Pay de mango

Domingo 19 - Sábado 25 Enero 

Sunday what did we do? Packed for our trip to Veracruz and caught up on some reading. Dan printed off many maps to help us to find our way. We fed Shattuck's miss kitty, who was oh so happy to see us! She ran back and forth from her food dish to our laps.  A great sunset tonight.  They are rarer than we like, as we are backed up on the west with hills and mountains.

Monday we indeed did pick up our paperwork at IMSS, our envio, to go to the hospital in Veracruz. We thought to come back home before the 90 minute drive, but since the car was all packed, we choose to drive onwards. We decided on taking the toll autopista there and the free highway home. The drive went well, until we took a wrong turn just going into the city, in spite of all the maps!   But, we got to where we hoped to end up with no real difficulty. This being the inexpensive Hotel Merida with inside parking Dan had chosen from the internet. It was about 12 blocks or so from the hospital. The drive had of course exhausted us, so a nap was in order before we went out for lunch. We walked around several blocks near the hotel to get the “lay of the land.” Found no enticing restaurant, as this was very much a working neighborhood.  We had planned to drive north to find a good parking place near the hospital (so we wouldn't have to scope it all out early the next morning), so we thought we'd keep a lookout for a restaurant for lunch on the way. The route we took had us stop for a long freight train going back and forth, near a large railroad yard. Nope, we did not want that route the next morning. Turned out we found no parking near the hospital, so we parked at a large shopping center (lots of space here) about four blocks away, just over an overpass spanning the rail tracks.

The shopping center housed a huge Mega supermarket, a multiplex cinema and a smaller mall with shops and two restaurants.  We ate at the California Buffet here, but at twice the prices we are used to. The food was a good selection of Mexican fare, all quite tasty, including the best mashed potatoes ever.  After overstuffing ourselves, we walked around the mall, then drove back to our hotel room, which had only one small outside window. There was an overhead fan – really loud and one speed – fast. The room started out overly warm and stuffy, but the temperature soon dropped and we slept very comfortably. The water for morning showers was hot, hot, hot.

We arrived at the hospital, a large central unit housing regional specialists, at 8:30am, a half hour before our appointment. We were taken on time! We had three doctors and one nurse occupied in the otoneurology department. The one doctor did speak some english, and Dan was there to translate and answer questions, plus we had Carmen's symptoms and history all printed up in spanish.  One would expect many varied and exhaustive testing procedures, but to Carmen's disappointment, all was completed in two hours.  They checked her hearing in a soundproof chamber, then her eye responses to a special set of quick changes in position. The diagnosis was that she was suffering from BPPV and minor age-related hearing loss.  The problem of dizziness is believed to be from calcium crystals breaking off in the inner ear. She was given some eye & neck exercises to do several times a day. This is to re-train the brain to respond to balance cues in new ways.  That is, she can hopefully train herself out of experiencing the frequent disorientation and loss of balance. No other tests were done to find an organic cause, as the tests showed that there was no neurological basis for the sensations. She would really like to get the cause definitely discovered. How disappointing--could it all just be old age deterioration?

We walked back to our car, where we dined on the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches we had with us. Now drove south into and through upscale Boca del Rio, the city just south of Veracruz, where we connected with the free road back west to home. Both highways between home and the coast were in great condition, though lots of slow trucks (fully loaded with sugarcane) on the return free road.  The countryside was farms and hills instead of the flat sugar cane fields on the more northerly toll road.  Lots of bucolic smells too, as there are many cattle and chickens raised here on the flat coastal lands. The trip on the free road is more interesting with many small towns and took us two hours to traverse.  We purposely avoided the bypasses around the few larger towns, and drove straight thru the town centers of Cuitlahuac and Yanga, as we wanted to see of what these pueblos consisted.  Cuitlahuac, especially, is a neat, clean community devoted to servicing it's surrounding agricultural and ranching population.

Which is better, raw or cooked wild salmon from Alaska's coast? Gardi will eat only raw, and Smij will eat only cooked. That is what we had for dinner one day. Amazing to find such a treat down here, at US$6.25 a pound!  Wednesday, Carmelo told us his house had suffered wind damage the night before, so he was out selling plants to buy some lamina for repairs. In the evening, a lady stopped at our gate to ask for any old clothes or shoes we might have – her house burned down last night. Luckily Carmen had already packed up some clothes and had them waiting by the door, for just such a happening.

Oh horrors, our beautiful papaya tree has zillions of black insects under the leaves. Hope the little buggers enjoyed the special spray we put on them. Also our orchid tree looks like it is dying, but it may just be losing this year's leaves -- info is conflicting on the internet. We have spent hours searching the internet for the problem, but have come up with nothing. Nights have been in the upper 40Fs and days low 70Fs.  Carmen warmed the house with baking thursday morning. Mango pay (pie) – following her recipe for peach pie, and chocolate chip oatmeal cookies.

Friday we took the test results from Veracruz to our Cordoba ENT specialist. Finally the meds Carmen has been taking are being cut back. Just do the exercises and return in two months. Since our dentist is but two blocks from the doctor's hospital office, we walked there to see if the dentist by some remote chance had an opening. Not til the next day, saturday. We walked back to the car which we had parked near the CarneMart store, which carries only large institutional packages of frozen meats, along with odds and ends like onion rings, all at better-than-supermarket prices. IF our home freezer was bigger, we would have bought a bag of onion rings, however we purposely bought a refrigerator with a smaller freezer so that we would go shopping more often. We did however buy a four pound bag of diced pork which we have purchased there before. It is very good and oh so useable. Also tilapia fish filets and a three pound pork roast. Now our frig is full of thawing meat, as the roast is destined for a meal early next week. The diced pork gets repacked into meal size portions and frozen solid again.

Saturday Dan went to his cleaning session with our dentist, Doctora Gwen Contreras -- long overdue since his last appointment was in August.  After the cleaning and polishing, she suggested he followup immediately with a whitening procedure to improve the appearance of his aging but still strong front teeth.  The best time to do this is right after all the plaque is gone, so he agreed and underwent the first of three or four sessions that morning.  

Cuidando las orquideas

Domingo 12 - Sábado 18 Enero  Sunday morning seems there are many men taking their young children for a walk around the neighborhood. An enjoyable sight to see and hear!  We started our week by going to Shattuck's to feed their kitty, hoping to find her home. Thankfully she was waiting for us at the top of their driveway! After feeding her, we sat and held and petted kitty for a while. She was happily taking a nap in a sunny spot when we left. What a beautiful setting their home is in.

No, we did not go to a church this day. We instead took a walk, at the south side of town, thru God's beautiful countryside. Our preferred way of spending sundays. We saw butterflies, tall sugarcane in bloom, and gorgeous trees with old leaves off and new ones beginning to grow. The sky was blue, temperatures in the mid-70s F, and birds were chattering. Looking north towards where our house is, we discovered that many new good looking houses are being built inside a walled and gated area on the south east corner of town. These are in the Las Villitas development that is due south of the new rental home Ania & Frank built at Los Encinos.

We found a gnarly tree, trimmed, cut off with a saw and discarded with some building materials along the old railbed, so we wrestled it back with us and stuck it thru the car's trunk to bring home.  Once home, we found the perfect spot for it and Dan installed it next to our front gate. It is already home for a few orchids that we had elsewhere, and waiting for more. We took the time to re-hang and surround the bases of other orchids with the spanish moss that we had purchased at Xmas time, to improve the immediate environment around the aerial roots.We are still learning about cuidando (caring for) las orquideas, as each type seems to want it's own micro-environment, some potted, some attached to branches and a few in the ground.  Some like it cool and shaded, others don't mind some sun. So much to learn.

It's yearly bill paying time. If we pay property tax, refuse/recycling and water bills for the year in january, we can get a 50% discount because of our age.  Monday morning we tried to pay the water bill. The attendant said we needed our social security number, to prove we were retired. This was not needed last year, now why would that US number be needed in Mexico?  Since we were out we went to the post office and asked that our mailman would please stop at our house for his Xmas gift, then headed home.  Later in the day a couple of city sanitation workers came to our door collecting for our refuse/recycling service--no problem with the discount here, and we paid our fee, equivalent to US$12, for twice weekly pickup.

Tuesday we looked for the ss card and realized that it is in a safe deposit box in the US. Now what? We did locate a medicare card with Dan's number on it and decided to try it. and so we went to the water office again. The lady was happy with the number we showed her, and collected the discounted amount (~US$25) for the year. Next stop, the property tax office which was temporarily set up in the city sports arena. After waiting in line two hours we paid our tax bill, discounted with no problem.  The ~US$24 we paid would easily be sixty times higher in the US.

Miss kitty was no place to be found at Shattuck's again wednesday. We did our usual tour of our favorite stores before coming home, and finally found the copper fittings he needed at a plumbing speciality house. Later Dan soldered the fittings together for the water heater to be installed at our kitchen sink. Carmen made some healthful oatmeal cookies, and by the way warmed up the house. Oil instead of butter and all whole wheat flour. All had cinnamon, and some also seasoned with clove. The cinnamon-only ones had either raisins or dried apricots. All yummy.  Carmen bought green carnations plus orange ones this week. Big splurge of 30 pesos!

Finally we have an appointment for the inner-ear tests Carmen needs in downtown Veracruz city, the 21st of january at nine in the morning. We will have to pick up the paper work at the Córdoba hospital the day before. Since this out-of-town appointment is the same day scheduled for Carmen's next ENT appointment, we had to go into the hospital and change this local appointment. It will  now be the 24^th, when we should have testing results in hand.  It will be good to find out if Carmen is to live with her situation of continual dizziness and nausea.  With a firm diagnosis in Veracruz, we hope improvement will be a matter of course.

A una iglesia

Domingo 05 - Sábado 11 Enero   

It finally happened. After many neighborly invitations to churches in the area we finally agreed to go to church with Oscar & Nancy, and family, who live two blocks south of us. They have a pickup truck, so we followed them in our car, since the directions seemed confusing to us. Took us about 15 minutes to get to the church. We had to take the autopista west a short distance, and a short drive north thru the country. The little village where the church is, maybe a dozen homes, is La Cumbre de Metlac, a part of Dos Rios, the town northwest of the where the big bridges cross the deep Metlac barranca. 

Were we actually going to attend an Iglesia Bautista Gracia (Grace Baptist Church)? Apparently yes, as we leaned when we turned a final corner and saw the front of the building.  Upon arriving, one parks along a dirt road. The church is new, recently plastered and painted, and still building roofs over the outside area. Immediately Oscar introduced us to some english-speaking folks and also the minister. One lady is from New York. Everyone was very friendly. People mingle about outside for a bit, or avail themselves of coffee and treats, then go into the church. There is a stack of bibles, all in spanish, on a table by the door for those who did not bring one.  Some folks had their bible on a tablet device.  The church is tall-ceilinged and painted white inside, with two aisles and 12 seats across. Also a small balcony up in back, where most of the teens sat. Probably 120 to 150 folks attending today, standing room only in the back.  

Boom, boom, boom – the amplified music has started. Soooo loud, it could have shaken a dwelling. Drums and acoustic & electric guitars were played by six men of various ages. One could sing as loud and off-key as one wanted and the persons standing next to to you could not hear you. Our ears started ringing. For almost an hour, everyone remained standing and the young man at the podium directed the sound, responsive readings and songs. The lyrics for the songs (but no musical notation) were projected high on the front wall. We have not seen this done before, but it sure beats handing out song books. Finally with continual praises to God in prayer and song, we sat. Children at this point went into another part of the church, for sunday school. The music used was not hymns, at least with any tunes we were familiar with, but seemed to be shorter pieces of sung praise. Seems most folks didn't need to look at the lyrics, so we suspect the music was the same each week.

All first-timers were asked to stand and asked where they were from. Several towns were represented by the dozen or so newcomers. Following this, the pastor made some announcements about classes during the week and planned work sessions (for the new roof over the front patio), then launched into an hour-long sermon which was about "doubting Thomas," asking everyone in the congregation to follow along in their own texts.  The sermon was all about what was written in the scriptures, what events had transpired then, and  how we today can understand each passage.  This was all similar to Carmen's church upbringing. However, Dan's churchgoing history is different, with the liberal pastors he recalls mostly sermonizing with only a brief reference to scripture and much more interpretation and application of the ideas to modern life. The sermon was entertaining since the minister was full of movements while talking. Many times the congregation let out joyful noises and "amen's" at what the preacher said. Bit different from the more sedate services we are used to.  

Being the first sunday of the month, there was communion, open to all present. The grape juice and bread was passed out to those standing. The bread was an uncut small round loaf that folks had to break a wee piece from – not too sanitary. More songs of praise, and then the offering was collected by people carrying long poles with a long black bag at the end. This is good. No one can see what the other puts in. At the end of the service there were a few more announcements, and an invitation to all to stay for a meal or snack after the service.  Everyone shakes hands with people standing near them, and after the service closed, as they walk outside. There is a small eating area, where foods prepared by women of the church are served, which one pays for at prices listed on a chalkboard, to reimburse the ones who furnished them. 

We now felt a little awkward and at loose ends, so made an excuse and went to our car to leave. We had left home at 10:30am and were told the service was over at 1pm, but it went almost an hour more, and could easily have taken more time if we stayed to eat and chitchat. Just as we were about to get into our car, a man who spoke some english came up and talked for awhile. He asked if we would be back next week. Dan said maybe and the fellow wanted to know why a "maybe."  We told him the music was a bit too loud for us, and perhaps next time we could sit in the balcony, since Carmen is unable to tilt her head back comfortably to read the lyrics high on the back wall. We actually will probably never devote this much of every sunday going to a church - but who knows. We definitely did appreciate the experience, and meet some nice people. You can see some video about the church here.  We both feel that one doesn't necessarily have to be together with others in a church building to express our praise and thanks for this beautiful world, loving friends and the dear family we are blessed with.

Monday morning we got a phone call from Luci, Shattuck's housekeeper. Something was wrong with the lock on the back gate over at Las Magnolias, Frank and Ania's home. (We've included some fotos of their beautiful residence.) She felt that someone had tried to break in. We drove over to check it out about 10:30am, just as fog and much colder air was rolling in. The lock – whatever caused the problem, needed replaced. We drove into Fortín and bought a new lock that we could set to the old combination. Back later in the day, now with some chipi-chipi precipitation happening and spent much time changing over to the new lock, involving widening holes for the thicker cable.  The new one is stiff and difficult to use. Imagine it will loosen up with time.  We showed Luci how the new lock worked.

Back home, in the afternoon rain, Carmelo showed up. We would have bought fewer plants had the sun been shining, but we felt sorry for him out in the bad weather, and he had been waiting for us in the cold and wet. We did tell him that we would buy no more gazanias after today though. Really, nine is enough! They have to be in the full sun or the flowers do not open. Full sun, we have very little of except on our terrace outside the bedroom. We remember seeing a cemetery in Turkey full of these beautiful flowers.

Come the evening just about dark we got another call from Luci, this time explaining that the new lock wouldn't trabar (fasten).  We offered to go over and see what was what.  By this time it started to rain. We got up to the back gate, with a flashlight, and sure enough the tongue and lock wouldn't fit together.   Also the tongue end of the new lock was missing its protective cap (which has the little nubbin on it to show where to line up the digits), so something was amiss for sure.  The cap had fallen off somewhere in the dark. It appears that instead of feeding it thru carefully she had wrenched the tongue end out thru the rebar loop, tearing off the plastic cap from the end of the cable in the process.

With the cap off, the knurled resetting ring is exposed, so she obviously twisted the reset ring while turning the digits.  The lock wouldn't shut because it no longer was set for a known combination.  Fortunately we brought the old lock in the car with us so it was threaded thru and things locked again.  The new lock was also left there, unlockable, and it was too dark to hassle with removing it, as the stiff cable was wound round and round the door frame.

Wednesday we went back to fix the lock situation (after buying another, simpler, cable lock just in case), and to feed their kitty.  We determined that the expensive cable lock just wouldn't work without risk of inadvertent & occasional loss of its combination, so we removed it and installed the smaller one with a fixed combination. The cat was nowhere to be seen.  Since we were out with the car, we shopped around looking for stovepipe for our new small hot water heater, to be installed just outside the kitchen on the front porch. Letting it vent into that space would just bring exhaust fumes into the kitchen, so a pipe thru the porch roof is a must.  Few people seem to vent above their heaters, so finding stovepipe meant traveling all over the city. Dan also visited an obscurely located warehouse in Córdoba which stocks refractories and high-temp materials, scoping out options for building a fireplace-insert rocket stove he's got ideas for.  When we got back home Dan called Luci with the new numbers for the lock.

All this week our house has been serenaded by a gray cat in heat. Doesn't she know that our Gardi is an "it"? Gardi has not been allowed outside our bedroom with out a halter and leash, since he went traipsing across the roof tops of our neighborhood. Just afraid that he might slip and fall into a cravasse or jump down into a yard where he can not get out. And he would die a slow death. When Gardi first came to live with us, he had no collar. Whenever Pepe, our six pound Pomeranian dog, was getting his collar put back on, after a hair cut and bath, Gardi would try to get his neck into it. We bought Gardi a collar, put it on him, and he strutted around like a proud peacock. He always gets upset if we take his collar off, and yes he also stands perfectly still to get the harness put on, until, that is, the leash goes on. Immediately his stomach hits the floor and you can't budge him. He should be living with little people who like to dress up their animals – like Carmen when she was young. She still remembers putting clothes on her cat and taking it sled riding down the hill next to her home. That kitty always seemed to be happy with the situation, or so she remembers.

Toma de protesta

Domingo 29 Dec- Sábado 04 Enero   We continued enjoying the children coming by in the early evenings, entertaining us with their El Viejo dance and song celebrating the end of the year.  This all stopped on New Years Eve, when firecrackers galore exploded all around until 2:30am or so.  ¡Feliz Año Nuevo a todos!  Opportunity to dispose of leftover fireworks kept the neighborhood noisy in the evenings, for the rest of the week.

The 31^st we walked into town and watched and listened to the toma de protesta, the swearing-in ceremony for the newly-elected mayor and his city council members. (Protesta in this sense is an oath, so this means a " taking of oath.")  We have tried many times to be at the plaza central or city hall for various events, but this is the first time we did it right – all because Dan can now better understand the news on the XHFTI-FM, the Fortín radio station, which we listen to each morning. There was a huge video screen on the front of the city hall building that showed images of life in Fortín. A big covered stage was set up on the city hall front steps, with lots of people in attendence.  The sun shown down and the clouds just held off long enough for it to be a very pleasant time.  Lots of policemen about, as is typical, but this no longer bothers us.  At least the local cops don't mask their faces, as do the Policia Federal, purportedly to protect their identities and families from the criminal/gang element they have to deal with.

Thursday was our big day away from home. We were at our family IMSS clinic in Córdoba at 8:30am for our monthly appointments. We forgot a watch, so we do not know how long we waited, but Dan finished the book he took along. We then discovered that our usual doctor was on vacation, but we dealt with a very thorough young female doctor. She took a really long time with us, even reading our care summaries we brought down from our doctors in the US, in english.  Dan's labs came in with no flagged numbers.  He did get a prescription filled for prevastatin, but learned that it would only be provided this one time, as it is expected that once LDL levels are lowered they can be maintained there by diet/lifestyle.  He's been self-medicating with half the dose prescribed in the US, and had expected to continue at that level.  But, IMSS will only dispense statins if regular blood tests show that one has persistent high cholesterol.  Doctors here reject the premise that a low maintenance dose, for the rest of one's life, is called for.  The only way around this is a cardiologist's order.  Lastly a fairly quick stop at WalMart, and back home to stash our purchases.

When we got home, we found Carmelo waiting for us. We took care of him, buying a few new plants for our growing collection. We immediately headed out to Orizaba. We got there about two o'clock and by that time we were starving, so we popped in for lunch at the Chinese buffet. Then we shopped for a few grocery items at Chedraui, where we had parked the car. Carmen went back to the car and took a wee nap while Dan walked a couple blocks to a large Aurrera supermarket to check it out. The main reason we drove to Orizaba was to make an appointment with the IMSS hospital's rheumatologist for Carmen's six month scleroderma check up due in April. We had a long wait. Dan tipped his head back and got his nap. We finally got home at 4:30pm. A long, tiring day...

Saturday Carmen potted up some new plants, and transplanted others. Dan shopped online for his tax prep software, and paid all the outstanding taxes and bills he had been putting off until the new year arrived, and started downloading annual mutual fund reports.  It feels like our winter weather has arrived and the next cold front (#24) is supposed to be here in two days. So far the early-AM night temps have not gone below 50, but this time it will probably go into the 40s.   Time for heavier comforter on the bed.

Don Vicente y Doña Lola

Domingo 22- Sábado 28 Diciembre  Sunday we were given the most perfect weather day!  Inspite of it being sunday, we hung out a laundry in the 80 degrees with a light breeze.  We had breakfast excitement!  While eating, Gardi was suddenly leaping into the air with his legs just a flailing!  Immediately around him flew our other cat, Smij, on into the new bathroom!  Soon they were both sitting there staring up into our bathroom skylight.  Upon inspection we discovered an extra large libélula (dragonfly) fluttering at the skylight, thinking to get out.  Carmen asked Dan to bring a ladder so she could capture the critter.  It was just too beautiful to let it die up there.  Captured into a large yogurt container, Dan put it back outside.  It was still well enough to fly away.

About 9am we walked into town – exercise time.  Stopped at the bank, next a bakery for a couple rolls for turkey sandwiches, and lastly at the grocery store and purchased fresh mushrooms and a few tomatoes.  Said lots of “buenos dias” as we passed folks along the way.  Near home we met Alex, our neighbor of a block away.  With him were his sister and her boyfriend.  They presently live in Spain, and also speak some english.  Again Alex invited us for Xmas day, but he did not give us a time.  We do not know the proper etiquette for this situation in this country.   Is he just being polite, or are we expected to just show up at any time, and are we supposed to take a casserole for a meal?  One some street corners there are displayed a great number of scarecrow-like dummies of old men, for sale for next week's new year's eve celebrations.

Our area night time watchman, Nahu, was here by his usual 11am sunday morning.  We gave him some aguinaldo (annual bonus) money and a plate of cookies, plus the usual 15 pesos per week.  He was carrying many gifts he had acquired that moring and he left them here with us, saying he'd stop back later for them, rather than lug them about the neighbor hood.  He did return later, but only took the homemade cookies we had given him.  Nahu never returned for the rest of his goodies 'til the following sunday.  There have been numerous folks selling fresh fruits and veggies at our gate.  More than usual -- must be the season to try to earn money for the gift-giving season.  We try to buy at least one item from them.  The prices are about the same as in stores, and they travel so far to make these small sales, some from as far away as Ciudad Mendoza, on the far side of Orizaba to the west of us.

What a small world we live in! Tuesday Colyn, our neighbor a few doors south, who is a Jehovah's Witness, was here for dinner for the first time.  She no longer tries to convert us.  We really all enjoyed our conversation.  She said that she needed to speak english for awhile. We knew she had a house in Santa Cruz, CA, where our dear friend Peggy lives.  This day we discovered that she and Peggy are the same age, plus she and Peggy lived in Iran at the same time!

Well, who should appear early morning on Xmas day, but Carmelo, with another bag of plants to sell! We bought a couple and gave him a bonus for the holiday.  Despite the winter weather and night-time lows into the upper 40's F, this is still great for growing flowers, and especially some of the orchids seem to want to bloom in the cooler air.  After lots of debate about the situation of Alex's invitation to come to his home Xmas day, we solved it by taking a bouquet of flowers & greens from our property to his home about 12:30pm.  Turned out that no one was there, except a young fellow came as we were trying to announce ourselves.  He did say he would tell his grandmother and father that we had been there.  We delivered the flowers the next day. When there is no doorbell, one just stands at the doorway and hollers a hello, until someone responds.  Must admit that it feels strange to do this.

Saturday Ania made pirogies for the lunch.  These are one of Carmen's favorite foods, and were especially delicious coming from the kitchen of a real polaca.  We had lunch with them and they showed us where keys for their house and car were stashed, in case an emergency happened in the six weeks that they will be near Puerta Vaiarta.  Her mother Wanda flies back to Poland from PV.  Yes, we will feed their kitty some while they are away.  We are sharing this task along with a housekeeper who will be there two days a week.

Our evening entertainment at front gate is still happening, but has changed since Xmas, as per the traditions in this part of Veracruz.  No longer is La Rama carried around, but now the children come in groups of three or four and give a little play with song and dance.  All about El Viejo (the old man), symbolizing the end of the year.  They dress as the elderly do, use bastones (canes or walking sticks) which they bounce on the ground in time to the tune, in their bent over oldness.  At the end of the music and gyrations the child representing the old man, with his paper white beard and straw sombrero, falls to the ground and succumbs.  Here are some of the verses, which may or may not be sung or repeated in these enjoyable youthful performances.

Una limosna para este pobre Viejo   Una limosna para este pobre viejo   Que ha dejado hijo, que ha dejado hijo   Para el año nuevo, para el año nuevo

Este viejito se llama Don Vicente   Este viejito se llama Don Vicente   Que ha dejado hijo, que ha dejado hijo   Para el año nuevo, para el año nuevo

Esta viejita se llama Doña Lola   Esta viejita se llama Doña Lola   Que ha dejado hijo, que ha dejado hijo   Para el año nuevo, para el año nuevo

Ahí viene el viejo bailando en el alambre   Ahí viene el viejo bailando en el alambre   Por qué el pobrecito, por qué el pobrecito   Esta muerto de hambre, esta muerto de hambre

Denle su quintito para el tabaquito   Denle su dé a veinte para el aguardiente   Den le su tostón para el vacilón.

Dice Camacho que tiene el ojo gacho   Dice Camacho que tiene el ojo gacho   Pero lo que tiene pero lo que tiene   Es que anda bien borracho.

Dice el doctor que tiene el sarampión  Dice el doctor que tiene sarampión   Pero lo que tiene, pero lo que tiene   Es un ataque al corazón, ataque al corazón

Mi pobre viejo ya no quiere cenar   Mi pobre viejo ya no quiere cenar   Por que a media noche  Por que a media noche   Lo van a quemar, lo van a quemar.

Ya se va el viejo muriéndose de risa   Ya se va el viejo muriéndose de risa   Por que a media noche   Por qué a media noche   Lo vuelven ceniza, lo vuelven ceniza

The group we had friday evening was the best by far.  They were so cute, that we went into happy laughter after they left!  The next evening, a mother stood at the side and a toddler stood at the front of the group and did his adorable dancing to the music.  What a treat for us!  The first night this started, the group went into hysterical giggles when we opened the door, and took awhile before they could continue with their routine.

Christmas day was quiet for us.  A couple services happened at the church contraesquina (diagonally across) the intersection from us.  We ate leftovers for lunch – well, they were good!  Dan forgot to put up our Xmas lights outside.  Actually with all the plants, the lights would hardly be noticed.   Celia came by later in the week with a white lirio (iris) plant for us, and she left with a plate of Xmas cookies Carmen had stashed in the freezer.  Life is good. The only thing that could make it better would be to have relatives and old friends closer, which we know is pretty unlikely to happen, except for some visits.  Otherwise, we are very happy with our decision to move here to beautiful Fortín de las Flores, Mexico.  Feliz Navidad a todos!