l believe since Halloween the first sighting of Christmas decorations.  Back then l was just to busy wrapping up my wonderful visit for the month to Arizona.  November was one of the busiest months,  a very special Thanksgiving with family,  two days later an early Christmas celebration due to my son-in-laws deployment, getting settled in a new place, meeting strangers that a month later really turned out to be some new friends.  And now l find myself in December, my third month of traveling and another location.  l realize the more l visit Southern California, the more l enjoy discovering the hidden gems of where l am at.  l believe you just cannot have the quality of finding those hidden gems if you only do short visits and since l have visited this area over the last ten years, l still love the ol gypsy spirit of adventure that sometime surprises me and are priceless.

Take today, l drove two grandchildren to their school, ran a few errands, crossed the Coronado Bridge to my favorite coffee distributor.  l was greeted by one of the Ryan Brothers, l explained  to Tom that for the last four years l have always managed to get to their store to purchase their special  holiday Christmas coffee blend......and then he took the time to blend personally several more flavored coffees for me before l left with my coffee beans and two egg-nog lattes.......from  Ryan Brothers my daughter started driving and talking about a very, very special Mexican restaurant in Barrio Logan......l was excited to sample the food.......She drove us several blocks from Ryans (past mural artist on scaffolds  painting underneath the Coroando Bridge, where the murals are changing the look for the neighborhood from just huge cement structures providing the foundation for the Coronado Bridge) and parked the car in a strange neighborhood.  All around me l saw homeless men, (l have to admit l assumed they were homeless) and then she announced, " we are here"......good sport that l am, l decided to join her  and we started to walk toward the group of men.  l saw a half open door  in a no nonsense industrial type building with big tables, benches and more men standing in a line, but  my assumption about homeless men began because one man was sitting on the sidewalk......My daughter said, "this is it". l asked if she was joking?  She assured me she was not.....Honestly l thought we were at a Mission for the homeless and all the men were lined up for lunch.   Turns out the savvy, smart ones in construction and the Navy yards come early to beat the crowds........and the food........omg.......it was the best, the best, the best.  There is absolutely no way l would ever have found my way to the restaurant, on the other hand, when all my friends come to visit me in this area, l am taking them for coffee at Ryan Brothers and lunch at the "Mission".

All of the communities around San Diego are celebrating the holiday season......Christmas parades, Christmas caroling, greetings of Merry Christmas, houses covered in lights, the communities, the city looks lovely.  One of my favorite for decorations is Balboa Park.......and later this week will enjoy a live ballet performance of the Nutcracker.  lt is cold at night, lovely during the day.  l hope to get over to Julian, a bit more inland and see their decorations  if and that is a big if........l have time..........the holidays are truly upon me and l am enjoying the gypsy spirit it brings.

Football, rainy weather and early sunsets

More adventures as this gypsy moves from the warmth of Arizona to the  most Southern city in California.  Today was warm, sunny in contrast to yesterday when it rained  most of the day. Driving west over the Coronado bridge,  the Pacific ocean  in front of you, San Diego waterfront to the right, and the Strand to the left all the way to Imperial Beach is why l have spent most of my life close to the coast of California. These breath taking views with the sun sparkling on the water just are not that rare, they happen all the time. 

l have become a football fan, college football on Saturdays, the pros on Sundays.  lt's  learning a new language, all the various teams, the players, the leagues,  who's who in football...........as for the sport, it was never my intention to become a football fan, but several years ago circumstances created the time for me to spend some mindless time and football became the pacifier............l even have a few favorites now that l sorta follow.

The time change, cuts  my lifestyle short.  Lately  as early as four-thirty in the afternoon the light is changing and by five-thirty  l  have missed the sunset.  By seven-thirty l start getting lazy and want to curl up with a good book.............but since l am powerless over time change and an adaptable gypsy, the solution is seeing the sunrise and this morning it was spectacular.

On The Road

This will be my second attempt to write about leaving the Coast of California and driving to Arizona.  Life in Arizona has given the word appreciation a new meaning for me.  l have never been fond on the desert, respectful yes, but fond never.  l suppose one could say that with age comes a bit more wisdom or willingness to open ;your mind to what essentially has been closed about living in the desert.

l arrived here for a months stay and as l am fast approaching the end of the month l am finding myself very grateful for my time here.  The home where l am at has a beautifully landscaped desert garden......at first l thought it was rather bare and ugly.......but after a few mornings of watching the birds gather, the sunrise, coffee on the patio without a blanket.......l began to enjoy the beauty of what was before me.  Each plant is unique and surprising, some look almost dead, but can surprise you and flower......others look fragile or thorny but at second glance have a unique grace about  them....

Payson, Prescott, are in the mountains and completely different than the flatland around where l am at.  l am closer to Arizona State.  The town of Tempe is full of bikes and skateboards that the students use for getting around.  l rode the light rail and found it so easy to use when my amiga Sheila visited and we toured the Heard Museum.

Another week here and l will be driving around just like the locals......