Sewing in Fransico Madero
I`ve been recuited once again for something new. I am assisting in teaching some ladies in Fransico Madero how to sew with sewing machines. About 4 old and I mean old, sewing machines have been donated and a wonderful lady from Saskatwan (who happens to speak German) came with a few boxes of fabric, patterns and notions. What a gift that was for these ladies here. Our first project is to make a pair of capris, the first day they all picked out fabric and we started cutting out the pieces. While the fabric lady speaks German she does not speak a word of Spanish but would you believe it we made out just fine, these women were so patient and easy going. We had so much fun; it is like sewing and playing charades at the same time. At one point a lady was asking me why one piece of her pants was cut bigger than the other, I tried to explain that the back is always bigger as we have to leave room for the butt, I didn`t have a Spanish word for butt, or for the behind so I was trying to figure out other words that could be used for butt as I am pointing to my butt she suddenly got it and said ``ah da boom boom`` I said ``si, da boom boom``. This is how it continued on all evening. Once again I feel so blessed to be here.

The start of a roof top garden

I`m on my way to the beach again and I run into a friend and as we`re walking and chatting I mention that I would like to buy some plants for my roof and would he know of anybody that would sell me some. Yup, he does, about 6 or 7 house up from where I live is Luis, who is a bit of a gardener, a bit of a fisherman and a bit of a taxi driver and who know what else. Amazingly enough on the side of a hill, amongst the rocks and sand is the most beautiful little garden. Luis started yanking plants out of the ground, yes yanking and put them in a box and assured me that all I needed to do was stick them in the ground, even though most of them had just been ripped up without roots. I tried to pay the man but he would not take any money so I decided that I would stop by with a gift of some sort within the next week. I get home and realize that once again I never made it to the beach ...oh well, and I also have no dirt to put in my pots. So I grab my water bucket and start wandering around the Island looking for dirt, turns out there isn`t any, this whole Island is made of sand. I head over to another friends house and ask her where I can buy dirt, she shows me her plants that are all in pots of sand and are doing just fine. She tells me I don`t need special dirt, as I head home with my empty bucket I realize that now I am walking around with a 5 gallon bucket just like the locals that I had been wondering about. Soon I`ll get me a wheel barrow too. Being the North American that I am, I head into Mazatlan the next day because I am convinced that my plants will grow much better with some good potting soil. I pick up a big sack of dirt and find some Delphinium seeds that I think would make a great gift for Luis and for me too. I like Delphiniums because they grow very fast and I don`t have much time left. (I should have done this a month ago) I`m excited to give Luis his seeds but he is not home, I`ll try again later. By the afternoon I have an assortment of sad looking plants on my roof, celery, cilantro, a Boston fern, some petunias, some mint, some pink impatients, some dill and some others that I don`t have names for. I also started some delphiniums from seed. I`m hoping that once they sprout roots and discover their fine soil (I did mix it with sand) they will grow nicely. I `m excited about my little garden.