Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Wednesday 30th November 2011..short and sweet for the last day of the month!!

Today’s agenda was 2 hours of tennis at 10am…which again was really good.

Then poker at 1pm…the guys have decided that instead of going to each other’s homes every week to have the games in the back room of the China Dragon, the local Chinese restaurant where my friend and  lovely former Spanish teacher and her husband own, so that is where we will play from now on suits me…I won 100 pesos!!!

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So I ordered a meal to go paid for by my winnings!!!

Managed to come home and get one hour in the sun before getting ready and going a few 100 yards to St.Paul’s Church where they hold the play readers every second week….I always like to go here, it is close usually good entertainment and for only 20 pesos!!!

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Tonight was 4 short comedies…it was OK but not great!!!

So there you have it November done!!!!!!

PURA VIDA!!!

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Tuesday 29th November 2011…it has been a while time for a contest!!! Great prize!!!

Good to be back settled in the RV park and had a good sleep but I will admit it was a tad cool at 8am this morning but soon the warmth from the sun came through and it shone all day.

Walked the 50 feet to the tennis court at 9am for 2 hours of good men’s doubles!!!

There is a vehicle parked next to me the design of which I have never seen before it is like a garbage truck but with two tents way on top and the family are very interesting….they shipped the truck over from their home in Germany to Costa Rica and they flew there and they are now driving back through Mexico into the USA……the couple are about 40 years of age and they have three small children ages 7, 6 and the girl 3 and all the children are adopted from South Africa from different families…they all speak German and I have had fun playing with the kids…. couldn’t resist this photo this morning!!!

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Then it was time to go to Casa Hogar and start my annual chore of washing all the windows on the campus and hence the contest…….the one who guesses how many windows there are in Casa Hogar will receive a year’s free subscription to my blog!!!   Here is a hint in good old fashioned English…”There is a blinking lot”!!!!

I managed to work for about 2 hours before my little helpers arrived!!!

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I have to give credit here because Paola on the left and Bernice in the middle really worked hard and they did help me!!!

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I worked for about 4 hours and just covered a small area the next time I go will tackle the church windows…even the second floor windows!!!

It is always great to be around all the girls and it seems always something small and insignificant yet huge to me happens…it did today as I was working I was clambering through some bushes and trees and I had some burrs on my knee and of the girls insisted that I sit down whilst she pulled off the burrs one at a time..a true small act of love.

From Casa Hogar I dashed up to Guy and Linda’s and retrieved my laundry…still Linda is not folding and bringing in my laundry I ask you…what does it take?????

Actually got back home at 5pm and had time to get the lounge chair out and read in the sun for about 50 minutes!!!

I am a little sore so an easy night tonight and ready to go for tennis tomorrow at 10am….

Another great day!!!

Tuesday 29th November 2011…..I only have one Aunt!!!!

and today is my Aunt Rita’s Birthday….I know you don’t have a computer but maybe someone will show this to you….have a wonderful birthday love and best Wishes Les!!!

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This was taken 2 years ago Rita and my Dad’s brother Uncle Bram.

Love and best wishes to you both!!!

Monday, November 28, 2011

Monday 28th November 2011…Ramona has a beautiful butt…..do you??

A little risqué opening I know!!!!

I was up and out of Linda and Guy’s casa by 9am and drove Bonita to the body shop.  I went with no expectations and was a very happy boy when Saul told me that Ramona was done and all ready to go!!!

The cost was 1850 pesos for materials and 2000 pesos for labour for a total of about 280 dollars…I am very happy with the price much more expensive in the States or Canada and he did a really great job!!

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So Ramona is back at the RV park and now can rest till March…I was hoping I didn’t have to take her back so it all worked out really well!!!

I then met up with Linda and Guy and we went blanket shopping…….

Let me tell you a little bit about Linda and Guy…I first met them over 10 years ago when they owned a lovely restaurant in Puerto Penasco

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I walked into their restaurant and had the all you can eat fish and chips and boy was it good.  Linda was in the restaurant and we struck up a conversation and became instant friends and that time she was involved with a project at a special needs school where she arranged and got every child a lovely Christmas package and I signed on to help.  Linda and Guy over the years have been responsible for hundreds of Mexican children having warm blankets and a Christmas surprise!!

Well this year apart from everything else through help with their local church she is arranging for 165 blankets for the children in the cancer hospital in Celaya about 40 minutes away!!

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So we went to the two main stores checking out quality and prices and will purchase the blankets later in the week.  They then dropped me at the body shop to pick up Bonita!!

Went home and had 2 hours of really good Men’s doubles tennis.  Then back up to Linda and Guy’s casa and put a load of laundry on and then hung the clothes out and will pick them up tomorrow then it was off to the girl’s English class…again they were using the Rosetta Stone DVD’s….it was good to see the girls and the teacher at the end of the class asked me to speak to the class….so I asked them in English about their time at the breakfast yesterday and they all answered that they enjoyed it lots but the best pancakes were the ones with orio cookies in!!!!  I told them they all looked so beautiful and was happy to see them in their new coats!!!!

So as you can tell a pretty busy day and glad to have the weekend done and Ramona back …perhaps there maybe some time this week for sunbathing…I somehow doubt it!!!!

This is a photo of everyone at Casa Hogar!!

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Sunday, November 27, 2011

Sunday 27th November 2011……..H O T C A K E S !!!!!!

Well wouldn’t you know it after days and days of sunshine the morning of the big pancake breakfast was rainy, cold and quite miserable…Linda and I left the house before 8am and went to the event site at the beautiful Hotel Real de Minas…..fortunately the rain stopped but it remained cool and windy……everyone was moving in different directions getting everything ready for the 9am opening…so sit back and enjoy the morning!!!

nov27 028The grounds are really quite lovely and the participants ready to go!!!

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At 10.30am my wonderful chaperones and I met in the lobby and shortly afterwards 30 beautiful girls and 3 lovely Madres arrived …one of my fears was that the girls would be cold but we were all astonished to see every girl in a brand new warm winter coat donated by a company from Leon…how marvellous…..I got the girls assigned to their chaperones and off they went…do you think they are having fun???

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and after!!

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Daniela getting her face painted!!

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Check out those great coats!!

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As it was so cold the Madres decided that it would be best for the girls not to stay till 2pm so we rounded everyone said goodbye to our new friends and off the girls went in the bus back to Casa Hogar

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The girls were all smiles on the bus and repeatedly thanked us all for such a great day!!!

Thank you to all my wonderful chaperones you made the girl’s day and I am right in thinking they made yours too????

As an aside as I went back to the breakfast and I saw all the boys from the boys home and I asked the Madre to introduce me to Paola’s brother…he is a cute little guy!!!

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He is in the grey coat!!!

So what could make this wonderful day better you may ask??

Well I will tell you…. Linda coming up to me and telling me that she had bought me a raffle ticket and that I  had won….wait for it

 

 

a 1200 pesos massage at the best Spa in SMA!!!!!!!!   I am a lucky guy!!!!!

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Linda and I arrived home at 3pm tired but happy it was a really great day and I think even with the cool weather the first annual pancake breakfast was a huge success!!

Linda cooked a wonderful Shepard's pie for supper and we all settled down in front of the TV with great food and watched the BC Lions win the Grey cup!!!!

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So ends another day here in lovely but cool SMA!!!!

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Saturday 26th November 2011….the start of a busy weekend!!

So up at 8am and by 8.15am the owner of the park Hans, was guiding me out of the gate!!!

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I am always amazed at how Hans is so able to guide the RV's in and out of this narrow space…but it was good again and I was away.

My appointment at the body shop was not till 12 noon so I decided to drive a couple of miles to another large supermarket with a huge parking lot.  I had a very leisurely breakfast and then it was time to work and I spent the rest of the time cleaning and polishing inside Ramona!!

At noon I went to the body shop and saw the owner and arranged to have Ramona put inside his shop and they will start work this afternoon and he wants me to come back and pick her up on Monday.  At this point  I am not sure but I think I have to bring her back next weekend for the polishing…there was some language problems going on.  Anyway I decided to leave her there and my lovely friends Linda and Guy have told me I can stay at their casa for the weekend so that is so nice.

I then met Linda at the hotel where the pancake breakfast is being held tomorrow for last minute chores…..I have just about enough chaperones for the girls from Casa Hogar who are coming to the breakfast!!

I then went to Casa Hogar this is the lovely sign they have at the front…

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Paola was on laundry duty so wasn’t able to play but I had a quick visit with her.  All the girls do have assigned chores that they do and they seem to do them willingly with smiles on their faces.

I took about 10 girls into the playground and we played games for over one hour!!!

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Daniela is in the blue pant suit!!

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It really is a matter of fact but the whole time never a scream or a cry or a push or a harsh word…the girls seem to play well together!!!

I finally got back to Linda and Guy’s just before 5pm and they are tired from having family visiting for a week and I was going to go to a cabaret evening down town but after supper decided on a hot shower and stay home instead!!

Don’t feel bad for me I got to watch a soccer game from England

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and currently watching the Vancouver Canucks hockey game!!

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Linda bought this beautiful metal Christmas Tree yesterday!!

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Linda and I have to be at the hotel tomorrow morning at 8am and wouldn’t you know it all these sunny days and tomorrow the forecast is cool and overcast!!!!

Thursday 5 th January 2023…it was a great run!!!

 This was my first ever blog post back in November of 2006!!! With just a couple of days off I have written a blog every day since and I hav...