Thursday 7th January 2021...sending you back 11 years!!

This was one of those days for the memory banks made all that more special because Janet and Malc were with me....

January 6 th 2009!!!

Tuesday, January 06, 2009

Are there no end to these incredible days?

First of all I have to stand corrected in my blog from yesterday.  Janet in her sweet way told me that it is NOT the first game of scrabble she ever won, there apparently have been other victories.  So Janet I do apologize most sincerely.

After my 16 laps and breakfast we packed up for a day of adventure.

A couple of years ago when I was waiting for my lovely friend Eileen, on one of her frequent Doctor’s visits, I picked up a National Geographic magazine and in there was an article about the cowboy pilgrimage to the Cristo Rey, Christ the King, statue outside of Guanajuato.

The statue is said to be at the exact geographical centre of Mexico and holds special significance for the Mexican people and on the Epiphany, 6th January, hundreds of cowboys on horseback make the pilgrimage to this statue which is at 9400 feet.

This fascinated me and I put it on my ‘To Do” list, well today was the day so that is where we went in search of.  With some luck and good navigation techniques by Malc we actually found the road leading up to the statue, this was the start of a great adventure.

 

 

 

 

A lovely church on the way up.

Some of the cowboys on the road.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was turning out to be one of those you had to be here days!!!

The way we had climbed up the mountain.

When we reached the summit of the statue and looked down we saw this chapel with hundreds of cowboys and could hear them singing, a haunting sound!

Just an incredible sight.

The statue!! 

The people crawling into the chapel.

and the inside.

The cow poke Pearson’s….

Love this photo!

We then ravelled down the mountain

and saw one of the few female riders.

This truly was a magnificent spectacle and one I was so happy to share with Janet and Malc.  

After a road side lunch stop we headed into the city of Guanajuato and of course there isn’t a strawberry stall I can pass by. Not bad 40 pesos and that includes the basket.

We parked the car outside the city and took a taxi into town.

This is a very famous and old mining city with underground tunnels throughout.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then it was off to the Funicular, the incline railway.Taking us up to the famous statue of El Pipila, a renown hero who torched the gates of the Alhondiga allowing a huge victory for the independents in 1810.

Sit back and enjoy the views from here.

Here is those love  birds again!! 

You thought I was the goofy one of the family!!

Miss. Cottingham 2009!!!!!!

 This city has a European flavour with some beautiful buildings.

They have to have their afternoon latte!

Our waitress saw me take the photo above and asked if she could take one of the three of us, but she kept laughing so hard when she was taking it as the two guys in the back ground kept making funny faces at her, too much!!

Now the Alley of Beso, the kissing alley.

This is one of the smallest allies in the world, 23 inches wide, where rumour has it that a wealthy family with a beautiful daughter lived on one side of the alley and she fell in love with a common miner, he moved into the apartment across the way where they could carry on their romance.  The girl’s parents found out and they suffered a tragic end. 

The Hidalgo Market fashioned after an 1910 French Railway station.

On the way home we saw many vehicles with horses

and people.

I think this was just too much excitement for Janet.

What a great day this way so many happy and remarkable memories and of course one of those WAS

Have a great evening…

Hope you enjoyed this as much as I did..

Stay safe and healthy!!

Yashi Kochi!!

Wednesday 6th January 2021.....Three Kings Day!!

I had another session at the physio  this morning and Fernada put me through some pretty intense exercises, the swelling is gradually going down and I still have no pain and feel very good.

Afterwards I went to a private residence where a young lady makes and sell sourdough bread and I bought this loaf, it was still hot and I had a slice when I got home and it was very tasty.

Also picked up these strawberries from my regular supplier who has a small stall outside a local bakery.

After a busy few days I decided to take it easy this afternoon and I was outside on my patio when I heard on the news what was happening in Washington....like many others totally amazing at what I saw on the TV....

After watching for a while it was all too depressing so I went out for a short hike.....

All these photos are taken within a five minute walk of my casita...

This one is looking back at the houses..

Here in the circle is my place!!

Tonight I will watch some news and then a soccer game from England...I spoke to my Brother yesterday and they are now in total lockdown.

This is from the Internet and explains some of the importance of this day..

January 6 is a magical day for Spanish speakers. It’s a gift giving day equal to Christmas. It’s the twelfth day of Christmas... 

...which is considered as the day when the three wise men reached Bethlehem and gave their gifts to the baby Jesus.

In the Spanish speaking world this occasion is also celebrated by giving gifts.

If you like gifts, the Spanish world is a great place to be.

The three wise men in Spanish are called “los tres reyes magos” which literally means – the three magical kings.

Children in the English-speaking world often write a letter to Santa.

In the Spanish speaking world, it’s common for kids to write a note to the three magical kings.

Often on the eve of January 5th, kids tie a note to a helium filled balloon.

They let it go and watch it rise through the air up to the three wise men, which in this tradition are the three stars in the big dipper

When they wake up in the morning, gifts appear in or next to their shoes.

Cultural differences like these are part of the magic in visiting or living in a Spanish speaking country.

Stay safe and healthy!l

Yashi Kochi!!

Tuesday 5th January 2021...Mission accomplished!!!

Well today was the final day for the three kings toy drive.......I hired Daniel who is Gracie’s maids husband, he has a nice big panelled truck and we went and picked up all the remaining gifts and set out to the community of Don Francisco about 25 minute drive.

I had arranged to meet the delegate of the village at his house and we would unload the gifts there....

As you can see some of the kids know what is happening....

Sadly none of them are wearing masks😖😖😖🤔

We put all the gifts into his Casa and he thanked me so much...the kids all waved as we left.

So that is everything done..it is always a lot of work but I really enjoy doing the organizing and I want to thank everyone who made a donation this year......we were able to get gifts to over 875 children.

These photos were sent to me by the principal of the school who picked up the gifts yesterday and she delivered them herself!!

My friend Ina, who I met nine years ago when I stayed at her house in Athens, sent me this article about Three kings, very interesting!!

On the sixth of January, the Christmas holidays in Greece officially come to an end with the ‘festival of light’ (‘ton foton’ in Greek), also known as Epiphany.

This feast day in the Greek Orthodox Church is known as ‘Theophania’ which means ‘a vision of God’ or ‘Christ shining through’. It is considered a very important day for The Greek Orthodox Church. January 6th is also known as ‘Three Kings Day’ in the Western Church, a celebration of  the three magi visiting the Christ child.

In the Greek Orthodox Church, Epiphany is celebrated as the revelation of Christ as the messiah and second person of the trinity, at his baptism, by John the Baptist, in the River Jordan. 

Another cause for celebration in the Greek Orthodox Church on this day is that Christ’s baptism was only one of two occasions when all three persons of the trinity revealed themselves, at the same time, to humanity:

 God the Father, speaking from the clouds, God the Son, being baptized in the River Jordan, and God the Holy Spirit, revealed as a dove, descending from heaven.

On Epiphany, the Greek Orthodox Church performs

 the ‘Great Blessing of the Waters’.
 This ceremony is usually performed twice, once on the eve of Epiphany which is performed in the church, and then again on the actual day outdoors with priests blessing large bodies of water, sea, rivers, lakes etc.

The tradition is that a priest, surrounded by brave young men and boys, throws a cross into the sea, either from the harbour or from a boat at sea; the minute the cross leaves the priest’s hand, the divers jump into the freezing water to catch the cross. The lucky one who finds and returns the cross is blessed by the priest. As the cross is victoriously brought back, the priest releases a white dove, as a symbol of the holy spirit. 
This tradition is carried out to commemorate the baptism of Christ and to bless the waters.

Stay safe and healthy!!

Yashi Kochi!!

Monday 4 th January 2021..... Day two of the work party!!

Today was the busy day!!!!

With my three elves in tow arrived at Diane’s studio where she had kindly lent us the space to store the 410 soccer balls...

Without much ado the boys got right to work inflating the ⚽️ 

Here is Gary in the shade...

Graham working hard...

Mike seems to enjoy his work...

You are maybe asking what I was doing.......

Well count the steps!!,

I was going back and forth picking up the balls and placing them 15 to a garbage bag!!

Here are some of the ones waiting to be picked up...

Tania who is a school principal picked up the gifts to deliver to her children on Wednesday.

Ayla and Jim also picking up gifts for their small community...

I had brought drinks and cookies for the boys but they never stopped working and less than three hours later we were all finished...really amazing...thanks so much!!

As I arrived back at my casita I saw the lady and her son who go through the trash looking for plastics.....they were thrilled when I gave them some boxed drinks I had with me and then when I gifted the young boy a soccer ball..his smile stretched from ear to ear!!

It was a long afternoon but so worthwhile.....

I like this...

Now off for a shower and then watch a soccer game from 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿...

Also spoke to my brother this evening and he told me that England has gone to six weeks of total lockdown!!!

Stay safe and healthy!!

Yashi  Kochi!!

Sunday 3 rd January 2021....here we go....

Well this is the start of a busy three days for me

getting everything ready for the Three kings Delivery of over 875 gifts for the children in some different campos..

I had to pick up the remainder of the gifts for the fifty kinder girls and it is all here..

They each get a bag filled with one of everything shown above....and the finished product for one village....

I then went and did my exercises at the local park and then tested out my new lounger...

It passed the test....I had water, music, view of the mountains, sunshine and hummingbirds.....

This was sent to me on my Face book time line from last year...

Hope there will be many more happy faces like this on Wednesday...

I had a haircut and shave yesterday afternoon....I have been going Andrea’s home for about four years now, she cuts hair in her front room...it is very nicely laid out with Covid precautions and in all these years Andrea has never raised her price for my haircut...if you can believe 40 pesos....and she even gave me some chocolates on my way out🤗🤗🤪🎅

Beautiful sky tonight..

Tonight I am going to watch a soccer game from England and then my show....

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s busy day!!

Stay safe and healthy!!

Yashi Kochi!!

Saturday 2 Nd January 2021.....So what did you do this afternoon????

ME????

Welcomed the newest member of the Pearson clan!!!!!

Meet la silla perezosa!!!!

Stay safe and healthy!!

Yashi Kochi!!

Friday 1st January 2021...well here we go!!

I stayed up last night to watch the fireworks over the city from my roof top...

I had a perfect view and they were awesome I hope you can open this link to watch the show too!!

https://youtu.be/jEp5cT9bWaw

Don’t forget those rabbits, rabbits, rabbits!!

Spent the morning going through every drawer and cupboard and sorting stuff out....then watched a live soccer game from England.

This after I went down to the local park and did my laps and workout on the machines..

Before I knew it the time had flown by and it was 5 pm....

I had a nice supper and a great shower and then watched another soccer game and then my new series which is fabulous called Our Girl...it is on the app Britbox which I subscribe to.

This is my wish for all of you for 2021...

Stay safe and healthy and Happy new year!!

Yashi Kochi!!

Thursday 31 st December 2020...finally we say good bye

The last day of what has been a most horrific, sad and emotional year..........

I saw Dr.Rangel this morning and he was very pleased with my progress.....he drained some fluid off my knee and injected a gel like formula into the joint.

He told me to keep at rehab for ten days and then I will be ready for the tennis courts, slowly at first...what great news ..I do know how lucky and blessed I have been through all of this.

I also rode Little Yella again for the first time since the accident...

It felt good to be back and I was very cautious.....

So I want to wish all my family close and dear friends and blog readers a wonderful safe, health and happy 2021!!!

Yashi Kochi!!