Sunday 1st January 2012…well here it is…bring it on!!!!

Wishing my family, my wonderful and special friends and all my valuable readers a fantastic healthy and happy 2012 and may all your dreams come true….Blessings Les

Saturday 31st December 2011…well here it is the last day of the year!!!

For me it was 2 hours of wonderful tennis this morning, the sun was shining and the game very competitive….I really enjoyed it.

It was time to dash home get a quick sandwich and pack up and go to Casa Hogar for 11.30am to get Daniela and Suzy for our outing at the hot springs.

We walked from CH about 10 minutes to the central bus station

It was 8 pesos each for the bus ride

and about 15 minutes later we were there!!!

It really is a nice place with about 6 different hot springs

For three hours the girls and I played in the water

They only came out of the water once…

4pm and we had to leave and did the same journey in reverse and back at CH by 4.45pm…..the girls were so well behaved and they had a ball as I did too…I spent a long time just watching them!!!

I then went over to Linda and Guy and we had a wonderful steak dinner, fabulous dessert and a perfect way to end the year.

I was back at Casita Doris by 9mp in time to go watch the live Canucks hockey game!!!

I will write later about my feelings about 2011!!!

Wish you all a safe and happy New Years eve!!!!

Friday 30th December 2011…for me an easy day!!!

This guy normally watches me as I prepare breakfast every morning!!!!

10am and 2 hours of tennis followed by going up to Casa Hogar to pick up and return the cooler that the Tamales were delivered in on Christmas Day…one little girl always willing to help!!!

Check out the beautiful mural!!!

From there is was quite a ride to deliver it and quite an act to get it on Bonita, don’t ask how I did it!!!

Then it was Casita Doris for laundry, cleaning and sunbathing and reading……I cooked myself a really nice chicken dinner and now showered and ready for some TV….the good news is that I am allowed to take Daniela and Suzy out to the hot springs for the afternoon tomorrow!!!!

Thursday 29th December 2011….a great day!!

Started out with tennis at 9am with Lauren 2 hours of singles which was really good…..back home at Casita Doris and time for lunch and an hour of reading out on the sun roof.

Sara is coming to SMA end of January for a couple of months and she has asked me to look for an apartment for her so I went to look at one this afternoon and it was lovely so she will have to decide if she wants me to reserve it for her it is close to the Centro which is what she wanted her school is close by.

3pm I was at Casa Hogar and for the first time able to take the girls out sadly for me Paola is with her Mother for a week so Daniela got to pick a friend and she choose Suzy, who is a lovely girl the same age as Daniela.

It was just a great feeling to walk out with them and know I had them for a while on my own…we walked a while and then took a taxi I had intended to take them to the park but they told me they missed lunch and were hungry so change of plans we came back to Casita Doris….I asked them what they wanted but I knew the answer before they even said they wanted

They love these!!

So I bought them next door at the little store and we sat around and they ate!!!

I don’t know who dressed Daniela this morning!!!!

They were so much fun, they are inquisitive and funny..after lunch it was time for them to feed the fish and water the plants!!!!

Then it was time to play games which we did then they went on my sun deck and came back looking like this!!!!!!!

After tennis this morning I put my gear outside to dry off…don’t they look so funny????

We then walked back a ways then got a taxi back to CH…when I have them I make sure they always say thanks to the taxi driver and he was amazed and just smiled…..I told the Madres that the girls had been really good and I hope to take then to the hot springs on Saturday!!

Here are some photos that my good friend and resident CH photographer Jorge took at the show on Tuesday!!!

Do you think Melanie was happy to see me??

The girls arriving and some of my lovely chaperones, Josolin, Carolyn and John and Sharon!!!

This photo depicts what I really like about this country and culture…..we were after the show waiting for the bus to come and little Melanie told me she needed to go to the bathroom….I picked her up and there was an open air small family restaurant across the street and I thought I better get Carolyn to do this so here I am passing Melanie off and Carolyn and her go across the street…when they came back Carolyn told me that when she went it and asked to use the washroom the lady behind the counter picked Melanie up and took her in the back to the washroom….they asked Carolyn what was happening and she told them about the girls and where we had been so when Melanie came out the lady handed her a huge bag of candy for all the girls…gotta love Mexico!!!!!!

These girls and all the happenings at Casa Hogar make me feel so humble and every little thing you do for them is returned ten fold  over with smiles and kindness!!!!

Today is the special birthday for my only Uncle…….Bram I wish you many more Happy Birthday’s………my Dad would be proud to know that you are still so active and healthy and happy love both you and Auntie Rita!!!!

Time for tea, cookies and a movie!!!!!

Wednesday 28th December 2011…I am going to be an Uncle!!!!

My wonderful family on the Bank back in Nanaimo have informed me that I am going to be an Uncle…Skipper was born about 6 weeks ago and he will be coming home next week!!!!!

He is a Portuguese water dog!!! Congratulations!!!!

Tennis this morning was a good time and I enjoyed poker and as you can tell by the stack of chips I won!!!!

Home by 4pm and sunbathed and read till the sun went down…Chinese take out for dinner and now heading to the TV room for a hockey game.

The good news is that I am allowed to take the girls out tomorrow the bad news is that Paola will not be coming and again I do not know at this stage why but will try to find out…but I am happy that I can take Daniela out and I have asked for a friend to come with us and I asked for Suzanna and she is going to come for a couple of hours tomorrow afternoon!!!

Wish you all a great evening!!!

Tuesday 27th December 2011….for me an easy day!!!

Today is the day of the big show for the girls so I wanted to rest up a little…so after breakfast I drove up to the big Tuesday market…this is a huge event held, you guessed it every Tuesday, but with Christmas holidays it was much busier than normal!!!

It is one of those markets that if you cannot find it here you don’t need it!!!

I did of course make a purchase here!!!!

I then went to Linda and Guy’s and decided to give my motorized girls a shampoo!!!

From here I am almost ashamed to admit but…..I went back to Casita Doris and watched two, yes two, live soccer games from England!!!!

Time to get cleaned up and went to Carolyn’s casa and we drove together down town to the big Theater and soon after all my lovely and special chaperones arrived and then the  girls and  Madres arrived for the show!!!

I had gone to the box office this morning and asked because we were bringing so many girls could we have the front 4 rows reserved and we did so it was lovely we all sat together and the smiles on the faces of the girls, the huge bulging eyes at the clowns was a joy to behold!!!! Sadly my photos did not turn out too well but Jorge our loyal photographer was there and as soon as I get photos from him I will post them!!!

Thanks to all my lovely and special chaperones you made it a great evening for the girls!!!!

Blessings!!!!

Monday 26th December 2011.….a road trip!!!

I have these great friends Norma and Croft who live about 90 minutes away from me on Vancouver Island but we always see more of each other in Mexico!!

Norma and Croft are in their RV staying in Queretaro and this morning I went to visit them!!

I left home at 9.15am and walked the five minutes to the bus station bought my one way ticket for 55 pesos and I was at the bus station in QTO about 90 minutes later the bus was full and I did have a seat until a lady with a baby got on and no other man got up to offer her the seat so I did and finished up standing the whole way!!!

Outside the bus station I got a taxi and 10 minutes and 35 pesos later I was at the hotel where Norma and Croft are parked for a couple of weeks!!!!

It is really a high class hotel which allows RV's to park, the grounds are lovely they have use of all facilities with showers, bathrooms and a gym for 250 pesos per night!!

We had a great visit, Norma put on a delicious lunch and then Croft and I spent about an hour in the pool and the rest of the afternoon catching up…I left about 4.30pm and did the same journey in reverse and was back at Casita Doris by 6.45pm…total cost 180 pesos about 14 dollars…it was a wonderful day and Norma and Croft lovely to see you and I wish you safe and happy journey as you travel further south!!!

Supper, shower and now going to watch a hockey game…..another “boring” day!!!!